Film Craft > Film Craft
DROGA5, New York / HENNESSY / 2015
Overview
Credits
BriefExplanation
This spot shows hip-hop legend Nas chasing his Wild Rabbit in the New York subway, on a dreamlike journey through four decades, from the early 1980s until today. We see Nas collecting stories and converting them into lyrics of one of his biggest hits ‘NY State of Mind’. The film is a monument to the artist’s 20-year career, as well as to his artistic process as a lyricist.
EntrySummary
Nas is an iconic American rapper and generally accepted as the genre's best lyricist of all time. His lyrics are part of the Hiphop Archive & Research Institute at Harvard University.
Execution
In attempting to recreate three decades of NYC history on a soundstage in Prague, a large supporting cast of characters was crucial. We cast in both London and Prague to find an authentic, diverse and engaging cast to represents the '80s, '90s, 2000s, and present day on the subway. We also wanted our cast to suggest important figures in Nas' life and career. In addition to actors, casting searched for real hip-hop artists, street performers, dancers, poets, musicians and graffiti artists.