Al Seib / Los Angeles Times

New York actor Michael Rapaport (Boston Public, Higher Learning, among others) was 19 when A Tribe Called Quest dropped their debut album, People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm. They followed that groundbreaking album up with two of the most beloved (if not best) albums in hip hop, The Low End Theory and Midnight Marauders, so it’s fair to say that Rapaport came of age in one of the best times for New York hip hop. “All Tribe music is very nostalgic for me. Hip hop was really what I was listening to since the time I was 10, but with Tribe, as soon they came out, I was a big, big, big fan,” he said during a recent stop in Toronto to promote his documentary, Beats, Rhymes and Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest, out July 29 in major cities across Canada. He spoke to me about the “beef” that’s been surrounding the project, the difficulties of working with his favourite rap group, and the pains of leaving some classic captured moments on the cutting room floor.

Did you always set out to do a documentary as your first film?

No, I had wanted to direct something for the last 10 years and I always wanted to do a narrative, but I was also curious about Tribe and was always asking about doing it, wondering if they would ever record again, which spawned the documentary: Why did A Tribe Called Quest break up and will they ever record again?

You’ve said that no documentary has been done on a rap group before (save for Public Enemy), so why do a doc on Tribe? Why not other influential rap groups, like Wu Tang, NWA, Run DMC, etc?

All those groups are great and I love all of them, but I just had an emotional response to A Tribe Called Quest and while it’s hard to say favourite … they definitely mean a lot to me. The fact that they had such a run from ’88 to ’98 and were so prolific album after album, then it just stopped, that’s what really made me want to know what had happened.

I take it that when they broke up in ’98 it had an effect on you?

I didn’t understand why they broke up — I didn’t accept it. I was at their last show in New York in 1998, and at that show I felt like my parents were getting divorced. I just never really got over it — why A Tribe Called quest?

As an obvious fan, but also approaching this as a filmmaker, was it hard to keep your objectivity?

I was very conscious of trying to stay objective and not be biased and to not meddle in their business because I was so close while I was filming, but I would talk about it with my editor and constantly remind myself why I was there. I had to be mature and conscious of the fact that I was making a movie and not to get myself too involved in their personal business.

When was that moment where it set in that you were actually filming your favourite rap group?

As soon as I started filming in 2008 I was like, ‘holy shit.’ You know, it’s the first day and it’s the Rock the Bells concert and I’m interviewing De La Soul and starting to shoot Tribe. I was just so excited. I couldn’t believe I was actually doing it.

You’ve said that you wanted to give hip hop the rock n roll documentary treatment. What docs did you look to for inspiration?

There are so many. The Last Waltz, Gimme Shelter, I’m Trying to Break Your Heart, Hail Hail Rock n Roll … man, there are just so many I watched.

You often cite the lack of documentary on hip hop. Were you trying to get the ball rolling with this?

That wasn’t my agenda, but if this film inspires someone to start with someone else, that would be great, but I wasn’t trying to spawn a movement or anything.

Who else would you like to see get the treatment?

There’s plenty. Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five, Cold Crush Brothers, X-Clan, Big Daddy Kane, De La Soul, there are a lot of women in hip hop that would have interesting stories …

Did you have a set out narrative in your head going into filming?

No. I just watched it unwind in front of me.

So the animosity highlighted in the film is just something that happened?

Ya, absolutely. It’s the beauty of documentary filmmaking.

Was there a lot of footage that as a music fan you would have liked to see in the film but needed to cut for the sake of narrative?

I know the film has to be forward thinking and story driven, and there was tons of stuff we had to cut out about songs being constructed or verses and lyrics, stuff about people who influenced Tribe and more people that Tribe influenced, but at the end of the day you have to do what’s best for the movie. Despite how interesting or fascinating a piece or a scene might be, you have to keep things moving forward.

One noticeable thing is the lack of Busta Rhymes (sometimes referred to as the unofficial fifth member of the group). How hard was it to cut him out?

