Hip hop music videos employ common codes and conventions to help establish recognition of the genre. Typical conventions include settings in clubs or party environments featuring women in revealing clothing, jewelry, drugs, and alcohol with no narrative. Mise-en-scene conventions reoccurringly include displays of women, money, jewelry, and expensive clothing and cars to portray the artist as financially powerful. Costumes also help reflect the genre and praise the artist while setting fashion trends. Locations vary over time but commonly take place in modern, luxurious settings like mansions and beaches or locations that contrast with where the artist began.

1. Codes and conventions of
hip hop videos

2. Reason for codes and
conventions
 It helps the genre with recognition because each genre
has different conventions.
 Provides a structure and helps with planning

3. Typical Conventions
 Set in a club or similar rich, party environments.
 Features women (with very limited clothing)
 Jewellery, drugs, alcohol
 Usually no narrative

4. Mise en-scene
 Reoccurring conventions include women, money,
jewellery, expensive clothing, expensive cars etc. this is
due to the artist to show that he is financially powerful
and has a lot of women. An example of this can be
found in 50 Cent – Candy Shop.

5. Costume
 Costumes also help reflect the genre and they praise
the artist. It also helps to set trends for the fashion
world and society.

6. Location
 The location vary with the times. Videos in this genre
are modern featuring the latest fashion in the latest
cars. They are set in popular destinations with the
times. E.g, in a modern mansion, beach, popular city
etc.In contrast, some artists choose their location to
show how hard their lives were before they found fame
and success.

7. Juxtaposition of costumes for
male and female hip hop
artists
The male artist, 50 Cent, is wearing a
baggy sports t-shirt, backwards baseball
cap and an expensive chain along with a
watch studded with diamonds. In contrast,
although the female artist is also wearing
expensive jewellery, her clothing is tight,
revealing and reminiscent of lingerie. This
sends out a message that inequality is
accepted in hip hop. The hip hop industry
is biased towards men. Women are
controlled by men in directing and in the
narrative and are mainly used as an
extension of props.

8. Camera Shots
A wide variety of shots are
used in Hip Hop music
videos. The main ones are
close ups, low angle, long
shots and extreme close up
shots. These are mainly
used to glorify the artist.

9. Editing
 Fast jump cuts to other scenes are used a lot to keep
up with the pace of the song. This is common in the hip
hop genre. An example of fast editing shots are used in
the music video to F***** Problems – Drake, A$AP,
Kendrick. Because the song is really fast paced, a wide
variety of shots are used to help with the editing. This
makes the video interesting with regards to pace of
shots.

10. Lighting
 In hip hop videos, a lot of artificial lighting is used to set
the mood for the actual song. Light and vibrant colours
are used for songs with a good mood and dark lighting
is used for songs with a serious message or bad
moods. Lighting also helps to distinguish the difference
between chorus and verses with the use of different
lights. Lighting is also used to show off the artists
beautiful complexion.