Hip Hop is currently one of the most popular types of genre's around in society. With this popularity comes a certain 'Image' that is followed by fans of the genre and makers of the genre. One of the main ways these are shown is through music videos. Now these will in some way or another follow certain idea's and the majority in some way will have similar features among them, however some do subvert the normal expectations of what is expected in a rap video.
In my opinion, here are some common elements of a rap video.
If the rapper is male, he'll most likely be surrounded by females, to show how dominant and powerful he is.
To show power and also wealth, the video will be heavy with mise en scene elements, such as expensive clothing, expensive cars, jewellery and in a basic way to reinforce the idea, stacks of money.
They'll most likely be surrounded by a large crowd or 'posse' as it's also referred to. This is once again to show dominance and power and raises his status, showing he's not an outcast as he has a lot of friends, or to a lesser extent people who want to associate with him.
The general message will most likely involve drugs or alcohol or sex, as it expresses a care free life, where they can indulge in multiple pleasures without any consequences.
Women in rap video's who aren't the rappers themselves, will most likely be, like with most media products, objects of desire. Especially with a power dominant genre like Hip Hop, the idea of how good you are with a woman then shows how dominant one person can be. Women who are doing the rapping will want to emulate the power that male rappers show in their video's, so the same elements will be present in a female rappers video also.
50 Cent's "In da club" shows these elements from a male perspective.
Nicki Minaj's "Super Bass" shows these elements from a female persepctive, with a clever use of sexualising the male backing characters.
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