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Syfers
Brad Syfers
English 2367 M/W 9:30
Professor Danley
4/9/2016
Do we really listen? [EXPLICIT]
Do people really listen to what their favorite artists say? Some argue that you cant
even understand what some artists say, and one of those people is an artist himself,
Hopsin. Hopsin is a popular, and somewhat controversial hip-hop artist from California.
No words by Hopsin is a parody skit from his album Pound Syndrome. In the music
video for No Words Hopsin parodies the general sound, and attitude of many
mainstream hip-hop/rap artists. The obvious message of the video is that rap today
F*ckin sucks bad (Hopsin/HopsinTv) but, the video represents so much more.
Through parody, imagery, and characterization No Words depicts a shallow,
unintelligent form of rap that promotes a profoundly negative image of the American
Identity.
Hopsin begins No words by addressing the audience. The way he speaks to, and
of his audience is less than complimentary, he sees his audience as the unintelligent
dumbasses who have helped the artists he parodies reach the level of fame they have.
Hopsin says, these fools aint spittin no type of dope shit, but thats not even the bad
part. Theyre not even saying words anymore. They just got a hard ass f*ckin beat to trick
dumbasses like you to make you think you like the Sh*t (Hopsin/HopsinTv) After
Hopsin makes this statement, the song truly begins. Staying true to the title, Hopsin says
no words, at least none that we can understand. Using a very generic beat, autotune, and

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inaudible lyrics he puts together a song that is truly indistinguishable from many current
mainstream hits. At the conclusion of No Words, Hopsin says, Now watch these
dumbasses be like AYYE THAT SHIT WENT HARD THOUGH! (Hopsin/HopsinTV)
Essentially, Hopsin is saying that even though No Words is a parody, some may miss
the point and take his song as legitimate. This is also his way of saying through parody,
that this is the kind of music being circulated through the main stream, and it has no
substance. It is shallow and unintelligent, and many follow it blindly are also shallow,
and unintelligent. This possibly includes some of Hopsins audience.
In No Words Hopsin takes shots at various artists in the mainstream hip-hop
community. Hopsin uses imagery to help show just how shallow, and unintelligent the
artists he parodies can be, as well as showing what the music they make is focused on. In
every shot of the video you see either a gun, a stack of money, an extravagant car, or a
stack of seven Styrofoam cups (no doubt they are supposed to be filled with lean). Not to
mention various shots of other drugs, and provocatively dressed women. For example, we
see Hopsin rolling a golden joint on the rear end of a woman. In that shot you get the
sense that weed is gold, and the woman is just an object he is using. This shows us that
these things are what these artists value above all else, and that these things are what
matter. The people and objects in the videos dont mean anything other than this is
dope. Just like the songs themselves, the videos made for them are shallow and
unintelligent as a whole.
The No words video is a good example of what makes an epic or dope
music video today. What makes a good music video based on mainstream standards
though? Another Hip-hop artist, Lil Dicky made a video titled $ave Dat Money, in

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which he set out to make the most epic rap video ever for no money. (Lil Dicky) Lil
Dicky acquired large homes, expensive cars, and provocatively dressed women among
other things to create the $ave Dat Money video. Scoring over thirty seven million hits
on youtube, it would seem Lil Dicky accomplished his goal of making an epic video.
Similar to Hopsin in No Words, Lil Dicky sought out these cars, and women, etc.
knowing that these are things the mainstream hip-hop community values, and its what
sells. If these are the things that help videos sell or become so popular in the
mainstream, it paints a negative picture of what is important to American culture, and
what we look for in entertainment.
In most cases, the content of music videos not only makes it more appealing to its
viewers, but it also influences them in many ways. The affect that videos being parodied
in No Words can have on American culture, and specifically American youth cannot be
ignored. In an article titled Impact of Media use on children and youth from The
National Center for Biotechnology Information it is stated that, Music videos may have
a significant behavioral impact by desensitizing viewers to violence and making
teenagers more likely to approve of premarital sex. ("Impact of Media Use on Children
and Youth.") The article also reads, Women are portrayed frequently in a condescending
manner that affects childrens attitudes about sex roles. ("Impact of Media Use on
Children and Youth.") The videos that Hopsin Parodies in No Words certainly promote
negative themes such as; drug use, materialism, and degradation of women. If music
videos do have the influence that Impact of Media use on Children and Youth suggests,
then the shallow and meaningless themes promoted in the videos being parodied by

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Hopsin are what American culture and youth may use to fuel decisions, and chose how
they act.
Just as important as a video, or song itself is the artist/artists who create them. The
artists characterized by Hopsin in No Words all convey similar unintelligent,
meaningless themes, and carry a large amount of influence due to their fame. In Fan
Club Confessions Courtney Bennett describes a studies done over the amount of
influence celebrities may have on the behavior, and decisions of teens. Bennett writes of
the study, a whopping 60 percent admitted that an idol had influenced their attitudes
and personal values.(Bennett) If a teen were to idolize one of the artists that Hopsin
characterizes in No words, then according to the study examined in Fan Club
Confessions their attitude may reflect that of those artists, or their personal values may
be focused on material objects, or partying. Bennett also cites the fact that many times,
people do not realize or want to admit that they are influenced by their idols in such large
ways. She explains, Participants indicated that despite strong attractions to their idols,
they were not inspired to change their own behavior based on these celebrities' lives or
accomplishments.(Bennett) While it may not be intended, artists videos, or songs may
still influence some without their audience even realizing it. If the Artists Hopsin parodies
in No Words are in fact influencing the teens, or others who idolize them, then their
shallow, and unintelligent themes are continuously being spread through American
culture.
Through his video, Hopsin just how shallow, and unintelligent hip-hop can be. As
a result he depicts a very negative side of the American identity, whether it was intended
or not. Hopsin calls out his audience for possibly being a part of the reason the artists he

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is calling have become so popular. He uses imagery to show what their music is all about,
material objects and shallow ideas. Through parody, Hopsin shows that those material
objects and shallow ideas are what it takes to make a successful music video in our
culture. Artists, and their music videos largely influence our youths attitudes, and
choices. If these artists, their videos and their themes are whom we as a culture idolize, or
are what top our billboards with then our identity is certainly a negative one.

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Works Cited

Bennett, Courtney. "FAN CLUB CONFESSIONS: Teens Underestimate

Influence of Celebrity Idols." Psychology Today 35.1 (2002): 18.Academic

Search Complete [EBSCO]. Web. 9 Apr. 2016.

Hopisn/HopsinTV. Hopsin-No Words. Online Video Clip. Youtube.

Youtube, 6, October 2015. Web. 28, May 2016.

"Impact of Media Use on Children and Youth." Paediatrics & Child
Health. Pulsus Group Inc, May 2003. Web. 9 Apr. 2016.

Lil Dicky/Lil Dicky. Lil Dicky - $ave Dat Money feat. Fetty Wap and
Rich Homie Quan (Official Music Video) Online Video Clip. Youtube.
Youtube, 17, Septermber 2015. Web. 1, April, 2016.

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