HOW TO CREATE A HIP HOP MUSIC VIDEO

When you think of a hip hop video, what comes to mind? Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s headline-grabbing ‘WAP’, or old skool Beastie Boys’ ‘Intergalactic’? Maybe Nelly’s ‘Hot in Herre’ or Missy Elliott’s ‘Work It’? The rise of MTV in the 1980s made music videos one of the biggest new art forms for decades. Add in the global reach of YouTube and TikTok, and hip hop videography is not only hugely influential, but one of the most impactful ways an artist can create and build their identity and brand.

So, when it comes to how to create a hip hop music video, we’ll take you through the essentials:

• Choosing the right song
• Concept
• Choreography and style
• Location
• Planning/rehearsals
• Moodboards
• Equipment
• Budget
• Lighting
• Filming
• Editing

Choosing the Right Song

When you’re thinking how to make a hip hop video, obviously choosing the right song is the first thing on your list. A great song could be what takes your concept or choreography to another level – plus the genre may also dictate the look and styling of your video. Think of the story that you want to tell, in order to find the right track.

Try searching on Soundcloud for a track that fits your style, or the concept of your video – or find a cool cover or remix of a track. If you’re looking for music to license, then our catalogue has everything from classic to party, epic and driving to hard-hitting UK hip hop and grime – and we add new, original music every fortnight.

Break Down the Structure

How do you structure a hip hop song? Usually, there are three, 16-bar verses followed by a chorus/hook section (sometimes the third verse is replaced with a bridge.) The verse most often tells the story, and the chorus grabs the attention – so sometimes rappers open with the hook instead. Break up the track into these sections and it’ll help you to work out whether you want particular locations for the verse or chorus section, and you can also plot out how many people you want in each scene. Do you want more dancers or background artists for the chorus/hook parts?

Check out videos such as Missy Elliot’s iconic ‘Get Ur Freak On’ to see how different directors structure the video in line with the track:

Concept

The early days of hip hop videos mainly concentrated on the basics: live music, rappers and a crowd. These were the elements that went on to become classic staples of the genre’s visual identity.

Look at a video like The Sugarhill Gang’s ‘Rapper’s Delight’ for an example of this style – it was the first popular hip hop track to have a music video.

Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five’s ‘The Message’, meanwhile, offered glimpses of inner-city poverty with the artists appearing on the New York City streets that were their home. Seeing Black spaces and environments is a characteristic of hip hop music videos that marks them out from other genres’ videos.

So, your ‘concept’ could be as simple as showing the area where you live.

Want to blow the budget? Think high-concept, like Kanye West’s take on flying a rocket across the Grand Canyon as daredevil ‘Evel Kanyevel’ in the video for ‘Touch the Sky’. It cost a reputed $1 million to make, so you might need to think a little more down to earth.

Choreography & Style

When it comes to making a hip hop video, you’ve got masses of different styles to choose from. And you don’t just have to take your inspiration from hip hop. How about a one-shot extravaganza, such as the opening sequence to La La Land, ‘Another Day of Sun’, which is nearly six minutes long:

Or this iconic little number, which catapulted the Spice Girls to the top of the pop pantheon:

The secret to successfully pulling off a one-take video is a lot of rehearsal, some very carefully planned camera moves and, generally, choreography that’s polished to within an inch of its life. A one-take can result in something truly spectacular, such as Dax’s ‘The Next Rap God’, which is an astonishing 10 minutes long, but it’s not something for the faint-hearted.

Alternatively, watch a wide variety of different videos and ads that feature choreography for inspiration. You might want something where the action is showing a story or a deeper concept. What feelings are you trying to express?

Director and star Phillip Chbeeb’s promo for Elliot Moss’s ‘Without the Lights’ is a representation of violence in an abusive relationship:

Or watch ‘Nightdare’ by JaJa Vankova, which uses dance to bring to life a child’s nightmares and terrors, through classical music and stark styling:

The blend of storytelling, music and choreography is particularly effective in this promo for the official song from Euphoria by Labrinth and Zendaya, ‘All for Us’:

Go behind the scenes with Labrinth to find out about his inspiration for the track:

And with Zendaya, showrunner Sam Levinson, who came up with the idea for the marching band, woodwind and brass in the scene and the video, and choreographer Ryan Heffington, on how they put the whole thing together:

Decide if you want to tell a story – not all hip hop videos do – or split the difference, with a short story interspersed through more traditional shots. Keep it simple by remembering these three elements: who’s your protagonist; what do they want and how are they trying to get it?

