Production Company

JM Films

Stormzy is stuck in a loop in Meji Alabi's splendidly luxurious&nbsp;promo for Need You,&nbsp;featuring Ayra Starr and Tendai.&nbsp;In a lavish hotel full of high-end patrons, we see Stormzy and Ayra Starr head through a curtain into an enigmatic room, where a romantic encounter plays out. But then Stormz is back through the curtain into the main room, like he's just arrived, and it all begins again...In the main party, Tendai provides the entertainment for the rest of the guests, rounding off a&nbsp;tour de force&nbsp;of heavyweight performances.With a rich, opulent aesthetic and slick styling, it's a video packed full of striking&nbsp;moments, and a perfect complement to the track.&nbsp;Really classy&nbsp;stuff from Meji Alabi and his team.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Meji Alabi

Jimi Adesanya

Toby Barber

Jack Green

Stefan Yap

Arran Green

Ricky Labib

Kieran Daley-Ward

Oliver Bingham

Stephen Ofori

Gary Kent

Black Dog Films

Stormzy ft Ayra Starr & Tendai 'Need You' by Meji Alabi

STORMZY - NEED YOU ft. AYRA STARR & TENDAI

Meji Alabi creates a chilled-out dreamworld for Wizkid to inhabit, in the vibrant promo for No Stress.&nbsp;Dripping with luxurious art direction and ethereal colour palettes, the visual is gorgeous to look at, boasting high-energy performance and super-glossy cinematography from the redoubtable Stefan Yap.&nbsp; &nbsp;

United Kingdom

Matt Klemara

Linah Bensadok

Blair Barnette

Laurie London

Brenda Ford

Femi Konteh

Paume Paris

Jonny Tully

Tag Collective Art

Irene Ojo-felix

Sony Records

Charlie Rizek

Afro-Beat

Afro-Pop

Wizkid 'No Stress' by Meji Alabi

Wizkid-'No-Stress'-by-Meji-Alabi

Meji Alabi directs an intense and timely exploration of violence and inequality, in his video for Burna Boy's Monsters You Made, featuring Chris Martin.&nbsp;Having watched a devastating montage of traumatic&nbsp;events, a group of soldiers - led by Burna Boy - are training to revolt against the systems and people in power.&nbsp;The concept encapsulates the themes of the track, and is a timely meditation on an unjust society, where violence is bred from birth and is a matter of life and death for many people.&nbsp;

Nigeria

Kc Obiajulu

Anti Design

Daniel Obasi

Mah Ferraz

Forager

Big Buoy

Simon Dewey

Shadeh Smith

Atlantic Records

Leke Alabi-isama

Afrobeat

Burna Boy ft Chris Martin 'Monsters You Made' by Meji Alabi

Burna-Boy-'Monsters-You-Made-(ft.-Chris-Martin)'-by-Meji-Alabi

Meji Alabi has directed several videos for Burna Boy, including some proper blockbusters. But have any been as powerful as this?In visualising the sombre sentiments of the Stormzy-featured Real Life, Burna Boy gave Alabi licence to tell a story about the difficulties&nbsp;for Afro-Carribean people in London now. The result is a tour de force; a compelling mini-drama where the complexity of people's lives, navigating what is 'right' and 'wrong', is highlighted by the different routes taken by twin brothers, and a pointless murder.&nbsp;With a standout performances by Devontay and Dijon Graham as the brothers, Alabi&nbsp;creates a world on a West London estate populated with believable&nbsp;characters, sketched into life by his direction and Jaime Ackroyd's camera. Most painfully of all, Alabi stays firmly with the victim, as he dies alone. It is a departure for the director who has become one of the most adept at creating visually exciting pop videos, but a very confident and cinematic&nbsp;one.Alabi even pauses the drama to allow a spoken word section, written and delivered by George The Poet, to add weight to the whole piece, that already includes strong performance elements from Burna Boy and Stormzy. Powerful indeed.[imgtoken data:1]

