creating a hip hop
character part i 1
www.LOUDent.co.uk/junior
Erlen Masson www.loudent.co.uk/junior junior@loudent.co.uk
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WELCOME to my world Characters are an important part of any story: novels, movies, games, comics etc. The greatest stories have the characters that are idolized or recognized for greatness. I am very influenced by Hip Hop as it has plenty of popular personalities that have changed the world today. Hip Hop is more than just a music genre. It’s a creative culture that many people have become part of. Music, dance, fashion and art are the four paths that have enabled hip hop to become so popular over the last 40 years. I want to create a character by the name of Junior that truly represents hip hop culture and take people on a journey. My character will be a young, outgoing black male that has the ambition to become the world’s biggest hip hop DJ or rapper. Through narrative illustrations I will show his life as he tries to get into the music industry, meeting all types of artists, dancers, celebrities and important people. This magazine will show my research into creating the perfect hip hop character and what is needed to look the part.
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hip hop in illustration and animation
I want to make sure this character really represents Hip Hop, my first task will be finding Hip Hop characters that exist in the illustration and animation world. Illustrator Jamie Hewlett who created The Gorillaz has recently brought his animated creations back into the spotlight. He introduced the world to the first 4-member, hip-hop/triphop, 2D animated band. Even though they are animated they have performed Live at the MTV Europe Music Awards, had their own episode of MTV’s Cribs and been in the Guinness book of world records. This is better than a lot of real life artists trying to make it. Jamie works closely with Damon Albarn from the band Blur and together they develop each character and make music. I love the concept of the gorillaz and feels it’s a great idea to use and transform into my own. My interests lie in hip hop so creating an urban character should be fun.
BANANAZ FILM I have recently watched a documentary called Bananaz. When the Gorillaz were born, film maker Ceri Levi was there to document Jamie’s and Damons experiences. I would recommend watching it if you are curious about who the Gorillaz are and how the band was created.
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The Boondocks is an American animated series created by an artist called Aaron McGruder. It is based on a comic strip, which he started at the end of his college studies. The storyline focuses on the social satire of American culture and race relations (stereotypes), revolving around the lives of the Freeman family: ten-year-old Huey, his younger brother, eight-year-old Riley, and their grandfather, Robert. I really like the way hip hop culture is stereotyped in the series. Baggy jeans, baggy tops, hoodys, glittering jewelry and baseball caps are all considered as hip hop accessories.
Creators of Blokhedz, Brandon Schultz and the Mad Twiinz, Mike and Mark Davis, write and illustrate the comic book series. The story is about an inner-city MC called Blak, battling the cold streets of Empire City. Boondocks is different as it feeds off stereotypes and media influences to produce storylines, where as Blokhedz is more farfetched in character personalities as they have special powers to overcome the villains.
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hip hop culture One interesting article I have recently read asked the question Do the brands we buy and the things we own define who we are? That got me thinking about why we choose to wear and buy certain types of clothes. We all watch TV, music videos, movies and some of us take time out to read magazines and news papers. What some people fail to realize is the media influences our style and fashion sense. If we see our favorite celebrities wearing certain clothes, will we buy them?
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Jay Z has to be one of the most powerful hip hop icons of today. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America having had a net worth of over $150 million in 2009. He has sold approximately 40 million albums worldwide, while receiving ten Grammy Awards for his musical work, and numerous more nominations. He is also
co-founder of rocawear clothing which he created in 1995 with Damien dash. It is very popular in the urban community and has reported to receive annual sales of $700 million. This means in his music videos he is not just promoting his music but also his clothes, jewelry, sun glasses, belts and anything else with the logo on.
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The trend of jumping into the fashion industry has started to take off among London’s rap, grime and hip-hop fraternities. The most familiar has to be Tinchy Stryder’s street-smart label (SITH) Star In The Hood. Having an attractive appearance is always important so finding the right clothes for my character to wear would contribute to creating an iconic character. Here is what my character could look like wearing a SITH hoody.
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new era caps 59Fifty is a brand of hats made by the New Era Cap Company. They are often known as “Fitted Hats” or “flat caps”. They have become increasingly fashionable within the Hip-Hop, Emo, Hardcore, and Skater cultures. They come in a variety of colours and patterns so they can easily match all types of clothing. My character would be best suited wearing new era caps, as the most popular musicians wear them during music videos, concerts and performances.
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adidas originals Having an attractive appearance is always important so finding the right clothes for my character to wear could contribute to create a lovable personality. Adidas is a popular brand that caters for a range of different audiences. The Adidas trefoil logo (the logo above) is popular with the urban fashion. Originally used as the main company logo until 1991, it is now the brand for Adidas Originals. This brand celebrates the distinctively retro and old school fashion styles from the 1940s to 1980’s.
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adidas superstars Adidas originals are celebrated because of the infamous Superstar trainers. Nicknamed the shell shoes for its rubber shell toe piece, the iconic design of the superstars is known for being one of the major influences in the sneaker culture.
