10 Must See Videos By New York Area Hip Hop Artists [April 2011]

As demonstrated by our beloved series, 5 Reasons Why New York Hip Hop Doesn’t Suck, we’re always working to make it easy for non-believers, those just not fully aware, as well as those of us who already know, to find prime examples of the variety of good hip hop currently emanating from our NY-area artists. As such, we are proud to introduce another monthly series, “10 Must See Videos By New York Area Hip Hop Artists” for your viewing pleasure. Here are our picks for current videos by NY-area hip hop artists that we feel you should not miss.

dead prez – “The Beauty Within”

The socially-conscious and lyrically thoughtful veteran group dead prez reinterpret B.O.B.‘s “Nothing On You,” paying homage “not to America’s Top Model, but to the natural girls right next door.” Stic Man and M-1 remind us that natural beauty is the most beautiful. A smooth interpretation with a great message, this joint from dead prez’ DJ Drama helmed mixtape “Revolutionary But Gangsta Grillz,” which dropped last year. The video is directed by kris_kinetik (Kinetik Cinematix).

Donwill (of Tanya Morgan) – Shake It Easy

Donwill’s having a hell of a night and he just can’t shake it easy. The 5846 Films-helmed video is perfectly underproduced, as both the song and the visuals portray a simplistic sincerity easy to relate to. The song is from Donwill’s excellent Don Cusak in High Fidelity. Also, check out his current Love Junkie EP.

Nas & Damian Marley – Nah Mean

An energetic cut from the critically acclaimed joint effort by Nas and Damian Marley, the video for “Nah Mean” simply folllows a musically jubilant crowd walking through the streets of Jamaica. Dope.