Nappy Roots - Po' Folks (w⧸ Anthony Hamilton)

2002

Nappy Roots - Po' Folks (w⧸ Anthony Hamilton) (2002) Director: Rich Newey Era: Early 2000s Southern Hip-Hop Renaissance (2001–2003) - Peak of alternative Southern rap's major-label breakthrough, blending rural Americana, soul, and hip-hop into a commercially and critically significant moment in Black Southern identity. Exceptionally high. This video is a primary document of the alternative Southern rap movement at its commercial and artistic peak, and a technically innovative work that pioneered documentary-style music video production. Its multi-stock film grammar, community-embedded shooting approach, and authentic rural Southern setting make it a rare artifact that bridges musicology, visual anthropology, and regional cultural studies. Its Grammy recognition further cements its canonical status. Context: Released in 2002, 'Po' Folks' arrived during the Southern hip-hop movement's ascendance into mainstream American culture. The video's documentary visual language, shot in a real rural Kentucky community, offered an authentic counter-narrative to the glamorized rap video aesthetic dominant at the time. The song's Grammy nominations for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration and Best Long Form Music Video signal its critical recognition as both a musical and visual artifact. Anthony Hamilton's soulful vocals bridged hip-hop and Southern soul traditions, broadening the track's cross-genre appeal. The video's celebration of working-class rural Black Southern identity resonated broadly in a post-9/11 America grappling with questions of values and community. Director notes: "Po' Folks" was Rich Newey's first major-label music video, directed while at production company Uncle. Newey has stated it was shot in a Kentucky town with a population just over 200, using a documentary approach including sync-sound interviews. The production employed 12 different film stocks and four cameras, including a hand-cranked Bolex. Techniques included baking film, cross-processing, and use of old color-shifted stocks to achieve a naturally organic aesthetic. Newey has noted this documentary-style approach was unconventional at the time and that he observed a subsequent rise in similar docu-style videos following its release.