“3AM” is the quintessential, upbeat hip-hop tune you’d expect to hear on a fun night out or in your own living room, getting ready for one. It’s not exactly innovative or anything out of the ordinary, but it’s still a nice track to keep the momentum and good vibes going. But the video is what makes it stand out.
This is a perfect example of doing more with less, and how a quaint touch of creativity and playfulness can make all the difference between borderline banal and funny and memorable. Instead of the typical model type we’ve come to expect in hip hop videos, the lady, sitting next to Okito in his car, with her hair fluttering in the wind, is, well, not your typical lady, and that description has nothing to do with modern gender categories. She’s a doll, literally, a human-sized doll, and Okito seems perfectly comfortable in her company. This little-big addition imparts personality and a sense of self-irony to the video that makes you root for an artist, especially when they’ve already shown musical promise in other songs. The editing of “3AM”‘s video is stylish and borderline fancy, which makes for a fun contrast with the inanimate central character.
“3AM” is a simple and unassuming, yet playful and memorable video that’s not just something to watch, but something to learn from.
