Kenya Barris’ Khalabo Ink Society and Cole Bennett’s Lyrical Lemonade are collaborating on a new documentary exploring the life and career of Chicago rapper Chief Keef. Directed by Bennett and produced by Barris alongside Khalabo’s Jeremy Allen, the film will chronicle Chief Keef’s meteoric rise, his 10-year political exile from Chicago, and his recent return to the city.
The documentary will highlight Chief Keef’s pivotal role in creating Drill Rap, a genre that revolutionized hip-hop and left a lasting impact on both the music industry and Chicago’s cultural landscape. Viewers will also get a glimpse into Chicago’s segregated neighborhoods and gang violence, providing context for Keef’s journey. The film will delve into how Keef became both a voice for the city’s marginalized youth and a scapegoat for political figures looking to address gang violence.
Widely regarded as the “King of Drill Music,” Chief Keef was more than a rapper to his community—he was a symbol of hope for young people in underserved areas. As he developed a new sound that captured the raw realities of life in Chicago, he gave a voice to their shared struggles. However, for local politicians, Keef’s music made him a convenient target for controversy.
Cole Bennett, founder of Lyrical Lemonade, brings his unique vision to the project. Known for his innovative music videos, Bennett has worked with artists like Juice WRLD, Eminem, and Post Malone. His blend of bold visuals and cutting-edge techniques has made Lyrical Lemonade a powerhouse in the hip-hop world.
In addition to Barris and Allen, the film’s executive producers include Jake Millan, Krista Worby, Emile Geneve, and Idris Dykes.
Chief Keef is a Chicago legend, and a hip hop legend. He pioneered a sound that’s still being used and expanded upon today. Keef’s legacy has also been defined by his legal troubles, and the various beefs he’s had with other artists. Both of these aspects will serve as the basis for the upcoming documentary about his life. Variety confirmed that a Chief Keef documentary is in the works, and Lyrical Lemonade’s Cole Bennett will serve as the director. It will mark Bennett’s feature directorial debut.
The documentary has yet to receive a proper title. That said, Variety provided some crucial details about the film and what fans can expect. It will chronicle Chief Keef’s meteoric rise to fame in the late aughts. The influence that the rapper had on Chicago’s drill scene will be explored and his impact on music as a whole will be fleshed out. The doc will utilize the framework of Chief Keef’s recent return to Chicago. This is following a decade plus of being banned from performing in the city. Keef’s set at the Summer Smash Festival marked his first show in the Windy City since Lollapalooza in 2012.
The timing of the documentary makes perfect sense. Chief Keef reputation and career were in the wild for most of the 2010s. It was unclear if the rapper would ever get a chance to reclaim his spot as a music pioneer. Fortunately, the acclaim given to his recent releases, and his Summer Smash stint, have signaled a change. Chief Keef talked about said his outsized influence during a May interview with the Grammy Awards. “If I had 500 M’s every time [I heard that], I’d be Jeff Bezos,” he quipped. “I be hearing that a lot, though, man… We know. I used to get mad about it, but I don’t give a f*ck.”
The documentary will also provide a major turning point for Cole Bennett. The Lyrical Lemonade creative has been one of the most in-demand music video directors of the last decade. He’s thrilled to be making the transition to narrative films, however. He retweeted the Variety article announcing the documentary, and wrote: “My first film, Chief Keef documentary.” A release date has yet to be announced. The untitled doc will be produced by Kenya Barris, as well as Lyrical Lemonade’s Jake Millan and Krista Worby.
Chicago-based visionary Cole Bennett started out shooting for up-and-coming teens and twenty-something blog favorites, but in the past five years, he has become one of rap’s foremost music video directors, working with top names like Eminem, J. Cole, Lil Durk, and more. He’s even shot for actor Jack Black, delivering a colorful video for Black’s Super Mario Bros. Movie crowd-pleaser, “Peaches.”
“I was a very visual person, but I never knew that I loved music videos,” Bennett said in a 2021 XXL interview. “I always had this idea since I was super young of what it would look like if I made a music video.” For nearly a decade, Bennett has been bringing these ideas to life to the praise of the artists he works with and his growing fan base.
