Recently Jay Z gave Complex a rare interview for a story on the career of legendary filmmaker and video director, Hype Williams. Due to youth and his self-described “guarded” nature, he explains to the outlet that his early video work was ‘hard for him to watch’.
It’s an interesting take from the legendary Brooklyn emcee, whose videos are interwoven in the fabric of hip-hop culture and set many trends within the community. While not having the creative expressive freedom of Busta Rhymes, Missy Elliot videos, the channeled rebellion of Public Enemy videos, or the bleak outlook of the street life of early DMX videos, Hov’s visuals painted pictures of hip-hop superhero hustler, a winner setting trends and raising the bar for his peers.
For hip-hop fans, his videos were a must-see Rap City, Yo! MTV Rap, 106 & Park, and TRL tv. They were anything but ‘hard’ for us to watch. Let’s explore the Top 5 Best Jay Z Videos of All Time.
1 – Big Pimpin’ (2000) – Directed by Hype Williams.
A Hype Williams special. The framing. The Yacht. The Beach. The Women. And speaking of women the GOAT video vixen Gloria Velez in a white cowboy hat. The visuals for the UGK collaboration live up to the name. This is what ‘Big Pimpin’ looks like.
2 – 99 Problems (2004) – Directed by Mark Romanek
A black-and-white cinematic satire/commentary on police brutality, ’99 Problems’ is often thought of as one of Jay Z’s most creative and experimental videos. The events depicted in the video although serious in concept give viewers a glimpse of the dark humor that permeated much of the early 2000’s.
3- Girls, Girls, Girls (2001) – Directed by Marc Klasfeld
Yes. More girls. Lots of girls. But this time, Marc Klasfeld’s direction provides the visual aid to Jay Z’s creative description of girls of different races, colors, occupations, and world views. This video is another creative gem in Hov’s visual toolkit. From the Astros throwback jersey to appearances by Carmen Electra and the late Biz Markie, ‘Girls, Girls, Girls’ aint hard to watch at all.
4- I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me) (2000) – Directed by Dave Meyers
“How many parties yall gonna have up in here?”, John ‘Pops’ Witherspoon asks in a cameo appearance at the beginning of this Dave Meyers-directed video. The answer to that is unquantifiable because the Neptunes produced ‘I Just Wanna Love U’ rocked parties from the moment it dropped in 2000. The video is a very accurate depiction of what went down during the ‘Dynasty’ era Hov. Special Cameo: Lil Kim.
5– Roc Boys / Hello Brooklyn (2007)- Directed By Chris Robinson
This grown man Jay Z. Billionaire, semi-retired executive Jay showing his fans who the “winner is”. The video is a victory lap of sorts that depicts what the Harlem Renaissance era party would be like in modern times. 3 piece suits, cigars, champagne flowing, beautiful women, and horn players keep the music going. Even though the action takes a dramatic cliffhanger turn at the end, the video for ‘Roc Boys’ is a celebration. Special Cameos: Puff Daddy, Mariah Carey, Nas, DJ Clue.
