Researching Rap Genre

Rick Altman

Rick Altman's study on genre found that there are three main types of pleasures gained from genres. These are:

Emotional - This is used to describe a strong emotional response such as a feeling of sadness or excitement. Tupac's music videos are generally a good example of this; Ghetto Gospel creates quite a sad feeling while a video like California Love generates an excited feeling.

Visceral - This is used to describe a physical reaction where you may not be able to identify exactly what it is that is so interesting. A good example of this is Schoolboy Q's Collard Greens video. It is out there yet intriguing.

Intellectual - These videos could also be described as a puzzle that requires thought to figure out.

Genre within Ghetto Gospel

Feeling conveyed

Ghetto Gospel's overall feeling is an emotional one, mainly due to the content of the video. It generates feelings of sadness and to some extent resentment. This could be because of the way the video allows us to get to know the character and how he lives his life which creates sympathy and a link between the viewer and the video. The shot above showing him with his mum in the family home immediately creates positive feelings towards the character implicitly due to the positive connotations held towards home. One thing worth considering is that whilst the emotional response is not something that is stereotypically associated with rap music videos - the visceral response is arguably more typical of the genre - it is still something that is prominent within the genre, particularly for tracks that address more serious topics such as this. 

Codes and Conventions

Costume

The shot above shows the conventions regarding costume in rap videos quite well, especially during the early 2000s when this song was released. For example, looking at the most central character we can see a hoodie, a gold chain and baggy jeans. This is definitely the typical costume worn in rap videos, particularly in this time period. Different rappers definitely have different styles but in terms of a typical costume this is probably the best bet However, as rap is generally linked to the culture of gang culture and to some extent pop culture when considering the biggest rappers this is something is always adapting.

Arguably the above is more representative of modern rap attire. The flat cap is something that is strongly linked with rap culture and this is shown here. The shirt is also something typical. Interesting designs of shirts and tees are also frequent in rap videos. Hoodies are also still prominent attire in rap videos. Jewelry is also prominent as seen the the lower shot; both characters in shot have some gold on them.

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Setting

Rap videos are frequently set in America, with the American attitude towards earning money being in some ways mirrored through this setting, especially seeing as a lot of rappers talk about money in their songs. The American setting can be seen clearly in the above screenshot from Ghetto Gospel. Generally the part of America depends on where the rappers are from with loyalty to where you are from being a strong part of rap culture. For songs directed towards radio popularity with a feel good vibe coming from the music, videos can often be set in parties. This vibe could also be described as the visceral response that Rick Altman described.

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Camera and Editing

In the Ghetto Gospel video the emotional tone is reinforced by more slow paced editing which is somewhat atypical of rap videos. The shots often linger focusing on the main character, possibly in order to create an emotional connection between him and the viewer. However I feel that the convention of editing is more as a result of the feel of the music than a convention in itself and therefore can be changed to suit the effect the editor wants to create with the video. The video for King Kunta by Kendrick Lamar is arguably more typical of the high paced feel often shown in rap videos. The cuts are frequent and in time with the beat which arguably helps to create unity between the video and the music as a singular piece of art. Also a lot of videos use letterboxing, which is leaving the dimensions of the video so that there are black bars on the screen. The could be used to create a vintage feeling.

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In terms of camera work, there are a lot of close ups and mid close ups within the Ghetto Gospel video. This highlights the emotional nature of the video and how this is reflected in the characters. Another convention that definitely still holds true today is the handheld camera shots. In some ways this could be reflective upon how the viewer of the video may aspire to live the lifestyle that is shown in the videos and makes the viewer feel as if they are part of the video. Specifically in Ghetto Gospel this could be used to show the way it feels to be on the streets and how uncomfortable it could be. In the King Kunta video this is also used. This could reflect on the high paced lifestyle that is being depicted in the video itself. One thing that is in both videos and that is certainly a convention in rap videos is a direct address from either the character or the rapper. Especially prominent in the King Kunta video Kendrick Lamar raps looking at the camera through a mid shot, possibly to highlight his confidence and create a connection, mimicking how people feel when given eye contact in conversation. Ultimately the camera work is to create a response to the video. I would argue that this would come under the 'visceral' type of reaction as it is like a gut instinct of desire for the lifestyle portrayed. 

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Subculture

Arguably the Tupac Ghetto Gospel video portrays the subculture the music is targeted to within the video. In the background of this shot we can see young people caught up in gang culture and I feel that this is somewhat close to the demographic Tupac targets. In addition to the group just mentioned, I think the demographic spreads wider to teenagers in general. As time has passed, mainly due to the status of Tupac within the rap scene, the audience has grown into adults but teenagers of today are also an audience.

