Since the dawn of hip hop music, musicians have utilized musical expression to express ideas and feelings. Furthermore, artists use hip hop music to raise awareness for social causes through song.
Music videos can bring rap songs to life and engage listeners more deeply with its message. An effective music video should be creative, imaginative and choreographed perfectly for maximum impact.
1. Busta Rhymes – “Crooked Smile”
Busta Rhymes revolutionized hip-hop music during the 90s with his engaging visuals. His videos often combined choreography, stop-motion camera work and Afrofuturism into captivating viewing experiences for viewers.
After its debut, “Crooked Smile” instantly became a cultural phenomenon. This song inspired people from diverse backgrounds to fight for their goals while simultaneously showing the strength of black communities worldwide.
Today’s rap musicians are taking more of a serious stance on social issues through songs such as Childish Gambino’s “This Is America”, featuring both depressing scenes depicting problems within America as well as humorous dancing by him – creating an engaging yet divisive experience for viewers.
2. Kendrick Lamar – “Humble”
Hiro Murai directed this striking music video featuring an unusual West Coast G-funk sound and 90s hip hop luminaries from 90s. His stirring symbolic language has caused much debate and led to varied opinions regarding its meaning and relevance.
Produced by Mike WiLL Made It, the track features a deep piano riff and banging 808 bass; an unexpected departure from To Pimp A Butterfly’s jazz-influenced production. Kendrick appears dressed like Pope Benedict XVI while sitting reminiscent of Jesus from Leonardo Da Vinci’s The Last Supper painting for its visuals.
Kendrick stands out as an interesting easter egg in this video’s most eye-catching easter egg when his beat drops and he stops for 15 seconds, representing the duration of checking someone’s heart rate. It serves as an effective message: that even in times of darkness we can find peace and love through unity.
3. Eminem – “Stay”
Rap music is a beloved genre that spans many diverse topics. One effective way of communicating these themes through rap music videos is for artists to tell their stories more vividly and creatively.
Eminem released his video for “Stay” in 2015. This emotionally charged song dealt with grieving for loved ones that have passed on, while its video also beautifully captured scenes such as 19th century houses to desert roads.
Missy Elliott is known for her futuristic sound and stunning visuals, so it comes as no surprise that her music video “Get Ur Freak On” stands out among the competition. Creative, professionally choreographed, and featuring cameo appearances – it is sure to keep viewers hooked for its fast-paced visuals, not to mention its message of drug abuse and gang violence in its song itself.
4. Lil Uzi Vert – “Booty”
Hip hop music videos have long been revered for their striking music videos, with emotional symbolism, cartoons and futurism all making an appearance in them. From Run-DMC’s groundbreaking “Rock Box” video to Missy Elliott’s futuristic visuals – hip hop has transformed localized subcultures into global icons through its music and imagery.
Kodak Black’s “Fye Fye” video is filled with familial values and Black pride, featuring Tobe Nwigwe’s pregnant wife Fat and an energetic dance crew having fun together in an exciting rage–making it a must-watch video for any fan of genre music videos.
Childish Gambino’s divisive “This Is America” music video serves as an outstanding example of hip-hop’s ability to stimulate thought and discussion through its lyrics. Both song and visuals depicting social injustice unashamedly bring current issues into focus – demonstrating the potency of hip-hop’s message.
5. Lil Wayne – “Drop It Like It’s Hot”
Rap music relies heavily on visuals for creating an experience for its listeners that they can relate to and comprehend. A great video should tell a compelling tale without words that resonates with viewers and helps create a narrative without distracting.
Rap videos can be a powerful way to share a message or simply highlight an artist’s distinctive style. They have the power to transform hip-hop artists into icons while taking viewers on an immersive journey across cities and cultures.
Many rappers opt for specific themes when creating music videos, whether that means depicting an extravagant hip-hop lifestyle (2 Chainz’s “Birthday Song”) or using striking visual motifs like Craig Mack’s “Flava in Ya Ear”. Others focus on using various locations and shots for an engaging, dynamic experience – one thing most rap music videos share in common is featuring plenty of shots of themselves as performers.
