we might get a pity video.

here are the rules.

i wanna Aerosmith this shit as in...be in this video for as little as possible.

vote then Describe how you see this video. i want innovation. i want eye candy tricks cheat all that shit.

you get a cheap budget too.

under 100gs


ghead

Poll question: You Make The Call

Poll result (353 votes) Baby (64 votes) Vote Here I Come (36 votes) Vote Long Time (187 votes) Vote Clock With No Hands (66 votes) Vote

The video treatment? As to Philly what "The Corner" was to Chicago...

Show as much as possible of the city...

Then for the third verse / last chorus, you guys performing in a street corner in Philly (with Peedi, Sigel, Freeway, State Prop, everyone from Philly... shit, even Will Smith and Kurupt)

i voted for long time but i heard a short sample of clocks with no hands and that song is amazing, im poor right now im refusing to d/l it im gonna wait til i get some money but yeah long time would be my choice

gather all the philly cats.

we could shoot around the city though

what happened to supporting each other because they either like what you are doing or are slightly indebted to yall for putting them on record before people knew who they were.

I dont know, i mean will smith and kurupt prolly work out, but jeff, eve, all of state property (lol), Ms. Scott, and who ever else, i mean you could even get cats that arent in philly, like just the dudes that yall are close with.

it would also be cool for the fans (even though media wouldnt notice) to try and get everyone who has been a root at one point or another if there isnt any hard feelings or some shit. Like get Ben Kenny, Scratch, Rhazel, storch (prolly not tho), martin luther, and even the white dude who played bass lol

Y'all can hook up w/ SEPTA and shoot it on the trains and buses and shit.

Each MC gets on at their respective stops and shit...

add the neo-soul cats too. y'all got a few crowds to please here.
__

***FREE*** RAS KASS SHOW IN DC
@ Liv (2003 11th St NW, 11th and U St NW)
Thursday, September 28th
Doors at 7pm, show PROMPTLY starting at 8 (don't wander in on "hip-hop time", trust me, we're wrapping up by 10:30)

I got an idea....get a big name graffiti artist (like banksy who got all this press cuase of the paris hilton stuff) and make the video following him around as he creates a peice of art somewhere in philly. Would be cheap and would put a peice of history in philly that you could say you created.



In the name of the father, the iverson, and the holy spirit.

>The video treatment? As to Philly what "The Corner" was to
>Chicago...
>
>Show as much as possible of the city...
>
>Then for the third verse / last chorus, you guys performing in
>a street corner in Philly (with Peedi, Sigel, Freeway, State
>Prop, everyone from Philly... shit, even Will Smith and
>Kurupt)

And they let you do reviews? Wow...

I didn't know writing expert video treatments was a pre-req for writing reviews?

What exactly is your problem with me?

I didn't know writing expert video treatments was a pre-req for writing reviews.

What exactly is your problem with me?

I didn't know writing expert video treatments was a pre-req for writing reviews.

What exactly is your problem with me?

you'd think after all these years i'd learn how to reply

>The video treatment? As to Philly what "The Corner" was to
>Chicago...
>
>Show as much as possible of the city...
>
>Then for the third verse / last chorus, you guys performing in
>a street corner in Philly (with Peedi, Sigel, Freeway, State
>Prop, everyone from Philly... shit, even Will Smith and
>Kurupt)

I'm thinking of a similiar idea. The soul of Philly is represented by a beautiful woman. The main character is driving, training or busing it around, and he's always looking out the window viewing all the sites around town of - folks playin' ball, rhymin', hustlin and kids playin in the street, even a scene with them playin in the off shoot of a water hydrant (during "It's somethin in the water though, where I come from"). While he's seeing all the sites he's glimsing this beautiful woman as a part of them(the soul of Philly). So it ends with him goin back to the suburb where he grew up (where the Roots originally jammed) and he finds the soul of Philly standing there. They embrace (maybe the Roots are playin behind them), as the band fades out and the strings are left solo everthing go's slow and there is a sense of fulfillment achieved through the characters body language (perhaps everyone standing around, just embraces in a union of peace and love).

Show as much as Philly, but maybe with fast motion (is that right? That shit where they show the flower bloom in a second.)

To me (and this has been said by someone else here too) Long Time is about someone coming back from prison. But even if not prison it's still coming back home after being away a "long time." That's why I think you should use that camera to show the growth of the city (obviously computer generated), although I'd flip it to show the present and have it morph into the past.

So maybe the main character is walking the streets, looks to his left to see a rundown house that morphs into a clean place where he used to live. Maybe he sees a woman on the corner who "grows down" to the little girl he used to play with? (get your mind out the gutter, play friends, strictly platonic.)

And I'm not saying you need to show it being worse today than it was then, or even vice-versa. But just make it clear that one is present day and one is the past. I think a lot of people would agree that what you remember is always nicer than it really was.

And then at the end you could show the character come around the corner to two little kids, one rapping, one hitting some buckets....

I was pretty much thinking the same thing. Show how the city has changed, while you all are out on the road. Put in some concert footage from around the world. Then for the last verse have a jam session like mentioned earlier.



Or for here I come:
Have an Okayplayer army taking over Def Jam.

first of all, co-sign Long Time hands down.

(Here I Come really shouldn't be an option since it was already used in the trilogy video).

Anyway, I'd have the band playin a street corner / tariq walkin through philly. And throughout the video, seamlessly morph (using some nice special effects) to footage of the Square Roots playin on the streets of Philly.

Something along those lines would make for a cool video.

If you could get Bunny in the vid too, it would be a nice touch (i'd say try to get a cameo by Hov, but considering he is halfway across the world right now... thats not gonna happen)


I know that the album has shed some light on how rough Philly has become with the high murder rates and all (a la In The Music), but Long Time, to me, is an uplifting song, so i would focus on the bright side of philly in the vid.

great foundation peeps are settin. long time will bring in the masses

"play on the street corner jawn"

but i might take that jail steeze.

to the You Got Me video... just for the sake of looking back in the timeline. Maybe not, but just an idea.

- - - - -

jy
1974-2006

peace & love

just playin.

But really I totally forgot about "You Got Me" and considering you just wanted to be in the video for thislong, I figured a little shout out to what you used to do wouldn't be so bad.

Guess I ass/u/me/d.

it would be type corny to see a jail subplot in a roots video.

switch it up. have BT coming home from iraq or something.


___

wow. i still post on message boards. lol.

If this becomes a Philly anthem, it can win. And cameos will help the video A LONG way. Make it artsy, but not controversial (so that video stations will actually play it this time)

For the block party performance scene, make sure Larry Gold and a small orchestra are on stage with you.

Have you seen the "Grammy Family" (Consequence, Kanye, John Legend) video? Kanye doesn't spit any of his rhymes, instead all the GOOD Music artists do it. Maybe have all the Philly rappers / celebs spit the lyrics (which implies it's a universal Philly anthem, like it's the life story of any and all inner-city youth in Philly)

I think this song can win. Probably not radio, but video. Make it some beautiful artsy shit that mtv2 and mtvU will gladly play next to their artsy rock videos.

But most importantly, keep it positive and upbeat.

Maybe have a scene like the one in Rocky where he is running to the Art Museum and all the kids start following him. Black thought could be leading the group of fans and celebs, while the rest of the band is on teh art museum steps performing.

Maybe do something like the behind the beats thing for the album. Follow each memeber of the band walking around, some fans and then everyone convenes at a central location for a performance of the last verse.

sorry bout that. After re-reading this thread, I was like "man, i just built on what Troubled said."

you laid the foundation though, now ?uest and 'em need to run with it...

no offense taken...

other philly artist saying the lyrics in the vid.

2 Things...I like that idea of him being released from jail and kidna wandering around his old stomping grounds a lot actually....The only thing i'd add is a clever/easy way to do the transformation would be Tariq walking down the street (or some main character) and see things in the present day...and occasionally have him stop (at the chorus) at a store front he remembers and look at the glass window which would show a memory from the past in the reflection of the window. I was thinking the memory would show either what used to happen there....or the exact same thing happening but in a different time period...Different people...dated looking stuff.



If you kinda want a similar theme but like some story type ish then i'd was thinking you make it about him getting outta jail (maybe peedi picks the dude up.) and then he's walking around, and stops at the chorus at places that trigger memories of how it all happened...

For instance.

Chorus - Starts off with him in a memory scene running and then cuffed and getting arrested.

First verse -- its the main character picked up from jail and dropped off, then walking around, his old stomping grounds seeing things he used to do.

Chorus - Stops at a window to reflect...and sees himself and a friend (peedi?) in a memory scene where the cops show up and they all start running away from the police.

Second Verse -- friend (peedi?) in the bathroom and then getting ready to go pickup his friend from jail.

Chorus --- Friend (peedi?) gazes in rearview mirror and recalls him and main character walking through an alley where some drugs are being sold (or something illegal happening).

Third verse --- Main character walks along the streets reminicing and hen bumps into some old friends from earlier in his life, who are doing something illegal or sketch (selling drugs again?...donno just something similar to the opening)

Chorus --- Cops come, everyone runs...main character tries to run, but gets arrested and as he's being arrested looks up in the glass and sees a reflection of the first scene where he was getting arrested as a younger man. I sorta see it as the camera being slightly above and behind the main character...and the current arrest looking the exact same as the first scene and reflection he's seeing in the glass. Except the scene playing in the reflection has a older and dated look to it, to show that it happened back in time.


Its basicly a concept where you're saying over time, some things may be and look different but ultimately nothing has changed and everything is still the same.

have black thought and peedi as little kids with big ass heads.

Long Time

Time lapses

Heavily saturated colors with alot of grain

Not about hiphop

About people

you'd be gold, 100k...god damn my roomate does better music videos than i see on MTV for under 5k.

i aint giving up.
im turning EVERY stone over
til i get goose bumps

He mostly deals in hardcore and metal videos but seriously theres probably a billiion great students at my school who could give you ideas for a story or would work way under that budget. I mean you got strings to pull you got clout but if you want you could look at students.

peace & blessings,

x.

sigless for the summer, y'all.

Hey man im going to PM you about this ish.

first and foremost what about some pity promotion.

a video/radio push. i think that woudl be cheaper than filming another video no one will see.

what about all the behind the scenes footage for "the trilogy". everybody does behind the scenes footage for future dvd's that never come out.

you guys can't get a mtv ";making the video" jawn out of it. i mean shit you did THREE FUCKING VIDEOS with a running theme. and NOT A SINGLE MTV BLURB ABOUT THE SHIT.

BUT EL HEJE FARTS LOUDLY AND THE FUCKING WORLD STOPS TO TAKE NOTICE...

sorry, just venting...

now the video

a kid coming up from nothing (verse 1)

another kid in north philly taking a dump writing wraps (verse 2)

older kid being "schooled" by the older heads

the entire video can be done with little to know rott involvment other than a performance shot of maybe the kids coming to a roots show or you guys doing the street thing for tips (like the good old days)

real straight forward, not too many tricks, just actors and a street performance. no superstar cameos.


________________________________________
return to your home citizens

madagascar titties- (c) phontiggalo the rap jiggalo

I would never, ever hit a woman....but i'll beat a bitch (c) wifey

http://www.myspace.com/iltigo

Since it’s already a prison-themed song, have Thought (in grainy black and white) break out of jail while flashbacks of Philly (in color) resonate throughout. By the last verse, have him finally get to Philly but then reality kicks in and it’s not what he remembered it to be. My first instinct would be to let the cops re-capture him at the end with that feeling that things change and you can’t always go back. But then I also think fuckit – let’s make it uplifting with the cops still trying to get him but he always gets away with the notion that he although he was away for a while and things are different – free will will always be triumphant. And then use Pity the Child as the outro fading out with “…one thing I can tell you is you’ve got to be free…”

Long Time, easily.

The video has great visual potential.

F**k gold they want platinum, but hows that good when you lyrically wood?

(c) De La Soul..Live @ the Dugout (off of impossible mission mixtape)

no more "you got me" eve moments.


have cameos from as many philly hip hop acts as possible. get malik b to appear (please the die hards) as well as eve, will smith, kurupt, beenie, etc (please general populace)

show philly life, but with poetic, soulful shots. make it a philly theme song.

if you wanna be in the video as little as possible, why not have other philly acts do fake instument playing (or real if they can) and have cats like beenie and eve, etc. do black thought's vocals.

ok, i wrote a treatment for the video, so here goes...

EXT - An Ornate Hotel in 1930's New Orleans.

It's dinner time during fall in the Cresent City, the sun is nearly down and people are preparing to rest for the next day, or...

A Bell hop opens the door for Black Thought dressed to the style of the time in a three piece suit, and a hat.

The camera tracks Black Thought entering a taxi cab with John-John(?) driving.

:04 - Go 'head, nigga.

Car Drives away down the street

Dissolve to...

EXT. A Country Road

The car is nimbly moving along the road.

:11 - "Slow down when you hittin them corners."

Cut to a shot of Black Thought sitting in the back seat saying...

BT:
"Fuck around and spill this yak all over my two hundred dollar suit"

:19 -

Cut to a shot of the rearview mirror with John-John turning his head slightly to the right and saying.

John-John:
"Quit being a back-seat driver."

:23

BT looks incredulous as if it's the first time anyone's talked back to him, ever.

BT:
"Ugh"

EXT. - A small shack at the end of a road. A pond is in the background. Cars are parked to the right and left of the house. The driver pulls up and parks off ot the side. BT opens up his door to step out of the car.

Cut to..

INT - The Sugar Shack / Speakeasy - Warmth permeates the air, warmth from the bodies packed upon each other, warmth from alcohol and warmth from cigarette smoke. It's quite the intoxicating atmosphere.

