YouTube UK Hip-Hop Content Opportunity Analysis™ 2019-2022

Content Opportunity Methodology

1. Measure & Categorize. Sample a large number of social posts to find ones that are significantly outperforming the average.
2. Identify Top Themes. Identify the themes that are resonating most with the audience by sorting the themes by their aggregated performance metrics.
3. Identify a Benchmark. Identify content themes that are performing above and under an average benchmark for the industry based on views & engagements.
4. Identify Opportunities. Look at the data and find the content themes that are resonating with the audience based on a set of top creators.
5. Repeat For Each Platform. Repeat the analysis for every platform that matters to your brand and audience to find platform-specific opportunities.

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YouTube Content Bucket Definitions

• Cyphers: Cyphers are video formats featuring freestyles and performances with rappers in a collaboration of two people or more.
• Interviews: Interviews are video formats featuring artists who participate in conversations for their fan base to get to know them on a deeper level. YouTube features predominantly owned interviews as opposed to reposts featuring unique series such as Gasworks, Chicken Shop Date & radio interviews.
• Single Format Performance: A video format featuring freestyles and performances by an artist live or in studio from a variety of series such as Mad About Bars, Daily Duppy, Fire in the Booth, Plugged In, The Cold Room, Voice of the Streets and Warm Up Sessions.
• Classical Kyle: A video format featuring a classical music specialist sitting down and discussing the meaning of specific bars from artists. 
• Up & Coming Cypher: A video format that elevates up and coming talent in the form of a cypher, a freestyle or a performance by two or more artists at one time.
• Up & Coming Freestyle: A video format that focuses only on single format freestyles and performances only for up and coming talent in the rap game. Notable up & coming cypher series include BL@CKBOX and Next Up?.
• On the Pitch: An SBTV series called the “Wrighty's Tekkers Challenge” where rappers head to the football pitch to see if their music talents translate to the game. 
• Acoustic Rap: A BBC Radio 1xtra “Live Lounge” acoustic performance series of an artist’s songs with a live band.
• Think The Same: A series made to see if members of different rap groups or fans of rap think the same when given the chance to agree or disagree with a statement.
• Live Club Performance: A format by Boiler Room, these performances include a mixture of rap dj-ing and performances in crowded and small performance spaces. 
• Acoustic Covers: Acoustic rap performances accompanied by a live band where artists perform covers of other songs as opposed to their own pieces.
• Rate My Bars: Participants go through a series of different bars and give them a rating out of 10 and why they chose that rating.
• Taste Test: Rappers come on the show to try different foods and drinks blindfolded.
• OG's React: Rappers are invited onto a show to listen to new rappers and give their honest reactions and opinions.

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Content buckets that had the highest average views & engagement in the UK hip-hop space include:

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Good performing content opportunities for the UK hip-hop audience on YouTube include:

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Substandard performing content opportunities for the UK hip-hop audience on YouTube include:

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Low performing content opportunities for the UK hip-hop audience on YouTube include:

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Content Opportunities:

1. Cyphers

Cyphers are video formats featuring freestyles and performances with rappers in a collaboration of two people or more.

Tactics to Implement:

• Introductions: Top performing cyphers in this category feature a short introduction slide of less than 10 seconds with the cypher beat already playing in the background. The rappers start performing straight into the video with no introductions. Link Up TV’s HB Freestyle cyphers generated significantly less average views (-2,067%) with the inclusion of a 30-second introduction.
• Footage: These videos feature simple studio backgrounds with moody lighting. Throughout the cypher, the clips flip to many different angles to show the rappers but also to capture the reaction of the producer or host.

Content Opportunities: The cypher that generated 90% of the total views in this category is Plugged In w/ Fumez. The participating rappers all wear masks and rotate around the mic to perform.

44M Views

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34M Views

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2. Interviews

Interviews are video formats featuring artists who participate in conversations for their fan base to get to know them on a deeper level.

Tactics to Implement:

• Video Length: Top performing videos in this category generally range around 5-6 minutes in length.
• Filming Style: Interviews that follow a consistent style tend to attract consistent views across videos. For example, “Chicken Shop Date” interviews all take place in chicken shops across England to be relatable and engaging for the audience.

Content Opportunities:

• Amelia Dimoldenberg’s “Chicken Shop Date” series generated 90% of the total views in the interview category. Amelia’s interviews aim to build humour in the awkwardness of a date with rappers in a chicken shop.
• Creating a series that can put artists on the spot while getting their reactions is one way to leverage this format.

13M Views

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1.5M Views

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3. Single Format Performance

Single format performances are video formats featuring freestyles and performances by a single artist live or in studio.

Tactics to Implement:

• Video Effects: The top-performing single format performance is GRM Daily’s “Daily Duppy”. As the rapper performs, their lyrics are shown on the screen in a dynamic format that enhances the viewer’s experience with additional illustrations and images to build perspective on the lyrics.
• Backgrounds: Serialized performance formats like Daily Duppy, Mad About Bars, HB Freestyle and The Cold Room all have consistent background that viewers can expect in each video from black & yellow backgrounds to warehouse studios or sound booths.

Content Opportunities: Series like Fire in the Booth, Plugged In and Tiffany Calver Freestyle all have memorable hosts behind the videos. These hosts create strong introductions for their guests and build anticipation for the audience through intense audios and strong personalities.

33M Views

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13M Views

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4. Classical Kyle

“Classical Kyle” is a video format featuring a classical music specialist sitting down and discussing the meaning of specific bars from artists.

Tactics to Implement:

• Personality: Part of this series’ success is from the naivité and awkwardness of the host, Kyle. It creates a funny environment that artists have to navigate through with him.
• Juxtaposition: The unique concept of bringing in a classical music specialist to talk about rap brings a different dimension to the content. They discuss not only the lyrics but also the technical aspects of their musical abilities.

Content Opportunities: Top performing videos in this segment are about 9-10 minutes long. They represent an opportunity to explore the boundaries of what’s already common in the hip-hop industry and combine it with something outside that comfort zone. For example, starting a series combining hip-hop artists and academic researchers for deeper analysis of content.

10M Views

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4M Views