When folks refer to hip-hop stars like P. Diddy, Busta Rhymes and Eve as "playas," they're not usually thinking about the rappers gathered around a table playing poker. But that's exactly what they did last Friday, the day after the MTV Video Music Awards, when the surely sleep-deprived celebs and others got together at a warehouse in Brooklyn, New York, to guest in the upcoming Swizz Beatz video for "Bigger Business (Big Business 2)."
The "Sopranos"-inspired clip, directed by Benny Boom (P. Diddy, Nas, Nelly), will depict the rappers as gamblers in an exclusive underground casino. Snoop Dogg, Ron Isley, Jadakiss, Loon, Baby and Cassidy will also appear in the video playing roulette, craps, blackjack and, of course, poker.
All but Busta, Eve and Loon performed on the actual sound recording, the next single from the upcoming Swizz Beatz Presents G.H.E.T.T.O. Stories, which hits stores December 10 (see "Metallica/Ja Rule, DMX, Eve, Nas Shake Up Swizz Beatz LP"). While Swizz released a video in April for "Guilty," the first single from the disc (see "Swizz Beatz Riffs Off 'The Crazy-Legged Guy' For New Video"), the record's release was bumped shortly after.
In the video, the performers all drive up to the abandoned warehouse to take part in the high-stakes games — all except Snoop, who is ensconced in his house in Los Angeles, where he plays via camera monitors. The rapper is the big hustler of the proceedings. Several ringers sit at the table to play his poker hands, but unbeknownst to the other gamblers, the Dogg's minions come equipped with hidden spy cameras that allow Snoop to see everyone else's cards, virtually guaranteeing him an unfair victory.
The casino setting is filled with nice touches: crap and blackjack tables and the roulette wheel are embossed with the rappers' logos, the dice feature the Ruff Ryders seal and the seats at the playing table are monogrammed with the players' initials.
