Since his debut good kid m.A.A.d city, Kendrick Lamar has become the most reliable rapper in the game when it comes to music videos. Whether it’s the flaming heads of “HUMBLE.,” he and Rihanna’s living on the edge in “LOYALTY.,” or starring alongside Don Cheadle in “DNA.,” K. Dot brings just as much thoughtfulness to his visuals as he does his music. And in a recent interview with Billboard, he revealed what fuels his creativity behind such videos.

“You know, just being a kid watching BET, I’d be on the phone with Dave [Free] — you know my partner that does the videos with me — and we’d be watching Missy Elliott videos back in high school, and Busta Rhymes videos. They were always big inspirations,” Kendrick said.

“So by the time we got to the point where we can mass produce visuals on that level, we said to each other ‘We all in,’ and that we’ve been waiting for this moment,” he continued. “So, I think it’s something that always inspired us to do it, just being a student and always appreciating somebody being willing to put full impact and full ideas not only into the songs, but when you’re watching the songs.”

Kendrick Lamar also shouted out another Dave – Dave Meyers, the famed music video director who directed “LOYALTY.” and “HUMBLE.” He’s an industry vet, creating videos such as Missy Elliott’s “Work It” and “Get Ur Freak On,” Aaliyah’s “More Than A Woman,” Jay-Z’s “I Just Wanna Love U,” and dozens more.

Kendrick and Meyers’ latest creation is the video for “All The Stars,” Kendrick and SZA’s single from the chart-topping Black Panther soundtrack.