Richardine Bartee
This week’s #5NewVideos list consists of Well$, Deniro Farrar, YG, and more.
Well$ “98 Juvie” featuring Dinero Farrar (Personal)
When’s the last time you saw a working payphone? Well$, a buzzing rapper from North Carolina, takes it back to 1998 for “98 Juvie,” a time when the Southern-made rap music started to seep into the forefronts of Hip-Hop music. Juvenile’s third studio album 400 Degreez was released, giving us smash hit records like “Ha” and “Back That Azz Up.” It changed the game.
In an abandoned building, Well$ addressed folk who thought he wouldn’t make it. He did. From basketball jerseys and protection to gold jewelry and family members, it is a sight to see. Deniro Farrar, one of my favourite rap voices, blesses the track with a tight verse about contradictions and realizations. 98 Juvie taught them how to ball out. Watch the outstanding Summit Collective-directed video below.
YG “Still Brazy” (Personal)
Excuse me: I am a sucker for white backgrounds and visual breaks of cleanliness, and the following are present in “Still Brazy.” YG, an artist who is best known for his West Coast-centric hits, released the official video for “Still Brazy.” In jailhouse stripe pants and sneakers, the Los Angeles-native musician raps about his oppressors, the devil and more. Watch the red-lit video below.
Liana Bank$ “LVLUP” (Submitted)
When we were in The Hamptons for the Rolls-Royce Brunch last month, I met a man who manages Liana Bank$. At first glance and listen to “LVLUP,” she reminded me of Layla Hendryx, a Toronto-native artist. Light on the vocals and light on the eye, I am personally looking forward to seeing and hearing more from the Queens-native R&B-Soul artist. Check out Bojan Vanovac’s direction below, and be on the lookout for the Tangina Stone cameo.
ScHoolboy Q “JoHn Muir” (Personal)
Just a visual documentation of what a young person from the hood might go through, willingly or unwillingly. At the opening scene of ScHoolboy Q’s “JoHn Muir,” two men are robbed at gun point. Shortly after, the guys mess with promiscuous girls. Next, someone is shot dead in an alley and robbed. Will karma catch up with the guys? Watch the video directed by aplus to find out.
STEELE “Follow” (Submitted)
Starring 10-year-old actress Ingrid Carcamo Storm, Swedish singer STEELE shares an intense dark fantasy to tell her story. Storm represents her younger self. The video for “Follow” shows the singer struggling — artistically — as the video progresses. Play the Kristoffer Carlsson direction. It took three days to produce, and the single is from her forthcoming EP titled, “Hiraeth.”
