Influential Music Artists - Hip Hop

DMX
''Earl Simmons, who is better known by his stage name DMX, is a multiplatinum American rapper as well as a member of the hip hop collective Ruff Ryders. He is also well- known as an actor who rose to fame in the late 1990's. His stage name pays tribute to the Oberheim DMX drum machine, which is an instrument he used when he made his own rap beats in the 80's. To date, his best selling album is his 1999 album...'And Then There Was X', which featured the hit single 'Party Up (Up in Here)'. As an actor, he also starred in the films like Belly, Romeo Must Die, Exit Wounds, Cradle 2 The Grace and Last Hour, and his own reality television series called 'Soul of a Man' on the on the American cable television network BET. ''

Album cover analysis

This DMX album cover which called: ' year of the Dog...Again' looks very aggressive, powerful, and dark to me, as there is an image of an angry dog, pitbull, who is looking directly to the rapper's face, as he is holding him, to suggest that dog is in control, even thought is angry, which could have connotation with the Hip-Hop culture. Mise-en-scene is very interesting, because there is an image of the building with some graphics on to suggest the Hip-Hop style of music and where the genre came from, 'from the street' , where director used white smoke around the singer, and white and creamy dog, which makes the both perfectly stands out.

Missy Elliott

''Melissa Arnette 'Missy' Elliot is an American recording artist, producer, singer-songwriter of Hip-Hop and R&B, dancer, actress and clothing line designer. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliot, with record sales of over seven million in the United State. The only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one double platinum for her 2002 album Under Construction. She is known for a series of hits and diverse music videos, including: The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly), Hot Boyz, Get Ur Freak On, One Minute Man, Work It, Pass That Dutch and Lose Control.In addition, she has worked extensively as a songrwriter and producer for other artists, both alone and with her fellow producer and childhood friend Timbaland, with whom she received her first production credit on R&B singer Ginuwine's 1996's album Ginuwine...the Bachelor. ''

Album cover analysis

This Missy Elliott album cover which called: 'This Is Not a Test!' seems to me that the singer is powerful, confident, respectful. However, at the same time, it's seems to me a bit unconventional, as you don't usually see a picture of the singer, holding a dog, pitbull on cover page of the album. This is a typical image of male's cover album, because this is not what women want to represent. However, because she is rapper, Hip-Hop singer, you except something different, provocative, and original, basically 'to show off' but also to give the audience code and symbol of what genre is her album going to be, what is going to represent. Also, this images, could have a connotation with the idea that even thought she is a female rapper, she is as good as any other male rapper, by dressing and posing the same way as male rapper's do.

The reason why I picked these two album covers to represent the Hip-Hop style of music genre are that you can see how they are similar by using same codes/symbols, which are typical for this music such as: same props, camera technique- the both artists are in long shot etc. However, I think that Missy Elliot's album cover, could look way better if there would be close-up instead of long shot, with better outfit, as I find it rather funny and ridicules when she has got that black 'hat' on, which is convential for only male's gender. DMX album cover is a good example of representing Hip-Hop genre of music, not just because if the mise-en-scene but also with his face-expression , which makes him look serious, to convey the message genre. (as you don't see Hip-Hop artists smiling all over the album cover page).