Nabil Elderkin facts for kids

Nabil Elderkin (born February 11, 1982) is a famous director and photographer who creates music videos and films. He is known for working with some of the biggest names in music, like Dua Lipa, Kanye West, and John Legend. He often goes by his first name, Nabil, in his work.

Nabil was born in Chicago, Illinois, but grew up in Australia. He now lives and works in Los Angeles, California.

Early Life and First Camera

Nabil was born in Chicago, Illinois, to an American father and an Iranian mother. When he was two years old, his family moved to Port Macquarie, a coastal town in New South Wales, Australia.

Growing up, Nabil loved sports, especially surfing. His interest in photography started by taking pictures of his friends surfing. This was his first experience capturing action and telling stories with a camera.

When he was 17, Nabil moved back to Chicago to live with his mother. He studied photography and began taking pictures at concerts and of local musicians.

A Career Takes Off

Nabil's career got a huge boost when he connected with a rising rap artist named Kanye West.

Meeting Kanye West

Nabil heard a mixtape by Kanye West and wanted to get in touch with him. He looked up the website kanyewest.com and found that it wasn't owned by anyone. On an impulse, Nabil bought the domain name.

A few weeks later, a record label called Roc-A-Fella Records contacted Nabil. They had just signed Kanye West and wanted to buy the website domain from him. Instead of asking for money, Nabil asked if he could meet Kanye and take his picture. The photos he took became Kanye's first official publicity pictures.

During that photoshoot, Nabil also met John Legend. This meeting led to a long friendship and many creative projects, including the music video where John Legend met his future wife, Chrissy Teigen.

Working with Superstars

Nabil's work quickly became popular. He has taken photos and directed videos for many famous artists, including Nicki Minaj, Frank Ocean, Bon Iver, and The Black Eyed Peas.

He has also worked with major companies and brands like Nike, Adidas, Coca-Cola, and Vans. His photos have been featured in magazines like Rolling Stone and Vogue.

In 2008, Nabil photographed Kanye West's "Glow in the Dark Tour" for the book Glow in the Dark.

Telling Stories Through Film

Besides music videos, Nabil also directs films. His first full-length movie was a documentary called Bouncing Cats. The film is about a workshop that teaches breakdancing to young people in Uganda.

In 2019, he directed his first narrative movie, Gully, which was shown at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Filmography

• 2010: Bouncing Cats
• 2015: Captureland
• 2019: Gully

Selected Videography

Nabil has directed dozens of music videos. Here are some of his well-known works:

• Arctic Monkeys – "Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?"
• Billie Eilish, ROSALÍA - "Lo Vas A Olvidar"
• Bon Iver – "Holocene"
• Bruno Mars – "Grenade"
• Dua Lipa – "Don't Start Now"
• Foals – "Mountain at My Gates"
• Frank Ocean – "Novacane"
• Frank Ocean – "Swim Good"
• GOOD Music – "Mercy"
• J. Cole - “Power Trip”
• James Blake featuring Travis Scott – "Mile High"
• John Legend – "All of Me"
• John Legend – "Love Me Now"
• Kanye West – "Welcome to Heartbreak"
• Kanye West featuring Mr Hudson – "Paranoid"
• Kendrick Lamar – "DNA."
• SZA featuring Travis Scott – "Love Galore"
• SZA – "Supermodel"
• Travis Scott – "YOSEMITE"
• The Weeknd – "Acquainted"

Awards