Right now, as you’re reading this, I am en route to Los Angeles, to work on a very strange and exciting freelance assignment that I’m probably not supposed to talk about publicly. That means I’m writing this on Thursday afternoon, and there is a very good chance that I’m missing some amazing video that came out later on Thursday. Sorry. Please be assured that any post-Thursday-lunchtime videos will be eligible for next week’s list. In the meantime, this turned out to be a fucking great week for videos, and this week’s picks are below.

5. Kamasi Washington – “Street Fighter Mas” (Dir. AG Rojas)

I would like to see more of this “Lynchian video-game sports-movie” cinematic genre.

4. St. Vincent – “Fast Slow Disco” (Dir. Zev Deans)

A former member of the Polyphonic Spree has now made a transcendent sex-disco video set at a club full of bears. You could’ve probably made some money if you’d seen that coming in 2005.

3. Jay Rock – “OSOM” (Feat. J. Cole) (Dir. Jack Begert & Dave Free)

A beautifully shot, feverishly tense five-minute crime movie that would’ve probably ranked even higher on this list if we’d gone back to the hotel airvent. The acting in rap videos is simply not supposed to be this good.

2. Jay Rock – “The Bloodiest” (Dir. Colin Tilley)

What a vivid, intense collection of images. TDE is out here making art movies in rap-video form, and I’m not sure any boutique label has ever amassed a visual aesthetic that left this deep an imprint.

1. Beyoncé & JAY-Z – “Apeshit” (Dir. Ricky Saiz)

As a simple logistical feat, this is simply staggering: Two superstars shutting off the entire motherfucking Louvre to make a video and somehow keeping it secret until release. As a riveting, meaningful, elegantly composed piece of filmmaking, it’s even better.