Twenty Important Rap Videos From 2014 (Part One)

In 2012 Kendrick Lamar took over the Top 20, and now in 2014 it’s time for his Top Dawg labelmate ScHoolboy Q to get a turn.

It’s not as though the “Man of the Year” had the most viewed video of the year on this list though. As of this editorial he had 40 million people checking him out (or 20 million watching it twice), which doesn’t really hold a candle to the 650,000,000 who watched Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy.” That’s right – almost a BILLION views. Whether you love or hate Azalea (and she has a lot of haters) it’s pretty hard to deny the commercial impact she had in 2014.

That’s the great thing about this “Top 20” on RapReviews though. First of all it’s MY list, so I don’t have to go by fame or pop success if I don’t want to. Second of all when it comes to visually stunning clips, “Man of the Year” has it all over “Fancy” in spades. Q is having the time of his life on what appears to be his own private island, rapping on beaches and above waterfalls, driving around in an open air off road vehicle, while attractive females of all shades “bounce” to the chorus of his track. As the video draws to an epic conclusion, he has a bonfire party and sets off fireworks over the ocean. He’s the center of attention with not another brother in sight to mack on even one of the women around him.

If you’re an up-and-coming artist who started from the bottom and finally made it to the top, isn’t this EXACTLY the fantasy of making it big you would want to live out in your video? You can’t even hate on him for flaunting his wealth or success – in fact there are barely any jewels or expensive cars to be seen – he’s just living out a young boy’s dream of what the height of success must feel like. That video shoot had to be the party of a lifetime, and the TDE star proved a worthy successor to Lamar.

1.) ScHoolboy Q – “Man of the Year”