In order to analyze Will Smith's song and video titled Party Starter, it is important to understand the history of hip-hop music. Hip-hop music was born from rap music. Rap has been around since the 1970s. Originally, it was a way for inner-city African-American youth to express their daily struggles. Most rap songs had a simple beat with words spoken in time to the beat. These songs were generally upbeat, even when the subject matter was serious. There was a feeling or hope that things would get better. Soon, record labels began to repackage rap music as it grew in popularity. Business-minded leaders sought to create broader appeal by erasing hip-hop's historical function. Hip-hop has become a business. Rap music was a precious commodity. In the 1980s, music was resold on the streets through marketing ploys such as videos and Top 40 charts. With the rise of rap, a subgenre called gangsta rap emerged. Many rappers went from talking about how they wanted the killings to stop to talking about how they were the ones doing the killing. In the late 1990s, gangsta rap became more mainstream. Many artists have done what the record companies wanted, writing lyrics that sell. The public has become more ethnically and economically diverse. Gangsta rap was successfully marketed to rebellious inner-city and suburban teenagers. Business-minded artists were pushed into taking on the role of “gangsta,” “playa,” or “pimp,” earning them big salaries. Why does this version of rap sell? Because America, and especially its youth, loves sex, drugs and violence. However, record labels began to receive criticism regarding the explicit lyrics and videos. This led to a new era and "stu...... middle of paper ... also criticizes this acceptable form of hip-hop. The song is about how the music has changed since he moved away from He started out as a musician While his acting career took off, Smith focused on acting. In Party Starter, Smith says hip-hop isn't good anymore, but people are mostly white. so it sells. Because it sells, that's what the record companies want. To be successful, artists have to deliver what the record companies demand. At the end of the video, Smith is now dancing in a line. with a group of white women dressed in hats and country clothes Smith says in the song that he wants the music to return to its roots. He suddenly stops, points his arm at the camera and leaves the set. . wants while making fun of it at the same time.