Synopsis

Busta Rhymes plays a flamboyant African prince enjoying an extravagant day of servants, luxury and spectacle. The video shifts between palace-like interiors, energetic group choreography and surreal outdoor scenes, including Busta fleeing an elephant. His vivid makeup, elaborate costumes and animated performance give the clip a comic, larger-than-life quality, while the Flipmode Squad joins him in the celebration. The concept draws heavily from the royal fantasy and New York setting of the 1988 film "Coming to America."

Factoids & Trivia

• The concept was inspired by "Coming to America." Busta Rhymes said the film was playing silently on a studio television while the song was being mixed, and its African setting seemed to match the track's sound.

• Production designer Ron Norsworthy created the video's distinctive visual world, including the ornate palace imagery, glowing tribal makeup and elaborate costumes.

• The video was filmed in downtown Manhattan, including locations around Chambers Street and Centre Street and the main lobby of the Surrogate's Courthouse.

• Choreographer June Ambrose recalled that the costumes involved extensive hands-on work, including gluing decorative doilies onto garments.

• The clip debuted on MTV in August 1997 and received heavy rotation on both MTV and BET.

• At the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards, the video received four nominations, including Best Male Video and Best Rap Video.

• MTV later placed the video at number 20 on its 1999 list of the 100 Greatest Music Videos Ever Made.

• The song's relaxed vocal delivery was a departure from Busta Rhymes' earlier, more frantic style, making the video's theatrical presentation feel like a visual expansion of his new approach.