Videos of the Week July 7th

This week we got another Tiny Desk highlight to go along with a few music videos and some obligatory novelty. I've posted quite a few of NPR's Tiny Desk videos, but you'd be hard pressed to find another one better than the one below. Of course Chance performed a poem that he wrote while driving to the NPR offices. Luckily he had some DC traffic because what resulted was a fun watch.

Moving along to music videos where Ke$ha made a triumphant return on Praying. She's been through a lot over the past few years and if her new single is any indication, she's doing a hell of a job channeling that emotion. On a similarly invigorating way, Run the Jewels new claymation roller coaster video for Don't Get Captured was unique. Spooky is the word that comes to mind, which fits the vibe of the track quite well. If comedy is what you're looking for then you may be interested in James Van Der Beek's new show "What Would Diplo Do?" I'll give it to him, it was bold to cast himself as Diplo, but we'll see if the mockumentary has more than a few silly laughs to carry the series.

And last, but not least, this week delivered a new trailer for a star-studded new Jumanji reboot. The cast definitely gets your attention with Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and The Rock leading the way, but it makes you wonder whether or not they will be able to pull off a serious plot like the original did. Maybe it'll be an upgraded version of the original with a huge dose of comedy added to the mystery. Maybe it'll be one huge, contrived cluster. We shall see, at least we have until Christmas to hold our judgment...#WelcomeToTheJungle
Chance the Rapper Performing Puts on a Tiny Desk Concert for NPR

Ke$ha - Praying (Video)

Run the Jewels - Don't Get Captured (Video)

Viceland - What Would Diplo Do? (Trailer)

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (Trailer)

Photo Credit: NPR

Videos of the Week November 18th

This was definitely the week for new beginnings and reinterpretations. As far as reinterpretations are concerned, anytime The Roots and Fallon decide to go all acapella and schoolyard instrumental in the classroom, you know it will get some love on this internet property. This time they joined Metallica in a spirited, yet surprisingly accessible version of Enter Sandman. The energy of the track is the same, yet it sounds so different. Sticking with the remixes, I found myself in awe of Sarah Hyland's (of Modern Family) vocal abilities on her cover of The Chainsmokers' with Boyce Avenue. Coming close to Halsey vocally is no small feat and she more than held her own on the duet.

It's becoming routine, but I had to post The Chainsmokers new visuals for All We Know with Phoebe Ryan. They truly have a knack for not only telling stories through their music, but also crafting a matching story visual story that engenders a similar emotional reaction. Love the first person camera perspective of the video, it gave allows the audience to exist in someone else's shoes, if for only three and a half minutes. Switching gears to the new beginnings portion of the top five, meet Amine, a rapper from Portland who burst onto the scene with his recent viral hit Caroline. It was so buzzy that it got him a spot on Fallon and he crushed it! And last, but not least, we've got another (sort of) new beginning with Chocolate Droppa. Sure, it's really Kevin Hart, but he does his best R&B artist impression with the help of Trey Songz on Push It On Me. I'll admit though, I almost lost it when he coasted to a finish acapella in the video 😂...#ChocolateDroppa
The Roots and Metallica Sing Enter Sandman (Classroom Instruments Version)

Boyce Avenue feat Sarah Hyland (of Modern Family) Cover The Chainsmokers & Halsey's Closer

The Chainsmokers feat Phoebe Ryan - All We Know (Video)

Amine Performs Viral Hit Caroline on Fallon

Chocolate Droppa (Kevin Hart) feat Trey Songz - Push It On Me (Video)

Photo Credit: YouTube

Videos of the Week October 14th

Live performances were the name of the game in this week's top five. Led by The Chainsmokers and Desiigner's 360 video from their recorded performance at Austin City Limits, the bar was set high from the start. It was set high, but Anderson .Paak and the Free Nationals brought every ounce of funk the set of Ellen when performing Come Down. I'm still in awe of how he's solving the timeless problem of Hip Hop not being able to be translated into a live show. "You're damn right it can be and this is what it should look like," says Anderson. And even though it's probably more of a personal novelty to me, seeing Slushii, Skrillex, and Marshmello share the same decks on a B2B2B was a cool sight. I don't expect you to be interested enough to watch the hour long Shanghai set, but if you skip around you might just be as entertained as I was.