With that being said, we decided to scour Bennett’s Lyrical Lemonade page for his best work. Here are the 10 best Cole Bennett-directed music videos.
Honorable Mention: JID & J. Cole — “Off Deez”
Okay, it’s a pretty basic concept with workmanlike execution, but it might be the best song Bennett’s ever done a video for. JID and J. Cole are left turns for Cole Bennett, if you take in the entirety of his filmography, so it was pretty meaningful that the Dreamville cohorts teamed up with him on this standout from JID’s DiCaprio 2. It’d be nice to see them do it again.
10. Ski Mask The Slump God — “Catch Me Outside”
An early standout from both Bennett and Ski Mask The Slump God, “Catch Me Outside” perfectly illustrates the possibilities of a limited budget when you’ve got unlimited imagination. Awash with eye-popping visual effects, “Catch Me Outside” offers a prime example of Cole’s early style; it’s raw, but flashes of his future brilliance shine throughout. Many of the techniques Bennett used here eventually became hallmarks of his style, and with polish, set off the concepts of his future videos with Cordae and Eminem.
9. Central Cee — “Doja”
As “Doja” is one of Bennett’s more recent videos, its simplicity might seem out of place in a list featuring so many brain-bending, colorful visuals. But it also marks Bennett’s transition from colorful collaborator to kingmaker; Central Cee is a star stateside after working with Bennett, making the most of essentially an indie budget to secure the coveted director’s services and show he belongs on the biggest stage.
8. Jack Harlow — “What’s Poppin”
While the visuals are pretty tame for a Cole Bennett production, Harlow’s “What’s Poppin” video is still representative of the elements that have made Bennett’s videos so eye-catching and amusing. Even the low-key imagery mirrors Jack’s tongue-in-cheek humor, highlighting and elevating it with some juxtaposed elements as bottle service and satin sheets at a late-night diner and a woman “smoking” a french fry like a cigarette. It’s also impossible to discount what the video did for Harlow’s career, taking him from an indie unknown to a potential chart-topper with 170 million views.
7. Drake — “Another Late Night” Feat. Lil Yachty
Say what you want about Drake, but “Another Late Night,” at least visually, has been the height of his last couple of rough years. Drake and Yachty have great chemistry, and despite the relatively straightforward treatment, the video manages to be eye-catching and stand out from the rest of Drake’s admittedly wonky catalog.
6. Lil Durk — “Kanye Krazy”
Bennett’s referential style comes to a head in Durk’s “Kanye Krazy” video. Pulling from infamous clips from the titular auteur’s oeuvre and public outbursts, Durk reimagines the videos for “Runaway,” “Bound 2,” and “I Love It” — specifically, the moments in which Kanye’s mental illness seems to have gotten the better of him, for better or worse. This was just after Drake’s “Laugh Now Cry Later” had put Durk back on the national map, so to speak, so the cheeky visuals helped aid in lending mainstream audiences a better sense of Durk’s personality outside his harrowing drill stories.
5. BabyTron — “100 Bars”
BabyTron, like Central Cee’s “Doja,” is a more recent addition to Bennett’s filmography, albeit one with a much higher concept. It’s executed deliriously well, with a new BabyTron outfit/persona for each of the titular “100 Bars” and seamless transitions between each. It’s a format that Bennett would return to with Eminem’s “Tobey,” but it’s impressive that the Detroit and Chicago natives were able to make this work without the benefit of a huge star (and the accompanying budget). BabyTron, for all the lethargy of his flow on the song, also appears to be having a ball, as does comedian Andy Milonakis in his cameo role.
4. Eminem — “Godzilla”
“Godzilla” is the moment Cole Bennett “made it,” in the sense that he began working with established megastars like Eminem in addition to the SoundCloud standouts in his own DIY cohort. Fittingly, the increased budget came along with some stunning visual effects to spice up the flow of the video’s narrative while enhancing Bennett’s trademark surrealism. Em gets punched in the face by Mike Tyson, breathes fire, vomits Legos, and performs surgery alongside longtime collaborator Dr. Dre. And speaking of collaborators, “Godzilla” is a hallmark moment for Marshall too; it’s the first time he really embraced the SoundCloud rappers he’d formerly spent huge segments of his albums belittling.