6. Eminem – “Mo Money Mo Problems”
Rap music has an immense impact on popular culture, influencing not only audio but also visual media. Through music videos, rappers can express their creative ideas while telling a captivating tale that keeps audiences engrossed on screen.
Music videos often incorporate various visual effects such as emotional symbolism, cartoons and futurism to convey messages about an artist’s life – family members and acquaintances, their struggles and triumphs.
This song epitomizes storytelling rap and was one of Bad Boy’s signature songs during their prime era. While its lyrics might degrade women a bit, its overall message remains positive and it remains one of its finest classics from that era – make sure you watch! It’s definitely worth your while!
7. Eminem – “Stay”
Eminem’s powerful lyrics and storytelling abilities shine through this classic track, featuring clips from inner city areas including shots of gangs and poverty. Furthermore, this song addresses drug addiction and its dangers while encouraging listeners to stay away from drugs.
Hardly any rap song addresses more social issues than this powerful tune from Black Star. The lyrics highlight African Americans’ struggles while calling them to action – truly making this an essential piece. Listeners of any rap genre shouldn’t miss this powerful track!
Though 2009’s Relapse contained too many sexual jokes, its sequel provides evidence of artistic growth. Hypnotic synths and bass pushes capture the feel of a lively spring break party while Em’s confident declaration to “fuck the planet until its axis breaks” projects an optimistic persona at a time when his personal life was crumbling apart.
8. Lil Uzi Vert – “Crooked Smile”
“Crooked Smile” is an essential song in terms of current American politics, and its music video does a terrific job demonstrating this point. It juxtaposes playful dance moves with shocking depictions of gun violence – all set against an otherwise quiet world that seems poised for its demise.
This video has amassed over 5 billion views on YouTube, offering viewers an interesting look into the art of creating rap music videos. Scene-by-scene representation of filming helps viewers grasp how a final product was achieved.
From an old 19th-century house to the desert tarmac, this rap video is stunning and powerful with deep meaning. It reminds us how music connects people across generations – something it often does quite successfully!
9. Eminem – “Stay”
Rappers have an unparalleled opportunity to convey a wide variety of messages through music. Furthermore, they have creative freedom to take this message-telling one step further with music videos by employing various forms of visual creativity that keep viewers engaged throughout.
This video uses both traditional animation and stop-motion techniques, to satirically depict police brutality, imprisonment and unfair legal practices through cartoonish characters, practical hand drawings and menacing landscapes.
Run the Jewels’ hard-hitting flow is perfectly complimented by this video’s captivating and mesmerizing visuals, depicting bottles, dollar bills, pizza boxes and backyard palm trees swaying in sync – providing an idyllic image for wild summer fun while the lyrics touch upon murderous lifestyles and gang violence.
10. Lil Uzi Vert – “Drop It Like It’s Hot”
Lil Uzi Vert emerged with an eclectic musical palette spanning Young Thug, Chief Keef, and Kanye West’s 808s & Heartbreak to form their own sound in North Philadelphia. Through mixtapes, albums, looseies, and more released over the course of his career from North Philly. After becoming popular after featuring on Migos’ chart-topping single “Bad & Boujee,” Lil Uzi Vert followed it up by dropping two more chart-topping albums: Luv Is Rage 2 in 2017 and 2020’s Eternal Atake.
While some critics may have harshly judged his style, his music speaks volumes. In the chorus of this hypnotizing hit by Lil Wayne he boasts about his luxurious lifestyle and material possessions while interpolating London-based duo Oh Wonder’s “Landslide.” It features an interpolation from Oh Wonder’s song which proves the rapper can expertly combine genres to produce an irresistibly catchy jam that will have you dancing all night long; peaking at number 24 on Billboard Hot 100 2017. Watch it below