OTTAWA MUSIC VIDEO ROUNDUP | FEBRUARY

February was a light month for Ottawa music videos after the 10 on our list for January. This month’s Ottawa music video roundup includes JAIOFTHERISE, BLikeBrett, Hevve, Chaz Dean and OTG.

We’re continuing to ask you, the fans, to vote for the capital’s Video of the Month. You voted last month and crowned Rolling Stone by Anka x Karma x Soul Physical as the top music video for the month of January. Check out the videos below in order of release date, then help us crown the top video in the city for February. As usual, ff there are any videos we forgot make sure to comment below.

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BLikeBrett
Capes
Release date: February 7, 2019
Shot and edited by: Kaylen Prescott

The video for BLikeBrett’s single “Capes” is well-shot. It shows BLikeBrett sitting on an old living room chair in the middle of an empty field then switches to him in the middle of a forest. The symbolism is he’s alone in the “jungle”, meaning the industry. It has a simple and laid back vibe just like the song.

JAIOFTHERISE
Guilty
Release date: February 22, 2019
Directed and edited by: Cyril Swayz

JAIOFTHERISE is the only dance video on our list. The aesthetic of the video is very clean and cinematic. There’s an attention to detail down to the fonts. Cyril Swayz used a lot of filters and fast moving shots but didn’t go overboard. It helps with the storytelling. The CN Tower makes a brief appearance so we know it was shot in Toronto.

I started hearing about JAIOFTHERISE about two years ago so it’s good to see how he’s grown as artist.

Chaz Dean feat. Mr. Miso
No Breaks
Release date: February 23, 2019
Directed and shot by: Seibeltron

Chaz Dean always delivers quality music videos and “No Breaks” is no different. On this one Dean once again tag teams with Seibeltron after coming together for the “Work” music video. I haven’t gone through Seibeltron’s full portfolio, but their use of colours in the last two Chaz Dean videos is amazing.

The video is set at the N1 Thai Boxing Academy. At first you may wonder what the boxing concept is about, but the meaning can be found in the first few bars. “How can you hate the persistence? I go the distance”.

Chaz Dean and Mr. Miso compliment each other very well, both vocally and visually. If you didn’t see the video you probably couldn’t tell there was a second artist on the track.

OTG feat. Archee 3M and 00Bullseye
Slide In
Release date: February 27, 2019
Directed by: Moshi Karim (Goat Vision Studios)

“This Year”, the last video we saw from OTG, was set in the Byward Market. For “Slide In”, OTG takes us to downtown Toronto. We get some shots of Yonge Street, the Rogers Centre, the Gardiner Expressway, and my favourite mall and former workplace, Yorkdale. A quarter way through the video there’s some drama and someone’s getting kidnapped. Another high-quality cinematic video from OTG.

Hevve feat. Jeff Sanon
On It
Release date: February 28, 2019
Shot by: Quest
Edited by: WGM Visuals

This has to be my personal favourite this month (and I’m not just saying that because I’m in it). The video is set in the Ottawa Art Gallery and the National Gallery of Canada and borrows from The Carters’ “Apeshit” by merging high culture and hip-hop culture. It’s a side of Ottawa that hadn’t been captured before in a music video. It’s also special because Jeff Sanon doesn’t appear in many music videos so it’s a rare opportunity to see him on-screen. He has that star quality. Sanon’s brother, City Fidelia, and BLikeBrett also make cameos. This has to be one of the best musical collaborations we’ve seen locally. Hevve and Jeff Sanon compliment each other so well (Full disclosure: Hevve is represented by SHIFTER Agency).

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For more Ottawa hip-hop, check out SHIFTER’s Capital Essentials playlist. Click below.