Phase One Night Affair Premiere Video Square
Spend enough time chasing hip-hop in New York City and it's a guarantee you'll run into Phase One. The Bronx-based MC has been releasing quality music for years, as well as becoming the leader of The Lesson, a weekly Lower East Side jam session that's now something of a legend amongst big apple heads. Over the course of a career that's seen him share stages with Slum Village, Rapper Big Pooh, Talib Kweli and many more, Phase has always striven to keep his thought-provoking messages front and center; the MC's hip-hop knowledge is nigh-encyclopedic, and he often loads his raps with ingenious nods to the greats that we all admire.
And now, Phase One has returned with a brand new video for his Asa Buchanon-produced single cut "Night Affair." Shot in a dangerous warehouse with a cast full of shady characters, the clip highlights Phase as a hero, defiantly rhyming his heart out even as enemies close in. Buchanon himself co-stars in the clip (that's him with the torch), and near its close we see the two confidants make a getaway, presumably after whooping their attackers just off screen. It's a captivating music video (all credit to director Azzie Scott), and perfectly elides with the moody, back alley vibe of the track's production. The beat on "Night Affair" was born out of a lengthy project for Buchanon, who has been experimenting with the power of punchy, 1 bar tracks lately. "I sent it to Phase, he heard it, and was instantly drawn to it," Buchanon told Okayplayer. "It's kind of quirky, unorthodox, and weird. But that's pretty much what my sound has been since day one, anyway."
That unorthodox sound suits Phase One bespoke, just as it did on their previous cut "FootN'Good") and he and Buchanon have made entire records together in the past under the name Bugnanas. Rumor has it we're due for another Bugnanas LP later this year (stay tuned), but today Okayplayer is very proud to premiere the brand new visual for "Night Affair." Watch the clip below, make plans to stop by The Lesson, and stay tuned for much more fire from Phase One.
