Hip-Hop & Soul N°356 – Vintage 2000s Music Videos

1 . Blu Cantrell – Make Me Wanna Scream (w/ Ian Lewis)

Blu Cantrell’s “Make Me Wanna Scream” pairs R&B intensity with a reggae edge, thanks to the presence of Ian Lewis from Inner Circle.

The track is a cocktail of frustration and empowerment, brewing over the ashes of a failed relationship.

Cantrell’s vocals soar with raw emotion, doing the heavy lifting as Lewis adds a warm, understated backdrop that barely tries to steal the spotlight.

The production plays it safe, sticking to early 2000s R&B tendencies without venturing into anything boundary-pushing.

The music video, directed by Hype Williams, veers into dramatized revenge with imagery that feels lifted from a “don’t try this at home” manual.

Her friends gleefully trash her ex’s car, with her then-real-life boyfriend cast as the clueless target—a casting choice that’s more soap opera than cinematic stroke of genius.

While the song charted decently across Europe and peaked in Romania, it lacked the staying power of “Breathe,” its massively successful predecessor.

The remixes tacked onto its CD releases are serviceable at best, offering minor tweaks rather than compelling reimaginings.

“Make Me Wanna Scream” manages to simmer with rage but never quite reaches a boil musically, leaving it as a middle-tier entry in Cantrell’s discography.

Featured on the 2003 album “Bittersweet”.

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

2 . Les Nubians – Makeda

“Makeda” by Les Nubians hits the airwaves with a linguistic twist, bringing the French language back into American R&B radio play after a quarter-century absence.

Released in 1998 as part of their debut album *Princesses Nubiennes*, the song seamlessly fuses neo-soul with Afrocentric rhythms, crafting a melodic homage to heritage and empowerment.

Eschewing the synthetic polish of late-’90s pop, it layers smooth vocal harmonies over understated percussion, with an undeniable groove that hints at its Pan-African influences.

The track rose to prominence through college and R&B radio circuits, proving that substance can trump formulaic hits, even in an era dominated by English-language dominance.

Unusual for its time, the French lyrics remained the preferred rendition, despite an English version being re-recorded later, underscoring its authentic charm.

“Makeda” resonates beyond its sonic merits, offering a reflection on cultural pride and resilience while achieving surprising commercial success in both the U.S. and Europe.

Its legacy extends beyond chart positions, carving a space for global narratives within a localized industry and earning Les Nubians well-deserved critical recognition.

Featured on the 1998 album “Princesses Nubiennes”.

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

3 . Sway – Silver & Gold (w/ Akon)

“Silver & Gold” is a curious outlier in Sway’s 2008 album, “The Signature LP.”

Slapped onto the lineup last-minute, this collaboration with Akon delayed the release for weeks, as though waiting was somehow integral to its flashy premise.

The song’s thematic pivot—a strip-club anthem celebrating lustrous commodities—feels like a smirking departure from Sway’s usual mix of orchestral grime, introspective hip hop, and R&B.

Charting at a modest 61, it didn’t quite shine as brightly as its title suggested, especially when stacked against Akon’s larger, chart-scaling catalog.

Where Sway typically weaves ambition and depth, this detour leans shamelessly into indulgence, trading emotional resonance for sleek hedonism.

The track itself bounces with a slick sheen, bolstered by Akon’s unmistakable high-pitched choruses, yet one wonders if it’s more auditory wallpaper than a keeper-worthy hook.

For all its glitz, the song feels more like a rented luxury ride than a vehicle for longevity—fun, fleeting, and gone in a flash.

The accompanying video, a YouTube relic from January 2009, captures the vibe visually, but neither format transcends its aspirations to be more than club-comp fodder.

Featured on the 2008 album “The Signature LP”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Instagram

4 . Obie Trice – The Set Up (w/ Nate Dogg)

“The Set Up (You Don’t Know)” by Obie Trice, accompanied by Nate Dogg, is a gritty rap narrative wrapped in polished production.

From Obie’s 2003 debut album *Cheers*, this track grips listeners with sharp storytelling and a cautionary tale of deceit.

The lyrics center on a femme fatale archetype—a cunning woman orchestrating betrayal by luring vulnerable men into ruinous setups.

Nate Dogg’s signature smooth-yet-haunting hook punctuates the track, injecting a chilling sense of forewarning.

The beat leans into early-2000s hip-hop, with a steady rhythm and sparse yet effective instrumentation allowing the narrative to take center stage.

Released as a single in 2004, the song gained moderate chart success, securing spots across Billboard and international rankings.

Visually, its explicit music video—recently upscaled to 4K—amps up its themes with tense dramatization.

While the track revisits familiar hip-hop themes, its execution manages a balance between compelling lyrics and strong vocal chemistry between Obie and Nate, ensuring it remains memorable among early-2000s rap offerings.

Featured on the 2003 album “Cheers”.

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

5 . Handsome Boy Modeling School – Rock N’ Roll [Could Never Hip-Hop Like This]

“Rock N’ Roll (Could Never Hip-Hop Like This)” by Handsome Boy Modeling School defies categorization, opening their 1999 debut album with a playful clash of genres.

