The 8 Best Short Films Based On Rap Songs

A little over a week ago, the perpetually groundbreaking Jay Z released the music video for his recent Magna Carta … Holy Grail single "Picasso Baby." The video—which was shot in a famed art gallery in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood—was directed by Mark Romanek, and features Jay performing to a rotating crowd of artists, musicians and fans in an intimate setting. Jay and HBO, who premiered the video, would go on to call it a "performance art film."

While Jay's performance in a fine art gallery might've been a first for hip-hop, rappers are no strangers to releasing music videos and dubbing them short films. Just recently, rapper/comedian Childish Gambino released the trailer for his forthcoming short Clapping For The Wrong Reasons. In a look back at some of the best music video short films in recent memory, we compiled some our favorites from Kid Cudi, Rick Ross and Kanye West.

Jay Z - "Picasso Baby" (2013)
In this extravagant, ten-minute art film, Jay cycles through audiences of famous friends and renowned artists as he performs his hit song "Picasso Baby." Taraji P. Henson, Judd Apatow, Wale and Adam Driver make appearances.

Rick Ross - "Deeper Than Rap" (2009)
In anticipation of the release of his album Deeper Than Rap, Rick Ross teamed up with prolific music video director Rik Cordero for a short film that detailed the rise of a young drug dealer following in his big brother's footsteps. The project features songs from Ross' Deeper album, and was executive produced by Rozay.

Kanye West  - "We Were Once A Fairytale" (2009)
In an effort to promote his artsy and forlorn 808's & Heartbreak, Kanye teamed up with writer/director Spike Jonze for "We Were Once a Fairytale," a loose adaptation of 808's standout "See You In My Nightmares." In the film, Kanye makes a drunken fool of himself and confronts his inner demons.

T.I. - "Addresses" (2013)
For one of the more menacing tracks from his Trouble Man album, Tip collaborated with director Clifton Bell for a street crime-inspired short film titled "Addresses," which finds T.I. revisiting his violent past and plotting an elaborate revenge on his enemies.

Kid Cudi - "Maniac" (2011)
Kid Cudi has always been a dark artist, but on "Maniac," from his sophomore album MOTM 2, he and Cage went full-on horror movie for a track about being a violent loner. Fittingly, the cinematic song got the music video treatment with a spooky, Shia LaBeouf-directed short, which finds Cudi and Cage violently attacking passersby and committing crimes for sport.

Chance The Rapper - "Acid Rap Live" (2013)
Following up on the success of his stellar Acid Rap mixtape, Chance The Rapper visited his hometown of Chicago to perform at the Metro to his rabid fans. The short captures some of the best songs from his recent mixtape and plays to the crowd's exuberant reactions to seeing a local hero break through.

Alexander Spit - "A Breathtaking Trip To That Otherside" (2013)
Just days before the release of his A Breathtaking Trip To That Otherside album in January, Alexander Spit tapped the High5Collective to direct a trippy, experimental and visually stunning short film that features some of the tracks from the LP.

Travi$ Scott - "Upper Echelon" (2013)
In his directorial debut, the always-ambitious Travi$ Scott traveled to the enchanted forest alongside buddies 2 Chainz and T.I. for a strange, mythical rendition of his hit song "Upper Echelon." Dwarves and sexy women abound, and T. Scott flexes his chops as a director.