just a general sweeping observation (not meant to flame anybody )...

why do some crossover artists use different kinds of racial casting in their videos?

Mariah, for instance, usually uses a predominantly african-american cast when she is doing uptempo/street cred/remixed songs, but will almost always use white leading men in her ballad/mid tempo releases. (the exceptions being one sweet day and breakdown, because they were "duets" with african-american artists, and maybe through the rain, because it was about an interracial couple.

Prince, who almost always has a racially mixed band, always shows different races in his videos (of course, he's hot for Latinas, so no surprise there)

hip-hop/rap artists (the type of music most likely to crossover these days)almost never use non-african-americans, unless they're puerto rican (eminem excluded)

No one ever talks about the great New Wave videos.

I thought it was funny when Craig David did a promotional tour in America and was ordered to change his white guitar player to a black one. I think he got into a dispute about it cos the guy was his friend and CD is mixed anyway, so why should he have to distance himself from his white heritage just to cater for stereotypes of the genre?

meltwithu said:

the mere fact that they are "crossing over" means that they are trying to appeal to different market. it would make sense that if a pop artist is trying to crossover to the hip hop market, they would include more afro americans & or hispanics because they are belived to be the base for the hip hop market.

Fucking industry politics, man, I'll tell ya.

A more interesting topic would be bi-racial black artists who are forced or willfully identify as just black for the R&B/Hip Hop markets or even vice versa - it might have been because I was young, but it wasn't until the late 90s that I remember Mariah talking about being African American. Or what about Amerie?

Ellie said:

i remember in her earlier days like during the time of "emotions" she used to look more like a white girl to me.

Xavier23 said:

yeah...but her image was controlled by her hubby and Sony.


I say each is playing to their audience.....just marketing and like NWF said, industry politics.

I remember seeing a darker skinned video "model" (i'm being nice today) saying that she doesn't get cast in a lot of videos because if you're dark, you're considered "urban".

I honestly can't stand that rappers think for their video to be hot they need a plethera of Spanish chicks - yes they are pretty however, this standard of Long straight hair/ light skinned/ at least it's not a white girl beauty is disgusting to me.

SweetKreme said:

hey kreme...you enjoying this hot Bmore weather?

I was looking through an old Vibe magazine the other day from a few years ago with Lenny Kravitz on the cover. They'd blackened up his skin big time on the inside photo.

meltwithu said:

Hey babe!-- gosh it's crazy - I said whoever was at the stone soul Saturday was crazy - I heard they were taking people out of there left and right.

SweetKreme said:

and that was with trees all around lol....can't wait till october with some nice 60 degree days and 40 degree nights

Uh, Honey? White is beautiful too, ok? I'm getting real offended by some of you sistas on here saying that white people ain't beautiful. There is nothing wrong with being white and I am proud that I am white.

BoOTyLiCioUs said:

First of all I'm not your honey and consider yourself lucky because I usually don't explain myself to anyone but I'll be nice today.- I didn't say shit about white girls - read the post again! I said I'm sick of STANDARD beauty now leave me alone!

meltwithu said:

I definitely feel you on that!-- kinda sad the free concerts are over though!

SweetKreme said:

nope...one more...CHUCK BROWN SEPT 4TH Hopkins Plaza....i went to this month's..was supposed to be van hunt...sat through 3 whack ass jazz groups to find out he had been replaced with that local singer rahiem devaughn...they didn't even say he wasn't gonna be there..it was sooooo crowded with section 8 chickenheads and fake azz biker boyz....not my crowd

meltwithu said:

LMAO-- sounds like Dru Hill Park on a Sunday! -- but I didn't know Chuck was giving another performance, he's been so busy this summer but I'll definitely be there -- Question: are we jacking your thread? LOL

SweetKreme said:

well..there's two things i don't mind jacking....one of them is my own thread..the other is my own.....

meltwithu said:

well said and since I'm since I'm with the host I'm good too - so ha to the rest of you!

BoOTyLiCioUs said:

Ladies, ladies,...it is true, all colors/shades of people are beautiful. Don't take offense. Some just get heated in the moment and are tired of seeing some things accepted as the only way of being.

Black, White, Puerto Rican, hopefully all of you are freakin'...

xpsiter said:

SweetKreme said:

SweetKreme said:

Most of the rap videos I see support the sistas.

These poor rappers can't win. On one side they get blasted for exploiting women and on the other they hear it for not exploiting the right color women.

sextonseven said:

Almost all rap videos have black women in them. As long as they have big tits, a big ass and a little waist. I think she's referring to the appearence of more and more Brazilian/Latin women and asian girls in rap videos. Actually, part of it is availability. West coast rappers like Snoop, 50, etc. have more "mixed looking" women in their videos because there is an abundance of them on the west coast and the modeling agencies they use to cast the videos are full of these females looking to get some work. Peep the dirty south rappers' vids. They have more darker-skinned women and "regular" looking sistas (still big ass & tits, though) in their videos because that's more of what you will find down south. Exotic looking women are used as status symbols to make rappers look like they can afford "quality" hoes. Its all playing with peoples' perceptions. They (the rappers) aren't really trying to make personal statements, the casting directors pick what they think are attractive women for the shoot. Guess what color most casting directors are, though.....

BK speaks gospel yet again.

BlaqueKnight said:

BK Baby, I must say your comments are dead on it. You took on where Cranshaw left off especially when you touched on the trend of having certain type of looking females in videos. As women, I don't find this trend offensive since I am from a mixed background but, I consider myself as Black. However,I can't help but question their motivation.

But, as I think about it, the video trend also applies in the dating scene as well. And in essence, it all boils down preferece and what is appealing to that person. I' m not saying it's right or wrong b/c I dating interacially. At the end of the day, everyone has their own standard of beauty which may in some case cross racial lines.

Ellie said: