Videos of the Week October 6th

It was an odd week for videos, which reflected a tumultuous week in the U.S. Words can't adequately communicate the amount of loss and despair we all felt when the details started to emerge surrounding the Las Vegas shooting. The fact that it was at a music festival was even more harrowing for those of us who frequently attend those large scale events. Personally, I've grown accustomed to turning to music when everything else in the world doesn't make sense, so hopefully this abbreviated list of videos somehow provide the escapism you're looking for if you feel the same week.

All that being said, it would be hard to find a more appropriate video than Miley Cyrus and Adam Sandler's performance of No Freedom shortly after news of the shooting broke. The tone of the track seemed to strike just the right chord for me and while I don't normally listen to country, I felt the need to be a little more open minded this week. If you came to this post looking for some actual music videos, both Fergie and Wu-Tang have you covered. Fergie's Love is Blind may not be the most appropriate video given this week's events, but the use of dolls carrying out the plot saved me from taking it too seriously. It's been a while since Wu-Tang got together and seeing them with Redman added even more nostalgia to their new video for People Say. If you need a bit of humor to get you back on the brighter side of life, the latest rendition of Celebrity Mean Tweets might do the trick. And if you're really looking for a mix of pop culture and great music, Jay Zv covered all those bases with his SNL performance. Donning a Kaepernick jersey, he started the latest season of SNL off with bang by performances of Bam and 4:44. Here's to hoping Colin finds his way into the NFL at some point this year...#FreeKaepernick

Miley Cyrus and Adam Sandler Perform "No Freedom" to Open the Fallon Show

Fergie - Love is Blind (Video)

Wu-Tang Clan feat Redman - People Say (Video)

Celebrities Read Mean Tweets on Kimmel

Jay Z Performs Bam on SNL

Photo Credit: YouTube

Videos of the Week September 22nd

Out of all weeks, this one probably had the best balance of emotional, creative, and funny. Led by the incredibly nostalgic Good Old Days, Macklemore and Kesha provided a quality lead off effort. There's just something about sitting around a campfire with friends that meshes really well with the "remember the good old days feeling. Speaking of feeling, if you don't get goosebumps hearing Jay Z's Encore verse meshed with the Chester Bennington led Numb live in studio then you clearly slept on early 2000s music. Really going to miss the high end vocal range he brought to Linkin Park that gave the group an added alternative edge.

In case you've missed everything I've posted over the past few weeks, Odesza released their new A Moment Apart album last week. Watching them make music is one of the most memorizing things for me personally. It's only a minute and a half, but seeing how they put together Meridian was a fun watch. If you're looking for funny, watching Lil Wayne lip sync the Friends theme song with an NFL twist should fit the bill. The music sample is far from Hip Hop, but there's some entertainment value watching him plead for NFL teams to not go 0-2. Rounding out this week's top five was another stellar creation from Louis Futon. This time he teamed up with GRiZ to put together a paint by numbers, behind the scenes look on how they spliced together their remix of Tyler, The Creator's See You Again. Can't say I was a huge fan of the original, but I'm all about the new fangled flip the dynamic duo was able to put together...#SeeYouAgain

Macklemore & Kesha - Good Old Days (Video)

Jay Z Performs Numb/Encore as a Tribute to Linkin Park's Chester Bennington

How Odesza Made Meridian

Lil Wayne Sings the Friends Theme Song

Louis Futon & GRiZ Flip Tyler, The Creator's See You Again

Photo Credit: YouTube

Videos of the Week August 11th

This week was dominated by high profile Hip Hop videos. Led by Jay Z's Friends spoof video for Moonlight, the week got off to an entertaining start. After a full week of Tidal only access, the Jiggaman threw us a bone by releasing a behind the scenes outtakes version of the eight minute long video for the track off 4:44. Following close behind was Big Boi's booty-smacking, liquid dripped video for Chocolate and Lil Yachty's theme park inspired video for Forever Young.

Switching gears for a hot minute, Maggie Rogers also pulled off a stellar cover of The xx's Say Something Loving on Triple J's Like a Version show. Is anybody still questioning whether she has that magical "IT" that Pharrell first uncovered? Nope. And last but not least was the ever-entertaining Vince Staples who decided to eat some really spicy wings and offer a few hot takes on the latest First We Feast's latest Hot Ones episode. I'm still warming up to his music, but there's no denying the charisma Vince has to offer...#HotOnes

Jay Z - Moonlight (Video) (Friends Spoof)

Big Boi - Chocolate (Video)

Lil Yachty feat Diplo - Forever Young (Video)

Maggie Rogers - Say Something Loving (The xx Cover)

