Synopsis
The Mad Stuntman takes over New York City, delivering his energetic ragga vocals from streets, sidewalks, and busy urban locations. The video cuts between his animated performance, black-and-white city footage, and a club where women dance to the pounding house groove. With its playful swagger, quick edits, and unmistakable one-legged fashion detail, the visual turns the song into a loose street-party celebration. Erick Morillo appears briefly, while the Twin Towers and other recognizable New York landmarks help define the video's early-1990s setting.
Factoids & Trivia
- The video was filmed in New York City and uses recognizable locations including Times Square and Flatbush.
- The Mad Stuntman's exaggerated performance style became one of the video's defining features. Contemporary coverage singled out his playful, mock-crazy dancing and the trouser leg rolled up above the knee.
- Several sequences are presented in black and white, contrasting with the brighter club and street footage.
- Erick Morillo was the production force behind Reel 2 Real, while The Mad Stuntman, whose real name is Mark Quashie, supplied the vocals.
- Morillo has said that the song's lyrics were created very quickly in the studio, with the repeated hook emerging from The Mad Stuntman's improvised vocal ideas.
- The video received strong television exposure in Europe in 1994, including heavy rotation on MTV Europe and appearances on VIVA, The Box, and MCM.
- The song later gained a major second life through the "Madagascar" film franchise, where it became closely associated with King Julien.