Beastie Boys - Intergalactic

What this video is

Released in June 1998 as the lead single from Hello Nasty, 'Intergalactic' arrived at a crossroads between hip-hop's mainstream commercial peak and the emergence of eclectic, genre-fluid rap art. The video's sustained engagement with Japanese Kaiju cinema and Super Sentai TV culture—shot partially on location in Tokyo—represented a remarkably cosmopolitan cultural fluency rare in American rap videos of the era. By…

Why it matters

A landmark in artist-directed music video practice, 'Intergalactic' demonstrated that hip-hop acts could operate as full auteurs with cinematic ambitions. Its Grammy win and MTV VMA recognition established it as a genre high-water mark. The Kaiju pastiche framework helped mainstream Japanese pop…

The director

Adam Nathaniel Yauch (August 5, 1964 – May 4, 2012), known as MCA, was a founding member of Beastie Boys, rapper, bassist, and filmmaker. He directed numerous Beastie Boys music videos under the pseudonym Nathanial Hörnblowér, including 'Intergalactic,' 'So…