Ten Reasons Why Rhymesayers Kick Ass

1. Step Brothers (Alchemist + Evidence) - "Step Masters" 2013  This is one of my favorite music videos of all-time and as you can see, I watch a lot of them. It's great to see how much fun Alchemist and Evidence had while making this video. How could you not like them?





2. Prof Signs To Rhymesayers 2013  They announced the signing of Prof with a video that showcases why he is worth paying attention to. I would love to inspire artists to make more promotional videos like this because if you don't go all in, you'll never get to step out of a plane like this.




3. Brother Ali feat. Bambu + Mally - "Home Away From Home" 2014  Brother Ali's tour was kicked off with a video made in the bus at the start of their adventure. My team at ReignCity hosted them at The Crocodile in Seattle and Bellingham's Wild Buffalo. Rhymesayers knows how to help you help them, this video is great proof of that.




4. Grieves - "Fifth Element In-Store Recap" 2012  This video shows how well Rhymesayers artists treat their fans. Grieves and his team always kill it with the social media and are truly great people. The Winter & The Wolves tour made for another great ReignCity show in 2014.




5. Evidence - "You" 2011  If Evidence is on your team, you know you have something good going.





6. "Go Hands On with Lord Steppington! 2013" The Lord Steppington vinyl and CD have a fuzzy cover. You can't caress an mp3 while listening to it. I love that it had a big poster inside, extras like that are what make people want to buy physical copies. Vinyl with download cards included are perfect. No one should ever play a show without merch; if you make it, they will buy. Making a video about the quality of your merch is pro-style. There is still a huge lack of high quality women's clothing in the merch department. Don't you want the ladies wearing your name on their chest to look good?




7. Dilated Peoples - "Show Me The Way" 2014 (Produced by Jake One)  This is one of my two most overplayed songs of the summer. Dilated Peoples had been on Capitol Records but released Directors Of Photography on Rhymesayers earlier this year.




8. Hail Mary Mallon - Behind The ... A Three Part Series 2014  They truly made the release of Hail Mary Mallon's Bestiary album an event by helping us get to know the artists and their creative process. My team at ReignCity and I get to host them January 23 at The Wild Buffalo in Bellingham with Homeboy Sandman, Darktime Sunshine, and DJ Abilities on January 23.




9. Dilated Peoples - 3 Part Promo Video for Directors Of Photography 2014  We already know and love Dilated Peoples and they still made a three part video to help us remember why they are on top of the game. If you tell people your story and you're making music that is unique and high quality, people will want to pay attention to you.




10. Atmosphere - "God Loves Ugly" 2002  The newer artists on Rhymesayers get the priceless guidance of the seasoned veterans Slug and Ant, who have been successful musicians and entrepreneurs since 1989 and are showing no signs of a slowdown. They founded Rhymesayers in 1995 with the help of Musab Saad and Brent Sayers (Siddiq) and have turned it into one of the best Hip Hop labels in the world. Almost twenty years later, they remain to be chart topping artists. Their chart-topping Southsiders album brought them to Seattle for another great ReignCity hosted show.

Slug - Photo by me at Holy Cow Records in Pike Place Market

Ten More Music Videos Featuring Reflections

1. SZA - "Babylon" 2014  *I wouldn't recommend putting a white sweater in the dirt like that, great song though.




2. Oddisee - "Back Of My Mind" 2014  *Oddisee seems like a cool dude, I'd go on a spacecruise with those guys.




3. Grieves - "Serpents" 2014  *Grieves is lookin' all slicked in this video.




4.  Pebbles - "Giving You The Benefit" 1990   *This song also features motorcycles, wind, skeezy fashion photographer, water, shadows, solo dancing, blue lighting, strobe light action, spying/espionage by a guy in a coonskin cap; they may have done all this to hide the fact that it is only a mediocre song.




5. Lykke Li - "No Rest For The Wicked" 2014  *This is from her new album, I Never Learn.




6. Big Mike, Biggie Smalls, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Buckshot, Busta Rhymes, Coolio, Digable Planets, Heltah Skeltah, Ill Al Skratch, Jamal, Menace Clan, and Redman - "Points" 1995  *This is from the Panther Soundtrack from 1995. The reflection is Dwayne Wayne @ 3:36.




7. Cyndi Lauper - "True Colors" 1986  *Call her up on the shell phone.




8. Redman - "Dunfiato" 2014  *Redman has so much personality, he doesn't need a flashy video.




9. Ugly Frank - "Leftova" 2014 (TACOMA MUSIC)  *But, did they ever eat the Froot Loops?




10. Shabazz Palaces - "Dawn In Luxor" KENZO Spring/Summer 2014 (SEATTLE MUSIC) *Reflections of the sun in the water and from the sequins. From their upcoming album Lese Majesty.

Ten More Great Seattle Music Videos

1. Iska Dhaaf - "Everybody Knows" 2014  *This might be the best local music video ever.




2. The Bar (Prometheus Brown + Bambu) f. LA + Kixxie Siete - "Mits" (Produced by DJ Nphared) 2014  *This video gets the award for best-timed Grynch cameo. The Bar will be performing at The Crocodile on May 2 for the Grynch "Street Lights Album Release Party" with Dave B and Jake One.




3. Triceracorn (IG88 + Beige) - "Porcelain" 2013  *The Triceracorn producer, IG88 is currently working on an album with the incredibly talented Shaprece.



Here's a preview of Shaprece, IG88, Phillip Peterson, Daniel Butman, and many other talented people working on her new album.




4. Fearce Vill feat. Grynch and Grieves - "Let It Be Remix" 2014  *All three of these guys are awesome. Support your local artists! They can't do it without you. Fearce Vill will be opening for Grieves June 7 at The Showbox and all over the country. Grynch is having his Street Lights Album Release Party at The Crocodile on May 2.




5. Sol - "Tomorrow" 2014  *Sol will be performing on the Bigfoot Stage at Sasquatch this year. He is one of the many great Seattle artists headed to the Gorge for the Memorial Day Weekend Festival.




6. Draze - "The Hood Ain't The Same" 2014  *This is a great song that serves a purpose, watch it to see what it is.




7. Don't Talk To The Cops! - "Tattoo My Name" 2014  *A celebration of love from Seattle power couple Emecks and DJ BlesOne.




8. Grieves - "Shreds" 2014  *Grieves gets his life saved by a wolf/dog in this video.




9. Fly Moon Royalty - "Lemonade" 2012  *These guys seem to be making all the right moves. Their new Unfinished Business EP is definitely worth a listen. Don't miss a chance to see these guys live.




10. Sam Lachow, Nacho Picasso, Jarv Dee, Grynch, Raz Simone, Gifted Gab, La - "Young Seattle Part 2" 2013  *Sam Lachow kills it at connecting the Seattle music community. All of the artists in this video are kicking ass right now.




Here's the link to the original Ten Great Seattle Music Videos. There are a ridiculous amount of other Seattle artists mixed into the other lists on this here music site.

Ten Music Videos featuring Special Effect Twins

Here's a YouTube playlist of ALL the Special Effect Twins I've found so far. #YouTubeNchill


1. Evidence (Produced by DJ Premier) - "You" 2011  *Evidence, Alchemist, and DJ Premier in the same studio, you know it's going to be good.





2. OCnotes feat. Cat of Thee Satisfaction - "On A Clear Day" 2011  *Not an actual video, but, OCnotes does have a special effect twin and the song is amazing.




3. Anna Lunoe and Flume - "I Met You" 2012  *Some keyboards were drowned in the making of this video. This song is only sort of cool.

4. AlunaGeorge - "You Know You Like It" 2011  *This is the original version of this video and is a prime example of the special effect twins team.





5. Adian Coker - "Cream" 2013 (UK HIP HOP)  *I like this beat, it makes me forget that I'm not into scenes of destruction in my music videos. I found this on Pigeons and Planes.




6. Michael Jackson - "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough" 1979  *Michael Jackson remains to be the King Of The Green Screen.

7. Azekel - "New Romance" 2014  *I need to step my slip mat game up.




8. Grieves - "Recluse" 2014  *I like how he opens a beer for his special effect twin.




9. Georgia Anne Muldrow - "Dimension" 2014  *This is the epitome of Special Effect Twin Videos.

10.  Signif - "Like My Style" 2012  *The Milwaukee artist Signif released her first EP in 2009.

Six Music Videos featuring Graveyard Scenes

1. Grieves and Budo - "Bloody Poetry" 2011




2. Beck - "Loser" 1993

3. Amy Winehouse - "Back To Black" 2006

4. Mike and the Mechanics - "The Living Years" 1989  *This song is definitely not that cool.

5. INXS - "Never Tear Us Apart" 1988

6. Gorillaz - "Clint Eastwood" 2001

Seven Music Videos featuring Liquor

1. Mayer Hawthorne - "Green Eyed Love" 2011  *This is one of my favorite Mayer Hawthorne songs. I wonder if he is actually as smooth as he seems.

2. Thaddeus David - "Crown Royal" 2011  (SEATTLE)  *This may be an accurate representation of what rapper parties are like; more smoky than blingy.

