using music videos to reflect genre theories

1. Case Study: Genre
Using
In Da Club by 50 Cent

2. Hip Hop
● For my case study, I will be researching into a certain genre. Instead of choosing a
genre I already know a lot about, I wanted to look at something new. I chose hip
hop because it is a popular style of music, and has influenced a variety of other
styles such as art and fashion.
● I will then use the conventions I find and relate them to a hip hop music video. I
will also reference theories related to media and genre.

3. Hip Hop and it’s background
Hip hop was created in the South Bronx, New York City. The youths would plug in
their speakers and have massive parties for their block (of houses). The predominant
black culture living in the bronx used their music to break down racial barriers. They
danced instead of fighting. This is where breakdancing evolved. Hip Hop was also
about making a statement.
The music was started through looping short parts of a song with two turntables. Later
the rhythmic chants of rap was conventionalised to the upbeat rhythm. From that,
beatboxing was made.
Hip Hop has many influences including Rock and Roll. Rebelliousness and ‘carefree’
attitude was shown in Rock and Roll music in the 60’s. Furthermore, Hip Hop also is
similar to Jazz with its improvised solos and no need for rules. They were both
displayed how a person felt at the time of playing a song.

4. Hip Hop evolving
In the 1980’s, Hip Hop spread out from just the Bronx, to the wider African American
community. It is now the biggest music genre in the world
In the 1990’s major fashion designers such as Calvin Klein, Louis Vuitton and Ralph
Lauren joined the hip hop movement and started to sell and promote the baggy t-shirt
and jersey that the ‘hip hop’ artists were wearing. In addition, the artists themselves are
now releasing clothing lines which tie into their style of music, such as Kanye West did
at 2015 New York Fashion week with his own show. This then was promoted in
publications such as Vanity Fair and Vogue. The whole ideology of Hip Hop has
evolved from being a way to break racial barriers in a rough area to a form of wealth
and prestige.

5. Conventions of Hip Hop
Low angle shots: make the artist seem more powerful and dominant. Creates a higher
class and that they are important.
Use of crowds: Crowds are used to entice the viewer into listening to the music. It
shows us that they are having a good time and invites the audience to dance to the
music too.
Power and wealth: These themes run through the majority of hip hop music videos
and display the artist as powerful and wealthy. This is displayed through the mise en
scene like expensive cars, jewellery and clothes.
Use of other hip hop artists in music videos: In some music videos, other hip hop
artists will make appearances to connect the two artists and also gain publicity for
both of their music.

6. In Da Club - 50 Cent

7. Background information
In da club was 50 cent’s debut album and was released in 2003
Won an MTV award for music artist to watch & best rap video and the Billboard
ringtone of the year
He grew up in a South Jamaican neighbourhood in Queens, New York. He has sold
over 30 million albums worldwide
His early life consisted of drugs, crime and violence but he turned it around and
became a rapper.

8. Analysing shots
Here, the rapper
Eminem is
shown in the
music video. It
signifies the
power of hip
hop and how
they both use
their status to
gain recognition
in the music
industry, and to
promote their
music videos:
form of
marketing.
Low angle shot
used to show
importance and
power.

9. In this
shot, 50
cent is
doing pull
ups. It
shows his
strength
and this is
enforced
through
him being
topless. It
shows off
his ripped
physique.
In addition, he addresses the audience directly by looking at
the camera and pointing. It allows the audience to be apart of
the music video.
The shot is
internally
framed
through the
window
that
Eminem is
looking
through.
We are put
in the eyes
of him and
the other
scientists.

10. In this still, 50 cent is entering the club, with a group of men. This ‘posse’ enforces the
theme of masculinity running through the video. 50 cent is the leader and his male
friends follow him like disciples into the club. Furthermore it reflects 50 cent’s power
and status as he is the at the front, in the centre. He is the most important.
As a viewer, we are positioned at the back of the group but with them. It connotes that
we are apart of the artists friends and that by listening to his music, we are now ‘apart
of his group’

11. Another convention used in Hip Hop videos are the use of crowds. In 50 cent’s music
video, the majority of the song is set in a club. Hip hop music is predominantly played in
clubs so reinforces the surroundings the audience would be in if they heard this song.
Furthermore, the idea that all of them are dancing suggests that they are dancing to the
same song we are listening to.
Again we are positioned in the midst of the dancing, however we cut to lots of different
groups of people dancing suggesting that whatever type of person you are.

12. Many close ups of the rapper are used to connect us to him and to show more detail of
him, like his clothing. He is wearing a gold chain which in the early 2000 was very cool.
When relating to collective identity the meaning of the chain could have been evolved
through the heavily african american culture being dominated in hip hop music. The chain
was originally to entrap and hold slaves down travelling to america. Through music, and
fashion culture changing, the chain became a sign of freedom and power and authority.
Hip hop music changed the meaning of the chain to fit with how they felt about the world;
they just want to be free.

13. Continued...
In addition, 50 cents hat is made by New Era, a famous brand which produce baseball
hats with New York on them. It reflects 50 cents background of growing up in New
York but also displays a connotation to major fashion designers of the time. If the
artist wears this hat, his followers and fans will also want to buy and wear this hat to be
like him. It creates more power and a higher authority and idolism for 50 cent to sit on.

14. Theories on genre
David Buckingham, a British media theorist, suggests that ‘a genre is not simply given
by the culture: rather it is in a constant process of negotiation and change’. This is true
of hip hop and 50 cent because the style of their music is constantly changing and new
influences are creating new sub genres of hip hop which all have slightly different
connotations. For example, hip hop has created many genres, like Crunk which is a
club orientated style which consists of shouting vocals in a call and response manner
with a heavy baseline. This sub-genre was created in the early 2000 and shows that hip
hop is forever changing and evolving into new ideas. This can also be suggested in
postmodernist views of identity with theorists like Dick Hebdige who suggested that
our style can be read and is a way of defining who we are and where we came from. He
also suggests that our identity can be changed and developed through what we wear
and listen to: the media around us.

15. Nicholas Abercrombie, a British sociologist, suggests that music videos should stick to
using the typical conventions in a music video or film, as audiences are guaranteed to
like them and identify with them easily. This is shown through hip hop and other
genre conventionalised music videos through using iconic symbolism and
connotations that relate back to that genre to allow their target audience to identify
with. For example, looking at where hip hop originated from, their primary target
audience are youthful African Americans living in poverty. If a hip hop music video
uses the correct conventions the audience will be able to relate and understand the
video and the artist better.