Is it possible that the most valuable contributor to Milwaukee’s hip-hop scene right now isn’t a rapper or a producer but a filmmaker—or, rather, a pair of filmmakers? For the last couple of years directors Damien Klaven and Cody LaPlant have been crafting gorgeously shot, strikingly cinematic and often downright unforgettable music videos for some of Milwaukee’s best talent, and damn if they don’t seem to get better at it by the month. The two have raised the bar almost impossibly high for local rap videos. For years the default video was a shoddy, visionless shoot set a house party or some anonymous outdoor backdrop, but Klaven and LaPlant are creating genuine works of art, and the whole rap scene is benefiting from their halo effect. Would WebsterX have bowled over as many rap blogs without their beautiful accompaniments for “Doomsday
