Synopsis

Set in a stark underground city, the video presents Gang Starr in a dystopian world of sterile rooms, harsh lighting, and authoritarian control. Guru performs amid images of confinement, surveillance, medical treatment, and ritualized obedience, while DJ Premier appears as the duo's silent, imposing counterpart. The visual language turns the song's self-assured battle rap into a statement of resistance, contrasting Guru's command of the microphone with a society designed to suppress individuality. Its stark sci-fi imagery gives the track an unusually cinematic edge.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video draws heavily from George Lucas' 1971 film "THX 1138," especially its underground setting, clinical white interiors, controlled population, and dystopian atmosphere.

• Guru and DJ Premier shaved their heads for the clip, reinforcing the video's imagery of institutional control and depersonalization.

• Flavor Flav makes an appearance, adding a recognizable Public Enemy presence to the otherwise severe, futuristic visual world.

• Released in 1997, the song served as the lead single from Gang Starr's fifth album, "Moment of Truth," which followed in 1998.

• The production reflects DJ Premier's sample-based approach, combining elements associated with Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Joe Simon, Public Enemy, Das EFX, GZA and Method Man, and Big Noyd and Prodigy.