Des Gray has come a long way.
The director is currently responsible for YouTube’s No. 1 trending video with Sexyy Red‘s “Get It Sexyy” and the music video topping Billboard No. 1 R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay Chart with Muni Long‘s “Made For Me.”
Recently, Gray stopped by rolling out to discuss the two viral videos.
What was the vision for “Get It Sexyy” and how did it come to life?
I had six days to do all of this … We didn’t have that much time. I started doing research … I brought the right team on board, and then I dove into writing the treatment.
I was like, “If I’m going to do something early 2000s, and it’s never been done like this before. I have to make sure it’s done right.”
So, I started doing research on other videos that were shot in early 2000s. I started doing research on movies that were shot in early 2000s. Then I was like, “What do I want to see? How can I make this go?” Then Sexyy was like, “I want to do a skating rink. I want this to feel like a movie, Des.” If you know one thing about me, I’m a storyteller. So it’s like, “Oh. You want a movie? OK, I’m going to give you a movie.” I’m going to give her a movie, but how can I give her this movie and make this movie be No. 1? When I started finding out the cameos we had in the music video, I was like, “You know what? Let me create these scenes. This is timeless, that’s timeless.” So, every scene can have its moment. Because if she’s having a moment with Soulja Boy, let me have Soulja Boy pass her the throne, which are the glasses.
That’s how it all came about.
I was just so amazed by me and my team.
On Thursday, I got off the phone [call about the video]. Literally, I had eight hours to put the treatment together. The same night, I received an air flight information, and I had to be in L.A. the next day.
While I was on a plane, I was putting the whole production together with my team. We shot in L.A., Miami and everything in like three days; we did three days of shooting. While we shot it, I had to bring my whole team I had with my DIT on set because we had to be editing everything as we go. So literally, we did everything in six days.
What comes to your mind being No. 1 right now…?
I’ve been through so much in my life. One of the things I always did is just be good. I’ve always been so good to people, no matter how bad life was to me… because I always know where I come from [Haiti]. Knowing where I come from, I’m just like, “Wow. I can’t believe the mindset I had brought me here to No. 1.” One of the things I never did was give up on myself. I always felt like if I give up on myself, what do I have left?
Even as a kid, I never went to school. I didn’t go to school until I moved to America, so a lot of things I never done until I moved to America. Then, kids used to bully me in school because I couldn’t speak English. I just always knew I was destined to be great because I never folded.
Even as a kid in Haiti, kids used to make fun of me for having no parents and I’ve just been bullied my entire life. Even stepping into this industry, a lot of people doubted me and said I needed to stick to producing and other directors told me I wasn’t good at what I do, but I never listened to those things because I know my mission in life is to tell my story.