It was hard to cut Busta out. He’s in the movie a little bit and I felt the way we used him was the best way for the film and based on the footage. There was an idea and a sequence about the making of Scenario that was really cool, but there was also J Dilla stuff, Large Professor stuff, there was a lot of stuff that had to go but we had to do what’s best for the movie. As a music fan that was tough, you want to hold on to it. Everyone know’s the importance of Scenario. There are certain songs that are iconic but you can’t do every one. I wasn’t there to do a making of thing. It wasn’t a ‘This is How We Did it’ video.

There is a lot of great vintage footage of Tribe. Was that easy to get?

It required a lot of digging. I knew certain stuff existed because I had seen it, but to actually get it is a whole rigmarole and we were very diligent. It was digging for gold. You get leads and follow them, like this person has this, this person has that, and you just track them down and hope it works out. The DVD extras are going to be really strong and have a lot of fun material.

Tribe has sampled everyone from Lou Reed to France’s national anthem, how hard was the sample clearance for the movie?

The music clearing was a mother fucker, man. Obviously, Tribe gave us clearance to their songs, but then you had to clear every sample to every song. We should have done a short movie within the movie about that because that was really, really challenging. You have to deal with huge artists, or artists that are hard to find, so it was tough.

Was there any reluctance from the original artists?

I felt like we would have been able to get every one, but the hardest one was clearing Can I Kick it? And that was essential. There were other songs that we just ran out of time for.

How long were you with Tribe?

It was 2.5 years of filming, editing, etc. It was a lot of back and forth because I’m in L.A., Tip and Ali are in New York, Jarobi is in Atlanta and Phife is on the west coast.

Did you have unlimited access?

No, it’s not like reality TV. I filmed with an agenda. I wasn’t just sitting there day after day after day. It was like, ‘You have three hours,’ or ‘You can spend half the day with me.’ I wasn’t waking up with them.

It seems that Phife gave you more access, what with going to the hospital with him and everything?

Phife gave me a little bit more but Tip was pretty good. What Phife was going through health wise was pretty compelling and it tells a lot about him — it’s major. At the same time, Tip had an album coming out (The Renaissance, 2008), which is a big deal but it’s not as, you know, severe as Phife’s health.

As a filmmaker, how did you perceive the characters of Phife Dawg and Q-Tip?

They were both very human, charismatic, funny, compelling and honest. Tip is definitely a perfectionist. He’s an artist. He’s going to be making music whether there is a music business or not. He just loves it. He’ll be the guy playing on the corner if that was his only outlet.

Phife was never as emotionally invested. It was just something he was really good at and I think that was a big difference between the two of them. They both come off well rounded. They both get to show sides of themselves that fans have never seen, but in the context of the film, they get to show themselves as great but not perfect.

You and the members of Tribe, most notably Q-Tip, have been in the media a lot over certain creative differences? Did you ever think this part of making the movie would be this difficult?

No, I never thought it would be this much. But the fact that I’m sitting here and the movie is coming out in Canada and the U.S., I’m just proud of it. I don’t look at it as work, despite today being my toughest day, just with travel and everything. To be doing this for something I care so much about, I’m happy.

There was an early trailer called Beats, Rhymes and Fights. Is that where the animosity started?

I guess that started it. It was hacked off the Internet and it was an old trailer with a title that they didn’t like. And I was fine that they didn’t like it. There was a chain of events that started the whole thing. I’m not happy that it went that way but it did and fortunately in the last week or so me and Q-Tip have agreed to disagree on certain things. He’s been supportive of the movie and doing some press for the movie, so it’s sort of moved past that. It was a a lot to deal with.

What was the main source of fighting after the film was done? Did Tribe want more say on the editing?

In an nutshell that would be it. They wanted less emphasis on the relationships and more on the music, and to me I don’t know how to tell a story that way. That’s not a story, it’s a concert film, and I never said I wanted to do just a concert film. In the beginning they would have been happier if that’s what I’d done, but I made the movie because I wanted to know if A Tribe Called Quest will ever make more music, and in answering that you have to roll up your sleeves a little bit.