:24 - "Aw, naw girl"

A light pours down on Black Thought as he reaches for the microphone.

:25 - "Turn him up"

The driver is standing off to the side of the stage by the sound man

Driver: Turn him up

Insert Shot of the soundman turning up the sound level on a vintage amp.

Tracking shot of BT standing in front of the stage with the band behind him.

Once the camera reaches BT, the camera snakes along the stage, capturing each band member entranced by the music they make.

'Cain't let that stop the movement'

shot of a couple moving in silky smooth slow-motion intertwined sharing each others essence on the dance floor, with other bodies moving in the background.

'Can't get no satisfaction'.

cut to a wide shot of the band. the camera turns to capture a woman slowly walking up on a couple. the woman taps the gentleman on the shoulder, who happens to be kissing a woman. the look on the woman's face says it all as he has been caught cheating on her man.


cut to a shot of the woman, looking at this 'gentleman' (Dice Raw??)...

She says, 'Someone call for the ambulances'

chorus

The woman has cornered Dice Raw in the back of the shack.

~ Baby, Baby, Baby ~

Dice Raw: "Baby, let me live, please girl, let me slide."

MONTAGE of people quickly running out of the shack.

~ Baby, Baby, Baby ~

A shot of a man looking on with light pouring down on his shoulders. "Oooh, oooh"

Dice Raw: "Baby if you let me go, I swear, I change. Just your mind"

Verse 2.

The woman is in custody, being interrogated.

1:24 - Them stories too confusing.

Policeman: "Your man don't like the jitterbug, said this ol dirty music, "

Woman:
"Hip-hop just so rediculous. Them stories too confusing"

Policeman steps in closer to the woman, his face entering the framce near hers.

Policeman cooly mouths the words to the song.

"Can't get no satisfaction"

INT - WOMAN'S HOME - KITCHEN

MONTAGE OF WOMAN STORMING INTO THE BEDROOM, SEARCHING HER HUSBAND'S PANTS, FINDING A PACK OF CONDOMS

FLASH BACK TO SETTING AT THE SPEAKEASY
The woman confronts Dice Raw and the other woman and says.

Woman: "Was all this just for practice..."

chorus

~ Baby, Baby, Baby ~

Dice Raw: "Baby, let me live, please girl, let me slide."

~ Baby, Baby, Baby ~

Dice Raw: "Baby if you let me go, I swear, I change. Just your mind"

The woman just looks on and just lets out a little laugh.

CUT TO MONTAGE OF PEOPLE RUNNING OUT OF THE BUILDING

WOMAN walks out of the building feeling satisfied.

WOMAN BEGINS TO WALK AWAY TO A CAR PARKED OUTSIDE.

THEN THE COPS ARRIVE.

*SIGH*

END OF VIDEO


END OF VIDEO

This song is different and has almost the appeal of The Seed 2.0. Already told TS this would make a crazy video. The track tells a story...I'd love to see it put to video. Definitely an old school vibe for the performance shots... Honestly, I just think this song need a video to go with it more than any other song on here cuz it's pretty vague (especially the first verse). Think it would be a hit with the youngins too.

i was thinking of the same idea but yours was a lot more detailed then mine. i really think baby could make it, its a song for everyone and every audience. I'm seeing some 16mm type shit with really lucid colours with the sun bleaching the film and shit. and cosign on the gettin a student to do it, students are creative cos they're hungry.

I initially voted for "Long Time," but it wasn't really a strong preference. After reading this though, I think you should go with "Baby."*

would be the best choice for a video thats more than about the "corner" jawn. WHich seems like what questo is goin for. I like the layout, i have to admit tho, i skimmed whatcha wrote, too many details for an initial plan... but good looks on the writeup, good enthusiasm. lol.

I like the music, really reveals a type of New Orleans atmosphere, which seems to be a driving force for GT as a whole. Set the vid in the 30s, depression times, and show how much music plays a part in expression. I see a real story in this song, kinda like Comm's Testify. Stray away from the cop interrogation/courthouse ish tho, played out IMO. Some solid house living shots and struggles of people trying to deal with the connotations of Game Theory. Putting out things that people want to have, exploiting a niche. There could be a potent tongue in cheek flavour to this one.

"Baby" needs the vid treatment. No doubt. DO it now!

cool idea. cept outkast just did a whole movie on the throwback 30s speakeasy idea. 3000's video is kinda on that tip too. but i'm with you on baby being a good choice for a video/single. Long time is classic but I haven't quite figured out how you make it a video/radio song in this current music industry environment. Plus if the video focuses on it being about Philly, how is that going to boost the record's numbers? Might not have enough universal appeal.

__

***FREE*** RAS KASS SHOW IN DC
@ Liv (2003 11th St NW, 11th and U St NW)
Thursday, September 28th
Doors at 7pm, show PROMPTLY starting at 8 (don't wander in on "hip-hop time", trust me, we're wrapping up by 10:30)

like the video should just have sweaty people all over the place.

Long Time...

First verse: a block party environment like the early 80's Bronx park hip hop parties. The Roots on one side, a bunch of old school artists come walking up on the other side to battle. Mele Mel, Kurtis Blow, Rev. Run, Grandmaster Flash, Cold Crush, etc. All dressed in old school attire. The band kicks in, and then the video is all old school artists from there on. Incorporate pics and party fliers introducing the old school artists (see book 'Yes Yes Y'all'). Show the pic of the artist, and then cut to the artist in the same or very similar attire rapping Thought's lyrics in the park.

Chorus, Verse two: old school party flier for a show. Flash to old school artists entering typical MTV Video club scene...video chicks everywhere, cash being thrown around, bottles all over. Old school DJ goes to DJ booth and takes record off the needle just as Long Time music stops and Peedi goes acapella for first two bars. Party stops. Beat kicks back in and now club is revamped into an old school party, break dancing battles, etc. More old school photo montages of break dancing transitioning into video of b boys/b girls at the club, get the rocksteady crew for a cameo!

Third Verse: old school artists leaving the club that night, walking down the street. More photo montages of old school artists rapping down the street and eventually getting on subway. Last shot: they get on subway, door opens and the roots are on the train already. Pan out with view of old school artists sitting on one side, the roots sitting on other side.

that rocks.

between long time and here i come.

like a lot of other people said, just show a bunch of cool clips from philly. for the live performance part of the video, i think you should shut down a couple blocks on south street like you did when the tipping point came out, do a little mini show, make sure to get some real fans there, and let me know when it is.

Was dope. The shadow shit was wack, tho. But the opening of the buildings and alleyways and tunnels was hot.

im sure the video would be great (LONG TIME mos definatly, but just make sure the song outro with the strings on the last 40 seconds or so, is in the video.

i swear this is a hit yo
yeah yeah i think here i come and a few others is better but i swear
baby has the best chance of making it
i used 2 b a music director...i can point out a hit or a potential hit with the quickness
even though i am retired, i still do the -ish 4 fun
so far in 2006, i havent lost...i predicted timberland's current rule on the pop airwaves @ the beginning of the year.
get those asian dudes or someone like it and do the whole sing in2 the webcam thing!!!!!
it will go over like gangbusters!!!!

flash 2 second images of jailhouse mugshots of celebrities from the 1940's through the 1980's, then, add fake mugshots of more modern artists/icons such as Common, Q Tip, Ludacris, John Mayer, Badu, Chappelle, Wayne Brady, Jay-Z, Beyonce, Afrika Bambaataa, The Beastie Boys, Nick Lachay, each mugshot having a subtitle with a phony crime charged.

Good luck.

I love Long Time, but do you people actually think this will get any play on MTV or BET???? no way. 'Baby' has a sound similar to The Seed which would be perfect for MTV2 or some shit. it also is more visual in the sense that it would make a better video...its also short too...pick BABY!!!! please.

LONG TIME!! Peedi Peedi and Black thought have a good chemistry and the video would be GREAT to see. Very conceptual and the video could be excellent, not to mention a song that many people love. Would be nice.

But I voted for Long Time, just wanna see P. Crakk on the set with the band......

Long Time is the beat choice for a single/video

basically just have it rep philly to the fullest

get the SP cats and other philly cats in there



damn i smell a Long Time philly all star remix

b/c that's what the rest of the world will like

ROTF

well... sorta. I think Long Time has commercial appeal along with being a great song and that's why I voted for it.

- - - - -

jy
1974-2006

peace & love

If your looking for a video concept, then I'd say "long time"

If your looking for the next single that 'could' get radio play and possible video rotation, then I'd go for "Clock with No Hands".

Clock with no hands I don't think would really ruffle any feathers.
Solid lyric matter that keeps it in check.

Long time is more a retrospective of things that were and what they are now... would be great for a video concept.

You could intermingle old footage, kinda like an old 8mm film projection against a wall in your parents living room.

Problem with going with this track is that it'll seem more like a lament to what was and not where your going... with your label situation at the moment, I don't think you want to give that vibe to the masses.

I really don't think you should go with 'here I come'.

My honest opinion is that the tempo is too fast and the track does not have that 'hiphop feel' for the masses.
It kinda reminds someone of those hybrid songs between a rock outfit and an emcee with an electronic-type flair to it.

Just my opinion.

...using Pez Dispensers and candy from your childhood.

Think Peter Gabriel's "Big", but lo-fi.

clock with no hands has the most crossover appeal...people will play this song...this video would not need the band, but probably tariq. maybe show a normal day in his life...looking at pictures...going around doing every day kind of stuff...going to the supermarket, etc....then doing his job and all the things going on around him...doing promotional stuff, show him in the lab (quick flash to the band), then with his kids, then showing around the neighborhood giving everyone dap, he gets phonecalls that someone is jail, someone is sick (according to what the verses say) and the truth is he has his own problems and is left to deal with them himself because everyone is wrapped up in their own bs. i know this abbreviated, but i see this being a very possible success for the roots.

long time would be great as a video too, but i dont know if the song would catch on. roots could certainly cash on this being a philly anthem, but probably only in philly.

im basing this on which i think would be most successful. long time would make the sicker video, but not using clock with no hands would be wasting a solid single.

But I'm biased cause this is my favorite join the album.

and how about a vh1 "Best Week Ever" or "i love the ___" theme.

i just want to see michael ian black and mo rocca in a roots video hehe.

Kirk is driving, ?uest is riding shotgun. Kamaal is in the back on the left, Knuckles is in the back on the right, Thought is in the middle of them sipping on cognac. The exchange from the begining of the song takes place. You could cut between you guys riding around to the car pulling up to a club and Thought kicking it to a lady on line outside, to just the car cruising around. Not exactly the best creative shit in the world, but it would cost hardly anything to film and would LOOK nice on TV. You could even do something with the card game motif from the back cover of the album, incorporate that into the video somehow.

(I'd gladly direct this, BTW. Despite only being a Sophmore in college...I'm studying film...and photo, flash, focus, record....hahaha)

my opinion - I'd love to hear both baby and long time as singles.

long time (with proper support) - smash crossover single. as far as a video goes for it, yeah you could take this shit far away from the corner - depends how far - how areosmith do you want? whatever it is, camera work has to have a sense of speed. just a random idea, 2 people in a relationship get inna fight (pre-song) and for the length of the song, they driving away from each other top-speed, so we catch philly all around at top speed. What might be cool is to do a next movement style thing where the band members are always somewhere in the cars, depending on where the camera looks. so the band is like their thoughts, or somethin. what might be real cool is when we catch the end of the argument, the hook from "livin' in a new world" is playin in the background.

for baby, i think it might have a good chance at being a urban radio success, and a decent chance at crossover success. the video for this song oughtta be weird, like louisiana voodoo shit - 'cuz it's got that dirge march shit going on. It might be real funny and shit to have the whole band as zombies (i am predicting the comments already) acting it up, playing their instruments, with clips of the "girl" going through the story, and then the girl, of course, has to somehow die near where the band is doing their thing, zombie style. I dunno, maybe this is just a stupid idea, but i think it would kill as a video, have a great sense of humor, and get a buttload of press. the song is just such a hip-fucked-up-dirge. how funny and cool would it be if during the "ohh" part in the beginning, one by one the dudes in the band rose up outta the ground? and BT should be decked out zombie style, with a huge f-ing chain. it's funny but in a really different way.

and i'd be more than happy to write a full treatment for either.

DEF use one of your celebrity friends...

maybe rosario for baby or something...

gotta say, i think the suggestions for baby might make a better video.



but i'd just love to hear that long time coming out of the radio too.

Here I Come is more energetic, but Baby is most engaging, charismatic song on album. Also has catchy chorus, unlike Long Time.

Use plastic models and stop motion in video. If you try to fit in with what's happening now it'll be crap, so if you're going to stand out - REALLY stand out. Hard to do a 'serious' video (cos it's a serious song) with plastic models, but it hasn't been done before, so it'll be a coup if you can do it.

And if you lot are in the video in person, get Thought to remove his sunglasses and his hat; a lot of this "charisma" talk is because we never see his eyes. Sunglasses indoors are strictly for the Puffys of this world.

PLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSEEEEEEEEEEEE.





______

http://myspace.com/iwishmusiccouldadoptme
http://myspace.com/kakiking

why do the roots ALWAYS overlook the most obvious single choices?

at least phren-now

i mean, its getting old fellas

lol true

I petition heavily for "Baby" (not that I'd be mad at "Longtime" though) because, really, the timing is too good for a song like this!

First of all, the media seems deadbent against letting the Roots just be a "hip hop" group, as they have relegated them to psuedo-rap, experimental/conscious (whatever you want to call it) band. Coming with "Longtime" would be dope, but the media will just peg that as another hip hop video...

