Aceyalone first emerged in the early 1990s as a founding member of the influential Los Angeles collective, Freestyle Fellowship. With groundbreaking releases like To Whom It May Concern and Innercity Griots, the group helped redefine the sound and spirit of West Coast hip hop. Aceyalone stood out as a sharp, conceptual lyricist, with a style that was both philosophical and forward-thinking.
In 1995, he launched his solo career with All Balls Don’t Bounce, followed by critically acclaimed projects like Accepted Eclectic and the masterful A Book of Human Language. These albums solidified his status as one of the most respected and versatile MCs of his generation.
March 2006: A Call from Decon Media
In early 2006, Decon Media reached out once again to Self-Hemployed, following our previous collaboration on Ludacris’s Red Light District documentary. This time, the mission was to source props and support for a new music video: Aceyalone’s “Highlights,” a standout track from his latest album Magnificent City, produced in collaboration with RJD2.
The vision? A gritty, underground-style video that tapped into the raw, organic energy of the cannabis culture. Our role: provide an authentic environment, complete with fully flowering plants, high-quality buds, a mix of cannabis strains, seeds, bongs, rolling papers, and of course—a laid-back vibe and a few friendly faces.
Setting the scene
Finding the right location in Amsterdam—at the right time, with plants at peak bloom—is always a challenge, but we pulled through. The grow room wasn’t on the same epic scale as the Ludacris shoot, but it had everything needed for a proper session and a visually rich video shoot.
There’s something uniquely satisfying about working in a grow space: the hum of fans, the scent of ripe cannabis, and the sight of healthy plants swaying gently in the breeze. It’s a reminder of the care, craft, and culture that surround the plant—and this shoot captured it all.
By the end of the day, we smelled like a harvest festival and had a wrap on another unforgettable project. The video for “Highlights” is a tribute not only to Aceyalone’s lyrical brilliance, but also to the underground cannabis culture that’s been quietly thriving and evolving alongside hip hop.
Watch the video and stream Magnificent City by Aceyalone & RJD2—available now on all platforms.
