Videos of the Week July 14th

For whatever reason, this week was dominated by huge music video releases. It seems more like the exception than the norm for a week's top five to be so heavily skewed toward music videos, but such was the case this week. Led by the action packed visuals from Dillon Francis and G-Eazy's Say Less video, there was plenty of bottle smashing fun littered throughout. Then, Macklemore did a complete 180 on his video for Glorious where he took his grandma around town to celebrate her 100th birthday. In hindsight, the vibe of the track fits perfectly for the celebration of life, so kudos to Macklemore for sharing the moment with all of us.

Then things got a little trippy on Travis Scott's Butterfly Effect video. Don't care what the critics say, that track goes hard and I have a really hard time skipping past it when it plays. In case that first dose of Travis Scott wasn't enough, he made an appearance in the dance heavy video for Know No Better. I'm not exactly sure what story is trying to be told other than kids that are picked on can still get girls too through their dance moves? Last, but most expensive was literally everything about deadmau5's new studio. Such a cool behind the scenes look of all the bells, whistles, nobs, and keys the make up his arsenal of music making equipment. Not sure about y'all, but I was impressed by the amount of analog based sound machines and old keyboards he had. If you had an inkling that he cares about his craft, your perception should remain unchanged...#deadmau5Studio

Dillon Francis feat G-Eazy - Say Less (Video)

Macklemore feat Skylar Grey - Glorious (Video)

Travis Scott - Butterfly Effect (Video)

Major Lazer feat Travis Scott, Camila Cabello, & Quavo - Know No Better (Video)

A Behind the Scenes Look at deadmau5's Studio

Photo Credit: YouTube

"Oyster Perpetual, My Time is Expensive"

Might as well keep the Murda Beatz momentum going with his new production for G-Eazy and Snoop Dogg. Get Mine follows yesterday's post of Travis Scott's new one that was also tee'd up by Murda. Where last night's cut was mellow, Get Mine goes a bit harder. Led by a leadoff hook from Snoop Dogg that'll remind you he hasn't lost a step, you'll find plenty to latch onto off top. Then you've got Young Gerald who bobbed and weaved through a few verses with a clear IDGAF undercurrent emanating throughout.

One thing's for sure G-Eazy's new album definitely isn't lacking star power. Snoop joins the growing list of legends showing up on his new music that includes E-40 and a 9th Wonder production. Side note - I really wish every artist would celebrate their birthday by releasing four new tracks like G-Eazy. Nothing like being able to celebrate along side one of your favorite artists when they let loose a quarter of an album all in one day...#GetMine


G-Eazy feat Snoop Dogg - Get Mine (prod by Murda Beats)

Videos of the Week April 15th

This week was a special week in that it brought with it a clear candidate for video. Unsurprisingly, Lil Dicky was the mastermind behind the near 11 minute short movie that ended up being the crown jewel of this week's top five. I can't even really do justice trying to describe it, but I will warn that the first minute or so has a bit of nudity, so be mindful of the NSFW tag. Let's just say the video is a slow paced, non-linear train of thought style conversation that will take your imagination and sense of humor on a roller coaster of emotion. There's literally too much comedy gold in there, so feel free and reference the lyric Genius link as you watch.

On a whole different top four list, there was a slew of new music videos that were worthy of note. Let by Travis Scott and Kendrick Lamar's haunting, CGI infused video for Goosebumps and Wale and G-Eazy's new spiffy visuals for Fashion week, Hip Hop ruled the roost on the music tip. An honorable mention goes to Major Lazer, Nicki Minaj, and PARTYNEXTDOOR for their house party with FaceTime themed video for Run Up. Closing out this week's top five was The Chainsmokers who made their SNL debut last weekend. Playing a small, quaint venue like Studio 8H isn't exactly what they're used to, but they found a way to deliver a solid performance. They won't be mistaken as rock stars stage presence wise, but Drew especially is coming into his own vocally, which is fun to watch. I for one am stoked to see them live in a few weeks when they come to Bill Graham. I'll see y'all there...#MemoriesDoNotOpen

Lil Dicky - Pillow Talk (Video) NSFW

Travis $cott feat Kendrick Lamar - Goosebumps (Video)

Wale feat G-Eazy - Fashion Week (Video)

