99 Problems - Music Video

Music Video

The music video premiered in April 2004 and was directed by Mark Romanek. It received praises from critics such as Armond White, and was nominated for four MVPA awards in 2005, of which it won three. It also won the MTV Video Music Awards for Best Rap Video, Best Director, Best Editing and Best Cinematography, as well as gaining nominations for Video of the Year and Best Male Video. It was criticized, however, by the Humane Society of the United States for scenes in the video that glorified dog fighting.

The video is shot entirely black-and-white. It consists mainly of scenes filmed in Brooklyn, New York. These include:

• Jay-Z and Rubin in a Lexus GS300 being stopped by the police (lyrical reenactment).
• Jay-Z in the Marcy Houses housing project where he grew up.
• Breakdancers and a group doing a rhythm choreography.
• Jay-Z performing in a small club.
• Jay-Z on the Brooklyn Bridge.
• A woman putting on makeup.
• Inmates of a prison in the Bronx.
• Rick Rubin walking with Vincent Gallo.
• A funeral director making preparations.
• A rabbi praying.
• A dogfight with many spectators, and the owners of the dogs taunting them in preparation of the fight.
• Members of Alpha Phi Alpha performing a complex Stepping routine.
• Jay-Z's lawyer, facilitating bail then reacting to news of his death.
• An African-American motorcycle club performing street stunts.
• Jay-Z being shot with multiple bullets by unseen assailants. This final scene was very controversial as music video networks normally remove any scenes with violent content. On MTV, every airing of the video featured an introduction by John Norris explaining why the network felt it was proper to air the video unedited. The introduction also featured Jay-Z explaining why he felt the scene was important to the video. Jay-Z also made a special introduction for BET. Jay-Z explained that the depiction of a shooting is analogous to the "death" of Jay-Z, and the "rebirth" of Shawn Carter.