Nipsey Hussle Heads to Miami for New Video [With XXcLusive Pics]

Last week Nipsey Hussle flew down to Miami to shoot a video for "Rap Music," a soulful standout from his 2009 mixtape Bullets Ain’t Got No Names Vol. 3. XXLMag.com was on hand to speak to the 2010 Freshman and the director to find out what fans can expect from the clip.

Video director Giancarlo Loffredo told XXL he was trying to capture a different side of Neighborhood Nip for the project. Telling the tale of how he came from bangin' in the streets of LA to land on the top of rap fans and critics' lists as the next to blow, Loffredo took advantage of MIA's luxurious backdrop to illustrate Nip's progression. '[Other videos] never portray him as an artist living a lavish lifestyle, they always put him in the streets," he said. "I wanted to craft him into an iconic figure and make it cinematic."

The daylong shoot took NH and crew—including singer and frequent collaborator, June Summers—from midtown club Electric Pickle, to a gritty motel room, to a South Beach mansion befitting of California's next big star.

According to the up-and-coming rapper, this new video is a fitting representation as to where he is now as an artist. "I feel like the the last time I spoke to my audience with a visual, it was true to where I was at at the time," he explained. "But since then I've made a lot of progress so it's only right to update the people that's following where I'm at visually and see where we are with it now. So i do feel like it's a step up. I feel like we get better every time."

The video for "Rap Music" is expected to debut shortly. —Raina McLeod

Peep exclusive photos from the video shoot below, courtesy of Anthony Anderson. Click on the images to enlarge.

Turn to the next page to see more exclusive photos.

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