Rappers have long used personal experiences to express themselves artistically through music. From mental illness to drug usage, artists have long used this medium as a form of therapeutic relief from life’s hardships.
2023 saw artists release mind-boggling visuals. Ranging from internet-breaking concepts to narrative ingenuity, these videos will leave audiences thinking.
Lil Durk’s “All My Life”
Hip-hop has its own vocabulary. It spawned an alphabet of words to express emotions, actions and situations, creating an entire culture around fashion, art and emotion – which Run-D.M.C.’s Grandmaster Flash and Dre used as platforms to promote themselves; hip-hop videos allowed everyone in the world to visit Grandmaster Flash’s New York, Dre’s Compton, Mike Jones Houston or Chief Keef’s Chicago.
Hype Williams, Spike Jonze, Paul Hunter and Antoine Fuqua played an instrumental part in shaping hip-hop’s visual language as it evolved over time. By 2022 no one expected Lil Durk to spark such a widespread movement with his club-ready “Pushin P” track or Memphis rookie GloRilla to send shockwaves through with her powerful “FNF,” but both managed to do exactly that, creating music videos that made people of all ages feel empowered and connected – Lil Uzi Vert initiated yet another movement when Gibson Hazard directed his party-starting track “Just Wanna Rock,” cementing his place as rockstar of his time.
Cardi B’s “Jealousy”
Cardi B was off to an incredible start in 2022, winning the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album with her debut Invasion of Privacy and then following it up with several top collaborations such as Rosalia on “Despacha RMX”, Memphis rookie Glorilla in “Tomorrow 2”, and her own “Shake It” featuring Bory300 and Dougie B.
“Jealousy,” Cardi B’s powerful response to Offset’s cheating scandal, features Taraji P. Henson as her trustworthy friend offering support and listening attentively for any concerns she might be harboring about Offset’s infidelity. The song features its music video in which Taraji acts as Cardi’s trusted confidante.
The 1990s witnessed hip-hop artists like Run-D.M.C and members of Wu-Tang Clan ascend from localized subcultures to global icons, and music videos played a central role in forging their personae. Director Hype Williams, Paul Hunter, Spike Jonze and Antoine Fuqua helped elevate hip hop visual language to unprecedented levels of prestige and impact.
Dojah’s “Creepin”
Gunna made waves with his club-ready single “Pushin’ P,” while GloRilla caused an earthquake with groundshaking tracks like “FNF.” One notable twist came courtesy of newcomer Dojah who made history when her song, “Creepin,” became the first female artist’s Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper this year. Dojah boasts about owning marijuana and offering it to someone he likes; offering to show them how to smoke it if necessary – creating an engaging, fresh and energetic track.
Nicki Minaj’s “Barbie World”
Nicki Minaj is a Grammy Award winning rapper, singer-songwriter, television personality and actress who is best known for her flowing rap style with provocative lyrics. In addition, her unique persona includes wearing colorful wigs and bold clothing which match perfectly her musical talents.
Born December 8, 1982 in St. James, Trinidad and Tobago, Minaj hails from a mix of Afro-Trinidadian descent. At five, she moved to Queens, New York City where she attended LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts to study acting.
Minaj began her rap career in the 2000s after working as a backup singer for local rappers in New York City and releasing a mixtape online that attracted Lil Wayne. Soon thereafter, Lil Wayne invited Minaj to join his Dirty Money record label.
Pink Friday, released in November 2010 and reaching number one on the Billboard 200 chart, featured explicit sexual lyrics – now an iconic characteristic of her work – while its name reflected her affinity for using pink both personally and for merchandise such as perfume or pink pill speakers.
Minaj enjoys an extensive online following and has collaborated with an array of well-known musicians, such as Drake, Rick Ross, Madonna, Beyonce, Cam’ron and 2 Chainz – to name but a few. She has also appeared in movies and TV shows such as Barbershop: The Next Cut.
Nicki Minaj is one of the most celebrated female rappers of all time, selling over 100 million records worldwide and winning four MTV Video Music Awards’ Best Female Hip-Hop Artist titles. In addition, she holds the record for most appearances by any female artist on Billboard Hot 100 list with 102 entries.
Kendrick Lamar’s “The Hillbillies”
Lil Uzi Vert reigned supreme as 2022 came to a close, dominating summer playlists with his party-starting hit “Just Wanna Rock.” Hailing from Philadelphia, Uzi’s chaotic dance moves caused riots in New York City while inspiring men and women alike to rock out at home. Gibson Hazard directed music video features Uzi running through Manhattan streets while jumping off buildings – setting trends and setting off dance parties across America!
Memphis rookie GloRilla made her mark in hip-hop through her hits “FNF” and “Tomorrow 2,” both produced by Surf Gang’s Evilgiane. Kendrick Lamar and Keem West make an exciting duo when they tag team verses; additionally, their production features funky Jersey club sounds complete with Bon Iver samples as well as Kendrick’s amusing “that twat” adlib!
The 1990s witnessed the return of music videos as an essential medium that immortalized hip-hop artists. Hip hop became America’s pop music, with directors like Hype Williams, Spike Jonze and Antoine Fuqua creating prismatic videos for artists like Busta Rhymes, Missy Elliott, Lil Kim and Puff Daddy that cemented hip hop’s visual language and forever altered its path forward. Without these pioneering directors shaping hip-hop’s visual language it may never have had such an impactful transformation!