It's time for part two of our rundown of the most iconic, unique and groundbreaking videos we feel have raised the rap bar the highest. So sit back, video hos and bros and check out our top ten hip hop videos of all time.

 

10. Eminem – Guilty Conscience

 

Boasting what was at the time a revolutionary post-production technique, this video took the literal lyrics of Eminem and turned them into a memorable morality play. Using the rotoscoping technique, the camera scrolls around a freeze-framed image, as Dre and Em wrestle for control of the subject's conscience. No doubts in my mind that if anyone had an angelic Dr Dre on one shoulder and a devilish Slim Shady on the other, they'd definitely end up with a Guilty Conscience!

 

 

9. Ice Cube – It Was A Good Day

 

It's rare that a video can encapsulate the look and feel of a whole underground movement but that's exactly what Cube's sun-kissed promo achieved. This drive-by slice of South Central life, managed to capture perfectly the movies and music that defined west coast gangster culture in the early 90s. From hitting the switches on the bouncing chromed out lowriders, to the bandanas and Chuck Taylors, it's LA all the way.

 

 

8. Run DMC – Walk This Way

 

A truly seminal moment in hip hop history, Run DMC broke down the walls white America had raised and smashed their way onto MTV's screens. Not only that, they also subtly usurped rock and roll's bad boy status by positioning themselves as the rebels to Aerosmith's decrepit fuddy duddies next door. Without this video and its enduring impact, hip hop would not have reached the mass audience it does today.

 

 

7. Redman – I'll Bee Dat

 

Back in the 90s, before Redman made the move to movies and sitcoms, he showcased his charisma and acting skills in promos like I'll Bee Dat. This channel hopping homage to cable adverts and TV let Reggie Noble get his workout plan on, his own Cola and cereal commercials plus his own version of Taxi Cab Confessions. The true moment of brilliance comes when a tongue dropping hottie rides by on her bike before jaw droppingly crashing into a parked car - and thus Redman's comedy career began.

 

 

6. 2pac - California Love

 

Hip hop videos are often branded formulaic, but a promo that seamlessly splices homages to The Warriors into a Mad Max 3: Beyond Thunderdome post apocalyptic dystopia, is hardly run of the mill. Released during the height of the coast vs coast rivalry, California Love was an instant West Coast classic. Add that to that the fact that it's the most famous 2Pac video ever, featuring a classic Dre beat, with a Chris Tucker cameo and you've pretty much got hood gold.

 

 

5. Busta Rhymes – Gimme Some More

 

Another moment of genius from Hype Williams, Gimme Some More makes Eminem's constant costume changes look like a little girl playing dress up. From the outset a baby Busta morphs into bodybuilders, cops, pimps, stockbrokers and boxers all in glorious technicolor. For once the use of a fisheye lens suits the subject matter, as we enter an absurd Looney Toons world, whilst the eerie Hitchcock sample whirls in the background. Funny, weird and abstract, it coined Busta's personality perfectly and still looks like the world's best acid flashback today.

 

 

4. Kanye West – Heartless

 

We couldn't have a hip hop video award without giving Kanye some shine, if only to stop him from crashing the stage in outburst mode. To be fair to Mr West, he has conceived some of the best videos of recent years, hip hop or otherwise but this particular clip sees the pinnacle of Hype Williams use of colour as he directs this timeless piece of animation. As a forlorn looking cartoon Kanye wanders through a beautifully conceived virtual city, the sombre mood and melancholy of the song is married precisely to the visuals.

 

 

3. Notorious B.I.G – Sky's The Limit

 

Spike Jonze was facing with a tough task in 1997; when asked to film a promo for a rapper who had suddenly exploded onto the mainstream but was also recently deceased. Jonze used his genius to create a clever clip; inspired by Bugsy Malone, a young Biggie, Diddy and Junior Mafia live the high life of hip hop clichés. A classic video that never suffers from a lack of B.I.G, this is one of the smartest video concepts of all time.

 

 

2. The Roots – What They Do

 

From the second the BMW pulls up with a wonky blank number plate you know something is up, but by the end of this video a whole 90s trend of champagne quaffing, rented gold chains and bikini models seemed played out. For that reason alone this is one of the greatest videos of all time but the fact that it's also one of The Roots most enduring tracks adds to its glory. A simple parody acted out by the least enthusiastic ballers ever, buried "big willie style" once and for all.

 

 

1. The Pharcyde – Drop

 

The best hip hop video of all time, Drop was masterminded by Spike Jonze who matched the trippy J Dilla backing beat with images of the Pharcyde strangely strutting through LA. It's hard to decipher on first viewing but unbelievably the warped walking effect was created by acting the entire video out backwards, Jonze even went to the extreme of having the Pharcyde MCs memorise their lyrics in reverse. The footage was then flipped the right way round in the edit suite and from the simplest concept the greatest hip hop video of all time was born.

Words: Mark Rahaman

 

Don't agree with our choices? Then leave a comment and post a video!

 

 

• Eminem
,
• Ice Cube
,
• Run DMC
,
• Redman
,
• 2pac
,
• Busta Rhymes
,
• Kanye West
,
• Notorious B.I.G
,
• The Roots
,
• The Pharcyde

Related Links:

• 20 Greatest Hip Hop Videos Part 1
• Skandal ft. Black the Ripper - Everyday
• Appleblim Fabriclive Promo Mix
• Loxy Mix For Astrophonica @ Fabric
• Noisia - Exodus ft. KRS One Video

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