3. Polo G — “My All”
Of all Cole Bennett’s most frequent collaborators, he most frequently turns in his best work with hometown artists like Juice WRLD and Polo G. In the video for “My All,” the Chi-Town natives tone down the usual comedic elements of Cole’s catalog in favor of something more emotionally resonant. It looks simple, but it’s not; a seated Polo performs the lyrics as a montage of memories both celebratory and traumatic, scroll behind him. The fourth wall break at the end is a fun surprise.
2. Cordae & Juice WRLD — “Doomsday”
My personal favorite out of the videos presented here, “Doomsday” takes a simple concept and adds stupendous visual flair with the aid of facial overlay technology. This is how you pay homage to departed artists; Cordae puts on a clinic as both himself and his late friend Juice WRLD, while Cole puts deepfake algos to an actual artistic use that doesn’t require stealing the work of real artists.
1. Juice WRLD — “Lucid Dreams”
The video that put Bennett on my personal radar, “Lucid Dreams” is far from his most stunning. But it’s hard to argue with a billion views; “Lucid Dreams” is the song that made Juice a star, it’s still his biggest song to date, and the video displays Cole’s gift for dreamlike visuals, which also fits the theme of the song.
Eminem and Cole Bennett’s productive working relationship continues to bear fruit, four months after the release of their latest video, “Doomsday 2.” They return to the drawing board for a new concept for the “Tobey” video, reminiscent of featured rapper BabyTron‘s “100 Bars.” Just like in that video, Bennett produces duplicates of Eminem, BabyTron, and Big Sean that each rap a line from their respective verses while they scroll through various tableaus, from a busy packing plant to the bloody, brutal murder scene from the teaser Em shared ahead of the single’s release.
“Tobey” will presumably appear on Em’s upcoming album, The Death Of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce). First announced in April after a “shady” pump fake for April Fools’ Day, Eminem’s twelfth studio album seems to be a return to form after the more political leanings of prior recent projects like Kamikaze and Revival. At the very least, it teases a return to the tongue-in-cheek, comedic material he created early in his career, judging by the video and lyrical content of lead single “Houdini.” Even so, he still finds time on “Tobey” to do a little more Music To Be Murdered By-style grousing about his placement on a recent “best rappers” list.
Watch Eminem’s “Tobey” video featuring Big Sean and BabyTron above.
On January 26, Cole Bennett shepherded All Is Yellow, his first-ever Lyrical Lemonade compilation album, into the world. Bennett promised a video would accompany each of the album’s 14 tracks, and the prolific director is keeping his word by slowly releasing them from the vault, including “Fly Away” in February and “Doomsday 2” earlier this month. On Wednesday, March 20, the Bennett-directed video for “First Night” with Teezo Touchdown, Juicy J, Cochise, Denzel Curry, and Lil B arrived.
As has become customary with Lyrical Lemonade videos, the “First Night” video begins with an all-yellow curtain as the backdrop. A stretched-out Teezo sits in front of it — with six legs sprawled in front of him — as he sings, “Come and let me teach you how to sing / Oh, you didn’t know that I could sing? Oh, girl, you know that I can sing The whole world know that I can sing.” Teezo ends the first verse with a request: “Somebody help me sing about me.”
That cues a trap beat to drop and Juicy J to emerge from behind a yellow curtain. Similarly to Teezo, Juicy J has cartoonishly humongous hands. Eventually, Cochise and Curry join Juicy J in the empty movie theater — spitting shameless, whiplash-inducing bars about no-strings sex and money.
In the serene outro, Lil B plays devil’s advocate: You know, one-night stands are alright / But love is the greatest / Having sex on the first night is cool / But we could wait / It’s so much love in this world / Take your time, ask questions first, let’s talk / It’s so much respect in the air / Don’t worry about it / But you could f*ck, too, if you want / But don’t feel like you got to.”
Lil B disappears behind the yellow curtain as Teezo Touchdown restarts his intro.
