Another day, another list for y’all!!
Let’s explore Ryan Higa’s channel on YouTube, found affectionately under the username Nigahiga. He’s the Hawaiian born entertainer with fast talking skills that pay the bills.
At a wise-old age of 24, his comedy style can be both juvenile and insightful at times, but you always find at least something to smile about in his videos. While many of his videos lack the budget of folks like Good Mythical Morning, he makes up for it in slick editing and originality.
Most of his posse has been with him for years and it always shows in the videos. I think one of the reasons he’s so successful is that there is a genuine chemistry between everyone. That’s something that you don’t always find, especially on network television or in feature films.
The amazing thing with YouTube is that truly authentic people, like Mr. Higa, have a platform to shine and connect directly to the masses. And, with 14 million subscribers, he’s connecting with a lot of people! Plus, I’m sure making a buck or two off of advertising doesn’t hurt. Great for Ryan and great for us since we get to partake is some compelling entertainment.
We’ll talk about a lot of other aspects of Ryan’s content in later articles but today, we’ll go through the best song/musical/rap videos that you gotta watch!
#7
Title: Christmas Swag
Coming at the bottom of this here list is the holiday carol that everyone should know by heart. Children in malls throughout the good old US of A should be singing their hearts out next to the smelly faux Santa that’s been infested by hundreds of kids’ germy hands.
Merry X-Mas, folks :)
Seriously though, at first I didn’t really like it the start and my interest waned a bit. But, his fun word play and silly props made this a must watch. My favorite line was about decorating the decorations. Cute overall and officially part of the Moonshine Family Holiday Music Mix.
#6
Title: Rap God (Dear Ryan)
You have to normally have to sit through all of his rant – which “niga” means in Japanese, btw – about his hair and his fan’s comments but, your good friend, Moonshine, will give you a hint to jump right to the 4:58 mark.
This is where you’ll find a nice little gem of a rap. The rap itself is…well, meh. But, the stop motion made got this video into the top 6 of our exclusive list.
I will say that this gent can talk quickly. Very impressive and makes this author’s tongue trip just listening.
I do somehow wish he made this into a longer segment. Making the stop motion has got to be incredibly time consuming, though I think the effort would pay off.
If you think he should make another stop motion, shoot him a tweet and let him know!
#5
Title: The Ultimate Handshake!
Ryan always seems to hit the right note when it comes to awkward moments (hint: I’m foreshadowing things to come!!).
I, myself, have been in weird, awkward moments giving handshakes. My mind races and my heart rate pumps faster as hands and bodies collide. I can only imagine the trail of memories I’ve left in the minds of those unlucky enough to try to do a “cool” handshake with me.
But, I digress.
In this video, we learn a cornucopia of handshakes that can help make anyone seem cool. We start off with a confession from Ryan and the moment that inspired the song. Then, we jump into a ton handshake options for every demographic (including some animals, if they are considered a demographic).
I don’t know about you but it’s hard to choose my favorite. (Ha – that could be another article!) Everyone’s imagination is on full display with the absolutely absurd and crazy handshake variations. I will put my foot down and say the Jellyfish handshake was my favorite.
Eventually, you make it to the actual song at 4:58 after a quick tutorial.
I did end up learning the actual handshake and gotta say, it’s fun!
#4
Title: S.W.G. (Official Music Video)
First, you have to be aware that there is a very disturbing booty dance at the beginning. You may want to skip the first 10 seconds…And, by disturbing I don’t mean that you may accidentally check her out at first and then realize that ‘she’ has a rather large moustache and hairy chest. That didn’t happen to me, and hopefully it won’t happen to you.
The beginning is a little meh for me but the message is clear: big booties aren’t the only way to a man’s heart. While, I don’t have a daughter, I can imagine that many a father would prefer their daughter’s to emulate this little diddy rather than Cisqo’s representation of how a lady should act.
Ryan and his friends show off their lyrical skills in this hard sounding rap about Sweet Wholesome Gals, hence S.W.G. We learn about Ryan’s dream date and the ideal attire for a lady worthy enough to hang with Nigahiga.
The emphasis is on safety – seat belts and speed limits – which should make any parent happy that their kid is watching this one.
You’ll have to wait for the end with the nice twist. It’s worth five minutes of your day!
#3
Title: Bromance (Official Music Video)
I’ve been accused once or twice of unbridled bromance so this one touches me deeply. Very deeply….but that’s another story.
For the ladies out there, you will never understand the bond between two (hetro) dudes. (Not that there is anything wrong with non-hetro!). Here’s the deal: women have an openness about their relationships with other women that is much more than bumping fists and drinking beers together.
We men like to have our sensitive sides shine every once in awhile and Ryan and crew have captured all the warm feelings in a classic auto-tuned inspired music video.
Lots of different scenes and more awkward moments like pee stream battles with the bros. Now, I definitely can say that I haven’t pee stream battled since I was 5 years old with my big brother so, I’ll happily skip over that one with my best buds. This is definitely something women will never relate to!
Aside from that, there is a complexity and incredible nuance to bromance that Ryan openly exposes for all to see. Check it out ladies to learn more about your man, and men, check it out for some good laughs.
As we’ve come to expect, there is a fun twist at the end!
#2
Title: GFTO My Room (Official Music Video)
This one took me a second watch to really enjoy. Frankly, I just wasn’t paying attention to the lyrics. I was too focused on the fun graphics, animations and effects that this 2014 video boasts.
GTFO My Room! has Nigahiga’s best video editing to date. That alone got it a high ranking in this little list. However, the lyrics gave it a boost into the runner-up spot.
I totally missed the Emo thing in my teen life but I did feel the angst that poor Ryan clearly felt. I guess every generation of teens has their version of angst, self-pity and mood swings that time somehow go away with time and when realities of the real world set in.
From bad poetry to hating the world (because, of course, the world is out to get you), most of us have been through this painful period of rebellion.
And, for those still in the their tween years, this is a great preamble to the fun road ahead! With over 4 million views, this video has touched many!
#1
Title: Clenching My Booty
In terms of awkward moments, we have a winner, folks! There ain’t a man or woman on this planet that hasn’t had a time where nature isn’t just calling, She’s knocking down the friggin’ door and smashing the place up, or out, as the case may be.
I’m talking about a really, really, really, really bad #2. And, not the #2 from this list.
Ryan continues to capture the experiences that help shape our lives in this epically fantastic original song.
With a rap interlude that will get a few gross outs, Clenching My Booty is three years old and continues to rack up views.
Check out our #1 about #2 video and see if you can relate ;)
With that last video, we complete our favorite list of Nigahiga song videos.
Ryan and his team, known as The Yabo Crew, have a bunch of other great songs and music videos that you should check out. Make sure to subscribe to Nigahiga!
I did want to give honorable mention to Nice Guys. It just missed our list but you can watch the video or buy Nice Guys – Single on iTunes like other of Nigahiga’s songs (and movies!).
Let me know in the comments below what your favorites are!
Shine on, folks.
