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.