The Lost Art of Music Videos: The Best & Worst

Since Much Music and MTV generally don't play many music videos anymore, music videos don't really impact me very much based on what I'm listening to. Growing up, Much Music was my only access to decent music since we didn't have youtube or the ability to download music.

While browsing through my youtube favourites, I found this music video, and I remembered why I favourited it; to write a song that flows with the video so well is usually unheard of. Rappers sing about Jesus, buuuut in the background they're wearing fur coats while committing acts of general douche-baggery.

Guilty Conscience by Eminem and Dr.Dre is clearly written with a clever music video in mind. The way they argue in the song and the video, the narrator in between verses, to write about one another as if they were talking to one another in person, rather than on paper is a great work of art, and a reminder of how Eminem became such a predominate name in the rap industry, as well as how no matter how old Dr.Dre gets, he still has the ability to write songs without becoming a washed-up gimmick (FLAVA-FLAAAAV). While you watch this video, don't just listen to the stories going on in the song, think of how good of an artist you have to be to write a rap song like this with all the elements of a hit intertwined into a perfect balance of creativity, art and entertainment.



And now, for quite possibly the worst music video in existence. Not only does this have all the elements of a typical music video, but it’s full of new things never seen in a rap music video, like a large black woman doing sign language of the lyrics while they rap! Unfortunatly, it's quite obvious that lil' Wayne is in a confusing point in his music career. He's the 13 year old of the music industry, and has a lot of confusing questions on his mind: Rock & Roll, or rap? How whiney and weird should my voice be for this song? How many women will it take for this video to make me seem not so insecure?

Sorry lil' Wayne, but having spikey haired white kids playing in a rock band in the background isn't doing you any justice, nor is it widening your horizons in the music industry. And you might want to take a few more guitar lessons before bringing it into the studio. I can see the conversation now:

Producer: Sounds good, Wayne. All that's left is some final editing.
Lil' Wayne: Well, actually, I was kinda hoping I could try something new on this track...
Producer: Umm, I suppose so. What did you have in mind?
Lil' Wayne: Guitar solo.
Producer: ...You play guitar?
Lil' Wayne: Well, ever since Party Like a Rockstar did really well, I'm thinking I might run with this one!
Producer: Well, I'll have to hear you first.

You can hear Lil' Wayne's guitar capabilities here. Or, something much more enjoyable here.

Lil' Wayne: So, what'd you think?
Producer: That was probably the worst perfor-...
Birdman: ...Just let him have this. He's been taking lessons for 5 months, is a professional musician, and this is the extent of what he can play. Go easy on him.

Thus, this horrible song was born, as well as a horrible music video, dropping the IQ's of teenagers all over the world!



Sorry, everyone, but I need an instant replay on that last part of the video. This time, take sharper notice of the shit train resonating from lil' Wayne's guitar, thus not only destroying rap, but slapping rock & roll in the face at the same time.



Honourable mention going out to the GS Boyz. You don't even deserve my words. Quite possibly even worse than Lil' Wayne. (Yes, this video is real, not a joke. Keep this in mind while watching it prior to scooping your eyes out with a spork and filling your ears with hot tar.)



May God have mercy on our souls. To end this post on a good note, I give you the best clip on the entire internet. Farewell, internets.