Hip-Hop & Soul N°108 – Vintage 2000s Music Videos

1 . Flo Rida - Low (w/ T-Pain)

"Low," the lead single from Flo Rida's 2008 debut "Mail on Sunday," stands as a definitive slice of the crunk era, rooted in DJ Montay's slick, club-ready production.

Released in late 2007, the track immediately catapulted itself to the apex of the *Billboard* Hot 100, a testament to its inescapable hook, courtesy of T-Pain's autotuned prowess.

The lyrics paint a scene of club-life opulence, spotlighting Apple Bottom jeans and fur-lined boots—a sartorial checklist that defined mid-2000s nightlife aesthetics.

Flo Rida's rapid-fire delivery complements T-Pain's melodic, sticky chorus, creating a rhythmic contrast that keeps the track moving.

Despite its overwhelming chart success, including a Diamond certification from the RIAA and appearances on four different Billboard charts, the song's appeal feels undeniably tied to its time.

The music video leans heavily on its mainstream appeal, interweaving clips from *Step Up 2: The Streets* with dancefloor shots, though it does little to elevate the song’s narrative.

For Flo Rida, born Tramar Lacel Dillard, "Low" was a springboard into pop visibility, while T-Pain, at the peak of his career, proved why his hooks were club staples during the late 2000s.

The track's crunk roots and reliance on overt consumerism frame it as both a snapshot of its era and a blueprint for many party anthems that followed.

While undeniably catchy, its reliance on repetition, both musically and thematically, could be seen as a limitation, relegating it primarily to a nostalgic playlist rather than a transcendent moment in hip-hop storytelling.

Featured on the 2008 album "Mail on Sunday ".

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2 . Shontelle - T-Shirt

"T-Shirt," the debut solo single from Shontelle's 2008 album "Shontelligence," positions itself as a tender yet understated entry in the crowded R&B landscape of the late 2000s. Singing about finding solace in wearing her boyfriend's T-shirt, Shontelle taps into a relatable, if not groundbreaking, sentimentality.

The production offers a gentle, minimalist backdrop, keeping a respectful distance from the vocal centerpiece. While this restraint allows the lyrics to shine, it also exposes Shontelle's voice—pleasant but far from distinctive—to fair scrutiny. Critics like Nick Levine and Steve Perkins have echoed similar sentiments, acknowledging the song's amiable feel but lamenting a lack of originality, with both assigning it an unadventurous 3/5 rating.

Commercially, however, "T-Shirt" exceeded tepid critical reception, charting impressively. It secured a strong foothold in the UK, peaking at number six on the UK Singles Chart and dominating the UK R&B Singles Chart. The US was less enthusiastic, with the song landing at number 36 on Billboard's Hot 100 and climbing to number 15 on the Pop Songs chart. These numbers indicate a certain transatlantic imbalance in its appeal, though perhaps not a surprising one given the track's muted emotional punch.

The music video, directed by Mike Ruiz, reinforces the song's central motif, showcasing Shontelle at home in her boyfriend's T-shirt. While visually straightforward, it communicates the narrative effectively, if unremarkably. The later remix featuring The-Dream, included on her second album "No Gravity," felt less like reinvention and more like a belated attempt to infuse the song with a stronger personality.

Where "T-Shirt" succeeds is in its unpretentiousness. It doesn't overreach, though this comes at the expense of memorability. Shontelle sidesteps gimmicks, opting instead for a simple ode to longing, but the result risks veering into forgettable territory. A serviceable track with notable commercial milestones, "T-Shirt" remains a modest chapter in the broader story of Shontelle's career.

Featured on the 2008 album "Shontelligence".

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3 . Beyoncé - If I Were a Boy

Embedded within Beyoncé's dual persona on "I Am... Sasha Fierce," "If I Were a Boy" strips back the boastful bravado of her alter ego, channeling instead a striking vulnerability.

Co-written by BC Jean and Toby Gad, the midtempo pop and R&B ballad flirts with folk and soft rock elements—a musical concoction anchored in the key of G♭ major, paced at a moderate 90 beats per minute.

Recorded across several locations, including Roc the Mic Studios, Strawberrybee Productions, and GAD Studios, the track nods to live instrumentation, weaving piano, acoustic guitar, drums, and the faint punctuation of strings and handclaps into its tapestry.

The lyrical conceit—a gender-flipping narrative that places the singer in her partner's flawed shoes—grapples earnestly with the thornier discrepancies of emotional labor in heterosexual relationships.

