January 24, 2006

Juvenile Heads To New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward To Shoot 'Hustle' Clip

By Samira Esfahani and Corey Moss (MTV.com)

Juvenile's new album is called Reality Check, and he recently got one when he visited his old New Orleans stomping grounds.

The rapper just spent four days in the Big Easy's Lower Ninth Ward, one of the areas hit hardest by Hurricane Katrina, shooting the video for his new single, "Get Ya Hustle On/ What's Happenin'."

As the first artists granted access to film in the region, Juvenile and director Ben Mor (John Legend, T.I.) set out to capture the devastating effects of the tragedy as well as offer a commentary on what many believe was a slow response from the government, according to a spokesperson at Juve's new label, Atlantic.

In the clip, three children find three different masks in the city's rubble with the words "Help Is Coming" on one side and the faces of President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and Mayor Ray Nagin on the other.

"This is a tribute to those who died in the wrath of Hurricane Katrina," a slate at the start of the video reads. "The storm may have passed, but for thousands the struggle is just beginning."

Juvenile, whose own home was destroyed by Katrina, addresses the storm's victims and struggles in the lyrics to "Get Ya Hustle On," which is being released to radio stations this month.

Mor and the rapper also shot a companion documentary, although details were not immediately available.

Reality Check is due March 7.