[Not sure if this should go in Composing, Producing, Screenwriting, or Post - feel free to move it if need be] As I've been writing, sharing, and querying original pilots, I've been idly thinking about musical direction. One of my latest pilots would work with a Hip Hop and Metal influenced soundtrack. The odd thing is, it's an animated pilot, aimed at kids and teens. Why don't we see more kid and teen-oriented television shows [or movies, for that matter] with a hip hop influence? It can't be JUST because of so many rap songs containing profanity...can it? I mean, there are definitely some clean hip hop tracks out there, and it should be possible to create a clean original track for the series/movie.
Producing : Hip Hop for Kids and Teens Media by Devon McBride-Wilson
Hip Hop for Kids and Teens Media
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Hi Devon, I've never asked the question, so this is purely conjecture - I would guess that in the US, diversity issues are less on the front burner at, for example, Cartoon Network than at ABC Primetime which has a very diverse slate at the moment. But honestly, that's just a guess, and I haven't done the research in this area.
@Devon McBride-Wilson..... JUST because of so many rap songs containing profanity...can it? And lyrics which are generally coarse in nature and demeaning to women.
JD, I understand your sentiment. But it is a stereotype that all hip hop or rap is like that. A good portion of it, yes. But not all. More importantly, songs/musical segments can be written/composed/produced that are clean and not demeaning. My question is WHY producers, directors and writers don't do that. I can only guess that it's easier to keep it as a one-off gag song played for laughs, than to keep it as a recurring element. But given how popular rap and hip hop are, I would have thought there'd be more use of it.
Um...no. It's my actual on-set experience having worked on over a dozen rap/hip-op videos. Some up 'n comer's and some with a measure of fame. How 'bout you?
I'm sorry, JD. I did not know that. But were those videos aimed at older teens and adults, where one would find that kind of stuff? My point is that there's no law that states that all rap or hip hop videos MUST contain profanity or demean women. While I acknowledge it is uncommon, fun and kid-safe hip hop songs do exist. Some acts from the eighties like De La Soul and DJ Jazzy Jeff made stuff like this. Even modern artists produce the occasional safe song. Flo Rida's Good Feeling [which I've seen in several commercials], several of Outkast's hits, Bruno Mars' stuff, and more. Pitbull's Back in Time was featured in MIB3. I'm coming to think that maybe it requires the right kind of project to use hip-hop as anything more than a one-off gag. Going forward, I'll keep that in mind, whenever I get the chance to have some input on a film or series' music.
I can keep an open mind. Post some links to examples.
I want to emphasize that any song used in a feature or episode would be edited for content, and edited down to fit a specific shortened runtime. It would almost never sound exactly like the Youtube version, so songs with racy words in a few specific locations would be changed [like the beginning of the video for Hey Ya would certainly not appear in a feature or episode]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0irL1M15DH8&nohtml5=False De La Soul – The Magic Number https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OnnDqH6Wj8&nohtml5=False Flo Rida – Good Feeling https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWgvGjAhvIw&nohtml5=False OutKast – Hey Ya There are plenty more examples, but it would take a while to gather them all. Once the field is expanded to pop songs with heavy hip hop influences, then there are a lot more to draw from. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGIgXP9SvB8&nohtml5=False will.i.am and Justin Bieber - #thatPOWER This would be the perfect background or cover music for a montage of some kind. Of course, every story is different, and these kind of songs won't fit everywhere. But it's those opportunities to explore and diversify that I'll keep an eye out for as I progress in my writing and creative production. That's one thing I've learned to care for during my time as part of the Stage 32 community.