The 10 Greatest Hip Hop Music Videos of All Time

Ranking hip hop videos is a fight waiting to happen, so let’s start one. These are the 10 videos that changed what a hip hop video could be, from the first serious statements to the modern masterpieces.

10. Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, “The Message” (1982)

Before hip hop videos had budgets, they had something to say. “The Message” brought the reality of city life to the screen and proved rap could be serious, cinematic and unforgettable.

9. Run-DMC ft. Aerosmith, “Walk This Way” (1986)

Run-DMC literally knock down the wall between rap and rock. The video turned a crossover single into a moment that put hip hop in heavy rotation on MTV.

8. MC Hammer, “U Can’t Touch This” (1990)

The pants, the footwork, the sheer energy. Hammer made the dance video a global event and showed how big hip hop could get.

7. Beastie Boys, “Sabotage” (1994)

Directed by Spike Jonze, “Sabotage” is a fake 70s cop show with cheap mustaches and real chaos. Still one of the most fun videos ever made.

6. The Notorious B.I.G., “Hypnotize” (1997)

Paul Hunter’s boat and helicopter chase turned Biggie’s swagger into a blockbuster. Shiny suit era opulence at its absolute peak.

5. Missy Elliott, “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” (1997)

Hype Williams, a fisheye lens and that inflatable suit. Missy arrived looking like nothing anyone had seen before, and videos were never the same.

4. Dr. Dre ft. Snoop Dogg, “Still D.R.E.” (1999)

Lowriders bouncing, Dre and Snoop back on top. Another Hype Williams classic that captured West Coast cool in a few unforgettable minutes.

3. Jay-Z, “99 Problems” (2004)

Mark Romanek shot it in gritty black and white, and it won the Grammy for Best Short Form Music Video. Dark, tense and endlessly rewatchable.

2. Kendrick Lamar, “HUMBLE.” (2017)

Every frame is a poster. Directed by Dave Meyers and the Little Homies, “HUMBLE.” took VMA Video of the Year and set the visual bar for a generation.

1. Childish Gambino, “This Is America” (2018)

Hiro Murai’s single-location masterpiece sparked conversations everywhere and won the Grammy for Best Music Video. A video you can watch a dozen times and still catch something new.

Who did we miss? Tell us on Instagram, TikTok or X, and check out the top hip hop videos of every year since 1982.

Photo: Emma / CC BY-SA 4.0