Hip-Hop & Soul N°104 – Vintage 2000s Music Videos

Dr. Dre, Diddy, T.I., Lethal Bizzle, Nas, Outkast, Kanye West, Xzibit, Aaliyah, Ludacris, House Of Pain, Samantha Mumba

They are the performers of twelve vintage hip-hop, soul, etc. tracks that were ranked in various charts, this week (05/52) BUT … in the Noughties 2000s.

Here, they are reunited in one glorious playlist. Enjoy!

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For TWELVE more Hip-Hop & Soul – Vintage 2000s Music Videos – week 05/52 – click here

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Tracklist

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1 . Dr. Dre – The Next Episode (w/ Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, Nate Dogg)

Released in 2000, “The Next Episode” is a slick convergence of West Coast hip-hop royalty, featuring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, and Nate Dogg. The track pulses with a confident, laid-back swagger, framed by Dre’s signature production style.

It borrows its melody from David McCallum’s “The Edge,” flipping the sample into a hypnotic, bass-heavy anthem. The beat drips with calculated coolness, never rushing, giving each performer ample room to flex their lyrical muscles. Snoop’s effortless flow anchors the track, while Nate Dogg’s hook closes it with a charismatic seal of approval that lingers.

This isn’t just a sequel to “Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang”—it’s an evolution. The lyrics exude untouchable bravado, with verses that celebrate their dominance in the rap game while gently stoking the flames of their gritty Los Angeles roots. Kurupt slips in with sharp interjections, adding yet another layer of texture to this auditory mosaic.

The visuals, set in a strip club teeming with cameos by contemporaries like Ice Cube and Xzibit, double down on its unapologetically bold energy. The staging feels more defiant than celebratory, like an ode to indulgence and power.

Twenty-plus years later, it remains a staple of pop culture, from live renditions in the 2000 Up in Smoke Tour to opening the Super Bowl LVI halftime show. That it capped the 2024 Olympics closing ceremony signals its enduring resonance—a swaggering tip of the cap to a city always ready for its “next episode.”


Featured on the 1999 album “2001“.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

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2 . Diddy – Tell Me (w/ Christina Aguilera)

“Tell Me,” a collaboration between hip-hop mogul Diddy and vocal powerhouse Christina Aguilera, channels an assertive blend of rhythmic intensity and seductive flair, pulling listeners into its orbit with a polished, club-ready magnetism.

Lifted from Diddy’s 2006 album “Press Play,” the track carries a notable pedigree, with contributions from a crowded roster of songwriters and the unmistakable production touch of Just Blaze, whose driving beats underpin the song’s swagger.

Initially crafted for Danity Kane before finding its way to Diddy’s plate, it feels like a track that switched hands but retained its glossy, larger-than-life ambition—designed to both electrify and hypnotize.

Aguilera’s vocal performance is undeniably the centerpiece; her commanding presence contrasts against Diddy’s laid-back cadence, adding a textured tension that amplifies the track’s theme of heated attraction and mutual taunting.

The accompanying music video doesn’t shy away from the theatrics, drenching the screen in neon strobe lights, luxe wind machine drama, and meticulously crafted visuals—a kinetic backdrop that mirrors the song’s hypnotic elements.

Culturally, “Tell Me” is a polished artifact of mid-2000s pop-rap: equal parts sultry bravado and commercial savvy, designed to dominate the airwaves and solidify Diddy’s status as a crossover kingpin.

Ultimately, while it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, the track leans into its glossy production and Aguilera’s show-stealing delivery, creating a moment that’s equal parts spectacle and sizzle without veering into overindulgence.


Featured on the 2006 album “Press Play”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Instagram

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3 . T.I. – Dead And Gone (w/ Justin Timberlake)

“Dead and Gone” brings T.I. and Justin Timberlake together for a contemplative 2009 hip-hop ballad that oscillates between gritty introspection and melodic relief. Anchored in a narrative of regret and perseverance, the track is as much a personal reckoning as it is a universal meditation on loss. T.I.’s verses carry both the weight of grief—especially the tragedy surrounding Philant Johnson’s death—and the resolve to transcend personal missteps, setting a raw and reflective tone. Timberlake’s hook, ethereal yet grounded, adds an emotional counterweight, turning the song into a dialogue between despair and hope.

