Interview by Bryant Bowens (@arete88)
Here at FSD, we strive to shed light on the people who make your favorite rapper a cult phenomenon. These are the people behind the scenes– video directors, DJs, and producers. The man behind the man, so to speak. This is the first installment of a new segment we’re dubbing, “Who Shot Ya?,” where we get the inside stories on the “unsung” heroes responsible for the new wave in Chicago.
First up is 20-year-old director Zae, from AZae Productions; who went from sitting in his mother’s living room infatuated with Drake’s “Successful” video, to working on the same tour as October’s Very Own. We caught up with young visionary to discuss his start behind the camera, his current job as Waka’s main camera man, and his take on local directors emulating his style. Get the yellow tape!
FSD: What’s your life been like these past couple of months?
Zae: Basically working and grinding. Trying to be the hardest working at what I do. I’m trying to find the best way to stand out and be different from everybody else — basically sleepless nights, man. I really do work until four in the morning.
FSD: For those reading about you for the first time, how did you enter the world of directing?
Zae: Basically playing around on the computer. All I used to do was watch videos on BET. and MTV. I just found it amazing on how they can put stuff together. I took it upon myself to play around and I rapped a Drake song because that’s when he started to pop off. I edited it with iMovie, and put it on Myspace, and it got like 10,000 views. One of my guys, Rello, asked me to shoot him a video. I shot it and put it on Facebook. People were rocking with it, at the time it was dope, but now we’re in the HD world. Once people started paying me to shoot videos, that’s when I took it serious.
FSD: You are partially responsible for the success of emerging artists like Chief Keef, Lil Durk, and Lil Reese through your videos. How much credit would you give yourself on breaking these artists to local celebrity status?
Zae: I mean, I would say a little on my part. I’m not going to take credit for what they do. Those guys work hard at what they do. Their videos are just natural — they are really just chilling on their block. It’s no Hollywood type stuff with them. No jewelry– just wearing what they have on. I think the visuals just sped up the process for them.
FSD: What was the video that put you over the edge as one of the leading directors in the city?
Zae: The King Louie “My Niggas (Remix).” The one he had the line: “Roll up the dope/Where the bitches at?” That was like a popular line in the song. By me doing the video, it drew attention to me. That was the first video that I did with him. That was the time before the Chief Keef’s and Lil Reese’s of the world. He was popping by himself. Everybody started asking “Who did that video?”
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I’m not tryin to hate on dude, but everyone now a days think they can film. Just bc pple go pick up a canon 7d and shoot, everyone think they can be a director. I guarantee if you ask any wannabe “director” in the city about their composition of shots and/or frame rate, iso, lighting etc, none of these dudes would have a clue.