An Underground Rap Video at A Magic Theater

morpheis91

Elite Member
Sep 13, 2007
199
4
Philadelphia
www.myspace.com
Hey This Girl Here, "Killer Cass" can really rap and she recorded a cool little video at Grasso's Magic Theater Here in Philadelphia. She is a friend of mine and just trying to get her a little bit of exposure she is new to the internet.

She wants to integrate magic into her videos any cool ideas??

Watch It All The Way Through She Integrated her part with Brittney Spears'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDUpRc_YqBw

Also She has two Youtube Channels:
http://www.youtube.com/user/cindytv1
http://www.youtube.com/killercass23

Also if you like it share with your friends. It would be cool for some Ideas on magic related rap video.
Thanks Guys and Gals!
 
Sep 9, 2007
512
0
kinda poked around her channel, just a few comments....

1. Lyricially, she's not bad. She's got some clever ideas and overall is pretty good.
2. She has zero street cred. What she says is tough, but it just sounds like she's yelling for no reason and yelling louder because no one's listening.
2.5 She sounds like she's a b**** for no reason. She's gotta justify that too otherwise she's going to be easy to dismiss.
3. Just looking at her, she looks like she's not sure what her image is. They way she dresses and acts is incongruent with what she says.
3.5 Probably because she has no image. No signature. No anything.
4. Angry white rapper has been done. You can be lyrically clever without being so in your face.
5. The on again off again accents are strange. Unless that's just how people from philly speak. I dunno, I'm canadian so maybe it just stood out more for me.

Generally, she sounds like she hasn't found her own sound yet and is trying out other people's. It'll take some playing around, but until she figures it out, it's just not going to sound right.

Overall, she has potential once she gets that all straightened out. PM me and get her in touch with me. I know some people who might be able to help her out.
 
I've got some notes for your friend. I mean all of this in the most constructive way possible.

I think her performance was good, but I would have liked to see more of her.

I didn't like the splicing element in the music video. The video opens with Spears and then cuts into Cass's rap sequence, then cuts back to Spears. It doesn't focus at all on her as an artist. It gives more of the impression that the video is about Spears, and some raper chick is just cutting into the act. To put the emphasis on Cass the video needs to open and close with her. Just to illistrate my point; a total of 1:12 minutes is focused on Cass, leaving the other 2:12 minutes of a 3:24 minute video devoted to Spears. Also there really is no visual or lyrical justification to incorperate Spears into this video other than the one line "Wait a minute, thats not Britteny." I think it takes more away from Cass as an artist than it gives.

There is also the very serious element of copy right infringement. Yes I understand it is unintentional, your disclaimer does a good job of stating that but as an artist Cass needs to stand alone, not on the backs of others. Using THAT much Spears footage and music makes her look like a hack- an image she desperately wants to avoid.

The lyrics of the rap doesn't really mesh well with the character presented in the video. The character of a blonde in a formal gown playing with magical props on a magicians set contrasts too much with the harder hitting rap music. Due to the serious contrasts of image and lyrics it makes the character look fake, or out of place.

I think she could also annunciate her words better. The performance felt a bit loose. She should try slowing the rap down and not trying to spit fire the lyrics out so fast. Quality over speed I think is what is missing.

When she goes into her rap lyrics she needs to use a back beat, or less of such a long pause. The pause and start of the background music while she raps is distracting.

Pay attention to contenuity if you are going to be filming a video. She appears in a black leather like jacket at 1:41 which she does not have on four seconds later at 1:45. There is no reason or justification for the wardrobe change.

Also there is a wardrobe conteinuity error at 1:45 she is seen wearing a pink and white top with black tight fitting pants, but then at 1:48 during the lyrics "I spray the block" she is wearing a fancy black sparkling evening dress. At 1:53 she's back to the pink and white top. This wardrobe change takes place again at 1:56, 1:57, 2:00, 2:01, 2:09, 2:12, 2:17, 2:19, 2:21 to just name a few. None of these wardrobe changes are justified by the plot of the music video or the actions of the subjects there in.

