in the video for their new collaborative single, “That’s How We Ballin.” T-Pain and Snoop Dogg team up for a “Big Adventure.”
Directed by T-Pain himself, the song’s video recreates iconic scenes from the Pee-wee’s Big Adventure movie including homage to that uproarious scene where the late Paul Reubens (as Pee-wee Herman) has a confrontation with a biker gang that’s calmed down by the “Tequila” song which has been replaced by “That’s How We Ballin” i n order to save T-Pain from being beaten up.
At the end of the seven-minute music video, Snoop Dogg appears and delivers his verse during the nightmarish “Clown Dream” sequence from Big Adventure.
In a recent Rolling Stone interview, T-Pain stated that the inspiration for the video came just days before Reubens’ death in July 2023.
“I was on a flight from LA to Atlanta and couldn’t sleep, so I looked for movies to keep me entertained. Pee-wee’s Big Adventure came up and I couldn’t help myself,” said the rapper, born Faheem Rashad Najm. “After watching the movie, I put on my personal headphones to listen to the recent music I had done. ‘That’s How We Ballin’ came on first and I immediately made the connection. I texted my NappyBoy Films crew and let them know ‘We have to do this!’” “What’s crazier is, four days later is when Paul passed away. That was when I knew I had to do this right, which is why it took so long to film, but I feel good that we took our time.”
For those interested in video trivia, one will notice that one of the bikers at the bar in the opening is played by Backstreet Boys’ AJ McLean, who stopped by the shoot to film his cameo.
“AJ and I are actually working on a ton of music, and we’ve been in the studio a lot together recently, so of course I had to invite him to the video shoot,” T-Pain told Rolling Stone. “He didn’t hesitate, even with a two-hour drive to get there. He’s a good guy with some good music coming out soon.”
Though T-Pain and Snoop have often collaborated (and recently toured together), “That’s How We Ballin” marks the first time the rapper’s been featured on a T-Pain track.
“At this point in my life, it’s all about fun and enjoying whatever’s in front of me. ‘That’s how we ballin’ is just that, us having fun,” said T-Pain about the single. “I’ve had all the number 1s, awards, and platinum records I can stand. It’s time to break the rules and let it all hang out. Some people have to leave their lives to go on vacation, but if you love what you do, it’ll never be work! See y’all on the brighter side!”
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Author: Al Denté
Photo: Eva Rinaldi