There are hundreds of "Flava In Ya Ear" homages. But, there is only one "Drop It Like It's Hot" — an icily simple, yet sophisticated video by director Paul Hunter for Snoop Dogg. And it serves as a perfect barometer for judging a music video: If you can remember both the visual and the audio ten years later, it's an all-time great. And "Drop It Like It's Hot" is indeed that.
In fact, it's so memorable that it can be used as the basis for a Hot Pockets campaign Pocket Like It's Hot, with Snoop spoofing his own song/video with Andy Milonakis and other guests.
But, I wonder who owns the original video? Did they need to get permission from the original commissioning record label? Or is it considered a parody? Should Intellectual Property and music videos be (sorry) a hot topic?
Here's one precedent, although it's the opposite situation: In 1996 there was a fantastic video for The Postal Service "Such Great Heights" and the directors of it were subsequently hired to create a near identical visual for an Apple/Intel ad. Except it wasn't sanctioned by the band, which was understandably unhappy.
