Kid Rock - Forever (Video)

What this video is

Released October 2001 in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, 'Forever' and its video arrived at a flashpoint moment for American identity. Filmed at Kid Rock's insisted-upon hometown location — the Michigan State Fairgrounds in Detroit — rather than California, the production was a deliberate assertion of Midwestern, blue-collar authenticity. The video encapsulates the post-9/11 surge in populist American patriotism,…

Why it matters

A definitive artifact of rap-rock's late commercial peak, the 'Forever' video illustrates the genre's pivot toward hard rock populism and away from hip-hop aesthetics. Wayne Isham's concert-documentary style elevated the track's mainstream rock credibility, helping it chart at No. 18 on Billboard…

The director

Wayne Isham (born December 2, 1958, Vinita, Oklahoma) is an American music video and film director with over 150 directing credits since the 1980s. A UC Santa Barbara alumnus, he was inspired by David Bowie's 'Ashes to Ashes.' His credits span Metallica's…