NM Short: Lil Internet’s notes on BELLY (1998, dir. Hype Williams)

The first and only feature from famed music video director Hype Williams (Missy Elliot, “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly),” 1997; The Notorious B.I.G., “Mo Money Mo Problems,” 1997; TLC, “No Scrubs,” 1999), Belly is a ‘90s crime drama set in NYC starring Nas, DMX, Taral Hicks, Method Man, and T-Boz with cameos by Sean Paul, Method Man and others. Upon its release, the movie was widely panned and, due to its negative, violent depictions of young black men, the Magic Johnson Theater chain even refused to screen it. But 25 years later, Belly stands as a resonant distillation of its time, both stylistically and sociologically. New Models chose to screen Belly for the monthly NM x Trust Kino night in Berlin last week. And for this event, Lil Internet, a video director himself (Beyoncé, “No Angel,” 2013; Diplo, “Express Yourself,” 2012; Iggy Azalea, “Mo Bounce,” 2017), put together some contextualizing thoughts on Belly, which he read IRL before the screening. He has adapted his notes for this NM Short.  For more:Lil Internet's "DMX Prayer Monument Ambient Mix,” 2012 for Dazed Digital