Major Lazer Nicki Minaj, PARTYNEXTDOOR - Run Up (Video)

Chainsmokers Perform Paris on SNL

Photo Credit: YouTube

"Please Say Less, I'm Blessed on Blessed"

If we're talking collaborations we'd hope come to fruition, a Dillon Francis and G-Eazy track would be near the top. Say Less continues the trend of Young Gerald seeking out collaborations far and wide, teaming up with the like of Britney, Bebe Rexha, and Wale recently. G-Eazy proliferation aside, let's not cast aside the heat that DJ Hanzel Dillon Francis brought on the instrumental. He brought those arena filling horns, coming in hard and haunting on the hook. It's a textbook lesson on how to use pace to lure in the audience before slapping them in the face with a tough drop and finishing with screwed vocals in case you weren't already entertained. If you're a fan like me, check out the lyric video below and Spotify if you want to do a few more laps around it...#SayLess



Dillon Francis feat G-Eazy - Say Less

Videos of the Week March 10th

It was bound to happen at some point, but this week there's a rare top five filled with all music. Leading the way was Snakehips and MØ's in studio cover of Childish Gambino's Redbone. I'll admit, it was a lot jazzier than I thought it would be, which was a cool surprise. After that there was a little bit of dark EDM (I Love You) and a little bit of fun EDM (Just Hold On) brought to you by Axwell Λ Ingrosso, and Steve Aoki. Both were cases where I got to re-live two songs I really like and had written about previously, but in more intimate ways.

If you were wondering whether Bebe Rexha was as good looking as her vocals led you to believe, you got a resounding answer to that question in her FFF video. Her and G-Eazy make for a dynamic duo and their chemistry is palpable. And if you haven't gotten a big enough dose of sexy, Jeremih has you covered on I Think of You. As a bit of icing on the cake, this week's top five ended on a high note with a roller skating dance video. Who doesn't love a good Hip Hop video at a roller rink??...#IThinkOfYou

Childish Gambino - Redbone (Snakehips & MØ Cover)

Axwell Ingrosso feat Kid Ink - I Love You (Video)

Steve Aoki feat Louis Tomlinson - Just Hold On (Video)

Bebe Rexha feat G-Eazy - FFF (Video)

Jeremih feat Big Sean and Chris Brown - I Think of You (Video)

Photo Credit - YouTube

"Paparrazi Goin' Think That I'm Cuffin' Now"

It's been a minute since Wale came through with a track that made me do a double take. To put things into perspective, his first two albums were absolute fire, but since then his last two albums have caused we'll call it a "reduction in minutes" if you're speaking NBA terms. Not quite on the DNP-CD level, but he hasn't even been getting backup minutes. Know what I'm sayin'?

But in the world of music, you're always one song away from being back in everyone's good graces. Enlisting the help of Bay Area's own G-Eazy, he was able to conjure up some of the magic from previous years. Fashion week is an ode to the baddest of the bad women out there. Trading playful barbs back and forth Wale and G-Eazy make show off their lustful, braggadocio sides with lyrical gymnastics over a bubbly beat on Fashion Week. It'll be surfacing on Wale's upcoming Shine album that is slated for a 2017 release. Cheers to hoping this is the start of a win streak for Olubowale...#FashionWeek
Wale feat G-Eazy - Fashion Week

Videos of the Week January 20th

Storytelling was the common thread in this week's top five. Led by E-40 and G-Eazy's 45 min Bay Area biopic, there was well over an hour's worth of material this week. If you're in the market for unique, a drummer named Matt McGuire did a pretty dope cover of Madeon and Porter Robinson's Shelter. With EDM teetering between synthesized music and live instrumentation, it's cool seeing the backbone of the beat in its rawest form.

