You can tell by the random placement of “Getty Images” watermarks, and some rough patches that this is a premature leak, but good lord, it is a helluva good one. Kanye West’s latest LP, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, lends itself to vivid videos, and dramatic story lines. The album and it’s method of creation will be the stuff of myth in years to come. The song “Monster”, which features Rick Ross, Jay-Z, Bon Iver, and a scene stealing Nicki Minaj, is especially cinematic given its stellar lineup, haunting production, echoing reverb, and elements of folklore. Putting together a treatment for such a video can be a daunting task. Many roads present themselves, and with such a star-laden cast, there is a definite pressure to deliver.
Kanye West turned to director Jake Nava to helm “Monster”. Interestingly enough, it was Nava who also directed Beyonce’s video for “Single Ladies”, and we all know what happened with that… Sticking to the gruesome themes in the song, Nava constructs a Transylvania-esqe landscape. He sets the video inside of a gothic castle complete with dead models, Rick Ross with a butcher’s knife, undead models, and a lot more. Each artist is a character with their own room, own issues, and own monster-attributes. The video is excellent, and keeps the viewers attention throughout. That is no easy task given the length of the song, and our terribly short attention spans. See the video below (that is until it gets removed by someone at the label or in West’s camp).