Way Of Looking At Things

In the generation of 2013, besides African Americans, there’s plenty of ethnic groups who like the genres such as Rap. As an American Hip Hop and R&B music video show set up in a countdown format, the show does provide music from limited cultures. A lot of people think that 106 & Park specifically targets African American’s, however that category is way more diverse than just one race. The show’s top artists such as Kanye West, Lil Wayne and Flo-Rida are hip-hop artist but yet they still make music for many ethnicity interests. To show an example, African American musician Kanye West is considered a hip-hop artist. In 2008 he started making music in a way to appeal a broader audience such as releasing a album, 808s & Heartbreak. From then on, Kanye West changed the stereotype of rap artist having a somewhat thug image to more of a sophisticated style.  

Above are photos of Kanye West and Jay-Z upcoming tours that are around the world. This goes to show that hip hop music isn’t just for one range of audience but unlike the ideology, many races other than African Americans are interested and influenced by hip-hop music.

As I stated above, just from the “ideal” of rap artist having a thug trait, some people are uninterested in the show because it displays it. For instance, surveys show there’s a population of black people who don't support 106 & Park just because of the fact that its aired on BET (Black Entertainment Television). The "dominant ideologies" of 106 & Park are basically stereo types. Although the show is showcased and based around African American individuals, there’s a wide range of audience

The Genre

   In the 80’s, the world of film and radio came together to hit the American tv. We now know that station as MTV (Music Television). MTV limited specific genres of music videos, specifically focusing on pop/rock music videos. As you know from the last post, 106 & Park, the primary network music video show, is aired on BET. In contrast to MTV, BET (Black Entertainment Television) was created in attempt replace MTV’s failure to play african american music videos during the early years of its launch. This is what establishes 106 & Park’s genre. In the case of the research done, genre becomes important because it can be linked to the demographics of individuals who consume certain genres of music. It would be naïve to assume that those who listened to rap in the 1980s would have turned to MTV to watch videos, when MTV was known for having very few or no Black musicians.

    5 days a week, 106 & Park show the most popular urban/hip-hop videos. Designed to prove the advertisers who felt that “black videos” would not reach a wide enough audience wrong.

   With 75% of African-American viewers ages 18 through 24, 106 & Park attempts to close the rift that existed between black music videos and the availability of these music videos to its target audience. The target audience for 106 & Park is teenagers and young adults who are interested in popular music. The airs before 9pm so viewers know that the show will not involve adult themes. This ties in with the target audience as the language they use will be suitable for some younger viewers who may tune in to watch the show. 106 & Park goes to show that certain genres are not only linked to different demographics but they are also linked to different cultures.