AITHEN: The Entertainer

As The Jokerr - a modern take on the medieval jesters of the past - Aithen has dedicated his life to making those around him smile, laugh, cry, think, and reflect though his art. Since childhood, he has tirelessly refined his talents across various artistic fields, now focusing on songs and music videos that stir deep emotions. Beyond lyrical battles and heartfelt ballads, Aithen thrives on captivating audiences with pure entertainment. Whether through chess matches, sword fights, lowriders, clown makeup, or goofy GoPro footage on Hollywood Blvd, Aithen follows one guiding principle: it must be extraordinary. As a result, his performances as the center of attention and the life of the party are always unpredictable and unforgettable. Is he a golfer? A comic book hero? A video game enthusiast? You can never predict what’s next, but rest assured, it will be wildly entertaining. That’s the essence of a JESTER, and Aithen embraces this role with unrelenting passion. Enjoy this selection from Aithen’s Archive, showcasing his brilliance as an entertainer.

The Jokerr - Ever Before

The video that started it all. In early 2011, Aithen executive produced, wrote, directed, and starred in his first full-budget music video for the Jokerr's Legacy song "Ever Before," filmed at Dobbins Lookout in South Mountain Park, Phoenix, Arizona. For his debut in large-scale production, Aithen ensured the set included a green room, makeup tents, a 24-person crew, lighting generators, full filming permits, and production insurance. Additionally, two park rangers and two police officers were hired to oversee the shoot, which took place overnight from 9 PM to 6 AM on March 24, 2011, in a popular tourist destination and city park during its closed hours. From the outside, it looked like a major production company was behind it, but true to form, it was just the Jester. While working as a security guard and studio engineer, Aithen was promoting his nationally released album Welcome to the Show, saving every spare cent to fund this pivotal project. His goal was to bring his vision of a medieval rapping Jokerr to life on the big screen, proving that The Jokerr's Legacy was more than a concept—it was a viable reality. Aithen hustled, saved, and strategized to secure the resources needed to realize his dream. This video remains a powerful time capsule, marking the foundation of what would become a thriving career as a videographer, director, and executive producer. As Aithen later put it, “It was the first time of my life where I truly felt that I was exactly where I was supposed to be… Visual musical storytelling is what I was born to do.”

The Jokerr - Till I Fall

In spring 2013, Aithen mentored a young artist, sharing a key insight: “It doesn’t matter how you present yourself if what you’re doing is amazing. You could dress like fruit in the desert, and with a dope track and concept, it’ll work!” This sparked the idea for the Till I Fall music video. When two artists invited Aithen to feature on their upbeat, melodic rap song, he saw a chance to launch his Collective Chaos project with a bold single. Inspired, he hunted down fruit costumes for the shoot. Filmed in the scorching desert near Page, Arizona, amid Glen Canyon Dam’s red rocks, Till I Fall faced a tight budget. Aithen rallied a seven-person crew, rented a van, and drove from Phoenix to Page over three days, shooting at five to six northern Arizona locations, with the outro filmed near Flagstaff. Featuring Corvix the Impaler as a floating “Penguin Guru,” Aithen, Masetti, and Dubbs rapped in fruit outfits. Shot on heavy Red equipment—his first time using it—the production was grueling. With temperatures soaring past 100°F, the crew lugged a five-gallon water jug up sandstone formations. Aithen, Carlos Berber, and Juan Heinrich nearly collapsed from heat exhaustion before the first scene. Despite the hardships, Till I Fall became a classic in The Jokerr’s Collective Chaos series, proving Aithen’s theory: a rapper dressed as grapes, with a killer track, could steal the show.