At 1:28 she interacts with a prop in the scene that looks like a black raven on a ball statue, the scene cuts and she doesn't have any further interaction with this object. There is no justification for the action.

Contenuity error at 1:53. the white rabbit is sitting on the table in center frame right behind the primary subject but then at 1:57 the rabbit is on the ground left of the trunk in center frame. Two foreign objects are now on the table where the rabbit was. Nothing justifies these objects appearance.

The smaller contenuity errors are excusable, anytime you do a shoot more than once you run the risk of getting a couple that leak through the editing room, but the wardrobe errors and the large amount of Spears stock footage makes this video look amature, all-be-it a very very high end and well done amature video.

Lastly: I understand she wants to intergrate magic into her videos and act somehow, but I don't really see how magic and such a hard edge rapper sound will work well together. I think she needs to get a better handle on her own image first, before she starts trying to tinker with another element that is foregn to that genre.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Jan 13, 2008
1,137
0
Sadly, I was not impressed at all with that video. Like has been mentioned, cutting her into the Spears video didn't come off well at all. The lyrics didn't really seem to match the character she presented visually at all. It just rubbed me the wrong way in every way.

However, I checked out her other two songs. Those were a hit and a miss with me. I liked It's Impossible. She rapped really well there; she had a great flow going there. I wasn't all that impressed with Dyin To Be Down, though (although I love the beat...The Game, and especially Lil' Wayne, do that beat a lot more justice, however...that's despite Lil' Wayne's rap being recycled from another of his songs; it just sounds better on that beat. But that's beyond the point). Like was mentioned, the purpose and her credentials are a complete mystery. Why does she rap about what she does? What was her life like? What'd she go through?

Escalating the problem, she doesn't have the "desperate" sound that a lot of the rappers who rap about the same thing have. Taking the Game/Lil' Wayne song "My Life", for example, you can really feel from their voice the struggle that they're portraying in their lyrics. Even if you couldn't understand English, just from how they sound, you can get a feel for what they're rapping about. It's a struggle. With that girl, it feels very forced and fake.

If she is truly justified in rapping about what she does (i.e., had a very tough life, grew up on the street, etc), then I hope she can get the proper help in portraying that a little bit better. If not, maybe she should rap about something a little more...real. It doesn't take away from the person as a rapper; it adds credentials, since she'd be rapping about something that's actually from her life, about reality, instead of a fantasy world. Take Asher Roth for example (and he's from the Philly area, too)...his first single was about college life (and oh how accurate it was, at least for my university, heh). He doesn't fall into the trap of emulating all the other rappers out there...he created his own style, and rapped about what he knows about. He's a white kid who went to college...it'd be silly for him to rap about a tough life, guns, and hoes (well, that last one...he DID go to college, sooo...haha). And look at him, he's doing wonderful, because he is being himself and it shows.

Anyway, just some things to think about. I wish all the best for your friend. :)
 
Dec 14, 2007
817
2
Have not seen the video BUT:

If more people analyzed their magic performances/character/presentations with the depth of thought demonstrated here (as opposed to mere 'you flashed') then our art would spiral upward at an exponential pace. Excellent points were made - all of which could be directed toward any magic performance. Importantly, the were informed by an understanding and appreciation of the history and context of the art and not random claims and wishes (ala steerpike).

Perhaps familiarity doesn't breed contempt, but blindness?

Brad Henderson
 

morpheis91

Elite Member
Sep 13, 2007
199
4
Philadelphia
www.myspace.com
kinda poked around her channel, just a few comments....