I feel that people watch rap videos and listen to their music is due to a desire or an interest in the lifestyle that is often portrayed within the genre. Whether it be gangster rap and the specific lifestyle of gang culture or just the more mainstream rap portrayal of a rich lifestyle of excess.

Looking at these conventions, there are many things that I would want to include within our music video. Most prominently, the camera work and editing are things that help create the feeling of a rap video and therefore I think they must be included. Having cuts between shots in time with the beat of the song is something that I feel creates unity between the music video and the song and I would want to include this. Letterboxing is another convention that I would consider if it was appropriate for the video. However, one convention I might try to subvert is the eye contact with the camera. An early plan for our video is Swimming Pools by Kendrick Lamar, which is about excessive drinking and through subverting this it may give a slightly distorted feel to the video which would be appropriate for the topic.

Music Video Analysis: Ghetto Gospel

The music video that I have chosen to analyse is Ghetto Gospel by 2Pac.

Within the first scene of the music video we see that someone has died in the middle of the street, with what seems like a handheld shot between people's legs.

The shot through the legs suggests that there is a suspicious nature to the death. Someone is trying to peak through and see what has happened suggesting that something criminal may have happened. This is reiterated by the diagetic ambient sound of the sirens and helicopters. The ambulance has already arrived yet there are still sirens in the background, possibly signalling that the police are also involved and this death is a murder. Another factor within this shot is the use of mise-en-scene, in particular the costume of the medic. He is wearing gloves and overalls signalling that he is a medic, showing the fact that this was a medical emergency.

The blur in the shot could be used to show the loss of the video's main character's life, which could be symbolic of his life fading away. However it could also be used to signal the change in time in the video that is about to take place with a flashback about to begin. The mise-en-scene is significant with the dark lighting in the shot. This reiterates the criminal nature of the death. Finally, the fact that the crowd is shown could represent the strong sense of community within ghettos and similar areas. Despite the violent and criminal stereotypes typically attached to them, here they appear to be caring and kind to one another. 

This shot reveals how despite his background he is still a normal person who loves his family. The mid-long shot shows both him and his mum and his performance shows he is looking her in the eyes showing his care for her. This contradicts the mise en scene, particularly his costume. The vest top and bandana represent the gangster aspect of his life. However, this combination of family life and moral values as well as living a gangster lifestyle are things that often go together so in this sense it may just be an accurate representation. This theme of morals and also living a gansgter lifestyle is a wider theme throughout the video. 

The background of this shot helps to set the scene and context of the character's death. The skyline with all of the skyscrapers represents the big city and the ambitions that the person might hold. However in contrast to this we can see the rough area directly in front of him. This could show the poverty of the area and how this affects the culture of the people around him and provide a possible explanation as to why the character is killed. 

The use of mise en scene, particularly costume helps to build the image of the character as someone caught up in gang culture. The hoodie he is wearing is a typical way that gang members are portrayed and this helps to create the representation of the character. 

Another factor is the text on screen. The time '7:49 P.M.' is an update on previous shots showing the time in the same way and in many ways it appears as a countdown to the end of the character's live. Alternately in could be reflective of his life and the way he lives. It could be interpreted as showing this to be a typical day in his life and that the violence concluding the day is not something completely unexpected. Furthermore, the producer of the video may have wanted to build sympathy for the character by showing his life and his relatable qualities, like the above shot with his mum.

Religious imagery is also used within the video. For example, here the character is likened to the statue here, possibly likening his character to him. This ultimately portrays him in a positive light due to the generally positive morals that are attached to religion.  However, in some ways it could also show the naivety of the character in that his lifestyle appears to revolve around crime and could end negatively for the character.Despite this, the character does appear at his own funeral, presumably as an angel or similar, suggesting he has a positive afterlife waiting for him. This ultimately presents the character and his culture in a positive way as it shows that God would be acceptant of their lifestyle. 

In many ways the shot of the character dead on the ground is in some ways a positive representation. The dignifying nature of the shot, with absence of blood or gore which may be expected after a shooting, paints the picture of the character in a positive light as even in death. This is arguably a reflection of the video as a whole. Whilst the nature of the video is criminal it generally paints the character in a positive light through shots with his family and the religious imagery used. 

OFCOM and Regulation

The following quote is from a Guardian article regarding music videos:

"The media watchdog has ordered broadcasters to be more careful about showing sexually explicit music videos before the 9pm watershed.
The regulator, Ofcom, on Friday issued new guidance, focusing on the visual as well as the verbal content of music videos in a bid to tighten the enforcement of existing watershed rules.
Broadcasters have been told to take particular care masking or editing offensive language where possible, in order to protect children."