Do you know if Q-Tip has seen the movie?

I don’t think Tip has seen it with an audience. He’s seen it on a computer though.

How important was it to have Tip on board?

I was never trying to get him on board once I realized where things were. I stopped reaching out, but then the movie was getting ready to come out and the response was so good, we decided to disagree on certain things and I’m glad he’s been supportive of the film. I had other dreams and hopes for what the band would do for the movie and themselves, but none of that stuff really panned out, which is the wacky world of A Tribe Called Quest.

What role did Nas have in starting this whole project?

Nas was never a day to day producer and at one point he talked about producing it with me, but then he just got busy with his own stuff. He’s been supportive of the film, but it took a lot of time to make the movie so he decided to be supportive from afar.

What about the idea out there that it was his idea?

No, no no. That conversation that was put on MTV did not happen. I came up with the idea to do a documentary, I asked them in 2006 at the Wiltern Theatre, I called Q-Tip myself. Nas was thinking about doing something at the same time, and it’s just coincidence we were thinking along the same lines. This is my idea though. I didn’t make the movie by myself, but I will definitely take credit for thinking about making it, initiating it, and financing it at first. I will not let that misinformation be out there because it’s not the case.

What do you think about the comments that only the rap community should be telling its own stories?

It’s fucking retarded. It doesn’t make any sense. I think that was not the smartest thing to say.

Are you on good terms with them now? Do they like the movie?

They’re supportive of the movie, they know it’s good, but some of the dysfunction that you see in the movie within the group fell over onto my lap. The group doesn’t move as unit. That dysfunction spilled over to me. It’s not a surprise that this has happened. Anybody that’s ever done business with them has always said, as great as the product is, it’s never easy getting it.

You know, if this was a doc about Wu Tang this would be deemed as a joke. People would be like this is bull shit, this ain’t Wu, if all they were doing was bickering a little bit, but because it’s Tribe it’s hard to accept. If this was NWA or EPMD, you’d be like, ‘That’s it?’ But because its Tribe and the music is so positive and the spirit of the music is so positive, I think it’s been hard for fans to swallow the fact that they’re not perfect. What they go through is the same thing The Beatles have gone through, N Sync, The Supremes, it happens. Groups have there shit, families have their shit, businesses end. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.

You end the movie on a positive note, about their outstanding record deal with Jive Records. Is that you as an optimistic fan, or do you really think they will record another one?

I did it as an optimistic fan, I did it to inform the fans, and I did it to remind A Tribe Called Quest that it’s there if you want it and the people would be excited about it. I was definitely conscious of what I was doing with that. I wanted people to understand that if Tribe wants to do it, they can.

OK, just some quick ones: Favourite Tribe song?

Lyrics to Go

Favourite Tribe album?

Midnight Marauders

Top 5 ’90s albums

Midnight Marauders, A Tribe Called Quest

Enter the 36 chambers, the Wu-Tang Clan

Illmatic, Nas

Ready to Die, Notorious B.I.G.

Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, Outkast

Any current artists excite you as much as Tribe?

A handful of people excite me today. Talib Kweli, Common, Jay Electronica, Mos Def, I like this kid Tyler the Creator and his whole little deal that he’s doing. I’m not going to sit here and say the music is easy to listen to, but I like his personae and like his style, and I heard him rhyming on this track yesterday with Pusha T from Clipse, and I think he has a real interesting flow and the things he says, he’s very witty.

An article based on this interview originally appeared in the National Post.  

But dude’s gotta pay the bills. We all do. And you know what? It’s not like Gavras is the first director to make a commercial. Seriously though, in recent years and increasingly with ads designed for online viral capacity, I don’t think it’s fair to look down on artists for doing commercials at all anymore. In fact, I love commercials. They’re like short films, except you know, shorter, and make you want to buy stuff.

But whatever, right? Even good shows are ads these days anyways; watching Mad Men for example has made me an alcoholic stockholder in Canadian Club.

