5 Greatest Hip-Hop Music Videos

The world of music would be a very different one without music videos in it, especially without some of the greatest ones.

Since a young kid, I’ve always had a fascination with music videos. I remember playing with toys in the living room while my sisters would watch MTV play popular music videos on repeat, and I would sit there and soak in everything about them. The feeling of a short, artistic film paired with the wonder of music is something that can captivate almost anyone. But one genre has always had the best music videos in my eyes: hip-hop.

Complied below is a list of some of the best hip-hop music videos I have ever seen, sorted in no particular order. Make sure to check out each of the videos to experience what I wrote about them, and don’t forget to comment what some of your favorite music videos are.

Travis Scott – 90210

Directed by Hype Williams, “90210” uses stop motion animation to tell a story of the dark world of Hollywood. Topics such as egotism, seduction and internal struggles are all displayed in the plastic world that Travis trashes around in, clearly bothered by what surrounds him. The amount of effort put into the video along with the rich nighttime coloring, of blues, purples and reds, are so eye catching that the five minute video will suck you into its fake world and hold you hostage until the song and video fade out.

Tyler, the Creator – F*cking Young

To me, no music video captures the essence of Tyler, the Creator better than “F*cking Young.” The comedic tone of the video paired up with the beautifully colorful visuals all directed by the man himself, gives a good look into the mind of one of the most artistic people of our generation. “F*cking Young” follows the story of Tyler falling for a girl that is too young for him and trying to keep his mind off of her, but she keeps appearing everywhere. The video then shifts moods and Tyler’s song “Deathcamp” takes over, turning the music video into a cartoon-style desert race, paying homage to the film Mad Max. The video is beautiful, story driven and hilarious – Tyler’s specialty.

A$AP Rocky – Gunz N Butter

I’m someone that thinks A$AP Rocky has some of the best videos out of any artist, so picking just one distinctive video was a challenge. I considered the mesmerizing “Sundress” video or the cartoonish “Babushka Boi“, but ultimately chose “Gunz N Butter” since I felt it was much more impactful to watch. The video showcases vivid scenes of some of the worst things that happen within America. Examples include klansmen burning a cross, a slaughterhouse in motion and even a school shooter cleaning his weapon. The video gives the viewer such a strong uneasy feeling due to the commentary on the country, but the way it is done so artistically is what makes the video stand out so much to me.

Kanye West – POWER

Kanye West always tends to have incredible, over the top visuals, but no video has ever stood out to me more than “POWER” does. The under two minute video is loaded with so much depth and iconology that you can easily get lost in all of it. Once the camera pans out completely and you see the whole Renaissance-like image of Kanye standing God-like amidst angelic beings, warriors fighting and even a phoenix, the viewer sits there in awe at just how mesmerizing the scene is. Looking at it, all one can really think is how just one man can have all that power – fitting for the song.

Childish Gambino – Sweatpants

Childish Gambino’s fever dream mentality is put on full display in his music video for “Sweatpants.” A commonality I see within my dreams is that while different events occur each time, there tends to be several fantastical settings that the events always take place in. This video is very reminiscent of a dream you feel trapped in, fitting as the longer Gambino raps on the song, the more he becomes derailed and talks about his many internal struggles with himself and the world around him. Trapped in a cycle of monotony, Gambino loses his mind as the world around him starts to become warped with every figure in the video becoming a copy of himself. The many layers and stunning cinematic shots of this video are what make me enjoy it as much as I do.

That’s my personal list of the best hip-hop music videos. Make sure to comment below letting me know what your favorites are.