Chris's 10 Favorite Rap Videos

I'm old enough to remember when music videos (and music video channels) were a big deal. Growing up outside of the US, always half a year behind on mainstream American culture, spending hours watching Italian MTV (or, later on, stuff like Tim Westwood's show on Sky), was how I'd keep up with new music from back home. Sadly, music video channels have mostly died out -- and nobody's going to hand Sisqo $5 million to curse out a CGI Godzilla knock-off before dance battling it to death -- but I still have a special place in my heart for good rap video. After losing sleep to my most recent rap video marathon, I decided to put together a list of my ten all-time favorites. Don't worry, I promise it's not just "Moo" by Doja Cat ten times in a row. Here they are, in no particular order.

Fonzworth Bentley - "Everybody"

At some point, Diddy's personal assistant went from random cameos in OutKast videos to trying to kickstart a rap career. His first single was a wildly underrated (and forgotten) jam featuring production from Danger Mouse and a verse from Andre 3000 at his peak. But that's not why we're here. We're here for the dancing. Does anybody else remember Happy Kanye? That man is fully committed to that choreography. That man looks like he's doing a four-count in his head to keep from messing up. It's a joy to watch. The contrast in facial expressions around 3:38 or so gets me every damn time.

E-40 - "Tell Me When to Go"

Because 12 years later, everyone from the Bay Area still brings that same energy every time this song comes on. And I still wish I had dreads to shake.

OutKast - "B.o.B."

Just like with the song, OutKast threw every idea at the wall all at once and it somehow worked out. Andre 3000 sprinting across purple hills with a bunch of kids? Big Boi, rocking a wild perm, jumping across vehicles on the highway? A party on a futuristic truck? A church choir? Sure, fuck it, why not? OutKast's free-wheeling creative energy is on full display here. These dudes were having a moment and they just couldn't miss.

Snoop Dogg - "Drop It like It's Hot"

This video is the polar opposite of my last pick. It's super minimalist and stripped down, made up of quick shots -- some graffiti here, a car there, a kid playing a bass drum -- all shot in black and white. The main feature, though, is Snoop Dogg looking effortlessly and undeniably cool. When this video dropped everybody wanted to be him, including people who had no business trying to pull off Snoop's style.

2Pac - "California Love"

'Pac had some pretty prominent Hollywood roles during his lifetime and did some pretty typical modern celebrity stuff (like dating Madonna), but, even for him, setting the video for California Love in a dystopian future version of Oakland, bringing in Chris Tucker, and staging a full-on Mad Max reenactment was pretty ambitious. "They probably do human sacrifice here" isn't how you'd usually describe the set of a rap video, but how can you hate on Dr. Dre wearing an eyepatch and rapping in an enormous metal cage? Tupac (wearing chainmail, a bandanna, and knee pads?) looks like he's having the time of his life. California damn sure knows how to party.

The Pharcyde - "Drop"

The Pharcyde had a handful of really good music videos, but "Drop" will always be the standout. Before he was writing movies about Joaquin Phoenix falling in love with his computer's operating system, Spike Jonze directed a lot of music videos and this was arguably his best. When watching the video, you'll notice that something seems a little bit off. Everyone in the background is moving backwards but the members of The Pharcyde seem to be moving normally. That's because the video is actually being played in reverse. The group memorized and performed their lyrics backwards, then the video was reversed so it would look like they were rapping normally. It's a unique (and probably extremely time-consuming) idea that made for a mesmerizing music video.

Beastie Boys - "Intergalactic"

For "Intergalactic," the Beastie Boys did the song justice, filming a ridiculous sci-fi B-movie for the music video, complete with mad scientists, goofy-ass Power Rangers-esque giant robot fights, and the Beastie Boys running around Tokyo dressed as construction workers, for some reason. They were never a group that took themselves too seriously, and this is a perfect example of their style.

Busta Rhymes - "Gimme Some More"

Even during the peak of rap videos' cultural relevance, there were distinct stylistic "eras," like the Shiny Suit Era ushered in by Diddy and, of course, the Hype Williams era. Hype was the go-to man for big-budget rap videos for a good minute, he was known for his frequent use of the fisheye lens. After opening with the greatest (weirdest?) story ever told, the music video jumps right into all kinds of Saturday morning cartoon madness, with Busta rapping in a whole Halloween store's worth of costumes.

Kendrick Lamar - "Alright"

With videos like "Humble," "Loyalty," and "These Walls," Kendrick has added a deft cinematic touch to music videos, but "Alright" stands alone as his greatest and most powerful work. Not only is it arguably his most important song, but the video adds to the experience, rather than merely complimenting it. Few things in the genre can compare to the image of Kendrick and the rest of Black Hippy getting hype while rapping in a car being carried by four police officers as if it were a throne. Or Kendrick triumphantly floating above downtown L.A. Or the community rallying around him down on the ground. It's hopeful and uplifting, before taking a dark turn at the very end.

Missy Elliott - "Get Ur Freak On"

I tried to limit this list to one entry per artist, partly so it wouldn't just become Missy Elliott competing against herself. There's a reason people around the industry would fly out just to pop up in one of her videos for like six seconds. I mean, how do you leave off "The Rain," where she famously wears a damn trash bag and somehow makes it look dope? Or "Gossip Folks?" Even some of her weaker tracks, like "I'm Better," come with incredible choreography. It was hard to pick a favorite, but in the end, "Get Ur Freak On" won out. I don't even really know how to describe the video other than that it's a really good party in, like, a cursed graveyard?

#hiphop #rap #musicvideos #MissyElliott #KendrickLamar #OutKast