1. Lyricially, she's not bad. She's got some clever ideas and overall is pretty good.
2. She has zero street cred. What she says is tough, but it just sounds like she's yelling for no reason and yelling louder because no one's listening.
2.5 She sounds like she's a b**** for no reason. She's gotta justify that too otherwise she's going to be easy to dismiss.
3. Just looking at her, she looks like she's not sure what her image is. They way she dresses and acts is incongruent with what she says.
3.5 Probably because she has no image. No signature. No anything.
4. Angry white rapper has been done. You can be lyrically clever without being so in your face.
5. The on again off again accents are strange. Unless that's just how people from philly speak. I dunno, I'm canadian so maybe it just stood out more for me.

Generally, she sounds like she hasn't found her own sound yet and is trying out other people's. It'll take some playing around, but until she figures it out, it's just not going to sound right.

Overall, she has potential once she gets that all straightened out. PM me and get her in touch with me. I know some people who might be able to help her out.
Hey Thanks for the critisism It was a video for fun but she has street credit here, you have to remember that street credit is different than fame. If anyone follows the underground scene in Philly than you know Killercass. I think she did that Brittney thing to get more views for her other music. All of you are right about her image she used to dress regular and "gangsta" cuz that was just her she grew up in the hood and was even homeless at one point. She is experimenting with her image alot. THank you all for the constructive criticism and yeah.
 
Nov 15, 2007
1,106
2
35
Raleigh, NC
I agree with the videos, you need to get a video shoot going. It'd be more impressive to have live shoot instead of pictures and a recording.

as for the content..

Coming from a city that isn't known for creating rappers(Durham), in a state that doesn't have a nationwide-known 'ghetto'(North Carolina), and living in a decent part of town; I went to school with people, both male and female, that are just as good if not better.

If she has notebooks of rhymes at her disposal, original beats being created for her, and the ability to freestyle then she might be better than I'm thinking.

Not bad-but nothing spectacular. That's my verdict as of right now.

Oh, and when I say notebooks, I have 6 'composition' notebooks full of slam poetry. I write part-time. If she wants to be a rapper she better have more to say then what she's already said.


-Rik
 

morpheis91

Elite Member
Sep 13, 2007
199
4
Philadelphia
www.myspace.com
I agree with the videos, you need to get a video shoot going. It'd be more impressive to have live shoot instead of pictures and a recording.

as for the content..

Coming from a city that isn't known for creating rappers(Durham), in a state that doesn't have a nationwide-known 'ghetto'(North Carolina), and living in a decent part of town; I went to school with people, both male and female, that are just as good if not better.

If she has notebooks of rhymes at her disposal, original beats being created for her, and the ability to freestyle then she might be better than I'm thinking.

Not bad-but nothing spectacular. That's my verdict as of right now.

Oh, and when I say notebooks, I have 6 'composition' notebooks full of slam poetry. I write part-time. If she wants to be a rapper she better have more to say then what she's already said.


-Rik
Dude She has written 100s of songs and has so many notebooks filled up with her stuff lol. She also records in the "Roots" studio and has alot beats just for her but she doesn't put them online she is waiting to put them on her album.
 
Sep 9, 2007
512
0
Coming from a city that isn't known for creating rappers(Durham), in a state that doesn't have a nationwide-known 'ghetto'(North Carolina), and living in a decent part of town; I went to school with people, both male and female, that are just as good if not better.-Rik

what?!?!?!?! :D:D:D

Little Brother is from Durham!!!! Shouts to Phonte and Big Pooh! (And 9th and the rest of the Justus League.
 
That...was...awful. All she did was sound like a girl version of early Eminem. Her lyrical style, delivery and musicality is all like his. Nothing lyrically worth listening to. I love rap and hip-hop. I am a turntablist, and have been so for 8 years, and this was some of the worst music I have heard.

Onto the video itself. If she really wanted to do something like this, she should have remixed the song more and substituted all of the original lyrics for her own. I was waiting forever for her to show up. This is not an effective video for her to make in an effort to get her name out. It should be more direct and all about her.

Magic is a great idea for videos, but this just was not done to its full potential.
 
Searching...
{[{ searchResultsCount }]} Results