Vince Staples Hot Ones Episode

Photo Credit: YouTube

Videos of the Week August 3rd

Tis the season for music videos! It's a rare top five full of 100% music videos this week. Led by a few heavyweight efforts from K Dot/Rihanna and Jay Z, every other video seemed to easily fit in the shadow of the first two. That being said, neither were my favorite this week. That honor goes to Major Lazer's cutting edge interactive video for Know No Better. It's an interesting feeling being able to poke around at different camera angles and experience a video from different, unique angles. I'm sure this is only the tip of the iceberg with where technology is heading, but it's a trend I hope to see continue. A close second this week goes to Macklemore and Lil Yachty's video for Marmalade. They did a really good job casting their younger selves in the video and the cameos were fun surprises. Rounding out the top five was the trailer for Eminem's new rap battle movie titled Bodied. Something tells me we've seen something like this cough, cough 8 Mile. Fingers crossed for a fresh story line in Em's foray into film...#Bodied

Kendrick Lamar feat Rihanna - Loyalty (Video)

Jay Z - Kill Jay Z (Video)

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

Macklemore feat Lil Yachty - Marmalade (Video)

Eminem's New Film - Bodied (Trailer

Photo Credit: YouTube

"I Turned My Life Into a Nice First Week Release Date"

It's been an interesting last few weeks for Jay Z. Just last week he surprised everyone with a new full length album, 4:44. To no one's surprise, it was exclusively released on Tidal...the same music service that Kanye is doing he absolute best to sever all ties with at the moment. Storied history aside, 4:44 is going to get its highly anticipated physical release this Friday, building on the initial exclusive Sprint and Tidal release on June 30th.

So what can expect from the new album? Well, CNN thinks it's dope, 50 Cent thinks it's golf course music, and somehow it's already gone platinum. The only real consensus is that The Story of O.J. is a clear standout track. Blessed with a picturesque No I.D. production and a laid back, storytelling vibe, there's a lot to unpack. Just today, the Jiggaman released a video for the track that invites even more discussion. The black and white cartoon aesthetic provides and interesting back drop for a story surrounding racial tension. I'm still trying wrap my head around it, as well as the numerous subliminal shots on his latest album. Despite the record already going platinum, it's safe to say the story of this album is only beginning to be told...#TheStoryOfOJ



Jay Z - The Story of O.J. (Prod by No I.D.) (Footnotes)

Watch @S_C_'s “Footnotes for ‘The Story of O.J.’” https://t.co/We5OlPBrLl pic.twitter.com/m1kf9eHaXj

— TIDAL (@TIDALHiFi) July 3, 2017

"Biking, I'm Biking, I'm Biking Slow-Mo"

Hope y'all are ready because this whole Frank Ocean comeback is now in fully effect. We got a few warning shots with his recent Calvin Harris track and his latest buzzy single Chanel. As a side note, neither of those tracks moved the needle much for me, but Biking is heading the right direction.

On his new one, he enlisted the help of this guy you may know named Shawn Carter and his former Odd Future band mate, Tyler, the Creator. The first half of the track is more or less a long, meandering intro leading into a chill, guitar-led beat. Those hoping for a lights out, hot sixteen can continue waiting or fast forward to Tyler's verse around the three minute mark. Speaking of verses, what the hell was that last thirty seconds of the track? To me, it sounded like loud gibberish. I'm going to hang my hat on the stellar vocals Frank chipped in on this new one and join the rest of the population that seem to be geeking out over the prospect of a new full length album...#Biking

Frank Ocean feat Jay Z & Tyler, the Creator - Biking (prod by Frank Dukes)

Beyonce & Jay Z Never Get Tired of All of This Winning

In case you haven't gotten your fill of DJ Khaled this weekend for the NBA All-Star game, here comes his new collabo with the Bonnie & Clyde of Hip Hop. To catch you up real quick on what he's been up to over the past 24 hours, here he was draining a 3 to raise money for Sager Strong...

DJ Khaled for 3 #SagerStrong pic.twitter.com/mPQyc7I8RA

— gifdsports (@gifdsports) February 19, 2017

And then here he is promoting his Snapchat brand while helping Deandre Jordan as a prop in the dunk contest...


Needless to say, Khaled it still hot and there's no denying the impact of his inspirational message every time he gets in front of a camera. What I'm most impressed with on Shining is his ability to bring out the best in both Beyonce and Jay Z. No lie, Beyonce may have stole the show on the track by both singing and rapping her ass off. Sure, Jiggaman's verse will get the most attention, but both of them showed out. I love how the "winning", "don't slow me down" message is a direct reflection of Khaled's persona. It fits together well and makes for a really smooth track. Give it spin on iTunes or Spotify...#Shining