The Jokerr - Illusions for the King

2012 brought the beginning of Aithen's clear expansion in to singing and ballads with his all-vocal album Sing Aithen, Sing. An artsy medieval piano ballad with a grim undertone, "Illusions for the King" sees Aithen flexing his vocal prowess in a haunted waltz fit for a masquerade ball. Still on the rise with no label or management, Aithen’s budget was tight. Late one night in Buckeye, Arizona, he packed his DSLR, tripod, and camera crane, and with just one assistant, essentially self-recorded the entire video. Relying on his acting, dramatic lighting, and the song’s intricate musical arrangement, Aithen crafted a compelling piece without grand sets or big budgets. The final shot, where Aithen’s character fades from blurred darkness into a climactic close-up on the last line, was meticulously rehearsed in a small set built in his converted living room. The blur effect came from camera movement on a hand-controlled jib with a tight focal length lens to create the “reveal.” Aithen and his assistant practiced the jib’s rotational and vertical timing repeatedly to nail the face reveal’s perfect clarity. The challenge intensified in the desert, where the shot was filmed on a giant sand mound with no lights. Despite prior rehearsal, it took 15-20 takes to get it right. The video’s final shot was the last of these attempts, and Aithen was beyond relieved when it wrapped. Plans are in the works to produce a full-scale version of this song and video with Fearless Visionary Entertainment in 2027.

The Jokerr - I Gave It All

In 2013, popular rap collective Funk Volume held a music video contest. Hopsin, Funk Volume’s flagship talent and a host of the contest, was friends with Aithen, The Jokerr, and the two agreed that The Jokerr entering the contest would be a win-win, with Hopsin seeking talent to boost the quality of entries and Aithen gaining exposure from the label’s rising popularity. His entry took second place, sparking a feud that eventually led to Funk Volume’s collapse, but Aithen delivered in unparalleled style, his video surpassing the first-place winner tenfold in views, likes, and shares by the contest’s judging. Filmed and edited by Carlos Berber in Casa Grande, Arizona, over consecutive nights in Carlos’ family home, clever lighting and camera placement masked the background. The final render featured a rare 30K image, with Aithen’s original 1080p performance multiplied across 15 screens and animated zooming out in Adobe After Effects, though some post-downscaling occurred to reduce render times. Aithen scripted the video over two weeks, meticulously memorizing parts and planning interactions between multiple instances of himself for a classic Brady Bunch heads effect, rehearsed at his home in Buckeye, Arizona, before filming in Casa Grande. Rendering took seven hours and required three attempts to complete. Amassing over two million views, "I Gave It All" stands as a landmark in The Jokerr’s history, showcasing Aithen’s innovation before AI and TikTok filters.

The Jokerr - Sidekick

In 2012, Aithen released his then most ambitious music video, now celebrated by hip-hop fans and critics as the “nicest diss record of all time.” The project was a response to SwizZz, an emerging rapper signed to Funk Volume, who publicly called out Aithen on YouTube, accusing him of riding coattails—an ironic projection. As sidekick to Hopsin and the brother of Funk Volume’s business manager, SwizZz was a prime target. Aithen, instead of simply retaliating in kind as a rapper, flexed his multifaceted artistry to prove he was a world-class entertainer. He wrote, produced, recorded, and arranged a late-night TV-themed masterpiece, complete with a stage, dancing puppets, a Barbie doll choir, a full brass band featuring saxophone, trombone, and trumpet, live bass guitar, and a singing, dancing audience. The video was filmed over eight months across ten shooting days in Aithen’s converted living room, which he personally transformed into a late-night talk show set, and features originally constructed puppets, puppet stages, and sets that Aithen handcrafted in his in-laws’ woodshop in Payson, Arizona. This 2020 4K remaster of the original includes a poignant outro, reflecting on the entertainer’s choice between fleeting fame and lasting impact, paired with emotional behind-the-scenes footage of the production. The outro depicts the “FV” of Funk Volume greying out on the puppet stage, fading into the classic “Legacy Seal” Jokerr logo—a symbolic knockout to the defunct label, cementing Aithen’s victory in this iconic feud. In a twist, Aithen founded Fearless Visionary Entertainment in 2021, coincidentally reusing the FV initials. He later joked that Funk Volume fans wouldn’t need to change their FV tattoos to support his new venture.