And if you’re on a budget (more on this later), then keep your story to one or two locations and not too many actors and artists: the more complex the story, the more tricky your shoot’s likely to be, and therefore your costs could rise.

Let’s Dance - Choreography

If you’re creating your own choreography, first of all, you need to study the music. By knowing it inside out, you can design dance moves that work with both the beat and the lyrics.

Watch the pros for inspiration; whether it’s dance-focused musicals, such as Chicago, or competitive series like So You Think You Can Dance, study the styles and combinations of movement – as well as how the dancers are conveying emotion:

For more inspiration, Wayne McGregor demonstrates how to communicate ideas through choreography in this TED talk:

Locations

Location is one of the key elements of professional rap videos. Higher-budget productions might have four to five locations each, but this will depend on what your funds will stretch to. There are some common themes in the most popular videos, including:

• Party locations, like houses, pools or the beach
• Rooftop terraces
• Local streets or neighbourhoods
• Graffiti-tagged walls
• Green screen – this allows you a totally free rein to create some stunning visuals

If you’re filming in a public place, make sure to check out whether you need to get a permit.

Not telling a particular story? You can make use of one simple location, but use it in a variety of ways, as this video explains:

Planning

A useful element when you’re planning your hip hop video is to create a treatment, outlining the video’s concept, direction, aesthetic and style. A treatment doesn’t have to be complicated - it provides the building blocks and the structure for everyone to follow.

Often, when putting together your treatment, you may realise that your concept will take you way over budget. Or that it’s out of sync with the style or tone of the music, so it’s a useful exercise in lots of ways.

The most effective hip hop video treatments have plenty of visual images for reference – don’t make it too descriptive, as people reading it may tune out.

Listen to the track at least 20 times, to figure out what will best bring out the emotion or themes. Then, depending on your budget, as before, think of a location, together with planning what kind of lighting, camera movements and camera lenses you’ll need.

Plus, who else do you need on your team? From dancers to a director, a choreographer to a lighting assistant, make-up artist and a stylist, the list will depend on your concept, and how much money you have available.

Watching behind the scenes videos is a great way of getting tips and hacks:

Moodboards

Making moodboards (also known as idea boards or theme boards) can help you to generate a succinct treatment and will provide the foundations for a storyboard and shot list.

Moodboards are a practical way to take your creative ideas and bring them to life in the real world. Your hip hop or rap video moodboard can include shots illustrating the choreography, location, costume and make-up looks, to share ideas with your team, from the director to the stylist.

There are various free apps to design moodboards, which include templates to make life easier. Online moodboards can include images, video, links and colour references, such as stills from previous shoots, or images you’ve saved from Film Grab, Instagram or Pinterest.

Rehearsals

If you’re filming a choreographed dance, then try to attend as many rehearsals as you can, so you know what movements the dancers will be making, and how to track them with camera movements.

Can’t get to the rehearsals? Ask for video footage that you can study.

Go behind the scenes with Tinashe as she rehearses with her choreographer and dancers for the ‘Pasadena’ video:

And here’s how that came together in the finished version:

Equipment

What equipment will you need to film a hip hop video? Well, it can be as simple as just using your phone! Check out Steezy’s expert hacks for shooting videos on your phone:

But if you want to up the quality, then you’ll need to either buy or hire a camera, and some lights, at a minimum.

Cameras

You don’t have to invest a huge amount of money in cameras to create a video that looks amazing. But a top tip is to have a few cameras on-set so that you can capture footage from various angles – this will give you plenty of options when it comes to editing your video.

The best camera for hip hop videos? Bestoflens.com recommends the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III, while Cameragurus.com plumped for the Fujifilm X-T4 (which also has a feature to record slow-motion) or the GoPro HERO9, which is great in low light.

A top tip for filming hip hop videos is to get a wide-angle lens, especially if you’re filming groups of people, as you want to show as much as possible, by shooting at a wide angle.

To stand out from the crowd, and create really high-end video, then the best option is to rent the most expensive cameras the pros use (such as the RED), rather than buying them, as a more affordable alternative when you’re starting out.

This video from Parker Welbeck compares footage from a $30,000 RED camera versus a $600 DSLR:

Lights

If you’re filming in a dance studio, then make it look more interesting and give it depth with clever lighting – and even effects such as a smoke or fog machine.

Spotlights create a harsher light that looks more dramatic, as there are more shadows, whereas soft box lights create a softer look, which is the most flattering for people’s faces.

Best use of lighting in a minimalist set up? Definitely Beyoncé’s‘Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)’ – it’s an absolute masterclass.