In the video for Eminem’s “Doomsday 2,” Bennett even goes so far as to revisit the office building set from the first “Doomsday” video with Cordae and Juice WRLD. This time, though, the lyrical destruction has the office hallway in an even worse state than before, with ceiling panels falling out, exposed wires sparking, and bodies littering the walkway.
In addition to Eminem’s percussive performance, the video also features cameos from many of All Is Yellow‘s other stars, including Babytron, Big Sean, Cordae, Denzel Curry, JID, and Teezo Touchdown — all of whom you could argue take massive influence from Eminem as an artist. Even Swae Lee shows up.
A lot of jokes have been made about Eminem falling off in recent years, but if the “Doomsday 2” is anything to judge by, it looks like his respect among the younger generation is just as high as it’s ever been.
You can watch the “Doomsday 2” video above and check out All Is Yellow, out now via Def Jam, here.
Cole Bennett continues to make good on his promise to drop a video for every song on the Lyrical Lemonade compilation album, All Is Yellow. Today (February 22), the prolific video director has shared the video for the album’s opening track, “Fly Away,” which features Sheck Wes, Ski Mask The Slump God, and JID.
In the song’s accompanying video, Ski Mask emerges from Lyrical Lemonade’s signature yellow curtain, sitting upon a yellow throne as he delivers his scorching verse.
The video then cuts to JID, who shines bright in a dark room, putting his lyrical ability and his star power on full display. The rappers are all seen in black suits and yellow ties throughout the visual.
In an interview with Paste, Bennett shared that for the All Is Yellow album, he wanted to tie the videos together using the yellow curtains and accessories.
“It’s gotten to the point where the audience’s eye has now been trained to see a black suit and a yellow tie, without any context beyond that, and know exactly what it means,” said Bennett. “And that’s super exciting to me, to be able to drive home a theme that far.”
Cole Bennett, the visionary behind Lyrical Lemonade, has become a household name in the music industry. Known for his innovative music videos and entrepreneurial spirit, Bennett has amassed considerable wealth over the years. As of 2024, his estimated net worth stands at a staggering $39 million, according to CAKnowledge. Let’s delve into the journey of this creative powerhouse and explore the ventures that have contributed to his impressive financial success.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 15: Cole Bennett of Lyrical Lemonade performs onstage during day 2 of the Rolling Loud Festival at Banc of California Stadium on December 15, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)
Cole Bennett’s journey to success began in Plano, Illinois, where he nurtured his passion for music and videography from a young age. Inspired by the burgeoning Chicago hip-hop scene, Bennett honed his skills behind the camera, capturing raw and authentic moments that would later define his signature style. Despite facing initial skepticism, he remained dedicated to his craft, leveraging social media platforms to showcase his work and connect with aspiring artists.
Lyrical Lemonade
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – AUGUST 30: Music video director Cole Bennett throws out the first pitch prior to the game between the Chicago White Sox and the Kansas City Royals at Guaranteed Rate Field on August 30, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
In 2013, Cole Bennett founded Lyrical Lemonade, a multimedia platform that quickly emerged as a hub for cutting-edge music videos and artist promotion. With a keen eye for talent and a knack for storytelling, Bennett propelled Lyrical Lemonade to prominence, attracting a diverse roster of artists and accumulating millions of dedicated followers. Furthermore, through his platform, he has elevated emerging talents to mainstream success while maintaining artistic integrity and creative freedom.
Bennett’s distinctive visual aesthetic and innovative approach to music videos have garnered widespread acclaim, earning him collaborations with some of the biggest names in the industry. From Chance the Rapper to Juice WRLD, Bennett’s portfolio boasts an impressive array of visuals that have amassed billions of views collectively. Additionally, Bennett has ventured into lucrative brand partnerships, aligning Lyrical Lemonade with major corporations and further solidifying his financial standing.
From sponsored content to exclusive merchandise drops, Bennett has capitalized on his platform’s reach to diversify his revenue streams and maximize profitability. Moreover, with each new collaboration and project, he continues to expand his empire while staying true to his artistic vision and commitment to supporting emerging talent.
