25 Vintage YouTube Videos Every Hip-Hop Fan Should Watch

By brokencool

The internet is full of hip-hop footage: interviews, music videos, outtakes, behind-the-scenes footage, and so on. Thanks, in part, to the blogosphere, much of this footage has been seen hundreds of thousands of times over. But there are some gems out there that have fallen through the cracks. Drake showing us the "bottom" where he started, Gravediggaz performing "Bang Your Head" for a unique crowd, Eminem in court, and even a young Mr. West grindin' it out in the studio.

Here are 25 vintage YouTube videos that every hip-hop fan should watch.

Artist: Eminem

In 2000, Eminem appeared in court to answer charges resulting from two incidents, including brandishing an unloaded gun and assaulting a nightclub bouncer after he alleged that he saw him kissing his then wife Kim (who Eminem made famous on The Marshall Mathers LP song by the same name). As a result of the incidents, Eminem was given two years probation.

Related: 25 Pictures of a Young Eminem

Artists: Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre and Xzibit

The Tunnel, the legendary hip-hop club and concert venue, was West Coastin' back in 1999 when the Snoop Dogg, Mr. X to the Z and Dr. Dre came through, and rocked "Bitch Please" and "Gin & Juice." West, west y'all. Watch it here.

Artist: Kanye West

Before the Kardashians, before wearing masks on-stage, hell, even before calling out George W., Mr. Kanye West was just a hungry producer trying to get his name heard. In this video, Kanye is seen putting in work at a studio in Jersey City. In the video, you'll see Kanye tweaking some work for Rhymefest as the two go back and forth on a track.

Right now, things with Birdman and Lil Wayne are a little shaky, but don't let it ruin the memories of better times. In this vintage clip, Birdman, Wayne and Juvenile freestyle for BET's Rap City. Right when you think it's about to end, Wayne goes in for round two.

"You goin' again, Weezy!?"

"You stoppin' me?"

Artist: Drake

Back when Drake was just a cast member on Degrassi as Wheelchair Jimmy, the show put together a documentary and followed around a 17-year-old Drizzy in Toronto. The video starts off with Drake jumping in his 2004 Acura TSX in front of his Forest Hill home. Then, the viewer gets to see Drake's pretty dope basement bachelor pad. Uh, when Drake was talking about "started from the bottom," did he mean the basement of a really nice house?

Related: Pages From Drake's Notebooks

Artists: Wu-Tang Clan

Militant ODB intro? Check. Grimy club footage? Check. Pure, raw, uncut early '90s NYC Rap? Check. Consider yourself lucky to be watching Wu-Tang Clan perform "Protect Ya Neck" live in 1993.

Artist: Jay Z

Before he was the half-billion dollar man, Hov was just another target of NYC's hip-hop police. At 20 seconds into the video, Jay Z is seen being arrested by the NYPD in April 2001. As a result of the incident, Jay Z was charged with illegal gun possession. Charges against Jay were eventually dismissed while other weed carriers ate the charges.

Artists: De La Soul

Classic material. Here is a TV special that ran on Super Channel Blue Light in 1989 centered around De La Soul and the release of their debut album 3 Feet High and Rising. Tip: Watch for appearances from KRS-One, Prince Paul, and Run-DMC.

Artists: Da Band

Who can forget Puff Daddy's Makin Da Band series on MTV? One of the better moments (and one you may have forgotten) was when Puff pitted Da Band members against each other in a freestyle battle. Freddrick's Mystikal-meets-DMX flow went up against Chopper's Southern drawl, but ultimately ended up in a tie. Keep an eye out for Mysterious basically giving up against Babs.

Artist: 2Pac

Talk about some great footage. Here is a rare video of 2Pac rapping his 1993 hit "Keep Ya Head Up" in a classroom. The emotion 2Pac exudes rapping "2Pac cares if don't nobody else care" directly at the women in the classroom is both powerful and a glimpse at what might have been.

Artist: The Notorious B.I.G.

Back in '95, Biggie and Nas connected on stage. Great, classic hip-hop footage here. Two things to watch for: 1. Method Man at the start of the vid, and 2. a really suspect caress of Esco's head at 1:06... what's the deal?

