Synopsis
Styles Of Beyond turn "Easy Back It Up" into a street-level introduction to their world. The video follows Ryu and Takbir through a day that moves from neighborhood streets and a ride across town to the nightlife and the stage. Their verses are presented through direct-to-camera performance shots, with the duo and DJ Cheapshot bringing a lively, underground energy to the clip. The loose narrative mirrors the song's journey from making plans to taking over the club.
Factoids & Trivia
- "Easy Back It Up" was released as a single in 1999 and appeared on Styles Of Beyond's debut album, "2000 Fold." The album's original 1998 edition used the shorter title "Back It Up."
- The video was part of the group's early push into wider music-video circulation. "Easy Back It Up" appeared in MTV's "120 Minutes" programming in August 1999.
- The track is built around a sample of Woody Herman's "Pontieo," with additional sampled material connected to A Tribe Called Quest's "Jazz (We've Got)" and Stanley Clarke's "Slow Dance."
- The repeated "back it up" vocal comes from Q-Tip's performance on A Tribe Called Quest's "Jazz (We've Got)," reinforcing the song's connection to the playful, sample-heavy side of early-1990s hip-hop.
- Contemporary coverage treated Styles Of Beyond as an emerging independent rap act rather than a major-label crossover project. In June 1999, "Easy Back It Up" was listed among the most-added rap records in the Gavin Report.
- The song helped establish the eccentric, genre-bending character of "2000 Fold," an album noted for combining rapid-fire verses, turntable work, humor, and unusual sample choices.