In that light, Gavras’ unveiled work — a very Gavrasish, intense spot for Adidas — is actually not a compromise at all. It’s pretty clear his artistic finger print is all over it. He even uses long-time BFF’s and personal house band Justice to soundtrack it.

Similarly, I love Kristen Schaal. I wish she’d get more work now that Flight of the Conchords is over, but if she’s gonna make some coin hawking a Playstation phone, at least she’s doing it in a way that is totally her, you know? Unlike some other celebs I’ve seen. Sure, it’s kind of an Old Spice rip-off. But if you’re going to appeal to the nerd who’d want to buy this phone, this seems like a pretty safe strategy. Also… fuel tank kills are the best.

But no, wait, it gets better. It’s not just any ol’ Mountain Dew commercial. It’s Mountain Dew Code Red! Extreme!!!!

Everybody needs to make money, right, but does signing with Jay-Z literally make you do a complete 180 and everything that you claimed to hold near and dear? Is Jay Elec that hard up for cash? Is Roc that hard up for cash? Will drinking Code Red bring my rap game to the next level?

Without Drake, this probably would have won top honours in this category, but in all honesty, if you were to just delete the Mountain Dew plug at the end, then look at it in a vacuum, ignoring the whole I’m an anti-commercial rapper thing, it’s actually a pretty cool commercial, isn’t it?

In honour of EYE Weekly’s new Dating Diaries series, which a few have commented is probably the most proto-hipster thing the mag has printed (and a fluffier knock-off of NYMag’s ahhhmazing Sex Diaries), and because Tumblr is down and Simon and I have nothing to meta-blog, here’s some Hipster Fanfiction. A tale about Amos, an in-love St. Catherines native, who meets August, a lesbian dead-ringer for Zooey Deschanel. The thing got so shmaltzy we couldn’t finish it, and so we turn to you, trusted friends. What becomes of August and Amos?

Last night Amos was in bed playing Angry Birds on his new iPhone 4 and listening to Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. The concert on Friday at the Mod Club was stellar; even more memorable, the babely brunette who was a dead-ringer for Zooey Deschanel.  He thought of her now, picking up his Moleskine and sketching portraits of her on the lined pages. Although his memories of the evening remained blurry at best due to the seven tall boys of Pabst Blue Ribbon he consumed, Amos distinctly remembers her whispering her name into his ear, cutting through the crescendo of Edward Sharpe’s sonic genius on stage: August.

You can hate me, but I just had to. It’s that kind of Monday.

Leonard Cohen is famous for a lot things, with one of those things being that he’s a recluse. That made it a BIG deal when the legendary singer/songwriter toured in 2008 after a 15-year hiatus. Clearly, he thought it was a big deal too because he went through the effort of documenting it on the DVD Songs from the Road, which came out this week. And perhaps one of the most storied songs in Cohen’s well-storied career is that of his sexual encounter with Janis Joplin in the Chelsea Hotel. This performance, only the second time he had done it with a full band, deserves the standing ovation it received from the crowd. Something about an old man, passionately singing with his eyes closed about a relationship with a deceased and infamous rocker, sends chills down your spine.

via Spin

Oddly enough, when I google “old why guy with pipe”, I also got a pic of

Stephen Harper, and one of Paris Hilton. Photo via

Ah, New York Times, bastion of investigative journalism, defender of human rights, the fourth estate, pillar of a free society, spotter of trends, taster of foods, and of course, constantly perplexed by the age old problem: What is it about 20-somethings?

It’s always funny to see a newspaper, which we all know is run by people who are in their 40s and up, grapple with the problem of youth. “Why are they so different, why won’t they grow up, why won’t they leave home?” they ask as they sip Metamucil™ and squint at the computer screen. “When I was in my 20′s, I worked 44 hours a week for lousy pay so that I could afford a car and a home, and I accepted it because it was a nice way to live. And look at me now, working 44 hours a week for okay pay so that I can afford my home and my car, and I accept it. It’s a nice way to live.”