3. Ghostpoet - "Cash And Carry Me Home" 2010 (UK HIP HOP) *It's no "Meltdown" but it's still pretty great.

4. Jay-Z feat. Pharrell - "Excuse Me Miss" 2003  *This song is still great ten years later.

5. Dirty Dike - "Consequences" 2013 (UK HIP HOP) *This was the first time I ever saw Dirty Dike get serious.

6. Tone-Loc - "Funky Cold Medina" 1989  *These drinks have dry ice in them. Ballin'!

7. Grieves and Budo - "Pack It Up" 2011 (SEATTLE)  *This is another great music video by Griff J. The song is pretty good too.

Ten Great Live At KEXP Videos

                    

http://kexp.org/

1. OCnotes - Number 7
                     Kitty Kat
                     Red Alert Song
                     Morgan Free and ODB
2012 (SEATTLE)
http://www.ocnotes.net/

2. The XX - Fiction
                    Reunion
                    Sunset
                    Angels
2012
http://thexx.info/

3. Shabazz Palaces - Bop Hard
                                  An Echo From The Hosts That Profess Infinitum
                                  A Mess, The Booth Soaks In Palacian Musk...
                                  Free Press And Curl
2011 (SEATTLE)
http://www.shabazzpalaces.com/

4. Grimes - Symphonia IX (My Wait Is U)
                   Genesis
                   Be a Body
2012
http://www.grimesmusic.com/

5. La Luz - Big Big Blood
                   Call Me In The Day
                   It's Alive
                   Sure As Spring
2013 (SEATTLE)
http://laluz.bandcamp.com/

6. Kingdom Crumbs - Very Nice/For The Birds
                                    Much Ado About Nothing
                                    Red Cups
                                    Pick Both Sides Of My Brain
2012 (SEATTLE)
http://kingdomcrumbs.com/

7. Nosaj Thing - Live DJ Set 2010
http://www.nosajthing.com/

8. Thee Satisfaction - Game, Blouses
                                   Deeper
                                   QueenS
                                   Needs
2012 (SEATTLE)
http://theesatisfaction.blogspot.com/

9. Erik Blood - "Today's Lover"
                        
2012 (SEATTLE)
http://www.erikblood.com/

10. Grieves and Budo - "Bloody Poetry"  *I love how obvious it is that Budo loves to make music in this video, that is what life is all about.

2011 (SEATTLE)
http://www.rhymesayers.com/grieves

Ten Music Videos featuring Shopping Carts

1. Radiohead - "Fake Plastic Trees" 1995  *The combination of the 18 years that have passed and the fact that they are riding in shopping carts makes the guys in Radiohead look like babies. This is the King of the shopping cart videos.




2. Grieves and Budo - "On The Rocks" 2011  *I love videos with a storyline.




3. The Electric feat. Yarah Bravo - "Beautiful" 2010  *Yarah Bravo is definitely cool and the song doesn't suck.




4. Bishop Nehru feat. Que Hampton - "Misruled Order" 2013  *Great video but gets disturbing around the 3 minute mark.




5. Redman - "Pick It Up" 1997  *Redman is hilarious. If you need proof watch his movie with Method Man and Lisa Turtle, How High.




6. Earl Sweatshirt feat. Tyler, The Creator - "Whoa" 2013  *They've worked hard for our attention. You have to work as hard as them if you want to be on their level.




7. Tyler, The Creator - "French" 2011  *Tyler and his Odd Future friends dry hump a shopping cart and do many other (not)surprising things.




8. Grieves and Budo - "Against The Bottom" 2011  *This is the poppiest Grieves song ever.




9. The Roots - "How I Got Over" 2009  *This song is pretty good, but, I haven't had one of those moments when I decide I love it yet.




10. TH3RDZ - "Go For Broke" 2013  *JFK hangs out with a shopping cart, Candidt works out, and Xperience hangs out on a rooftop.

***CONCLUSION*** 

Naughty By Nature is to rapping behind fences as Grieves, Budo, and Odd Future are to shopping carts.

Ten Music Videos featuring Seattle

1. Dark Time Sunshine - "Doom / Go Team / Wrong Kids" 2010

2. Jake One feat. Vitamin D, Note, Maneak B and Ish - "Home" 2009

3. OCnotes - "Walk" 2012

4. Macklemore - "The Town" 2009

5. Blue Scholars - "Freewheelin" 2004

6. Brothers From Another - "No Shirt" 2010

7. The Physics - "I Just Wanna Beat" 2010  *University of Washington libraries.

8. Grieves and The MC Type  - "My Girlfriend Beats Me" 2007 

9. Eighty4 Fly - "Cool Kids" 2012

10. Don't Talk To The Cops! - "Guess I'm Strange (DJ BlesOne BBoy Remix)" 2011