Synopsis
Joey Bada$$ and Chuck Strangers deliver their verses around Brooklyn, moving through subway stations, graffiti-lined streets, public basketball courts, and the Brooklyn Bridge. Members of the Pro Era circle appear throughout, giving the video the feel of a spontaneous day out with the crew rather than a tightly plotted narrative. Joey performs with a crisp digital image while much of the surrounding footage flickers with worn VHS texture, creating a visual bridge between contemporary Brooklyn and the 1990s hip-hop era the song celebrates.
Factoids & Trivia
- The video premiered on October 31, 2012, and was presented as the final visual released from Joey Bada$$'s 1999 mixtape.
- Joey described "Fromdatomb$" as the ideal closing statement for 1999, which helps explain why the video emphasizes both his Brooklyn roots and the mixtape's old-school hip-hop identity.
- Chuck Strangers appears on the track and receives a substantial middle verse. He also produced the song, while Statik Selektah supplied the scratches.
- Statik Selektah makes an appearance in the video, connecting the visual to the track's classic DJ-centered sound.
- The Brooklyn locations include subway interiors, graffiti-covered walls, basketball courts, and the Brooklyn Bridge. The footage was shot before Hurricane Sandy, which struck New York several days before the video was released.
- The analog appearance was created with an actual VHS transfer rather than a simple digital filter. High-definition footage was recorded onto VHS through a VCR, captured back into a computer, and combined with the original HD material.
- The visual concept drew inspiration from older Wu-Tang Clan and Gang Starr videos, but its mix of genuine VHS degradation and sharp digital images gives the clip a distinctly modern layer.
- The video became one of the early examples of Joey Bada$$'s carefully developed 1990s rap aesthetic, presenting his nostalgia as a living Brooklyn style rather than a purely archival look.