This highly hypothetical train of thought explains to me why so many articles are penned each and every year trying to explain some wild and crazy youthful trend (refer to: funemployment). Even obsessive navel gazing has been attributed to people in their 20s, but if they are guilty of navel gazing, then the older generation is equally guilty of obsessively gazing at the 20-something navel.

At 30-years-old, I find myself on what is referred to by the Times as, quite simply, the “age 30 deadline.” And it’s true. So true. But I didn’t need an 8,000 word article to tell me that. I’ve been telling myself that for the last 10 years :”Jesse, you don’t need to be rich, you don’t need to be successful, you just need to have some sort of semblance of what the rest of your life is going to look like.” Low standards, yes, which might explain this next quote.

A Canadian study reported that a typical 30-year-old in 2001 had completed the same number of milestones as a 25-year-old in the early ’70s.

I’m not sure if that number is amplified now that it’s 2010, but I truly hope so because it means I’m right on track. Ya!

And if 20-somethings nowadays are taking even longer to figure their shit out, even better. That means I won’t grow up to have a boss 10 years younger than me. But of course, that’s a massive generalization, as is the Times piece, because there are tons of people who go straight from school to work, just like their parents, and grow up someday to write articles for the New York Times trying to explain 20 year olds. But there are also people who choose to travel, or take unpaid internships, or go back for more school, or to actually pursue something they want to do, rather than just acquiesce to the pressures of parents and the status quo. And what the Times is missing here, in it’s sprawling attempt to make sense of things that, for those of us who have never had to watch a black and white TV, already makes sense, can be easily explained in one paragraph:

We grew up watching our parents work hard so that they could “give us a better life,” as we often heard so much. But “better life” doesn’t necessarily mean more channels on the HDTV, but the freedom to pursue careers that are fulfilling, rewarding, and yes, interesting to us (some pay would be nice too). How many people watched their parents toil away at jobs they couldn’t wait to get out of just to watch their RRSPs evaporate in 2008? It was crushing. So what is it about 20-somethings anyways? They are learning from the mistakes of the generations before them and trying to avoid making the same ones. The 20 to 29th years of our lives are like the last 10 yards of a football game, so rather than settle for the field goal you throw every last play in the book out on the field, from the fake punt to the flea flicker, with some lateral tossing for good measure. Eventually something is going to get you there, and when it does you will have happily experienced as much as possible and will be content to spend the rest of your life with the tried and true play-action. But not until you try everything else at least once. Then you turn 30, and it’s over, and you hope to god some generation of keeners doesn’t come up from behind and leave you in their dust filled with ambition and “yes sirs.”

Actually, if the whole world just regressed 10 years, this wouldn’t even be an issue anymore. Prices could come down because we couldn’t afford them, science would come up with some miracle cure to let women get pregnant much later (it would have to, because we’ve all seen what happens in Children of Men), and it wouldn’t be weird to see a childless single 29-year-old in an unpaid internship at some company they think is “cool.”

Actually, sometime I just wish I could re-do my whole 20s again, right from the start, knowing what I know now (that everyone is a live at home, funemployed slacker) and just hone myself to have some sort of advantage and eventually, inevitably, rule the world. But only if I can do it during my own generation’s time (as in, go back in time, thus not living my 20s in the 2010s). Because if being in my 20s right now means I have to relate to Ke$sha and this douche bag below, T. Mills, then I take it all back.

Music these days. What is it about those 20-somethings anyways?

First off, sorry for two Kanye posts. We sort of have an unwritten rule about that, but have you seen Kanye’s video for Power yet? With the amount of hype it was getting, it being a “painting” and all, not a video, according to Ye’s twitter account, I have to admit I was definitely curious. After watching it a few times now (one good thing about it being short), I definitely warmed up to it. Excessive? Yes. Egotistical and obnoxious? Absolutely. But that’s what you expect from Kanye anyways, right? The real highlight of this, I think, is the director, who you could say has made a good attempt at elevating the music video towards high art realms.

