Music Videos as Health Promotion: Juvenile’s “Vax That Thang Up” and the Promotion of the COVID-19 Vaccine in the Black Community

Abstract

COVID-19 data reveals that the disease has disproportionately affected the Black community, yet the lowest vaccination rates can be found among this demographic. A myriad of factors can explain this health disparity, but structural barriers such as availability and vaccine apprehension amongst the Black community emerge as two primary reasons. Despite targeted outreach, traditional health campaigns directed at the Black community did not yield results; many argue this was due to the community’s history of medical exploitation and rightful distrust of the medical sector. Instead, the Black community turned to popular culture as a primary means of health information. In turn, Juvenile’s classic song “Back That Thang Up” was repurposed into a vaccine anthem—“Vax That Thang Up.” The PSA, which infuses hip-hop, health promotion, and the power of music videos, sparked controversy and has over 3 million views on YouTube. These considerations serve as the basis of this study, which will interrogate the intersection of health communication and pop culture, in relation to the music video—“Vax That Thang Up.” The researchers will employ the culture-centered approach to unpack how the music video disrupted traditional aspects of health communication campaigns.