The Best Hip Hop Music Videos of 2012
A list of the best hip hop music videos of 2012.
Best Hip Hop Videos of 2012
The year 2012 was full of amazing hip hop music videos. From Kendrick Lamar’s “HiiiPower” to A$AP Rocky’s “Goldie,” there was no shortage of great visuals to accompany great music. Let’s take a look at some of the best hip hop music videos of 2012.
“N*ggas in Paris” by Jay-Z and Kanye West
“N*ggas in Paris” is a song by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West from their collaborative album Watch the Throne (2011). The song was released as the third single from the album on October 24, 2011. The song peaked at number five on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts. It features additional vocals from Ogre of the hip hop group Onyx. “N*ggas in Paris” won Best Rap Performance at the 54th Grammy Awards.
“No Church in the Wild” by Jay-Z and Kanye West
“No Church in the Wild” is a song by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West from their first collaborative album Watch the Throne (2011). The song features production from 88-Keys and makes extensive use of Minoru Miki’s “Haru no Umi” sample. It was the first single released from Watch the Throne and was sent to radio on May 29, 2011. The song peaked at number one on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and at number three on Billboard’s Rap Songs chart.
“Otis” by Jay-Z and Kanye West
“Otis” is a song by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West from their first collaborative album Watch the Throne (2011). The song posthumously features soul singer Otis Redding, whose version of “Try a Little Tenderness” is sampled throughout the track. The production was handled by West, with Spike Jonze serving as creative director. American record producer Mike Dean and singer Frank Ocean are credited as co-writers, while singer Mr Hudson is credited as a featured artist.
The music video was directed by Spike Jonze, who previously worked with West on three other music videos. It was filmed in various locations around Los Angeles in August 2011, and features American actors Gabriel Engel and Joel brodka as fictional Peckham gangsters named Zachariah and Emmanuel Zed respectively. It also features the horse served burgers to the two gangsters at a drive-thru.
The video garnered positive reviews from critics and won several awards, including Best Hip-Hop Video at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards. It has been placed on several publications’ lists of the best music videos of all time, including NME’s “50 Greatest Music Videos Ever”, Pitchfork’s “Top 100 Music Videos of the 2010s”, and Time’s “All-Time Greatest Music Videos”.
“HYFR (Hell Ya F*cking Right)” by Drake
“HYFR (Hell Ya F*cking Right)” by Drake – The Best Hip Hop Music Video of 2012
The music video for “HYFR (Hell Ya F*cking Right)” by Drake was released on October 19, 2012. The video was directed by X and it features Drake and Lil Wayne partying in Miami for Drake’s “Would You Like a Tour?” concert.
The video starts with a scene of Lil Wayne wakes up from a night of sleeping on a yacht in Miami. He then walks to the edge of the yacht, where he sees Drake sitting on a jet ski. They exchange a few words and then Drake gives Lil Wayne a ride into shore on the jet ski.
Once they’re on shore, they are greeted by two half-naked women and they all start partying. The video then cuts to scenes of Drake and Lil Wayne rapping and dancing in front of a wall of fire. The video ends with a scene of Drake and Lil Wayne hugging each other.
“Take Care” by Drake
Drake’s “Take Care” was one of the best hip hop music videos of 2012. The video features Drake and Rihanna in a dark, ethereal setting, with Drake’s lyrics providing the soundtrack to their sensual interactions. The video is both beautiful and haunting, and it perfectly captures the mood of the song.
Honorable Mentions
Of course, not every music video can be included in a “best of” list, and there are always a few that don’t quite make the cut. Here are a few honorable mentions for the best hip hop music videos of 2012.
“I Don’t Like” by Chief Keef
Released on April 30, 2012, “I Don’t Like” is the breakout hit single by American hip hop recording artist Chief Keef. The song was produced by Young Chop and features a guest appearance from Lil Reese.
The music video for “I Don’t Like” was directed by D Gainz and released on May 15, 2012. The video features Chief Keef and his friends hanging out in a parking lot and Lipsey’s clothing store in Chicago, Illinois.
The song peaked at number 96 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
“Mercy” by Kanye West
“Mercy” is a song by American hip hop recording artist Kanye West, released as the lead single from his seventh studio album Cruel Summer (2012). The song features guest vocals from rappers Big Sean, Pusha T and 2 Chainz. The production was handled by West, Mike Dean, Lifted and Noah Goldstein. The song was written by the quartet along with NameTag. It was first independently released for Record Store Day on April 21, 2012 before being quickly commercially released the following day.
The song’s title is a reference to the mercy rule in basketball and football, where a game can be ended early if one team has a very large lead over the other. When asked about the meaning of the track on a radio interview with Hot 97’s Funkmaster Flex, Kanye said “It just means like have mercy on us all.” He continued, “Everybody that be having injustice done to ‘em for whatever reason—the poor, like I say in the rap… Or people that’s gettin’ dealt with unjustly by the police in America or whatever it is—I feel like it’s our turn to have some mercy on ‘em.”
The official remix contains verses from Rico Love, Busta Rhymes and French Montana.
“I’m on One” by DJ Khaled
Directed by Colin Tilley, the music video for DJ Khaled’s “I’m on One” was one of the best hip hop videos of 2012. The video features cameos from Drake, Rick Ross, and Lil Wayne, and is set in an lavish mansion party. The video was nominated for several awards, including BET Hip Hop’s Video of the Year.
“The Motto” by Drake
The music video for “The Motto” was released on October 24, 2011 and features Drake and his label-mate Lil Wayne. The video was shot in Toronto and directed by Lamar Taylor. It features cameos from Canadian actors Adam plurality of Canadian flags throughout the video as a homage to Drake’s home country.
“The Motto” peaked at number fourteen on the Billboard Hot 100 and has been certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The song won the award for Best Rap Song at the 2012 Grammy Awards.