Beyoncé’s narrator oscillates between imagining herself as a "better man" and dissecting the inadequacies of her partner, a duality rendered with vocal precision but susceptible to moments that edge toward heavy-handed moralizing.

Jake Nava’s black-and-white music video leans into the track’s role-reversal theme, but while the visual contrast underscores the message, its starkness borders on overstatement, leaving little to interpretation.

Released alongside cultural juggernaut "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" as a double A-side single, "If I Were a Boy" carved out its own space, topping charts in countries like the UK, Brazil, and Sweden while peaking at number three on the US *Billboard* Hot 100.

Though its structure may provoke comparison to the raw intimacy of singer-songwriters, Beyoncé’s powerhouse delivery lends the song its commercial sheen, albeit at the expense of lyrical subtlety.

Live performances—on *The Oprah Winfrey Show* and the Grammy stage—capitalized on the song's universal themes, bolstering its longevity, particularly in the UK, where it lingered in the Top 200 for over a year, amassing 746,000 in sales.

Yet for all its chart success and multi-platinum accolades, including a diamond certification in Brazil, "If I Were a Boy" feels curiously hemmed in by its polished edges.

Where Reba McEntire’s country reinterpretation breathes earthy texture into the composition, the original risks becoming a victim of its own immaculately produced ambition.

Featured on the 2008 album "I Am... Sasha Fierce".

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

4 . Wu-Tang Clan - Gravel Pit

"Gravel Pit," released on December 5, 2000, from Wu-Tang Clan's third album, "The W," is as much a sonic collage as it is a contradiction.

The track juxtaposes hard-edged verses from Method Man, Ghostface Killah, and U-God with a bizarrely playful hook sung by Paulissa Moorman: "Check out my gravel pit…".

Funk pulses beneath the surface, with the chorus lifting its "Back, back, and forth and forth…" from Cameo’s 1986 single "Back and Forth."

The result is disorienting—a deliberate clash between the Clan’s gritty, kung fu-inspired ethos and a funk backdrop lightened by melodic nostalgia.

Tying the track's disparate elements together is RZA’s production work, which borrows from the trumpet intro of James Brown's "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" and the French TV miniseries "Belphegor."

True to Wu-Tang’s penchant for cinematic references, snippets from "Enter the Dragon" and "Short Eyes" slide into the mix, though their presence feels more decorative than integral.

The song peaks where its component parts fail, an irony the Wu-Tang Clan seems to revel in.

The Joseph Kahn-directed music video amplifies this tonal mishmash by sending the group careening into a Stone Age fantasy, complete with "Flintstones"-style cars, dinosaurs, casino flamboyance, and a nonsensical ninja battle led by Bokeem Woodbine as "Bo Rockhard."

Members abandon their urban personas for preposterous aliases like RZA’s "Bobby Boulders" and Ghostface's "Frank Stoney," suggesting irreverence both for themselves and their audience.

Chart-wise, "Gravel Pit" defied expectations, hitting number 6 on the UK Singles Chart—Wu-Tang Clan’s sole Top 40 UK hit—while earning Gold certifications in both the UK and Germany.

This commercial success contrasts sharply with its chaos, a reminding paradox for a group that has always thrived in creative fracture.

Method Man, sharp as ever, injects levity and energy into verses that might otherwise collapse under the track's weight of influences.

Still, at its heart, "Gravel Pit" never resolves its identity.

It flirts brazenly with absurdity but leaves behind a sense of unease, like a time machine cast adrift between artistic brilliance and genre pastiche.

Featured on the 2000 album "The W".

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

5 . Cam’ron - Girls

“Girls,” a 2004 single from Cam'ron’s album “Purple Haze,” reminds listeners of his knack for crafting commercially viable hip-hop without straying too far from his roots.

Anchored by a collaboration with Mona Lisa, the track thrives on its infectious accessibility, though it may not aim for the lyrical depth of Cam'ron’s more introspective work.

The album itself, released on December 7, 2004, achieved a Gold certification in the USA, and while “Girls” did not secure any major awards, its chart performance is commendable, landing at number 25 on the UK Top 75 Singles chart, number 29 in Ireland, and an impressive number 5 on Germany’s Jam FM Charts.

Yet, the song’s real charm lies in its catchiness, a testament to Cam'ron’s ear for hooks and his ability to slip into the mainstream without becoming disposable.

What’s intriguing is how “Girls” fits into the broader palette of “Purple Haze,” which itself represents a pivotal moment in Cam'ron’s career.

Known for his distinctively languid delivery and often playful manipulation of language, Cam'ron balances the high-energy feature from Mona Lisa with his offhand charisma.