Musically, the track refuses to rush. The restrained piano line and sustained strings give the instrumentals both gravitas and space, while the beat skews deliberately measured—a reminder that healing is anything but immediate. T.I.’s flow, relentless yet controlled, contrasts Timberlake’s vulnerable upper register, lending the song an almost conversational balance.

Commercial success aside—it topped charts and was a fixture on playlists in the late 2000s—the track feels more like a cathartic release than a polished hit. The accompanying video mirrors this lyrical introspection, with stark imagery of desolate highways and haunting vistas. The unresolved cliffhanger ending feels like a deliberate nod to the cyclical nature of grief and recovery.

“Dead and Gone” doesn’t reinvent anything sonically, but its emotional honesty, paired with its restrained production, cements it as a standout moment in both artists’ catalogs. It treads the fine line between vulnerability and strength, reminding listeners that moving forward often involves carrying the weight of what’s left behind.


Featured on the 2008 album “Paper Trail”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Twitter

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4 . Lethal Bizzle – Pow (Forward)

“Pow (Forward)” is a gritty, high-octane anthem that captures the chaos and raw energy of early grime culture, distilled through Lethal Bizzle’s uncompromising vision.

The song’s eight-bar rally format, a hallmark of grime, allows a rotating cast of ten underground artists to unleash rapid-fire verses that feel both competitive and collaborative, a sonic battleground where ideas and aggression clash.

Dexplicit’s production pulls no punches, marrying snarling synths, chest-thumping 808 beats, and a relentless tempo that doesn’t just accompany the vocalists—it drives the track forward like a freight train with no brakes.

Each guest’s performance adds a unique flavor: D Double E’s slippery delivery contrasts sharply with Flowdan’s booming, chest-rattling tone, while Fumin’s jagged flow cuts through the instrumental like a knife.

The track thrives on defiance, unapologetically reflecting the electric yet volatile environment of East London’s grime scene in 2004, with its confrontational lyrics and fragmented storytelling.

Though its “us versus them” attitude initially ruffled feathers in the mainstream, its infectious hook and undeniable energy propelled it to number 11 on the UK Singles Chart.

This trajectory is remarkable given its release date in the peak of the Christmas chart race, battling festive ballads with raw, anti-commercial grit.

The accompanying videos, shot for Channel U and MTV Base, complement the track perfectly, doubling down on the lo-fi aesthetic of street visuals while amplifying the track’s unpolished, visceral charm.

Far from being sanitized for mass appeal, “Pow (Forward)” weaponizes its underground roots and serves as a timestamp for grime’s ascension to national recognition, even as it maintains fidelity to its unruly, grassroots origins.


Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Twitter

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5 . Nas – Hip Hop Is Dead (w/ will i am)

The 2006 track “Hip Hop Is Dead” by Nas, with production from will.i.am, arrives as both a bold proclamation and an incendiary cornerstone of its namesake album.

Built on a layered foundation of samples, including Iron Butterfly’s “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” and the percussive punch of “Apache,” the production offers a sonic nod to the roots of hip-hop while housing Nas’s searing critique of the genre’s evolution—or regression, in his eyes.

The lyrics pull no punches, serving as a call to arms for the preservation of authenticity in a landscape increasingly dominated by commercialism and diluted artistry.

What elevates the track beyond a mere lament is its balance of sharp lyricism and an undeniable groove, a juxtaposition that will.i.am orchestrates with finesse.

The controversies it sparked, particularly from Southern rap figures like Young Jeezy, only underscore its cultural ripple effect, forcing a wider reckoning within the community.

Its performance on charts, climbing to #41 on the Billboard Hot 100, may not eclipse its thematic weight, but it reinforces Nas’s ability to provoke discussion while creating undeniably listenable records.


Featured on the 2006 album “Hip Hop Is Dead”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Twitter

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6 . Outkast – Ms. Jackson

“Ms. Jackson” by Outkast is a clever marriage of personal apology and cultural resonance, wrapped up in a hook so memorable it temporarily ruled global airwaves in early 2001.

Blending André 3000’s introspection with Big Boi’s sharp observations, it interrogates the realities of fractured relationships and parental expectations following a split, offering contrition without veering into sentimentality.

The production showcases Earthtone III’s knack for intricate yet accessible beats, layering funk-inspired samples like the Brothers Johnson’s rendition of “Strawberry Letter 23” with reversed audio elements that create an undeniably catchy soundscape.