DJ Khaled feat Beyonce & Jay Z - Shining

Jay Z Delivers a Spiritually Provoking Message

Boy...where to start with all that has gone on over the past month. Hot button topics like terrorism, gun violence, violence by/toward police officers, and mental illness have all been pushed to the forefront of cultural relevance due to a lot of deadly events. I'm not going to get up on a soap box and tell you how to think about it all, but I will offer an anecdote. Today while listening to the Dallas police chief being interviewed he said explained how a few people were arrested during the aftermath of the tragic attack last week. When talking about whether they were suspects, he had to explain that they were suspects because guns were being used to attack police officers and the people who were arrested were wearing assault rifles and gas masks while protesting since THAT IS LEGAL TO DO IN TEXAS. Two of those assault rifle toting suspects were released without being charged and one of the three didn't have a permit and was slapped with a misdemeanor charge. I know all of this was secondary to the tragic situation where many officers were shot and killed, but the fact that the Dallas police had to immediately treat people who were acting legally as threats in that situation should mean something. If acting legally by carrying around a threatening weapon is that close to being illegal, why should it be legal in the first place? Food for thought as the event was sadly another instance of unchecked mental illness that manifested itself through violence with weapons towards others.

To give context, Jay Z released Spiritual shortly following the Alton Sterling and Philando Castile deaths. On the track you're going to get a lot of raw emotion and reflection from the Jiggaman. Although its release was prompted by two African American deaths at the hands of police officers, it's much more than a generic, Black Lives Matter PSA. Instead you're going to get an introspective dive into issues of his youth and parenting without having a father of his own. There's a summoning of strength through reflection that will hopefully resonate with a lot of listeners. Below is a tweet that he released following the incidents and release of the track. Overall, I'm impressed with how strong and articulate his message comes across and I can only hope the strength of his words acts a positive step toward substantive discussion of timeless cultural issues that never seem to go away...#Spiritual

Jay Z - Spiritual

"My Wife Beyoncé, I Brag Different"

It would appear Jigga hasn't lost even a half step over the years when it comes to crafting legendary verses. Between his verse on Pusha's Drug Dealers Anonymous and his verse on DJ Khaled's new I Got the Keys, age clearly ain't nothin but a number to him skill wise. Judging by the ridiculous amount of cameos in the video below and Khaled's penchant for Snapchat mastery, there's little chance that this won't have staying power. It along with a whole lot of other fabulous cameos will be landing on Khaled's upcoming Major Key album. You know, that album where he's posing with a lion on the cover? Yep, that'd be the one. If you can get over Future's repetitive, autotune yelling, there's a bangin' beat cooked up by Southside underneath the madness that you can nod your head to...#IGotTheKeys

DJ Khaled feat Jay Z & Future - I Got the Keys (prod by Southside)

"Google Me Baby, You Crazy"

I'm not sure whether it's a coincidence or whether someone lit a fire under Hip Hop as a whole, but there have been some impressive tracks released of late. Sure, there were the Drake, Kanye and Chance the Rapper albums, but now Hov and Pusha are getting in on the action. Drug Dealers Anonymous is one of the most impressive Hip Hop collaborations of 2016, hands down. It's a rarity to get the Jiggaman on the mic, but when both he and King Pusha get into full storytelling mode, get out of the way. With the help of a slow knocking beat by DJ Dahi, there was plenty of room for both heavyweights to maneuver for a four plus minutes without a hook. The mix of 808 bass breakdowns and chopped up claps give the simple beat a distinct personality. Tip of the cap to two of the best, they showed why they are on the track below...#DrugDealersAnonymous

Pusha T feat Jay Z - Drug Dealers Anonymous (prod by DJ Dahi)

Videos of the Week May 6th

Very entertaining week for videos with everyone's favorite staged, viral response to Beyonce's Lemonade video. Funny or Die is usually on point, but they brought their A game and flipped an hour long response quickly. When it came to music, Flo Rida/Jason Derulo and The Chainsmokers chipped in new visuals for their recent singles. I hate to call Hello Friday a typical Hip Hop video, but let's call a spade a spade. As far as Don't Let Me Down is concerned, the plot is a bit perplexing. You've got a group of women dancing and pouring their heart out vocally and Alex and Drew are...bouncing in '64 like they're riding down Crenshaw? Other than the play on words on not letting them down from the bouncing, not sure what they were going with theme wise.

