Hip-Hop aesthetics and the Message

Hip Hop iconography and Gangster Rap aesthetics. The socio-political message commercialized.

“The flood of hip-hop videos has produced a disturbing number of visual clichés. Besides the ‘standing on corners’ shot, the medium has endured the ‘times-square shot’ the ‘low-rider convention’ the ‘players party’ the cameo parade, and the ‘abstract chase…” (Light, 138)

Hip Hop has no doubt, left an impression of how strong music video conventions: mise-en-scene, characterization, iconography, and stereotypes can influence MTV. Hip Hop has successfully transcended into the realm of ‘style’ versus ‘genre’. Just as ‘film noir’ is a more of style than it is a genre, the same can be said for hip-hop.

Hip hop or specifically Gangster rap has produced a strong visual accompaniment, than can branch out into different levels. First, aesthetically recognized, ghettoized clichés: diamond grills, gold plated teeth, Jeri-curls, L.A Raiders baseball caps, huge-sneakers, gold chains, bling-bling, ghetto blasters, and 9mm Beretta hand cannons, this is the imagery that encapsulates the character of a gangster rapper.

The gangster character is almost a stock character in films. The visual spectacle of gangster-signifiers can be seen in the grills Nelly wears, Snoop Dogs corn-braids, Ice Cube’ baseball caps, Ice-T’s Jeri-curls, and Busta Rhymes bling-bling diamond jewelry. However, this characterization has progressed from ghettoized gangsters to beautified black men.

Niggers with Attitude (N.W.A), the quintessential gangster-rap group, embraced what Public Enemy has come to term ‘fear of a black planet’. The iconography, in the music video ‘straight out of Compton’ evokes the essential gangster rap aesthetics: auburn brush, abandoned derelict housing projects, and chain mail fences are visual signifiers of gangster, urban jungle, and environments. Poverty is an aesthetic as much as Gangster Rap is a style. However, postmodern gangster acts have become self-aware of the image they project, and have developed on Hip Hop aesthetics, in order to commercialize on gangster-rap. The message on gangster rapper consciousness is not necessarily voiced through the representation they undertake in music film form; music videos may not be suitable to the message gangster rappers are conveying, the medium defeats the purpose.

The trends today exploit genre names to sell products. I work in a video store, and it has become apparent that changing a films genre can change the selling potential of the film. Selling horror films, as thrillers, is significant as connotations of horror are lessened by what the video stores connotes, as a thriller. It is significant to point out, that repackaging a product with a different name can reach a larger audience. Busta Rhymes and Missy Elliot have some what changed the aesthetics, and to some extent the message, of what is gangster rap iconography.

Post-modern hip hop aesthetics have themes of industrialization, fake versus real, and an overall anti-gangster aesthetic. Yet, strong gangster rap aesthetics are inherently in these post-modern hip-hop stars. Busta Rhymes diamond grills and clothing suggest a more gangster rap aesthetic than post-modern hip hop aesthetic. The negative move from gangster rap to post-modern hip-hop signals the unavoidable endorsement of product. The glamorization of gangster rap, commercializes on a product that was once considered un-commercial, and not glamorous.

Gangster rap has capitalized on ghetto ethics, and black American culture on films and television shows: ‘Pimp my Ride’, ‘Rap school’, and ‘Your Momma’, most notably on MTV. The T.V shows mentioned, show how the ghetto can be packaged to sell to a pre-dominantly ‘MTV Demographic’; young white males, in their 20’s and 30’s. It is in these so called gangster rap ‘sub-genres’ that have become detrimental to what gangster rap is about in the first place, being the struggle of the young African American man, dealing with violence, sex, and drugs. The message of gangster rap is undoubtedly the struggle of making America aware of issues surrounding the American ghetto. What is to be predicted of the continuation of commercialization of such a message? I mean, you don’t see MTV capitalizing on ‘Save the children’s fund’ by creating television reality shows of starving children in Uganda. On the contrary, what is happening to gangster rap could be the same as creating a television show where ‘who starves themselves first’ is awarded king of starving children in the Bronx. Commercialization is an atrocity to the socio-political message gangster rap is trying to convey.

On the contrary, gangster rap has been criticized for its perpetual portrayal of gang ethics: drugs, violence, and sex. The film CB4 notably satirizes N.W.A’s music video ‘Straight out of Compton’ with its own parody ‘Straight out of low-cash’. CB4 deconstructs gangster iconography, which is definitively demonstrated in ‘straight out of Compton’, by presenting as a myth constructed to sell gangster rap visually. In the film, the lives of the CB4 band do not conform to gangster characterizations; ex-con, alcoholic, drug-dealing, thug. The film also exploits the ridiculous nature of gangster rap aesthetics and ethics. On the contrary, they are young, middle class, black men who work in degrading occupations such as a gay-sex phone service. The appearance overshadows the reality of the upbringing of a gangster star, which is not glamorous, nor gangster.

The most significant message CB4 conveys is that they group change their image from the conservative RUN DMC costumes to NWA costumes, representing a commercial gangster rap group. Pragmatically, gangster rap falls into the tap of becoming stereotypical. Racial stereotypes in music videos are what Missy Elliot, Busta Rhymes, and Kanye West have been trying to subvert. Gangster rap has become a negative outlook on young African Americans. In spite of this negative representation, it is apparent that successful hip-hop acts need to follow strict gangster conventions.

This clip demonstrates gangster rap aesthetics I am talking about; the iconography, mise-en-scene, act as signifiers of gangster rap. N.W.A ‘Straight out of Compton’
http://youtube.com/watch?v=EYR-zNG-OJ4

This clip shows the satirical value, and recognizes these signifiers as gangster rap aesthetics. CB4 ‘Straight out LoCash’
http://youtube.com/watch?v=8kUgL67eZsY

Robbie Williams has tried to dive into the U.S market for years. He has incorporated hip-hop lyrics in ‘Rock DJ’ and ‘Let me entertain you’ unsuccessfully to reach the same demo-graphic audience of gangster rap. Williams marketing campaign is not successful because he is a white British pop act using hip-hop ‘type’ lyrics but because the music video does not withstand the expectations of a U.S audience expectation of gangster-rap aesthetics and hip-hop lyrics. The aesthetics and the content of the lyrics is what makes hip-hop what it is today.

Gangster rap can be positive and negative in creating sub-genre films, television shows, and music videos. However, the lesson-to-be-learnt from all this, is that, Gangster rap images are strongly influential on a sub-conscious level of television shows portraying the ghettoisation of gangster rap videos. The commercial aspect emphasized negative stereotypes, and proves that glamorizing gangsters is just a politically correct tool for deconstructing gangster-rap ethics; ‘do it yourself’ and ‘F%&^k the system’. Television has reached a wider audience for gangster-rap by repackaging it as hip-hop. However it is detrimental to the message of being fight the system, it seems gangster rap is conforming to the system, by being commercial. In the words of Public Enemy, ‘…we got to fight the power that be, fight the power!’

Bibliography:

Light, Allan. The Vibe History of Hip Hop. New York: three Rivers Press, 1999.
Tamara Davis, CB4, 1993.
N.W.A- ‘Straight out of Compton’ 1988.
Robbie Williams- ‘Rock DJ’ 1999. ‘Let me entertain you’ 1998.
Public Enemy- ‘Fight the Power’ 1989.
N.W.A – ‘Straight out of Compton’ 1988 (http://youtube.com/watch?v=EYR-zNG-OJ4)
CB4 – ‘Straight out of low-cash’ 1993 (http://youtube.com/watch?v=8kUgL67eZsY)