Lonely Island, Matt & Kim, Minaj present nontraditional antics
Ever since they first popped up on MTV in 1981, music videos have been used to express what songs simply could not say over the radio.
New videos with blow-your-mind antics premiere almost every day, and it’s clear we’ve come a long way from Michael Jackson’s famous illuminating tiles in the “Billie Jean” days.
“The Creep”
The Lonely Island feat. Nicki Minaj
What do you get when you mix three parts pencil-thin mustache with waist-high pants and a few pairs of ogling eyeballs?
Fronted by “Saturday Night Live” funnyman Andy Samberg along with Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone, the comedy group made its first claim to fame when “SNL” aired the “Lazy Sunday” digital short in 2005. But for “The Creep,” members of Lonely Island yanked their pants up higher and donned their most unpleasant smiles.
The video covers every angle of the creeper lifestyle from the days of prepubescent creeping to the best places to spy on the honeys (preferably the beach, but a tree outside her bedroom window will do just fine). Throw in a schoolgirl-styled Nicki Minaj getting her creep on in the boys’ locker room, and you’ve got a hit. It even comes with its very own dance, so get your knees flexing and your arms T-rexing, and do the creep.
“Cameras”
Matt & Kim
Matt & Kim are known for their happy-go-lucky lyrics and matching videos. However, in the video for “Cameras,” off their 2010 “Sidewalks” album, the duo embraces its darker sides.
The video opens as the pair practices in a dull basement with poor lighting and dingy walls. But this studio session quickly turns into a battle royale, with the two out for each other’s blood. Everything from musical instruments to Chinese takeout containers are hurled between them. True, the fighting is exaggerated, and the blood is fake, but there’s no denying the fun in seeing Matt smash Kim in the face with a cymbal right after she clocks him in the chin with a miniature Statue of Liberty.
The video only finishes when the two band together, beat the opposition and pick through the rubble to their studio, laughing about this impromptu battle as they return to their instruments as if nothing has happened.
“Moment 4 Life”
Nicki Minaj
We all know Nicki Minaj has a love for candy-colored wigs and outfits bolder than most would dare. But did you know she also has an English fairy godmother who waves her magic wand and blesses Minaj with jewel-encrusted platform heels?
In this first video from Minaj’s debut “Pink Friday,” the female rap star takes on the role of King Nicki, living it up in an extravagant palace as she is served by royal subjects. Dressed in her trademark curve-hugging, eye-popping outfits, complete with all of the typical glamour, Minaj easily slides into this modern-day Cinderella role, hoping to get a kiss before the clock strikes midnight. She delivers the same sassy attitude that has made her such a fixture in the hip-hop world, but she also delivers a feminine edge. And yes, Drake is there. In fact the two of them tie the knot amid a shower of fireworks. Corny, but it’s Minaj’s kingdom — we’re just living in it.
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