The Kanye West-directed clip for Drake’s “Best I Ever Had” premiered on the lensman’s blog this morning, and its, uh, Cinemaxian aesthetics are kind of startling, with a team of large-breasted basketball players basically trying to kick-start their own Lingerie League–and then getting humiliated by women who can actually, y’know, play the sport. The Degrassi-star-turned-next-big-thing explains the video to Complex: “I kind of wanted to be real about the way I function with women at this current point in my life.” Drake claims that this means different women play different roles in his ecosystem, but I dunno, judging by the video itself, I would think that it means he likes to teach the ladies out there that simply giving men aesthetic pleasure doesn’t necessarily translate into winning at life. (Also that his boyfriend-empathy doesn’t stretch far enough for him to realize that sports bras are really important for anyone who needs more than a B cup.) The clip, and Drake’s explanation, after the jump.
Complex: Everyone’s been waiting on this video. Can you take us through the making of it?
Drake: Yeah. The video is directed by Kanye West. Basically we decided, as opposed to taking ourselves super serious, we just wanted to have some fun with it. Myself, being a young man, a young single man at that, I kind of wanted to be real about the way I function with women at this current point in my life. Which is, I don’t have one woman that I call my girl. There’s different girls in my life that play different roles and I see at different times, but collectively they kind of make up the roster of happiness for me [Laughs].
Complex: Understandable. So what’s the concept?
Drake: The concept of the video is, I’m a coach at a high school and the girls of my life are all on my high school basketball team. Throughout the video you see us prepping for this big championship game, and my team ends up losing. You see the looks on their faces at the end of the video, but the moral of the story, I guess, is win or lose, you can still be the best to somebody. When women see the video and see all the breast and ass, hopefully they don’t take offense. Hopefully they see the real meaning.
Complex: Well, now they’ll know.
Drake: [Laughs.] Now they’ll know.
Haha. Haha?
Drake “Best I Ever Had” [Vimeo via kanYe West: Blog]
Wake N’ Watch: Drake “Best I Ever Had” [Complex]
Yes, the “real meaning” becomes clear on about the 13th or 14th slow-mo cleavage shot. I like the song, but it’s unsettling that there are currently TWO child/teen TV actors breaking into the music biz and calling themselves Drake. This is the better Drake, I think.
The Onion, December 1999
Ironic Porn Purchase Leads To Unironic Ejaculation
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/38979
That video wasn’t even close to funny. And the whole “Take that D” part? It doesn’t make sense - nobody has ever “taken” Defense on a court. Obviously he’s talking about taking a dick, but that is very empowering to women, right Drake and Kanye? It makes them feel all fuzzy inside that they’re the best at taking one. Jeezus.
I live blogged it so you don’t have to, Maura: http://therockabyereview.wordpress.com/2009/07/02/live-blog-drakes-best-i-ever-had-video/
The point: Why does a girls’ song get a guys’ video?
That’s weird that he’d want to do a basketball video set in a high school, you’d think he’d want to distance himself from his Degrassi role. What’s the next going to be? A school shooting that paralyzes him?
@Rockabye: That was most enjoyable.
I can’t hate on anything Drake does ’cause I’ve had a mini crush on him since I was like, 13.