Apparently Kanye sought out Italian-Canadian Marco Brambilla to do something original, and I can’t blame him after seeing Brambilla’s epic and cool “civilisation” piece commissioned for the Standard Hotel elevators.

The “Power” video uses a similar technique as “Civilisation”, but is not only much more polished looking, it’s also way more Kanye (read: Scantily clad women pouring water over their heads, scantily clad women looking like they are about to make out, scantily clad women crawling on all fours, standing around, dancing, etc, etc. You get the point.) Plus there is some serious bling (see image above), which rumours say is a representation of the Illuminati secret society. Kanye is, of course, the Ceaser figure in a moving neo-classical decoupage, and as the stunning imagery evolves round him, it all of a sudden makes a few quick cuts and ends on a high note: two flying swordsmen coming down on Ye’s head.

Although the video does come a bit late after the release of the single (although Kanye doesn’t seem to care about this sort of thing) that actually makes it better – it’s a video, or an installation art piece, or whatever you want to call it, just for arts’ sake. It could be trying to make a statement about the twisted excess of celebrity, and how he feels everyone is out for his head, but I think it’s better not to think of it too much at all really (sort of like Inception that way), as it pretty much beats into our thick skulls that Kanye is the most egotistical artist out there – but does it ever look nice making that point.

On a side note, I was trying to find any version of this video that I could embed, rather than just link up top, so went on to MTV for the first time in years. No Kanye, but luckily I stumbled across this instead. Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell being hilarious on “the Knife Show.”

Everybody knows the best parts of every movie are put in the trailer, so as a service, this is where we save you the time and money by telling you if a movie is worth it, based solely on that trailer. This time, Sofia Coppola’s Somewhere, the trailer for which has been out for some time now, but the movie isn’t slated to appear until Christmas holidays.

Ah, Sofia Coppola, you’re like an off and on girlfriend that I’ve known all throughout my life (not literally, but metaphorically speaking). A terrible, mentally abusive metaphorical off and on girlfriend. Of course, at first is grade school, and you repulse me with your death scene in the Godfather part III (which has mostly been swept from the internet but can be seen around the 1:20 mark of this video), making we want to throw sand at you, but then over the years you pull on my heart strings and become endearing, even though, deep down inside I actually want to dislike you. But movies like Lost in Translation make that hard. But then movies like Marie Antoinette make that easy, and of course, remind of of that death scene (*shudder*) and how your pouting face almost messed up Andy Garcia’s chances, so it’s a constant back and forth. And then comes along Somewhere, which based solely on the choice of music for the trailer (an early, acoustic version of the Stroke’s “you only live once” actually called “I’ll try anything once”), puts me right back on board with you. Damn you! And a come back for Stephen Dorff? What!?! That’s just too interesting/weird/totally random to ignore. Anyways, on with the trailer (which I can’t get to embed below so just click here for it) and review.

The Plot:

Stephen Dorff’s character, Johnny Marco, a massive celebrity, parties hard with naked models and vapid Hollywood stereotypes but feels empty inside (poor guy) until his daughter, played by Elle Fanning, gets dumped on him. He takes some time to, you know, get his priorities straight, and they wander through beautiful L.A. landscapes with nice wide angle perspectives, taking us on a bewildering journey through all these areas that we think we know but when Coppola adds her doe-eyed perspective it all just seems that much more precious. Anyways, for the next hour and a half absolutely nothing happens. Just existential conversations on the minutiae of life, until Bill Murray whispers something into Marco’s ear. Instantly Stephen Dorff wakes up from a dream in a roach-infested motel, looks in the mirror, realizes it was all just a dream and that he is still, just in fact Stephen Dorff, and whispers “fuck.” Fade to Black.

The cast:

Stephen Dorff: Plays Johnny Marco, a crazy popular celebrity, which is either a ridiculously inspired casting call on Coppola’s part, or just a huge favour for an old friend (they have apparently known each other for quite some time).

