The Coolest Hip-Hop Music Video Ever Was Made In 1996

Fifteen years ago, The Pharcyde directed a music video in Los Angeles called “Drop”—which was made by a little director named Spike Jonze.

“This could have come out today, and still be better than anything out,” says a fan on YouTube. It’s true, this video is better than anything that came out in the last fifteen years—in the world of hip-hop at least.

Myriad directors and artists have made videos heavily appropriated from Jonze’s surreal aesthetic. Interpol, Depeche Mode, White Stripes—the list goes on.

OutKast has had a couple of cool videos, Missy does too; Kid Cudi’s “Pursuit of Happiness” is good (both versions)—obviously influenced by Jonze. Still, nothing captures the ingenuity and simplicity of “Drop.”

The video looks like it was shot backwards, but it clearly was not. Jonze had The Pharcyde learn to sing the lyrics backwards, something which required the tutelage of a private linguist to master. The group also had to walk backwards, dance backwards, take off their clothes backwards etc.

Check out the video and short behind-the-scenes video about how “Drop” was made.