Welcome to TWIB’s Weekly Top 5 Videos. This is a segment where we will be looking at some exceptional visuals from various acts from around the globe. The music video format has been around for decades and through the 90s and 2000s, it has really taken flight from multi-million budget music videos, to mid to low-budget videos with exceptional features. In this section, we will not discriminate but rather highlight some of the creative visuals that pop up on our radar.

GOTTI MOB (Kurupt & C-Mob) – “Players Ball (feat. Snoop Dogg)”

GOTTI MOB (Kurupt & C-Mob) recently put out the single”Players Ball featuring the legendary Snoop Dogg and now they return with the official visuals. The video is directed by Westlyfe’s Ray Westlyfe and Li Li Gotti, who balance modern and old-school West Coast vibes in a predominantly black-and-white aesthetic. In addition to being striking in a visual sense, it also captures the spirit of the track itself, which is one of many standouts on GOTTI MOB’s forthcoming album, Don’t Be Stupid. Head over to GOTTIMOB.com to pre-oder Don’t Be Stupid on vinyl, CD, cassette or digital download via Penagon Records/GOTTI MOB in partnership with Compound Interest. The album becomes available next Friday, Dec 16 through all major DSPs.

Mickey Blue x Big Dee – “Twenty Ninety-Four” prod. by Mickey Blue

Producer Mickey Blue and Point Pleasant, NJ native Big Dee come through next with “Twenty Ninety-Four”, a punchy hard-hitting tune that is ripe with vivid lyricism and a solid scratched chorus to boot. The Mike Sgroi-directed visual is shot in black and white and pays homage to the 90s with its raw gritty set pieces. This is the third single off the highly anticipated debut album A Long time Coming set to release in January 2023.

Rosewood Swing – “Blk Ferrari I”

Jackson, MS-based Rosewood Swing flexes his lyrical muscles in this new single titled “Blk Ferrari I”. Over a drumless ethereal backdrop made up of sombre keys and atmospheric vocal samples, the rapper dazzles the listeners with his stylish, laidback flow and vivid rhyme schemes. The visual is shot in a full performance style that focuses on Rosewood and uses different angle shots with seamless transitions.

Fungai – “Full court press”

Fungai takes the bull by the horns in his new release “Full court press”. The title is a reference to the well-known defensive basketball manoeuvre and sees Fungai in his element over the punchy trap/drill backdrop produced by Naspar. The premise details the rapper’s efforts to chase his dreams regardless of the obstacles and hurdles ahead. He is also joined by his longtime collaborator Mula Phiri who throws in a smooth animated performance on the second verse. The visual is all fast cut scnes with performnac ehsots of both rappers as they do what they do best.

HarveyDent – “GTFOH”

HarveyDent drops visuals for “GTFOH”, a lyric-dense tune that is ripe with vivid and candid lyrics delivered expertly over the brooding trap soundscape. The visual is quite entertaining too and it’s made to emulate GTA and also splices the duo’s live performances into it.

Savvy The Savior – “Resurrection Of That Real”

Savvy The Savior help close out the list with “Resurrection Of That Real” which is from his SonShine Frm Da East EP. The song was released some years ago but we just had to include it for many who may have missed it. The production has a sombre, jazzy vibe and Savvy’s insightful bars take precedence and keep listeners locked in.  The visual has a documentary feel and uses different retro visual effects and performance shots to complete the job.