Busta Rhymes - Make It Clap ft. Spliff Starr

2002

Busta Rhymes - Make It Clap ft. Spliff Starr (2002) Director: Chris Robinson (co-directed with Busta Rhymes) Era: Early 2000s Hip-Hop Visual Era (2002) - Peak MTV/BET rotation period defined by high-energy club aesthetics, dancehall crossover, and rapid-cut performance videos coinciding with hip-hop's commercial zenith. High curatorial value as the original, non-remix version of a significant 2002 hip-hop single, co-directed by the artist himself alongside an era-defining hip-hop video director. Provides a direct visual counterpoint to the commercially dominant Sean Paul remix, preserving the raw club-performance aesthetic of the Spliff Starr-only version. Featured in MTV Greatest Video Stars (2003), confirming contemporary cultural recognition. Context: Released in late 2002 as the lead single from Busta Rhymes' sixth album It Ain't Safe No More…, 'Make It Clap' ft. Spliff Starr represents the original version of what became a dancehall-rap crossover hit. The video embodies early-2000s hip-hop club video conventions, rapid editing, warm nightclub lighting, high saturation, during a period when MTV and BET video rotation was the primary promotional vehicle for rap music. The Flipmode Squad collective identity is foregrounded through matching costuming. The track and video predate the more commercially successful Sean Paul remix, situating this version as the raw, street-facing introduction to the single cycle. Director notes: The original 'Make It Clap' (ft. Spliff Starr) was co-directed by Chris Robinson and Busta Rhymes, per IMDb (tt7597728), with a release date of November 2002. This is distinct from the remix version (ft. Sean Paul & Spliff Starr, directed solely by Erik White, also November/December 2002). The original video is set primarily in a club environment featuring performance footage. The video was later featured in MTV Greatest Video Stars (2003). Robinson and Busta Rhymes maintained a recurring collaborative relationship throughout the early 2000s, consistent with Robinson's documented repeat partnerships with the artist.