This track leans on Kid Koala’s sharp turntable work, set against a backdrop of driving guitars and vocal samples pulled from Phillip Glass’ “River Run,” crafting an instrumental that feels bold yet intricate.

By sidestepping vocal performances or rapping, it shifts focus to the raw manipulation of sound—a deliberate nod to late-’90s turntablism and its cultural peak within hip-hop.

The composition melds alternative rock sensibilities with hip-hop ethos, amplifying the satirical undertone woven throughout the larger project.

As part of “So… How’s Your Girl?,” the track sits within an ambitious, genre-bending album that sees the duo collaborating with an eclectic array of artists, though this song thrives on its instrumental identity.

The accompanying music video only enhances the song’s irreverence, a fitting match to this boundary-pushing record that revels in contradiction and experimentation.

Featured on the 1999 album “So… How’s Your Girl?”.

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

6 . Roots Manuva – Colossal Insight

“Colossal Insight” lands as a hallmark of mid-2000s UK hip-hop, with Roots Manuva weaving his distinct sonic imprint into a track that balances introspection with gritty urban commentary.

The song leans heavily on a textured production blending hip-hop beats with dub’s rolling depth and faint traces of funk, creating a sonic framework that’s both grounded and experimental.

Lyrically, Roots Manuva paints a candid picture of self-awareness, confronting the weight of personal history in Stockwell alongside commentary on modern life’s chaotic undercurrents.

His flow is deliberate, almost conversational, a rhythmic cadence that refuses to conform to more hyperactive hip-hop trends of the era, instead leaning on subtlety and precision.

While “Colossal Insight” may not attach itself to a trophy shelf of awards or blockbuster performances, its cultural relevance lies in offering a raw perspective—equal parts sharp critique and quiet defiance.

The track doesn’t pander for mainstream affection, instead operating as a statement from an artist who chooses his lane and sticks to it, merging accessibility with an unabashedly localized outlook.

Far from a flash in the pan, it lives on as a reminder that the UK rap scene isn’t just an offshoot of American hip-hop but a domain with its distinct ethos, shaped as much by the weight of systemic hardship as by creative ingenuity.

Featured on the 2005 album “Awfully Deep”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

7 . All Star Tribute – What’s Going On

Released just weeks after the world was shaken by the events of September 11, 2001, the “All Star Tribute – What’s Going On” feels like a loud, glittery protest wrapped in pop sheen.

This project, spearheaded by Bono and Jermaine Dupri, reimagines Marvin Gaye’s 1971 classic as a sprawling, overambitious musical quilt stitched together with the voices of early-2000s zeitgeist demigods like Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani, and Ja Rule, alongside more grounded presences like Alicia Keys and Mary J. Blige.

The song’s original intent—a reflective questioning of societal turmoil—is recognizable, barely.

Instead, the track contorts itself through the smorgasbord of stylistic cameos—Michael Stipe’s haunted delivery feels like it wandered in from a different recording session, while Fred Durst provides a gruff contrast to Destiny’s Child’s polished harmonies.

The result is less melody and more a crowded karaoke session where everyone wants their 15 seconds in the spotlight.

Perhaps the most striking element of the 2001 rendition isn’t its musical nuance, which it largely forgoes, but its unintentional encapsulation of pop’s clash with purpose.

An intended rallying cry for AIDS relief efforts and post-9/11 unity, it struggles to maintain the quiet dignity of Gaye’s original amidst the sonic chaos.

If Marvin Gaye questioned ‘what’s going on?’ in soulful introspection, the All-Star remake answers with a cacophony that dares you to listen, yet somehow leaves you less sure of anything by the end.

Lyrics >> More by the same : .

8 . Beyoncé – Me Myself And I

Written by Beyoncé, Scott Storch, and Robert Waller, “Me, Myself and I” is the third single from Beyoncé’s 2003 debut album, “Dangerously in Love.”

The track is an understated R&B composition set in a cozy D♭ major with a tempo of 84 beats per minute. Minimalist percussion, funky keyboards, and a meandering bass line provide a clean canvas for her vocal storytelling.

The lyrics speak plainly but powerfully to the fallout of betrayal: a woman blindsided by infidelity, rediscovering self-worth amid the rubble of a failed relationship. It’s a quiet act of rebellion, folded into a message of resilience and self-reliance.

The accompanying music video, directed by Johan Renck, complicates the narrative through reverse chronology. Originally conceived differently, the final take emerged only after significant reshoots, yielding an introspective yet visually compelling accompaniment to the track.

Performances over the years have seen Beyoncé elevate the song with live arrangements featuring horns, backup vocalists, and carefully staged moments where she addresses the theme of self-love directly with her audience. There’s something undeniably poignant in its simplicity—a slow-burning counterpoint to the flashier pieces in her catalog.

Featured on the 2003 album “Dangerously in Love“.

