Synopsis

Filmed in stark black and white, the video follows Digable Planets through city streets and into a smoky underground club. The trio moves from the sidewalk and subway to a small stage, where they perform among jazz musicians and an appreciative crowd. Its relaxed pacing, bohemian setting, and live-band atmosphere mirror the song's blend of hip-hop, jazz, and street poetry, presenting Butterfly, Doodlebug, and Ladybug Mecca as effortlessly cool urban performers rather than conventional rap stars.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was shot in a SoHo nightclub in New York City, giving its club scenes an authentic downtown atmosphere instead of relying on a conventional studio set.

• Its black-and-white photography reinforces the group's jazz-centered image and connects the clip visually to the classic club and street-film traditions associated with New York hip-hop.

• The performers are backed by a jazz ensemble in the club scenes, visually underlining the track's fusion of rap with live-jazz aesthetics. Contemporary coverage described the presentation as resembling a bohemian poetry slam.

• The song's central musical hook samples Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers' "Stretchin'," a choice that helped define Digable Planets' jazz-rap identity.

• Released as the group's debut single in late 1992, "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)" became a major breakthrough: it topped the U.S. Hot Rap Singles chart and reached No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100.

• The success of the single and video led to Digable Planets winning the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 1994 ceremony.