Red Bull Music Presents a Conversation on Visual Music: Hype Williams

“Hype” Williams first made his name as a music video director in the ’90s, with a flamboyant and daring style perfectly in sync with hip-hop in its commercial ascendancy. His landmark visuals for Busta Rhymes, Missy Elliott, Puffy, Mase and Tupac indelibly pushed rap iconography to new levels of maximalism, while collaborations with the Notorious B.I.G., Craig Mack, Wu-Tang Clan, DMX and others remain testaments to the poetry of simplicity. Today, Williams endures as a creative benchmark and go-to for artists with a vision – be they Beyonce, Kanye West or Jack White. For this conversation, presented as part of the Red Bull Music Festival New York Director’s Series, the Queens native will discuss the making of selected videos chosen from the hundreds he has helmed since 1991. It’s a rare chance to hear how he applied his Technicolor vision to the biggest names in rap and pop, defining the era’s sounds for the screen.

$20 general admission

AMC Empire 25

234 W 42nd St New York, NY 10036