But if “Girls” has a flaw, it might be its lack of ambition.

While undeniably enjoyable, it doesn’t push the boundaries of Cam'ron’s artistry or leave a particularly lasting impact within the deep well of mid-2000s hip-hop.

Still, for a single that is part of a larger, successful Gold-certified project, “Girls” serves its role ably, offering listeners a bite of infectious energy without pretending to be anything more profound than that.

Featured on the 2004 album "Purple Haze".

Lyrics >> More by the same : Instagram

6 . Usher - Yeah! (w/ Lil Jon & Ludacris)

"Yeah!" by Usher, featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris, lands with the thump of an undeniable early-2000s titan, a track that occupies a peculiar nexus of R&B suaveness and crunk-driven bravado.

Pulled from the 2004 album "Confessions"—though notably not its title track—it carries a swagger distinctly of its time. The production, spearheaded by Lil Jon, marries growling synths with a propulsive club-ready beat, flaunting his signature crunk foundation. If the track itself doesn’t scream subtlety, it doesn’t seem interested in trying, operating more as a sonic sledgehammer than a scalpel.

The trio of voices—Usher's velvety hooks, Ludacris’ laid-back but razor-sharp verse, and Lil Jon’s relentless ad-libs—feels like a cast assembled for maximum impact. Ludacris' contribution adds a welcome burst of lyrical playfulness, juxtaposing Usher’s longing urgency with a brash, almost mischievous confidence. Lil Jon’s vocal energy, all grind and growl, while essential to the song’s identity, risks teetering on the edge of caricature, particularly over repeated listens.

Its commercial performance is as colossal as its sonic profile, peaking at number 1 on the UK Official Singles Chart and dominating charts with an endurance rarely seen. Spending 22 weeks in the Top 100 and racking up notable chart resurgences in 2005 and again in the 2010s, "Yeah!" reads less like a moment in time and more like a cultural residue refusing to fully fade. Its grip on radio airplay—200,000 spins in 2004, according to Billboard Music Awards honors—underscores its ubiquity during its heyday.

A sum of its parts, the song thrives on bold choices and louder-than-life collaboration. Yet, for all its peak chart placement and accompanying accolades, it relies heavily on spectacle, sometimes sacrificing nuance for sheer volume. "Yeah!" doesn’t whisper; it shouts. And in doing so, it plants itself firmly in the canon of Y2K-era anthems, loud, brash, and unrelenting.

Featured on the 2004 album "Confessions".

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

7 . Ne-Yo - Mad

"Mad," the third single from Ne-Yo's 2008 album *Year of the Gentleman,* is a taut display of emotional vulnerability wrapped in melodic precision.

Produced by Stargate and Ne-Yo himself, the song sits comfortably within the polished framework of late-2000s R&B but avoids slipping into formulaic mediocrity.

Its narrative leans into the universality of conflict, glossing over a relationship at the tipping point with Ne-Yo's restrained delivery simmering just beneath heartbreak.

The accompanying music video, directed by Diane Martel, takes the track’s raw emotional plea and anchors it in a storyline reminiscent of *The Sixth Sense,* underlining the tragedy with a twist that feels both poignant and slightly heavy-handed.

The decision to frame Ne-Yo as a ghost, revealed only after a selfless act of heroism, is ambitious, though it flirts with melodrama at times.

Chart position-wise, the song peaking at number 11 on the *Billboard* Hot 100 and number 6 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs is telling of its resonance with audiences, even if it didn't fully break into the stratosphere of superstardom.

Gold certifications in New Zealand and the UK, as well as Platinum in the United States, confirm the track's commercial impact, though it doesn’t entirely shake the sense of being a mid-tier chapter in Ne-Yo’s discography.

While "Mad" showcases the singer-songwriter’s adeptness at blending smooth vocalization with relatable storytelling, its polished edges can feel overly calculated, missing the slightly jagged spontaneity that illustrious R&B classics often exude.

Featured on the 2008 album "Year of the Gentleman".

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

8 . 2Pac - Thugz Mansion

"Thugz Mansion," featured on the posthumous 2002 album "Better Dayz," offers one of the more contemplative entries in 2Pac's extensive catalog.

The track exists in two iterations: the "Nas Acoustic" version, joined by Nas and J. Phoenix, and the "7 Remix" version with Anthony Hamilton, reinterpreted by producer 7 Aurelius. Each version frames its narrative differently but retains the song's core—a vision of utopia for those failed by earthly justice.

