Dave Meyers is the director behind some of Hiphop and R&B’s most prestigious music videos, from Little Simz to Kendrick. Throughout his career, he has created work with a cohesive visual language and become a seminal influence on several genres, to the point where someone else could film an identifiable video in his visual style.
With reference to his work on Shirt by SZA, Spin Bout You by Drake and Humble by Kendrick Lamar, Meyers’ foundation starts with a messy frame. There is a distortion that gives the video a psychedelic, drugged-out haze, which often feels relevant to the themes of the song and genre. This confident visual intensity contrasts the moments of order. Those periods become stronger through the context of the visual noise. Humble’s head-nodding scene would have meant less if it were within the context of other symmetrical and ordered shots. His frame is also tight, especially in the close-ups. These underscore personality and charisma, essential when the artist is performing lyrics. It allows Meyers to emphasise important moments with the emotional delivery of the artist.

The pace of Meyer’s style is unique. He barely allows enough time to establish the context of a narrative before flipping it on his head, trusting the viewer to be along for the journey. This style suits music videos in two ways. The pace reflects the speed of the narrative conveyed through the lyrics, matching its energy. On top of this, by not over-explaining, Meyers can tell a story while still prioritising the music’s aesthetics. This balance is part of what defines his style. 
Another interesting theme of Meyer’s style is violence and death. Although this feels as if it could be thematically relevant in certain tracks, he is teasing out the more aggressive physical sides of that violence through his storytelling. The violence is a striking choice that adds power to the lyrics. It also has a cartoonish gore across Shirts and Spin Bout You that gives the tracks a tongue-in-cheek energy.

Although there are funny moments in Humble, the violence doesn’t feel like a parody. This choice is because of the severity of those themes in the music. Turning violence to parody in that scenario would have undercut the potency of Kendrick’s portrayal of gang violence.
Dave Meyers is unquestionably an auteur in the field of music videos, leading the way with bold and accessible music videos to tracks. His input adds to their cultural significance by giving them a visual reference that deepens their narrative.

Kendrick Lamar’s song ‘humble’ is actually way deeper than you’d think (no date) Elite Daily. Available at: https://www.elitedaily.com/p/the-meaning-of-kendrick-lamars-humble-is-all-about-relationships-7934910 (Accessed: 22 October 2023). 

‘Defining music video’ (2017) Music Video after MTV, pp. 16–40. doi:10.4324/9781315617565-2. 

George Algar-Nicholas