Then there was the trippy forest video for Frequency that Kid Cudi self-directed. It was about what I expected from Cudi, but music aside, I'm in total support of him tackling his demons head on and seeking help this week. It takes a real man to admit when he needs help and I'm extremely glad he reached out before doing any harm to himself. In case you missed it, here was his incredibly brave and transparent note about why he was choosing to seek help during a time when he's releasing an album. And in case the music wasn't entertaining enough, there was that time Kevin Hart and Jimmy Fallon made their way through NYC's scariest haunted house wearing GoPros. There's always something funny about seeing comedians get scared to death, even if it's staged...#WhatNow
The Chainsmokers' 360 Video for Closer and Desiigner's Panda at Austin City Limits

Anderson .Paak and the Free Nationals Perform Come Down! on Ellen

That Time Slushii, Skrillex and Marshmello Performed an Epic B2B2B in Shanghai

Kid Cudi - Frequency (Video)

Kevin Hart and Jimmy Fallon Visit a Haunted House

Photo Credit: YouTube

Videos of the Week February 12th

Was it me or did all the news this week in music center around Beyonce and Kanye? While it was tempting to post snippets of Kanye's Madison Square Garden album launch fashion show, it was much better consumed live. Instead, let's pivot to Beyonce who is hilariously being threatened to be banned from Canada. Anyone who saw the Super Bowl performance was probably inspired by the aggressive and controlled demeanor of Queen B. The same description could be given to her real video for Formation where she steams ahead, proudly proclaiming Black Pride.

It's hard to follow that type of video, but if you haven't heard of Parson James, here's another example why he's going to be a household name soon enough. The dude is such a talented vocalist, there's no denying it. Word it has it Zoolander 2 comes out this weekend and it's receiving sub-part reviews. Along the same silly comedy lines, Peyton Manning and Magic Johnson played egg roulette on Fallon. Anytime you can see Hall of Fame athletes making a fool of themselves, it's going to be a good time. Speaking of making a fool of yourself, Kevin Hart is legitimately scared of reptiles. Not just little lizards, but also big snakes. In his words, "Snakes are racist!" Yea lots of laughs this week for sure...#Ophidiophobia

I forgot to post this video yesterday....I tried to conquer my fears!!! Shit didn't work, snakes can kiss my ... http://t.co/m3N0JzVRqc

— Kevin Hart (@KevinHart4real) March 8, 2014

Beyonce - Formation (Video)

Parson James Performs Temple on Late Night With Seth Myers

Zoolander 2 (Extended Trailer)

Egg Russian Roulette With Peyton Manning and Magic Johnson on Fallon

Kevin Hart is Afraid of Snakes...Hilarity Ensues

Photo Credit: YouTube

T.I. Goes Hard on New Track From Get Hard

It's been a while since I've posted a T.I. track that was this catchy. From the start, I Go Hard is shot out of a cannon with Kat delivering a quality hook over a rolling beat. The nonchalance that Tip is able to flow over the verses is why he's still considered the King of the South.

Whether or not this leads the way to success for Kevin Hart and Will Ferrell's upcoming movie Get Hard, is another story. I still haven't really seen a Kevin Hart movie that is memorable, but the 32% Rotten Tomatoes score doesn't inspire confidence. It is telling that 65% of moviegoers said they liked it, so take the serious critics with a grain of salt. I know you've seen commercials for the movie, but below is the full length tailer if you're still considering seeing it...#GetHard

T.I. feat Kat - I Go Hard

Will Ferrell & Kevin Hart Steal the Show on Fallon

Usually I save all noteworthy videos until Friday's videos of the week post, but tonight I'm making a rare exception because of the high entertainment value of the video below. In the Twitter/Vine culture of quick clips, a 12 minute video is generally a hard sell. That being said, comedy gold can be described as having Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart and Jimmy Fallon on the same stage lip syncing pop songs. Can't imagine Will Ferrell gyrating to Beyonce or dropping glitter as a dramatic ending to singing "Let it Go" from Frozen? Well you'll get exactly that below and much more as a fourth superstar enters the stage out of nowhere during the last round. In general, Jay Leno was great for many years, but this is yet again proof that Jimmy Fallon was born to host late night TV...#Fallon

Photo Credit: YouTube

Videos of the Week October 17th

There's quite a bit of entertainment mixed into the top 5 this week. In my eyes, it's a toss up between Jimmy Fallon/Brad Pitt's break dance conversation video and Kevin Hart's freestyle as Chocolate Droppa. Anytime you leave Kendrick Lamar speechless while freestyling, you know something great just happened.

On the music tip, Alesso and Fall Out Boy released new videos for their latest singles. I'm always impressed with what Fall Out Boy is able to put together creatively and their new video was no exception. On a final note, I'm continuing to be intrigued by video companies partnering with Hip Hop artists on trailers for new games. This time the makers of Far Cry 4 got together with Childish Gambino to put together an interesting video detailing the collaboration between the two. Makes me wish they had more Hip Hop in video games back in the day...#FarCry4
Jimmy Fallon & Brad Pitt Have a Break Dance Conversation

Kevin Hart's Alter Ego Chocolate Droppa Freestyle with Kendrick Lamar

Alesso feat Tove Lo - Heroes (Video)

Far Cry 4 and Childish Gambino: The Collaboration

Fall Out Boy - Centuries (Video)

Photo Credit: YouTube

Videos of the Week August 15th

With the NFL season on the horizon, this week has a bit of a football theme with The Manning Brothers' Fantasy Football Hip Hop commercial leading the way. Was it me or did Broadway Joe play to his stereotype a bit too comfortably when he was feeling up on that woman mid-way through the video? On an even less serious note, how bout that super, extravagant Madden commercial? It shares the same silliness as The Manning video, but with a little bit more crazy. I don't even play Madden anymore, but that video got me pumped.

