I love this new video by Jay-Z, for "On To the Next One," even if I'm not insanely enamored of the song:
It grieves me, however, to say that I think this video by Big Boi for "Shine Blockas," his hit with Gucci Mane, is pretty dull and disappointing:
Big Boi Ft. Gucci Mane - Shine Blockas from SNORT THIS TV on Vimeo.
I know I ought to like Jay-Z more. I recognize that he's a significant leader in the medium and in the industry. But given that taste comes down to personal preferences, Jay only sometimes gets into a zone where his flow is as smooth and as fast as I prefer, usually, I think, when he's rapping about New York. I full acknowledge though that he's a fantastic barometer of the up-and-coming and an exemplar when it comes to perfectionism and high production values. I'm a big fan of OutKast videos, though, and it actively bothers me that Big Boi turned in something that feels, well, mailed in to me for a single of his that's getting a lot of attention. A persistent theme in commentary about the future, or lack thereof, for OutKast has been the idea that Big Boi is interested in preserving the duo while Andre is constantly distracted by the search for something new. That may be accurate, or it may be exceedingly cheap psychology. But it's too bad that this video looks like a nostalgia trip rather than an effort to do something that's forward-looking.