The Lost Art of Music Videos
“Now everything looks the same. Same filters, same editing, same aesthetic. Somewhere along the line, the flavor got lost.”
The Lost Art of Music Videos
Man… there was a time when music videos mattered. You couldn’t wait to see ’em. You’d rush home, flip to BET, and pray your favorite video hit #1 on 106 & Park. If it did, you felt like you won that day.
Growing up, I used to sit in front the TV watching Ludacris, OutKast, Missy—folks who made visuals feel like a whole world. They had fun with it. The colors, the ideas, the way it was shot… it all felt alive.
And looking back, I realize that era just felt good. Life had rhythm to it. Even with all its problems, things felt lighter. The music, the videos, the fashion—everything had energy and soul.
When Every City Had Its Own Vibe
I’m from Georgia, so I remember when you could feel where a video came from. The South had that warm, loud, sweaty energy—house parties, Cadillacs, gold grills, kids outside, girls dancing in the street, ice cream trucks pulling up, high school gyms packed like pep rallies. It felt like community. It felt like summer.
Then you’d turn on a video from New York, and it had that cool, concrete energy. The subway shots, the crisp fashion, the night lights. You could tell—that’s New York.
Now everything looks the same. Same filters, same editing, same aesthetic. Somewhere along the line, the flavor got lost.
When R&B Still Had Feeling
Even when the game started to shift in the 2010s, a few artists still knew how to make videos that felt like something. That was the transition era—when music was changing, but the visuals still had heart.
Wale & Miguel’s “Lotus Flower Bomb.”
Rick Ross’ “Diced Pineapples.”
Kendrick & Drake’s “Poetic Justice.”
Even 2 Chainz & Drake’s “No Lie.”
Those videos carried emotion, like short films with real feeling behind them. You could see the effort. You could tell they cared.
Now? Too many artists scared to show emotion. Too busy standing in front of a lens trying to look untouchable—not realizing that vulnerability is what connects you to people.
If They Were Still Making Videos Like That Today…
Just imagine if artists were still dropping videos like that in today’s era—when we all got phones in our hands 24/7. We’d be glued to YouTube even more. Every scroll would feel like a premiere.
That’s what I miss—the storytelling, the personality, the fun. The way those videos made you care.
Artists Who Still Got It
I’ll give credit where it’s due. Tyler, The Creator keeps building worlds with every drop.
Drake—literally one of the biggest artists in the world, one of the greatest rappers of all time—and even he’s not scared to shoot a creative music video. An artist of his magnitude not taking himself too serious? That’s what makes for timeless visuals. “Walk It Talk It” looked like Soul Train. “Way 2 Sexy” was pure comedy and confidence.
And BigXthaPlug—I respect what he’s doing. I got put onto him right before he blew up, but “Whip It” really made me a fan. That Soul Train-style video? That’s what we missing.
Even DaBaby—he catches flack for a lot, sometimes rightfully so, but at least he ain’t scared to be creative. His videos got personality. He reminds me of that Ludacris and Busta Rhymes era—when videos were wild, colorful, and full of imagination.
Closing It Out
Music videos used to carry a heartbeat. They gave songs life, identity, and soul. Now most of ’em just come and go. No story. No emotion.
But every now and then, somebody brings that feeling back—and when they do, you feel it. Because deep down, we all still want to feel something again.