THE WEEKLY TOP 5 VIDEOS [EPISODE 24]
Welcome to TWIB’s Weekly Top 5 Videos. This is a segment where we will be looking at some exceptional visuals from various acts from around the globe. The music video format has been around for decades and through the 90s and 2000s, it has really taken flight from multi-million budget music videos, to mid to low-budget videos with exceptional features. In this section, we will not discriminate but rather highlight some of the creative visuals that pop up on our radar.
98Priest – Church feat. VILLY
San Antonio-based artist 98 Priest and Villy share the visuals for their song “Church.” The soulful record dives into trials and tribulations and the struggles of a young black man trying to stay in the righteous lane but external forces are working overtime to derail him. 98 Priest reflects on his shortcomings while Villy looks deep into his inner demons and overall they give quite an emotional performance that listeners can relate to. The visual is cinematic and makes use of performance shots of both artists as they do what they do best.
Jah Born x Kaution Mr.700 – “Locals”
Jah Born and Kaution Mr.700 team up for “Locals”. This bar heavy jam is pure bravado from start to finish as Kaution removes all restraints and proceeds to wreak havoc with vivid and witty bars over the ominous punchy soundscape provided by Jah Born. The visual makes use of the rapper’s recording process as we see him in the lab cooking up some new heat.
ZEE& x NO CALVIN – “Floatin’”
Indie/alternative music artist singer/rapper ZEE& and producer NO CALVIN deliver “Floatin’” a nostalgia-inducing soulful jam that showcases their evocative songwriting and use of layered melodic runs. The visual has a summer vibe and follows both acts as they take time off to enjoy the fresh outdoors, far away from the madness of the city.
Indie soul duo, Zee & No Calvin, stemming from Burnaby, British Columbia, met while living in a home with a vocal booth in the kitchen, two jam rooms, and fifteen other creatives; they quickly realized they shared a love for both hip hop and live instrumentation, this common appreciation led them past jamming into writing and recording tracks together.
Breez x Pro Knows Music – “Lettin Out the Smoke” ft. Skysplitter prod. by Pro Knows Music
Hampton, VA-rapper Breez and Pro Knows Music are “Lettin Out the Smoke” alongside Skysplitter. The track is a homage to the 420 lifestyles and sees the rapper representing all the smokers out there over a bouncy, retro-tinged soundscape provided by Pro Knows Music. The track also features a solid rock guitar solo from SkySplitter.
Jamar Carr – Whole Lotta feat. PTB Rell”
Jamar Carr helps close out this week’s visual list as he returns with the visual for his previous single “Whole Lotta featuring PTB Rell. The visual has a dark cinematic feel and makes use of performance shots and subtle effects that keeps viewers locked in from start to finish.