24: Introduce yourself to
everyone that doesn’t already know who you are.

My name’s Jordan Towers. CEO of Jordan Towers Films.
I direct music videos and manage a few artists. I have DVD’s in the streets
including “The Come Up DVD”. I’m also one of the co-founders of “World Star Hip hop”. I helped get the
site going with my partner Q. Things of that nature.

 

24:
What inspired you to become a director and what do you feel you’ve brought to
the game?

I follow in the footsteps of the likes of Hype
Williams because they inspired me to do music videos. I always liked how it
looked and always wanted to do it. I always had a talent for it and I found out
a way to do it cheaper than they could, which I kinda feel like I innovated the
game around 2002 with the DVD’s like with “Come
Up’s” and everything that featured regular video for artists now I’ve
evolved to doing videos on t.v.

 

24:
How would you describe your style as a director compared to other music video
directors that you see in the game currently? 
Most other directors like to “go by the book”. Like Film School, where they
gotta get like a team, with the lights, they gotta get all the P.A. (personal
assistants), they gotta get the guy that runs the camera, they sit behind the
camera and point things out, there is a lot of preparation involved. What I did
was kind of “guerilla style”
everything. I kinda pioneered it in a way to where it’s like a blueprint. I’ll
come into town, recently I was in Miami with Brisco, went in the office, picked
three songs, hit the streets and we make something out of it. I learned how to
take what I have available with no budget and make it look like a big budget.
I’ve done that since the early 2000’s when people would really shy away from
that because they wanted the “MTV” look. My goal was to get that MTV look, but
not spend that MTV budget. I’m a one-man show. I do my own filming, editing,
and lighting. I do still do the bigger budget videos if you have a big budget
but I also work with the guy that only has five to ten grand. I basically any
person’s budget work.

 

24:
As a director do you have more say in the music videos or does the artist have
more say? Do you sometimes try to sway the artist when it comes to explaining
that you more so want to tell a story than just see fat asses in the video? 

The way I do my videos, I’d say I have a little more
say but it’s still a collaborative effort because its guerilla style, we’re
going around looking to see what’s hot but I’m the one behind the camera so I’m
getting that angle and I’m the one pointing the camera so I do have more say
and I actually don’t go through edits with artists. Usually I’m more free with
my stuff, I carry the rights to a lot of my stuff. I’m more of an independent
versus the guy that works for hire. It’s weird how I work. A lot of directors
work for hire and are dictated by the client, where as I have free range to do
whatever I want to do.

 

24:
What artist haven’t you had the opportunity to work with you yet that you would
love to? 
I’d like to get into rock and work with bands like Gym Class Heroes. Even
beyond that. I just want to try different genres of music, even country music.
Do different things, I’ve done a lot of rap and I enjoy working with certain
artists like Brisco, Yo Gotti and Masspike Miles, who I work creatively
together with.

 

24:
Do you ever see yourself following in the footsteps of directors like Hype
Williams and Benny Boom and get into directing feature films?

They kinda got into feature films but I want to take
it to a different level. It seems like they got into feature films but didn’t
really get their feet planted in there. They’re not doing Martin Scorsese
level-type films because that’s where you really want to be but I’d like to
start playing with the films, but I’d like to get more into television because
that’s more consistent money then films and easier but right now I’m trying to
take this music video game still to another level, still breaking barriers.

 

 

What
is the most rewarding part about being a director?

Doing
whatever I want, when I want! (Laughs).


Do you believe your style in directing music videos has created a standard
for up-and-coming video directors to follow?

Definitely. A lot of people have followed in my
footsteps, it’s flattering and it’s great. It inspires me to do better and I
feel like I’ve inspired a lot of kids to get into the music video game and I
feel like I’ve broke down a lot of barriers to show kids that you don’t have to
get under Hype Williams’ wing and work your way up. Just pick up your camera
and start shooting and editing on your own. It only costs a couple stacks. It’s
like basketball. You either got a talent for it or you don’t.

 

24: What advice would you
give an up-and-coming director?

Have
a lot of confidence in yourself. Don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t do
it and practice makes perfect. Study everybody but don’t study people that are
at your level. Study people that are way beyond your level like the Gil
Green’s, Hype Williams, Little X, etc. the directors that are very artistic
about their stuff because you want to set a really high standard. You don’t
want to set a standard that’s just “ok”. You want to set the highest standard
possible and work towards that goal.

 

24:
What projects are you currently working on – anything exciting or new? 
Of course, working on some television shows, more on the development of the
“Come Up” DVD, I’m bringing that more to stores and more of a web-based type
situation because the DVD game is kind of dying out. WorldStarhiphop.com of
course, continuing to build on that and I also have the cell phone watches. You
can go to cellphoneshop.com and purchase a cell phone watch with video on it,
Bluetooth, mp3, camera, text messaging and touch screen. I’m also working on a
clothing line coming out.

 

24: Thank you for providing
24hourhiphop.com with this exclusive interview, do you have any last words for
your present and future fans?

I’m
just a humble guy who’s just trying to make it. I appreciate the support from
the fans. For any future video, contact Mahad Dar at JTFmanagement@gmail.com.