MakeADifference
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The making of a king

Morris

Mez

A journey to the past

King Mez (now known simply as Mez) came on the rap scene with a bang when he appeared on Dr. Dre’s long-awaited 2015 album, Compton. From there, the born-and-bred North Carolina kid blew up. “Morris” is Mez’s given name, and serves as the title for this autobiographical tale of growing up in Raleigh. Knowing a thing or two about the city ourselves, we were stoked, and uniquely qualified to help him tell it. 

The whole idea is about the pathway of life and which way you choose.

Kent Willard, Director

You never get the present back

Word is born, in Raleigh

Word is born, in Raleigh

We felt connected to Mez as a storyteller, and fellow Raleigh-ite. In fact, “Morris” was produced and led by two employees with a passion for hip-hop, and is the second video we’ve created with him. We wanted to make the audience feel something electric. The idea was to create a visual depth that matched the lyrical depth of Mez’s story. It’s all about texture, light, pacing, and the right locations. 

Mez's recent videos fit the mood he attempts to create, one where he cannot prove he’s the best rapper, but show he’s the one that’s impacting the most hearts.

David Turner, Pitchfork

Smooth moves

The camerawork in “Morris” was no small feat. There was some tricky maneuvering with a MoVi rig— like a shot that seamlessly took the camera through an open window and down the side of Raleigh’s historic Mecca Restaurant. It was an intensive shoot with 14-hours days and lots of planning, but it was well worth it.

North Carolina rapper King Mez captures a dark, thrilling day in his latest video.

The Fader

Give me the inspiration you had starting out

Credits

  • Production Company

    Myriad + Summit Collective

  • Directors

    Kent Willard + Scott Gaston

  • Producer

    Shawn Lamons

  • Director of Photography

    Kyle Messina

  • Assistant Director

    Brett Abramsky

  • Editor

    Kent Willard

  • Colorist

    Kyle Messina