St. Louis rapper Mvstermind goes on a frantic adventure to reclaim his stolen possessions, in Dustie Carter's explosive promo for Square Up. 

After having his car unexpectedly repossessed, the artist goes on a frenzied chase through a series of different locations, in search of a unique, one-of-a-kind pair of sneakers. During the course of his journey, he encounters some of St. Louis’s most influential personalities – Mai Lee, Alonzo Townsend and Big Tone. 

Director Dustie Carter and DoP Mike Dalton have a real symbiosis that shines through every one of their collaborations, and this video is no different. Emulating a sense of nostalgia in the cinematography - whilst keeping things refreshing and contemporary - the colour palettes and textured overlays elevate the concept, helping it stand out from similar videos in the genre.

DUSTIE CARTER:

I found myself inspired by the true events of Mvstermind's struggles.

"When writing this music video for Mvstermind, as always, I let the music guide the story. This time, however, I found myself inspired by the true events of Mvsterminds's struggles. His story dealing with a car repossession the day of signing his shoe deal [with Dr. Scholl's] provided the jumping-off point. The song already had this tone of being down on your luck and overcoming those obstacles, so it naturally made sense to adopt that story and create this hectic adventure. 

"The character and set-pieces were crucial aspects of the video. I wanted to anchor our quirky characters in these gritty environments that felt unique and believable. Each set-piece provided its own challenges, all having their own specific tone and style. That's where the collaboration with DP Mike Dalton and set designer/wardrobe stylist Emily Pfeiffer elevated this project. We have collaborated on past projects and have developed a visual shorthand that makes the process easy. 

"Collaborating with Mvstermind has been something I've been wanting to make a reality for a while. It took the right song and concept to make it happen. The energy of Mvstermind along with the talented cast and crew truly made for an enjoyable and memorable experience and can be seen in every frame."