Deconstruction of Hip-Hop Music Video

Pre Production: Deconstruction of Hip Hop Music Video

Hip-Hop is when Rap is brought together with a rhythmical sound. I am going to deconstruct a Hip-Hop video and analyse it looking at the typical conventions of this genre music video.

SHOT TYPE AND MOVEMENT: This is a tracking shot that shows the whole of the room, which then edits to a close up of the secretary.

ANALYSIS: The tracking shot through this thing we’re travelling in makes us feel like a peeping tom, as if we’re not meant to be here or know what’s going on, this makes the audience feel as though they’re seeing something secret, intriguing them more. The surroundings are very futuristic in the colours and the mise-en-scene as a whole, we can also see doctors, this leads the audience to believe there is some sort of experiment going on, this makes the genre hard to guess, but then we see on the two TV’s Eminem playing as well as hearing the music playing with indicates the type of music we’re about to hear and what genre it is from. Seeing Eminem on the TV’s is part of the Goodwin Theory I have previously spoke about, one of his points was that of they often have intertextual references usually to other music videos, like this does, this creates more of a connection for the audience but it also makes the music more likeable as that person is someone else they admire within that genre and is seen to be admiring this persons music by allowing the intertextual reference. This also helps us define that the genre is more than likely that of Hip-Hop. The idea that we’re peeking in and we’re far away from the action also helps us to define the type of music it is, it creates that boundary between the audience and the artist itself, as if to say they can simply just look in and admire.

EDIT: The cut shot isn't sharp to the next shot, which goes with the music, which is again one of the points that was made in the Goodwin Theory, that the music and visuals have a relationship.

MUSIC/LYRICS: At this point there are no lyrics, just an instrumental, this is the beginning so gives a chance for the beginning sequence to set the scene, the music and visuals work hand in hand because they’re very intriguing.

SHOT TYPE AND MOVEMENT: This is another tracking shot from behind from a high angle.

This shot shows how important this alpha male is made out to be, he has his friends surrounding him making him look superior and important as he is central at the front, this also makes us feel as though we can’t touch him as we’re following him and looking beyond other people. The colours in this shot change, the group of men are hinted with blue, making it look quite cool which would represent how people feel about them, but they are walking into a red tinted room full of women which connotes lust and romance, this gives the impression of to the audience that the people are lusted for, they are rich, their clothes gives that ‘gangster’ impression making them seem like rebels, all this makes them that more desirable by their target audience.

EDIT: The cuts again are quite soft by go in beat with the music, and work well with the visuals which are slow motion.

MUSIC/LYRICS: “You can find me in the club,

                              Bottle full of bub”

These lyrics match the visual as he walks into the club, the lyrics make their lifestyle seem even more amazing making it again more desirable for the audience.

SHOT TYPE AND MOVEMENT: One of these shots is a low angle mid shot, allowing the audience to look up at a woman’s body, the second close up shot, where you can see one of the men kidding the neck of a girl whilst she’s consuming what we believe to be an alcoholic beverage, and in the last we see a mid shot of the same girl in the close up dancing with a different male.

ANALYSIS: The first shot was quite a provocative shot where the camera tilts further up slowly whilst she is dancing against a man, this shows us how they use a woman as an object to promote their lifestyle to others. The next two shots are of the same girl with two different guys, this is another way to exploit women within their videos, not only using their bodies as an object but expressing they can have the same girl. The outfits are very revealing which again is used to make the women look cheap and desirable, whilst the men keep covered up and wear big expensive jewellery, this is their way of showing off their lifestyle, the money they have and how superior they are and that anyone will do anything for them. The lighting is dark to show the intimacy within the club and it adds more lust within the video. All of this just shows the genre and the typical conventions used within this genre and target its audience well.

EDIT: Again, these cuts are very smooth rather than harsh, there is a lot of slow motion parts which is another typical convention.

MUSIC/LYRICS: Each of these shots were different stages in the song, but each were from the same line in the chorus;

              “I’m into having sex,

                I ain't into making love”

These lyrics go hand in hand with the visuals we see, which ticks two of the points made in the Goodwin Theory.

It was apparent from deconstructing this, and from knowledge I have of Hip-Hop videos, the vast majority are made by black males in their mid twenties onwards, it is often that they wear expensive jewellery and use their money to express their power and lifestyle such as when they show cars, their homes, parties, women that flock them and using women in a way that make them seem beneath the men in the video. This music video plays with the typical conventions of this genre of Hip-Hop and is something I will think about when creating my own music video as whether to go with conventions or to stray from them, this will come in use whether I create a Hip-Hop video or not as I will be able to understand this genre of music more, but will also understand what I shouldn't include if I want to create a different genre as not to confuse my target audience.