Genre ResearchBy Sanam Harrinanan

Hip-hop began in the 1970’s in the South Bronx, New York which was developed amongst African American youths. The origin of Hip-hop began from block parties of the Ghetto Brothers when they would plug their amps for their instruments and speakers into the lampposts on 163rd Street and Prospect Avenue and used music to break down racial barriers. Jamaican born DJ Clive (Kool Herc) was credited as the father of hip-hop. Herc created a blueprint for hip-hop music and culture by building upon the Jamaican tradition of boastful poetry and speech over music.

Where did Hip-hop originate?

Kool Herc

Today’s hip-hop has become a very popular genre and well known to a wide range of people. Over time hip-hop has evolved and changed for both the good and the worse. When hip-hop first started, it was solely just singing to a song with a fast or slow beat. Hip-hop was mainly based upon an escape from poverty whilst giving a voice to afflict ‘poverty stricken’ people worldwide, mainly in inner cities and neighbourhoods. In the 80’s hip-hop was used to build a culture of music, dance, creativity and artistry that would give people something to dance to but also something to give singers a chance to deliver a positive message.

How Hip-hop has evolved

As time went on, rap was added into hip-hop and it was now a new way of expressing feelings through music as well as singing. Hip-hop has now mirrored the worst aspects of American culture that it emerged from sexism, racism, violence and hatred towards intellectualism. As well as this hop-hop today now uses a lot of abusive and bad language such as ‘N****r’ when referring to a person.

In 1995, hip-hop music was uplifting but since 2000, we have the opposite of what rappers/ hip-hop singers have been trying to prevent for years. Rappers such as 50 cent rap about money, Gucci Mane rap’s about ‘beating’ girls up (beating- a slang word for sex). I believe the hip-hop culture is slowly degrading due to the rappers in our society today.

How Hip-hop has evolved

Hip-hop artist today tend to play up to the stereotype of wearing things such baggy clothing, having of tattoos, wearing expensive gold/silver chains to show their wealth and tend to show off their money by buying expensive cars. Hip-hop music videos such as ‘Freak of the weak’, ‘Anaconda’, ‘Baby got back’ are some of the songs in which use woman as a sex symbol in their music videos and advertise them in revealing clothing with cleavage hanging out to entice audience members. Men in hip-hop music videos are represented as always showing off and only see woman as an item or object to use for one thing.

However there are some hip-hop artist such as Beyonce, who send out positive messages and stick with the originality of hip-hop, which was used to help poverty and free people from bad lives.

How hip-hop artist are represented

In hip-hop music videos, it shows us that if you are a man and have money you will be successful and have women throwing themselves at you. It tells us that by having the new ‘trends’, wearing branded clothing, having expensive cars is all you need in life. This is also a way of displaying wealth and showing off. As well as this, hip-hop music videos represents drug taking and drinking excessively as a good and leisurable activity. Women are also shown as sex symbols and objects for men to use.

Ideologies in Hip-hop music videos

Lil Wayne is a typical artist who fits into the general conventions of hip-hop. He is an artist who specialises in hip-hop and rap. Lil Wayne normally raps about women in many of his songs, as well as this he is always seen smoking, drinking or having women all over him. This is a typical conventions of a hip-hop genre of how men are perceived. Lil Wayne also has a lot of tattoos around his body which once again is used by a lot of hip-hop artist to express something visually or as a sign or symbol that represent them. He also uses a lot of foul language in his songs and use women as a sex symbol or object when they play a role in his music videos.

Lil Wayne

Lil Wayne in his song ‘Bedrock’, is shown to be objectifying women and using them in a sexist way.

A video in which I have embedded into into my PowerPoint is Baby Got Back by Sir Mix-a-lot. This is a hip-hop/R&B/rap song created in 1992 based on women with big butts. This song fits in with the typical conventions of hip-hop as it is a song which highlights a woman’s assets to please men and show women as a sex symbol. There are lyrics such as “I like ‘em round and big”, and “I can’t help myself, I’m acting like an animal”. These lyrics represent men as only having an interest in a woman’s butt. As well as this, in the video the main singer is dressed in baggy clothing, sunglasses and is seen with women dancing around him which is another convention of hip-hop.

Sir Mix-a-lot- Baby Got Back

Another video I embedded is Ignition (remix) by R.Kelly which was created in 2003. This song is another music video which fits in with the typical conventions of a hip-hop song. In this music video, the artist is surrounded by many girls in a club, drinking and dancing. Once again the women are seen as sex symbols for the men and there is a lot of sexual dancing involved.

R.Kelly-Ignition

When I create my music video, I will need to consider all of the generic conventions used in a hip-hop/R&B music video, so that my audience have a clear understanding of what genre I am doing. I have learnt that the conventions are very important and that most hip-hop/R&B music videos are mainly performance, which normally involves a theme based around a relationship or women. I will also consider that in all hip-hop/R&B music videos, the artist is always the main focus and there is a lot of dancing, costumes changes, women, alcohol and partying. I will try and show this in my music video to fit in with the typical conventions and I will have to ensure I use a range of camera shots as many music videos are shown in different angles, heights and shots.

What I need to consider in my music video