Elle Fanning: plays the daughter, and damn your cold-blooded heart if her big-eyed puppy dog stares and too sweet to be real acceptance of her unusual situation and estranged mother and father doesn’t make you well up.

Benicio Del Toro: Plays somebody referred to as celebrity, so perhaps I take that bit back about Bill Murray, because I have a hunch it’s Benicio that will whisper something into Dorff’s ear (possibly “Viva la revolucion”)

The reception:

Dorff’s performance will be heralded as brilliant, thus cementing his comeback in gold. The Academy award for best actor won’t hurt either, and he will turn into one of the most sought after actors in the U.S., supplanting Depp, Pitt, DiCaprio, et al.

Haha, just kidding. Remember the plot about him waking up in a roach motel? And did you ever hear something about how life imitates art? Exactly. Although people will start to take notice of Elle Fanning, as she will remind them of that sweet, cute, stoic little girl in I Am Sam, buying her a nice little career until she too hits puberty and starts reminding everyone of the not so sweet, not so cute and rather annoying Dakota Fanning.

The movie, of course, will be a big hit, as good sequels to great movies often are (internationally Somewhere will be called Lost in Translation Two: return to L.A.), and Coppola will be heralded with a mountain of screenplay awards, leaving her dad crazy proud, but even more confused, because “damn, Tetro was an amazing screenplay and I got shit for that! Then my spoiled little daughter gets these! agh!!!!” Francis will then go write Tetro Two, about a daughter who steals her father’s spotlight and gets shot and killed on a staircase, a la Godfather part III (ah, the world. So cyclical).

Who will be in the theatre watching this:

I will, and you know you will too. In fact, anyone who wants to pretend they have artistic taste will be there, because that’s what you think of when you hear Sofia Coppola: An accessible art house film that will leave you feeling good. Also, it will make you feel as if you are on the cutting edge of something because your parents still have no idea she was a director, and can’t forgive her for that horrible death scene in Godfather Part III (“Agh, I die!” Fall on stairs in slow motion). It almost ruined their marriage somehow, after all.

One shot music videos, in which the camera never cuts out and the action takes place in one fluid motion, have been around for almost as long as the music video itself. Just think back to Bob Dylan’s Subterranean Homesick Blues released in the ’60s. But as of late there have been a ton of great additions, some on par with what I consider one of the best one shot videos ever. As such, here are the best of recent one shot videos, just from memory (aka no Google). Feel free to post yours in the comments.

LCD soundsystem, “Drunk Girls”

I may be one of the only people that didn’t go crazy over the lead single off of LCD Soundsystem’s latest record, but the video is a great example of what you can do with one room, a shitload of props, and a bunch of hooligans dressed up as cats.

J. Cole, “Who Dat”

The second from J. Cole and director BBGun, this one shot video is similar to the video for Simba, even down to the shot that pans up, then pans down to reveal a crowd has slipped into the bottom of the screen, but there is something about the cinematic quality of them both that makes it still work. Plus, for Who Dat they added some explosions, which always works in the summer.

Asher Roth, Muddy Swim Trunks

Whether you like Asher Roth or not (psst, I hope you don’t), it’s the video for this one, again by BBGun, that does it. Also, I guess when you release videos mostly just online, they can be sort of NSFW (as in, it shows boobs, male and female, at the same time).

OK GO, “This Too Shall Pass”

When I was a kid I lost my shit for those massive domino performances/shows/whatever they’re called where basically some dude spent half his life setting up a bunch of dominoes and silly stunts that automatically go off, like some messed up useless machines from Terry Gilliam’s dystopian vision that is Brazil, only to set it off for two minutes of pure fun.

Shad, “Rose Garden”

Saving the best for last, this awesome homage to a classic Pharcyde video takes it up a notch by not only doing it in one take, but by doing it in reverse first, then stopping half way to play it in forward, and synching up lyrics to actions the whole time. Plus, a solid song by a great Canadian rapper.