Show and prove: The cinematic aesthetics of hip-hop
Abstract
One of the most important and far-reaching artistic movements of the 20th century, hip-hop transformed many areas of popular culture, from cartoons to fashion, visual arts to music composition. Its influence upon film and filmmakers is undeniable, and several generations of artists have created film under its banner. The film is not always easily identifiable or categorized. A review of the academic discussions about films rooted in hip-hop culture quickly reveals that no uniform definition exists for hip-hop cinema. Names scholars offer for these films include "Black" (Cripps), "Black City Cinema" (Massood), "Blaxploitation" (Koven), "Hip-hop/rap-sploitation" (Sachs), "Cinema of Nihilism" (Boyd), "Black Action Film" (Reid), and the "Ghetto Action Picture" (Watkins). Despite the various scholarly studies of films specifically influenced by hip-hop, no study of conventions that unify them exists. My dissertation identifies common aesthetic traits among a group of films over a period of approximately 30 years. My goal in doing this work is to define hip-hop cinema as a film cycle that uniquely approaches social and cultural politics. Secondly, I hope my research contributes a new understanding and unique perspective in regard to the cinematic and visual importance of the young discipline called "Hip-Hop Studies." I want to unify a group of films that share a common history, something scholars have yet to do. In my dissertation I locate several aesthetic conventions found within hip-hop film; the most important of these being the sample and cultural syncretism. As a unique addition to film studies and hip-hop scholarship, I examine ways in which cultural cross-over and sampling techniques influence hip-hop cinema's artistic choices; hip-hop culture and its place in mainstream society; and its historical relevance. Additionally, this study works to understand how these elements work throughout the hip-hop film cycle to discuss a variety of popular ideological stances. By identifying conventions used in hip-hop films I hope to begin a discussion about hip-hop aesthetics and offer ideas that foster continued discussion of the genre.
Collections
- OSU Dissertations [11222]