Lyrically, André 3000’s direct address—part-confession, part-defense—meshes seamlessly with Big Boi’s grounded pragmatism, lending the track an authenticity that transcends genre constraints.

F. Gary Gray’s music video mirrors this thematic tension, juxtaposing idyllic settings with the controlled chaos of a house under repair, visualizing the work needed to mend broken connections.

The track’s Grammy win symbolizes its dual achievement: simultaneously accessible and richly textured, it marked a high point in Outkast’s ability to bridge mainstream appeal and artistic nuance.

Cultural accolades, like its inclusion on Rolling Stone’s definitive song lists, affirm its staying power, yet the track’s real strength lies in its ability to translate personal turmoil into a universally relatable narrative, all while maintaining an undeniable groove.


Featured on the 2000 album “Stankonia“.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Twitter

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7 . Kanye West – Heartless

Kanye West’s “Heartless” captures heartbreak with raw, robotic precision, blending Auto-Tune-soaked vocals and cold synths to amplify its emotional isolation.

The track, originally reserved for Jay-Z, instead carves its niche in *808s & Heartbreak*, a stark detour in West’s career that redefines vulnerability in hip hop.

Anchored by the relentless pulse of a Roland TR-808 drum machine, it transcends genre boundaries, melding hip hop’s rhythm with pop’s polish and R&B’s plaintive undertones.

The lyrics excavate the wreckage of West’s split with his ex-fiancé, balancing accusatory bitterness (“How could you be so heartless?”) with somber self-reflection.

If the track sounds like an open wound, the animated Hype Williams-directed video is its fever dream, transforming urban settings into surreal landscapes that highlight West’s inner desolation.

Performed live at cultural touchpoints like *Saturday Night Live* and the American Music Awards, its haunting resonance lingers far beyond its Billboard Hot 100 peak.


Featured on the 2008 album “808s and Heartbreak“.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Twitter

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8 . Xzibit – Hey Now [Mean Muggin]

Xzibit’s “Hey Now (Mean Muggin)” strikes with a swaggering confidence, its Timbaland-crafted beats carrying an infectious pulse.

The track leans on brash lyrics and a polished hook, with Keri Hilson lending a smooth counterpoint to Xzibit’s gritty delivery.

Landing on Xzibit’s fifth album, “Weapons of Mass Destruction,” the song marked his collaboration with Danja, Timbaland’s protégé, embedding it with a futuristic yet hard-edged sound.

Chart performance was scattered, peaking modestly at 93 on the Billboard Hot 100 but striking stronger notes overseas in markets like the UK and Ireland.

The accompanying video amplifies the track’s bold aesthetic, brimming with sharp visuals and a kinetic energy stitched into its editing.

“Hey Now” is a theatrical slice of mid-2000s hip-hop, balancing radio-ready gloss with street-level grit.

The track moves confidently between calculated polish and raw tension, never losing sight of its mission to command attention.

A moment in Xzibit’s ever-dynamic catalog, the single basks in its combination of big-name production and unapologetic bravado.


Featured on the 2004 album “Weapons of Mass Destruction “.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Twitter

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9 . Aaliyah – More Than A Woman

Aaliyah’s “More Than a Woman” occupies a curious space in early-2000s R&B, blending genres with almost clinical precision while maintaining an effortless cool that only she could pull off.

It’s polished to the point of gleaming, as Timbaland’s signature beats churn beneath layers of synthetic strings and elastic basslines, giving the track an edge both futuristic and deeply rhythmic.

The chorus hooks like it’s on a fishing expedition, pairing melodic repetition with Aaliyah’s feather-light vocal delivery, and yet nothing feels forced or overwrought.

Thematically, the lyrics suggest love and empowerment, but they’re vague enough to avoid any real emotional intimacy—Aaliyah’s detached sensuality lends an aloofness that somehow adds to the allure.

The accompanying music video, drenched in the Y2K aesthetic of sharp steel blues and metallic sheens, ages like a curious relic of Hollywood futurism circa 2001.

Directed by Dave Meyers, it features Aaliyah performing effortless choreography next to motorcycles like a pop android built for grace.

Cameos from a pre-fame Rashida and Kidada Jones are blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moments that now serve as unplanned cultural time capsules.

