Remember 1000 Clowns?

If not, don’t worry.  This Los Angeles rap group was only active from 1997 to 1999.  During that time, they released an album called Freelance Bubblehead, which featured their two best-known songs, Kitty Kat Max and (Not The) Greatest Rapper.  As evidence by their name and the video above, 1000 Clowns took a light-hearted approach to their work.  In a review for CMJ New Music Monthly, Neal Goldstone said that rapper MC Kevi’s style would be “darn endearing if he was your little brother’s best friend.”  I think that best sums up both the appeal of this song and also why 1000 Clowns only released one album.

This video was directed by the very busy Mark Kohr, who started directing music videos in the early 1990s and who has since worked with several well-known artists, including Green Day, No Doubt, Alanis Morrisette, Everclear, and Cake.