After delving into high-concept, absurdist concept in his most recent video, the hilarious “Mini Van” collaboration with Da Baby, Blocboy JB returns to his low-budget, DIY basics for his latest video, “House Party.” He also does something pretty unusual for a rapper who nabbed a breakout hit with Drake and became a viral sensation last year with his “Shoot” dance: Rather than pulling from his more recent catalog for a single, he’s choosing to expose new fans to some of his prior work — namely, the 2017 mixtape Who Am I 3.
It’s a bit of an unusual swerve, but considering how simple the video for “House Party” is, it’s a low-risk, possibly high-reward proposition. Given the relatively straightforward nature of “House Party,” the song, “House Party,” the video, is likewise simple, straightforward, and charmingly low key. It has a basic premise: Blocboy and his homies take over a mansion and make a mess with pool cues and cash, throwing their own get together that stops well short of reaching the titular proportions you’d expect from a similar concept elsewhere.
Here’s the thing: It works. New fans have now been exposed to some of his pre-Drake work, which may lead them to investigate further and become more engaged and thoroughly invested in his future success, which has been a winning formula for a lot of rappers with grassroots movements like his. It also probably pays to have a few old videos stashed up for emergencies like Blocboy’s recent arrest, which could make future promotion hard to come by. Having a supply to keep the fans sated until he clears up his legal issues might turn out to be the smartest business move he’s made yet.
