So, DaBaby’s new music video for “BALL IF I WANT TO” isn’t for everyone. It is honestly a little crude. Foul language. Sexual dancing & subject matter. The N-word. I repeat: This IS NOT for everyone. But if you were a Rap/Hip-Hop fan of a certain era, you’ll appreciate this video for a few reasons and I’m here to tell you why.
DaBaby – BALL IF I WANT TO (Official Video)
The beat. The rhyme cadence. This isn’t for kids.
Why I Love This Video
This video has an energy to it that I haven’t seen/felt really since high school. And it’s not because they’re dressed like students (although that certainly doesn’t hurt). It’s because this is raw, energetic, and playful in a way that enjoyable videos from the likes of Nelly, Crime Mob, and old Outkast used to be – and it touches on something primal that a lot of people lose touch with as they get older.
And I’m not making this up. The “walk across the front of the energetic back-up” move that he’s doing in the still image chosen for the video is reminiscent of Nelly’s iconic (to me) “Country Grammar” stroll.
The close-up energetic crowd shots mixed with the minimally aggressive beat and simple yet defiant rhymes that proudly own their hood origin throughout the video have the same rawness of a Crime Mob video (everyone knows what I’m referring to).
And then there’s just the fun factor that really tapped the same energy in two of my old Outkast favorites. This one is harder to define, but the unspoken je ne sais quoi is there in BALL IF I WANT TO.
For those reasons, I think 2000s Rap fans may appreciate this one and have a tinge of nostalgia come over them in the 1:53 of this one. I feel like many artists try to capture this energy, but few live up to it – and DaBaby actually carried on the traditions it’s built on perfectly…
Going ALL THE WAY BACK to “Da Butt”…
…and he knew not to let it run too long.
You just have to appreciate it for what it is, and you either vibe with it or you don’t. Like I said at the start of this post, this one isn’t for everybody — but I dig it.
Really nothing else to be said about this one. Check it out if you know you liked that era of music and the things I describe above.
Also, shout-out to MeatCanyon for that very weird DaBaby video.
Until next time.
Peace, and thanks for reading.
The soundtrack for this post provided by…
Image Credits:
– Cover Image © Interscope Records
– Body Image © Universal Music Group