Bear Who? :: "The Beatbox" (video)
Review by Chain | Published December 2006 | Review Archives
There are going to be some purists that can't comprehend Bear Who? talking about bringing hip-hop and House together in this video. One drop of hip-hop taints the whole ocean, they'd say, but I doubt they've given it a chance (nor are they, I'd guess, the target market). But it's hard to get more old school than Chip E., and a video like this is exactly what he was talking about in the September issue of 5 when he talked about making House accessible to "the club-goers of today" (and he did it himself in a shoot for Cassioware included as an extra on The UnUsual Suspects DVD). Bear Who? is to be commended for taking the step and not remaining comfortable with what is already a pretty substantial reputation.
So politics aside, how do you review a video? Like the song, this might be judged more hip-hop than House, with female eye candy galore and knit hats favored over big afros or whatever the stereotype of a House crowd is. Nevertheless, it's professionally done by director Charles Little (that's a name you should know, but haven't heard for awhile) and shot in electrifying colors that roll well with the beats. The crowd (multiethnic and visibly not 100% straight, which is another distinction from hip-hop) seems to be having a great time and the emphasis here is on exposing more people to a great song in the language that the artists involved think they'll understand. I'd like to see more of this from House artists - I think we will.