Matt Klemera

Luke Goodrich

Jaime Ackroyd

Lawrence Beckwith

Ryan Monteith

James Middleton

Minna Attala

Paume

Tim Smith

CHEAT

Denova Media

Kharmel Cochrane

Joel Honeywell

Hip Hop

Burna Boy ft Stormzy 'Real Life’ by Meji Alabi

Burna-Boy-'Real-Life-Ft-Stormzy'-by-Meji-Alabi

Meji Alabi directs a love letter to Kingston, Jamaica with his new video for Chronixx.&nbsp;Shot largely on 16mm, the colourful promo highlights the energy of the capital city, elevated by slick performance and an unabashed love for dance and music culture. Oh, and Chronixx travels serenely around Kingston on a floating armchair...&nbsp;DoP Jaime Ackroyd captures the unique vibe of the city - and the people within it -&nbsp;through energetic handheld shots and plenty of zooms, creating a dynamic and lively&nbsp;aesthetic.[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;

Jamaica

J. Adesanya

Mike Hannides

Matt Newman

Trim Editing

Jason Wallis

Electric Theatre Collective

Oliver Whitworth

We Are Covert 

Grant Sandy Phillips

Cinelab Film and Digital

Reggae

Dancehall

Chronixx 'Cool As The Breeze' by Meji Alabi

Chronixx-'Cool-As-The-Breeze/friday'-by-Meji-Alabi

He's one of the hardest working directors in music videos. Now he's forced into lockdown, Meji Alabi (above, with son Godwin) has been enjoying some R&amp;R at home with his family in London, and reflecting upon his achievements, and intense workload, of the past few years.But then,&nbsp;on top of that, he has also&nbsp;launched his own chat show, talking to music video creatives,&nbsp;on Instagram Live...What were you working on before the lockdown? I had quite a few music videos - Jamaica and Nigeria were on the books - and had a few commercials locked in before the lockdown. Also in the early stages of writing some scripts for shorts and such... But who isn’t? :D<blockquote>I’ve found it’s reignited my hunger to create even more.</blockquote>What are you working on now? I’ve just finished post on one promo. In the early stages of VFX for another promo. And just finishing up the final bits of an ad I worked on for a charity. So I spent the first few weeks of lockdown with busy with remote edits and going back and forth with agency. It’s actually been quite therapeutic to execute the process from afar...and also have more time to sit with things.What's the most surprising, or least predictable thing, that's happened to you during quarantine? I think the urge to cook my own food - and falling in love with it. And eating breakfast. I actually love going and buying food and making it. Something I’ll actively try and do more in post-corona days.[imgtoken data:1]Also starting up REAL TALK on my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mejialabi/" target="_blank">Instagram page @MejiAlabi</a> - where I talk to my peers and other fellow creatives about life in the creative industry on Instagram Live. It’s gotten some traction, and I’m not necessarily a public speaker so I found that quite cool. So far we’ve had DP’s Olan Collardy and Stefan Yap, and directors Koby Adom, Olivia Rose Garden, Nabil, and my Black Dog compatriot Leonn Ward. So it’s been an awesome lineup so far. Next up is an absolute legend - Anthony Mandler... really looking forward to that.What's the favourite part of your daily routine? Getting outside. I’m up and out at 6:30am for the past week to try and reclaim/relive my former glory days. The weather has been so great that just going for a cycle or a run or to skate is super satisfying. Also playing with the kids outside and teaching them new things is great. I was travelling so much before COVID-19 every one of these moments is priceless for me. It’s my way of turning this negative situation into a positive.Are things getting harder/better/staying the same? I’m privileged to have worked a lot last year so I managed to put some aside, so economically I’m ok....for now. But mentally I’d say we’re all getting a little bit restless. It’s a big change. I’ve found it’s reignited my hunger to create even more. I think I’m going to start constructing little short films and camera tests in my house like I used to or something. I manage to keep myself pretty busy.[imgtoken data:2]What have you learned about yourself during quarantine? It probably sounds cliche by now. That there’s so much more to life to enjoy outside of the filmmaking music video world. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in everything. This quarantine has forced us to take a step back and re-evaluate the important things in life. Certain things that were so important have literally just disappeared so for me it was a much needed priority check. I’m going to make an effort to bring some of these elements into my lifestyle post-quarantine.Best meal you have eaten/are regularly cooking (send photo, if poss!) I’ve been on the grill quite a lot - Made some chicken shish-kebab things with pineapple. So good. Sorry for the low res photo :D[imgtoken data:3]Best thing you’ve watched, or heard, while on lockdown, and why? And the worst...? I’ve just finished Marvel’s Luke Cage.. I was skeptical at first but it’s really good. Also Atlantics which was great. A third into The Irishman as well.[vidtoken data:0]As for the worst thing I’ve watched....I tend to protect myself from watching stuff I don’t think I’ll like or hasn’t been recommended but I’ve been enjoying loads of memes. That’s bad enough. Shoutout @DirectorsContent.&nbsp;How's your Work/Life balance at the moment? Better than it’s ever been.• Meji Alabi is represented for music videos and commercials by Black Dog Films in the UK and US, and is co-founder of&nbsp;JM Films, based in Lagos and London. See Meji's showreel <a href="http://www.blackdogfilms.com/uk/directors/meji-alabi/" target="_blank">here</a>.