In other news, Fences new video with Macklemore is an entertaining and artsy watch. David Guetta put together a perfectly Western video for Lovers of the Sun. And last, but certainly not least, Ariana Grande is in fact decent looking and it's not everyday you see her shoot rockets out of her ta-tas...#Madden15
Peyton & Eli Manning Fantasy Football Hip Hop Video

FENCES feat Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - Arrows (Video)

Ariana Grande feat Zedd - Break Free (Video)

David Guetta - Lovers of the Sun (Video)

Madden NFL 15 Madden Season (feat Kevin Hart and Dave Franco)

Photo Credit: YouTube

Videos of the Week December 20th

As I mentioned throughout the week, it was a Hip Hop dominated past seven days. The two standout videos of the week were Eminem/Rihanna's Monster video and Mike Posner/Big Sean's Detroit inspired Top of the World. I'll admit it was really cool to see the professional sports inspired Detroit theme. The scenery littered with Red Wings, Tigers and Lions stadiums from two of Detroit natives (Southfield, Detroit) did a good job of capturing the sentiment of the track.

In other news, Kevin Hart and Conan are funny, I'm really digging Cash Cash's new single, and Chuck Inglish + Asher Roth continue to be a dynamic duo. That is all, have a good weekend y'all...#TopOfTheWorld
Mike Posner feat Big Sean - Top of the World (Video)

Eminem feat Rihanna - Monster (Video)

Kevin Hart & Ice Cube Ride Along with Conan

Cash Cash feat Bebe Rexha - Take Me Home (Video)

Chuck Inglish & Asher Roth Perform For the Love in Studio

Photo Credit: YouTube

Videos of the Week April 5th

Good mix of musical entertainment, viral videos and just plain entertainment from comedians losing at paintball. After reading Pigeons and Planes' well-written article detailing our fake friendship with Drake, it's only fitting that he be the subject of this week's rendition of videos. Drake let loose his new video for 5 AM in Toronto, played a cameo role in Snoop Lion's No Guns Allowed video and managed to whoop up on Kevin Hart's crew in paintball all in one week. The week as a whole supports the whole article's premise about how we know so much about Drake's life that we can both love his music and then turn around and make fun of him like we've known him for years. For example, his 5 AM in Toronto video is pretty boring as a whole, but he dropped a flawless verse on No Guns Allowed and backed up his sh*t talking to Kevin Hart by waxing him "I think we beat Kevin as many times as they played that John Legend song on Think Like a Man (Tonight feat Ludacris)." Cold!

Thanks to Drake, transparency is now cool again and for that I will forever be grateful to him for bringing it back. Even though we're his fake friend, he's better off with us and we're better off with him, so as superficial as it might be, it's a symbiotic relationship that benefits all parties involved. As a quick aside, make sure and check out that dueling saxophone video in the subway. The world needs more spontaneous music like that...#Saxophone

Drake - 5 AM in Toronto (Video)

Nicki Minaj feat Lil Wayne - High School (Video)
Snoop Lion feat Drake and Cori B. - No Guns Allowed (Video)
Dueling Saxophones Playing Billie Jean on an NYC Subway
Kevin Hart's Squad Takes on Drake's Team OVO in Paintball

Videos of the Week August 10th

In an otherwise mundane week for videos, a few gems emerged from the sandy nothingness. For starters, I was entertained at how @kanyewest and @KimKardashian were able to joke about being the new hot celebrity couple with the host of the VMAs @KevinHart4real. Although they seem like the most artificial couple on the planet, it's refreshing to see them not take themselves too seriously.

Kudos to whoever decided on the pixelated style on @bobatl's new video for Play the Guitar video. It seems like a low budget way to be creative and when upscaled to HD, it's pretty fun to watch and follow along with. Last week I spoke on the controversy surrounding @Drake's new project with the upcoming Aaliyah album and it's good to hear he will be getting everyone else in on the project so he doesn't ruffle any feathers. I'm still not really sure why I included the chatroulette Call Me Maybe video, but let it be a cautionary tale for anyone who thinks they won't get someone like that dude...#Fuckery

B.O.B. feat Andre 3000 - Play the Guitar (Video)

Kanye & Kim K Hottest New Couple VMA Promo

Drake Speaks on Posthumous Aaliyah Album

Wiz Khalifa Interviewed on Chelsea Lately

Call Me Maybe Chatroulette Mix