LL COOL J - 4,3,2,1 ft. Method Man, Redman, DMX

What this video is

Released December 9, 1997 on LL Cool J's seventh album Phenomenon (Def Jam Recordings), '4,3,2,1' represents a defining summit meeting of late-90s East Coast hip-hop talent: a Def Jam veteran (LL Cool J) convening Wu-Tang affiliate Method Man, Def Squad stalwart Redman, and then-rising Ruff Ryders force DMX on a single posse cut. The track is also culturally notable for catalyzing the LL Cool J vs. Canibus beef —…

Why it matters

A canonical example of the late-90s Def Jam posse-cut format, '4,3,2,1' demonstrates the commercial and artistic apex of East Coast supergroup collaborations. The video's aggressive editing pace (1.36s avg shot length, 162 scene changes) set a visual benchmark for hardcore hip-hop performance…

The director

Born Brooklyn, NY, May 7, 1962. High school dropout who began career as street artist and choreographer in the late 1980s. Directorial debut was PBS hip-hop documentary Reckin' Shop: Live From Brooklyn (1992), followed immediately by her first music video,…