Music Video Review: Best Coast’s “Our Deal” Directed by: Drew Barrymore
by Stephanie D’Ercole
Every so often, a band puts out a music video that transcends the regular, run-of-the-mill video, to become a little piece of aural and visual candy. Bringing Drew Barrymore on board to direct, and featuring actors including Chloë Moretz, Tyler Posey and Alia Shawkat, Best Coast’s video for their new hit “Our Deal” proves to pack a lot of punch.
With Barrymore’s eclectic inspiration from “West Side Story”, “The Outsiders”, and the 1950s and 70s, the music video integrates everything else, from the fashion to the story line, to create a work of film craftsmanship that comes full circle. The story follows two young rival L.A. gangs, the Day Trotters and the Night Creepers, as they battle for control of turf. Amidst the feud blossoms a star-crossed romance, quite similar to that of Romeo and Juliet, which comes to a close with a creative and unexpected resolution.
The pops of color against the grey, urban backdrop; the use of graffiti and body language in place of spoken word; the unique, timeless, and seamlessly blended wardrobe, styled by Alicia Lombardini; all come together and prove not only does Best Coast create tunes crafted for the big screen, but Barrymore is welcome to sit in the director’s chair anytime. The only shortcoming is just that…. it’s not long enough. Watch it and it will leave you wishing it were a feature-length film as well. But what it lacks in length, it undoubtedly makes up in all other cinematic aspects. We just hope both Best Coast and Ms. Barrymore have some more ideas up their sleeves for the future
If we look at the past history of brand marketing within the Hip-Hop world, particularly as it pertains to artist development, we will notice that homogony doesn’t win any points: it’s contrast that sells. A label can try very hard to sign artist after artist that resembles an already signed, and successfully proven artist on their roster, but audiences don’t like imitations. A label represents a movement, a slice of culture. The very essence of culture is in its dynamics spawned by its shared interests. Hip-Hop is a culture based on four pillars: DJing, MCing, graffiti, and breakdancing. In other words, Hip-Hop is a one-of-a-kind culture that brings together music, poetry, design, and dance in a package deal. Therefore, by just focusing on one aspect of Hip-Hop would make the culture redundant and boring. People need options; they demand them. So when a label tries to sell its brand to the masses it is better if they have a versatile roster of artists and not try to repackage the same one over and over again with a different name.
For an artist who is trying to reinvent himself or define himself for the first time, it is best if he/she goes to a label that will challenge them by first and foremost offering a different environment than they’re used to experiencing. Some great examples of this are socially-conscious Tupac signing with gangster rap phenom Death Row, soulful Kanye West joining bottle-poppin’ Roc-a-Fella, old school Def Jam taking a risk on hardcore gospel poet DMX, Lil Wayne signing both eccentric Nicki Minaj and singer/rapper Drake to blinged-out Young Money, and most recently backpacker Wale joining forces with the infamous Maybach Music Group. Each one of these examples shows a long-standing brand branching out from its normalcy to invest in artists that might have been risky for the marketplace and for their branded music, but ended up enriching the very culture and industry through hit records, sales, and brand loyalty.
Wale is one of the more exciting artists to watch at the moment. He already released his debut under Interscope, Attention Deficit, had a slew of mixtapes hit the streets to wide acclaim, and most recently released the compilation with Rick Ross, Meek Mill, Pill, and the rest of Maybach Music Group entitled Self Made, Vol. 1. His style, sound, and lyrics bring true Hip-Hop fans back to a time when lyricism was everything and the Billboard charts were only secondary. However, due to disappointing record sales, Wale figured he better make a change in order to stay alive in this ever-changing music world. So when Rick Ross reached out to him, who was also trying to redefine his own brand identity as an artist and CEO, Wale surprisingly didn’t even hesitate. He sticks out like a sore thumb in the mix of drug and gang references most notable in Maybach, but he shines all on his own as he takes the top spot next to the Big Boss himself, Rick Ross. Even Wale has been quoted as saying he loves sticking out like a sore thumb. He could have gone to G.O.O.D Music with Kanye, Mos Def, and Common, but then he wouldn’t be recognizable.
Now with his sophomore album ready to drop, Ambition, on Maybach Music Group Wale is set to take his career to new heights. He won’t compromise his art, but that doesn’t mean he won’t change his attitude. As an artist it is imperative to continuously improve one’s craft in order to stay relevant as well as sharp in this game. Branding may be most reliant on consistency in message, but in artist development branding relies on versatility most of all. Audiences will expect certain mainstay messages that have made their favorite artists famous, but they also expect evolution in their artistry. Art is a journey, not a staple product. Quality is in the movement, not the design.
