We had a really busy last week with a number of high profile artists dropping some really impressive visuals. Of course we’ve got to talk about that bomb that Kendrick Lamar dropped but we also got some great stuff from A Tribe Called Quest, Tuxedo, Danny Brown, Mike WiLL Made-It, and much more. Check out everything I rounded up below, along with my reactions.
Kendrick Lamar – Humble
Finally!!! Kendrick Lamar has finally returned to the spotlight and this time he’s brought something hard. I liked To Pimp A Butterfly for it’s artistic and socially conscious vision, but musically it was definitely lacking in pure enjoyment. Now that he finally got that creatively off his chest, I was hoping that he’d come back with something hard for his third album and you can’t get much harder these days than a Mike WiLL Made-It banger. This is that bounce and energy I needed from the homie Dot. Being the thoughtful artist he is, you know even his simplest raps carry a deeper meaning to them. I don’t know if he was taking shots at anyone particular (Big Sean perhaps?), but he’s definitely taking jabs at the industry as a whole. The visuals and imagery that he packed into the video itself are stunning; from the last dinner with his homies, to the sea of bobbing heads, to the flaming heads, to the dope camera shifts, it was a hell of a way to announce his return. We’ve got til April 7th to get our shit together!
A Tribe Called Quest – Dis Generation
Tribe dropped one of my favorite albums of the last few years and it’s been in constant rotation since it’s release. Not only does it provide some very timely commentary, it provides some absolutely fantastic music and I’ve been so happy to see their resurgence on the scene. They’ve always been creative pioneers in hip-hop for not just their music but their incredible visuals, and they don’t disappoint with “Dis Generation.” Shot in all black and white they make great use of continuous motion with what cleverly looks like one steady shot. Paired with some great looping effects and transitions make this one really stand out. Phife would be proud.
Danny Brown – Ain’t It Funny
Danny Brown is one of the craziest and funniest guys in hip-hop music, and his music and videos never fail to shock and awe. He got Jonah Hill to direct his latest video that starts out like a 70’s family sitcom before quickly devolving into a violent, drug fueled trip. It’s a wild video that actually provides some commentary about drug addiction and fame. I’d expect nothing less from the Detroit rapper.
Anna Wise – Balance In All
I’ve featured Anna Wise a few times on here now as she keeps dropping visuals off her latest project. Like most people, I was first introduced to her through her work with Kendrick Lamar and To Pimp A Butterfly, but I’ve found her solo work to be extremely pleasing. All of her latest videos have been self directed and while you won’t find any fancy effects or high budget theatrics, she does capture the mood of the music extremely well.
Tuxedo – 2nd Time Around
If you still don’t know about the fantastic pairing between Mayer Hawthorne and Jake One to create the group Tuxedo, then I suggest you go educate yourselves quickly. They create some of the best funky, almost disco era, dance music you’ll here in this day and age. And what better way to capture that era than to film the video in a pinball arcade with girls in tube socks and high shorts. Some seriously great vibes going on with them.
Mike WiLL Made-It – On The Come Up
Fresh from the release of Ransom 2, Mike WiLL hits us with the first video from his latest collection of bangers. “On The Come Up” might just be my favorite song off the album and it goes soooo hard. Those opera vocals! Sheesh! The video for the song starts out as typical rapper affair, girls, jewels, and slow motion, before taking a surprising turn into commentary about policing in America. The song is pure heat and the video captures that vibe perfectly.
Gucci Mane & Nicki Minaj – Make Love
Gucci Mane and Nicki Minaj finally reconnect after all these years for a kind of ‘meh’ song, but hearing them back together is something I guess. While they reconnect on the song they never actually appear together in the video, with Gucci defining rapper stunting and Nicki rapping the verse that set Remy Ma off, from an inflatable unicorn. Who knows; music videos am I right?
Two-9 – Rackades
Well that was a graphic, NSFW opening, especially if you’ve got your volume on loud lmao. If you’ve ever wondered what a wild night for a prostitute might look like from the perspective of their purse then you’re in luck. It’s actually a pretty creative video for one of my favorite songs off the album, and I’m glad too see their budget got upped from their last video.
G-Eazy x Carnage – Guala
As much as I want to dislike G-Eazy, it’s really hard to do so when he keeps dropping bangers like this one. That beat is insane! And those piano keys!? Mannnn. I just can’t bring myself to hate on the man, this is flames. The video is a cool stroll through what I’m assuming is northern California. While it’s nothing particularly special, the big head effect gives the video a whole different feel.
What’d you think about this week’s videos? Which ones were your favorites? Did I miss any that I should check out? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to subscribe to stay up with all the new content.
