Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
The Economics of “Tip Drill” The hip-hop industry’s origin can be traced back to the Bronx, New York in the 1970’s when the Sugar Hill Gang released their single “Rapper’s Delight.” Since then, the industry has grown immensely with album sales in 2003 totaling 2.8 billion dollars, which represents one in every four CDs sold in that year. As a matter of fact, the current estimated value of the hip-hop industry as a whole has reached an all time high at 10 billion dollars (Zahn, 2005). Today, the hip-hop industry encompasses more than just music, as many of the artists have branched out into the business world. Artists such as Jay-Z and P. Diddy have started their own record labels, production companies, clothing lines, restaurants, and exclusive nightclubs. Needless to say, the pervasiveness of the hip-hop industry has caused it to become extremely influential in popular culture. Music videos represent a popular media form that has the power to influence the mass media on many levels. When Michael Jackson made his videos for “Thriller” and “Beat It” in the early 1980’s, the music video industry expanded immensely. Artists were no longer satisfied with simple choreography and plain backdrops. A decade later, in the early 1990’s, music videos reached an all time high with Michael and Janet Jackson’s 7 million dollar expenditure for the production of “Scream.” Currently, the success of an album often depends on the dynamics and meanings conveyed through music videos. Today it often seems as though music videos, especially in the hip-hop and rap genre, are used as a forum to exploit women. However, the artist and his/her record label view a music video in a different light; they see it as an investment that will ultimately lead to greater profit. In fact, much of the success of an album is contingent upon the success of the corresponding music video (Durant, 2000). Thus, record labels invest millions of dollars in these videos in order to gain widespread public recognition. Because of this particularly economic approach, one might assume that Nelly and his record company, Universal Records, may have overlooked the exploitation of the women in the “Tip Drill” video. Nelly and Universal Records believed that images of sex, money, and power in the music video were likely to be well received by the video’s intended audience and therefore would result in considerable album sales (Passman, 2000). In a special segment of “Paula Zahn Now” entitled “Women Battling Hip Hop,” CNN correspondent Maria Hinojosa stated, “Today’s hip-hop video cool has gone somewhere else” (Zahn, 2005). In other words, music videos provide artists with a venue to showcase their success, fame, and fortune. Providing price tag figures for several of the material objects that appear in the “Tip Drill” video will aid us in creating some notion of the money surrounding the rap and hip-hop world. To begin with, Nelly’s “Tip Drill” video shows various rappers associated with Nelly’s “St. Lunatics” group in a number of luxurious and exclusive automobiles. This year, Rolls Royce released the “Phantom,” a $350,000 ultra luxury mobile that appears several times throughout the video. In addition, Nelly is shown standing near a $100,000 S-Class Mercedes along with a $250,000 Ferrari. Although in many cases these cars may be rented solely for the shooting of a music video, the real costs of these items are absolutely outrageous. In addition to the luxurious automobiles shown in the opening of the video, Nelly goes on to display many other symbols of wealth and power. One particular materialistic object that is shown within the video is expensive jewelry. Diamond encrusted nameplate necklaces, gigantic diamond stud earrings, gold watches, and multiple diamond rings are just a few of the accessories Nelly and his crew flaunt throughout the entirety of the video. Within the video, Nelly and his entourage are all wearing authentic throwback football and basketball jerseys, ranging in price from $250 to $600. The video’s setting is an elegant mansion where the party takes place in a number of spaces including a marble Jacuzzi, an outdoor pool, and on the driveway where Nelly’s cars are displayed. Lastly, a recurring image in the video is the flaunting of money by Nelly and the St. Lunatics. Hundred dollar bills are constantly being thrown at the women in the video, and at one point Nelly goes as far as swiping a Platinum credit card between the cheeks of one of the dancer’s buttocks. Such actions convey the notion that money and status creates power, which in turn leads to fame and fortune. Many rappers, including Nelly, come from poor, working class, and underprivileged backgrounds where fame and success are virtually unattainable goals. However, once success has been achieved, it is common for these artists to flaunt their newly achieved material wealth through music videos. But by displaying images of monetary wealth and power, Nelly’s music video construes a narrow definition of success and the good life. The numerous expensive objects portrayed in Nelly’s “Tip Drill” video fuel the American public’s desire for materialistic goods. The ostentatious nature in which Nelly displays his wealth has a profound impact on the way in which his audience members, many of them young people of African American descent, view their own lifestyles. The message Nelly conveys reinforces a common and disturbing aspect of contemporary American society: the elevation of wealth as the first and foremost element of a rewarding and fulfilling life. While it is unclear whether or not Nelly is aware of the exploitation of women in his video, it is quite apparent that both he and Universal Records are aware of the financial rewards involved in the placement of such sexualized images in the video (Marchand, 2004). Their choice in this regard suggests that we live in a society that values money and status more than consideration for other individuals. References Durant, Cathy: “The artistic realm of music video.” American Visions Media. (June/July 2000): 8 Apr. 2005 <http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=54446546&sib=14&Fmt=4&clientid=178 22&RQT=309&Vname=PQD> Marchand, Juliann. “Nelly’s High School Confessions.” Teen People Oct. 2004: 8-70 Passman, Donald. All You Need to Know About the Music Business. Simon & Schuster New York, NY 2000. Tate, Greg. Everything But The Burden. Broadway Books Random House Inc. New York, NY 2003. Tatum, Beverly. “Spelman students combat hip-hop’s negative portrayals of Black women”. Cox, Matthews & Associates, Inc. (March 24, 2005). 8 Apr. 2005 <http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=816927831&sid=1&Fmt=4&clientid=178 22&RQT=309&Vname=PQD> “Women Battling Hip-Hop.” Nar. Paula Zahn. Interviewer. Maria Hinojosa. CNN. 3 March 2005.