Conclusion
Cole Bennett’s net worth of $39 million in 2024 is a testament to his entrepreneurial prowess and creative genius. From humble beginnings in Plano, Illinois, to pioneering the future of music videos through Lyrical Lemonade, Bennett has cemented his legacy as a trailblazer in the industry. Overall, as he continues to push boundaries and redefine the landscape of visual storytelling, one thing remains certain: Cole Bennett’s influence will continue to resonate for years to come.
ASAP Rocky would’ve fit like a stylish, satin glove on the new Cole Bennett-directed Lyrical Lemonade album All Is Yellow. Alas, such potential is hard to materialize sometimes, and it turns out that he was actually among the stacked cast of features that were meant to appear on the project. However, it looks like things didn’t quite work out, which is understandable considering the New York rapper’s busy personal schedule. Amid fatherhood, legal trouble, and career moves outside of music, perhaps the cards didn’t fall right. Moreover, Bennett took to Twitter on Saturday (January 27) to reveal this information to fans.
“Rocky had a verse on Say Ya Grace originally,” the music video director and creative expressed. “Maybe the world will get to hear it one day.” Considering the sheer longevity of ASAP Rocky’s career -– and that of his ardent fanbase, which only seems to grow every day -– we wouldn’t be surprised if there’s enough hype around this to release the verse one day. Still, we can’t guess on when or how it will ever come out, and as many hardcore fans will remind you online if you bring this up, he has much more pressing musical matters to attend.
Furthermore, ASAP Rocky fans want him to release his long-awaited fourth studio album already. He’s been cooking it for years up until this point, so much so that we can’t even say for sure whether it will really be called Don’t Be D*mb, as he teased so long ago. Regardless, patience is the name of the game here, and all we can hope is that the A$AP Mob head honcho’s project is fantastic whenever it does arrive. But the longer it pushes back, more and more folks will tune out and forget, so the clock is ticking for a hyped drop.
Meanwhile, with his firearm assault case in mind, it’s unfortunate that factors like this clearly delayed this new album. However, there are much better reasons for Rakim Mayers to leave his craft behind for some time: his growing family. As such, we can’t really blame him, but if we were him, we’d prioritize solo work over features. Hopefully “Say Ya Grace” is an indicator that this is the path ASAP Rocky chose. Nevertheless, for more news and the latest updates on him, check back in with HNHH.
Director Cole Bennett has been a force in hip-hop for over a decade. Through his Lyrical Lemonade blog, which has since become an imprint and a brand, Bennett has helped highlight the works of several rappers and singers, and created visual elements for their music. This week, Bennett and the Lyrical Lemonade brand will release their first ever compilation album, All Is Yellow.
With a stacked list of collaborators and some already iconic videos, All Is Yellow is a hotly anticipated release. We’ve put together a nifty guide to the upcoming project ahead of it’s imminent release.
Lyrical Lemonade’s All Is Yellow Release Date
All Is Yellow is out 1/26 via Def Jam. Find more information here.
Lyrical Lemonade’s All Is Yellow Tracklist
1. “Fly Away” Feat. Sheck Wes, Ski Mask The Slump God, and JID
2. “Guitar In My Room” Feat. Lil Durk and Kid Cudi
3. “Say Ya Grace” Feat. Chief Keef and Lil Yachty
4. “This My Life” Feat. Lil Tecca, The Kid Laroi, and Lil Skies
5. “First Night” Feat. Teezo Touchdown, Juicy J, Cochise, Denzel Curry, and Lil B
6. “Special” Feat. Latto, Swae Lee, and Aminé
7. “With The Fish” Feat. $not and 6 Dogs
8. “Doomsday” Feat. Juice WRLD and Cordae
9. “Doomsday Pt. 2” Feat. Eminem
10. “Fallout” Feat. Gus Dapperton, Lil Yachty, and Joey Badass
11. “Equilibrium” Feat. BabyTron and G Herbo
12. “Hello There” Feat. Corbin, Lil Tracy, and Black Kray
13. “Hummingbird” Feat. UMI, Sahbabii, and Teezo Touchdown
14. “Stop Giving Me Advice” Feat. Jack Harlow and Dave
