Best Hip Hop Music Videos of All Time

Here are the best hip hop music videos of all time, including videos from Tupac, Missy Elliott, and more.

“In Da Club” – 50 Cent

50 Cent’s “In Da Club” is one of the most iconic hip hop music videos of all time. The video was directed by Hype Williams and features 50 Cent rapping in a club surrounded by various women. The video was nominated for numerous awards, including Best Male Video at the MTV Video Music Awards.

“Crazy in Love” – Beyoncé ft. Jay-Z

“Crazy in Love” is a song by American singer Beyoncé featuring American rapper Jay-Z. It was released as the lead single from Beyoncé’s debut solo album Dangerously in Love (2003) and features a sample of The Chi-Lites’ 1970 song “Are You My Woman? (Tell Me So).” The song peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and remained there for eight consecutive weeks, giving Destiny’s Child their first and only US number one single as a trio. The single also topped the charts in forty-four other countries, including the United Kingdom where it was nominated for an Ivor Novello Award. “Crazy in Love” won five Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration.

The music video for “Crazy in Love” features Beyoncé dancing provocatively throughout various locations, including a street parade and a subway station. It earned Beyoncé her first MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video and helped propel her to fame. Jay-Z later admitted that the success of the song and its music video significantly contributed to their relationship almost starting immediately after they met.”

“Lose Yourself” – Eminem

“Lose Yourself” is a song by American rapper Eminem from the soundtrack to the 2002 motion picture 8 Mile. The song was written by Eminem and produced by Eminem along with Jeff Bass and Luis Resto. It was released on October 28, 2002, as the lead single from the soundtrack. “Lose Yourself” received widespread acclaim, with many critics praising Eminem’s lyrical abilities. The song is also notable for its chorus’ hypnotic chants of “Lose Yourself in the music, the moment / You own it, you better never let it go.”

The video for “Lose Yourself” was directed by Joseph Kahn and released in 2002. It depicts Eminem as a struggling rapper in Detroit who is trying to make it big. The video features cameos from several other hip hop artists, including Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, and Obie Trice.

“Hotline Bling” – Drake

“Hotline Bling” is a song recorded by Canadian rapper Drake, which serves as the lead single from his fourth studio album Views. The song was released on July 31, 2015, through Cash Money Records and Republic Records. “Hotline Bling” debuted at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 on the chart dated October 17, 2015. With this achievement, Drake passed Elvis Presley as the artist with the most number-two entries in the Hot 100’s history. As of February 2016, “Hotline Bling” has sold 2,690,000 copies in the United States.

The music video for “Hotline Bling” was directed by Director X andPremier Post & VFX and features footage of Drake dancing in a dimly lit room. The video became popular for its many GIFs and memes that were created from it.

“Anaconda” – Nicki Minaj

“Anaconda” is a song by American rapper and singer Nicki Minaj, from her third studio album, The Pinkprint (2014). It was released on August 4, 2014 by Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records, and Republic Records as the second single from the album. The song was produced by Polow da Don, Anonymous, and Da Internz. The song heavily samples “Baby Got Back” (1992) by Sir Mix-a-Lot.

Minaj co-wrote “Anaconda” with its producers Eric Bellinger andPolow da Don; it is based on dancer Josephine Baker’s Jungle Dance and sampled Crunk& B girl group Cupid’s “Cupid Shuffle” (2007) in its hook; its lyrical content features sexual innuendos and double entendres.

The song peaked at number two on the United States’ Billboard Hot 100 chart, thus becoming Minaj’s highest-charting single in the country to date. It peaked at number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart due to strong digital download sales of 340,000 units, becoming her second consecutive number one single on that chart following “Pills n Potions”. The song also reached number one on both the Rap Songs and Rhythmic Songs charts. Internationally, it peaked within the top ten in Canada, France and the United Kingdom. A music video for “Anaconda” was filmed at Old Stone Studios in New York City on July 31st; it presented a jungle-themed setting filled with twerking women and scantily clad men. It broke the record for most views for a video uploaded to Vevo; as of January 2015 it had been viewed over 380 million times (surpassing Beyoncé Knowles’ 2014 hit “Partition”).

The video received mixed reviews from critics who praised it for its playfulness but criticized it for excessiveness. Time magazine placed Minaj’s buttocks as a runner up on their list of “All 15 Best Butt Moments”, while Super Bowl XLIX halftime show performer Katy Perry placed them first on hers; both remarked that they preferred Nicki’s Anaconda posterior over Kim Kardashian West’s. MTV ranked “Anaconda” as Minaj’s third best music video of all time in their 2016 list of her 20 greatest videos so far.

“Runaway” – Kanye West ft. Pusha T

“Runaway” is a song by American rapper and producer Kanye West, released as the second single from his fifth studio album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010). The song features guest vocals from American rapper Pusha T, who co-produced the song with West. “Runaway” is a hip hop and R&B song that contains an utilize a sample of “Bittersweet Symphony” by English alternative rock band The Verve. Lyrically, the song features West rapping about unrequited love, and atone for misguided deeds.

The music video for “Runaway” was directed by Hype Williams, and features West wandering through various landscapes, particularly forests and mountains. The video received mixed to positive reviews from critics, who praised its minimalist visuals and narrative direction. Some interpreted the video symbolism relating to personal growth, while others felt it was weak in comparison to the song’s strong lyrical content. Despite this, the video was nominated for several awards at ceremonies including the Grammy Awards, MTV Video Music Awards and BET Awards.

“Formation” – Beyoncé

“Formation” is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé for her sixth studio album, Lemonade (2016). The song was released as the lead single from the album on February 6, 2016. “Formation” was written by Beyoncé, Khalif Brown, Mike Will Made It, and Richard Spencer, while production was handled by Mike Will Made It. The song samples “Me and My Girlfriend” by Makaveli. A synth-forward Southern hip hop track with elements of rap and R&BGenres, “Formation” contains marching band instrumentals and its lyrics discuss African-American pride and unity.

The music video for “Formation”, directed by Melina Matsoukas and co-written by Beyoncé, premiered on February 6, 2016, the same day as the single’s release. It featuresBeyoncé dancing atop a New Orleans police car abandoned in floodwaters following Hurricane Katrina while interspersed shots depict police brutality against African Americans. “Formation” won two Grammy Awards at the 2017 ceremony: Best Music Video and Best R&B Performance.

“All the Way Up” – Fat Joe ft. Remy Ma

“All the Way Up” is a song by American rappers Fat Joe and Remy Ma, featuring additional vocals from French Montana and Infared. It was released on March 2, 2016, by Terror Squad Entertainment, Polydor Records and Republic Records as the lead single from Fat Joe’s upcoming eleventh studio album. The song peaked at number 27 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

The music video for “All the Way Up” was directed by Eif Rivera and released on March 2, 2016. It features cameo appearances from adherers of the hip hop culture including Diddy, DJ Khaled, Fabolous, Fat Joe’s daughter Azariah and Remy Ma’s husband Papoose.

“One Dance” – Drake ft. Wizkid & Kyla

“One Dance” is a song by Canadian rapper Drake from his fourth studio album Views (2016). It features Jamaican singer Wizkid and Kyla. The song peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, giving Drake his first number-one single in the country as a lead artist and Wizkid his first number-one single on the chart. On April 5, 2017, “One Dance” became the most streamed song of all time on Spotify in both the United States and worldwide with over 505 million streams.

“HUMBLE.” – Kendrick Lamar

“HUMBLE.” is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released on March 30, 2017, as the lead single from his fourth studio album, DAMN. The song, produced by Mike Will Made It, features a