Drake-mania continued this week with the release of the Hype Williams-directed visual for “Forever,” the first single off of the soundtrack for the LeBron James documentary, More Than a Game. When we first heard Drizzy was going to shoot a video for the heavyweight-rap track, we couldn’t wait to see just what kind of crazy, game-changing shit him, Kanye, Weezy, and Eminem were going to pull. Unfortunately all we got was a bunch of flashing lights, a few cameos, and a tribute to Bron Bron…We might have judged a little early.
Whatever your verdict on the video is, the fact remains that these four artists are some of the most exciting dudes in music, with their own distinctive styles to match—Kanye with his high-fashion steez, Wayne at the height of his rockstar phase, Eminem with the “I’m going on a jog” look, and Drake with his “I like high-priced designers” look. If you’re looking to swag-jack any rappers, these might be the four to start with. Below, we break down and recreate each rapper’s look. Stick with us—as long as you keep reading, we’ll keep you stylish forever.
It’s hard to believe sometimes, but Drake is still technically a new artist. The kid has accomplished a lot in the past several months, but getting Kanye, Wayne, and Eminem to contribute verses to his lost mixtape cut “Forever”and clear their schedules to star in the music video, directed by Hype Williams no less, might be his most impressive task to date. Of course, the LeBron James factor (the song is on the soundtrack for his upcoming documentary) was probably helpful in getting all parties involved too. Just like Drizzy’s first big video, this one is already host to a bevy of mixed opinions, but that’s to be expected. No matter how you feel about the video, it’s a major look regardless.
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From what we remember, there was an outcry the first time Diddy picked up the microphone to spit a verse instead of just doing ad-libs. Of course, he wound up giving us a decent amount of classic material over the years and some of the complaints settled. Now the artist currently known as Ciroc Obama is a full-blown, Auto-Tune using singer releasing records under the Dirty Money moniker (along with Dawn Richard formerly of Danity Kane, and songwriter Kaleena).
We’re not completely counting out the upcoming Last Train To Paris album, but this record leaves us feeling a little iffy about the entire project, no matter how great the Hype Williams directed video looks. We thought Mr. Combs told us that he wouldn’t stop, but the excessive use of pitch correction software and recycled Biggie verses almost makes us wish that he would.
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Somebody break Lou Pearlman out, because we may have just discovered the next great boyband. Put these four together, give Drake a cane like the giant bass in Boyz II Men, and this shit is ready to hit the road. They even do a little synchronized dance at the very end of the video, at about 4:18. We know Hype Williams directed it, but who did the choreography? Sidenote: when Kanye comes on, they switch up the beat to the “MJ Remix,” which is pretty dope (thanks, Dream & Tricky). As a bonus, check out BET’s behind-the-scenes Access Granted special below…
Tune in to Complex.com every morning at 8 AM for your daily “Wake N’ Watch” video.
Detroit rapper Big Sean’s been on the come up for a couple years, signing to G.O.O.D. Music on the low, and then aligning with Def Jam in ’08. But since the release of his latest mixtape, UKNOWBIGSEAN (download it here), he’s gotten a big boost—and a video directed by the god So-MeHype Williams doesn’t hurt either! This joint “Getcha Some” is also featured on Sean’s upcoming debut Finally Famous (no Lil Wyte), and the video features cameos from Kanye and a boatload of BAPE’s. What more could you ask for?
Tune in to Complex.com every morning at 8 AM for your daily “Wake N’ Watch” video.
We don’t normally post too much about R&B on Complex, but we definitely fucks with young Lloyd. Last year, the ATL-based singer hit #1 with “You,” his Spandau Ballet-sampling duet with Lil Wayne. So for the lead single to his new album Lessons In Love (due out July 22), he’s re-teamed with Weezy and producer Big Reese. Called “Girls Around The World,” it’s a summer jam in the making that flips Eric B. & Rakim’s “Paid In Full” beat.
The video just dropped last night, and we’re pleased to see Hype Williams at the helm. The highlights: Lloyd’s absurdly silky perm that would make Snoop jealous and a pack of crazy cyborg women with LED eyeballs. One more collabo like this between Lloyd and Wayne and people will be demanding that rumored Best of Young Worlds album. Watch the video below.
We don’t normally post too much about R&B on Complex, but we definitely fucks with young Lloyd. Last year, the ATL-based singer hit #1 with “You,” his Spandau Ballet-sampling duet with Lil Wayne. So for the lead single to his new album Lessons In Love (due out July 22), he’s re-teamed with Weezy and producer Big Reese. Called “Girls Around The World,” it’s a summer jam in the making that flips Eric B. & Rakim’s “Paid In Full” beat.
