LL COOL J — Big Ole Butt

JUL 01 1989 · 12:00

LL COOL J — Big Ole Butt (1989) Director: Paris Barclay Era: Golden Age of Def Jam Hip-Hop (1989) - Late-Reagan/Bush-era rap crossover moment when Def Jam acts bridged street credibility with mainstream pop accessibility on MTV High curatorial value as a confirmed Paris Barclay-directed artifact from his foundational LL Cool J collaboration — one of eight videos that collectively shaped the visual language of hip-hop on MTV. The video's confirmed 1989 date, director attribution, and measurable fast-cut production style make it a reliable primary source for research into late-80s hip-hop video aesthetics, Def Jam's visual culture, and the early career of a director who would become one of American television's most decorated figures. Context: Released in the summer of 1989 on Def Jam Recordings, 'Big Ole Butt' arrived during a pivotal crossover moment in hip-hop history when artists like LL Cool J were actively navigating the tension between street authenticity and mainstream pop appeal. The track's light, comedic tone — a multi-vignette story of romantic entanglements — reflected a strand of late-80s rap that prioritized humor and accessibility, distinguishing it from the harder edges of concurrent N.W.A and Public Enemy releases. Directed by Paris Barclay, who was among the first directors to bring a cinematic, theatrically structured sensibility to the hip-hop music video format, the clip represents an early model of the narrative rap video that would define early-90s MTV Yo! Raps programming. The warm, tungsten-lit visual palette and fast comedic intercutting align with the aesthetic norms of 1989 Def Jam video production. Director notes: Confirmed directed by Paris Barclay per IMDb (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9600198/). This video is part of a documented series of eight music videos Barclay directed for LL Cool J during the late 1980s and early 1990s, produced through his company Black & White Television. The 1989 release date is confirmed: it is a video for the third single from LL Cool J's third album 'Walking with a Panther,' released by Def Jam Recordings. The track was produced by Dwayne Simon and LL Cool J and contains a sample of 'Ride Sally Ride' by Dennis Coffey. The video's fast editing pace (101 scene changes, 2.39s avg shot length) is consistent with Barclay's kinetically cut, comedically staged hip-hop video style that he developed across the LL Cool J catalog. In 2012, Barclay reunited with LL Cool J to direct the video for 'Take It.'