Musically, the "Nas Acoustic" version leans into a stripped-down melody, its simplicity amplifying the gravity of 2Pac’s words while Nas’s contribution adds a layer of modernity. Meanwhile, the "7 Remix" substitutes acoustic warmth for a more polished production, with Anthony Hamilton's soulful choruses acting as a counterweight to 2Pac's verses. Both versions reflect their eras yet feel immediate, a testament to the adaptability of the song's message.

Lyrically, the track intertwines personal reflection with communal grief. Name-dropping icons—Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, Malcolm X—serves more than nostalgia; it threads Black cultural history into the fantasy of peace. The nod to Latasha Harlins underscores the song's political pulse, rooting this imagined haven in real-world trauma.

Despite its poignancy, the song risks over-introspection, occasionally feeling tethered to its own solemnity. Yet its broader appeal is irrefutable, earning nominations at the Source Awards and the MTV Video Music Awards for its "Nas Acoustic" video. Charting at number 19 in 2002, it demonstrated posthumous vitality without resorting to easy sentimentality.

"Thugz Mansion" sits at the intersection of loss and longing, deftly sidestepping melodrama. Though not devoid of flaws, its raw intent and historical resonance solidify it as a cornerstone of 2Pac's legacy.

Featured on the 2002 album "Better Dayz".

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

9 . Wyclef Jean - 911 (w/ Mary J. Blige)

"911" by Wyclef Jean and Mary J. Blige threads together melodrama and mid-tempo grooves to narrate a tale of doomed love, yet its ambition is both its strength and occasional burden.

Released in 2000 as the third single from Wyclef's *The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book*, it finds its foundation in a theatrical duet format. Wyclef plays the fugitive lover, while Mary J. Blige offers the voice of emotional clarity and restless devotion. Recorded and mixed at New York City's The Hit Factory, the track carries a polished sheen that reflects the expertise of producers Wyclef Jean and Jerry "Wonder" Duplessis. The polish is further bolstered by mastering at Sterling Sound, lending it a crispness that prevents the gravitas from slipping into overkill.

The narrative—a collision of love and danger—is elevated by its lyrical detail, exemplified in lines like "messing around with you is gonna get (the man) life," but the storytelling risks redundancy as the drama veers close to soap opera theatrics. Meanwhile, Jean and Blige's vocals, while individually robust, occasionally collide rather than complement, as though two powerhouse cars are trying to out-accelerate each other.

The song's commercial performance reflects its accessible allure, peaking modestly at #38 on the US *Billboard* Hot 100 but hitting Scandinavian gold, literally, with six weeks atop the Norwegian charts and a platinum certification to boot. Its global reception—top 10 placements in Denmark, Finland, and the UK (where it clung to the top 10 for ten weeks)—showed legs, even as the emotional depth occasionally limps.

Director Marcus Raboy translated its narrative into a cinematic music video, underscoring the fatalistic tone with drama-heavy visuals. Grammy recognition followed, with the song's nomination for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group at the 43rd Annual Awards, representing a nod more to its theatrical earnestness than its subtlety.

Mary J. Blige brings her trademark emotional weight, and Wyclef Jean punctuates the piece with his distinctively unpolished charm. Yet for all its high production values and lyrical ambition, "911" occasionally runs the risk of overloading its dramatic core and, by extension, its sonic appeal. The song lives on as a testament to risks taken, some of which pay off; others teeter just shy of brilliance.

Featured on the 2000 album "The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book".

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

10 . Sisqo - Got To Get It

"Got to Get It," Sisqó's debut solo single, stands as a curious opening gambit in his post-Dru Hill career.

Clocking in on November 2, 1999, the track occupies a space of transitional ambition, straddling the commercial R&B of the late '90s and hints of the showmanship that would later define his mega-hits like "Thong Song."

The production, guided by Sisqó himself alongside Al West, blends sinewy grooves with a driving rhythm that pushes without ever quite breaking into something distinctively memorable. Its placement at number 40 on the US *Billboard* Hot 100 and a more respectable number 12 on the *Billboard* Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart reflects this middling appeal—neither a flop nor a runaway success.

Sisqó co-writes with Mark Andrews, Al West, Marquis Collins, and James Travis, crafting lyrics that feel engineered for mainstream consumption rather than deeply personal expression.

The accompanying music video, directed by Hype Williams, reads as quintessential late-'90s fare—Sisqó crooning atop a building, cutting to Make It Hot's performance while peppering in requisite shots of him dancing with women and strumming a guitar.

This glossy, hyper-stylized treatment elevates the visual impact but does little to deepen the song’s resonance.

