Is Rik Cordero the Timbaland of Music Videos?

This is not meant to be a hating post, because I am big fan of Rik’s and will post his new Jake One and Q-Tip projects after the jump because they’re dope. But everyone has a saturation point, and I’m getting a little worried. Three/21 Films drops videos like Weezy drops mixtapes, and it’s starting to feel like Nah Right wasn’t being metaphorical when it called Rik “the only Hip Hop video director on the planet.” How many gritty, noir-ish videos can we watch? Do you ever see the Spike Lee-style color filtered images roll by and think, “Damn, I wouldn’t mind some bright lights and big titties!” It’s just getting ridiculous.

Let’s give credit where credit’s due: Rik rose to prominence at a time when there was a needed backlack against the tired “bling, booty, and babes” format, and his videos are both visually and thematically interesting than a lot of what he helped move away from. But all homogenity is boring, even when it’s of a high quality. It’s gotten to the point where every rapper from Busta Rhymes to Brother Ali heads to Rik when he needs a video. Remember what happened when all production went to Timbaland (with slightly different clientele) in the lead-up to Shock Value? Or when Hype Williams let his brand get bigger than the artists he was shooting? I wouldn’t say these were positive developments, nor would I say that Rik inserts too much of “the Rik Cordero brand” into his videos (he also works with an impressively diverse lineup of artists, and not just in hip-hop). But while his signature style is a nice counterpoint to the over-the-top rap videos (as well as the other, different ones for that matter), it shouldn’t be the only thing popping.

Another random point: it’s sort of ironic and unfortunate that Rik’s ascent to the top of the hip-hop video scene came during the fall of music television. His videos are cinematic, and I don’t really think the Web browser does them justice. That said, I wouldn’t mind seeing an end to the “theatrical trailer” for a video or album trend. These can stop immediately.

Ok, that’s my PSA. Rappers, find some new directors. And directors, get on your grind. The time is now—here are some great Rik Cordero videos to inspire you…