Released posthumously, it’s become a poignant snapshot of an artist taken far too soon, though some might argue the track’s glossy, almost mechanical vibe somewhat masks its emotional resonance.


Featured on the 2001 album “Aaliyah“.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

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10 . Ludacris – Runaway Love (w/ Mary J. Blige)

“Runaway Love” surfaces as a 2006 hip-hop ballad that walks the fine line between gritty storytelling and emotional gravity.

Ludacris pairs his pointed narrative with Mary J. Blige’s towering vocal presence, crafting a song that confronts harsh societal issues head-on.

The understated production by John Winter places the spotlight squarely on the stories of three young girls, all wrestling with abuse, neglect, and systemic failures in their lives.

Sparse beats and a mournful instrumental lend the track a quietly devastating impact, resisting the temptation to overpower its fragile subject matter.

The music video, directed by Jessy Terrero, underscores the song’s bleak realism with unflinching visual storytelling, pulling no punches in depicting the characters’ struggles.

Charting modestly at a peak of #52 on the Billboard Hot 100, its reach feels disproportionate, given how its layered messages cut deeper than many of the hits of its day.

Emerging from Ludacris’s “Release Therapy,” an album that itself topped charts, the song anchors its themes in pressing societal issues like poverty and addiction without veering into melodrama.

This isn’t a single crafted to charm radio stations; instead, “Runaway Love” challenges the listener to reckon with tough truths seldom addressed in mainstream hip-hop of its era.

Its brevity makes its storytelling efficiency all the more striking, avoiding aimless pity to instead present grim realities with clarity and urgency.

In a genre sometimes chided for escapism, Ludacris and Mary J. Blige pull back the veil on hidden worlds, delivering a rare moment where the beats and bars feel like secondary players to the raw humanity at center stage.


Featured on the 2006 album “Release Therapy”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Instagram

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11 . House Of Pain – Jump Around

“Jump Around” by House of Pain blends a frenetic hip-hop edge with a brash energy that feels almost combustible.

DJ Muggs crafts a beat bursting with sampled horn wails and pounding basslines, creating a backdrop that’s both unrelenting and infectious.

With lyrics delivered in an intentionally defiant tone, the song invites listeners to quite literally bounce—physically and metaphorically—through every corner of its three-minute explosion.

The track’s success isn’t confined to one geography; its rise on charts across the US, UK, and Canada speaks to an enduring, cross-border appeal.

There’s a gritty visual counterpart in its music video, which juxtaposes street-level joy with a nod to Irish-American culture, shot amid the Saint Patrick’s Day parade in New York City.

While its brass-heavy beat plants it firmly in the early ’90s, the song’s refusal to settle for subtlety ensures its place in countless party soundtracks decades later.


Featured on the 1992 album “House of Pain”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Facebook

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12 . Samantha Mumba – Body II Body

“Body II Body,” released in 2000, showcases Samantha Mumba’s ability to blend infectious pop hooks with sultry R&B finesse, delivering a track that feels both nostalgic and modern.

Anchored by a bold sample from David Bowie’s “Ashes to Ashes,” it navigates the tricky territory of homage without veering into imitation, giving it an edge that stands out in early-2000s pop.

With its polished production and layered backing vocals, the song creates a textured but accessible soundscape, underscoring themes of attraction and subtle seduction.

The track’s success is reflected in its charts performance—reaching impressive positions in Ireland, the UK, and Australia—a testament to its broad appeal even in an era dominated by bubblegum pop and nu-metal.

The accompanying music video offers a slice of early-2000s aesthetics, complete with choreographed spontaneity and gas station glamour, toeing the line between casual and cinematic.

Despite its shimmering surface, “Body II Body” hints at deeper contradictions—its lush composition working against the simplicity of its lyrical content, creating tension that leaves the listener wanting more.

Whether this adds to the song’s charm or detracts from it depends on how much the listener is drawn to glossy production versus lyrical depth.

While it might never ascend to the pantheon of iconic singles, it remains a notable entry in Mumba’s discography, encapsulating the musical zeitgeist of its time without overstaying its welcome.


Featured on the 2000 album “Gotta Tell You”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Twitter

For THE FULL HIP-HOP & SOUL COLLECTION click here

This week Top 20 New Music on RVM *

(*) According to our own statistics, upadted on February 16, 2025

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