Brandy - Top Of The World (feat. Mase)

What this video is

Released in 1998 as the second international single from Brandy's landmark album Never Say Never, 'Top of the World' exemplifies the commercial peak of the Darkchild production sound — a template that defined late-90s urban R&B. The collaboration with Mase reflects the era's defining commercial logic of R&B/hip-hop crossover pairing, pioneered by artists on Bad Boy Records and Atlantic Records simultaneously. The…

Why it matters

A landmark late-90s R&B/hip-hop crossover artifact, 'Top of the World' represents the apex of the Darkchild production era and the MTV TRL generation's visual grammar. Paul Hunter's surrealist CGI approach — applying cinematic digital effects to an R&B context — helped establish the visual…

The director

Emmy-nominated American filmmaker and co-founder of commercial production company PRETTYBIRD. Graduated from Cal State Northridge with a degree in Radio, TV & Film. Entered music video directing in 1995. The Washington Post (2004) called him one of the 'most…