By Rob Markman
When it comes to directing videos Tyler, the Creator gets busy. The Odd Future de facto leader takes just as much pride he is visuals as he does in his beats and rhymes, sometimes more. Wolf Haley has a number of eye-popping vids, including his 2011 VMA-winning “Yonkers;” he recently added the spectacular “Sam is Dead” to his filmography. It’s easily his most cinematic video to date.
"Yeah, that was the goal," Tyler said before saluting director Quentin Tarantino. "Tarantino's the man. I want to score movies and sh--. That was my chance to start so that the next sh-- will be longer, maybe."
The video for the Tyler and Domo Genesis track, which appears on The OF Tape Vol. 2, starts off with a jungle war scene, reminiscent of Oliver Stone's 1986 masterpiece "Platoon."
Since it was released at the end of June, "Sam Is Dead" has earned more than 1.7 million YouTube views and a thumbs-up tweet from Kanye West. Tyler plays a prisoner of war who is captured, integrated and then murdered by a war lord, whom he also plays in a dual role. The beautifully shot video does more than bring the song to life; it stands as a testament to Tyler's growth as a director, even if he is nonchalant about it all.
"It was just like, 'I'm gonna do a video for this, come up with some random sh--, f---in' do it and then edit the sh--,' " he said in an irreverent attempt to explain his creative process.
As great as "Sam Is Dead" is, it isn't Wolf Haley's favorite — though it comes close. "No, my favorite video is 'She.' This is probably my second favorite," he said. "It's between 'Sam Is Dead' and 'Rella,' I dunno."
What's your favorite Tyler, the Creator video? Let us Know in the comments!
