Wired 25: The 25 Best Videos Of 2013 [VIDEO] - Page 18

Digital media is not only big business in 2013, it’s the only business as far as success is concerned. If Beyoncé’s most recent earthquake of an album taught us anything, it’s that the Internet and all its capabilities are to be fully taken advantage of if you want to go far within your musical career.

That goes for double with rappers and their music videos.

Try to recall the five great videos you’ve seen, let’s say in 2010. If you’ve had a time coming up with a couple, you’re most likely not alone. There’s always great visuals from hungry MCs who recruit hungrier directors to execute their vision in full. The ubiquity of a video camera and passage to upload canals has made the amount of mediocrity more apparent than the ones worth your short attention spans.

Never fear, though. Hip-Hop Wired’s best Hip-Hop videos of 2013 are the ones that combined entertainment with creativity to great lengths, they either amassed plenty of views, received acclaim from credible sources or in some cases, they achieved both.

You may find some of these coincide with the Top Albums of 2013 and the Top Songs of 2013 but neither categories were an automatic qualifier for this list.

It’s all about who made you tune it and kept you glued in. Hit the gallery to revisit the top picks.

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Photo: YouTube

25. L.E.P. Bogus Boys ft. Ma$e & Lil Wayne – “Commas”

Director: Clifton Bell

What would you do if you woke up with a million dollars? The Chi-Town gangsters hit the ghetto lotto and brought out a few famous friends in the process.

24. Consequence – “Black Actors”

Director: Brian Petchers & Consequence

When you turned on ConsTV in 2013, you received a Black history lesson in the arts and theater. Young Caiden was a true benefiencary in this case.

23. A$AP Ferg ft. A$AP Rocky, French Montana, Trinidad Jame$ & ScHoolboy Q – “Work (Remix)”

Remember how Onyx and Busta Rhymes used to get wild for the cameras in the 90s? The A$AP Mob has officially restored that feeling back to The Big Apple. Here’s to an even nuttier 2014.

22. The Grouch & Eligh – All These Lights

Director: Sean Michael Williams & Gus Winkelman

At first glance, the amount of work that was put into this video seems surreal and strenenous. That’s probably because it was. Every second of the 2:41 clip required 24 takes a piece, thanks to the lyric-lapsing technology. That’s a grand total of 3, 864 takes. Well done, fellas.

21. Ace Hood ft. Future & Rick Ross- “Bugatti”

Director: Gil Green

Young Ace’s placement on this list would have been instantly disqualified if We The Best didn’t put up the money to actually get the car of the hour. That’s why it’s one of the best of the year.

20. Eminem – “Berzerk”

Director: Syndrome

Slim Shady’s attempt at becoming the fourth Beastie Boy may have not translated too well into audio form but the video’s old-school feel definitely made it distinctive in 2013.

19. Flatbush Zombies – “MRAZ”

Director: Phillip T. Annand

Chance The Rapper brought the Acid Rap and the FBZ’s brought the acid visuals. It’s trippy, mane.

18. 2 Chainz – “Used 2”

Director: Marc Klasfeld

N’awlins, Louisiana took it back to the ’99 when Tity Boi reunited The Hot Boys to keep his B.O.A.T.S II album’s buzz afloat. Free B.G.

17. Stalley – “Gettin’ By”

Director: Kellen Dengler

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more visually stunning video on this list. While out in France, the Ohio Honest Cowboy cashed in his euros to become top of the et Bleu Bande de Collier food chain.

16. Tyler, The Creator – “Domo 23”

Director: Fookie Bookie

The Odd Future frontman’s squared circle was more twisted than ever and actually quite hilarious.

15. SchoolBoy Q ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Collard Greens”

Director: JDDC

If you’re referencing the collard greens in your grandmother’s kitchen, you’re sorely mistaken. Only a special potent plant could create this Project X: TDE Edition party.

14. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft. Schoolboy Q – “White Walls”

Director: Ryan Lewis & Macklemore

This clip was choked with so much nonsenical entertainment value, you’ll forget they’re actually talking about cars. Bonus points for the Sir Mix-A-Lot cameo as well.

13. Dee-1 – “Walking Revolution”

Director: Mike Francis

Too often rappers talk the talk but pretend to tie their shoes when the walking is to begin. Dee-1 fulfilled his Christianly duties and fed the needy with his rap minutes. Big salutes are in order.

12. Kendrick Lamar – “B*tch Don’t Kill My Vibe”

Director: The Lil Homies & OG Mike Mihail

The good kid had us witness a southern baptism for a western MC while he was draped in traditional Middle Eastern garments. Consider the “vibe” global.

11. Ty$ ft. B.o.B – “Paranoid”

Director: Ethan Lader

The talented Taylor Gang crooner always felt like somebody was watching him but we were just checking to see how many bad ones he could cram into the video.

10. Run The Jewels – ” A Christmas F*cking Miracle”

Director: Joey Garfield

The satirical genius displayed from Killer Mike and El-P should ensure this holiday classic’s longetivity outside of the season’s greetings.

8. A$AP Rocky – “Phoenix”

Director: Francesco Carrozzini

Long.Live.A$AP churned out a series of unique visuals but this noir entry was the cream that rose to the top.

7. J. Cole – “Crooked Smile”

Director: Sheldon Candis

The song’s lyrics go one way but Young Simba dedicated the song’s treatment to the fallen Aiyana Stanley-Jones.

6. Eminem – “Rap God”

Director: Rich Lee

Mr. Mathers combined Max Headroom and his 8 Mile persona for a fairly lengthy video that was worth watching every single. It didn’t hurt that this was the MMLP2 track where he went absolutely bananas on, lyrically.

5. Tyler, The Creator – “IFHY”

Director: Wolf Haley

Dollhouses are supposed to cute and prissy. This, however, is an Odd Future dollhouse we are refering to. Can’t say we were surprised to see quite the opposite.

4. Childish Gambino – “3005” (Lyric Video)

Director: Donald Glover

If there was a public outcry for ‘Bino to be in his own lyric video starring pornstar Abella Anderson, we must have missed it. All this striptease splendor was made possible because the internet.

3. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – “Can’t Hold Us Down”

Director: Ryan Lewis, Jason Koenig & Jon Jon Augustavo

If the goal was to be as outlandish as impossible, the Seattle supertwins manage to accomplish that and then some. Macklemore went from pioneer settler to stranded desert islander to rap pirate and that’s only halfway through.

2. Jay Z – Picasso Baby: A Performance Art Film

Director: Mark Romanek

From the rollout to the promotion, everything about Magna Carta Holy Grail dared to be different. This video film harbors no exception.

1. Drake – “Started From The Bottom”

Director: Director X

As much flak the Internets tried to give Drizzy for everything Nothing Was the Same, there was no denying his Bentley blizzard-driving exhibition.