A common thread can be found in Lil Yachty‘s visual content since his early rise to prominence in 2016. Distinctly muted colors, quick cuts, and sharp yet grainy film, all hallmarks in the work of 25-year-old Miami native Ari Mairena-Dannon — Yachty’s right-hand man in all things video over the past four years.
While meticulously curating Lil Yachty’s content, Ari has also managed to build a brand around his name and become one of the most recognizable videographers in music. While some might recognize his work from the viral walkout to “Coffin” at Lyrical Lemonade’s Summer Smash Festival (or others from his countless videos for the Concrete Boys collective during its historic 2023 run), Ari’s work over the past four years stands as an undeniable masterclass in world-building through visual content — redefining the role and relationship of an artist-cinematographer.
Check out our conversation below!
EH: How’s your year been?
AMD: 2023 was an amazing year for me. I got to travel to many different places and work on some really cool projects. It felt like I was able to truly discover my own unique style and experiment with it a lot. During this time, I had the opportunity to document Yachty’s eventful year while also finding my own voice as a creative. The year was incredibly busy, but it was all worth it.
EH: Tell us about your upbringing. When did you get into videography?
AMD: I got into videography when I was 11 or 12 years old, a pretty young age. I was always curious about filmmaking because I used to watch these fun action videos on YouTube, and I wanted to see how I could do that. I started diving into it, called up some friends, and started filming and trying things out. My brother started making music two years later, so I started making music videos for him. That’s really how the video and music worlds kind of collided.
EH: How did you first get into contact with Yachty and his team?
AMD: In 2019, I was hired by Lil Coach, an amazing photographer, to do behind-the-scenes work for a Bape x Yachty shoot. That shoot was the first time I met Yachty. After a couple of months, Lil Coach contacted me saying that Yachty wanted to meet and discuss the possibility of me becoming his videographer. I was hyped.
EH: What is your relationship like? How has it evolved over your four years working for him?
AMD: It’s great, I’m truly honored to be able to create and learn from someone like Yachty. Not only is he musically talented, but he’s tuned in with filmmaking and has an incredible eye. He has had a huge influence on the way I approach my work; I feel like I learn something new every time we collaborate. On top of all that, he’s just a great guy; he’s always there for me, and I’m thankful for everything he has done for me. He changed my life.
EH: Take us inside being on the Field Trip tour. What was the energy like? What were some of your favorite memories?
MD: It was awesome to go with Yachty on my first tour. It was a great experience but a very demanding one as well. Tours are hectic. You spend every day on the go; it’s not an easy thing to do, but I am happy I got to document it. It was really cool to see how the entire show came together, from the making of the album, rehearsals, and finally taking it on the road. It takes a lot of hard work to put a show like this together. Everybody involved really gave it their all.
I think my favorite memory from the tour was filming J. Cole for The Secret Recipe video. That was a very special moment for me. We filmed it at a venue in North Carolina where Yachty was going to perform.
EH: How has your video style had to adapt as Yachty’s music and personal style have changed so drastically over the years?
AMD: It’s something that I didn’t realize was happening and kind of happened naturally, but I feel like as he was finding his style, I was finding mine. Every video we create is an opportunity to try new things and find what resonates with us. As a creative, I believe that your style is constantly evolving as long as you invest time and care into it.
EH: Your distinct video coloring seems to be the AMD visuals calling card. What is the importance of color in your videos and in building the AMD world?
AMD: There are several elements that play a key role in creating a good shot in the field of filmmaking. These include the type of lens used, the movement of the shot, the lighting, color grading, and more. In my opinion, color is an extremely significant aspect when it comes to establishing the mood or atmosphere in a video. It can make a remarkable difference in the overall quality of the footage. I prefer a color grading that has a textured and film-like appearance.
EH: Tell us about the Concrete Boys, Yachty has assembled a great group of musicians, producers, videographers and more, what is it like to be a part of that team?
AMD: This is the Concrete Boy’s year. I’m so hyped to be able to be their visual guy and create the look for their music. I look forward to seeing them grow as artists. I remember I met Karrahhbooo before she even made a song. I met DC2trill when Yachty brought him around for the first time in Detroit. Then there’s Draft Day and Camo who have also been making a big impact. I see all of them skyrocketing this year. Much love to the Crete family.
H: How special was it to shoot the Move Along music video at your parent’s house? What did that full-circle moment mean to you?
AMD: It was crazy. That backyard is the place where I picked up the camera and shot my first video ever so it was a special moment for me. My parents were there, my sister was there, it was so cool to see him around them and have him see where I grew up. I know my teenage self would be psyched about it.
EH: You shot the first episode of A Moody Conversation out in Turks with Drake and Yachty, can you tell us what that experience was like?
AMD: That was another surreal moment for me. Moments like this remind me of how grateful I am to do what I do. The landscape of Turks was a great setting for this type of project. What made this project special was to witness a genuine interaction between these two great artists. We kept the crew small and the gear pretty minimal. The goal was to make an environment where the convo could flow naturally. I’m super stoked about how it turned out and how everyone received it.
EH: You’re close friends with Cole Bennett, how has his style and career influenced you?
AMD: Cole has been a huge inspiration in my career, seeing what he’s done as a filmmaker has pushed me to do what I do. Nobody’s built a world and a brand like he has. Just being around and soaking up that game has been a blessing. I first met Cole when Yachty and him shot “Yae Energy,” which was the iPhone music video. Not too long after that, they shot the Strike and Tesla videos, where I filmed the behind-the-scenes. What stands out about Cole is his positive energy on set and his clear vision for the project. Overall he sets a great environment for his team to be creative. A real innovator in the game. Shout out to Cole.
EH: Why did you decide to start your own YouTube channel and take on more of a personal brand?
AMD: I created my account when Yachty was working on Michigan Boy Boat. It was actually his idea. We were in Detroit and had just finished filming the video for the song ‘Run Down.’ He suggested I start a channel so we could release more videos.
EH: There seems to be a new wave and level of importance being placed on videographers in the past few years. What do you think the importance of having a trusted videographer is for an artist?
AMD: For an artist, it’s important to have a trusted videographer because of several reasons. Firstly, it’s important to have a person that the artist feels comfortable bringing them into their personal life. Secondly, it’s important that the artist and videographer are on similar creative wave lengths, since the videographer is being trusted with making the artists vision come to life. Being able to have someone that gets your vision is everything.
EH: Who are some artists you still want to work with?
AMD: I am interested in collaborating with artists from various genres, such as MGK, Jean Dawson, girl in red and The Kid LAROI. Teezo Touchdown is another artist I would love to work with. His style and approach always impress me.”
EH: What are some of your long-term goals? Where do you see yourself in 5, or 10 years?
AMD: My never ending goal is to continue to grow as a director and keep on working on projects that I enjoy. Also would like to continue building a foundation as a brand and an individual. One of my goals, both short term and long term, is to continue to inspire others to make their visions a reality. I feel like I’m just getting started and I’m excited to see what’s next.