There’s nothing like a good Cole Bennett-directed video. The Illinois native launched his multimedia company, Lyrical Lemonade, as a high school student. Since then, it’s become home to hundreds of iconic visuals from some of our favorite artists.
By the time he broke out with viral hits like Ski Mask the Slump God’s “Catch Me Outside” in 2017 and Juice WRLD’s career-defining “Lucid Dreams” the following year, Bennett had already become one of the most recognizable video directors in rap. Also, much like the Lyrical Lemonade brand itself, the budgets and names have only gotten bigger. He’s worked on Drake’s “Another Late Night,” Eminem’s “Godzilla,” and plenty more.
With all of that out of the way, REVOLT revisited 13 of the best videos Bennett has directed below.
1. “Lucid Dreams” by Juice WRLD
There couldn’t be a song more synonymous with Juice WRLD than “Lucid Dreams.” Like many of Bennett’s earlier videos, it has a lot of SFX, including a floating skull and a doorway leading into a burning house. As for the late Chicago rapper, he spends a good chunk of the visual effort trapped inside a hole in the floor.
2. “Lemonade” by Internet Money featuring Gunna, Don Toliver, and Nav
The visual companion for “Lemonade” gave us Don Toliver cruising in a giant fish bowl of lemonade, with a mermaid as his passenger princess. Later on, Gunna is seen taking a fishing trip up at the surface. With a song this good, there’s really not much more to ask for.
3. “Kanye Krazy” by Lil Durk
The best music videos, arguably, are the ones where artists pay homage. In “Kanye Krazy,” Lil Durk ran through some of Kanye West’s most iconic — and occasionally controversial — moments. One scene showed him riding a motorcycle straight out of “Bound 2.” In another, he snatched a mic from a Taylor Swift lookalike à la Ye at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. Plus, it was pretty satisfying to see the drill rapper wear the classic shutter shades from West’s Graduation era.
4. “Catch Me Outside” by Ski Mask the Slump God
Ski Mask The Slump God's “Catch Me Outside” video looks exactly like what you'd imagine an acid trip through Times Square might feel like. There’s a ton of random special effects layered throughout, made even wilder by the presence of a Chucky doll and the unpredictability that comes with New York nightlife. “That video changed both of our lives forever,” Bennett reflected on the experience after reuniting with Ski Mask for the song’s sequel, “Catch Me Outside 2.”
5. “Who Want Smoke??” by Nardo Wick featuring Lil Durk, G Herbo, and 21 Savage
Chaos is really the only way to describe Nardo Wick’s “Who Want Smoke??” video. The city is on fire, dozens — maybe hundreds — of masked men are going at it, and 21 Savage is somehow the news anchor. Bringing in the London-born rapper, Lil Durk, and G Herbo for the remix was definitely the right call.
“That was Durk’s idea,” Nardo Wick told Billboard in an interview. “After he recorded his verse, he was like, ‘Cole wanna shoot it.’ S**t was raw, it was like a movie.”
6. “Godzilla” by Eminem featuring Juice WRLD
There’s a lot going on in “Godzilla,” and not just lyrically. Along with the titular monsters tailing him through the first half of the video, Eminem gets knocked out by Mike Tyson about three minutes in. “Em, is that you?” the boxer asks. A few scenes later, we see Slim Shady trying to nurse himself back to health with Dr. Dre, only to turn around and stab his other self. Yes, it’s a lot to take in.
7. “Another Late Night” by Drake featuring Lil Yachty
It only made sense for Bennett to shoot the visuals for “Another Late Night” after dark. In the video, Drake cruised around in a car glowing with what looks like a full set of Christmas lights, while Lil Yachty gets tattooed during his guest verse. They really brought the energy on this one.
8. “bigger thën everything” by Yeat
Whatever post-apocalyptic world Yeat dropped into for “bigger thën everything” couldn’t have fit the song better. In the Drake-approved video, we see Yeat firing off into the distance, BNYX on the piano, and more surreal visuals along the way.
9. “GBP” by Central Cee and 21 Savage
Much like the title suggests, Central Cee and 21 Savage pay homage to their shared London roots in “GBP.” The two take turns rapping in front of a massive British flag between masked ninjas facing off and a red Pontiac doing donuts in a lot.
10. “On God” by Latto
Bennett didn’t hold back on color when putting together the video for Latto’s “On God.” Throughout the Queen of Da Souf track, she uses men at her discretion while rapping about how her “milkshake bring trap n**gas to the yard.” Around the one-minute mark, Coi Leray and Mariah the Scientist join her for a shopping spree. We see the vision, Latto!
11. “WHATS POPPIN” by Jack Harlow
Jack Harlow wore a lot of hats in his “WHATS POPPIN” video. The Bennett-directed effort opens with him flirting with too many girls to count at a local diner one moment, then hanging outside with the guys the next. If that’s not enough, he’s also free-throwing napkins into a trash bin and serving food. It’s a relatively simple setup, but one that works well for what's arguably one of Harlow’s most lyrical records.
12. “Tobey” by Eminem featuring Big Sean and BabyTron
Halloween arrived with Eminem’s “Tobey” visual, where he enlisted fellow Michigan-based rappers Big Sean and BabyTron to lyrically murder their competition. The highlights here are the recreation of his iconic Marshall Mathers LP artwork and Em taking out a version of himself with a chainsaw. The latter was a more on-the-nose nod to The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce) cover art.
13. “Thotiana (Remix)” by Blueface featuring Cardi B
Any video with Cardi B is an automatic yes. In the “Thotiana (Remix)” companion, she’s posted up next to a red lowrider in paisley print chaps and a matching cowboy hat. We also get to see Blueface doing the Bustdown dance alongside Bennett.