Quarantine Q&A: Meji Alabi, Black Dog Films 

Atlantics: A Ghost Love Story / Atlantique (2019) - Trailer (English Subs)

"I wanted to take us back to the old school garage grime raves but mixed with a fashion week after party vibes," says Mollana Burke."Xpensive&nbsp;follows, one Acen, JME, Ghetts and Chip as they navigate their way through the rave, where everyone is in their best fits and having a good time. I had a lot of fun in the edit, playing with photography and collaging, giving the video different textures."

Mollana Burke

Nilante Ebun-Cole

Stephen Eniraiyetan

Chris Steel

James Tileyard

David Witchell

Nicola Sheppard

Grime

One Acen ft. JME, Ghetts, & Chip 'Xpensive Habits' by Mollana Burke

One-Acen-(ft.-Jme,-Ghetts,-&amp;-Chip)-'Xpensive-Habits'-by-Mollana-Burke

Meji Alabi's colourful and chaotic video for Banx &amp; Ranx&nbsp;and&nbsp;Kojo Funds' Traffic Jam shuts down the streets in Accra, Ghana.In a hot and sweaty queue of colourful vehicles, our artists are getting restless as the whole street comes to a halt. Taking a look inside other cars, we see a variety of characters, including a group of nuns, masked characters (with an especially horrifying caricature of Donald Trump among them) and a travelling dance act.&nbsp;Before long, the tension has spilled over into a massive party - people are dancing on top of their vehicles, and Kojo is taking the lead with a fierce performance down the middle of the queues. Feel-good and bursting with energy and vibrance,&nbsp;Dave Pienaar's cinematography utilises a kaleidoscope of rich colour, frenetic movement and even a few old school dutch angles to match the pace of the track.&nbsp;Lasting well into the night, when darkness has eclipsed the road, the group eventually stop worrying about wherever they were going, and instead embrace the chaotic party atmosphere.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Canada

Dave Pienaar

Dance

Banx & Ranx X Kojo Funds 'Traffic Jam' by Meji Alabi

Banx-&amp;-Ranx-X-Kojo-Funds-'Traffic-Jam'-by-Meji-Alabi

Mollana Burke's video for&nbsp;Maybe Baby follows&nbsp;Tolani through the different stages of love.Mollana says: "I wanted to visually show the passion and sparks we feel when first meeting someone, combined with dreamlike scene as if she’s really falling for him. However, Tolani is alone in&nbsp;most scenes because you can feel so much when it comes to love but at the same time feel so alone."

Toby Leary

Jean Dakar

Taz Lima

Krishna Modhwadia

Tolani 'Maybe Baby' by Mollana Burke

Tolani-'Maybe-Baby'-by-Mollana-Burke

Meji Alabi teams up with Eugy for the video for Hold Me Down - shot in the National Theatre of Ghana. It is the first time anyone has been permitted to shoot a music video in this spectacular theatre, and the team don't waste the opportunity.Using the impressive structure as a backdrop, every shot utilises the angular, imposing architecture of the location, and when paired with the subtle art direction it creates a bold, striking series of images.This theme carries through to the wardrobe, where a cast of extras wear uniquely shaped&nbsp;garments, full of straight edges and sharp contours, with a splash of colour and local flair. The performances are confident and assured, from both the artists and dancers, resulting in&nbsp;an exciting video packed full of ambitious concepts.&nbsp;The interiors are just as gorgeous, and&nbsp;Francis Lane does a great job of creating a dark and sexy atmosphere, utilising the deep red colour palette&nbsp;of the theatre, painting the characters in a vibrant silhouette. This is a project very much focused on form and design, and it's a must watch.