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

9 . Chris Brown – Superhuman (w/ Keri Hilson)

Chris Brown’s “Superhuman,” featuring Keri Hilson, stands as a polished slice of late-2000s pop-R&B, structured around the idea that love has the power to defy human limitations.

The track, released in 2008, leans heavily into emotional tropes, with lyrics that paint an almost mythical transformation from frailty to resilience—think less Greek hero, more glossy MTV melodrama.

Lines like “Weak, I have been crying and crying for weeks” and “I’m feeling all superhuman, you did that to me” hit the emotional mark but flirt with melodrama, something softened by the earnest delivery of both artists.

The pairing of Chris Brown’s smooth vocal runs with Keri Hilson’s complementary voice offers a balanced duet, though the production—imbued with sentimental string arrangements and a predictable crescendo—is unmistakably geared toward maximizing emotional lift, perhaps at the expense of nuance.

Its reliance on a well-worn pop-ballad formula is both its strength and its potential limitation; while listeners seeking cathartic comfort might embrace it, others may find it veers too close to the safety of familiarity.

“Superhuman” is neither revolutionary nor groundbreaking, but its aspirational tone captures a cultural snapshot of an era when grand romantic gestures took center stage in mainstream R&B.

Featured on the 2007 album “Exclusive “.

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

10 . Akon – Pot Of Gold

“Pot of Gold” waits quietly in the shadow of Akon’s better-known singles, offering a snapshot of ambition wrapped in a smooth hip-hop package.

The song is built around Akon’s signature knack for melody, with his earnest vocals gliding over a laid-back beat crafted by Shakim Williams.

Lyrically, it leans into themes of hope and perseverance, though its approach feels understated compared to the dramatic flair of tracks like “Locked Up” or the melancholic tug of “Lonely.”

Released as a European-only single, it bypasses the U.S. entirely—a curious move that left its worldwide visibility dimmed and its chart performance modest at best.

The accompanying music video, directed by Gil Green, offers dual versions—a clean cut for wider audiences and an explicit one that never made it to TV screens, arguably stifling its cultural impact further.

While “Pot of Gold” lacks the punch to elevate itself among Akon’s finest output, it remains a competent, low-profile entry in his early catalog, blending his melodic instincts into an unobtrusive production.

Featured on the 2004 album “Trouble“.

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

11 . Noisettes – Sister Rosetta [Capture The Spirit]

“Sister Rosetta (Capture The Spirit)” delivers a raucous ode to the trailblazing gospel musician Sister Rosetta Tharpe, blending reverence with unfiltered grit.

Noisettes harness raw energy in this punk-infused tribute, leaning heavily on jagged guitars that crash and jangle against Shingai Shoniwa’s commanding vocals.

The track lands somewhere between chaotic celebration and polished homage, with its frenetic pace feeling like a livewire zigzagging through a dimly lit club.

Originally released in 2007 as part of their debut album, *What’s the Time Mr. Wolf?*, the song doesn’t luxuriate in nostalgia but reinterprets its subject with swaggering immediacy.

Its placement in several festivals and live performances cemented its frenzied, performative nature, thriving on the unpredictability of stage energy.

The re-recording for *The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1* adds an odd cinematic twist, somehow grounding its rebellious energy in a realm of glossy teen melodrama.

Shoniwa’s presence is magnetic throughout, transforming what could’ve been a merely competent indie track into something borderline unhinged yet tightly knit.

The track doesn’t shy away from contradictions: its chaotic fervor hints at the spiritual transcendence of Sister Rosetta herself, while its slick production nods to modern commercial sensibilities.

A love letter to a revolutionary figure, it succeeds in sparking the spirit it champions, even if it occasionally veers into self-conscious reenactment.

Featured on the 2007 album “What’s the Time Mr. Wolf?”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : .

12 . Brian – Irresistible (w/ Tony Gold)

“Irresistible,” a reggae-infused collaboration between Brian and Tony Gold, weaves romance into an upbeat rhythm, reflecting the duo’s knack for smoothly-layered vocal harmonies.

Released in 2001, the track exists within their larger body of work but resists association with landmark albums or notable accolades, giving it the air of a hidden gem rather than a chart-topping anthem.

The song thrives in its uncomplicated charm, steering clear of flashy production, instead leaning on the chemistry of its creators, whose voices ebb and flow like synchronized waves.

Brian and Tony Gold bring the same melodic finesse that catapulted tracks like “Compliments on Your Kiss” to the No. 2 spot on the UK Singles Chart in 1994, though “Irresistible” lacks the cultural footprint of such predecessors.

Despite its relative obscurity, it’s crafted with an energy and sincerity that harkens back to the duo’s formative years, highlighted by their participation in Jamaica’s storied Tastee Talent Competition in 1986.

While aligned with reggae’s romantic and rhythmic traditions, the song veers towards tranquility rather than innovation, making it a pleasant, albeit unremarkable, entry in their catalog—a comfortable listen for aficionados of the genre but unlikely to leave a lasting imprint on casual ears.

Featured on the 2007 album “Irresistible”.

More by the same : Wikipedia