The Jokerr - Because I Can

In 2014, Aithen moved to Los Angeles, eager to maintain his momentum in the competitive LA music scene. The high cost of living, a stark contrast to Phoenix, left him with little budget for a professional music video. Undeterred, Aithen grabbed his GoPro and took to the streets to create something unforgettable. Using innovative mounting techniques and dynamic camera work, he shot the video for Because I Can over a few days at iconic LA spots like the Santa Monica Pier and Hollywood Boulevard. Rapping directly to the camera, Aithen delivered his bold style and sharp wordplay, even acting out lyrics with extras, like dragging someone through the sand. He edited the video in about a week, and upon release, it was met with instant acclaim. Fans loved the raw, unpolished vibe—a shift from the grandiose and refined videos by The Jokerr to which they were accustomed—while hip-hop audiences praised the gritty beat and The Jokerr’s clever, hard-hitting lyrics. Because I Can went viral, surpassing 1 million views before its removal during the Fearless Visionary Entertainment launch. Now a cult classic, the video showcases Aithen’s resourcefulness and ability to craft something extraordinary from nothing. 

The Jokerr - I Stay Ready

In 2016, Aithen befriended rapper and multimedia talent Nova Rockafeller, a fan since his 2012 video “I Gave It All” and the creative force behind Tom MacDonald’s rise. After discussing music, Nova offered to direct a golf-themed video for Aithen, but a minor dispute led him to film without her, though he kept the golf concept, having already bought the costumes. Aithen flew videographer Carlos Berber from Phoenix to Westlake Golf Course in Westlake, CA, where they shot “I Stay Ready” in one afternoon for the cost of two rounds of golf, using DSLRs, GoPros, and a rented cart. Having gained over 80 pounds for an unreleased project, “Self Destructive,” Aithen leaned into the extra weight by creating the “Fat Golfer Dad Jokerr” character, an extension of his 2012 “I Gave It All” Brady Bunch-style personas. The comedic golf-rap video garnered over 240,000 views before its removal to prepare for the launch of Fearless Visionary. 

The Jokerr - Juggalo Song

Aithen, as The Jokerr, rose in the underground rap scene with his 2009 Welcome to the Show EP, resonating with Insane Clown Posse’s devoted Juggalo fans, known for their loyalty through merch, tattoos, and event attendance. A fan of ICP’s Dark Carnival lore since 1997, Aithen embraced the culture but grew frustrated with rappers exploiting the Juggalo label without respecting its ethos. His 2012 video “I Gave It All” satirized these opportunists, but fans and bloggers misinterpreted the critiques as blanket attacks on Juggalos, causing tension that led ICP’s Violent J, one of Aithen’s idols, to refuse contact despite Aithen's attempts. To set things straight, Aithen released Coming Home in 2022, an album in the style of classic ICP records, celebrating Juggalo culture. To further honor and elevate the culture, Aithen and mentor Glasses Malone filmed “Juggalo Song” in and around Compton, CA, channeling West Coast rap classics with lowriders and iconic hood locations. The production, true to LA’s gangster rap legacy, was halted by an injunction from the County Sheriff’s Department, but footage of the shutdown made the final cut, adding authenticity. Released on both The Jokerr’s YouTube and WorldStarHipHop’s channel (with nearly 30 million subscribers), the video garnered over 1.5 million views before its removal. The WorldStar version remains one of the few surviving music videos from Aithen’s time as The Jokerr on YouTube.

The Jokerr’s Legacy - This Mayhem

On The Jokerr’s sophomore album Mayhem Night, the track “This Mayhem” instantly captivates listeners with eerie forest sounds and a haunting piano intro. Originally intended as the album’s title track, it was briefly overshadowed by the Hopsin-coproduced “Mayhem Night,” which was later shelved due to time constraints from the “Ever Before” music video shoot and release. “Mayhem Night” was finally released in 2022 on Coming Home after again being shelved from 2020’s Cave of Bones on account of a pivot in the album’s intended purpose during production, but an extended version of “This Mayhem” featuring a powerful, heavily rapped third verse survived the change in direction. The music video for this extended version marked the first collaboration between Aithen and Hollywood veteran Keith Pang, now Fearless Visionary VFX’s creative lead. Pang, known for his work on I, Robot, Shanghai Knights, the Legendary Films logo, and the iconic DC Comics logo animation (as Creative Director at Buddha Jones), led the project. The video’s artwork, crafted by a top FVE concept artist as multi-layered Photoshop files, was expertly animated by Pang, creating a dynamic and unforgettable lyric video experience.