Hip hop model

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Hip hop models are female models who appear in mainstream rap music videos, magazines, calendars and other forms of media. Hip hop models are also known as hip hop honeys, dimes (or dymes or dime pieces), video vixens and eye candy. There are primarily two classifications of Hip hop models. There are models who strictly do print media (magazines, calendars, etc.), while others do print media as well as hip hop videos.

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[edit] Becoming successful

For hip hop models, landing a part in a music video is seen as a way to gain notariety for themselves as they pursue a career in entertainment business. After making their way into the scene of rap music videos, a model will often attempt to land a feature role in the video of a major rapper. Doing so will allow them to gain more exposure.

The pinnacle of hip hop model success would be LisaRaye McCoy. She started as a video dancer most notably in a Tupac video. She then became a successful urban magazine and calendar model. This lead to her appearing in movies such as The Players Club and The Wood. Not only did she attain mainstream success by landing a starring role on the CW Network comedy All Of Us but she became First Lady of the Turks and Caicos Islands by marrying Prime Minister Floyd Misick.

Another example is Melyssa Ford known as Jessica Rabbit because of her cartoon like body dimensions. She was a mainstay on the covers of urban magazines and she now hosts several Black Entertainment Television shows. There are some companies that are strictly devoted to managing hip hop models, such as Industry Models

Depending on one's success, a model may even go beyond just music videos. Vida Guerra is one of the only hip hop models to cross into mainstream magazines. She was voted FHM model of the year in 2004, and also appeared on the cover of Playboy Magazine. Vida has appeared on The Chappelle Show, in the movie National Lampoon's Dorm Daze 2 and regularly appears on Telemundo. Vida also has a highly anticipated album due for release in 2007. Gloria Velez was at one time the top hip hop video dancer but, is now an aspiring rapper. In an XXL interview, she commented, saying "I went to the highest level a video girl can go. So now I’m not doing any videos unless I’m rapping in it".[1]

[edit] Popularity

The hip hop modeling industry has become more popular over the years. Today, there are numerous websites and magazines dedicated in part or totally to this industry. Magazines such King, Smooth (magazine) and Black Men are almost totally devoted to the coverage of hip hop video models. While other hip hop magazines like The Source and XXL have created entire sections for models. Some websites such as CutieCentral.com and IndustryModels.com have dedicated entire websites to them. Then there's the successful website [UrbanStreetz.com] who has only dedicated a section of their website to models.

Aspiring hip hop models have abundant areas for work, because this industry has also reached calendars, DVDs, VHS, etc. Game Video Inc. has created all these products and features them on their HiphopHoneys.com website. All of these business ventures are a way to make money from these models. Noticing how lucrative the market has become, rappers such as 50 Cent have created DVDs for this purpose. In 2004, 50 Cent "signed an exclusive deal to create an interactive sex DVD bearing his name". [2] Playboy has also joined the industry with its "first music oriented hip hop themed show" entitled Buckwild [3]. Some pornographic actresses such as Heather Hunter, Lacey Duvalle, Crystal Knight, Nikki Fairchild and Obsession (porn star) are also popular hip hop video performers.

[edit] Controversy

There is a long list of criticism pertaining to controversies created by hip hop models. Many people in the mainstream feel that hip hop models represent negative, subservient or misogynistic images of women, especially black and latino women. Detractors accuse hip hop models of causing a misrepresentation of the morals and values of minority women, because hip hop videos are the only way many people around the world are exposed to American Black and Latino culture. For instance, in 2004, Nelly caused protests because of his music video for the song "Tip Drill".[4]

In 2005, a former Hip Hop music video star and model Karrine Steffans aka "Supahead" released her debut book Confessions of a Video Vixen, where she lashes out at the world of hip hop modeling, especially its degradation of women. The book's publisher describes the book as "part tell all, part cautionary tale"[5]. Another hip hop model, Candace Smith, said in an XXL interview, "what I’ve seen on [music video] sets is complete degradation".[6]

Criticism has also reached the very networks that broadcast such videos. BET's former late-night program "BET Uncut" often featured explicit music videos that ordinarily would not have been shown during the day, and many contain partial nudity. "Before, artists were mostly making sexually oriented material for the underground market — providing them to strip clubs, or selling them as part of videos or DVDs. Now, they’re bringing them directly to television, through places like BET Uncut and the Playboy network. And more outlets are growing for those who want to see more — or less — than a bikini".[7]

[edit] Print media

Several Men's Magazines, mostly targeted to the hip hop and urban culture demographic, feature articles and spreads about hip hop models. King, Smooth (magazine), Black Men, Black Men SSX, The Source, XXL, and several others are best known for this.

[edit] Successful hip hop models

For those who have been fortunate enough to make a name for themselves as hip hop models, there are many avenues to bigger success. Some of these girls have only done limited work as hip hop models but, have found ways to market themselves. Many hip hop models have marketed themselves successfully through fan websites, film, calendars, DVDs, import car shows, personal appearances, party hosting, and various other projects.

[edit] Notes

  1. ↑  Thompson, Bonsu and Huang, Howard (Aug. 4, 2004). "Eye Candy Hall of Fame". XXL Magazine. New York: Harris Publications. Retrieved from [8] on February 11, 2006.
  2. ↑  Miller, Dan (Jan 5, 2004). "Digital Sin Signs 50 Cent; Rapper Will Appear at AVN Adult Entertainment Expo". AVN.com. Retrieved from [9] on February 11, 2006.
  3. ↑  (Jan 7, 2004). "Playboy Launches Hip-Hop Show". Rap News Network. Retrieved from [10] on February 11, 2006.
  4. ↑  Bailey, Moya (May 24, 2004). "Students at Spelman College protest Nelly's video 'Tip Drill.'" Alternet.org. Retrieved from [11] on February 11, 2006.
  5. ↑  (2005) "Confessions of a Video Vixen by Karrine Steffans". HarperCollins.com. Retrieved from [12] on February 11, 2006.
  6. ↑  Salaam, Khalid and Palting, Joaquin (2006). "Eye Candy: Tastes Like Candace". XXL Magazine. New York: Harris Publications. Retrieved from [13] on February 11, 2006.
  7. ↑  Associated Press (Apr 15, 2004). "BET provides more 'exposure' for music videos". MSNBC.com. Retrieved from [14] on February 11, 2006.
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