The Top Hip Hop Rap Music Videos of All Time

This article is a collaborative effort, crafted and edited by a team of dedicated professionals.

Contributors: Andranick Tanguiane, Fred Lerdahl,

Contents

From Missy Elliot to Kendrick Lamar, these are the best hip hop rap music videos of all time according to XXL.

“In Da Club” by 50 Cent

“In Da Club” is a song by American rapper 50 Cent from his debut studio album Get Rich or Die Tryin’ (2003). The song was written by 50 Cent, Dr. Dre, Mike Elizondo, and produced by Dr. Dre with co-production credit from Elizondo. The track was released in January 2003 as the album’s lead single and peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming 50 Cent’s second chart topper and Dr. Dre’s sixth. “In Da Club” received praise from music critics, who described it as a “thumping anthem”, and was ranked on several publications’ year-end best lists for 2003; it also won a Grammy Award for Best Male Rap Solo Performance at the 2004 ceremony.

The song’s music video won Best Rap Video and Best New Artist at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards. In 2009, the single was ranked number nine on VH1’s program 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop.

“Lose Yourself” by Eminem

“Lose Yourself” by Eminem is widely considered to be one of the greatest hip hop music videos of all time. The video was directed by Joseph Kahn, who also directed the videos for “Stan” and “Without Me”. It features Eminem rapping in a number of different settings, including a car driving through Detroit, a street corner, and a school. The video won a number of awards, including Best Rap Video at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards.

“Hotline Bling” by Drake

“Hotline Bling” is a song recorded by Canadian rapper Drake, which serves as the lead single from his fourth studio album, Views (2016). The song samples R&B artist D.R.A.M.’s “Cha Cha”, and features a prominent sample of the hotline bling sound.

The music video for “Hotline Bling” was directed by Director X, and released on October 19, 2015 on Apple Music. The video features Drake dancing in a dimly-lit room, interspersed with close-ups of him wearing various brightly-colored outfits.

The dance originated from a meme that circulated on Vine in the summer of 2014, which featured people dancing to the song ” Tell Me When to Go” by E-40. The meme gained popularity on Vine, with people creating their own versions of the dance.

“All Me” by Drake

“All Me” is a song by Canadian rapper Drake from his third studio album Nothing Was the Same (2013). The song features guest appearances from rappers 2 Chainz and Big Sean. It was produced by Key Wane, Mike Zombie, and Noah “40” Shebib. The song peaked at number 97 on the Billboard Hot 100; it received a platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The music video for “All Me” was released on October 7, 2013; it was directed by X.

“Anaconda” by Nicki Minaj

“Anaconda” by Nicki Minaj is a classic hip hop rap music video that has been watched and loved by millions of fans around the world. The video features Nicki Minaj performing in a variety of sexy outfits while rapping her hit song. The video also includes cameos from a number of other famous rappers, including Drake, Lil Wayne, and Chris Brown. “Anaconda” is a great example of a classic hip hop rap music video that is sure to get your heart pumping and your feet moving.

“Work” by Rihanna

“Work” is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna for her eighth studio album, Anti (2016). The song premiered on Rihanna’s official website on January 27, 2016 and was made available for digital download as the lead single from the album the next day. A snippet of “Work” was first featured in a T-Mobile advertisement which premiered during Super Bowl 50. Written in both English and Patois, the song is a dancehall and hip hop track that samples Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s 1982 song “The Message”. Lyrically, it is about not having time for dating or thinking about a relationship.

“Work” received mixed reviews from music critics; some of whom praised its dancehall vibe while others criticized its lyrical content. The song peaked at number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming Rihanna’s twenty-fifth top ten single in the country. It also became her tenth number-one on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, tying with Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston as the artists with the most number-ones on that chart. Internationally, “Work” topped the charts in Canada and Scotland, and reached the top ten in Australia, France, Spain and Venezuela.

The accompanying music video for “Work” was directed by Tim Erem. It features closeups of Rihanna dancing provocatively through various discothèques while sporting minimal clothing; it received criticism from parenting groups for its sexualized portrayal of minors. Elsewhere, it garnered praise from commentators who praised its liveliness while others criticized its use of camera angles. To promote “Work”, Rihanna performed an exclusive live stream through Tidal on January 28, 2016 which featured her previewing Anti as well as performing select songs off it including “Work”.

“The Motto” by Drake

“The Motto” is a song by Canadian rapper Drake. The song features American rapper Lil Wayne and is a single from Drake’s second studio album, Take Care. Released as the album’s fourth single, “The Motto” peaked at number 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and received two Grammy nominations for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song. The song’s title references the popular phrase “YOLO”, which stands for “you only live once”.

“The Motto” was met with positive reviews from music critics. The song has been credited as helping to popularize the use of the acronym YOLO (you only live once), with Drake explaining that he intended the song to be a “thematic anthem” for his young fans. The song samples Brenda Russell’s 1988 hit “A Little Bit of Love”.

“All I Do Is Win” by DJ Khaled

“All I Do Is Win” is a hip hop song performed by American rapper DJ Khaled, released as the second single from his 2010 fourth studio album Victory. The song features American rappers T-Pain, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg and Rick Ross. Produced by The Neptunes, Quran Goodman and Schife Karbeen, it contains a sample of “Just Win, Baby”, performed by Alien Ant Farm. The single was officially released on February 8, 2010.

“I’m the One” by DJ Khaled

“I’m the One” is a song recorded by American rapper DJ Khaled featuring Canadian singer Justin Bieber, American rappers Quavo and Chance the Rapper, and American singer-songwriter Lil Wayne. The song was released on April 28, 2017, by We the Best Music Group and Epic Records as the lead single from Khaled’s tenth studio album, Grateful (2017). The song peaked at number one on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart.

“Humble” by Kendrick Lamar

“Humble” by Kendrick Lamar is one of the top hip hop rap music videos of all time. The video was released in 2017 and has over 100 million views on YouTube. The video features Kendrick Lamar rapping in front of a car that is on fire.

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