Artists: No Limit Soldiers

Fiend. Mystikal. Master P. Silkk The Shocker… the gang's all here. Some live footage of the No Limit Soldiers performing the hit "Make 'Em Say Uhh!" in 1998. Sidebar: Fiend was pretty dope.

Artist: Kriss Kross

Rae Sremmurd who? Talk about throwback footage. Here is footage of Kriss Kross performing their hits "Jump" and "Warm It Up" on BET's Teen Summit in 1992. All backwards everything. R.I.P. Mac Daddy.

Artists: The Fugees

Can it be that it was all so simple then? Flashback to 1994, when The Fugees were on a promo tour for their debut album Blunted on Reality. During the tour, they stopped in Toronto and spent time with Music Music's Rap City where they visited a local juice bar with host, Oliver. Peep 0:40 of the video where a young Lauryn Hill drops a freestyle about... well... juice.

Artists: ONYX

Things got extra grimy at the 1994 Soul Train Awards when ONYX's BACDAFUCUP album won the award for Best Rap Album. The crew was rocking nothing but hockey jerseys and hoodies and when they hit the stage, a full-fledged mosh pit broke out. As Fredro says in the clip, "New York in the house." They don't make New York rap like this anymore.

Artists: Ice-T and Body Count

In 1992, the media and politicians were fuming at Ice-T and Body Count's song "Cop Killer." The song, released on Body Count's self-titled debut album, was rapped from the point of view of an individual fed up by police brutality and proceeds to go on a cop killing spree. Here is an interview at the height of the controversy with Ice-T (you know, the guy who plays a cop now) on "A Current Affair."

Artist: Busta Rhymes

Busta Rhymes has never been short of energy during live shows. His performance of "Woo-Hah" live in Jamaica in 1997 was no exception. The craziest thing about this video? That Spliff Starr has been satisfied with his hypeman status since the '90s!

Artists: The Fat Boys

Back when Regis & Kathie Lee hosted The Morning Show (we're talking mid-80s here people… way before Gelman), a certain robust trio appeared to talk about their new album "Crushin'" The Fat Boys were ridin' high when they conducted this interview, having just released their new single "Wipeout" featuring The Beach Boys. Regis been down!

Artists: The Beastie Boys

Here are The Beastie Boys like you've never seen or heard them before. This clip is from the group's performance on a public access show in 1983. The song is called "Egg Raid on Mojo" and is definitely the Beasties' pre-hip-hop days (read: loud punk).

Artist: Cam'ron

Despite the fact that the interviewer calls Cam'ron’s label "undy entertainment," this interview is a cool look back at Cam in '98 shortly after his debut album Confessions of Fire went gold. Killa Cam talks about the future of The Diplomats, Jim Jones, and "playa hataz."

Artists: Gravediggaz

What in the blue hell is this? Looking like a cross between a '60s psychedelic teen show, a heavy metal concert, and horror flick, Gravediggaz take the stage in 1995 to perform their 6 Feet Deep standout cut, "Bang Your Head." Weirdness aside, this is pure and gritty excellence.

Artists: Various

In 1994, Hip-Hop's elite took to the stage on the Arsenio Hall Show and performed a tribute to one of the legends of late-night TV. Guru, Das Efx, MC Lyte, Naughty By Nature, Wu-Tang and more rocked the stage with an original cut for the one and only Arsenio.

Artist: Gang Starr

In 1991, Slammin' Rap video magazine caught up with DJ Premier and Guru, better known as Gang Starr. Very cool interview as Guru and Preem recap their history, getting into the game, and discuss rap music in general. A glimpse into one of hip-hop's greatest duos of all time.

Artist:Nicki Minaj

At 44 seconds into this video from 2006, Nicki Minaj calls herself "the saviour of female rap." No crystal ball in sight, but Nicki appeared to be predicting the future where she is the pinnacle of female rappers. Hip-Hop. Pop. Film. Nicki is touching it all and this throwback interview is an interesting look at Nicki before the Cash Money makeover.

Artists: A Tribe Called Quest

The Smokin' Grooves Tour was a hip-hop package tour launched in 1996 featuring Cypress Hill, Busta Rhymes, A Tribe Called Quest, The Fugees, and more. This footage captures a portion of A Tribe Called Quest's set.