Believe the Hype: Hype Williams's Best Videos

The legendary director's dopest, most groundbreaking clips.

Hip Hop Video Director of the Year: Hype Williams - This trailblazing veteran video director seems to only fancy music from Kanye West (“I Wish You Would/Cold”), Nicki Minaj (“Va Va Voom”) and Meek Mill (“Levels”). Though he’s cutback on his output, it only makes the case that quality trumps quantity. (Photo: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic)

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Believe the Hype: Hype Williams's Best Videos - Legendary video director Hype Williams and Nicki Minaj just made history — well, Internet history at least. Hype's visuals for Nicki's "Stupid Hoe" garnered 4.8 million views within 24 hours on VEVO, a new record. But he had already cemented his legacy long before: Since the early '90s, he's directed dozens of acclaimed, chart-topping and downright revolutionary mini-epics. Click on to see just some of Hype Williams's hypest music videos. —Alex Gale(Photo: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic/Getty Images)

Busta Rhymes, "Gimme Some More" - Much of Hype's best work came with his long-time collaborator Busta Rhymes. Their partnership truly peaked with 1998's "Gimme Some More," an eye-popping acid-trip featuring Busta in a muscle-suit, Flip Mode in Technicolor zootsuits and a baby Busta transforming into a blue, googly-eyed monster. With its cartoonish colors, other-worldly wardrobe and, of course, a whole lot of fish-eye lens, this video is all Hype.  (Photo: Flipmode Entertainment)

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Busta Rhymes, "Gimme Some More" - Much of Hype's best work came with his long-time collaborator Busta Rhymes. Their partnership truly peaked with 1998's "Gimme Some More," an eye-popping acid-trip featuring Busta in a muscle-suit, Flip Mode in Technicolor zootsuits and a baby Busta transforming into a blue, googly-eyed monster. With its cartoonish colors, other-worldly wardrobe and, of course, a whole lot of fish-eye lens, this video is all Hype.  (Photo: Flipmode Entertainment)

The Notorious B.I.G., "Warning" - Hype doesn't always need crazy special effects and wardobe to keep you watching. His clip for Biggie's "Warning" is straightforward but smartly cinematic. Check the shots of a heated B.I.G. brushing his teeth and eating Peanutbutter Crunch, and the way the video ingeniously unfolds as an epilogue to Hype and Biggie's "Big Poppa" clip.  (Photo: Bad Boy Records)

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The Notorious B.I.G., "Warning" - Hype doesn't always need crazy special effects and wardobe to keep you watching. His clip for Biggie's "Warning" is straightforward but smartly cinematic. Check the shots of a heated B.I.G. brushing his teeth and eating Peanutbutter Crunch, and the way the video ingeniously unfolds as an epilogue to Hype and Biggie's "Big Poppa" clip.  (Photo: Bad Boy Records)

Busta Rhymes, 'Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See' - With tribal dancing and paint to match, it's not hard to tell Coming to America inspired the video for this Busta Rhymes Grammy-nominated hit. Hype Williams got behind the lens.(Photo: Courtesy of Aftermath Records)

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Busta Rhymes, "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See" - One of Hype's favorite tactics is referencing movies in his videos, and this 1997 Busta Rhymes clip is probably the best, most memorable example. Using Coming to America as a jumping point, this epic video shows Busta running from elephants, hot-tubbing with Nubian beauties and doing spirit dances in terrifyingly flourescent body paint.   (Photo: Flipmode Entertainment)

"The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" - Missy kicked open the door strong with the first single from her debut in 1997. She forewarned her future as she told y'all, "You can't stop the rain."(Photo: Elektra Records)

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Missy Elliott, "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" - Hype found another perfect muse in the form of imaginative rap-weirdo Missy Elliott. His visuals for her 1997 hit "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" blew minds with its mind-melting camera effects and futuristic wardrobe. A garbage bag never looked so fashionable.(Photo: Elektra Records)

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13. Kanye West "All of the Lights" - Still going strong well into 2011, Kanye West delighted fans by releasing the “Enter the Void”-inspired video for one of the most memorable songs from MBDTF.(Photo: Courtesy of Roc-A-Fella Records)

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Kanye West, "All of the Lights" - Hype's string of pioneering, mind-melting work didn't end in the '90s. In the new millennium, he's found a new, equally imaginative partner-in-crime: Kanye West. The pair's clip for "All of the Lights," with its references to the 2009 French film Enter the Void, flashing fonts and strobe-light effects, was seizure-inducing — literally. The video was eventually re-released with a warning from Epilepsy Action.(Photo: Roc-A-Fella Records)

The Notorious B.I.G. feat. Puff Daddy and Ma$e, "Mo Money, Mo Problems"  - The larger-than-life video that defined rap's shiny-suit era, featuring Diddy and Mase floating on compressed air, Harlem-shaking it in garishly lit tunnels from the year 3000 and bigging up Tiger Woods. (Photo: Bad Boy Records)

