Synopsis

Chaka Khan performs in a vivid, stylized hip-hop setting built around breakdancing, rap imagery, and early-1980s street fashion. She appears alongside dancers in a colorful club-like environment, with turntables, graffiti-style backdrops, chain-link fencing, and oversized graphic props reinforcing the song's electro-funk energy. The video moves between Khan's performance and fast, athletic dance sequences, presenting her as the commanding centerpiece of a futuristic urban party.

Factoids & Trivia

• The better-known video was made after the song became a major hit. An earlier version placed Khan in a club with female dancers, while the replacement version emphasized the growing popularity of rap and breakdancing.

• The video was originally developed under the working title "Street Beat." Its colorful visual design combined day-glo styling with a hip-hop club atmosphere.

• Several prominent dancers from the film "Breakin'" appear in the video, including Shabba Doo, Boogaloo Shrimp, Bruno "Pop N Taco" Falcon, and Ana "Lollipop" Sanchez.

• The clothing came from designer Norma Kamali, whose work helped establish the video's highly recognizable blend of high fashion and streetwear.

• The club setting was a studio recreation inspired by Radio-Tron, a multi-racial hip-hop club in Los Angeles' MacArthur Park area.

• DJ Chris "The Glove" Taylor appears spinning a hot-pink 12-inch record labeled "Chaka." The turntable imagery ties the performance directly to the song's rap and club identity.

• A later edit was remixed to match the 12-inch vinyl version of the single.

• The track was written by Prince and features Stevie Wonder on chromatic harmonica, while Grandmaster Melle Mel contributes vocals. Khan's recording won the 1985 Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female.