Costume and location task

'It's Okay (One Blood)' by The Game is an example of a gangster rap video. Throughout the video, The Game wears 5 different costumes that change as the day progresses. For example, at the beginning of the song he is outside of his house with a white vest on, whereas when he starts walking down the road he puts a black t-shirt on. Costumes such as the black hoody that he wears in the latter stages of the video are typical of the genre as it signifies an association with 'the hood'. The video takes place in various external locations around Los Angeles to show that The Game is well known throughout the area, which illustrates his lyrics. The internal location of the poster room also reinforces the song's lyrics as it shows that he is a  successful rapper. Game's GAME chains are also a significant prop in the video as he wears them with every costume to show his wealth and success. Chains and other jewelery are widely used props throughout rap, so this song conforms to the conventions of the genre.

'Touch It' by Busta Rhymes features the main artist, Busta frequently changes his costumes to match the colours of  whoever else is performing at the time. Due to the amount of featuring artists Busta uses 10 different costumes throughout the video, which all match the colour of the background in each shot. Costumes such as the chinchillas that he is seen wearing in various shots are typical of the genre as it signifies wealth. The entire video is filmed in an internal location which gives a studio feel to the song. In addition to this, the use of green screen to change the background colours also gives the song a sense of variation and prevents it from getting boring. Props like: chains, rings, bags and the reappearing stack of money that Busta carries all link to the genre as rappers often flaunt their wealth.

'Ghetto' by J Spades is another rap video, however he is London based and independent so I wanted to see how it compares to mainstream American videos. The first difference I noticed is that J Spades only wears one costume throughout the video - a black t-shirt and jeans, which links to the urban, yet simple location of the park. Black clothing is popular amongst independent rappers as they are often still living in the areas that they grew up in, whereas more popular rappers are likely to be seen wearing brighter colours as a result of their fortunes. The video is set in a park and an estate in J Spades' home borough of Hackney. These link to the title and message of the song as it shows that he is from the ghetto and is still there. As he is not signed, J Spades was able to include props like weed in  his video, which highlights the lifestyle of those in the ghetto. Drugs such as weed are popular throughout the genre, with many rappers being users, however they are censored in their music videos.