Featured Selection
Coast Contra
"DON’T WORRY"
This Music Video of the Week dives into the world of hip hop, driven by collective storytelling and grounded visual identity. Directed by Badr Ezzat, the video brings Coast Contra’s lyrical intensity into a cinematic space shaped by collaboration, place, and lived experience.
Below, Badr Ezzat shares with us about the making of the video — from assembling a 40-person team, to navigating the realities of scale, to anchoring key moments in locations layered with cultural history.
From the outset, this project was conceived as a collective endeavor rather than a singular vision — one shaped by many voices, experiences, and perspectives coming together around a shared narrative.
“Around 35-40 people have worked on the music video, behind the scenes and on screen. You would think that me as the director and writer have played a key role in this music video, but it really is every single person who contributed to the narrative of the project. I believe that every person played a significant key role from their own experience and expertise that made this project come to life, because it’s not a narrative I claim myself (it’s everyone’s who resonates with it).”
The collaboration began months before the cameras rolled, evolving through open dialogue, shared references, and mutual trust between artist and director.
“I got approached by Coast Contra around May with the question of possibly creating a music video together. From there on we went back and forth with ideas, concepts and eventually a final storyboard and narrative. We planned to do the shooting in my hometown Amsterdam (The Netherlands) after their tour in Germany. We had a first meet during the fitting day, the rest was history.”
Taking on full creative responsibility brought both growth and friction — a transition shaped by new challenges, unexpected setbacks, and the realities of larger-scale production.
“One of the challenges was the size of the production I get to conduct from start to end. I’ve always been an assistant, DP or AD on sets or helping out with BTS footage for sizes like this, so this really was a fun and amazing experience to adjust my skills and approach with. Another challenge was not everything and everyone has my best interest when it comes to opportunities. Had some disappointments along the way from friends that wanted to help but went ghost. But the project still was a success!”
When asked to identify a favorite sequence, the director points to a moment where technical execution and cultural context intersect.
“That’s a difficult question. One of the parts I really love is 0.35-1.02 with the suits. What makes it beautiful is because it’s a one-take shot from start to finish (the cut on the faces to a wide shot was from the same take). Another reason is the reveal of the location where this is set, which is Bijlmer Ganzenhoef, a location that has a heavy-loaded history that also reflects on this message of the song.”
We asked director Ezzat about their favourite moment. Rather than prescribing a single takeaway, the video leaves space for interpretation — inviting viewers to engage closely with both sound and image.
“There’s a lot going on in this video (in plain sight or hidden), so what I want the viewer to know is to just pay attention to what you see and hear. This way you’ll have a better understanding of the message of the song.”
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