Synopsis

Artifacts' "The Ultimate" presents El Da Sensei and Tame One as commanding underground rap figures, delivering boast-heavy verses through a polished sequence of performance shots, close-ups, and stylized group scenes. The video places the Newark duo in a glossy late-1990s hip-hop setting while retaining their rugged, street-level identity. Its visual language favors attitude, fashion, movement, and direct engagement with the camera over a conventional storyline, matching the track's emphasis on lyrical skill, presence, and crew pride.

Factoids & Trivia

• "The Ultimate" was released in 1997 as a single from Artifacts' second album, "That's Them," on Big Beat Records.

• The song also appeared on the soundtrack to the 1996 comedy "High School High," giving the Newark duo exposure beyond the underground rap audience.

• Two substantially different versions circulated: the original track, produced by Baby Paul, and the darker "Showbiz Remix," which features a new beat and revised lyrics.

• The video was included in BET's national music-video rotation in early 1997.

• Artifacts' recurring references to "New Jeruz" connect the song to Newark, New Jersey, the hometown that shaped the duo's identity as the Brick City Kids.

• The video is remembered for adopting some of the glossy visual conventions associated with major-label rap videos of the period while keeping the focus on the MCs rather than a narrative or celebrity cameos.