But go with "Baby", that's something different! Black Thought sounds so somber on the track, so inspired...yeah it won't get much "club" play, but its so left-field for hip hop, that it just might spark something...there is so much feeling in this track.

I don't have a treatment in mind, but I do say this: film it in NEW ORLEANS!

Think about it, first of all, considering how this album was made/inspired, it would be a great tribute to the people of the city. I mean, everyone knows the Roots are from Philly (Thought mentions it in just about every song), so another video filmed there is what people might expect. But film it in New Orleans, get people from the city to be a part of the video. No need for a complex storyline even, just shots of the city...shots of the people...have the Roots playing in a beatup, damaged club in New Orleans with people from New Orleans in the club...maybe with a few characters acting out parts of the song in the club. Cut back and forth to shots of the damaged city, the unfixed homes, the poor. Show the city. Show the culture of the people. Show the lack of progress. Maybe even throw a cameo or 2 in there of New Orleans natives (Lil Wayne?!)

Its just past the 1 year anniversary of Katrina, Mos just got more attention for the victims via his arrest, Spike just did a documentary on the people suffering...the timing is just perfect. Not only will it show another side of the Roots, but it might spark something for the people of New Orleans...get some more attention on their suffering.

And you could probably do this on a small budget. I mean, how much would it cost to get people from the city out in front of their beaten up homes...playing in a beaten up club?

I think that the Roots will forever be pigeonholed, (which is ironic considering their range!) so why not throw a curveball, go with something really different...don't do the typical hip hop single and typical hip hop video.

To me, "Baby" is EXACTLY what the hip hop world is missing...its the type of songs that made me fall in love with hip hop 20 or so odd years ago.

Gotta get Peedi Crakk and do the "Long Time" video...a NO BRAINER!!...driving through philly...im a ny/dc nigga....but i can see tariq driving through philly..along 7th and snyder ave, preferably...even stopping by his brothers barber shop on 20th and snyder.....rhyming..then he picks up peedi crackk so peedi can spit his verse as they drive along peedi's particualr block...of course showing some of the pictures the verses create where "he come from"..i can even see the roots bandmembers playing makeshift instruments as tariq drives by(ex. ? would be playing garbage cans and buckets instead of drums..same with kamal...he'd have an old beat up playschool keyboard or somethng, etc...) the ill vision would be of the scenery in north philly..the images..while tariq drives by..as if he misses it...as if it was 92 all over again...

i can do a storyboard if need be...

http://www.myspace.com/matinsalaambari

That's a good video right there

nm

Spoof VH1..like the band is mad old living in a house on snyder avenue with other Philly artists thats mad old...beans with grey hair...eve on a walker..all that shit...GOTTA have jazzy jeff. (sidenote: without jeff, philly might as well have been camden, nj)...have tariq just rhymin whilr making a bowl of cereal or something..all the while intermingling with the other artists in the house as the song allows all to reminisces...then an old ass peedi crackk comes downstairs or whatever and spits his verse..doing the same thing...irong some clothes or some shit....tellin how it is "where he come from"....

http://www.myspace.com/matinsalaambari

on some Memento movie type shit.

work backwards.

but not spike jonez/pharcyde/runnin' backwards.

You guys Are playing inside of a house in the ghetto The Cops have it surrounded. You could have roles like Riq is the Perp Dice is a Hostage Mailk is the negotiater. Would be easy and cheap to make.

Get some heads from the Wire to play the cops...


http://www.myspace.com/bski
http://www.myspace.com/livesociety

I got one word for you ?uesto: ANIMATION! It's cost eefficiant and fun to watch! Further it wouldd give you a chance to involve another OKP reprasenta, and cross promote with a fantastic cartoon series, by working that ish with Aaron McGruder.

It should be very down to earth, like Blackthought chillin' on a bench in philly rappin' or walking down the street, then the video should cut to Peedi Peedi doing the same. Also, when both are either walking or sitting it would be nice to get some cameo's of people passing them by or either them passing people by as they walk. When the song wraps up then it should turn into a split screen of both seemingly in the same places and then fade out. I'm thinking the same film treatment as Oceans 11/12 for the video. I know this idea seems overdone, but I'm not talking about animation, different video treatment(Jill scott long walk) not black and white, it should be done in color. nothing extra in the background(you got me video) just really straight forward, the song is very relective and the video should mirror that. Since Fall is coming up it would a nice touch to film it now with the leaves changing, fall has a mellow vibe and the song would fit nice with the fall backdrop.

It seems like BT is always walking through cities in videos, and in "Brooklyn Babylon," plus, if you go with an animated video taking advantage of Aaron MacGrueder's preeestablished connection through okayplayer and popularity from the TV series you can get that video done without any of the band taking time off from the road or give up the seemingly minimal free time I'm sure they treasure, instead, they can keep tabs on the progress the animators are making via the internet from wherever they are.

put a trailer in it stating that you are opening up the competition even moreso for the NEXT joint, for anyone who has proof of purchase of the CD to enter and do the second (well, third) video for 10gs. get some hungry interns to screen the first couple rounds and then let you choose fromt the c.r.e.a.m. of the crop.

there's got to be > 50,000 aspiring video producers out there. prolly 49k of them will be trash. but if they all cop and then enter (to do the subsequent video), the buzz of letting your fans create and direct the video (all the frenzy that will be generated in the traditional media, plus through myspace, viral e-mails, etc) can blow the album up. and really, once you get that diy advertising push on it moving the movement, it'll go plat plus on its own merits from then on out.

Long Time should definitely be the next video.

the next (diy contest) joint after that should be Clock With No Hands.

i really think that a lot of people will dig this album if they HEAR it. you (?uest) know this internet shit better than just about any artist... make it work for you.

EVERYBODY on this piece has some kind of aspirations of being in the spotlight ('sides me); if you find a way to tap into that massive undercurrent of How Can I Be Down? syndrome, as typified by the cats in the lessahn, while making purchase of the CD the entrance price for the competition/come-up, you gonna get that ab-roller/carlton sheets money, money.

y'all put in too much work and have put out too much quality. i just wanna see y'all get paid for it.


peace & blessings,

x.

sigless for the summer, y'all.

yo -- i gotta give you props for that.

Baby. I have been waiting to make my first post on this board for ages (I have been checking since before the board was re-formatted however long ago that was), and I was going to make my first post a request for the next video to be Baby, so I guess I'll just waste my first post here.

Anyway, every single person I have played the album for that is normally into radio hip-hop, (i.e.- girls that just like to dance) was immediatley attracted the that song right off the bat. Granted, I might like "Long Time" a bit better myself, but for a video, I don't think anything on the album translates to the masses as well as Baby.

For example, this girl I know who's into all the radio stuff just purchased three albums from Sam Goody. Those albums were: the new JT, Danity Kane, and yes- Game Theory. She was just going to get the first two, but said she really wanted to hear Baby over and over and over again, so she had to get it (she is one of those people who will just get an album for one song, then continuously listen to that song until she finds a new song she likes). As soon as I heard that, I knew that Baby would be perfect for the next single.

As far as a concept for a video goes, I don't really have one at this point, but I'm sure a lot of other folks can help with that. I just wanted to throw my two cents in, since it looks like "Long Time" is running away with the poll, and if the Roots are still at all looking for commercial success after the serious lack of promotion for this album, I think Baby would be the best choice.

peace & blessings,

x.

sigless for the summer, y'all.

>
>peace & blessings,
>
>x.
>
>sigless for the summer, y'all.

With a good video, I think it'd generate more excitement than any of the above choices.

____________________
www.anti-personnel.com | to the east, my brother, to the east, yeahhhhh.

Redoing the 3 to 4 of The Roots best videos:

I'm wit the flash back type of joint like Trouble Sprits, Blake33, and Highvoltage are talkin But to summarize...

Starting the vid with BT gettin out of Jail, but I see ya'll starting with the "Proceed" redoing the video with "Long time" replacing everything or flash back to the highlights from the video.

Then go to the "What they do" video and the Living room scene with nobody in there with BT rhyming and lurking in the window, walking by the limo.Cut to the scene where the kids are running by in the famous "where are the running to" Peedi is in the group of kids while the camera follows doin his verse.

The cut to the "You got me" video and Thought gets up from the lying down folks and walks and hooks up with the crew (including Malik B) and Peedi to finish the last verse.

That's roughly how I vision it
Since I really think "In the Music" should be released it's also a perfect mix into that joint.

Long Time

Start the video with the Star Wars like intro "A Long Long time Ago in a Galaxy far away...."

Cut to Thought and Quest going back to their HS reunion and seeing old friends...they say something to the effect of "Long Time, No See...

Music comes in and insert clips of live Roots performances over the years, starting from like '92.

Let that be the video, and then in the end, maybe all of the extended Roots family come together at the end, Thought, Malik, Ben, Rahzel, Scratch, Scott Storch, MARS etc...

I think it has prolly the most commercial sound but might be too mellow for cats to be crazy about if you are tryin to suckafree sunday it (LOL).

anyways, this is video:

the band or just black though is moving out, so the first 8 bars, is showin people carrying shit out of his house or whatever and he is packin other shit up, and he comes across a box of old photos. have BT sit down for a minuet and look through em, and the verse will start when the photos are being shown to the audience.

most of the video will be the pictures, and yall choose the subject of each picture and sorta retrospect yall career, but through the relationships you have built and broken, focusing on one or two characters per verse. obviously they can all be fictional and just have photo actors or whatever, but for each subject you will have parts of the subject flash pictures quickly so it looks like a movie almost. like each picture is taken extremely close to the previous one, know what im sayin? Ive always thought that was a tight effect in videos.

maybe even super impose the "subjects" or actors into old photos of yall from back in the day through out your career. also through in old live clips now and then (not with audio, just get shit that is beatmatched, which is not that hard to do if you do small clips), maybe with the character in the background somewhere off stage (I dont know how much that costs to do tho).

and thats basically it, end it with Black though packin the photos back up and carrying a box out, or you could even have him through the photos away, depending on what kind of characters and situations yall would use. it sorta follows that "alone" vibe that the song is about

and if you like that idea but not the movie aspect, he could just be sitting inside, throwing em in a fireplace or something.

I think if its done right, it could be really powerful

maybe even dramatize through that how every root member became one and how some are no longer, Thats probebly not a possibility tho.


and just to throw people off, have knuckles looking at the photos instead of BT LOL

I like this. It's simple, yet powerful.

I got Ideas man! lol

I think its the best idea up in here god damnit

If you don't put "game theory," the title track as a single off this album, you're crazy. You don't just make one of the most important hip hop albums of all time and don't release that song. Everyone who I know, loving or hating the roots loves thats song because it's not just hard beats and hard rhymes. That song is hip hop and the instrumentals are unreal; you don't just hear all the instruments in that song and lyrics in that song, you feel them because it was mastered so well. That is probably why you guys are starting concerts off with that as your first song, because you know how significant it is for people to hear that first.

the last video was a great idea but ask how many people watched it more than once. It is one of those videos you anticipate for a month and then say, "oh, I get it." I just need you to put "game theory" as the single/video because I know it will work. Don't let this album blow by without getting the respect it deserves. "game theory" could easily be up for "record of the year" but you have to put it out there.

And include the band in this video, all of you deserve the screen.

PS (just to show that i am not hate'n in this post b/c it does sound kinda mean)

so far this year I have.......
purchased 13 roots tickets to the electric factory and gave 12 of them away for free to my friends just so they could see the roots live

paid $100 cash for my friend and I to see the roots game theory release party show (yeah, that was a FREE show, but I was afraid i wasn't getting in when i didn't get a bracelet so i paid $100 cash for two tickets some dude won of 100.3 the beat.)

purchased every poster/cd promo/anything else promo for game theory off ebay

bought the game theory package deal off okayplayer

bought 10 additional game theory cds from best buy to give to my closest friends who i knew would appreciate the album but would not buy it.

Bought the couple magazines where the roots held the cover page

I Spent a lot of money on the roots the year, and i am a broke college student from Temple U in north illadelph

peace,

if you are on okayplayer and haven't "bought" the cd yet, u should be ashamed.....peace

Fuck you, you arent a broke college student lol

get me a teeshirt too

haha, i make about 3grand a year working at a putt putt, yes i am broke

Mos def incorporate philly like on some "proceed" type ish. (hopefully that was philly, but anyway, that same feel) Also I think it's important to incorporate photos (some old Mpozi joints maybe) that show the band's progression, also showing the change in members. You could even just show collages where you see Black as a new raw emcee to the present, where he's on top of his game, and You as an up and coming drummer to now, where you're the most recognized drummer of our time, etc., etc... I think it would be hot to see how much The Roots have progressed with Philly on their backs. *tell kamal to rock the coolio hairdo too, nice little throwback tribute*






myspace.com/djaccruz

As far as subject matter, I like the idea of shots around Philly, and I think that should still be a big part of it, but it needs something more to separate it from the typical a-whole-bunch-of-street-shots videos that we've already seen before.

Maybe shots of South Philly and that whole vibe, but also implications of the struggle link between neighborhoods in the U.S. and places all throughout the world... (on the "the ghetto might as well be the Gaza Strip") so shots of areas around the world with similar situations or even different conditions of inherent struggle could be a part of it. Maybe a shot of a specific person (BT? I know you said you wanted the group to have minimal exposure in the vid) in the shots of all these areas, either explicitly or not so much so. (*NOTE* on a tight budget, of course I don't expect you guys to be able to just hop a plane to Sudan and Afghanistan, but maybe there's some other way you can get such shots).

