Shot in the beautiful and historic Bedford Stuyvesant neighbourhood of Brooklyn, Alex Maxwell translates the upbeat party r'n'b of Cody ChestnuTT's I've Been Life with this colourful, lively promo.

Employing the services of stilt-walking group Brooklyn Jumbies who dance along to the fast rhythm of the soundtrack, the video is a celebration of the culture within the African diaspora.

ALEX MAXWELL

"I'm always looking out for people and places to call upon for the right job. I saw the Brooklyn Jumbies at the West Indies parade, made a note and filed it. When I heard Cody's track he wanted us to work on, it was like - I know just who to hit up for this. 

"To capture an improvised and rebellious spirit we shot the street parade guerilla. With an Alexa out the back of an open top Jeep and another on steadicam at street level, we took over Fulton Street in Brooklyn. It was like releasing an uncontrollable force when those guys got out there. The Jumbies feed off the the spectacle to perform and do magnificent things. I remember Ali Sylvester running head on for an NYC bus, the shot is in the cut, but what you don't see is the cops on the street smiling away. The cops didn't know what to do about it except enjoy it like the rest of us.

"We worked with longtime Jumbies collaborator and artist Laura Anderson Barbata and incorporated some of her "Shaggy" dress she's designed for them. Her work is striking and provides such an allure against the urban backdrop. Bottom line is to live up to the energy of this track, the video had to be just as much fun to make as it is to watch. It had to culturally relevant too, and no place like Bed Stuy for that."