If you're wondering what it's like to tour with Skrillex, you've now got a full eleven minute summary of his last tour to wade through. I've always been someone who has mad respect for people who do the dirty work behind the scenes to produce the end result of what you end up hearing, so it was cool to go behind the curtain. If passionate love is something you enjoy watching, you'll enjoy the visuals for Snakehips and MØ's Don't Leave. The song was emotional enough, but seeing it come to life gave it a whole different meaning. And last, but definitely not least, we've now got a Gorillaz sighting. With the help of acclaimed poet and British composer Benjamin Clementine, they put together a pretty surreal video for Hallelujah Money. Weird doesn't do that video justice, but it does everything it needed to start the hype train for their new album...#HallelujahMoney
Bay Area With E-40 and G-Eazy

Drum Cover of Porter Robinson and Madeon's Shelter

The Same Place - 11 Min Skrillex Tour Recap

Snakehips & MØ - Don't Leave (Video)

The Gorillaz feat Benjamin Clementine - Hallelujah Money (Video)

Photo Credit: YouTube

Videos of the Week September 16th

A little bit of this and a little bit of that is the theme of this week's top five. If novelty is the name of your game, then you might enjoy Michael Phelps pulling his best Eminem impression when he lip synced Lose Yourself on Lip Sync Battle. If you'll allow me to be critical for a minute, I was expecting a bit more raw energy. Where's that gold medal effort Phelps?!?!

If you're like me, you've done your best to tune out politics, but when Hip Hip artists want to make a statement, they know how to get peoples' attention. The black and white aesthetic with the colored flag was tastefully done in the FDT Part 2 video from Macklemore, YG and G-Eazy. If spontaneous is what you want, it doesn't get more freestyle than Donald Glover riffing on stage with Late Late Show's Reggie Watts. A little bit of funk and some harmony is all you need to get people dancing. If an actual music video is what you're looking for then enjoy some tribal dancing in exotic scenery during Major Lazer and Bieber's Cold Water video. And last, but not least, the whole gang showed up on stage when Chance the Rapper performed on Ellen. Lil Weezy and 2 Chainz joined him on stage to perform their hit No Problems with a whole lot office destruction happening in the background. Can anyone say, 352 paper pickup?...#NoProblems

Michael Phelps Lip Sync Battles Eminem's Lose Yourself

YG, Macklemore & G-Eazy - FDT (Part 2) (Video)

Donald Glover and Reggie Watts Freestyle on The Late Late Show with James Corden

Major Lazer feat Justin Bieber & Mo - Cold Water (Video)

Chance the Rapper Performs No Problems with Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz on Ellen

Photo Credit: YouTube

Videos of the Week September 2nd

Keeping it 100, this was one of the tougher weeks to narrow down a top five videos list. That was mostly there were so many stellar performances at MTV's Video Music Awards (VMAs). There were many more performances deserving to be posted like Rihanna and Ariana Grande's, but my personal favorites were The Chainsmokers/Halsey and Britney Spears/G-Eazy. Chalked full of sexual tension and energy, there were a lot of similarities between the two that made them an entertaining watch. Can we give it up for minute for Drew of The Chainsmokers for his effort as a vocalist? At this point, it's abundantly clear that there is little the duo can't accomplish.

In the land of real music videos, Lupe Fiasco was a clear standout with his video for Pick Up the Phone. The song was already powerful, but when you add visuals to it, the story gets even more vivid. Addiction is a terrible thing and the video shows exactly why it can be such a sad story. If you've been itching for some new Kygo, I don't have anything fresh to offer except that he's got a new clothing line called Kygo Life now. For the debut of the clothing line, he put on a fifteen minute, piano only concert where he weaved in and out of many of your favorite instrumentals from his new album. I almost list my sh*t when he led off with my personal favorite, Piano Jam. And rounding out the stacked top five was a really in-depth deconstruction of Kanye's vocals by Vox. As someone who loves the in-between the lines stuff, I ate up all nine minutes worth of that. Hate on him if you will, but there's plenty of craft to what he does...#Kanye
The Chainsmokers and Halsey Perform Closer at the VMAs

Britney Spears & G-Eazy Perform Make Me Move and Me, Myself, and I at The VMAs

Lupe Fiasco - Pick Up the Phone (Video)

Kygo Performs Solo on Piano to Launch His Own Clothing Line

Kanye Deconstructed: The Human Voice as the Ultimate Instrument (by Vox)

Video Credit: YouTube

Videos of the Week August 26th

There was a whole lot of straight up caucasian, whiteness to this week's top five. It all started with DJ Shadow and Run the Jewels video for Nobody Speak where a bunch of white politicians decided to duke it out. From there it got a lot less violent, but still stayed blanco with a new video from G-Eazy for Calm Down and another more than mildly entertaining video from Lil Dicky and Gronk. Those two need to go on tour together, straight up.

