Ever since the dawn of MTV and Friday Night Videos, the music video has significantly impacted musical tastes and pop culture. It might not be as extreme as when the Buggles declared that "Video Killed the Radio Star", but there is no arguing that the music video certainly could make or break a song's popularity. So this regular Flashback Video feature will serve to remember some of the music videos from the great '80s decade that made an impact on me in one way or another.
This issue we will cover "Me Myself and I" by De La Soul. It was released in April 1989 as a single from their debut studio album, 3 Feet High and Rising. "Me Myself and I" made it on the pop charts peaking at #34 on the Billboard Hot 100 in July of 1989, but it also reached #1 on both the Billboard R&B chart and the Dance Club chart in June. The song's crossover success is partly due to its music video which was played on more often than just on Yo MTV Raps.
The music video for "Me Myself and I" begins with a tribute to Twilight Zone with the group's producer, Prince Paul, setting up the story in a Rod Sterling sort of way. The trio revolt against the stereotypical norms associated with Hip-Hop culture and chose to maintain their unique style despite having a teacher pushing the more image-driven mainstream way. The press had referred to De La Soul as the hippies of hip-hop, so this song and video became a way to express that it wasn’t a gimmick and that they were just being themselves. According to the group, the video was intended to underscore individuality – confidence in owning who you are and want to be, regardless of what others think.
In addition to Prince Paul, the video also contains brief cameos from members of A Tribe Called Quest, Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad. Here is the music video for "Me Myself and I" by De La Soul...
Such a fun video! I always liked the sequence with the DJ accidentally sending one of his vinyl records flying through the air and imbedded into one of the students heads. At a time when gangster rap was starting to take over, this showed that hip hop could still be popular without discussing violence or sex. It remains one of my favorite tracks from that year.
Hope you enjoyed another trip back to the '80s thanks to Flashback Video!