Anyway, I know that's pretty broad and bare-bones; I've never directed a music video before... There should probably be something more than just a big photo album of shots from around here and there, and one probably can't go into too much graphic detail in a music video for MTV or BET or something, but I like the idea as a starting point, especially since a lot of people in the U.S. think of the everyday struggle as being so far away when it's really very real, right in our own country as well.

- - - - -

jy
1974-2006

peace & love

POETX in p59 has the best idea. The last CD I bought before Game Theory was Illadelph Halflife..i was dead broke and at that point I decided not to support the music industry, figuring "why should I support someone elses lavish lifestyle of excess and waste".. i believe is how i wrote it at the time...fast forward 10 years and i see a post stating that GT only sold 82K...and while im not rich, my "broke" is in stable condition..so i copped GT..this has nothing to do with the video..my point is that the only relevant CD in stores today is GT..the end result of how this album is collectively received has far more impact than what people may believe...this is the only album outside of food and liqour and whatever ye does next that can really change the course of hiphop if marketed correctly....poetx's idea draws in all the requisite forces to really push this album to "of the year" status...musically its past that point..i didnt even like the album at first cause it seems as if my mind had been warped to the point where i couldnt even hear the supreme instrumentation...i was sampled out until sep15th when i bought GT..

we gotta ride for this cd...ive never felt this way....but we really need to ride for this joint..

im with poetx...

starts off with Black Thought in the back of the whip, talkin to his driver (cue dialogue)

first verse: Thought narrates from the car as homegirl argues with her mom at mom's house about "hip hop" (aka Thought), flashes to scene where girl, after drinking away her anger @ mom, gets herself into dangerous position at some kind of chill session with too many negroes (they can be dressed to resemble the fashion of different musical genres)

chorus: Thought rides around in the car while homegirl sleepwalks down the street after her encounter (countless passersby sing the hook)

second verse: Thought narrating from across the street as a montage plays: homegirl and her man arguing about an album that she's listening to (presumably GAME THEORY), she's also reading a current Roots article that includes Thought's picture; he storms out while she storms upstairs, he picks up his mistress, she daydreams about Thought, Thought looks toward her house from under a streetlamp, dude comes home a little tipsy, throws his coat on the floor and leaves the room, she grabs the coat and condoms fall out, she rushes upstairs and confronts dude, he denies it, shouting match ensues, she storms out and to her car, she cries with head on steering wheel

hook & fade: Thought climbs into the whip, drives slowly past homegirl, she looks up as he is rolling up his window, he drives off...

*This is just a starting point, but I would love to see "Baby" come alive.

My choice was Long Time, and my recommended treatment of the song would be a student either preparing to go to, or returning from college. Considering the fact that you would prefer not to appear in the video for too long, I would suggest maybe an Alfred Hitchcock tactic - i.e. a poster of The Roots, a CD, myspace, or Okayplayer, etc. Another recommended scene when it comes to Peedi Peedi's cameo have your main character stumble across what would appear to be a freestyle session on the corner. Also, consider inserting various cameos from band members throughout the video. Another suggestion towards the end of the video I would love to see some type of tribute to J.Dilla - whether your main character stands next to a wall of fliers, or some kid spray paints a throwup on a wall.

Quick thought, forget the freestyle session scence its kind of wack. Instead have the main character of the video look out the window to see a scene of a young thug on the corners, and a mother scolding a young child. I think that would be a better choice.

<---9/21

http://www.myspace.com/blackmyth84
http://www.spitfirepoetrygroup.com/

Alright, time to get my wannabe filmmaker geek on...

IMO, the best idea I've read so far is the one of Thought driving around Philly, picking up Peedi, and ?uest, Hub, Kamal, Knuckles, and Kirk playing makeshift instruments in the car. Splice that in with footage of important Philly spots to the band as an ode to the city.

As an intro, have camera focus on a spray-painted mural with "Def Jam Presents", then cut to a graffitti-written "The Roots", followed by two-second-long clips of each band member's headshot. After seeing Thought, ?uesto, Hib, Kamal, Knuckles, and Kirk, flash to another mural with "featuring Peedi Peedi", followed by two seconds of Peedi (would Bunny Sigler be up for the video? If so, follow with him, also). After this artist intro, the final wall will have "Long Time" written on it. During this intro, there will be no music, just sounds of Philly (traffic, trains, people talking).

As the first guitar chords are played, pan up to a "Welcome to Philadelphia" sign, followed by a pan to Thought driving. Follow with the idea mentioned in the earlier post about Thought driving around and checking out various Philly spots.

this could work for any song...


A simple concert video w/ only kids that look like you guys pretending to play the instruments. a lil black thought rappin and errythang

A crowd of adults in some theater and all kids onstage.

But here's the kicker: the adults in the audience are the grown up Roots. Y'all the only ones there. that can be revealed at the end...y'all stand up clapping and crying as if you're proud parents...

skys the limit i think.




but i like that concept tho.


______

http://myspace.com/iwishmusiccouldadoptme
http://myspace.com/kakiking

but it might be long enough ago where it won't be too bad to repeat the concept

<---ATL,Get Dumb @ The Jumpoff.
www.myspace.com/northernarcatl
"The only thing new in this world is history you don't know." Harry Truman

maybe as a follow up single after they get move some numbers. because, dope and deep as it is, black radio ain't playing that shit unless you got a gun to the PD's head.

Long Time, however, got that alterna-rocky feel that will ensure that it gets burn on the whiteboy stations and hopefully some sales. bad that it has to come to that. but really, though.

Hot9x my play 'Ass Wif No Hainds'. but not Clock With No Hands. i wanna hope it could sneak up on cats a la You Got Me. but i'm even more cynical then when that came out.


peace & blessings,

x.

sigless for the summer, y'all.

jawns, it's got huge potential.

On some Crazy ish.


"The only thing new in this world is history you don't know." Harry Truman

for whatver video gets voted least on here.

I mean, maybe folk pick up on this one.

I dunno.

You could do the cool out video to clock with no hands. I think that song could be like what the light was for common.

Just have to have the right video.

I like this peedi track, but it seems like it'd go over like that jawn y'all had with 'em mcdonalds people n shit. I forget the name.

course, average non-okp type folk could pay more attention cus they seen peedi in it, but I dunno. He been out the scene for a minute.

as far as in front of the camera.


<---ATL,Get Dumb @ The Jumpoff.
www.myspace.com/northernarcatl
"The only thing new in this world is history you don't know." Harry Truman

long time would be a mistake, even though its a tight song and everything, its not marketable at all

"The only thing new in this world is history you don't know." Harry Truman

id go with "clock", and here is how the video should look.


{Yeah, sitting in the staircase, holding back tears
Looking over mad years worth of photographs
Pictures of some places I ain't never going back
Some people I used to love, why I ain't show them that?}
- Bt looking at photos of a family. Then zoom into one pic of a family sittin in a living room, make sure this pic has a nice tungsten(yellow/orange) glow to it. And then make the pic go to life. Zoom out when through a big picture frame window, to see BT watching the family. Make sure its at nite cause you will get the feelin of coldness comin from BT and where hes at in his life while the family inside the house still has that tungsten glow. The tungsten glow will represent a warm feeling, great seperation goin on between BT and the family. -

{The skies was overcast, when I was sober last} - then it starts to rain -
{My head is spinning, couldn't tell you if it's slow or fast} – BT starts to walk away -
{It's starting to get too clear, I got to go and grass
To y'all it's a shame but life is what we know it as
Waiting, navigating the plot, without plans
In the car, it's hard to read as a clock with no hands
How your man's goin' get up and stop with no yams
All it take is one break, it could pop the program
Whether sinning or not, my back bending like I'm sentenced a lot
I feel some brothers is beginning to plot
It might have been a close friend I forgot
Who started up and ain't remember to stop
I bet these niggaz going remember the shop} – just BT keep walkin done the street, scenes around that compare well with the lyrics

– get a side light of MM profile of her face, singing, w/ with drasitic, Contrasty side lighting -
People think that I'm crazy, just cause I wanna be alone
You can't depend on friends to help you in a squeeze
We all deal with shit on our own
And sometimes the beef can grow, get out of hand
Yeah, you know it gets full blown
I never said that you mean the world to me
Maybe it's best that you never know

Yo, I'm like Malcom out the window with the weapon out
Searching for somehow to find a minute or the second now
Precious time is money that I ain't got to mess about
Need it from the horse's mouth or from my eye with less account
Lessons with my back to the wall, scoping my session out
Stay a little edgy at times when I ain't stressing bout
Haters don't know shit about me, they the ones that talk shit
Those that love me send it out, so I ain't got to force quit
Cause I'm doing better now, don't mean I never lost shit
I was married to a state of mind and I divorced it, man
I'm from where brothers moving product from the porches
People locking their doors, clutching to their crosses
The block hot by the law, there ain't too many choices
So what I do is for y'all, there ain't too many voices left
I watch my back, and watch my step
And I might forgive, but I will not forget come on

- for this whole verse id do a montage style of the band tourin.
With BT on the bus reading through all those BULLShiet articles putting him down. Then crumple them all up when the line – “I was married to a state of mind and I divorced it, man”
- Then go back to him lookin at photos of his past, in philly, w/ friends.

– continue with the photos throughout the hook.

Yo, living in turbulent times
The blind leading the blind
Some call it evolution, some say intelligent design
You say you want a revolution, you out of your mizind
Your sons' destitute, and their pops all in the prison
My man's back in the jam, he like the back of my hand
He just attracted to scam, he right back in the can
I never sleepwalking, you dig
You get your shuteye
I'm on the first thing in, I'm leaving on the red-eye
My brother back in rehab, just had another relapse
But fin himself, it's been like he's been fighting an energy
Half telling me nobody true when they pretend to be that
So closer than friends, that's where I keep my enemy at
To many parties concerned, it's time to live it and learn
Until we're able to grow, forever bridges we burn
My thoughts free as a bird, that's just about to emerge
And every action is heard, it speaks louder than words, yo

For this last verse, first start out with a close shot of BT rapping the lyrics with a projection of all these images of stuff goin on in the world today, and slowly pan out, with BT on stage by himself, with the images being project onto him, and around him(these images don’t have to be controversy, just stuff that everybody knows is wrong with the world)

– once the hook starts, stop the images, and keep panning out till you see a clock w/ no hands around BT, havin him in the middle

that tight too (read my post, we started in the same place lol!)

and Id vote for that too, the only thing is i dont think dudes wanted to be in the video that much

First Thought Verse - Starts at sunset, no thought in this scene, just rhythmic cinematography, highlight key ideas in the verse like "i was born in South Philly on a cement floor" and show accordingly, then for other parts like "thats silly, this philly, yall really" it goes "scene cut/scene cut/scene cut" accordingly. this is the time to show the freal street cats, breakers, graff writers, and just overall beautiful urban landscapes and end in a park, queing next scene.

The Peedi Verse - no jewelry, no chicks, nothin like that. dude bustin in a cypher in a philly park and spittin the verse with a real raw, almost smack DVD-ish quality to it, but the image should always seem a little unreal but not in the MTV way videos seem unreal more of SURreal, wether through softened light or hightened grain.

The Second Thought Verse - THE GRIMIEST PERFORMANCE SCENE EVER in a video. i mean find some club in South Philly for you guys to rock with cramped ass, sweaty, poorly light atmosphere and give Thought a case of red bulls and shoot that shit in grainy black and white. You need to show sweat, wrinkles, unbeautified people, handheld shots, and a white-out fade out at the end, this is where you can throw in something a little more artistic like maybe zoom out to show all of philly at sunrise or something.

That isn't even an option?

Actually I was hoping for "Take It There", but my idea for that was very much "performance video" drive

Nothing too fleshed out yet, but for starters the "gurl" could be the social underclass, and the "cheater" could be western civilization.

Obviosly you'd have to avoid blatant comparison; ie girl with t-shirt identifying her as social ubderclass, but I'm just trying to think in the stream of how Quest said they pick there album titles

Can anyone else pick up on this idea or am I just way out in left field with this one

i hope it's clear enough to understand. i don't know the correct terminology for this kind of thing.

......the setting is a quiet, rural southern town in the early 1900s (think 'the color purple') where a traveling circus has come to visit.

the plot--(the plot was inspired by the opera 'carmen' but it's a little different)

a young man who has been dating the local minister's daughter falls for the sexy fire-swallower who is traveling with the circus.

it opens up with the rev., his wife, and his daughter talking to the young man after church. there's no audible dialogue, but the physical interaction (i.e. the father shaking the boy's hand and patting him on the back, the mother smiling and nodding approvingly, the girl smiling and blushing) indicates their relationship with one another.

the boy is smiling but his attention keeps being drawn towards the circus in the distance. his girlfriend keeps catching him doing this and is getting angry.

when he doesn't show up for sunday dinner after church, she throws a fit, pointing towards the big top down the road which came be seen through a nearby window in their dining room. her father tries to comfort her but she snatches away and runs to her room. afterwards, the daughter sneaks out of the house (taking her father's gun from a drawer) and goes looking for her boyfriend at the circus. she finds him in the back tent with the flame-swallower's head in his lap and in a jealous rage aims the gun at them both.

meanwhile, back at her home, her father is sitting at his desk doing work and opens the drawer to get some papers when he realizes his gun is missing. instinctively, he jumps in his car and drives toward the circus to stop his daughter from doing something stupid.

the father arrives just as his daughter is aiming the gun. he jumps in front of her and reaches out for the gun. he catches the bullet meant for the other two and dies.

so there are basically the scenes take place:

1.)outside of a small white church after sunday service
2.)in dining room of a southern home
3.)on a dirt road leading toward the circus
4.)in the center ring of the big top (it's mostly a stage where you guys will be performing alone; but it will showcase normal circus activity when you're not in the scenes.)
5.)a small tent in the back of the big top

i imagine that all of the scenes are included in a slideshow, fastforward effect during the opening notes of the song. starting off slow at first, but then sort of snowballing. i would also assume that this 'slideshow' would have to be heavy on scene #1 to provide an adequate understanding of the characters' relationship.

then at the end of the 'slideshow' thing. there is a view of the gun firing and a closeup of the bullet and smoke coming out of it. during the bulk of the song, the scenes jump to the father racing down the road in his car. then back to the middle where the girl is throwing a fit at the dinner table. but other than that, the scenes are pretty much chronological.