Get more tips on the best gear and settings to use from LensPro to Go:

Budget

It would be nice to think you’ve got a massive budget to play with, but the reality is, you probably won’t have. So, if your location is somewhere that’s fairly plain, add interest with accent lighting, or effects such as the fog/smoke mentioned above, plus make the most of environmental textures and colours. You could even try shooting with green screen if you want to bring in something more dramatic, or out-of-this-world.

When dividing up your budget, work out what your priorities are – is it the equipment? Paying for a professional choreographer and dancers? The location, set design, costumes or effects? Your treatment and mood board should help with this.

A lot of hip hop and rap videos look like house parties, so if you’re working with a limited budget, why not round up your friends and family to act as extras in the background?

Other elements to remember when you’re budgeting are:

• Crew fees
• Transport
• Food costs
• Props and costumes
• Equipment if you’re renting it
• Any location fees (such as permits)

Want more advice on how to up your game on a low budget? Videographer David Le has five top tips:

Filming

When it comes to how to film a hip hop video, if you’re filming outside, then aim to shoot during ‘golden hour’ – the hour after sunrise, or the hour before sunset. Make sure the sun is behind your subjects, which gives you a nice backlight to work with. When shooting indoors, the experts recommend turning off all the fluorescent lighting, so you can choose the amount and type of light that’s going to work best for you.

For camera movements and shot choices, match them to the feel and pace of the song. Slow, smooth movements will fit emotional songs. Try to match the speed of your movements to the pace of the track – obviously, if you’re shooting a track with a much faster bpm, then quicker movements and speedy edits will fit the bill.

If you’re shooting in different locations, then work out, when you put together your shotlist, which parts of the song will be filmed in which location – and how you’re going to transition between the two. And make sure to get more than enough shots; don’t only take the minimum number of shots if you can help it. More shots means you have more choice once you’re in the edit suite.

Don’t forget your B-roll shots too – some slo-mo, or close-ups of things that are around your location – even something simple like a chain-link fence, or some trees seen from below – can add colour, atmosphere, texture or interest.

Through watching the choreography rehearsals and listening to the track multiple times, you should be able to work out ‘action points’, which are moments where there’s a change in the vocals, the tempo or the instruments. This is where you can put in specific action or dance moves to heighten the dramatic or emotional impact of the video.

Watch Forever Films’ explainer on how to shoot a rap music video on a budget for more tips:

How to Edit Hip Hop Videos

There’s a wide range of video editing software options; however, if you’re doing minimal editing, then the software on your computer – e.g. Windows Movie Maker or iMovie – may be good enough.

Adobe Premiere will give you a lot more flexibility in terms of video editing – and there are plenty of video tutorials to help you get started. If you’re new to editing, then go with the adage ‘less is more’ – keep it simple and follow your instincts.

For more great advice from the experts, check out these top 10 tips for shooting cinematic music videos and making your way in the music business:

What Are the Best Hip Hop Videos?

Here’s our pick of the most successful rap videos of all time.

‘See You Again’ – Wiz Khalifa Feat. Charlie Puth

The most-watched rap music video of all time has amassed well over five billion views on YouTube since it came out in 2015.

The track was originally commissioned as part of the soundtrack for The Fast and the Furious 7 and intended as a tribute to one of the franchise’s stars, Paul Walker, who’d died in a car accident two years before.

‘Do We Have a Problem?’ - Nicki Minaj (featuring Lil Baby)

Nicki Minaj claims the title for most MTV Video Music Awards for Best Hip Hop Video, with four to date (Kanye claims the crown for most nominations, with nine).

In this expert piece of storytelling, Ms Minaj is tasked with ‘cracking’ a high-powered mob hitman, who says he’ll only talk to her.

‘Savage’ – Megan Thee Stallion

For an example of a really high-concept take, check out Meg’s video, created by Gracie Rothey, which sees an animated avatar of the Texan star doing the TikTok dance she created, with video game graphics.

Need Music for Your Hip Hop Video?

So, now you’ve seen the best of the best, and you’re ready to create your killer hip hop video. If you’re looking for an original track, then we have hundreds of thousands for you to discover. Our collections have everything you need, including our amazing Beat Series, with every style from cloud rap to old school instrumentals, tension trap to comedic cuts. Plus there are new albums being released every fortnight.

Discover the best of hip hop, including inspiring hip hop movies and iconic hip hop movie soundtracks, together with the biggest-selling hip hop albums.

Plus, as this year marks the genre’s 50^th anniversary, discover how it all started, with the five elements of hip hop.