In non-music news, Drake did an hour long piece with Zane Lowe following the release of Views. Jury is still out on the album for me, but overall I'm feeling the more low key, back to more of an R&B/Hip Hop mix vibe. And last but not least, we've got a brand new game on Fallon. It's called Frozen Blackjack and Fallon took on Captain America in the game. Let's just say, it was entertaining...#FrozenBlackjack

Jay Z Responds to Beyonce's Lemonade (Funny or Die)

The Chainsmokers - Don't Let Me Down (Video)

Flo Rida feat Jason Derulo - Hello Friday (Video)

Drake Interview with Zane Lowe

Chris Evans and Jimmy Fallon Play Frozen Blackjack

Photo Credit: YouTube

"Got So Many Chains They Call Me Chaining Tatum"

Songs like Pop Style don't need any introduction. You're going to press play regardless of what I say about it because of the immense star power on it. Both Drake and Kanye did everything in their power to deliver memorable verses. The way they were both able to duck and weave between tough talk and creative one liners is why they're two of the best. Do I wish Hov would have gotten more mic time than his short cameo? Sure, in a perfect world, but between the verses and eerie beat by SEVN Thomas and Frank Dukes, the song finds a way to be memorable. I say memorable because there's a decent chance I'm going to end up liking the more uptempo, reggaeton tinged One Dance more than Pop Style. The jury isn't out yet on picking a favorite, but I want to personally thank Drake for taking me across the finish line to a million hits. Cheers to hoping Views From the 6 will be every bit as memorable as the 2332 posts that eventually took this small property on the internet to something noteworthy to a few folks...#PopStyle

Drake ft The Throne (Kanye West & Jay Z) - Pop Style (prod by SEVN Thomas & Frank Dukes)

Streamable links dap to 2dopeboyz

Videos of the Week October 23rd

This week's top five was centered around actual music videos for change. Leading the way was a lot of music touched by Skrillex. His new one with Dillon Francis was as jittery and trappy as you'd expect from the duo. In somewhat of a surprise, he also came to the rescue of Justin Bieber by setting the tone on Sorry. Man, you better get used to hearing that track because it's going to be lighting up top 40 radio for the foreseeable future.

For you Hip Hop heads out there, Logic is still dropping weekly videos to cover his recent hits. The kid can spit, there's no getting around that. If you're up for a little nostalgia, then you'll appreciate Hov bringing back a classic on Kimmel this week. Sure the track isn't the same without Alicia's vocals live, but Jiggaman has enough stage presence to carry a concert. And last, but certainly not least, the most meemed video of the past week, Drake's video for Hotline Bling. If you're one of those who love to poke fun at his expressive expressions, this one made your entire year...#HotlineBling
Skirllex & Dillon Francis - Bun Up the Dance (Video)

Justin Bieber - Sorry (prod by Skrillex) (Video)

Logic feat Big Lenbo - Young Jesus (Video)

Jay Z Performs Empire State of Mine on Kimmel

Drake - Hotline Bling (Video)

Photo Credit: YouTube

Hov Paves the Road to Perdition for Electronica

This is the type of Hip Hop that gets you out of your seat just to listen. Following a low quality leak of his highly anticipated track Road to Perdition, Jay Electronica decided to take matters into his own hands by leaking the HQ version. With palpable vigor and a bangin' beat to go in on, Jay Elec put it all on the table by making a strong argument that he's one of the best lyricists in the game. Sure, the Jay Z samples give the track a bit more oomph in case you were unaware that he was signed to Roc Nation, but make no mistake about it, this was one hell of a solo effort.

After a few listens, I'm still in awe of the first four bars of the second verse:

My swag is on 1.21 gigawatts, 10 trillion kilowatts
Hardcore Thriller pop, Michael Jackson, n***** rock
Google me, baby, understand where I'm coming from
My destiny's to hit a grand slam when my number come

At this point we've heard two tracks from his upcoming Roc Nation debut, Act II: Patents of Nobility (The Turn). So far we've heard Better in Tune With the Infinite and Road to Perdition. By my count that's thirteen more tracks to drop with Kanye (twice), Diddy, The Dream and Erykah Badu collaborations to come. No word yet on when or if the album will ever drop, but the hype train is full steam after letting this one out of the cage...#RocNation

Jay Electronica feat Jay Z - Road To Perdition

"Copper Tried to Knock Us Off, We Still Movin' Bass"

I remember the days when gigantic Hip Hop collaborations between artists and producers were as common as bread on a sandwich. Nowadays, unless your name is Mike Will, you'd be lucky to get a big time collaboration more than a handful of times each year. Enter Timbaland, who decided to come out of hibernation to craft the new heat rock Movin' Bass (below). The track features living legends Ricky Rozay and Sean Carter.

Off top, the beat sets a quick pace. I could have done without the Phone Tap style 40 second interlude to start the track, but sadly, it's an upgrade over the Funk Flex tags. It's beats like this that allow me to appreciate Rick Ross. 90% of the verses he drops are yawn worthy, but when he gets on a great beat, he can elevate his game with the best of them. Through this track I got back the piece of Rick Ross that I first started liking back in the day when he was telling us all where he was from. Please Timbo...continue making music with other talented artists, Hip Hop has missed you...#MovinBass

Rick Ross feat Jay Z - Movin' Bass (prod by Timbaland)