As I’ve mentioned numerous times, I’m a sucker for flashing lights. It’s a good thing I’m not prone to epileptic seizures, since this video is clearly going to cause a few of those. This is an epic anthem and ‘Ye’s partnership with the NBA for All-Star Weekend is working flawlessly.
Best artist alive.
Wow. Do they make ’em any better than Alicia?
Drake gets much respect for writing this song as well. I’ve always thought the “is Drake dope?” argument is silly, in part because there are very few MC’s that could write a song like this. Ultimately, much of what Drake touches turns into good music, much like this song.
The more I hear this record, the more I like it. That chorus is a monster. Not sure I really needed the cheesy Heroes style effects in the video, but when you get to stare at Alicia Keys for 5 minutes, you really shouldn’t be complaining about anything.
I have mixed feelings about this song and video. First off, since switching to a job where I see hundreds of music videos a week, I’m afraid Hype’s clips just don’t do much for me these days. Perhaps he was at his pinnacle when I was younger and I was easily impressed by the old super glossy, big budget videos he shot, but I haven’t seen anything from him lately that’s absolutely wowed me. This one is cool visually, but nothing too special and I see more innovative clips every day at the office.
Secondly, you will never, ever…[old school Jay] eva eva eva eva [/old Hov]…look cool/hard playing the piano in a video. So while Alicia is quite possibly the hottest girl out there right now, I still think the piano shots look hilarious. I don’t care if you’re a guy or a girl, you just can’t try to look cool in a video while playing the piano. Sorry, just how it is.
Lastly, this song is overrated to me. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still good, but it seems like everyone is trying to make it some epic, classic record. Sorry again, it’s not. The beat is cool, but not great, and there’s a horrible glitching sound in the loop from where they cut off the tambourine that comes around every time and annoys the hell out of me. Jay’s lyrics are dope, but that sing-song flow gets old real quick and makes for boring repeated listens too. Being one of the best songs on Blueprint 3 doesn’t mean it’s an incredible record. It just means it’s not “Forever Young.”
I think this is a classic case of the music industry being a bit too NYC-centric. With a lot of the labels, magazines, websites, and TV stations centered out there, they automatically assume what’s big in NY should be big all over the country (and the world). NYC isn’t the center of the hip-hop universe anymore and just because this record is a great anthem for them, doesn’t mean it’s going to resonate with everyone else throughout the country. Or if it does, not nearly to the extent they think.
It’s kinda like when XXL pressed up this cover:
There’s no way in hell…in 2009…that cover ever should have been made for a national publication. None of those artists are remotely hot or popular outside of the Northeast. I’d say 90% of people who listen to hip-hop on the west coast don’t even know who Freekey Zekey is, let alone like him. Anyway, I get a similar feeling when I hear all these magazines, TV hosts, and label dudes tell me how classic “Empire State Of Mind” is.
If you’re from NY? Sure. Bang it.
If you’re not from NYC? It’s cool, but it’s not a classic hip-hop record and nowhere near one of Jay’s best.
And this video isn’t either.