Francis Lane

James Woodbridge

Kusi Kubi

Sam Hardy

Disturbing London

Eugy ft. Wavy The Creator 'Hold Me Down' by Meji Alabi

Eugy--'Hold-Me-Down-(ft.-Wavy-The-Creator)'-by-Meji-Alabi

Coming off the back of Meji Alabi’s recent Pull Up&nbsp;video comes&nbsp;his next Burna Boy video - and a collaboration with&nbsp;Jorja Smith on Gum Body.&nbsp;The understated performances and a straightforward narrative make this an easy watch, chilled and relaxed to match the vibe of the track - taken from Burna’s new&nbsp;album&nbsp;African Giant.&nbsp;The intermittent dance scenes drive the video forward with great energy, and the ghosting effects on the exteriors lend a slightly surreal 90s edge to the project.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Andrei Croitor

Theo Somers

Danny Ormerod

Olan Collardy

Ash Halliburton

Jonny Thorpe

Glassworks

Xiaoxuan Zhu

Emma Backman

Benjy Kirkman

Burna Boy ft Jorja Smith 'Gum Body' by Meji Alabi

Burna-Bo-'Gum-Body-(feat.-Jorja-Smith)'-by-Meji-Alabi

With a nod to the indomitable Nigerian afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti's 'Shuffering and Shmiling, Meji Alabi shot his latest collaboration with Tiwa Savage&nbsp;49-99’ with an all African crew over one day in Ebutte Metta Railway Station, Lagos, Nigeria, and produced though Meji's JM Films.And the&nbsp;49-99&nbsp;video premiered with a marquee screening in Times Square and Sunset Boulevard in the US.

Tiwa Savage '49-99' by Meji Alabi

Tiwa-Savage--'49-99'-by-Meji-Alabi

Mollana Burke's video for Nigerian artist Joeboy is a coming-of-age love story between a young couple blissfully living in this tropical-esque haven.We see Joeboy slowly falling deeply in love with his girl, to the point where he asks her to marry him. Mollana says: "I had a lot of fun shooting this video, being able to create this utopia through a vibrant colour pallet and lots of plants."

Ben Worthington

Caroline Morin

Wash

Empawa

Joeboy 'Beginning' by Mollana Burke

Joeboy-'Beginning'-by-Mollana-Burke

Meji Alabi's latest video for Burna Boy - from the Nigerian artist's acclaimed fourth album African Giant -&nbsp;captures a vintage aesthetic with an array of vivid texture to accompany the lively Afro-fusion rhythm.The video, which also features models Aweng Chuol, Camille Munn, NyaLuak Leth, and Chanel Taylor, is Alabi's first production since signing with Black Dog Films in the UK and US.The hugely prolific London-based director has directed&nbsp;music videos&nbsp;for the likes of Skepta, A$AP Ferg, Goldlink, Burna Boy, Yungen, Kojo Funds, Raye, Tory Lanez, Popcaan, and Swizz Beats, and for African artists such as Tiwa Savage, Nasty C, Aṣa, Wizkid, and Davido.Working in a range of visual mediums including music video, photography, advertising campaigns, magazine editorials, and artist branding, Alabi (below) has blazed a trail in the past few years in bridging the gap between African and Western markets.[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;

Sonny Horwell

PC Williams

Leannah Carer

Burna Boy 'Pull Up' by Meji Alabi - now signed to Black Dog Films

Burna-Boy--'Pull-Up'-by-Meji-Alabi

A girl see’s a man with a Godzilla mask lying asleep on a carpark floor and imagines what could happen if he was awake. In fact, he turns out to be Mr Eazi, and he's a lot of fun.Meji Alabi's latest for the Nigerian Banku star is bright and breezy, and gives a special focus to the clothing in Eazi's fashion brand, FashionNova. Appropriate for the track Supernova.

