How well do you know your music? Let’s find out with a quiz that accompanies this week playlist.
The subjects du jour are : A$Ap Rocky, Mostack, Jorja Smith & Preditah, Dj Fresh vs Diplo, Diddy & Dirty Money, Kele, Dizzee Rascal, Wretch 32, Brockhampton, Nicki Minaj, T.I., Joe Weller
They are the performers of twelve hip-hop, soul, etc. tracks that ranked in various charts, this week (35/52) BUT … in the Tens 2010s.
1. Which artist starred in the music video for A$AP Rocky’s fourth single from his debut album?
- A Nicki Minaj
- B Cardi B
- C Rihanna
2. What is the approximate tempo of MoStack’s 2018 single according to data services?
- A 98 BPM
- B 102 BPM
- C 108 BPM
3. Who directed the music video for Jorja Smith and Preditah’s 2017 collaboration?
- A Hector Dockrill
- B Spike Jonze
- C David Fincher
4. Which single by DJ Fresh features a sample from Cali Swag District’s “Teach Me How to Dougie”?
- A Louder
- B Motherquake
- C Dibby Dibby Sound
5. Which director was responsible for the visuals of the Diddy – Dirty Money track featuring T.I. and Rick Ross?
- A Hype Williams
- B Director X
- C Dave Meyers
6. What is the professional name used by Kele Okereke for his solo work, distinct from Bloc Party?
- A Kele Okereke
- B Kele
- C K.O.
7. In what year was Dizzee Rascal’s promotional single from The Fifth released?
- A 2012
- B 2013
- C 2014
8. Who provided the featured vocals in Wretch 32’s 2011 collaboration?
- A Josh Kumra
- B Craig David
- C Ed Sheeran
9. Which artist provided additional vocals for the opening track of the 2019 album Ginger?
- A Billy Cobb
- B Deb Never
- C Clairo
10. Which composition by Nicki Minaj samples Annie Lennox’s cover of “No More I Love You’s”?
- A Super Bass
- B Your Love
- C Starships
11. Where was the music video for T.I.’s 2014 lead single shot?
- A New York City
- B Rio de Janeiro
- C Los Angeles
12. What inspired the title and concept for Joe Weller and Elliot Crawford’s 2017 single?
- A A beach holiday
- B A road trip
- C Beds in an apartment
For TWELVE more Hip-Hop & Soul – 2010s Music Videos – week 35/52 – click here
Tracklist
1 . A$Ap Rocky – Fashion Killa (w/ Rihanna) |
‘Smiling is your treasure, you’re so well put together’
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| Set in New York City, A$AP Rocky’s music video, co-directed with Virgil Abloh, is a visual celebration of fashion, featuring him and “fashion killa” Rihanna as a stylish couple shopping for designer clothes. The clip includes appearances by A$AP Ferg who raps a few lines from “Murda Something” in a seemingly random street corner cameo and other A$AP Mob members, as well as street artist Kidult. |
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Featured on the 2013 album “Long. Live. ASAP”. |
2 . Mostack – Litness |
‘That ride out was worth it’
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| North London rapper MoStack’s single “Litness,” produced by Ill Blu and accompanied by a stylish video directed by Kaylum Dennis, captures the waning moments of summer. |
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3 . Jorja Smith & Preditah – On My Mind |
| Jorja Smith releases a nostalgic music video for her UK garage house single “On My Mind,” produced by Birmingham’s Preditah. The video, filmed in a London council flat and a parking garage, captures the essence of her younger days and features her and friends “chilling” in 90s-styled tracksuits. Kurupt FM, a mockumentary-famous garage crew, makes a cameo. The song itself explores the emotional turmoil of a deceitful relationship. |
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4 . Dj Fresh vs Diplo – Earthquake (w/ Dominique Young Unique) |
‘It’ll make the ground shake, ground shake,’
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| A collaborative single by British DJ Fresh and American DJ Diplo, “Earthquake” features vocals from Dominique Young Unique.The music video, directed by Jonas & François and shot in New York City, is filled with Super Heroes, urban chaos and monsters. |
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5 . Diddy & Dirty Money – Hello Good Morning |
”Cause I been leaning on the bar,’
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| Written by Rico Love and produced by Danja, “Hello Good Morning” is a high-energy, club-ready track from Diddy’s group Dirty Money, which includes singers Kelenna and Dawn Richard. The song features a thumping bassline, Puff’s signature ad-libs, verses from T.I. and Rick Ross, and even sees an appearance from Swizz Beatz. |
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Featured on the 2010 album “Last Train to Paris”. |
6 . Kele – Everything You Wanted |
| For “Everything You Wanted,” Bloc Party frontman, Kele, works alone, collaborating solely with an engineer and explores unfamiliar territory by programming drum beats, using synths and even pitch-shifting his voice. |
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Featured on the 2010 album “The Boxer”. |
7 . Dizzee Rascal – I Don’t Need A Reason |
‘Keep on fronting, like you don’t know’
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| In the music video for “I Don’t Need A Reason,” British rapper Dizzee Rascal portrays a king in a period English setting, indulging in activities like chess and banquets, while sitting on a throne. While the video serves as a metaphor for his favorite lyrical topics: money, holidays, and sex, Dizzee combines these themes seamlessly into verses, embodying the hedonistic ethos of a generation that, in his own words, “just don’t give a —-.” |
