Hustle Hard

Hustle hard, which is a hip hop video created to narrate ones elevation into ‘the big time’, is an illustrative narrative, which contains unique editing techniques to instigate the story the performer, ‘Ace Hood’ (Antoine McColister) is trying to tell.

The opening sequences of the video constitutes of an establishing shot of a street which sets the scene for the performance and also connotes the performers characteristics to ‘Hustle Hard’.

This establishing shot is accompanied by titles, which introduces the name of the video its self and also the main performer/artists.

This long shot is used to make the viewers aware of the environment the star image/protagonist is living in and enduring on a daily basis.

Examples of the unique editing skills demonstrated on this video are the intricate cuts from right to left and vice versa.

This editing style has been implemented to conjunct the artists lyrics, as they tell a story in itself.

Further examples of the unique editing skills employed are seen through the use of the distinctive orange umbrella, which is used as transitional tool. The use of this prop is particularly clever as it is employed instead of the traditional transitional fade or the use of subtle dissolves. It’s also used to connote the performers change in lifestyle as he is ‘On to the next one’ you may say.

The medium close up is one of the most common camera shots used during this music video. It’s used so the audience can witness the artist’s emotions and facial expressions as he performs. attraction.

The whole transformation phase involving the umbrella is crucial because it acts in conjunction with lyrics of the song and this in a way justifies modern hip-hop. This for me balances the narrative and performance aspects of the music video due to the synchronized tandem between the lyrics and the performance.

The main artist of the video is always kept in perspective to elaborate his importance due to fact of him being the main attraction.

Overall, I personally think the video is highly effective due to the justifications of the video it self. The story the artist narrates is well depicted by the performances in the background. These are elevated by the use of mid shots and incisive editing skills employed to keep the narrative style of video smooth and consistent.