The music video for “You Da One” was filmed on November 26 and 27, 2011 at MC Motors in Dalston, east London. It was directed by Melina Matsoukas. In the first images from the London set, Rihanna sported short blonde hair, torn denim shorts, patterned leggings, and a white bowler hat. She held a black cane as she performed scenes in front of a bright pink wall in the visuals inspired by the 1971 film A Clockwork Orange. It was mostly shot in black and white. It premiered on December 23, 2011.
The clip is partly a photo shoot and a lyric video as lyrics are stamped across the screen and Rihanna’s body. She wears numerous outfits and blonde wigs throughout the video as she emulates the clothes from A Clockwork Orange by wearing a white bowler hat and cane, sporting a smoky eye in homage, and smacking her pink pouty lips with bubblegum. Rihanna later strips down to a flesh-coloured leotard as she writhes on the floor with strategically placed artistic shards of light to created leopard spots and tiger stripes on her skin. Several scenes capture solely her mouth; first with a gold grill covering her bottom row of teeth, and later with smoke billowing from her lips transitioning into and out of the words “Dream” and later “You Da One”. Another scene finds Rihanna in a white tank top and tattered jean shorts, swinging a cane in between two brick buildings. She continuously exudes sexuality; in several scenes, she touches and thrusts her crotch, struts toward the camera with a pimp cane, endorses provocative dance moves, and drapes herself over a giant ball. Using the latter move, she is found in a black and white chequered background room where she moves around a larger than life playing card. The video ends with Rihanna running away from the camera and jumping into a chair, throwing her legs over the side with a smile on her face.