Introduction to the Music Video Project

 


Intro: Music Video Project

In this upcoming project, I am choosing to work alone in the sense that I won't be grouping up with anyone else within my class. My reasoning for this is that I am not familiar with anyone in my class to the point where I am willing to meet up with them and film the music video. Normally, I wouldn't have an issue meeting up with someone I am not too familiar with if it is to complete a project, but due to the persisting Covid-19 epidemic, I think it is best that I fly solo for now. I am sure that doing this project individually is the best option to maintain my health and I am confident that I will still enjoy completing this project. As far as which song I chose, I selected Brenda's Got a Baby by Tupac Shakur. The song is about a 12-year-old girl named Brenda who lives in the ghetto and is struggling to raise a baby she doesn't have the means to support. The song explores the issue of teen pregnancy, among others, and the effects of it on the mothers, their families, and their communities. According to the song, Brenda was a young girl who was emotionally abused by her parents, two avid drug abusers. She was targeted by an older cousin and they engaged in sexual relations that ended up with her becoming impregnated. Her parents did not care about the outcome of her pregnancy as long as they received their government assistance, as the song states, "she tried to hide her pregnancy, from her family, who really didn't care to see, or give a damn if she went out and had a church of kids, as long as when the check came they got first dibs..." Brenda gave birth to the baby unexpectedly on her bathroom's floor with no one around to help her. With no support at all Brenda could not think of any other option but to dispose of the baby. She attempted to leave the baby in a trash compactor, but didn't realize how emotionally attached she was to her newborn child. So, she took the baby back and attempted to sell drugs in order to be able to support the child. Unfortunately, as a young girl in a rough city, she was merely robbed of the substance. Brenda saw no option but to sell her body in exchange for money to support herself and her child. This solution worked initially, but the practice eventually led to her death, though the song does not specify the exact circumstances in which she passed away. I chose to do this song because the song itself is performed in a story-telling manner. Tupac is telling the story to a friend of his who fails to understand how Brenda's situation is any of his, or the communities', business. This song immediately came to me when I was contemplating on how my music video could "tell a story". I intend to act out myself telling this story to a person in my music video. 




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