JAY-Z has been churning out video after video for fans since the release of his critically acclaimed effort 4:44 in June. On Friday (Aug. 4), as the clock struck 4:44 p.m. ET, Hov unearthed another visual from his collection, this time for “Moonlight,” casting some of Hollywood’s rising stars for the music video.
The visual accompaniment for “Moonlight” is a tribute to ’90s sitcom Friends. The video begins with Chandler (played by Lakeith Stanfield) and Joey (played by Lil Rel Howery) in Monica’s infamous purple apartment. Jerrod Carmichael takes on the role of Ross as he urges Joey, Chandler and Rachel to get ready for a formal event. The Alan Yang-directed video cuts to the opening credits of Friends, replacing the original theme song “I’ll Be There for You” by The Rembrandts with Whodini’s 1984 single “Friends.” Yang even throws in a subtle Get Out reference when Chandler gives up his chair to Joey.
Tessa Howard and Tiffany Haddish later make an appearance in the music video, before the scene cuts and the cast takes a breather. When Carmichael walks over to ask Hannibal Buress his opinion on the Friends scene, Buress bluntly states that the depiction was “garbage.”
Issa Rae and Jerrod Carmichael escape from the sitcom set, as they walk through an empty studio. With JAY-Z’s “Moonlight” playing in the background, Carmichael branches off on his own and opens up a door that leads to a bench in a grassy field. There, he sits on the bench and gazes up at the moon shining down on him.
Check out a clip of the Friends-inspired video below. TIDAL subscribers can view the full “Moonlight” video over on TIDAL.
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