And for your usual late night fix, both Seth Myers and Fallon delivered the goods with entertaining guests. Current favorite Jon Bellion continued his rampage through pop culture with another rousing performance of All Time Low. Saying he's safe bet to rise to super stardom isn't even a bet anymore, it's simply a matter of when. Speaking of super-stardom, you're not going to find anyone more talented than Donald Glover. Not only is Atlanta on the horizon, he's also got an album and unique album debut concert experience coming up. I believe in all that is Childish Gambino, so count me in on whatever he decides to be a part of...#Pharos

DJ Shadow feat Run the Jewels - Nobody Move (Video)

G-Eazy - Calm Down (Video)

Lil Dicky and Big Daddy Gronk Talk Physique vs Technique

Jon Bellion Performs All Time Low on Late Night With Seth Myers

Jimmy Fallon Interviews Donald Glover on Fallon Tonight

Photo Credit: YouTube

Videos of the Week August 5th

This week was a refreshing return to the mix of music videos and quality late night clips. In other words, Colbert and Fallon finally came back into the fold with some entertaining new content. Before we get to the specifics of late night, let's give some love to the music first. Led by G-Eazy and Jeremih's Ghostbusters themed video for Saw it Coming, there was a heavy dose of cinema crossover this week. Add to that Mac Miller and Anderson .Paak's funky fresh visuals for their standout single Dang! and now we're talking. Oh, and if you're up for a few corny Drake impressions, you'll find his video with French Montana for No Shopping an interesting watch. In my eyes, it was a bit forced, but hey, can't win 'em all.

In the land of late night, star power was not lacking one bit. Will Smith made his rounds this week promoting Suicide Squad and while doing so he made a stop at Colbert. When he stopped by, the duo sat on a blanket looking at the stars pondering life's biggest questions. Hilarity ensued. Speaking of hilarity, it doesn't get any funnier than someone awkwardly misspelling angel with the word angle. Even better, having Fallon and Aziz Ansari and Fallon reading said texts. Plenty of laughs to go around while rounding out a quality week of videos...#TextualExperience
G-Eazy feat Jeremih - Saw It Coming (Video)

Mac Miller feat Anderson .Paak - Dang! (Video)

French Montana feat Drake - No Shopping (Video)

Will Smith Goes Big on Colbert

First Textual Experience with Aziz Ansari on Fallon
Photo Credit: YouTube

Videos of the Week July 29th

Any week that features a new seven minute video from Kanye is probably a noteworthy week in a lot of peoples' eyes. It's hard to ignore how cinematic his videos end up being, but somehow they all seem to fit the dark, edginess of his lyrics. In his new video for Wolves, he shed tears, he walks around in expensive jackets, his wife makes a cameo and there are plenty of models walking around in black and white attire. Have your opinions about Kanye, but he makes provocative act in a lot of ways.

In the land of other videos, there was a whole lot of entertainment on Fallon. Starting with G-Eazy and Tory Lanez's performance of Drifting on Fallon, Jimmy brought out the A list this week. If actors are more your bag, Will Smith did his best to show what it means to make an epic entrance and Matt Damon is a really convincing liar, but Jimmy has an uncanny ability to sense the truth. If only we could say the same for Matt who fell hard for a lie. Rounding out the week was an interesting collabo between JoJo and Wiz Khalifa. I've always been a big fan of JoJo, so seeing an edgier side of her with Wiz was the most entertaining video of my week. It probably won't be for you, but hey, some of us crush hard and don't let go of said crush years later...#FApologies
Kanye West- Wolves (Video)

G-Eazy and Tory Lanez Perform Drifting on Fallon

Will Smith Makes Multiple Grand Entrances on Fallon

Matt Damon Plays Box of Lies on Fallon

JoJo feat Wiz Khalifa - F**k Apologies (Video)

Photo Credit: YouTube

The Hip Hop Community Has an Opinion on Donald Trump

Well...I guess the week that Trump gets "officially" nominated as the Republican presidential candidate is as good of time as ever to make a strong statement. For those who caught Part 1 back in April, you're not going to get a different beat, just a new, interesting mix of lyricists. Needless to say, it should be telling that two out of the maybe five well-known white lyricists in Hip Hop chipped in verses on Part 2. If I were to pick a favorite bar on the track, it'd be Macklemore's standout line below...

