If you woke up this morning and felt like life as you had previously known it was somehow different, that the ground beneath your feet had undergone some slightly seismic shift and the air was heavy with the effervescent tingle of change, it wasn't because of some paranormal event (or the drugs). Rather, it was probably because Lil X decided to change his name.

Yes, X -- who has directed high-profile videos for the likes of R. Kelly, Jay-Z and Rihanna -- has announced (via a rather hyperbolic press release) that he will henceforth be known simply as "Director X," a change made "to stay firmly entrenched in the hip-hop world, while bringing his visionary energy to other projects, such as commercials for McDonald's." He even has a brand-new Web site (which, at the time of this writing, is still under construction) and an artfully minimal new press photo to go along with his new handle, too. The world, it would seem, is forever changed.

It bears mention that, at various points during his career, the man born Julien Christian Lutz has also been known as "Mr. X" and simply "X," but this time, something just feels different. There's a finality to his new name (unless he decides to change it to "Director Z"). And while we've spent all morning trying to come to grips with the news, we are still reporters, so we put our personal feelings aside and managed to dig up a list of other names X might have been milling over before going with the decidedly more proletariat "Director X."

We've posted that list below, in the hopes that it will somehow help you cope with this sudden news. Remember, change is inevitable. And we'll all get through this together. Somehow.

"Racer X"

"Mr. E (Think About It)"

"Professor Charles Xavier"

"Guy Who Directed John Mayer's 'Clarity' Video X"

"Mega Man X"

"Director X-tremely Good At Directing"

"105.9 The X, Pittsburgh's Home For Modern Rock"

"Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf "

"It's Cool, People Confuse Me With Hype Williams All The Time X"

"Megalomaniac X"