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The Notorious B.I.G. feat. Puff Daddy and Ma$e, "Mo Money, Mo Problems"  - The larger-than-life video that defined rap's shiny-suit era, featuring Diddy and Mase floating on compressed air, Harlem-shaking it in garishly lit tunnels from the year 3000 and bigging up Tiger Woods. (Photo: Bad Boy Records)

Kanye West, "Heartless" - Teamed with Kanye while the rapper was going through an experimental phase, Hype cleverly switches it up by referencing the groundbreaking 1981 animated movie American Pop with rainbow-y video vixens and a cartoon Kanye dancing around dramatically. (Photo: Roc-A-Fella Records)

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Kanye West, "Heartless" - Teamed with Kanye while the rapper was going through an experimental phase, Hype cleverly switches it up by referencing the groundbreaking 1981 animated movie American Pop with rainbow-y video vixens and a cartoon Kanye dancing around dramatically. (Photo: Roc-A-Fella Records)

R. Kelly feat. Ron Isley, "Down Low (Remix)" - With its epic, slow-motion, almost sexual shots of Clinton-era luxury, this video in many ways paved the way for Hype's hood-mafia magnus opus Belly.  (Photo: Jive Records)

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R. Kelly feat. Ron Isley, "Down Low (Remix)" - With its epic, slow-motion, almost sexual shots of Clinton-era luxury, this video in many ways paved the way for Hype's hood-mafia magnus opus Belly.  (Photo: Jive Records)

Tupac, Featuring Dr. Dre, 'California Love' - Tupac and Dr. Dre made a classic with "California Love," and some of the credit for the song's elevated status should go to the video. The Hype Williams-directed bit was extravagant, memorable and borrowed from the 1985 end-of-the-world film Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome. (Photo: Interscope Records)

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Tupac feat. Dr. Dre, "Califonia Love" - Hype perfectly captures a bold, brash, newly freed Tupac's do-or-die hometown pride with this ostentatious clip, which takes on Mad Max and features awesome cameos from George Clinton, Chris Tucker and others. (Photo: Interscope Records)

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Ol' Dirty Bastard, "Shimmy Shimmy Ya" - This blurry 1995 clip shows Big Baby Jesus in classic form, taking on Soul Train with an afro and mutton-chops before stripping down to his boxer shorts.   (Photo: Elektra Records)

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Ol' Dirty Bastard, "Shimmy Shimmy Ya" - This blurry 1995 clip shows Big Baby Jesus in classic form, taking on Soul Train with an afro and mutton-chops before stripping down to his boxer shorts.   (Photo: Elektra Records)

Kanye West, "Stronger" - Hype and Kanye did it again with the next-level video for "Stronger," which pays homage to the 1988 anime classic Akira with stark shots of a neon-lit Tokyo, leather-clad motocycle gangs and Cassie reimagined as a Japanimation sexpot. (Photo: Roc-A-Fella Records)

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Kanye West, "Stronger" - Hype and Kanye did it again with the next-level video for "Stronger," which pays homage to the 1988 anime classic Akira with stark shots of a neon-lit Tokyo, leather-clad motocycle gangs and Cassie reimagined as a Japanimation sexpot. (Photo: Roc-A-Fella Records)

Nicki Minaj, "Stupid Hoe" - YouTube viewers may disagree (200,000 dislikes to 100,000 likes — ouch!), but we're going to go out on a limb and say this video is kind of incredible. Recalling Hype's groundbreaking work with Busta in the late '90s, the shots of a scantily clad, Barbied-up Nicki twurking it in a yellow cage and holding inhuman Yoga poses are addictively watchable — no matter what you think of the song. It broke VEVO's record for most views in a day for a reason. (Photo: Cash Money Records)

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Nicki Minaj, "Stupid Hoe" - YouTube viewers may disagree (200,000 dislikes to 100,000 likes — ouch!), but we're going to go out on a limb and say this video is kind of incredible. Recalling Hype's groundbreaking work with Busta in the late '90s, the shots of a scantily clad, Barbied-up Nicki twurking it in a yellow cage and holding inhuman Yoga poses are addictively watchable — no matter what you think of the song. It broke VEVO's record for most views in a day for a reason. (Photo: Cash Money Records)

Busta Rhymes feat. Janet Jackson, "What's It Gonna Be" - Hype once again makes history with Busta in this 1999 clip, a stunningly imaginative future-scape filled with sci-fi CGI effects inspired by the movies Terminator 2 and The Abyss. At $2 million, this video is one of the most expensive ever made, but the amazingly off-the-wall results justified the price tag. (Photo: Flipmode Entertainment)

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Busta Rhymes feat. Janet Jackson, "What's It Gonna Be" - Hype once again makes history with Busta in this 1999 clip, a stunningly imaginative future-scape filled with sci-fi CGI effects inspired by the movies Terminator 2 and The Abyss. At $2 million, this video is one of the most expensive ever made, but the amazingly off-the-wall results justified the price tag. (Photo: Flipmode Entertainment)