The document discusses the use of mise-en-scene in several rap music videos. Common elements across many rap videos include displaying expensive props like cars, clothing, and jewelry to portray wealth and status. Videos also often use dark lighting and feature women to reinforce stereotypes of the rap genre. Specific videos summarized include Drake's "Started From the Bottom" and "Versace", Rick Ross' "Boss", French Montana's "Worry Bout Nothing", and Krept and Konan's rap song.
Rap music videos use mise-en-scene to portray expensive lifestyles
1.
2. Drake started from the bottom
in this music video drake uses mise en scene in many
different ways to attract his audience, such as his outfit
chosen for this song is very expensive, which is trying to also
portray his expensive life style he now owns. In this song
drake uses all the stereo typical factors of rap music,
expensive products flashy lifestyle and use of women as a
icon. This type of video is common to the rap genre as they all
have the same concept of showing off expensive cars e.g.
Lamborghini shown in snapshot. The lighting is always used in
a dark manor in rap music to show the darkness behind the
music that it wasn't’t easy getting where they are hence why
drake is in the snow in this video because it shows he has
made it through the toughest weather. The scenes in the song
change very slowly and stay consistant, telling a story as it
goes on.
3. Rick ross – boss
Much like the other rap videos, rick ross uses the same
concept of ideas to make his music video e.g. expensive cars
and showing off money. Rick ross has chosen to dress
everyone in black for this song to show the darkness these
people hold but also show that they all are equal. The lighting
is strongly used in this video as it focuses on rick ross, making
him stand out even though he is dressed the same. The
camera shots in this song is very quick and change to different
locations every time from a car to a group of gangsters. There
is a few famous people used in the video to help promotion,
much like all rap songs there is other major rappers in the
video even if they are not rapping for publicity. mid shots
where used frequent through this video as it helped show off
the different people who appeared.
4. French Montana – worry bout nothing
The same concept of mise en scene is also used in the
French Montana video, with a group of gangsters showing
off there chains and expensive cars. In the video French
Montana used a landing strip of lights at one point to light
up him standing by a plane in the video, he used the
lighting around him more such as basketball fog lights to
help light up the cars when rapping. The editing for this
song is at a quick changing tempo with no proper story line
to the video just a selection of events happening, much like
all rap videos there is the same props used such as cars and
girls to imply the expensive lifestyle taste. A lot of long
shots are used in this video to also capture the scene
surround him as it looks like he's in Florida or somewhere
nice.
5. Krept and konan
Krept and konan uses a uk version of rap music, where as
the concept is the same the budget is a bit lower. In this
video there are a group of guys driving around on quads
and bikes while krept and konan are singing. A black and
white tint has been used to the video to give it that
lifeless feeling they are trying to put to it but the use of
similar ideas e.g. guys with big chains and hoddies still
remain the same. It seems like lighting was rarely used in
this video due to the color editing used, you can see
street lamps in the video to help build some spot light on
the rappers. The mise en scene used in the video was
clear to rap music as all characters where dressed in the
same manor and the camera even portrayed them as
violent guys with close ups and extreme close ups.
6. Drake – Versace
In this song drake revolves his whole song around promoting
he wears Versace clothing. The main clothing in this music
video is Versace, they show different mise en scene through
the Versace product e.g. using a Versace hotel a Versace car
etc. the lighting In this video is very bright indicating the
bling shown in this song. This song try's following the
concept of rap videos with the showing off but takes it to a
different level with more advertisement then music. This is a
new level of rap music as it uses these lyrical content to help
fund the music video and also gain sponsored clothes. The
scenes mainly fade in and out of drake in different Versace
places wearing Versace, it also casts a few other rappers
wearing Versace, showing it’s a must have product. There is
no real story line to this song but it is fit for purpose to
advertise.