Task 2A: Hip-Hop Conventions

Location/Settings

In Chris Brown music video, you can see the whole music video is set in an abandoned graffiti car park. As this is an hip-hop music video, graffiti is often included as one of hip-hop's four elements alongside with rapping, b-boying (break-dancing) and DJ-ing. Nowadays, hip-hop music videos usually include artists performing in narrative setting such as clubs, parties, mansions, beach, luxurious foreign country etc. The general message nowadays in hip videos is let’s go out, go to a party, get drunk/high/whatever and have lots of sex.

Costumes

The majority of the time the artists were surrounded with a crowd of people wearing clothing that give them the look of ghetto/thug/street look etc. Clothing such as bagging clothing, low slung jean, trainers, tracksuit etc. This type of clothing is very common convention in Hop-Hop genre, it connotes a sense of 'crew/gang'. The baggy clothing is sort of old school nowadays, the clothing was the common convention of hip hop genre in the 90s. Two examples, N.W.A. ~ Straight Outta Compton and Kendrick Lamar ~ Alright.

Props

Props such as flashy cars and designer brands are seen most hip-hop music videos, this is very common convention in hip-hop music videos. They use this to show off their 'wealthy' side, showing off expensive things signify their financial status etc. There's usually a lot of references in hip-hop music videos. For example, 50 Cent ~ Window Shopper, 50 Cent and his friends were rich enough to buy overpriced items, such as $400 cheeseburgers, and a $16 million yacht. You could also see flashy cars and couple stacks of money.



Camera

There is a lot of low angled camera shot being used in hip-hop music videos which is very common in the hip-hop industry. They used low-angled shot because it give the artist power and in control as they look down on the audience and the audience will feel to look up and respect them. Track away is another shot type used commonly in the hip-hop industry, it's when the camera is moving away from the subject while the subject is coming toward to the camera. This effect of this movement is similar to Low angle, Track away can creates the effect as if the camera operator is running away from the artist which make them look powerful, aggressive and dominant. There's always close ups in many hip-hop music videos which is another dominant camera shot used in hip-hop industry, it implies they’re important enough to have a frame to themselves. They do this in order to establish /sell the artist. For example, Jay-Z & Kanye West ~ Otis. In Chris Brown's music video, there is a long shot of the dance routine, Chris Brown is in the centre, which catches the eye and the audience's attention to the artist, this shows he is the main leader of the group. This long shot also showcase his dancing abilities which idolized by his target audience which will result more fame/publicity and bigger mass demographic.

Voyeurism 

Throughout Chris Brown's music video, the female character roles were side-lined, although at 2:33 there is one girl who is dancing provocatively while being surrounded by males. This show voyeurism, this is very common in hop-hop music videos. The reason why they show voyeurism is because the main audience for hip hop is male, voyeurism in hip-hop music video ensures they keep viewers and attract new people into their audience. Men usually have all the power in hip-hop music videos. Women are usually shown as lust and interchangeable etc. Here is another good example of voyeurism in hip-hop videos (French Montana ~ No Shopping ft. Drake).

Editing

Usually in hip-hop music videos, the editing pace are usually fast, the cutting to the beat match the pace of the music. Cutting to the beat is when the images cut or transition on the beats or on significant beats in the music. This is usually used during performance scenes. They are used to engage with the viewers and to emphasize the lyrics, they're also used to create a sense of hyper-reality and a dynamic visual style. For example, A$AP ROCKY - F**kin' Problems ft. Drake, 2 Chainz, Kendrick Lamar and Drake ~ Headlines.