Recorded at The Tracken Place and Larrabee West in Los Angeles, the mixing by Manny Marroquin and recording by Jan Fairchild add polish to the track’s soundscape, though the overall result still leans too heavily on polish over substance.

Released as part of the album "Unleash the Dragon," which would later soar to quadruple platinum status, "Got to Get It" feels like a warm-up lap compared to its more iconic successors.

One can’t help but see it as a wobbly but necessary pivot from Sisqó's origins in Dru Hill to his eventual solo stardom, hinting at his potential without fully delivering on it.

Featured on the 1999 album "Unleash the Dragon".

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11 . Afroman - Because I Got High

Afroman’s “Because I Got High,” released in 2001 on the album of the same name and *The Good Times*, manages to turn slacker comedy into a surprisingly successful formula of cultural commentary and stoner humor.

Clocking in at over four minutes, this comedy hip-hop track blends a meandering cadence with an amateurish charm that reflects Afroman’s self-described process—writing and recording the song under the influence of chronic weed in just over two minutes. The stripped-down, lo-fi production helmed by Afroman and Headfridge underscores its DIY aesthetic rather than elevating it, the beat acting as a repetitive but functional backdrop for the punchline-driven lyrics.

The song essentially reads like a laundry list of failures attributed to pot consumption, delivered with a deadpan, self-aware humor. But its sticking power lies largely in its novelty, a rare melding of irreverence and relatability that catapulted it onto charts worldwide. Peaking at #13 on the *Billboard* Hot 100, it charted across genres, from Rhythmic (#6) to Alternative Airplay (#17) and even Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (#40). In the UK, the song’s appeal was even broader, landing at #1 on the Official Singles Chart and maintaining a presence in the top 40 for 19 weeks.

The accompanying music video adds to the absurdity. Afroman drives an ice cream truck selling weed-shaped “budsicles,” with cameos from Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes as Jay and Silent Bob—a meta nod to the song’s inclusion in the film *Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back*. The visual fits seamlessly with the track’s carefree, absurd tone.

What’s remarkable is how the song went from a viral underground hit to a Grammy-nominated single, selling over 1.5 million copies and earning Platinum certification from the RIAA. Yet, its simplicity might also be its limitation. While undeniably funny and culturally relevant in the early 2000s, it leans heavily on one gag, which might wear thin on repeated listens.

Later remakes, including a 2014 collaboration with Weedmaps and NORML, hinted at Afroman’s attempt to inject political relevance into the song, but the original works best as a snapshot of its time—a stoned anthem holding up a mirror to its own absurdity.

Featured on the 2000 album "Because I Got High".

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12 . 50 Cent - P.I.M.P.

"P.I.M.P." from 50 Cent’s 2003 debut, *Get Rich or Die Tryin'*, is an unapologetic foray into the slick yet grimy world of gangsta rap, tailor-made for the mainstream charts while retaining shades of the underworld it romanticizes.

Produced by Mr. Porter, the beat operates as a hypnotic loop of steel drum riffs, offering a tropical yet mechanical undercurrent that strips the sound of warmth, leaving it coldly efficient—like a businessman who prefers payout statistics over idyllic sunsets.

50 Cent’s delivery leans into his signature unhurried cadence, a conversational drawl that masks menace in nonchalance. The lyrics, penned by Denaun Porter, celebrate the transactional nature of power and relationships, with pimp culture standing in as both metaphor and literal subject matter. But where the verses coast on swagger, they can feel one-dimensional, treading well-worn themes without digging deeper into the character dynamics they hint at.

The song’s remix featuring Snoop Dogg, Lloyd Banks, and Young Buck injects charisma and chemistry, especially Snoop’s effortless charm as the elder statesman of West Coast cool. Yet, it’s less a revamp than a showcase for additional voices, as the core DNA of the original remains unchanged.

Commercially, "P.I.M.P." was unstoppable, climbing to #1 on the Hot Rap Tracks and cracking the top five on a slew of international charts, including a #3 peak on the *Billboard* Hot 100. A triple-platinum certification from the RIAA only underscores its ubiquity.

The accompanying video is practically a thesis on visual excess: 50 Cent rolling up in a Rolls-Royce, attending a council of pimps led by Snoop Dogg, a parody of hierarchy draped in opulence. It’s tongue-in-cheek yet self-indulgent, much like the track itself.

"P.I.M.P." excels as an anthem for its era, engineered for listeners who wear irony lightly while toasting the very excess they might mock. As a standalone piece, though, it teeters between celebration and self-parody, its charm both its greatest strength and looming limitation.

Featured on the 2003 album "Get Rich or Die Tryin'".

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