Music Video of the Week

Snoop Dogg f. The Dogg Pound and The Dramatics - "Doggy Dogg World"

So recently the topic of music videos has come up a lot amongst my friends and I. In particular, my friends and I have discussed how music videos are virtually nonexistent nowadays; shows such as "Total Request Live" and its predecessor "Yo! MTV Raps" which were once staples on MTV (which we forget stands for Music Television) have now been replaced by an endless parade of garbage reality shows. The rise of reality shows is due to the decreased importance of TV and radio as the guardians of fame, and the rise in grassroots avenues for artists to disseminate their music - they no longer rely on MTV for exposure. Ultimately, in this day and age, the considerable cost of producing a music video is not worth it given the lack of benefits.

Those converstions really got me thinking about the old school music videos I - along with the kids from my generation - grew up watching. Not only was the quality of rap music better and more diverse in the early/mid 1990s, but the videos themselves were far more creative; they often contained a narrative of some kind, portrayed the artist as a character within that narrative, and featured a setting which added to and fit within the narrative. Today's videos, in contrast, follow a simple formula: rapper and his entourage are at a club/pool party/house party [insert any potential party location] where they stand around mugging and showing off their material riches for scantily clad women who shake their asses and pretend to enjoy themselves.

Where did rap go wrong? I could go on and on about that topic but that is a conversation for another day. For now, enjoy the video for "Doggy Dogg World" off of Snoop's debut masterpiece album Doggystyle. The song is set in a 1970s style lounge and features the smooth vocal talents of The Dramatics along with The Dogg Pound (Kurupt and Daz). In 1994 this video won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Video.

via YouTube