Hamri grew up in Tangier, and her parents were part of the Morrocan artistic expat community, close friends with [a=Paul Bowles], William S. Burroughs, and Brion Gysin. Sanaa attended the American School of Tangier before relocating to the United States in 1992 on a scholarship from undefined in Bronxville, New York. Hamri graduated in 1996 and moved to New York City to pursue an acting career. She quickly grew more interested in video production, learning editing skills and finding an assistant job at the post-production studio. After cinematographer [url=https://discogs.com/artist/7518750]Malik Hassan Sayeed[/url] noted Hamri's talents and introduced her to Mariah Carey, Sanaa Hamri edited Around The World 1999 concert film, released by [l=SMV Enterprises]/[l=Columbia Music Video] on VHS, DVD, Laserdisc, and Video CD (in a brief "transitional" period when all formats were still on the market in different countries). She directed four critically acclaimed music videos for Mariah Carey in quick succession: Thank God I Found You (1999), [m=1250985] feat. Snoop Dogg and Can't Take That Away (Mariah's Theme) in 2000, and Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica) in 2001. Her clientele rapidly expanded with commissions from such prominent acts as Destiny's Child, Common with Mary J. Blige, and Kelly Rowland.

In 2002, Sanaa Hamri directed [m=355524] home video DVD by Prince, co-released in August 2003 on [l=NPG Records] and undefined, which held number 2 on the US "Billboard Top Music Videos" chart for three weeks. She further directed six music videos for Prince, plus the unreleased video for A Million Days from Musicology album. Additionally, Hamri was an editor on two videos directed by [url=https://discogs.com/artist/1106610]Chris Robinson[/url] in 2012: [m=497732] (the first Prince video officially broadcast on a YouTube TV channel) and Andy Allo's People Pleaser, filmed at [l=Paisley Park Studios]. In May 2020, [url=https://discogs.com/label/1990251]Sirius XM[/url] aired a previously unknown 3121 Radio show, originally recorded by Prince and [a=DJ Rashida] in March–April 2006. The 2.5-hour broadcast featured music from Prince and his associates, tracks picked by Rashida, various segues and humorous skits with [a257347], and a brief interview with Sanaa Hamri.

Sanaa Hamri's videography for Prince:

✿ [m=197466] (2004)
The video was shot in October 2003 in Los Angeles and broadcast to promote the album's title single. Subsequently, it was included as an "Enhanced" bonus content on CD editions of the [url=https://discogs.com/master/109262?format=Enhanced&year=2004]Musicology[/url] album. It was Prince's first promo video that featured [url=https://discogs.com/artist/84751]The NPG[/url]'s full line-up: [a=John Blackwell], Rhonda Smith, [a=Renato Neto], [url=https://discogs.com/artist/43165]rad.[/url], [a=Greg Boyer], and Maceo Parker. Sanaa Hamri also directed [url=https://discogs.com/release/13018175]The Art Of Musicology[/url] TV special, filmed at New York's undefined in April 2004 and broadcast by [url=https://discogs.com/label/271173]Viacom[/url] network on [url=https://discogs.com/label/212125]MTV[/url], undefined, undefined, [url=https://discogs.com/label/151307]VH1 Classic[/url], and undefined to promote the album and Musicology Live 2004ever US tour.

✿ [m=1009975] (2004)
This broadcast-only video was filmed on 21 May 2004 at undefined in Los Angeles, California — right before the second leg of the Musicology Live 2004ever tour. It's notable for the sole appearance of Stokley Williams in Prince's entire videography.

✿ [m=109227] and Fury (2006)
Filmed in January 2006 at Prince's second "3121" LA residence (factually located at 1235 Sierra Alta Way), Black Sweat became the second-ever black & white video since [m=16206]. The clip featured only Prince, [a=DJ Rashida], and dancer Celestina Aladekoba. The video aired in February 2006 and was released on the single's [url=https://discogs.com/release/3052006]Enhanced CD edition[/url] in Europe/UK. The Fury was shot around the same time during one of the private parties at the "3121" mansion.

✿ [m=109240] ver. 2 (2008)
The second, alternative version of the Guitar video was filmed in April 2008, a year after the single already came out; more so, it remained unreleased for the next five years, only [url=https://discogs.com/release/5795534]published[/url] in April 2013 on [url=https://discogs.com/label/873417]3rdEyeGirl.com[/url] (subsequently re-released on [url=https://discogs.com/label/873416]3rdEyeTunes.com[/url] in June 2013). Hamri's version of the video is more produced, with the song performed in full by Prince with a band featuring [url=https://discogs.com/artist/4577095]The Twinz[/url], [a476444], [a476441], and Morris Hayes.

✿ [m=698660] (2013)
The video was directed and filmed by Sanaa Hamri during the Live Out Loud Tour on 4 May 2013 at the Hard Rock Hotel Ballroom in San Diego, California. Thirty minutes after the concert ended and most of the audience left, Prince re-appeared on stage and performed "FixUrLifeUp," filmed with around 250 people in the crowd. The video premiered on [a4020047]'s official Twitter account.