News Americas, New York, NY, April 3, 2025: Afro-futurist artist and director Gianni Lee is pushing the boundaries of Caribbean music visuals with a bold new creation – an AI-assisted lyric video for the remix of Skip Marley’s “Close,” featuring Jamaican dancehall heavyweights Ding Dong and Masicka. The futuristic visual experience premiered today on the Tuff Gong TV YouTube channel and accompanies the track’s release via Tuff Gong International/Def Jam Recordings.
Set in a visually arresting post-apocalyptic metropolis, the video takes viewers on a mesmerizing ride through streets ruled by humanoid dancers, futuristic footballers, and thrill-seeking bikers, all moving to the rhythm of a hard-hitting Caribbean beat.
Philadelphia-born Gianni Lee, known for his boundary-pushing work with global brands like Jordan Brand, Adidas, and New York City Football Club, shared that this project wasn’t just about using AI for spectacle.
“For the Skip Marley visual, I used AI in an intentionally artistic way – breaking down live-action footage, screen grabs, and found video to create a mosaic of animated, moving images,” Lee said. “The foundation was rooted in real, tangible visuals that I shot or sourced, then processed frame-by-frame through advanced AI prompts. It wasn’t about trend or convenience – —it was about intention and vision.”
Lee, who is celebrated for his signature Afro-futurist symbolism and bold, dystopian storytelling, treated AI not merely as a tool, but as a collaborator—an extension of his creative process.
“I storyboarded this like any traditional film. Then, I layered it with artistic manipulation. The final result feels more like a moving painting than a conventional video,” he added. “This project was about pushing what’s possible with new tools while staying grounded in narrative and emotion.”
The collaboration between Lee and GRAMMY®-winning, multi-platinum artist and multi-instrumentalist Skip Marley, along with Ding Dong and Masicka, is a stunning intersection of music, technology, and visual art—a testament to how Afro-Caribbean and Black diasporic creativity continues to innovate and inspire.
CATCH IT HERE
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