Synopsis

"Royalty" places Gang Starr in a distinctly New York setting, moving between subway platforms, street scenes, and performance shots. Guru delivers his verses with DJ Premier nearby, while K-Ci and JoJo bring the track's soulful hook to the visual. The video captures the group's self-assured presence in the city, balancing underground hip-hop imagery with the polished R&B contribution. Brief appearances from other New York rap figures add to the spontaneous, documentary-like atmosphere.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was filmed in New York on January 26, 1997, during Super Bowl XXXI weekend, more than a year before "Moment of Truth" was released.

• Treach and other members of Naughty by Nature were not scheduled performers. They happened to walk past during filming and ended up appearing in the video.

• The subway scenes required special promotional MetroCards made for Gang Starr's "Royalty" campaign.

• "Royalty" was issued as a single from Gang Starr's 1998 album "Moment of Truth." K-Ci and JoJo provide the R&B vocals, while DJ Premier and Guru are credited with the production.

• The track closes with DJ Premier criticizing producers and record companies for revealing sample sources, a pointed moment that later became part of discussions about hip-hop's sample culture.

• The video is listed among Gang Starr's official music videos from the "Moment of Truth" era.