The consensus seems to be Long Time, so here it goes:

1st verse:

Use different people with Thought being in a few shots. Have different people coming home from different situations. One cat is getting out of jail, another coming home from war, someone coming home from college, and another coming to a wedding or funeral. They all come back to some part of South Philly. They come in seeing the city skyline has changed or some roads have changed but the neighborhood is still the same.

2nd verse:

Shots of North Philly in the 80s (Richard Allen maybe, the high rises that were on Ridge Ave or on Diamond St.-- I'm sure there's public access video of these project somewhere). Peedi as a kid writing rhymes and getting clowned. Show him listening to tapes and kinda like a progression not just him but of his surroundings through the years. End up with him rockin' on stage in 2006 doing his verse to Long Time.


I haven't gotten to verse three yet because I started this last night and was up early this morning. So, I'm exhausted but I'll come back to it.

I was also thinking of some things for each of the others. Maybe I'll get around to it today.

Even though clcok with no hands is easily my favorite song--they should make one for CANT STOP THIS

1.Have ? giving the commentary about his life while JD images flash in the background.

2.Next have BT walking through South Philly with a black t-shirt bearing JD's Image. While he is walking people like Common and Talib just so happen to see him walking and join him--their t-shirts turn into black t-shirts with JD images on the front also. While they are walking with BT being out front someone tries to hand talib or common a gold chain--they both decline and hand him a piece of paper stating "REAL HIP HOP RALLY/JD MEMORIAL SERVICE"

3.So by now they have half of philly and anybody whose who following BT to the park where the rest of the legendary are waiting for BT to come on stage and finish the rhyme--you guessed it the rest of the band has on JD t-shirts also--and as a show of solidarity in HIP HOP nas comes out and buries the hatchet and has on a JD t-shirt.(for those that didnt know NAS made some disparing comments regarding the roots a couple of years back. But with the most underrated King of HIP HOP and The No.2 King of HIP HOP coming toghter as one that should spark a movement.

Nas has already done a show with the Roots, they are cool now.

and for the record, that video will NEVER happen

Black's verse starts out with something about photographs
Have the photo pretty much tell the story of The Roots from the beginning...show the early days...the highs the lows through the photos(ala through the wire video) somehow to incorporate the clocks them into it(maybe have the singers face being reflected off of a clock...she is looking at the clock then back to the photos when the verse comes back on)

thats my best shot but who knows?

and I like it, but its funny how we all got that out of that song. I guess everyone that did long time is on the live street show in philly

This is exciting. Of course, Clock With No Hands
Should be your first baby. Let college
students write the treatment. You can have the
support of two colleges-Capital University (my school)
and your school. Then, I would invite one of the two school whose treatment you use to the shoot. Im not sure who would handle the
expense yet. How much time do we have? This is just a
suggestion. brb

I see a video of the group dressed in early eighties hip-hop gear. I see an infant Reek Gees being held by a mother on a cement floor. Each member of the group has a scene where incidents from their past are briefly seen in the video.

All of the "extras" are dresses in the standard hip-hip uniform (Throwbacks, Tims & Baseball caps). This can illustrate the title of the song...whereas you're coming from way back with this music.


I see Peedi in the bathroom writing rhymes and then it cuts away to him performing his verse live. Then it cuts back to him in the bathroom with him looking into space because he's still on stage in his fantasy. His mom is banging on the door cause she needs to get in.


I see the end of the video as a concert shot, but in the year 2050 with the group still in the same hip-hop gear ...albeit older men graying.


I've got more but you'll probably never read mine so I'll stop here....

?usto is "turning over every rock"

Piggy backing off the Prison idea, open the video
with the first verse of "Clock" and go into "Long Time"
The first verse of "Clock" could show BT and Peedi (cellmates?? NO HOMO)locked in prison reflecting on his life, looking through Photos of friends and family.
After the first verse, Bt gets released from jail, then "Long Time" starts. He's walking through the streets of Philly. North, West and South trying to find something that reminds him of the Philly he grew up in, when he bumps into Peedi. then Peedi spits his verse.

I totally agree long time should be the next video on off the game theory album. I mean the song to me is more than just a physical home but more like where you're comfortable. Like in this world it's hard to feel comfortable when you are aware of the masked things in front of you. I don't have and Idea for the video if I get a light bulb I'll holla


I mean I was thinking of the beginning and the end... ok it goes little something like this It starts with like a roach bug or something that's seen as insignificant crawling on the sidewalk then you go to a group of people putting on their coats to go out on a cold philly day. On the way out one of them will step on the roach bug or whatever it is. If you like the philly shot idea you can go from there then in the end something tragic happens in front of the house that they left that morning and a person or some people lay in the street with a roach or bug or something stepping on them. Just to show that in life things that go around come around and we have to do our best to make this world our home until we leave it. Make people feel at home stop the lying the cheating killing. Get these folks off the street and start taking care of the people and not the pockets. I will keep at it. Stay up player

1 Love! 1 Spirit! 1 Mind! Free

Yall could start the video with a bunch of kids watching saturday morning cartoons, and then have the main portion of the video be animated i.e. animated Thought and Peedi walking through the streets of philly...you get the picture....not really deep, but fun and cheap!

Voted for clock with no hands, cuz the music will reach people. Even in The Netherlands ;)

i voted for clock with no hands to be the next vid, but after reading all the treatments for baby (which r definitely more fleshed out than pretty much all of the other suggestions), im leaning more towards baby... long time is a good song, but i think its too safe of a choice an everyones quick to hop on it cuz of peedi an its accessibility... but i think more than anything now ppl need something different, and i think baby and clock with no hands r such lush songs in comparison to long time that it would make for more powerful imagery in a music video... only problem i see with the baby vid treatments is that they all remind me a lil too much of idlewild lol... i really fukked with the idea of setting baby in the n.o., real thought-provoking an shit... i dunno, i just think long time would be the worst choice to make basically...

Yo, what song is that line from?

It sounds to me like a Thought line ... "I got a doctorate in cold rockin' it" I think that's from Dynamite maybe ...

forgive me if I step on any previous posts...didin't read the whole thread.

but with the overall theme of the album, Katrina, BT's New Orleans ties, and the possible multiple meanings of the chorus....I think a bare bones video showing remnants of Katrina....

and then maybe almost like in Block Party when dave goes around talking to people in his hometown inviting them to a concert, have questo and BT, and hell the whole crew walking around the city talking to people handing out fliers that read something simple but vague like "LONG TIME" or whatever....maybe even something stronger and more preachy....but just something simple ....and then getting these people to attend a roots performance in the french quarter in the end while obviously showing a performance piece with all the people in the crowd from the walk through the city....

no idea how much cost wise but def don't need any "hype"

I know Juve did a vid showing Katrina aftermath but not like this...

just a quick thought....

even though it's not a choice....and too short for its own video...

Livin In A New World would be a great "intro" song for this treatment

.

"The only thing new in this world is history you don't know." Harry Truman

time, too).

show a cat coming home from the war and seeing his neighborhood all fucked up. parallel another cat coming home from the joint. you can parallel another cat coming home from college.

tie it all together with the three of them linking up and trying to build.


peace & blessings,

x.

sigless for the summer, y'all.

I said the same thing a few posts up and apparently you posted like an hour after I did.

Excellent idea....props to the other cat who said he had the same idea too.

Tell him: here is how much money I have. There are no rules.

done and done.

I've been thinking about the original post and reading some of the follow ups and I'm struggling to find the *point* of another video.

Is it to sell to the fan base or is it to attract new listeners?

If it's to play to the fanbase then most of the ideas already listed will work.

But if it's to attract new listeners I think the biggest advantage The Roots is the *novelty* of a black rap band.

Who else has that?? No one.

Short of having Jay-Z drop a verse on Long Time, I'm not sure kids under 25 would be interested in nostalgia, hip hop royalty, in New Orleans, in a walking tour of Philly, etc. I mean what does some 19 year kid from Indiana care about Philadelphia? Does he know who Jazzy Jeff even is?? Doesn't he (wrongly) believe that New Orleans was not that bad and the fault of the people who refused to leave anyways??

And no 30's , 40's Idlewile/Cotton Club style stuff. Someone else has just recently done that.

But a *LIVE* video , with a LIVE remix in front of a HUGE audience (festival sized), maybe with some famous people thrown into the crowd (other acts from the festival) singing along would work wonders in bringing awareness.

The live videos needs for Black Thought to have NO sunglasses and no low brimmed hat. Each member of the Roots needs a short (10 second) solo spot to highlight that people are playing instruments. If it's long time, then it needs a string section of players in TUXEDOS.

Think "Live and Let Die" Guns and Roses type feel, but bigger and Deffer.

I'm not even sure where ANY video would get played. Does MTV play videos anymore? Do people watch MTV2? Are Fuse, The Tube, or the cable access video show in your town even relevant?

If I'm shouted down (or worse - ignored) on this idea I'll post my treatment of Long Time with BT as Major Tom and The Roots (plus a few Russians) in a Josie and The Pussycats/ Jabberjaw/ Scoobie Do type chase scene set inside of the International Space Station. I had fun writing it.


-Tom

A live video would be dope, especially if there's a real hype crowd (i.e. a whole crowd of OKP's) and some special guests.

We all on the same page. "Longtime"

Wow....that means NO city permits. no special effects.no guest. Just the music and...a mic

I had this idea.... where the fans upload video from where they live, since you guys don't be home that often.Maybe the fans lip syncing the words. Just no youtube in the room going nuts type stuff.
Upon uploading they would have to agree to a release form. hmmm.
Shit it's movies that have been made for 100k so i know it can be done.

The edit job would be a migraine.
Damn sun went Ralph McDaniels on Me.

eh.... i'll be back.

Super Hero Crew saves the day! Anime

 i'm on that exact tip. ill.

I'd love for the next single/video to be "Long Time"

Maybe Black Thought and Peedi walking around Philly looking back on their lives. Show them walking past themselves when they were younger.

From what I've heard on other boards outside of okayplayer this is the general publics favourite track off the album. I also think, of all the tracks I've heard off game theory done live this one sounds the best and would love to hear it with live strings sometimes (future TV slot?).

Baby is a good second choice but surely clock with no hands wouldn't get much play coz the chorus would need to be bleeped out.

i know it's almost impossible but a rocky balboa cameo would be great lol.
with the upcoming rocky 6 it'd definetly get airplay...i'm sayin yall need to holla at sly!

or at least get thought running through the streets of philly like rocky did.

seriously, go the dire straits route a la walk of life.
i mean similar to that cause this is not the 80s and a simple gathering of sports scenes probably won't do it.
but do a video connected to sports maybe philly athletes (old and current).
it might cost too much to gather those but you could use a mix of already extisting video sports material, some athlete cameos and maybe a side story showing some local talent on their grind to make it. show footage of fans.
that jawn has to be inspiring. giving you goosebumps.
imo it can be done with sports. it could become an anthem.
look at some sports commercials. when done right that stuff always gets you pumped and excited.

Everytime I hear baby i think of someone who loves hiphop and the gritty blues club scene...

I'd like to see a mini movie following a teen on a date. the song plays like the guys conscience, osmosis jones style (*bonus points for animation*). he's trying to reconcile his musical taste and sensibilities with peer pressure, and the hiphop club scene.

_____________________________
quantumb8

Wow, write a treatment for a video from Game Theory? With the band actually maybe reading it? Yall know how to set off fireworks, I'll give you that. It's enough to get me to register for the board anyway. Even it it's just a pity video (a pityeo!) that's still cool asking for input.

This is all stream-of-conciousness-ish, so forgive any rambling.

Song Choice:

If all things were equal (and when's the last time that was ever true), I would love to do a video for Here I Come. To me, this is the single track, this is the song that will make people sit up and take notice*. I think would be the most visually interesting song to do. However, there's already a mini-video for it and you don't want to just throw that work out. Also it would probably be the most expensive to shoot, the song is begging for a lot of movement and impact, and for the most part that costs money. Most of the ideas I've got off the top of my head have got explosions or car chases or some James Bond shit going on, and that can't be cheap. :)

Clock With No Hands...sorry, I don't see it. You could make a decent video, but songs as personal and sparse as that don't really make great video material. It's like making a video for A Life in the Day of Benjamin Andre....eeewww. It's better off without a video.

Baby is a nice choice, but it's a little short. That'll keep costs down, but if you're only going to get a certain number of plays, it'd be nice to have each of those plays be longer then three minutes. In marketing land, a four minute song gets you 33% more exposure then a three minute one! I think it would be the most fun to do a video for though.

Long Time is obviously the popular choice. I just think the obvious video, you know, shots of Philly, nostalgia, kids playing on the corner, etc., isn't exactly going to set youtube on fire. Sure it fits the song, and the video should have some element of that, but giving people just what they expect doesn't really help sometimes, it just fails to hurt. I think if you do this one, you've got to do something at least a little unexpected.

For now, I'll do a mini treatment of Long Time, but I may come back and do one for Baby as well.

