R. Kelly Heats Up Windy City

Chicagoist has the scoop on the R.Kelly video shooting on the Chicago River, which involved a boat, lots of scantily clad women, and some bumping music. Gothamist can just imagine the director's pitch, "It's Big Pimpin', but in Chicago - dig it?" This makes Gothamist wonder why there aren't more videos in NY on Circle Line Cruises, the Staten Island Ferry, or the Water Taxi. For some reason, it's always a flatbed truck that goes down Broadway through Times Square. Come on, music video directors - you may come across some bodies in the East River or people using the free kayaks from the Downtown Boathouse on the Hudson. What could be better than that?

Jay-Z's 99 Problems video is a gorgeous, black-and-white dark ode to Brooklyn. See it here (we agree with stereogum about the Vincent Gallo part). And Gothamist admits to not knowing if it was in fact the Chicago River that runs through Chicago - we suspected it might be a canal of sorts. But thank heavens for the Internet.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in Arts and Events on June 8, 2004 9:58 AM

Comments [rss]

eve

hi r kelly i love your songs it is so nice God belss you

Kris

What's the matter with spreading the love? If Gothamist only posted items that took place within NYC, there'd be nothing about Reagan, J.Lo or the Sopranos. Why the Chicagoist hate?

cmon jen

We all know the story is on gothamist so they can plug their chicago site . No one in NYC gives a rats arse bout R Kelly filming a video in Chi-town . Now if Jen would have said , "it's cross promotion" , I wouldn't be writing this . But they love to spin at Gothamist . Call em as ya see em ....

rachelle

so gimme that toot toot

lemme give you that beep beep

runnin her hands through my fro

bouncin on 20 fo's

i love this song and even though it's a bit old i revived it recently for sentimental reasons (ahem) and have been playing it a lot.. so because i've had r kelly on my brain lately i was intrigued to see him also on my daily commute.

Jen

Why is it news when Ronald Reagan dies in California? Why is it news when Winona Ryder goes on trial for shoplifting? Why is it news when President Bush falls off a Segway in Maine? Why is it news that J.Lo gets married? Why is it news when mini iPods are unveiled? Why are pandas constantly fascinating to us? It's on here just BECAUSE we find it interesting. Gothamist is definitely more NY-centric and will think about things with NYC in mind, but it doesn't mean we're blind to all other things out there.

Besides, I happened to like Rachelle's pictures of R.Kelly video filming, and wondered about NY waterways aren't used more in videos. And Gothamist has been intrigued by R. Kelly ever since "Ignition Remix" .

leo

Why is it that a music video being shot in Chicago is news on Gothamist? I read Gothamist because it's a New York news source. I don't see why there's a need to include news stories about Chicago. Do you really need to plug Chicagoist to another city?

yojimbot

its not a real r kelly video if he isnt peeing on anyone.

Frank

I don't know if Gothamist has the same negativity towards all things Williamsburg that another NYC gossip blog has, but They Might Be Giants have shot videos in a variety of NYC locations. "Don't Let's Start" was done in Queens, at the site of the World's Fair; they've also shot in Central Park, a fireman's training site, an appellate court lobby, and the Williamsburg waterfront.

Zia

btw.. find out more about DTBH at www.downtownboathouse.org

Zia

LMAO.. thanks to Gothamist for giving Downtown Boathouse a shoutout! I'm a volunteer there and lately we've been getting a lot of "publicity". Love Gothamist and read it religiously as I'm bored at work itching to be out on the water. Dr. M, good point, I was thinking the same.

Jen

Dr. M, that was my first thought, too.

Doctor Memory

Huh, are we certain that's actually an R. Kelly video being shot? I mean... all of those women appear to be over 18...

Brian Van

Don't forget the all-too-common video setting of a Chevy Suburban, Hummer, or Escalade driving slowly through Times Square. Or on a stage in the middle of 5th and 57th.

Would it be so bad for someone to do a video with the Flatiron Building in the backdrop? What about videos filmed at Rockefeller Center? Has Union Square been in a video, ever? Or Bryant Park? What happened to the days when A Tribe Called Quest filmed videos in Queens?