APPLE x
BEATS BY DRE RIGAMAROLE
Client: Apple x Beats by Dre
Role: Director, Performer, Editor
Reach: 1M+ Streams
Type: Short Film / Branded Campaign
Outcome: Cultural storytelling through music and movement
Tasked with exploring Black resilience, I approached the project through a sci-fi horror lens to show the dual power of sound—its ability to brainwash or to nourish, especially for the youth. The song at its core began as anxiety, fueled by rage at the social injustices, mistreatment of mental health, and false media narratives surrounding me. That feeling became a song, and that song grew into a short story and ultimately a short film. Beats provided us with unreleased headphones and asked us to imagine a unique way to place their product, and I transformed them into symbolic artifacts—representing survival, influence, and transformation.
We filmed in Oklahoma on landscapes heavy with history: cow feeders, weathered tubs, and shacks likely tied to plantations. Alongside a set and prop designer, I embellished the headphones with moss to reflect the grit and beauty of the music industry. The film’s anthem, Rigamarole, echoed the frustration of a generation unwilling to tolerate systemic excuses any longer. The word itself means “meaningless statements or nonsensical talk,” and the chorus—No more rigamarole—voiced a collective refusal to walk on eggshells for broken systems. The process was both protest and healing, culminating in a film that resonated widely. The song went on to feature across Spotify and Apple playlists, surpassing one million streams and underscoring Beats’ commitment to amplifying art that challenges, heals, and reimagines resilience.
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