The Worst Rap Video Ever, and What Can be Done About It
It's official; rappers have completely run out of new ideas. They're not even trying anymore. Here is "This is the Life" by Rick Ross. The song discusses how awesome it is being a rapper and "not stoppin' the champagne from poppin'". The vocalists switch from rapping in front of a black door, to rapping while sitting on a couch with some girls, to rapping while sitting in a convertible with a girl. Then the video is interspersed with static shots of booze, weed, girls, motorbikes, cars, jewelry shaped to look like the guy's head, and Rick Ross literally burning money. Static shots! We don't even have the pleasure of watching said motorcycle fly down a highway. And of course the shots are static, because the whole thing is filmed on a soundstage, because the rappers don't actually own any of the things they are bragging about. And being a relatively new act, they probably had to borrow a few hundred grand from the record company so that this stuff could be in the video.
I'm not ragging on rap; I just like rap that tries to say something. For instance, Outkast, K'Naan, K-os, M.I.A., Elwood, N.E.R.D., Kanye West without the ego, even Nas isn't that bad. Also The Streets, whose a skinny white guy from England. He may not be a prototypical rapper, but at least he can craft lyrics that I find meaningful. I'm also ragging on meaningless videos. If you're gonna spend a few hundred thousand dollars on 5 minutes of airtime, you might as well craft something artistically valid. Not every video should be political, but I should be able to come away with something (instead of "that's five minutes I'll never get back").
Off the top of my head, some great videos (not songs; videos. That's another thing to add to my ramble: videos that win at the MTV or MuchMusic Video awards should be the ones that HAVE GOOD VIDEOS! Not because the song is popular. If Rick Ross goes #1, there's still no reason for his video to be nominated).
Coldplay: The Scientist
Radiohead & U.N.K.L.E.: Rabbit in your Headlights
Just Radiohead: Just
Bjork: It's Oh So Quiet
Weezer: Buddy Holly
Johnny Cash: Hurt, or God's Gonna Cut You Down
Also check out Stylus Magazine's Top 100 Videos of all Time.
And an impressive music video from Sarah McLachlan, who turned the genre on its head and helped out some people at the same time: World on Fire.
posted by Kris at 11:17 AM
4 Comments:
I too lament the loss of the music video. It was an artform to itself that accompanied the music. Sure it may not have been what the listener had imagined for the song, but that wasn't the point. The point was it was a video representing one type of interpretation in a graphic medium! Rap videos do no such thing. There is no interpretation of the song! -not that there needs to be an interpretation for much of Rap, for most of their songs speak for themselves! Nonetheless, i too lament the loss of good music videos, and especially tv stations that actually aired such videos! At least the Wedge still kicks it out on Much, even though they seem to relegated to late night spots! Gar! Now I'm mad!
Hang on, you forgot to add Bon Jovi- Livin on a Prayer and anything by Poison and MC Hammer to your best videos list!
Boo-urns! Although I do like to practice my MC Hammer in the privacy of my bedroom.
Rabbit In Your Headlights is probably one of the most emotionally disturbing videos I've ever watched - rife with social commentary. I feel guilty every time I watch it. I wonder what that says about me. Kudos to Radiohead for such a powerful message.
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