Long Time Improv Mini Treatment:

Well for one thing, I love the picture on the back of the CD, of the group at the poker table. I think that could be the centerpiece of the video, the group playing poker in the streets of Philly, near the old haunts yall grew up in. The surroundings change, but The Game stays the same.

Sometimes group members get distracted or pulled from the poker game by the things that distract all of us in the real game: women, money, drugs, violence, family, murder, politics, and religion, :) etc. Sometimes The Game is going smooth, other times it's bitter and tense, with arguments and flare ups. People from outside the game hover around, and sometimes join in, leave, take people with them, and here the band can incorporate events from their own lives. Maybe Malik is missing for 2/7ths of the video or Peedi can jump in for his verse, whatever. The idea being everything around the game is always changing, but the game itself continues on.

One thing that might work is to make it time-ordered, going from when you were kids, to when you all started getting some success to now, changing clothes to reflect what you all were rockin at the time. Or even better, maybe stay in the suits, but change the hair to match the scene.

Of course, throughout the video there's one chair that stays empty, but his place is always there. I don't think I gotta spell it out for you folks, but maybe putting the letters JD on the back of the chair will help the ignant.

At the end, the game tenses up and one by one everyone pushes all their chips to the middle. Everyone stands up and flips their cards over, and we back away from the table before we see what's on the cards. We do see their reaction though, first a little surprised, then laughter, then a litte sadness as they look over to the chair, and we fade to black.

That's the rough cut, I can get more detailed about specifics later on if it's wanted.



* I've been wrong before on this before though. When I first heard Bombs over Baghdad, I thought it was going to take over the planet I was so hyped about it. Turned out it was kind of polarizing though, some people *hated* it with a passion. It wasn't until Miss Jackson (oooh!) that Stankonia really caught on with the mainstream.

I like your Long Time concept. Nice.

peace & blessings,

x.

sigless for the summer, y'all.

______

http://myspace.com/iwishmusiccouldadoptme
http://myspace.com/kakiking

alot.

"Do Not Let This Universe Regret You"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
............:I'm Focused, Man:............

Have BT and Peedi each come into Philly, one by plane and one by bus. You don't even have to show them on the plane or bus, just show them stepping out. As each walks through the streets or on their routine, have them rapping the verses. Hell, to add a bit of comedy, have Peedi on a shitter at the beginning of his verse.
That shouldn't cost too much at all...

He returns to Philly with his running mate Peedi to deliver a speech. The rally will take place in LOVE Park with hundreds of people. Black Thought and Peedi's verses will be delivered like a political speech, in a passionate but stoic manner. The Philly skyline and a large flag with the hangman logo will be the backdrop.

?uest, Hub, Kamal, Knuckles and Kirk will be the campaign team. They'll go throughout Philly handing out CD's that read "The Legendary Roots Crew 2006." The campaign team will hand the CDs out to real people, not actors. They'll hit up Universities, neighborhoods, etc.

There will be shots of the inner city struggle, but with a strong emphasis on hope and optimism.

The rally, campaign team and city shots will be intertwined appropriately to the lyrics. The rally will be shot in a steady, traditional medium, wide and close up style with no camera movement. The campaign team and street shots will be shot in more of a gritty, handheld documentary style.

The video will begin in black and white and eventually transition into color. The last shot of the video will be an empty LOVE Park with a time-lapse of the sun rising over the skyline and the hangman flag flying in the background.

___

wow. i still post on message boards. lol.

*casts vote for black thought*

It's hot!

As far as the New Orleans idea...it sounds nice in theory...but it can be presumed as Katrina pimpulation...that I don't dig.

Plus if you're trying to get mainstream attention for sales and all you get is a video, I'd go with Baby. That I could see on 106th and Park...not that it's dumbed down, it's just got that up tempo feel good-ness that people might be willing to give a chance even if it's not from Young Joc.

I haven't bought the album yet because I'm currently unemployed, but with my first check you can add another 1 to sound scan.

<b>Here I Come:</b>

Bank Robbery. You're robbing the bank. Performing to the Bank Cameras while the cops watching the feed from the Surveillance truck outside. All the hostages dressed up the same as the group.

End of the song: All the hostages come running out. The cops separate yall from the hostages. Line-up you up against the wall. Start taking off the hoodies and mask and it's all look-a-like's. Yall behind the yellow tape in cops uniforms putting the bags of money in the car and driving off.

Inspiration - Inside Man/Oceans 11

<b>Long Time:</b>

Staged Philly Homecoming Concert. Fans showing up. Stage being set-up.
Lights being set-up.

The group in some far-away city being hassled by
Airport Security. They sweating yall about instruments, taking out the strings of a guitar, sweating you about your Afro Pick, questioning ID's, etc.. Press show up take pictures of yall getting hassled. The picture starts showing up on the internet, sidekicks, etc., people at the Concert start getting text of yall being detained by the Airport Security. The fans at the concert start leaving.

End Of The Song: The curtains come up on stage, the show begins, the fans rush back to the stage. Last image luggage piled up on the side of the stage, with a I HEART Philly sticker on one of the pieces.

<b>Baby:</b>

Onstage Performance but at Woodstock., Monterey Pop, etc. (whichever cheaper). With footage of the crowd looking at yall like WTF like they did Sha Na Na http://youtube.com/watch?v=JaamANbj8EM (LOL) and then by the end of the song yall finally win them over.

<b>Clock With No Hands:</b>

Let me sleep on that.

bt in a toga rapping while sculpting a sundial. all you other mother effers eating olives under a tree.

...

bt at home looking at pictures, making a trip to the studio (jumping in a cab, whatever), seeing all this s*** happen outside. "the skies was overcast." interspersed shots of you guys tinkering with s*** at the studio. i'd like to see quest messing with the mp as opposed to the drum kit. shots of clocks along the way, with the numbers all jumbled on the traditional ones and with blinking 12:00's on the digital ones.

...

or, same scenario with a twist to capture the paranoia. some fed following him around. or some strange looking dude/chick following him around, a la the passion of the christ. or the grim reaper a la monty python's meaning of life. then thought dodging a bullet/knife/sickel, only to turn around and the assailant is gone.

not really. but really on the choice of clock. it's a wonderful fall/winter single.

DEFINITELY Here I Come.

(The double time Letterman version is even iller than the original, by the way.)

Do some Super Villain shit, wrecking on everything y'all hate in '06, tearing down buildings like Godzilla.




"They said the music is strong but too militant"

I say song # 8 Here I come. I see the guyz doing a smokey and the bandit type deal. where they are racing cars around the country, and black thought or an actor is holed up in garage or something with the cops outside, and he is trying to get out to win the race and get the cash. Thats my idea.

The animation studio I work at recently did a 2-D animated video for They Might Be Giants that's winning all kinds of awards right now and, I don't know the exact figures, but I know we did it for under 100K. When I listen to Baby, and here the jitterbug line, I kept thinking of the famous skeleton dance cartoon from the 30s - I'd love to see a mixture of some old style like that with some really cutting edge motion graphic stuff with some stream of consciousness type animation (girl looks up from her lover to see a silhouette that turns out to be a fashion manequin and then pulls out to see that they're all driving around in the back of an ambulance and her lover is actually dying under her). Check out the TMBG video at their website http://www.tmbg.com/venue.html and click on "Bastard" (song title is "Crazy Bastard Wants to Hit Me". Animation studio is Laika in Portland, Or (laika.com) - sorry if I sound like a salesman, I'd just love to say I worked on a Roots video!

itd be cool to have a whole video with paper animation, like out of construction paper. it would be overly simplistic (like gnarls smiley faces video) and probably would work best with baby. maybe even have the character be a baby. maybe get gondry to direct and work his magic. the band doesnt even need to appear at all.

the rest of these songs are boring
to anyone who isn't already a roots fan

but maybe not seeing the recond sales and shit...and they can do a godzilla type thing on philly??? or the world forreal...i mean, i dont know how much it costs to build a model city...well...probably a lot once you factor in making it look real...damn...kind of like lauryns everything is everything, but hers was a turntable thing...i could see riq and nem towering over the nation...

holla at michel or spike, if they really are interested in you and your band they'll give you a discount. it doesn't seem like gambling with newbie directors has paid off much so far for you.

kinda like what U2 did in the music video where they were on top of the roof doing a concert,

but instead of the roof yall go back and do a concert on south street and just let the cameras roll.

i think the next single should definetly be Long Time too.

a block party type video would be cool but thats been worn. whatever yall do i'm sure will be ill.

when i first heard this song the guitars reminded me of early 90s MJ songs (pre Dangerous).. for the video, maybe start off with livin in a new world as an intro, tour just ended and its a sunny day black thoughts in his hotel packing up to go home... long time starts with bt in an airport and following him back home to philly, ending with everything being alright with him around friends and family

Check out my profile on www.myspace.com/thislovejawns

Long Time Video Idea

Opens on Earth 616 (our Earth), The Roots in a Rec Center on stage doing a concert for the neighborhood. Stay in this scene until BT says "Cement Floor." Zoom out really fast, blurry movment, to an outside shot of the same rec center on Earth 773 (where all gender roles are reversed, giving us an all Female Roots Crew). Cut back between the two Earths until a bit before Peedi's entrance, where we flip out to Earth 528, where the average life expectancy is 30, so the entire band is made up of 16 year olds, and everyone in the crowd is 16 and under. This way, anyone who wants to be in the video can get edited in, and is someone just wants to Aerosmith his way through that jawn, and not be in the video, we can just keep cutting to the 773 or 528 version of that band member.

every fricking rap star and neo soul star outta Philly mouthing the words to this song as they make their way through Philly, walking past barbeques (jazzy jeff and will, of course), kids playing hopscotch (jill scott), hustlers on the corner (freeway's part), crime scenes (beanie!) and folks at bus stops (young guns! waiting for the bus! haha)...

turns out they're all making the way to THE WORLD'S LARGEST ROOTS JAM SESSION AT....MARKET AND SOUTH STREET, where it all started!
__

***FREE*** RAS KASS SHOW IN DC
@ Liv (2003 11th St NW, 11th and U St NW)
Thursday, September 28th
Doors at 7pm, show PROMPTLY starting at 8 (don't wander in on "hip-hop time", trust me, we're wrapping up by 10:30)

as far as techniques are concerned... i would like to see you play with the speed of the film.

some of my favorite shots in movies/videos are the hyper sped up, usually stationary shots of time passing across landscapes (or also used often for '1st person' "driving through a city" shots).

i think it would be dope to see an entire video used with that sped up technique...

think Pharcyde's classic video for Drop.

but instead of reversed, everything else sped up.

Hi. My idea is set on a black box set (a soundstage?) with lights that follow the action (action!). There'd be 4-7 jawns (ha ha )all dressed up as 2pac. They'd have those rubber bald wigs on, one might actually be clean-shaven. I dont know which is better, them wearing all the same outfit (flesh-colored tite shirts with tats painted on) or classic Pac-wear.. the leather vest, the white suit, the juice skully, the red wings jersey...

There'd be about ten dudes in white tees down to their knees, pants painted like brick walls and floppy huge fitteds. They line up every so often, and when they do they camera rolls by their hats' logos, we see it creates sentences, words (perhaps "shoop," "africa," "the roof is on fire."). They also spin and the white t's flare out, mad pretty, yadaddamean?(sike)

the fitted dudes might have pom poms..

i see a green-screen bit for the hooks, with fireworks popping off (braap!take that!)

a quick bit with the fitted/t's doing a frenzied chicken noodle soup. it's only rite. proper.

If it's feasible, mo' drama could be added by an fontley bensworth character. He looks to the heavens, trying to prevent "the rain." When (a bucket of water) the dousing from above hits a 2pac, she falls down. So FB tries to sheild them all with his umbrella, darting back and forth. maybe they're tied by rope at the ankles..


The conclusion of the video would be six of the fitteds lifting up their mumu shirts to reveal airbrushed renderings of the band-members' heads on their chests.

THE END

oh. and i thank you for the lp. black thought is a first rate poet/ i feel his new-era rigid formalism/mastered the art/ just peeped the popcorn vid and was reminded of the flow of old..thank goodness for recordings.

in faith,
dick dondi/extra penis

EDIT

my treatment would be most super for "GAME THEORY"

the sound of a splash of water would edit out the strong language, whether a 2pac is being "ethered" by the water, or Bently manages to shield him/her from the acid rain.

censor list: the heroin, the crack, the fuck, the reefer, the hell, the M-16, the killer. And about making Malik B's verse mtv-friendly (cause this is gonna blow like that)- I don't know what you can and can't say (old-fashioned bleeps would be fun.

The knownots would latch onto half-second drops, stills to illustrate Lik & Rik Gz's verses, like: hasselhof and/or night rider, ?uest drumming behind Jay-Z, a shogun (wut it look like), shaft in africa, the caribbean

the 2pac dimes would mouth the words to the hook as the fireworks bang the background- "get 'em, Hus," and yes, the 2pac actors would mouth "this is a game, im yr specimen." WOO HAH!

get 'em girls,
Dick Dondi vs Extra Penis vs Spermy Spoon

your pretty weird.

this'll get the preteen girls youtubing themselves, choreograph-rocking to the roots


this just added another level:::
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGmA5xPwQSc&eurl=


dick dondi's game theory video = america's next top model + fellini + diet bamboozled + celebrity critique/parody/irony (recently compounded w/ fonzworth as mc hammer + andre3000, carrying for pac...black male diva on diva action<as opposed to the vocalist>?)

This isn't an indictment - it's a celebration, bitches!
The film is performance art, instead of another filmed "performance."

Do YOU think this could score points for art and commerce?
Can <my black thoughts> live?!!!??!!!