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Featured on the 2013 album “The Fifth”. Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site |
8 . Wretch 32 – Don’t Go (w/ Josh Kumra) |
| The music video for “Don’t Go” by Wretch 32 is directed by Ben Newman and filmed near London’s Thames River. Featuring vocals by Josh Kurma, the song is marked by its emotive narrative style. |
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Featured on the 2011 album “Black and White “. |
9 . Brockhampton – No Halo |
| Directed by Spencer Ford, the group’s main visual collaborator, the music video for “No Halo” by Brockhampton explores religious themes, featuring settings like a pastel pink church and performers in silver space suits. Featuring Deb Never, a Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter, the guitar-driven song is melodic and introspective, dealing with topics like depression, religion, and substance abuse. |
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Featured on the 2019 album “Ginger”. Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site |
10 . Nicki Minaj – Your Love |
‘You got spark, you, you got spunk’
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| Director X helms the music video for Nicki Minaj’s pop-leaning song, as opposed to her grittier, rap-focused style, “Your Love,” where she plays a samurai trainee vying for her master’s affection. The video is rich in Japanese and Chinese cultural references, including geisha outfits and royal blue silk cloths. Let’s talk cultural appropriation! |
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Featured on the 2010 album “Pink Friday”. Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site |
11 . T.I. – No Mediocre (w/ Iggy Azalea) |
‘Heard he want to lay it down on Iggy Iggy’
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| Directed by Director X and shot in Rio de Janeiro, the music video for “No Mediocre,” a song by T.I., produced by DJ Mustard, features Australian rapper Iggy Azalea and alternates between aerial city views and scenes set in a favela. With its lyrics perpetuating sexist stereotypes, emphasizing physical attributes and luxury lifestyle as markers of worth, effectively reducing women to objects, the song (and the video) have raised quite a few eyebrows among feminists. |
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Featured on the 2014 album “Paperwork”. |
12 . Joe Weller – Queen & A Double |
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And the correct answers (in case you missed one or two) are:
1. Rihanna starred in the official music video of A$AP Rocky’s single from Long.Live.A$AP. The video featured her prominently in a striking role.
2. MoStack’s 2018 single has a tempo of about 102 BPM. The track appears under his discography of hip-hop/rap releases.
3. The music video for Jorja Smith and Preditah’s collaboration was directed by Hector Dockrill. The video was produced through Pulse Films.
4. DJ Fresh’s single sampled “Teach Me How to Dougie” and appeared under the title “Motherquake” in the film Kick-Ass 2.
5. The music video for the track featuring T.I. and Rick Ross was directed by Hype Williams. It was part of the Last Train to Paris album project.
6. Kele Okereke performs under the name “Kele” for his solo work. This was distinct from his band, Bloc Party.
7. Dizzee Rascal’s promotional single from The Fifth was released in 2013. It was noted for being a solo release without guest vocalists.
8. Josh Kumra provided the featured vocals in Wretch 32’s 2011 single. The collaboration resulted from Kumra’s move to London.
9. Deb Never provided additional vocals for the opening track of Ginger. Brockhampton’s album featured her prominently alongside its group members.
10. “Your Love” by Nicki Minaj samples Annie Lennox’s cover, incorporating its background vocals with a hip-hop twist.
11. The music video for T.I.’s 2014 lead single was filmed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It captures the city’s vibrant sights in its production.
12. Joe Weller and Elliot Crawford’s single title concept was inspired by beds in an apartment. The idea was conceived during a trip to Los Angeles.
For THE FULL HIP-HOP & SOUL COLLECTION click here
NB . You may wonder what are these “Quotes” attached to certain photos above. Well! For a specific song, we select a still image from the video on one side and choose a lyric from the song on the other side. We ensure that the lyric has a connection to the image, although sometimes the connection may be far-fetched or based on a double entendre, creating a humorous or meme-like combination when the two are merged together. Et voilà!
Rap Quotes • Smiling is your treasure, you’re so well put together (A$Ap Rocky) • That ride out was worth it (Mostack) • It’ll make the ground shake, ground shake, (Dj Fresh vs Diplo) • ‘Cause I been leaning on the bar, (Diddy & Dirty Money) • Keep on fronting, like you don’t know (Dizzee Rascal) • You got spark, you, you got spunk (Nicki Minaj) • Heard he want to lay it down on Iggy Iggy (T.I.) •
Musicwise : Bass House, Grime, Electronic, Gangster Rap, Hip Hop, Pop, R&B, Garage
