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.

$lick – “Get Get Go“

Colorado emcee $lick opens up the list with his new effort titled “Get Get Go” which sees him teaming up with producer 2and2. Over the producer’s soulful and reflective soundscape, $lick delivers an introspective performance ripe with a dash of bravado. The song also comes with a video directed by Wiz Kelly who captures the rapper in his true element in different spots.

BlackLiq x Ohbliv – “Good” prod. by Ohbliv

BlackLiq and producer Ohbliv have been on a roll and now they kick off 2023 with  “Good“. The insightful track sees BlackLiq sharing his unfiltered thoughts on matters of the heart and pouring adulation on the woman who helped him along his way. The visual has a mellow and reflective feel and uses a blend of performance shots with cut scenes.

The single is found on their What Will It Take EP, which is out now on Man Bites Dog Records. 

Jthurston – “Wave”

Jthurston makes his entry on our playlist with the visuals for his new song “Wave”. The track has an uplifting and dreamy vibe and sees the rapper with positive vibes and clears out all the negative energy around him. The visual taps into the calm aura of the song and capture Jthurston far from the madness of the city as he clears his mind in the fresh outdoors.

Dee Black – “I Used To”

Baltimore MD-based rapper Dee Black shows us how hip-hop influenced him as a kid in his new single “I Used To”. The soulful and retrospective tune goes back in time to when Dee Black was a young impressionable kid growing up in Baltimore soaking up the different gems from his favourite artists like Tupac, Biggie Smalls, Nas etc. The song is accompanied by a visually gripping clip directed and shot by Will Thomas who blends clips and images from the rappers who inspired Dee Black and performance shots of the rapper himself.

Bugsy H. x Lord Willin – “Berkley Heist” prod. by IIario

Boston’s Bugsy H. and Providence’s Lord Willin team up for  “Berkley Heist”, a street-savvy and insightful record that takes listeners deep into the mechanics of the streets. Bolstered by a menacing and cinematic soundscape provided by IIario, the duo trade bars with much efficacy as they detail the ins, outs, pros and cons of trying to make it out of the hood. The visuals have a dark and moody vibe that fits the theme of the track as well. The track is taken from their new duo project IFC Classics coming very soon!

Copywrite x Kount Fif x Awol One – “Word from Our Sponsor” prod. by Kount Fif (cuts by DJ Swab)

Copywrite, Kount Fif and Awol One bring a “Word from Our Sponsor” to help close out this week’s list. The track produced by Kount Fif and scratches by DJ Swab is as ominous and punchy as they come and it’s made up of eerie keys, and cinematic stabs with crunchy boom-bap drums. Although  Copywrite and Awol One’s styles differ, they do deliver the goods with hard-hitting bars over Kount Fif’s soundscape. The visual makes use of different short thematic clips that reinforces the vivid bars being spewed by the rappers in question.