!holler at yourself

Cast:
Four women, “model”-types, cast as different 2pacs:
Barechest, tats (skin-colored synthetic with tats added)
Juice (blue carhart, hoodie, fade)
Red Wing Jersey
All Eyez On Me Vest (leather vest outfit)
& Six identically dressed dancers, in Fitted caps and white Ts.
& Fontley Benzworth (FB) or similar

---All “rain,” “splashes,” and “pours” come from buckets of water poured from above.
---The 2pacs filmed on black box soundstage
---Dancers filmed behind green-screen

---READ ALONG WITH LP VERSION
---START AT 0:29
-0:29 Stream of water being poured onto jade plant; libation
-0:35 Camera pulls out, revealing stream of liquid (pour out a lil’ liquor) onto bald 2pac head. Her chin is upturned, toward the sky
-0:37 <overfade to soundstage> Four six foot tall pawns, black, are clustered together at back stage. The 2pacs slowly push them apart, straining, as they emerge from behind.
-0:44 Drums enter. Camera starts at the feet of Fitted/T dancer and moves upward. Timberland boots are standing in inch-high water. Pans up to baggy jeans, white T hanging nearly to knees, white dust mask on face (http://www.sfpby.org/images/guy_with_mask_and_drawer.3.jpg) , fitted hat with Game Theory hangman logo stitched on.
-0:56 Pacs: Vested is cheerleading, Juice is skulking, Barechest and Redwing pacing back and forth, as if onstage
-1:01 Pac pumps chest, bboy/girl style
-1:05 <tight shot> Fitted moans “oooh” through safety mask, wagging head (like wolf to moon)
-1:06 <green-screen: > Fitted/Ts are in chorus line formation, kicking legs, splashing water.
-1:13 Still. http://www.illusiongenius.com/3-02-rab10.jpg
-1:14 2pacs continue to gesticulate
-1:27 <FUCK edit> FB uses umbrella to protect Pac from downpour
-1:29 <REEFER edit> Fitteds do dance a la sean paul video
-1:36 <tight shot> shows water rising at dancers’ feet
-1:38 2pacs tag-team rap lyrics. Start with “I’m bout to up the fees…”
-1:53 Still. http://images.encarta.msn.com/xrefmedia/sharemed/targets/images/pho/t013/T013776A.jpg
-1:56 <fireworks on the green screen> The Fitteds are frozen in motion as the image moves in background.
-1:57 <tight shot> Juice 2pac faces camera and mouths chorus as FB holds umbrella overhead, as water is “raining” down
-2:01<camera pans from left to right> The camera is tight on their faces; they don’t move. Their 6 hats spell out “HUSTLE” in various letter logos on each hat. The T, L, and E begin to do the chicken noodle soup dance after to the formation is made. “HUS” stands frozen.
-2:07 <even tigher, just her mouth> back to Juice Pac, mouthing “Get ‘em, Hus…”
-2:11 back to 2pacs getting crunk
-2:25 Still. http://images.heritagecoin.com/images/HNAI/75/14062/14062005011o.jpg
-2:26 <camera pans from left to right> the 6 fitted hats now spell out “R I T E O N”
-2:31 Still. http://www.captionmachine.com/photos/21.jpg
-2:36 Cymbal crash. Water pours on Juice Pac and she/he falls to the floor. FB gasps in horror.
-2:40 Still. http://www.architecturalrecord.com/news/katrina/images/LB-10.jpg
-2:43 <HELL edit>bleep
-2:43 < police car lights spinning on the green screen (strobe effect)> Fitteds doing the kid n play. Water keeps rising.
-2:51 Still http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00005UDK5.01._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_V40892257_.jpg
-2:52 <tight shot> Vested 2pac faces camera and mouths chorus
-3:05 camera pulls back, showing Vested 2pac down to waist. As cymbal crashes Redwing 2pac catches a bad one: get bucket of water from above, collapses. FB in background, sniffing the neck of Vest 2pac.
-3:06 <M-16 edit> bleep
-3:07 The Fitteds do the engine, engine #9 dance: they crouch down lower and lower, now in waist-high water, on beat, during the turntabled-out too-hot-for-TV Malik B passage
-3:09-3:15<turntable-scratch out passage>
-3:16 The two 2pacs left standing give each other a high 5!
-3:17 The Fitteds, chorus line style, so the wop
-3:18 Jumpcut to the 2pacs doing the wop, until…
-3:21 <in slow motion> FB notices water about to splash-out Redwing 2pac, and he runs to him/her, umbrella in hand. But it’s too late..
-3:24 <FUCK AROUND edit> splash. Vested 2pac goes down.
-3:27 <KILLER edit>instead of hearing “the land where <the killers> dwell,” it’s “the land where <http://okayplayer.com/images/headerGT.gif> dwell”(a still).
-3:28-3:31 fireworks
-3:32 The Fitteds do the chicken noodle soup. But all we see is the top of their heads, and their hands (letting it rain and clearing it out) jerking to the beat.
-3:36 Redwing 2pac and Barechested 2pac in a shoving match to recite the lyrics in front of the camera. FB tries to break it up and gets pushed off-camera. Redwing 2pac gains advantage and blurts…
-3:39 “<IMPORTING HEROIN edit>,” <tight shot> said by Redwing 2pac with censor bar over mouth, followed by spitting.
-3:41 <black and white, slow motion> The Barechested 2pac shown shoving down all of the 6’ tall pawns.
-3:43 Shot of the six Fitteds dancing.. They come to a stop by 3:44
-3:47 The Fitted lift up their white Ts, the camera pulls out to show each member of The Roots’ face airbrushed on a Fitted’s stomach. Each dancers’ chest is heaving, out of breath.

THE END

as well as the band...have people literally stepping over them being to caught up in going to their respective destinations...then a limo pulls up and flicks some change...the limo has the band and peedi in suits so now there politicians riding through the hood throwing out bread, cheese, etc...in between flash facts like the van halen "right now" video about poverty, wealth, katrina, war, etc..

