With 700 million views and climbing, a Grammy, an MTV Video Music Award, and a Cannes Lion, director Calmatic’s video for Lil Nas X’s 2019 chart-topper, “Old Town Road,” was a landmark in music videos. Its striking visuals and storyline capture the song’s mash-up of country and rap to perfection. Calmatic, born and raised in South Los Angeles, attributes this rhythmic approach to filmmaking to his early efforts in hip-hop production. He’d already grabbed attention and praise the previous year with his “Bubblin” video for Anderson .Paak, which featured zebras, chandeliers, and a murderous ATM. Many other artists have come knocking, including Tyler, Kendrick Lamar, Khalid, Childish Gambino, Pharrell Wiliams, Jay Z, and, in particular, Vince Staples. He’s also transitioned into commercials (directing spots for Target, Apple, Sprite, Uber, Chase, and TurboTax—which premiered at the 2020 Super Bowl), and film (for his first project, he took the helm of Lebron James’s “House Party” remake).