"Your politics are like a Starburst pack, nobody f**cks with the orange one"
Maybe I'm a sucker for intelligent verses, but by far Macklemore stood out on the track as the most quotable. It isn't the type of track to do much more than give Fox News something new to complain about, but if you're interested in taking the temperature on where Hip Hop is at, you've got a clear signal on this one. It will be interesting to see how much pop culture influences the upcoming election because I have yet to hear any pop culture star embrace the Donald publicly. Sure, those who would be influenced by pop culture stars may represent a small slice of the voting pie, but it's hard to ignore a shot over the bow like the one below...#FDT

YG feat G-Eazy & Macklemore - FDT (Part 2)

"Just Want You to Raise My Roof"

Well...it doesn't get much more pop culture relevant than a comeback single from Britney Spears. About 16 years ago, she was the definition of Pop music, but she hasn't evolved her music over the past decade, which has resulted in her popularity dwindling. It's been about three and a half years since she's released new music and I'll admit, back in 2013 I was just as tired of her music as you were.

But to her credit, Britney came through with something new and relatively fresh sounding this week. Make Me Move is more of a super slow trap ballad that relies heavily on her sultry vocals and a rock solid cameo from G-Eazy. In fact, in not sure she could have picked a better rapper to deliver a verse on the track. His easily understandable diction and meaningful lyrics fit the vibe of the track to a T. If you're looking for a club banger, you'll be sorely disappointed, but if you're open minded enough to not let your pre-conceived notions of Britney get in the way, you might end up liking her new one...#MakeMeMove

Britney Spears feat G-Eazy - Make Me...

"You Chase Them All Night, I Pick"

Anybody thinking that G-Eazy peaked with When It's Dark Out just got a rude awakening today when he released two new heat rocks. The one I'm most stoked about is the DJ Mustard and Quavo assisted In The Meantime. You know when Mustard is on the beat, there's going to be plenty of bass on deck. Maybe I'm late to the party on his flow and verses, but Eazy dropped more than a few witty quoteables. The start of that third verse is straight fire! This one might end up being the tipping point when it comes to attending one of his many Endless Summer Tour dates. See y'all at Shoreline in early July...#InTheMeantime

G-Eazy feat Quavo - In The Meantime (produced by DJ Mustard)

"Something Got You Up At Night, So Tell Me Who Goin' Call"

I'm starting to feel embarrassed at the lack of G-Eazy I've posted in this corner of the internet. You'd think that GWDJ being headquartered in the Bay Area and being bombarded by his various Warriors anthems would have resulted in him growing on me. Sadly, it's taken until this new Ghostbusters track with Jeremih to get some damn love! I hate to call it corny because G-Eazy lit up the mic with his verses, but it's a bit sing-alongy to be respected for the Hip Hop track it's wanting to be. Jeremih is unstoppable on any hook, but the bubbly Pop beat didn't afford him much room work with. It will be interesting to see whether or not this new all women comedian cast for Ghostbusters lives up to the hype, but Saw it Coming didn't have an impact either way on whether or not I'll be seeing it. Lets just hope the massive trailer dislike fest isn't an indication for what's to come because the cast has a lot of potential...#SawItComing

"Even When the Night is Cold, I Got That Fiyah in My Soul"

There's a plethora of white rappers (Mike Stud, Lil Dicky, etc.) who are lighting it up right now, but G-Eazy might be the most household of the lot. It's not his most recent single, but Me, Myself and I definitely set the tone for his latest album, When It's Dark Out. The original version of the track is extremely palatable for a Hip Hop track with Bebe Rexha's stellar vocals leading the way.

The original is great and all, but if there's one thing I enjoy, it's when hype Hip Hop tracks get funky EDM remixes. Lucky for us, Viceroy came through with a bubbly bassline that carried the original to new heights. The beat tells a bit more a story on the remix with a fun, bouncy post-drop progression. It's a bit more carefree, cutting the sharp lyrical bars that G-Eazy brought to the table. It's exactly the type of easy-going remix you'd look for from one of the more funky EDM artists in the game...#MeMyselfAndI

G-Eazy feat Bebe Rexha - Me, Myself & I (Viceroy Remix)