SOUTH FLORIDA – Afro-futurist artist and director Gianni Lee brings dancehall into the following century with a innovative AI-assisted lyric video for GRAMMY®-winning, multi-platinum artist, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Skip Marley’s “Close (Remix featuring Ding Dong and Masicka), “ out now by way of Tuff Gong Worldwide/Def Jam Recordings. The model new visuals premiered at present on the Tuff Gong TV YouTube channel, taking viewers on a wild journey by way of a post-apocalyptic metropolis the place humanoid dance crews, footballers, and bikers rule the streets to the soundtrack of a Caribbean beat.
Visible Idea
“For the Skip Marley visible, I used AI in an deliberately creative approach—breaking down live-action footage, display screen grabs, and located video to create a mosaic of animated, shifting pictures,” revealed Lee in regards to the course of.
The Philly native, who has beforehand collaborated with main entities like Jordan Model, Adidas, and New York Metropolis Soccer Membership, went on so as to add, “the inspiration of the video was rooted in actual, tangible visuals that I shot or sourced, then processed frame-by-frame by way of superior AI prompts to construct one thing new but deeply related to the unique footage. It wasn’t about utilizing AI for the sake of development or comfort. Each shot was chosen with care, and the method was guided by a robust visible idea. I storyboarded the therapy like I’d any conventional movie, however as an alternative of stopping at uncooked footage, I layered it with creative manipulation. The objective was to maintain the viewer visually stimulated, whereas additionally creating one thing cohesive that spoke to the emotion of the music.”
Identified for his signature use of Afro-futurist symbolism and daring, post- apocalyptic imagery, Lee explores Black identification by way of a futuristic lens, crafting alternate realities that problem societal norms and elevate cultural narratives.
For the “Shut” remix, Lee defined, “this mission was about pushing what’s potential with new instruments whereas staying grounded in narrative and intention. I handled AI not simply as a generator, however as a collaborator—one which responds to imaginative and prescient, course, and element. The ultimate end result feels extra like a shifting portray than a standard video, and I feel it displays the soul and energy behind the observe.”
