Hiphop genre theory case study

"Black Sheep- The choice is yours"

Genre theory case study from jake123666



- Black Sheep is a hip hop duo from Queens, New York, composed of Andres "Dres" Titus and William "Mista Lawnge" McLean. The duo is from New York but met as teenagers in North Carolina, where both of their families relocated.^[1] The group was an affiliate of the Native Tongues, which included the Jungle Brothers, A Tribe Called Quest, and De La Soul. After getting together in 1989, Black Sheep debuted in 1991 with the hit song "Flavor of the Month" and later released its first album, A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing, which gained them praise and recognition in the hip-hop community for the album's unique rhythms and intelligent lyrics. After six years together, Black Sheep disbanded in 1995, but decided to reunite five years later. (Information copied from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Sheep_%28group%29  )

- The Choice Is Yours (Revisited) is a single featured on the Native Tongues Posse affiliate Black Sheep's debut album, A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing.
The song samples "Keep on Doin' It" by The New Birth, "Her Favorite Style" by Iron Butterfly, "Big Sur Suite" by Johnny Hammond Smith, "Impressions" by McCoy Tyner, and "I'd Say It Again" by Sweet Linda Divine. The song quotes the Roger Miller song, "Engine Engine Number 9".
In 2008, "The Choice is Yours" was ranked number #73 on VH1's 100 Greatest Hip Hop Songs.

(Information copied from:   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Choice_Is_Yours_%28Revisited%29  )
 

Goodwin's theory case study

According to Goodwin music videos may be structured using match on action combined with a strong sense of story telling which either illistrated, amplifies or contradicts the lyrics. Goodwin's first rule argues music videos should demonstrate genre characteristics, of which the music video above achieves well. Goodwin's second rule argues that there must be a strong relationship between the audio and the visuals within a music video, although the visuals can either challenege or cemente the lyrical meaning of the song. Goodwin argued that music video's must demonstrate or challenge set genre characteristics which have been built up through the development of various media repeatedly and make inter-textual references to other media texts which may have made an impression on the film maker or the genre development as a whole. The cover of the iconic "Ghost Town" orginally by The Specials acted as a depiction of social breakdown during the 1980's when unemployment in the UK was at its lowest. The Hot 8 Brass Band redepictioned this by creating a relationship between the iconic socially aware lyrics with visuals which illistrate and amplify the point of the song, in order to paint a picture of zeitgeist, showing poverty, a run down society and political uncertainty. The music and video demonstrates generic conventions with the performers ethnicity being Afro Caribbean as are the roots of the ska and reggae genre.    What is so interesting about this, is that the band go to a run down disaster struck town to film the video in order to show the severity of the issue in question within he lyrics, and therefore i would argue that the video stays very within the rules of Goodwins narrative theory and effectively uses generic conventions in order to create a tribute to the music and the struggles of the past.

-A bbc article about how "Ghost Town" defined the era of the 1980's: (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-13780074)



"Frontier psychiatrist" by The Avalanches is built around different samples and methods of sampling and is generic and acclaimed by the electronic dance genre. The music video directed by Kuntz and Maguire fits in extremly well with Goodwin's narrative theory as it is firstly in compliance with typical generic conventions, and the visuals are a reanactment of the lyrics/samples throughout the song. All of the instruments are shown throughout the video with a twist, which can be typical of the  alternative electronic dance genre creating a relationship between lyrics and visuals, however thats only the begginging with all of the sample and lyrics depicted visually on a stage. lighting and match on action is used to cut to/ focus on reanacting the audio at all times, using lighting and cuts to seperate the relavent bits from the non relavent with reference to the audio. This video heavilly uses Goodwin's theory throughout the video and was a runner up for the "best music video" award in 2002, of which it came 19th.

Research into downtempo genre

Research into Downtempo genre from jakeaustin1

Track choice: Drakefrancis, Nostalgia

I have chosen this Downtempo instrumental track as it leaves the music video with an open narrative, and because of the solid beat and loops at a very mellow bpm, which would make it easier trying to get the video sequence's to fit with the track. I met the artist and he gave me full permission to use the track, however, I am still waiting for a written reply to show on here.

