Steven Malcolm x Curb Records Music Video Production — 1.1M+ Views Across 5 Films

The Challenge

Curb Records did not need a package deal. They needed a production partner who could show up five separate times, for five separate tracks, and treat each one like it was the only one.

Steven Malcolm is a powerhouse in the hip-hop space. Rapid-fire lyricism, deep spiritual conviction, an artist who has earned the right to demand visuals that match. The brief on each commission was the same at its core: build a visual world that hits as hard as the track. The execution? Entirely different every time.

Because these were individual projects — not a bundled campaign — we had to earn the next job with every deliverable. No coasting. No repeating. Each track demanded a completely different environment, a different technical approach, and a different creative nerve.

Our Approach

"10 on 11" — Street Energy

We took over a working gas station at night and shot the whole thing in one take.

The track demanded Midwest swagger and raw forward momentum. We blocked every beat of the camera movement in pre-production using the Ronin 4D, essentially editing the video before we ever rolled. Our crew managed live traffic in real time, redirecting vehicles to keep the stage clear while the camera moved through the lot uninterrupted. That controlled chaos — real cars, real people, real risk — added a grit no closed set could have faked.

The oner lives or dies on pre-viz. We spent more time rehearsing than shooting.

"Cardio" — Custom Studio Build

We built the environment from scratch, then pushed the production value past the brief.

The concept called for a high-fashion studio feel with something kinetic driving it. We designed and engineered a custom indoor rain rig that produced a full, cinematic downpour on command. High-contrast lighting, controlled conditions, and precise framing gave the performance an intensity that matched the pace of the track. Nothing about it was off-the-shelf.

"Free" ft. Sanctus Real — Pure Scale

We left the studio entirely and went to the American West.

For Steven Malcolm's collaboration with Sanctus Real, the track called for open space, natural scale, and a sense of real freedom — not the look of it. We shot 100% on location in the Grand Tetons and Moab, Utah. No green screens. No backdrops. Just snow-capped peaks, red rock arches, and open sky. Hiking cinema gear into remote wilderness took planning and stamina. The images we came back with earned both.

"Forty" — Cinematic Wasteland

The survivalist tone of the track needed a location that felt earned, not set-dressed.

We took the crew off the grid. Sweeping sand dunes, desolate coastal shorelines, and tactical wardrobing built the visual world. Colored smoke flares added visual punctuation without softening the isolation. The result felt stripped down and specific — exactly what the lyrics demanded.

"Nothing into Something" — Community Heart

The final chapter brought the narrative back to where it started: people and place.

We centered the shoot in urban neighborhoods and inside a historic cathedral, letting the architecture carry the spiritual weight of the track's theme. Transformation does not need tricks. It needs honest framing and a subject who believes what they are saying. Steven delivered both.

The Impact

Five commissions. Five distinct films. One visual legacy that has defined Steven Malcolm's recent era and kept him coming back.

The body of work has generated 1,134,000+ combined YouTube views — not through a single viral moment, but through consistent cinematic quality across every release. Curb Records trusted us with the first project. They trusted us with four more. That says more than any single metric.

The work also earned a Gold ADDY from the West Michigan Chapter, which matters because it shows the creative landed beyond the label relationship itself. Repeat trust is one kind of proof. Outside recognition is another.

For SALT, this partnership proves what we have always known: major labels and major artists can trust us to execute at the highest level of the music industry, in any environment, on any creative challenge.

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of music videos did SALT produce for Steven Malcolm?

We produced five cinematic music videos for hip-hop artist Steven Malcolm in partnership with Curb Records: "10 on 11," "Cardio," "40," "Free" featuring Sanctus Real, and "Nothing into Something." Each video was a standalone commission with its own distinct visual world.

Who is Curb Records and why did they choose SALT?

Curb Records is one of the most successful independent record labels in the United States, with a roster spanning country, pop, and gospel. They chose SALT because we deliver cinematic results without requiring a major-market production budget — and because we earn repeat work by treating every commission like it matters.

What makes these Steven Malcolm videos different from a standard performance shoot?

We did not stop at coverage. Every video had a bespoke production environment — engineered rain rigs, live location takeovers, wilderness expedition shoots. We let the track set the terms and built the visual world from scratch to match them.

How did SALT execute the "10 on 11" oner at a live gas station?

We spent days in pre-production mapping every beat of the camera path using the Ronin 4D. On the night of the shoot, our crew managed live traffic in real time, redirecting vehicles to keep the stage clear while the camera moved through the lot uninterrupted. The pre-viz work is what made the live execution possible.

What was the custom rain rig built for "Cardio"?

For the "Cardio" studio build, we designed and engineered an indoor rain rig from scratch — not rented, not borrowed. It produced a full cinematic downpour on command and let us control every frame of the performance environment. That precision is what separates a SALT studio build from a standard setup.

Can SALT handle on-location music video shoots in remote destinations?

Yes. "Free" was shot 100% on location in the Grand Tetons and Moab, Utah, with zero green screens. We hiked cinema gear into remote wilderness, coordinated multi-state logistics, and came back with images that earned their place against some of the most dramatic landscape in the country.

Does SALT produce music videos for Christian and faith-based artists?

Yes. We have deep experience producing cinematic visuals for faith-based artists. We understand how to translate spiritual conviction into compelling visual storytelling without softening the production value or the creative edge.

Where is SALT Productions located?

We are a woman-owned video production company based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We produce music videos, documentary content, and branded film for clients across West Michigan and the country — wherever the work demands we go.