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The-Dream and Fabolous Throw ‘Mad Men’-Ready Dance Party in ‘Slow It Down’ Video

The-Dream, Fabolous, "Slow It Down"

A moment of silence, courtesy of the Radio Killa. The-Dream’s humble plea for DJs to stop blasting EDM’d-up R&B probably won’t be any more successful than Jay-Z’s curmudgeonly campaign to declare Auto-Tune “D.O.A.,” but damn if he and Fabolous don’t make an effective case. Now comes the video for their R. Kelly-referencing, neo-bump’n’grind “Slow it Down,” and it’s a glorious mess: There’s an old-fashioned, women-in-pearls dance party that’ll remind you to set your DVRs for Mad Men‘s season premiere, there’s The-Dream hanging outside with one woman, there’s another woman inside who takes a liking to The-Dream and, via a Joan Holloway-tight striped dress, briefly follows his admonition to “let me see that ass.” There’s a Fabolous subplot. And then at the end a fratty football guy gets upset with Dream so the two are about to race in classic cars like “Leader of the Pack.” The video’s closing text reads: “I thought music was to be the only place where colors didn’t matter, I was wrong.”

It’s unclear what the racial segregation has to do with spinning more slow jams, but if that’s the motivation The-Dream needs to release his long-delayed follow-up to 2010’s Love King — now titled IV Play and set for May 28 — then let’s go with it. In an interview yesterday on BET’s 106 & Park (via Miss Info), Dream said the new record will include guest appearances by Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Kelly Rowland, and Big Sean. “I don’t really bow down to the pressure of what people want you to do or go and get the next person that’s hot,” he said. “If they’re on my record it’s because I believe in them and have a certain type of love for them.” Also, because anyone in their right mind would probably be all right with having Bey and Jay on their record.