George Phull

Asia Rose Kilgallon

Sereeta Venkanah

Chris Bell

Creep Post

We Fix It In Post

Mr Eazi 'Supernova' by Meji Alabi

Mr-Eazi-'Supernova'-by-Meji-Alabi

Shot in Lagos and Atlanta, Meji Alabi&#39;s video for Casanova connects Nigeria to the US and the US to Nigeria - with Casanova being a big boss in two places.Shot in one of the roughest neighborhoods in Lagos (Shitta) - the sense of danger and excitement is palpable.And&nbsp;yes, those guys really do have pet hyenas...&nbsp;

Akpe Ododuro

Mark Meadows

Smoke & Mirrors

Roc Nation

Casanova ft Tory Lanez & Davido '2AM' by Meji Alabi

Casanova-'2am-(ft-Tory-Lanez-&-Davido)'-by-Meji-Alabi

Meji Alabi captures dancehall star Popcaan and singer/producder Davido in this vibrant celebration of Nigerian womanhood for the laid-back Dun Rich.Shot all over Lagos, and mixing documentary footage with the slicker performance stuff, it features all kinds of Lagos girl - cheerleaders, boxers, models, swimmers and bikers. It brings everything together at the national stadium with girl athletes and a formidable group in national costume.As usual, Meji Alabi (below centre, with Davido and Popcaan) packs a lot in three or so minutes.[imgtoken data:1]

Ben Plant

P C Williams

Alex Gregory

The Mill

Mixpak

Popcaan ft. Davido 'Dun Rich' by Meji Alabi

Popcaan-'Dun-Rich-(ft.-Davido)'-by-Meji-Alabi

Meji Alabi helms a ferocious display of late night London energy, starring Swizz Beats and Giggs.With the performers wreathed in smoke, their crews wielding flares, East End locations, and a couple of old Routemasters used as a backdrop - all shot in black and white - this delivers masses of old school, neo-gothic London atmosphere. All aboard.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Steven Olugbenga Eniraiyetan

Kit Mckenzie

Jake Whitehouse

Amarjeet Singh

Tasha Leslie

Asad Naveed

Epic Records

Swizz Beats ft Giggs 'Come Again' by Meji Alabi

Swizz-Beats-'Come-Again-Ft.-Giggs'-by-Meji-Alabi

Meji Alabi smoothly charts the passage of time in Nigerian superstar Burna Boy&#39;s amourous relationship with a girl in long, sweeping takes, in his video for On The Low.

United States

Ondrej Rybar

Nick Brown

Vini Curtis

Ronami Ogulu

Ola Ebiti

Oussama El Ghazoui

Burna Boy 'On The Low' by Meji Alabi

Burna-Boy-'On-The-Low'-by-Meji-Alabi

After taking on London in Jungle, Nasty C arrives in New York City, in Meji Alabi&#39;s second video for the African hiphop star.And although it&#39;s unfamiliar territory for both the rapper and director, they look right at home with some impressive set-ups - including having Nasty sitting on top of a Mercedes 4x4 driving through streets in Brooklyn.Something tells me this shot wasn&#39;t necessarily okayed by Health and Safety...&nbsp;The video also features the work&nbsp;of artist <a href="https://shantellmartin.art/" target="_blank">Shantell Martin</a> - including her very collectible hand-drawn sneakers - and Nasty and guest artist A$AP Ferg get together at the club. It&#39;s tight.

Jon Carr

Universal Music Za

Nasty C ft. A$AP Ferg 'King' by Meji Alabi

Nasty-C-'King-(ft.-A$ap-Ferg)'-by-Meji-Alabi

Shot on a mixture of grainy film and high resolution quality, Meji Alabi&#39;s performance piece for Skepta and Wizkid&#39;s new track Energy, gives a colourful snapshot of Nigeria&#39;s creative&nbsp;youth.The high energy piece was shot on location in Lagos and brilliantly captures the feel of the place predominantly&nbsp;through its&nbsp;cutaways from the central performance, to shots of Nigerian night life and charismatic individuals.&nbsp;

JM Films

Production Company

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