music videos
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Black Christmas Songs That Just Slap
Growing up, I knew the minute the Christmas tree was dragged into the house that Christmas songs would soon follow. And Christmas originals sung by Black artists are more than just fun yuletide ditties. They are immersive musical experiences that make it close to impossible to not get up and dance. These following 10 songs…
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Women Are Prospering: Megan Thee Stallion Is in Wonderland and Cardi B Is Tickled Blackpink
TGIF—and the ‘F’ stands for female…or maybe femme…due to that pesky misogyny, I can barely read the word “female” without thinking of “feeeeemale” (aka the trying-to-be-slick sexist replacement for ‘bitch’). Anyway! The queens of WAP have both released some big deal projects so we figured it would be best to keep up the pattern of…
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Teyana Taylor's 'Still' Music Video Featuring Tributes to George Floyd, Breonna Taylor Garners Mixed Responses
Teyana Taylor’s latest music video for her song “Still” aims to serve as a reminder that Black lives truly matter, and that police brutality in America needs to end. “Still” is found on the Harlem native’s latest project, The Album, and the music video (released on Wednesday) was directed by Taylor as her creative alter…
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The 2020 VMAs Were Virtual and It Was Like MTV Started Playing Music Videos Again
It’s time for yet another awards ceremony with a virtual stage! This time, it’s MTV’s biggest night for music—the Video Music Awards (VMAs)! The actual ceremony as a whole was pretty—er—white, but here’s a Black-ass fact: Keke Palmer was the first-ever Black woman to host the VMAs solo! The first VMAs debuted in 1984, so…
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Georgia School Teachers Drop Fire Back-To-School Music Videos, Making Us Wish We Were Still in School
The 2020–2021 school year is bound to be very different for teachers and their students due to the effects of COVID-19. Per recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, all furniture other than desks and chairs should be removed from classrooms, and desks need to be spaced 6 feet apart if possible for…
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13-Year-Old Keedron Bryant's Visual for Viral Song 'I Just Wanna Live' Is a Strong Contender for Video of the Year
Whether through sheer creativity or by amplifying a moment or a movement, music videos used to mean something and make you feel something. I crave the days of yore when I’d rush home off of the school bus in order to watch MTV’s Total Request Live (TRL) or BET’s 106 & Park. I was eager…
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Salt-N-Pepa Reveal Tupac Was Edited Out of the 'Whatta Man' Video Because of His Reputation: 'You Can't Fight the Record Company'
Do me a solid and go watch Salt-N-Pepa’s 1994 music video for “Whatta Man.” Around the 1:07 mark, Salt is getting loved on by a faceless gentleman. That faceless gentleman just so happens to be the late Tupac Shakur. Surprise! He appears around the 3:16 mark as well. During an interview with LL Cool J’s…
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Director X, Known for Highlighting Dark-Skinned Beauty In His Music Videos, Debuts Short Film Celebrating the 'Diversity' of Black Love
In the late 1990s and throughout the 2000s, Director X’s stamp was all over your favorite music videos. Whether he made you whine with Sean Paul’s catalog or emote with Usher, Director X is certainly a staple within the culture. As a man who’s had a few names throughout his journey—Little X, X and now…
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Keyshia Cole’s ‘Love’ Versus O.T. Genasis’ ‘Never Knew’: Who Did It Better? An Analysis
If you have spent more than five minutes online in the past week, know some gang members, or (oddly) have a Google alert set for “Keyshia Cole” then you have been made privy to the song and video, “Never Knew,” by Long Beach, Calif., rapper and Crip-extraordinaire, O.T. Genasis. You may remember him from such…
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Missy Elliott Lasted Twenty Rounds and Finally Got Her Well-Deserved 2019 MTV Video Vanguard Award
Pass that dutch—it’s a celebration, bitches! Melissa Arnette Elliott—also known as Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott—has been honored with the 2019 Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award! Yep, that’s what we thought, MTV. Y’all knew what was up. *places mob torches back into storage* As an elderly Rose Dewitt Bukater mused in the 1997 hit Titanic, “It’s been…