50 Cent’s song ‘Candy Shop’ is a rap/hip hop music video.
The general view of the video is 50 Cent in his idea of heaven, which includes
women, drink, lavish furniture & items and a big mansion. The video
encourages the stereotypical view of a rap/hip-hop video.
The video begins with a long shot view of a big mansion at
night time. This shot is used to show off the whole scene to indicate how big
the house actually is. The idea of it being night-time also encourages the idea
that the whole video is based on a dream, as well as the smoke used which
surrounds the house, bringing an ominous and eerie them to the video. The video
then shows a red sports car pulling up to a big mansion, which is one of the
usual props used in rap/hip-hop video as it represents wealth. The colour red
is associated with power, urgency & passion and is a bold colour which
catches the viewers’ eye. The colour red is prominent in this video as you see
50 coming out of the car in a red cap which is sideways; this is important as
at around the time this video was released (2009), this was a key style in many
rap artists. Also, he is dressed in a plain white shirt and baggy blue jeans
which was also common with rap and hip-hop artists. In addition, there is a
close-up shot used on his trainers which are customised with ‘G-Unit’ 50 Cent’s
music group at the time to again highlight his wealth and power as he is able
to customise his own trainers. Furthermore, he is covered with jewellery around
his neck, ears, wrists and hands which again focuses on his lavish expenditure.
Throughout the whole video, 50 cent’s outfit changes 3
times; the second outfit shows him primarily covered in camouflage-coloured
clothing which implies that he is a masculine character as camouflage is often
associated with war and fighting. His next outfit shows him predominantly
covered in a grey fur coat which again highlights his extravagant purchases as
fur is often seen as expensive. Next, he is on a bed in a white vest and jeans
which is a more casual costume and gives off the idea that despite all of his
lavish clothes, he is still a normal guy. As well as this idea, it is an
opportunity for 50 cent to show off his muscles and tattoos which represent
strength and masculinity.
As the artist then walks into the mansion, he is greeted by
one woman in particular who is the female artist of the song, who is surrounded
by many other half-naked women walking around. Close-up shots are used to focus
on 50 Cent’s facial expression and reaction to walking into what is his idea of
heaven. A mixture of close-up and mid-shots focus on the beauty of the women in
the mansion as they walk around. Throughout a majority of the video,
slow-motion effects are used to create a more sexual theme as it shows the women
in more detail. There are elements of panning used as well which shows the
women walking down the stairs in a seductive manor; moreover, POV shots are
included to make the viewer feel like they are actually in the video which acts
as vivid imagery which entices them even more to continue watching the video as
they personally feel a part of it. The women are almost all dressed very
provocatively to support the stereotype of the way women are seen as by men in
rap/hip-hop videos. However, they are dressed in nightwear which again hints to
the viewer that the video is based on a dream.
In addition, the main lighting used is high-key on the women
in the video to highlight them as more attractive. Also, in a particular scene,
a woman is dressed in a pink nurse outfit; the costume itself (nurse) is
associated with women in general so this shows encourages the idea that a nurse
is a feminine position. Also, the colour pink is probably the most feminine
colour and shows the woman to be nothing but a female object. As well as this,
there is a dance routine in the video performed by the female singer and other
women when they are dressed in red and with caps on. This challenges the gender
stereotype created in the video of women serving as feminine objects that are
subservient to men’s needs as red is associated with power and the power
throughout this video has been with the men; 50 cent is shown to wear a cap in
almost every scene of the video so for the women to be wearing them now
challenges the idea that caps are masculine. Next, two women are shown washing
each other in the bath to further portray them as sexual objects and shows them
as a provocative icon.
Low-angle shots are used with 50 Cent to give assert his
dominance in the video as it is as if he has looking down at the viewer, hence
the viewer, which highlights his superiority. In one particular scene, there is
a shot of 50 Cent rapping with four female statues standing behind him dancing
provocatively which again portrays the women as nothing but objects.
Additionally, there is a scene in which the a picture of the female artist
singing which relates to the whole video being a dream as a picture singing
wouldn’t happen in reality. Furthermore, the representation of the video being
a dream is mainly proven when the female artist blows a bubble in 50Cent’s face
and when it pops it resembles his dream popping as it cuts to a scene of an
actual candy shop where she is serving 50 Cent as a customer who is actually
asleep in his car.
Overall, the video focuses on objectifying women as sexual
icons and men as in control, which somewhat matches the usual conventions of rap music as a genre.
This work was completed so that I couldhave an understanding of the conventions of current rap videos. From this essay, I can take ideas and features from 50 Cent's "Candy Shop" and incorporate them into my own music video as it is the same genre: rap.