that'd be a kick ass video
for long time. i can see it
now in a rap city jam.
chang hang low > long time > push it

~~~Tron~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

<<<< (soundscan) vote or die!!!

R.I.P. - Jay Dee/J Dilla

On some super hero shit.

Y'all performing somewhere futuristic, lots of lights and shit, some crazy villain is tying dame to train tracks, thought is rushing through verse, when he finishes he runs backstage rips shirt like Superman and flies off to save dame.

Repeat for other rappers as they rap and shit.

Uhhh, I don't think that'd fit your budget though.

I originally voted for "Long Time" but now I wanna vote for "Here I Come" since I just heard them play it on Hot 97!!! Big up Cipher Sounds!!!

:-)

"Oil? Who said anything about oil? You cooking, bitch?" - Dave Chapelle as "Black Bush"

"I ain't scared of no Al- Qaeda. I'm scared of Al- Kracker!" - Chris Rock

"That is one of the most useless jobs in the world right now." - Branford Marsalis on A&Rs

Video idea:
Copyright: Tom Hayes http://www.tomhayes.com


Idea: 1

Characters in a video are stalked and killed by technical difficulties.

Song: Probably Game Theory Video, but could work with any of the songs.

After each attack we flip channels.

Gags:

1)Compression artifacts (DVD style) wipe a characters face off. It stays off.

2)Fast motion MPEG compression (macro-blocking) causes a character to shear in half.

3)Info ticker over a kyron acts as a moving walkway/conveyor belt and forces character off a cliff.

4)TV Bug on screen grows bigger and eats person.

5)Test pattern bleeds through the video and the Indian pattern attacks. http://www.rmbwoc.com/vidpage/indian.gif
The Indian relents but the other part of the pattern turns into a gun sight and a characters falls clutching their chest.

6)TV turns to black and white ala Pleasntville and someone is thrown in jail for using the wrong water fountain? For eyeballing' a white woman? For attempting to vote?

7)TV signal is scrambled ala you don't subscribe to HBO and they are using something like an old Digicipher II. Characters gets dizzy and falls to ground while having a Grand maul type fit.

8)Hue/Saturation goes wrong, characters can't determine red/green light and is killed in car accident.

10)Video goes split screen / multi split screen ala Woodstock. We see in other frames a piano being packaged, trucked to an airline, flown in air, hatch opens, piano falls to earth and crushes our guy.

9)Credits come up and news caster frame squeezes credits to one half of the screen. keeps squeezing until it's 2% of screen and character dies ala Star Wars trash compactor.

10)Video ends with national anthem, flag waving and tv going to ants, then to small dot ala old style CRT.

Pull back from TV to:

a)Ben Stiller in Fat suit eating greasy bucket of chicken.
b)Jay-Z getting up to put the dvd into the case called "Who knows what you did last summer part II? No promotion kills a group."
c)All the characters who were killed watching on a big screen, laughing and having a good time at the wrap party. Maybe end on cat-eyes ala Thriller.


Idea 2:
The Roots Get Happy! (not the Negro Spiritual)
Song: Long Time

This video will have The Roots just be the happiest band on the planet.
Everyone wears bright colors, but not too silly ala Pee Wee's Playhouse.

Just The Roots being happy.
Having a birthday party.
Going to the petting zoo.
Shopping at Mervyns.
Chasing an ice cream truck and buying for everyone.
Watching TV and laughing at the Banana Splits.
Playing Frisbee.
Riding on a carousel.
Going to Supercuts.
Jet-skiing.
Ping Pong.
Golfing.
Sliding down slides.
Test driving a Camry.

The payoff: There is no payoff, just as many silly things like this as you can cram into a video.


Idea 3: For Here I Come
Back Thought is in a prison camp and escape during a soccer game ala Victory and Stir Crazy.
Prison camp is NOT Nazi camp, more Whackenhutt style camp.
Gags: Some slow motion ->fast motion soccer.


budgets:

All videos to be shot with rented HDCAM equipment. Edited on FCP on a Mac. Motion and Shake to be used for post. Shot in front of green screens.

Or could go with a HDV Cam with HDMI output to a Blackmagic-Design Inttenisity or HDLink pro HDMI. FULL HD resoultion bypassing HDV limitations.

Sound recording done with whatever The Roots currently own.

Shoudl be under 20g for equipment. Two day shoot.

minus maybe the "and then he dies" bits and the sarcastic ending (jay-z promotion comment anyway) this would make a great video that people would talk about.


people wouldn't "get" idea #2. idea #3 is kind of lacking but you know that already...

i like it man

I see it being what common did with go: almost documentary-style. Maybe on some Spike Lee tip, where he does these narrative descriptions with footage backing the narration (that hate speach from 25th hour, for example). the subject matter: Philly. Do to Philly what common dit to Chi. Hvae the video be set in the cold fall type of scenery (lots of dead leaves blowing, grey and dim, black and white even). and maybe have the contrast effect, fade into another song right from that song and when you do, set it in philly at night, on the street with the city behind the band (that fade in could be the only time the band makes appearance)

I see it being what common did with go: almost documentary-style. Maybe on some Spike Lee tip, where he does these narrative descriptions with footage backing the narration (that hate speach from 25th hour, for example). the subject matter: Philly. Do to Philly what common dit to Chi. Hvae the video be set in the cold fall type of scenery (lots of dead leaves blowing, grey and dim, black and white even). and maybe have the contrast effect, fade into another song right from that song and when you do, set it in philly at night, on the street with the city behind the band (that fade in could be the only time the band makes appearance)

i didnt see someone else basically post the same idea....... even still, i had some additional thoughts to it

i voted long time...not sure if this idea has come up already...and it's TOO many suggestions to actually find out so...

How bout do the joint in Philly but instead of y'all actually being in the video, you give a few young cats from around the way a chance to shine. (kinda like Sky's The Limit)

I think Clock with no Hands would work better than Long Time because everybody can relate to it. Not that Long Time is hard to relate to its just that Clock..is better...anyway..........


The video would just be images of clocks(some with no hands) and like people looking at the clock and either waiting for someone to come, or maybe someone missing plane or wating for a ccall


To elaborate say one person could be looking at a clock trying to make his plane and on the other end of that is a lady waiting at the other airport looking at a clock and at arrival times waiting for the guy.

the first verse could be guy looking a pics and he's waiting for his friends or his girl or somebody to come over and hang out because maybe he just moved or he jsut had an evenign planned and is wiating for this person(s) to come over.

Another could be a girl waiting at first in the waiting room to see the doctor and later waiting to hear the results of a pregnancy or even HIV test.

a guy could be waiting for his sentencing.

Basically the premise is people waiting for something to happen, and they're dealing with a range of emotions while there waiting.

What you think?

Makes checks payable to...better msg me for that hahahaha

Just make it abstract.

IMO, the video Don't Feel Right was pretty corny with riq walking around 3d backrounds. That's played out.

A video where someone (Black Thought) puts on more and more t-shirts.

Each shirt goes over the last shirt. Shirts start at size S and go to 10X.

Only the first two shirts are shown being put on the rest just appear ala I Dream of Jeanie.

The shirts can have messages that go with the song ala Bob Dylan's Subterranean Homesick Blues video.

This idea is ripped directly form the Gusiness book of World Records.

This could be done practically or via CGI. if CGI you could track around the guy ala Untitled by D'Angelo.

I steal all these ideas ala a guy with too much time on his hands ala Foreigner.
Here's a video of the guy who originally did it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6tlw-oPDBM

It should a flashback to your younger days in Philly, performing in small hole-in-the wall clubs. At the end, flash foward to you teaching your grandkids how to play the drums or keyboards. In the flashback, you should use unknown artists that look like you sing the hook.

>
>I steal all these ideas ala a guy with too much time on his
>hands ala Foreigner.

Actualyl Styx had Too Much Time on their collective (and talented) hands.

if you really want low budget/no concept they might as well remake the video for blur's "no distance left to run" and just have night vision camera footage of them sleeping. maybe we can even have the running caption, "the roots imitating def jam's promotions team," or if we REALLY want to get our okayartist on, "the roots imitating the buying public/the mainstream/hip-hop listeners." nyuk nyuk!

Still taking suggestions?

Baby with the first verse of Clock with No Hands at the end. Baby = something the bebe's can sing along to the chorus, and Clock with no Hands(the musical clock sound reminds ya of a Baby, doesn't it? Plus, this generation loves drama.

Opens with: Everyone in black suits in a van, with bt in the backseat with yak in his hand telling the story...driving to a show...

Middle: Follow the relationship storyline for video concept. (I know it talks about the status of hip hop, but give them the truth, but give it to them slant, ya know?)
Anyhow, Designer fashions gurl gets done wrong by bf, finds them in bed, other chic runs out...takes his cigar, lights it up, throws it on matters, bf tries to rationalize during the chorus...fire (the kids love fire, lol)...both run out together. Outside as cops/firefighters come to scene.

(during chorus, it can also flash to roots at show they were driving to performing the song)

Second verse: is a flashback of how the couple me at a music store in the hip hop cd section, picking out similar music (show the cd's to have some of the stereotypical covers. hint, 3 words: chain,hang,low) they beat the odds (whatever those are: a baby, her parents not approving, whatever), end up together, but he still goes out and cheats on her (back to the beginning scene).

Ends with: Her getting arrested.....fades into clock with no hands...she's sitting in jail (could insert stats about black women's rising numbers in prison)...and the distraught dude is sitting on staircase (with a bottle?) looking at the pics of he and his gurl *some people i used to love/why i ain't show em that?*..fades out.

Just an idea...it can be symbolic for many things (relationship b/t hip hop and audience/ loss regret/ etc, etc...etc) :)

The song is fundamentally about being at tension with the present environment. It is a good choice to be in the video as little as possible. Until people see the whites of thought's eyes he will forever be the most inconspicuous frontman. Read on.

Black society is terminally uncomfortable with existing in a white world. Flip the script. A well known white older actor walking through the black world. A remnant of the neighborhood. Make the white guy the nigger. Let him get shitty service. Let blacks give each other the eddie-murphy-free-newspaper treatment a la snl (pre daddy day care)

At the end let him resort to playing a guitar in solitude while he plots his actions based on what others might think. Despite everyone's crappy understanding of game theory on the site, this would be a good way to handle the album title subtley: the white guy slips into a state of stiffling who he is based on perceived future actions by others---a faltering nash equilibrium



lets the roots be a barber that can't cut white hair, a shopkeeper that follows you around, the guy that wont' return your phonecalls when he sees your name on the caller id, the restaurant owner who points and gives his waitress shady instructions. get erykah to be the waitress who nods her head at the shitty tip.



who to get to do this i dont know. christopher walken obviously, jon voight might be free. gary busey is just nuts. martin landau. martin sheen if his bartlett wasn't so beloved.



or just be nuts and get kenny rogers.




use this with an end shot of moving the camera out of the guy's apartment to the outside landscape that he can't get out of




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

its dark, like the album.

but the last one was a little goofy

this album either needs a huge ass budget video with good idea and execution

or something done on the other end of the spectrum (not blair witch though)

its the mediocre budget that gets a mediocre video


p.s. i did only see the last video a couple times so i will review again, but that is really the best measure of a music video. the person who sees it twice. and it wasn't nearly as good as the music.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NYU

riding around philly or whatever... i don't know.

definitely long time though--that's my favorite song on the album.

Okay players I don't normally post matter of fact I just got an account like 3 minutes ago but here it goes.....

Clock With No Hands is a strong single from a biz standpoint. It has a strong message as well. I grappled with "Long Time" because it also is a strong single and everybody's verse is hot on that song. But creatively I had more visions with "Clock With No Hands." The video doubles as a tribute video for Dilla and Mpozi.

WARNING THIS IS VERY DETAILED!!!!! So here it goes....

It starts with Black Thought sitting on the staircase he describes in the 1st verse. It takes place between jam sessions He also mentions fighting tears looking through old photos in this verse. From there he is looking through a photo album that has hip-hop themed stickers on it. Roots stickers, Slum Village stickers, other OKP artists, and artist that influenced the Roots over the years. When he opens up the photo album there are pictures taken by Mpozi Tolbert that describe who he was as a photographer and the moments he shared with The Roots and Hip-hop in general. These pictures become a slide show during the first verse. During the hook he walks to a window and that leads to the 2nd verse.

During the second verse the slide show turns into city shots by Mpozi Tolbert of Philly if possible or any hood that can visually describe what Thought is speaking on in this verse.

The hook takes Thought back to rest of the band as they continue to rehearse "Clock With No Hands" through the end of the 3rd verse. The setting is in a loft rustic in nature(I like that line LOL). Just the essentials are there, the artists, instruments, turntables and speakers. The only thing visible on the walls are a couple a clocks with no hands and one open window. Right when Black Thought says "...my thoughts free as a bird," 2 doves land on the window representing J Dilla and Mpozi. Right then the music transitions into Kamaal playing the "Dillatastic Vol Won(derful)" as the video fades to a screen with RIP Dilla and Mpozi.

I thank you if you read this far. I put this song on repeat during my journey home in D.C. trafic and it came to me. I love the song to death and its powerful when you pay attention to what he saying.

Have it with BT gettin out and travellin through Philly reminiscing and then at the end meetin up with the group and play it out. Like that Motley Crue video Girl Dont Go Away Mad (Just Go Away) except hip-hop.

This could be BT's moment in the lights

We all know what the Roots need...more albumn sales. More people listening. More people WANTING to listen. More people TALKING about the hottest hip hop group out. Keep this in mind as I go...

Long Time:
Taking from the general idea of Thought walking through parts of Philly (I first thought that was kinda boring) but you can add some spice and make people talk about the video. Here's how.

Work with allusion. If you can get cameos, of course get'em. But if you can't get will Smith, how about starting the video off like his Summertime video "Drums please...." The convertible, BT in the back (if possible Will and Jazzy in the drivers seat....)if not, BT driving and Jazzy Jeff in the drivers seat (however the video went)....think of it as an ode to someone who put Philly on the map REAL BIG....

Beans. Free. Rahzel (yessir!) All them is cool, but I think you have to have Jill in this one. Remember the video (her first one I think) where she's singing, smiling (as only Jill can)and walking down the street....what if BT is walking on that re-created street and scene and his video crew walks passed Jill and her video crew. Like a crossing of videos....ode to Jill (whose career is GREATLY 'crossed' with THe Roots) and likewise her ode to the Roots. Split screen it with her in concert with the Roots back in the day....

And there must be sports refrences (for those who have never been or dont know much about Philly). So BT is going through drug devastated hoods (the ugly) he sees the kids (the good) playing basketball. A kid in an Iverson jersey dose a nasty crossover on a kid in a Jordan jersey...i.e. when Iverson actually did it. Or for some humor, a kid in a McNabb jersey looking for someone to pass the ball too when the kid in the Cowboys Owens jersey is wide open and jumping up down but NOT being thrown the ball too....(that'll get you on 106 n Park alone!)

Ryan Howard (cameo) could be crushing homeruns off little kids until one of them crashes through someones house window and they ALL run like big kids. A few scense later, they are all getting scolded by someones grandmother. Even Howard, his head slumped down in his chest like he was 10!

Rocky Theme: BT jogging thourgh the city like ole Balboa. ANd of course he stops at the Rocky statue. (That maybe a little too much!)

Someone who should definately be in the video. Stephen A Smith.

I got a great idea for Game Theory and Here I Come too. Its what I do....let me shoot it!

www.iampoop.com

As for video treatment?

Do a simple collage of pictures (see slide.com) with various pics of the Roots group old and new... and the groups various influences and inspirations.

Kind of a reintroduction to the Roots thru slideshow/collage.

end of story.

Baby should be the fuckin single, thats all I gotta say. Its dark but melodic, the treatment could be exactly what Thought is talking about in the song. That shit is definitely "Seed" type radio play and help this album move units.

this has to be the first song played when I
insert this CD in my girls whip she love it.(me too)
Baby is dope it kinda remind me of a "Seed" type
vibe.Feelin this hold CD ok down to business

Black's story tellin is so intricate here. The obvious
treatment I would suggest is show the story in reverse.

the first half
could be shorty arguing with her mother
like Meth's girl on "All I need" how she love the dude
and here mother aint with it.then a transition of them having good times etc.Then maybe flash forward to piture of dicharge firearm still smoking panning up to shorty on the
curb crying in designer fashion.

then the second half of the vid could
show what lead up to the events what cause the murder to
take place dude out rollin with his mistress shorty findin
numbers,domectic altercations like ordinanry people vid etc. kinda in the same vein of the movie Crash how it begin with them
finding Lorenz tate(can't recall his screen name for that roll)in the begining then at the end showing the
events leading up to his death.

just a thought(c) Cee lo

Bandmembers scattered throughout various eras......

each member seems to awaken and begin to walk back "home"

middle aged/elderly Quest might walk back from 30 yrs in the future...passing cameo appearances by (XXXXX and XXXXX) on his way back......getting younger and younger as he peruses Music's future.

Hub might travel the underground railroad......

Members pass familiar faces, places and things(a clock with no hands...and various other allusions to older tunes)along the way.....picking up followers....who sometimes pass unsuspecting younger versions of themselves......(they may even attempt *in vain* to influence decisions)

each member takes a different path....some seem to pass the same places time and time again

members can eventually meet up with lookalikes of brothers and sisters we've lost......

upon greeting each other they become resigned to the fact they're about to cross over themselves......

walking towards the light(etc)

they finally emerge one by one onto a stage........

they pause briefly but the curtains never part again..........

**maybe the fellow travelers could reappear as faces in the dimlit crowd.

on video with this intense banger!!!!! keep the aesthetic/lighting etc dark and splice lots of your fly archive concert footage from international venues. emphasize how music has taken yall all over in your careers and flash images of roots collaborators. i'm saying show the best concert visuals with crazy editing, maybe during the hook as it's making the point that it's about the music.

we all know good introspective tracks often get best appreciated best on headphones, and there's not really a club friendly track on gt. so i say roll with some fiyah, and this beat knocks. maybe have the verses be dimly lit staged studio sessions using tight shots/zooms on the spitting, possibly accompanied by visuals from thoughts and malik's flow.

emphasize the beat itself like the opening drumming for example with tight shots. i'm guessing this would be affordable.

otherwise go with here i come and the idea in post 53, but make it a nightclub where yall are performing.





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Some of my photos from Cuba:
www.flickr.com/photos/workshopvisuals/sets/729092/

www.printroom.com/pro/workshop

www.myspace.com/rawsouthpaw

u gotta hav the 15 year old UK aswel view on this.
I'm picturin "Baby" in like a black nd white old ass 1930s movie sorta thing.. black thought on the original style mic with the rest of the crew behind him.. asif they a house band or sumfin
just do it like that even the Frank Sinatra era would look absoulutely amazing

sigh....
still waiting.
not like it'll make a difference
but we still might have a meeting.

who knows.

i aint lost hope yet

.

___

wow. i still post on message boards. lol.

but with 100g budget? meh...

you could make that work though...


* Doing it since 87' (I live it)
http://www.myspace.com/itstheprofessor

Support our artists:

"Keepers of The Light" feat: Rakaa Iriscience (Dialated)
http://www.myspace.com/kotl"

The camel never sees its own hump but that of its brothers is always bef

other okps (or photographers not hard up to see their name or get paid for a pcture) of the people and places good and bad you have traveled over the years.

the Still Photos can be photochopped for grit, edge, softness, drama, grain, etc.

write out all the verses and associate a picture to every line or sections of a line by syllable (story board-esqe with stills)

change time line to frame base to get a more acurate transition between photos.

im sure the images that you have taken over the years could tell a story better than film.

it also gives you a chance to make the people around you the stars and most of the money is spent on editing not equipment.

i would like to see too see Mercedes singing the hook in frames like:

"peo ple Think That Im Cra zy because id ra ther be a lone" so 13 pics of her singing that part (taking the 30 FPS video and dropping the other 17 frames?

feel me? if not, i can exlplain it better to BKyle but im thinking Pics and After Effects and you should be good.

the song sounds like fall and the photos will set the mood.

good luck, im tepmted to try and do it myself because that first line that black thought says about never going back makes me think of the wetlands (r.i.p.)

call me weird but certain groups are timeless, and by documentation of your travels over the years you have proven that fit the bill.

whatever you do, we will support you fam.

?

...makes sense

(Baby and Here I Come)

thats how they do round here

This song is yall best chance i think at a comercial sucess Long time will not work it's not a sound people readily want to hear same with here I come, Baby is cool but I think Clock with no Hands will get people more interested yall are going to be disappointed again fuckin round with that other shit for real


I got Bobby by the Pound, Whitney by the key, DJ Skrew by the Gallon the game belong to me

It's like i'm fightin for freedom...Writin for freedom

My mind warps and bends float the wind count to 10

he forgave but did not forget

Yall need two.
clock with no hands & long time.
throw "long time" out there.., cheap philly video, nostalgic spots..let peedi get his on.. he'll grab the younger ones...

then bless the world with the epic "clock w no hands" video..on some "you got me" visuals..they have no choice but to love that shyt.

simple
i think "baby" could b one too if ya'll remixed it and rocked out on it harder
easy mtv hit..

ha...rereading above i see it helps none!..

so whut fk it

its a dive but it'll be fun...aiight den holmes.