The History of Rap Videos and the Cyc Wall.
Caught Craig Mack's 'Flava In Your Ear' on TV the other night, and wondered where one of the oddest music video cliché's began.
Anyone know of which rap video was the first to use the cyc wall?
Well, you got it there with Flava in Ya Ear (Remix). That was Hype's original, innovative video. I'm not sure if that's the first use of the cyc wall (thanks for naming it for me). I would doubt it, but my mind is tired at work so I'll go thru my mental catalog later..
Not sure if you wanna "count" this, because there are props and graffiti all over the cyc, but ...
How about one of the first rap videos ever "Parents Just Don't Understand" by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince.
Nice one! I'm down with that. I checked mvdbase, and it came out in Feb 1988 (Scott Kalvert), and won the first MTV VMA for Best Rap vid. Meanwhile, Tone Loc's "Wild Thing" (Tamra Davis) came out in Feb 1989.
1990 MTV VMA winner MC Hammer "U Can't Touch This" also had the cyc wall.
Nice. Is it perplexing to anyone else that this trend has lasted in hip hop videos for almost 20 years?
Not really, imo. In a genre of music that's personality-driven, why clutter the screen with anything else when you're in the studio?
Hype was the master of this, and transformed it into some pretty blazing sets as well. He also did the best location rap videos. His videos run the gamut.
I agree, though, nowadays cyc walls are a dime a dozen in rap vids.
First off, whatever happened to Craig Mack?
Second off, can someone please define the cyc wall? Is it green screening? Is it just set designing a white studio space?
