A young Rick Ross from the “Aston Martin Music” video.
THIS STORY ORIGINALLY APPEARS IN THE DECEMBER/JANUARY 2011 ISSUE OF XXL (ON STANDS NOW).
One of the most unique ways to view the world is through the eyes of a child. So it’s no wonder that rappers have started using kids as miniature representations of themselves in their videos, to denote innocence, vulnerability and other themes not typical of the vainglorious MC lifestyle. Yo Gotti, Soulja Boy, Rick Ross and Cee-Lo understand this, as they’ve featured mini-mes in some of their more recent videos.
The trend isn’t exactly new to hip-hop, however. Director Spike Jonze, who has shot videos for rappers such as the Beastie Boys, Diddy and Ludacris, is perhaps most known for his direction of The Notorious B.I.G.’s 1997 posthumous “Sky’s the Limit” music clip. The visuals for the inspirational rap record featured not only a mini Diddy and pint-sized Biggie, but also a young Faith Evans and Lil’ Kim, as a creative technique to work around B.I.G.’s unfortunate absence. Visuals with a similar concept, like Busta Rhymes’s “Gimme Some More” and DMX’s “Slippin’,” followed suit a year later.
The trend picked up again in the earlier part of this decade, with videos such as LL Cool J’s “Hush” (2004) and Game’s “Hate It or Love It” (2005). Now the concept of using kids in vids to play younger versions of the MCs has returned, thanks to Soulja Boy’s “Blowing Me Kisses,” Yo Gotti’s “Look in the Mirror,” Cee-Lo’s “Fuck You” and Rick Ross’s “Aston Martin Music.” The last two were both directed by Miami’s Gil Green, who points out that children add integrity to rap narratives. “Hip-hop is so reflective,” says Green. “It’s all about your identity, keeping it real, and the way you grow up sometimes is a part of that.”
Yo Gotti recruited his hometown’s baby-faced MC Lil P-Nut, seven, to play a young Gotti in his video for “Look in the Mirror,” the third single off his upcoming Live From the Kitchen LP. P-Nut’s heavy Memphis accent and his uncanny ability to mirror Gotti’s mannerisms made him an obvious match for the role. “Outside of [the record], I never used kids in my other videos, because I think it’s a sensitive area,” says Gotti. “I think ‘Look in the Mirror’ as the title fits because of the way we know children look in the mirror and see what they want to be. It’s positive.”
Just don’t mix kids and Eye Candies. Then the message gets confused. —Brooklyne Gipson
CHECK THE FOLLOWING PAGES FOR MUSIC VIDEOS FEATURING CHILD ACTORS PORTRAYING YOUNG ACTORS
Read More: XXL Magazine » News
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