The theme of our video we are thinking about is daydreaming, and time passing by, focusing on the concept of nostalgia, we plan to achieve this by using an open text montage of clips which within themselves have no big meaning but when combined create the final meaning, although we want this to stay pretty open, the aim is the be thought provoking, as i feel it goes well with the mellow feel of the music. I think the music has a rather hypnotic feel to it, and i think using a montage, combined with editing techniques, manipulating the clip, by mirroring, reversing, changing speed for example, would be effective. We aim to make the film like a "tangled ball" (Barthes) allowing the auidience to draw many different interpretations. I would also like to try a time lapse, and then work out how to reverse the time lapse, as in the represent a the cycle of time as in day to day. The concept will be a journey that can easily metaphorically relate to the viewer's life. I am planning to have the journey, end it, then reverse the whole thing the the beggining, sped up, and then start over, so that it connotes repative lifestyle of modern day living.

The plan is that the journey focus's on one man's journey throughout a day as he wanders, watching others go about their day to day lives. Throughout the journey he will focus on 2-3 people, on working a repetative 9-5 job. Another person who seems very
down. These people face a problem that many people face, and can relate to, and the aim is that with the problem, the wanderer offers a solution in the context of a quote/ passage which would be thought provoking to the auidience.

The concept of nostalgia will be established via the keeping the colour within the composition representing the present/ reality. This will be contrasted by cutting to black and white while someone is daydreaming and within the shot will aim to recreate to situation of which the character is daydreaming about, nostalgia. The ending of the video i aim to solve the characters problems of nostalgia, waking them up from the past and getting them back to reality(colour).





Other music videos relating to how i want ours to be:







I want to attempt to get some footage backwards like they do here, however as there is no lyrics it will not be as complicated as learning them backwards etc.

Leftfield- Afrika Shox, directed by Chris Cunningham: Narrative and representation case study

"'Afrika Shox' is a song by Leftfield, the first single released from their album Rhythm and Stealth. The song featured vocals by Afrika Bambaataa. It was written by Neil Barnes, Paul Daley, Afrika Bambaataa and Nick Rapaccioli and produced by Leftfield and Nick Rapaccioli. It was released on CD and 12" on 6 September 1999 on the Hard Hands record label, published by Chrysalis Music. The song was their highest charting single, reaching #7 in the UK Singles Chart. The song was later used in the 2001 film Vanilla Sky and was included in the film's soundtrack album."
(Information taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afrika_Shox )

Researching possible tracks.

Concept Of Thought:







- Concept Of Thought are a independent conscious UK hip-hop group, who currently i belive are not signed, this track would be very interesting to work with, however tricky.
- I have emailed the group in order to check whether they are signed and to ask permission to use this track for my music video, however i am currently thinking of using a track by Julian Austin.
 -They replied and are happy for me to use one of their tracks.

Julian Austin:




Julian Austin is an unsigned acoustic artist, as well as my dad, meaning that i know the music rather well and i have 100% permission for using any of the tracks, as well being rather suitable for a music video within my reach as i would be able to get him to perform within the video with ease, whereas previously in my thriller production, we had problems with the reliability and continuity of actors, causing need for a re-shoot, using this, this could be avoided.

- Currently i am thinking of using the track "Unto Others" as i think the lyrics could succsesfully connote a further political meaning, which would stand out in comparrison to most rather generic formulaic films.

- I am now thinking of using his "Strangest Fruit" track as the lyrics would fit well and realistically within the mise-en scene, however to do this is will have to re-record the new version of the track.


Other Hip-Hop

-Currently i'm involved in organising and performing in a live Norwich hip-hop showcase in norwich, some of my friends involved are mc's and i have spoken to then and suggested recording/ producing their track and making a time lapse/ journey/ performance based video. This would not pose the same problems as Concept Of Thought as they would be avaliable to record or perform on call, and being they live and write in norwich it wouldnt pose any problems with cultural variations or copyright issues.

Interesting music videos

I chose this as i think the video is very quirky and fitting with the music, encaptivating the auidence with a performance, not quiet based in reality. the music video uses Goodwin's theory of lyrics, linking to the mise-en-scene/ clip, further engaging auidence.
- Black and white is used in the beggining with the sample, in order to seperate it from the rest of the video/music, showing the auidence it is important and acts as then opening, setting the scene of the music video.
-The music video heavily links the mise-en-scene to the lyrics and music in a very imaginative way, which leads me to further be intereasted in the music video.







Stop motion is used in this music video to fit with the timing, the frame rate fits with the BPM of the music, the stop motion gives the clip a jumpy feel, taking viewers away from  the limits of reality, different to generic conventions we uses in the making of our thriller opening.




- Also using Goodwin's theory the lyrics is talking about what he is seeing in the clip.
- The music video acts as a visual guide for the experience he is going through/ describing within the song, it encaptivates viewers by being grounded out of reality, based on imagination experienced by one guiy sitting on a park bench.