While promoting his latest album in the UK, Kanye West gave a lecture at Oxford University in March of this year, during which he shared that Steve McQueen had directed the music video for his single, "All Day."
"I was sitting with Steve McQueen; he shot the visuals for ‘All Day’ two days ago. It’s completely different to the Brit Awards," revealed West.
According to student newspaper The Tab Oxford, the lecture hall was filled with 350 people, and West requested that students turn all phones off, in order to protect his privacy.
Speaking for an hour, West’s lecture was wide-ranging, touching on many of his favorite subjects, like classism in the fashion industry, being great, and more: "Clothing should be like food. There should never be a $5,000 sweater," West said to the gathering of students. "You know what should cost $5,000? A car."
The pair – McQueen and West – seem to have gotten cozy since West presented McQueen with the Breakout Director Award at the Hollywood Film Awards in 2013, for "12 Years A Slave." After the awards show, the director heaped praise on West, calling him "an artistic genius," adding, "I’m not just saying it to make him look better because he’s been on top for 10 years. He’s been hitting the ball out of the park for the last 10 years with his music. He’s an amazing guy to talk to and to converse with."
The expanded music video, which will play more like a short film titled “All Day/I Feel Like That,” is 9 minutes long, and was filmed in a single take. Announced yesterday, it will premiere this Saturday, July 25, at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, where it will run for four days during regular museum hours.
Per a New York Times report, the short was filmed in southeast England, and follows West "through an empty warehouse as he runs, crouches, dodges, raps, rants, sweats and pants, as if being pursued by the camera or the police or in pursuit himself, until he slumps against the wall to catch his breath. At several points Mr. McQueen’s focus is so tight that Mr. West’s face cuts in and out of the frame. At one point, the camera keeps its distance as Mr. West raises hands above head in a gesture of surrender."
According to Franklin Sirmans, curator of contemporary art at the museum, the “All Day/I Feel Like That” screening came about after the museum invited McQueen to give a public talk, which didn’t happen; but McQueen offered the museum the chance to exhibit his Kanye West video instead.
So for those of you in LA, plan to head over to LACMA, starting this Saturday, to watch it.