Calmatic
Charles Kidd II (born September 25, 1987), known professionally as Calmatic, is an American filmmaker. He is known for directing several notable commercials and music videos as well as the films House Party (2023) and White Men Can’t Jump (2023), both of which were remakes.
Also recorded as Charles Kidd II · Charles Kidd
Calmatic
Itscalmatic · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Name
- Calmatic
- Birth Name
- Charles Kidd II
- Born
- 25 September 1987
- Birthplace
- Los Angeles, California, U.S.
- Occupation
- * Director
- Nationality
- United States
- Known for
- Old Town Road
- Honours
- Grammy Award for Best Music Video · MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction
- Languages
- American English
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Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q106337645 · wikipedia · Calmatic
In this article
Biography
Biography
The recorded working language is American English. Spike Lee and Spike Jonze are recorded as an influence. Works named in the authority record are Old Town Road. Distinctions recorded are Grammy Award for Best Music Video and MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction.
Calmatic in Brooklyn, New York, 2023
Itscalmatic
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Calmatic • Birth Name — Charles Kidd II • Born — 25 September 1987 • Birthplace — Los Angeles, California, U.S. • Occupation — * Director • writer • artist • fashion designer • Years Active — 2008–present • Website — https: calmatic.net/
Early life
Early life
Calmatic was born Charles Kidd II on September 25, 1987. He was raised in South Central Los Angeles. This location would go on to provide inspiration for his films and music videos. He has cited both Spike Lee and Spike Jonze as inspirations. He graduated from University High School in 2005.
Career
Career
Calmatic gained widespread fame in 2019 for directing the video for "Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, which won the 2019 MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction and the 2020 Grammy Award for Best Music Video. He has also worked with Kendrick Lamar, Childish Gambino, Anderson.Paak, Pharrell Williams, and Jay-Z, among others. Calmatic has also done extensive work in commercial direction, creating ads for Target, Sprite, and numerous other brands. His "All People Are Tax People" commercial for TurboTax premiered at the 2020 Super Bowl, and he received the Ad Age Director of the Year award the same year. He directed the 2023 remake of the 1990 film House Party, developed by LeBron James, which was his feature-length debut. In 2023, he directed a reboot of the 1992 sports comedy film White Men Can't Jump for 20th Century Studios. The film, starring Sinqua Walls and rapper Jack Harlow in his acting debut, was released on May 19, 2023. He directed the music video for Kendrick Lamar's song "squabble up".
Identity
Identity
Calmatic is recorded as having received Grammy Award for Best Music Video and MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1987
Calmatic born at South Los Angeles.
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Calmatic, revision 1365360316 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Brown, Kailyn. For 'Old Town Road' video director Calmatic, the ride begins in South L.A. Los Angeles Times. August 25, 2019.
- 2.Codega, Linda. What keeps Calmatic pushing the edge of greatness?. shots.net. March 23, 2020.
- 3.2005 University High School Pawprints. 36. 2005.
- 4.Woolever, Lydia. Did That TurboTax Super Bowl Commercial Sound Familiar?. Baltimore Magazine. February 3, 2020.
- 5.2020 Creativity Award Winners. Ad Age. June 15, 2020.
- 6.Kit, Borys. "Old Town Road" Music Video Director Tackling 'House Party' Remake for New Line. The Hollywood Reporter. September 17, 2019.
- 7.Kroll, Justin. 'White Men Can't Jump' Remake At 20th Century Sets Calmatic As Director. Deadline Hollywood. 30 November 2021.
References
Citations
References
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Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 25 August 2026.
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