Hype Williams facts for kids

Harold "Hype" Williams, born on August 1, 1970, is a famous American director. He is known for directing many music videos and films. He also works as a film producer and screenwriter.

Early Life and Creative Beginnings

Hype Williams grew up in Queens, a borough of New York City. His family background includes both African-American and Honduran heritage. He went to Adelphi University for his education.

Before becoming a director, Hype Williams showed his artistic talent through graffiti. He would "tag" or draw his name, "HYPE," on billboards, storefronts, and playgrounds. His graffiti style was inspired by well-known artists like Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat.

His big chance came when he started working with Classic Concepts Video Productions. Lionel "Vid Kid" Martin and VJ Ralph McDaniels helped Williams get his first opportunity. They created a video company called Filmmakers With Attitude (FWA), which was Williams' first step into directing.

Hype Williams' Career Highlights

Award-Winning Music Videos

Hype Williams has won many awards for his amazing music videos. In 1996, he received the Billboard Music Video Award for Best Director of the Year. He also won the Jackson Limo Award for Best Rap Video that year for Busta Rhymes' song "Woo Hah!! Got You All in Check".

Other awards include the NAACP Image Award in 1997. He also won the 8th annual Music Video Production Association Award for Black Music Achievement in 1997. In 1998, he earned an MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video for Will Smith's hit song "Gettin' Jiggy wit It".

In 1999, Williams won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Group Video for TLC's popular song "No Scrubs". Later, in 2006, he received the BET Award for Best Director for Kanye West's song "Gold Digger". That same year, MTV honored him with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. This special award celebrates his great achievements as a filmmaker.

Hype Williams continued to direct many popular music videos. In 2008, he directed Kanye West's video for "Heartless". He also directed the music video for West's song "All of the Lights", which came out in February 2011.

As of 2014, Kanye West has worked with Hype Williams more than any other artist. They have teamed up on 20 music videos, starting in 2005 with "Diamonds from Sierra Leone". Busta Rhymes is second, having collaborated with Williams on 16 music videos. Their first collaboration was for "Everything Remains Raw" / "Woo Hah!! Got You All in Check".

Feature Films and Short Films

In 1998, Hype Williams directed his first full-length movie, Belly. This film starred rappers Nas and DMX. It was released by Artisan Entertainment.

After that, in 1999, Williams signed a deal with New Line Cinema. This deal allowed him to produce and direct more feature films. His first project with New Line, called Mothership, did not end up being made. Later that year, Williams also talked with MTV about creating an animated TV series. This show would have given a behind-the-scenes look at the music and celebrity world, but it also did not get made.

In 2000, Warner Bros. hired Williams to direct the film Speed Racer. He left the project the next year. The movie was later released in 2008, directed by The Wachowskis.

In 2010, Hype Williams worked as the writer for the short film Runaway. This short film was directed by Kanye West.

Videography

See also

In Spanish: Hype Williams para niños