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Superstar trainers are commonly associated with hip hop culture because of the rap group Run D.M.C. The group started the trend of wearing the trainers without the laces and pushing the tongue out of the shoe. After releasing a song called ‘My Adidas’ in 1986, Run D.M.C managed
to get sponsorship from Adidas as they increased the sales of the trainers. The deal made between Run D.M.C and Adidas was the first endorsement deal between hip-hop artists and a major corporation. Later on Adidas released a Run-D.M.C. clothing line.
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Converse All Stars Converse All-Stars were first released on 1917 as an attempt to capture the basketball shoe market, but after some time the basketball player’s moved on to more modern shoes. All-Stars quickly became popular with break dancers, rock stars and rappers, especially in the early nineties.
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Nike Air Force Ones The Nike Air Force Ones were first released 25 years ago in 1982. They have been a major hit in the hip-hop community. While the popularity of hip-hop grew in the early 80s, so did the Air Force Ones. Since hip-hop culture was so closely connected to the streets of New York, many of the up and coming hip hop artists from Brooklyn rose to the top while wearing the Nike Air Force Ones.
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cUSTOM TRAINERS Many different types of Air Force Ones have been produced since the date of their original release. There have been so many special editions, celebrity exclusives and varieties of colours that no one knows how many have been made. There are low top versions, mid tops, and high tops, and although their original purpose is basketball, many consumers today wear them strictly for show. In 2002 Air Force Ones got a major dose of attention when rapper “Nelly” released hi single “Air Force Ones”. In the music video, you see Nelly and his friends wearing, buying, and pointing to the trainers. Adidas, Nike and Converse are all different brands that my character could wear.
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beats HEADPHONES Grammy Award-winning artist and producer Dr. Dre has released a brand of high-performance headphones called beats. Dre is one of Hip Hop’s most highly respected producers and has created careers for some of the biggest artist such as Eminem and 50 Cent. The headphones have quickly become popular as they featured in many adverts and music videos. This is definately something that my character would have as part of his equipment.
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my character This project has allowed me to understand the way in which fashion has a huge impact within the hip hop culture. You need to have a unique style to be recognized and remembered. The mass media is something that everyone is influenced by and this is what musicians use to show off their style. I hope to get my character into hip hop magazines and on music websites. My character has been inspired by the likes of Jay Z, Run DMC, The Gorillaz, The Boondocks and many other hip hop influenced icons.
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what is next? This magazine has started to explain the styles my character will need to adopt to become an attractive hip hop icon. Next I will need to work on his background, this includes where he is from, where he lives, they way he talks and his lifestyle. An identity is needed for my character. By using social media I can easily create a virtual personality for people to interact with. This is something I hope to explain in part 2 of creating a hip hop character.
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next edition Social Networking Since the rise of Social Media over the last few years, it is now a requirement for musicians to have a facebook, twitter, myspace and youtube account to become and stay successful. The most popular artists of today are the most active on social media. A virtual identity is perfect for my character as it can give him more life and personality. Tinie Tempah is a UK rapper who managed to get his debut single “PASS OUT� to no. 1 in the UK charts. This is extremely hard for UK artists as the charts are dominated by US artists. Tinie achieved this by constantly updating his twitter account and sharing his music on youtube.
Facebook is the largest social networking site on the internet. A facebook account can be created to connect with people and spread the word about my artwork. This means I can easily update fans when new stories and artwork has been uploaded to the net.
Youtube is the most popular video streaming website on the internet. Promo videos can be made and uploaded for the public to see. Links can be sent to popular blog sites and hip hop websites.
Twitter is a micro blogging application that is extremely popular with musicians. An account can be set up for my character to make him appear real and to interact with followers.
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illustrations King of the Decks (Money CLothing) Front Cover Junior - Page 3 Michael Jackson Hip Hip Remix CD - Page 6 Purple DJ - Page 6 Jay-Z - Page 7 Junior wearing Star in the Hood - Page 8 New Era Cap - Page 9 Junior wearing Adidas originals - Page 10 Adidas Superstar trainers - Page 11 Run DMC Spray - Page 12 Converse All Star Trainers - Page 13 Nike Airforce One Trainers - Page 14 Nike Dunk trainers with Purple DJ - Page 15 Beat Headphones - Page 16 Junior MC - Page 17 Blackberry phone - Page 18 Tinie Tempah - Page 19 King of the Decks (Money CLothing) Page 20 Agressive DJ on decks - Page 21
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special thanks to University Of Portsmouth Illustration Department - Bob.Wright@port.ac.uk Prontaprint Portsmouth - design@portsmouth.prontaprint.com Luca Masaro - info@iamluca.co.uk Maureen Sebastian - maureen@loudent.co.uk
contact info email: junior@loudent.co.uk website: www.loudent.co.uk/junior Search Erlen Masson .com/loudentuk
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