Oak Brook, known for its glitz and glamour, is usually a relatively quiet town. However, this small town caused a frenzy when R. Kelly filmed a music video for his song “Backyard Party” with Snoop Dogg on Monday night.
The music video was filmed inside a home in Brook Forest, a residential subdivision. The owner’s of the home had lent them the space. Locals were able to sneak in through the backyard and catch a glimpse of the scene they were shooting which involved a pool and lots of models.
Armaan Sawhney, sophomore, was quick to find out the news through word of mouth and social media.
“My friends using Periscope, which is a live videotaping app, and I saw it and asked them if it was real. He said yes, so I went to go see for myself”, Sawhney said.
It’s not everyday that music superstars come to your town, and many residents of Brook Forest were confused at first. Janie Huber, junior, saw the crew set up before school, around 7:30 a.m., and was initially confused. After school, she was not expecting much, but still decided to figure out what was going on.
“I didn’t know they were filming a video until I walked up and asked one of the tech guys. When they said Snoop was filming, I wanted to watch but I didn’t expect him to let me in or anything”, Huber said.
As the night progressed, minors were kicked off of the set as a precaution, but many hid behind bushes surrounding the set. Around 10 p.m., a friend of Snoop Dogg and R. Kelly invited fans inside the house to meet R. Kelly. Although it was brief, he was able to take pictures and selfies with around 20 people. Imaan Qadir, junior, was thrilled.
“I was waiting outside when this really nice guy let us in the shoot. When we got inside, there was a hoverboard and plenty of girls for the video. The guy talked to security and got us permission to take a picture. R. Kelly was a huge guy, but was kind to his fans” said Qadir.
Courtesy of @nishantvyaz23 on Instagram
R. Kelly takes a selfie with a fan, Nishant Vyas
Once the crew began to clean up, Aleks Konstantinovic, junior, decided to go upstairs and check out if Snoop Dogg was still there. He and his friend were able to walk straight up, and although Snoop Dogg had already left, he left his belongings. Various pairs of shoes, jewelry, and hats lied on a bed.
Backyard Party was released on August 21, 2015, and while there is no set release date for the music video, the scene we witnessed provides us with hope that it will be a good one!