MC Zappa Levels Up With New Video For “It’s All a Game”

The mastermind behind the Bit-Hop genre, MC Zappa, drops a fresh music video for his 2019 track "It's All A Game," breathing new life into the title track of his debut album.

Born in Yonkers and raised in Atlanta, MC Zappa is a triple threat as a songwriter, MC-producer, and filmmaker. He's gained vast recognition in the hip-hop scene by fusing 8-bit video game music with golden-age hip-hop, creating a sound that would stand the test of time.

Five years after the song's release, MC Zappa brings "It's All A Game" into the visual realm with a newly minted music video. Shot by his sister Taisha Brown on a vintage Sony camcorder, it adds a layer of nostalgic charm to the already retro-inspired track.

The visuals for "It's All A Game" are a perfect match for Zappa's Bit-Hop style. Grainy footage and old-school text graphics mirror the 8-bit aesthetic of the music, while scenes of Zappa spitting rhymes in various locations drive home the song's message about life's unpredictability. One particular moment comes around the 3:17 mark, where a pendant makes an appearance, adding an intriguing element to the video's narrative.

Lyrically, "It's All A Game" hits hard with its comparison of life to an intense video game. Zappa's flow is smooth and confident as he drops truth bombs about life's distractions and sudden twists. His bars serve as a powerful reminder that we only have one shot, and in this video game, the stakes are higher than ever.

Press play on this retro-futuristic experience with MC Zappa's new music video for "It's All A Game," now available on YouTube. Find the full album on all major streaming platforms.

Welcome to Buzz, MC Zappa! We're loving the new visuals for "It's All A Game." What made you decide to create a video for this track five years after its release?

Thank you! It's good to be back. I'm really not sure why the timing was the way it was. I never really thought about filming any videos before last year, when I filmed "Call The Law." All I can say is that around July of this year, something started to persistently tug at my mind, making me feel strongly compelled to do another video. I had been cycling a couple of ideas in my mind as far as which song to capture. "Hardcore" from the same album was a strong contender at one point. But then late one night, at like 1 or 2 A.M., I just started listening to my whole catalog on Apple Music. I got to "It's All A Game," and the lyrics struck me. I remember thinking that even though I had written this song five years ago, not only did it foreshadow my spiritual awakening, but it was the realest and most relevant song I've ever written. I told myself, "This is the one; we've got to shoot this one."

The video for "It's All A Game" has a distinct retro feel, shot on a vintage Sony camcorder. How does this visual style complement your Bit-Hop sound?

I've begun to develop a bit of an obsession with vintage cameras [laughs]. Not too long after we shot the video, I bought a Canon AZ-814 from 1967. But no, this visual style complements Bit-Hop perfectly because it represents nostalgia and retro-ness with a healthy dose of anachronism. In this way, both my videos and my music are similar. Yes, the CCD-TRV65 is from 1998, which makes the video look like it was made in the 90s. Yet in the video, we can see a PS5 hooked up to a 43-inch flatscreen, which obviously was not available in '98. Yes, the music sounds as if it was made in the 90s. Yet there are lines such as "problems keep poppin' up like a titty at the Super Bowl", a reference to a controversy that wouldn't happen 'til 2004. In a way, this visual style with retro cameras represents my own worldview and how I see the world. Yes, I live in this modern world, but in many ways, I do not feel as if I am truly a part of it.

We couldn't help but notice the pendant that appears around 3:17 in the "It's All A Game" video. Can you tell us more about its significance?

Ah yes. The symbol on my necklace (יהוה‎) in that scene is called the Tetragrammaton. It is the personal name of God, as revealed in the Holy Bible (Psalm 83:18). It is rendered in English as YHWH and typically pronounced "Yahweh" or "Jehovah," but most modern Bible translations have wrongly removed His name and replaced it with the title "LORD." Most people do not know that God/the Lord has a personal name, and I wanted to make people aware of it.

"It's All A Game" draws some powerful parallels between life and video games. How has your perspective on this theme evolved since you first wrote the song?

In many ways, the analogy has become even more poignant with every passing year. One part, which I didn't really touch on in the song, concerns the collection of money and possessions. In any video game, eventually, you'll make more money than you'll ever be able to spend. Eventually, you'll buy every item, find every collectible, and acquire every weapon. What then? And all the while, you're racking up points. But they're useless! They're just meaningless statistics intended to give you a false sense of accomplishment. Is this not life in a nutshell?

This parallel is very significant to me because in the years following "It's All A Game," I fell into a DEEP depression, which I vainly tried to cure by engaging in (among other things) unhealthy, compulsive shopping. This did not work; the more stuff I obtained, the deeper the depression got. Honestly, I think of almost everything in my daily life in terms of video games. It helps me to keep things in perspective. For example, as an autistic person, sometimes I have a lot of difficulty with change, especially making it. But then I think to myself, how do I benefit myself by staying in the same part of the map and performing the same daily tasks? Am I not devolving myself from a protagonist to an NPC by doing this?

I may have some trepidation about things not going how I want them to. But also, with trepidation comes strength and skill. Are we to avoid the levels that were always too hard for us? Or do we tackle them head-on, seeking new challenges to both use our skills and obtain new ones? Which one we choose determines who we are.

What was your favorite part about bringing "It's All A Game" back to life in the form of a music video? What moments or experiences did you enjoy most?

My favorite part would have to be either costume design or location scouting. I absolutely love everything related to clothing and fashion, so I loved curating the outfits I wore in the video. I believe every part of an outfit in filmmaking should convey meaning and symbolism. There is no scrap of clothing in the video that doesn't have significance.

My favorite experience was filming the scenes for verse 3 on my staircase. I felt that the scenes with me sitting on my staircase with my boombox were very Hip-Hop, indicative of my medium and the era to which I am paying homage. Most people probably don't know, but I was heavily inspired by the 1983 video for "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five in various ways, and the boombox scenes in verse 3 are no exception. Peace and love to Grandmaster Melle Mel!

Initially, I was wearing a red Kangol in that scene (mad shouts to my good sis T'aisha for suggesting that one and being the camerawoman), but I had a mishap with the camcorder, and accidentally taped over an entire afternoon's worth of work; only a few seconds of the original survived. I love working with analog equipment, but it does have its hazards. In any case, I had a great time all the way around, and I can't wait to film my next video.

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