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2. 10. Lupe Fiasco, Kanye & Pharrell - "Us Placers"
The mini Kanye is easy to spot in his polo shirts; clearly this was made before the days of his infamous leather kilt. The little dopplegangers take their turns on screen rapping the words written by their adult counterparts. The clip, which was directed by Va$htie, definitely uses the children to show the lighter side of hip-hop while still staying true to the song's message.
3. 9. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis - "Wings"
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis are known for having extremely thoughtful visuals accompanying their tracks. This creative duo does everything themselves from writing the songs to making the beats and even directing the videos. In this case a young blonde boy and future sneakerhead—maybe it is a young Macklemore—is followed while he plays basketball, goes to school and lusts over his crisp new kicks. This kid is not only a good actor but he seems to know his way around a basketball court too.
4. 8. The Notorious B.I.G. ft. 112 - "Sky’s the Limit"
This video was shot after Biggie's untimely death and features children playing the parts of 112, Diddy, Busta Rhymes, Lil Kim and of course B.I.G. The little rappers are decked out in designer duds and seemingly living the life. Spike Jonez steered the ship for this video clip and expertly guided the children into their roles as money'd rappers in their prime.
5. 7. M83 - "Midnight City"
M83's video for "Midnight City" features what appears to be a school for extremely talented children. However these are not ordinary children, they have special powers such as the ability to make objects float with their minds. Eventually one small boy gets the attention of all the others, and in the middle of the night they focus their energy together and bust out of the school (prison?). Even if you aren't a big fan of super-kids the cinematography in this music video makes the whole thing worth watching.
6. 6. Jessie Ware - "Sweet Talk"
The video for Jessie Ware's Sweet Talk is another video featuring a mini version of the artist. In this case not only is a little Jessie portrayed but we also get to see a mini producer helping her in the studio. Mini-producer and mini-Jessie work together; he makes the beat while she pens the lyrics and eventually the make moves to record their mini track. Besides the fact that the actors are probably 12 the video is a pretty spot on portrayal of how things go down in the studio.
7. 5. Jay-Z - "Hard Knock Life"
It was only natural that Hov featured kids in his video for Hard Knock Life after borrowing the hook from the popular stage show Annie. The video is shot in Brooklyn and shows images of children playing in parks, on the streets and singing the words to the song. Hov looks so comfortable with the kids that you just know he is probably great with Blue Ivy.
8. 4. The Raveonettes - "Curse The Night"
The visuals for Curse the Night features a posse of seven children who roam the streets at night engaging in some good old-fashioned armed robbery. The video, which was directed by fellow Danish duo Storm/Hansen, features two young drummer boys marching through the streets collecting other kids to join in their delinquent activities.
9. 3. Skrillex - "First of the Year (Equinox)"
The little girl in Skrillex's video for "First of the Year" is not as naive as she looks. A seemingly sweet and innocent little girl lures a would-be predator into an old abandoned warehouse. Just as he prepares to take advantage of our little heroine she wiggles her fingers and quickly takes control of the situation. Pushing and pulling the perp through the air and slamming his body on the ground, this little girl shows why she's not one to be messed with.
10. 2. MGMT - "Kids"
The child star in this video is sure to be traumatized for the rest of his life after filming the music video for MGMT's "Kids." Our mini protagonist suffers through an impressive list of monsters that are scary enough to frighten a grown-up let alone a small toddler. The video opens with the baby in the crib being pawed at and grabbed by a giant, slimy alien. Things go down hill from there.
11. 1. Danny Brown - "Grown Up"
Danny Brown's video for "Grown Up" features a mini version of the eccentric rapper styled exactly like him, from the hair to the gnarly teeth and wardrobe choices. The young Danny Brown is played by aspiring child actor Dante Hoagland, who was described by the director as "the sweetest kid ever." The video was shot in Williamsburg and Harlem, though it's meant to look like the streets of Detroit. As far as the choice for a kid star to play Danny Brown, we couldn't imagine a better choice.