This shows the extent of power that Ofcom has over music videos being televised. They can restrict videos from being televised before the watershed due to 'verbal' and 'visual' content.

This is a quote from the parental advisory website:

"If a music video is not suitable for broadcast at any time of day, the broadcaster will discuss edits that can be made with the record label. If the edits cannot be agreed, the broadcaster will not broadcast the music video at any time of day."

This shows that often people making music videos have to make changes in order to televise their videos. I feel that this is something that can have a strong effect on the rap genre which we are giving particular focus to. For example, sexual themes and drug use are often prominent within rap videos which are two things which can cause offence. 

Another thing that needs regulating within rap is the use of swearing and explicit language. Any albums or songs that contain swearing require a logo saying 'Parental Advisory: Explicit Content' to be placed on CD cases or advertisements. Furthermore, for when songs are played on the radio, swearing needs to be cut out. This leads to rap artists often making a radio edit for their song, even altering the lyrics to stop the song from sounding too jumpy and unnatural. Sometimes songs can be censored altogether. An extremely prominent example of this is in 2000 when, after the Columbine school shooting, Eminem wanted to release I'm Back with the lyrics: 

"I take seven kids from Columbine, stand 'em all in line... and that's a whole school of bullies shot up all at one time."

This was considered too insensitive and was his label decided to cut the words 'kids' and 'Columbine' even from the explicit version of the album. 


Sources: 
Guardian article: http://www.theguardian.com/media/tvandradioblog/2011/sep/30/ofcom-moves-to-enforce-watershed

Parental Advisory: http://parental-advisory.co.uk/music-on-tv/music-videos-on-tv/

Music Labels

Major music labels

My research has found that there are currently three main music labels in the industry. These are:

• Universal Music Group
• Sony Music Entertainment
• Warner Music Group

Universal Music Group recorded a revenue of $6.552 billion in the year 2013 and are a conglomerate company with other record labels as subsidiary companies. An example of a subsidiary company is Roc-A-Fella founded by Jay-Z and currently has Kanye West signed to it. Their logo is representative of the instantly recognizable universal brand of Universal. 

Sony Music Entertainment recorded a revenue of $4.89 billion in the year 2014. Similarly to Universal Music Group they have many companies as subsidiaries. Artists signed to Sony include Michael Jackson and Outkast. The logo resembles a dash of paint which could perhaps represent the artistic nature of their acts. The colour red could represent action and the nature of their artists. 

Warner Music Group recorded a revenue of $2.87 billion in the year 2013. Again they are a parent company to smaller labels such as Maybach Music founded by Rick Ross. Artists signed to this label include Rick Ross and Meek Mill. Their logo seems modern and minimalist which could perhaps show that they look for innovation within the company.

Aftermath is a smaller record label founded by Dr. Dre with artists such as Eminem signed to it. Universal Music Group are responsible for their distribution worldwide but have no direct ownership over the label. Despite being smaller than the previous three, they are still massive in their own right. They generally focus on having a small number of high profile releases, considering themselves a 'boutique label'. 

Top Dawg Entertainment is a record label that has come to prominence in recent years, with artists such as Kendrick Lamar and ScHoolboy Q signed to it helping their rise. As the label that Kendrick Lamar is signed to, any conventions that they have are things that we should be looking to emulate. In 2012, they signed a joint venture deal with Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records.

A general convention within hip-hop and rap is that artists seem to form their own record labels, most famously with Aftermath Entertainment and Dr Dre, and use the worldwide labels such as Sony or Universal as distributors. Acts can also be associated with multiple labels. For example, Kendrick Lamar is associated with both Aftermath and Top Dawg. 

An article from The Guardian has this information about how the average album's royalites are split between the labels, distributors and artists:

This shows that artists actually get a small cut from their album sales. In fact, with the prominence of streaming music, most artists make the majority of their money through tours. This is even more true for independent record labels who would not have same reach as a giant such as Sony to get sales. 

Generally, independent labels go for smaller acts, usually allowing them to create their own image. This is in contrast to mainstream labels who generally only go for big acts with guaranteed profits. These mainstream labels have much bigger budgets allowing for more marketing and generally bringing in more money as a result. 

To summarize, I think that I would try to get signed with an independent label for the music video as it would allow us to have more creative influence over the video itself. A label such as Top Dawg Entertainment would make sense as they have worked with Kendrick Lamar before and would have an understanding of what he wants from a music video.  

Source:

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/apr/03/how-much-musicians-make-spotify-itunes-youtube