LL Cool J - Around The Way Girl

What this video is

Released in 1990 as the third single from Mama Said Knock You Out, 'Around the Way Girl' arrived at a pivotal moment when hip-hop was consolidating its foothold on MTV following the 1988 launch of Yo! MTV Raps. The song and video constitute a cultural counter-statement to aspirational luxury rap imagery, explicitly valorizing working-class Black femininity — bamboo earrings, door-knockers, lip gloss, and…

Why it matters

A landmark in hip-hop's romantic sub-genre, 'Around the Way Girl' reoriented the male-gaze music video away from aspirational fantasy toward neighborhood documentary realism. The casting-call narrative device used by Barclay became an influential template for grounding rap videos in community…

The director

Paris Barclay (b. 1956, Chicago Heights, IL) studied English at Harvard University and co-founded music video production company Black & White Television. He directed eight videos for LL Cool J and videos for Bob Dylan, Janet Jackson, Luther Vandross, and…