Give the verse to the extrovert
The Rapper is on screen for nearly all 30 seconds and in every close-up. Pick the friend who will enjoy being the main character, or the one whose face is the joke.
Video trend
AI Rap Music Video With a Friend: Who Raps, Who Sings
Two-person music videos work when each role has its own job. In the Gangsta's Paradise template the Rapper carries the verse for most of the video and the Singer waits for the chorus at the end. This guide helps you decide who goes where and which photos hold up.
- Final video
- 30 seconds
- Your input
- 2–3 photos
- Quality
- 720p
THE ORIGINAL30 SEC / 4 / 3
Casting the verse and the chorus
Save the chorus for the surprise
The Singer appears only briefly, walking past around 6 to 7.5 seconds and alongside the Rapper around 12 to 15 seconds, then sings the chorus from about 27 seconds. It suits the quiet friend, a parent, a boss or a pet, because the reveal comes late.
Rapper photo
A sharp, front-facing photo with the whole head in frame and even light. The close-ups at about 0, 9 and 16 seconds fill the frame with the Rapper's face.
Singer photo
A full-body or waist-up photo helps, because the Singer is mostly seen walking in wide shots. The face still needs to be clear for the chorus close-ups at the end.
Make them easy to tell apart
Different hair, skin tone or clothing colours keep the two performers distinct when they walk side by side at 12 seconds.
Pets and characters
Either slot accepts a pet or a character photo. Results with animals are less predictable in the microphone close-ups, so check those shots before posting.
How to make it
Add a photo for the rapper and singer. The background is optional: add a photo to change it.
- 01
Pick the rapper
Upload a clear photo of the person who raps. A sharp, front-facing face with the whole head visible works best, because the rapper fills the frame in several close-ups. Everyone pictured should have agreed to appear.
- 02
Pick the singer and the quality
Upload the singer's photo; a full-body photo helps, since the singer is mostly seen walking in wide shots. Add a location photo in Background if you want a different setting, or skip it. Choose 480p, 720p or 1080p and review the quote, which covers the full video and both preparations.
- 03
Check the performance
Watch the rapper's mouth in the close-ups, both faces in the wide shots and the singer's chorus at the end, then download your 4:3 MP4 with the song.
Verse and chorus
The Rapper performs the verse for about 24 seconds; the Singer stays silent in the background and then sings the closing chorus. Each takes the face, hair, build and outfit from their own photo.
The whole performance
All 30 seconds in 4:3 landscape: close-ups at the microphone, wide shots down the hangar, the two walking side by side and the trooper choir at the end, with the cuts in the same places.
The original song
Your video keeps the clip's soundtrack, "Gangsta's Paradise" by Coolio featuring L.V. The song is not sent to the video model; the mouths follow the motion guide and the song is put back at the end.
Your own background
An optional location photo moves the whole performance out of the hangar into a street, a studio, a stage, a kitchen or any wide place. Leave it empty to keep the original hangar and its rows of guards.
Any pair
Friends, siblings, a boss and an employee, or two characters you designed. The reference performers are replaced by grey silhouettes in the motion guide, so neither is reused.
Photo tips
- One person per photo
- A sharp face for the rapper
- A full-body photo works for the singer
- Pick two people who look different
- Your own outfits stay
- Use photos of people who agreed
Questions & answers
What is the Gangsta's Paradise AI trend?
It is a 30-second 4:3 AI music video set in a white sci-fi hangar lined with armoured troopers. One performer raps the verse of "Gangsta's Paradise" into a handheld microphone in close-ups and wide shots, a second performer walks past and then sings the chorus at the end, and the troopers raise microphones as a backing choir. Oakgen's template puts the two people from your photos in it.
What song is it?
"Gangsta's Paradise" by Coolio featuring L.V., from 1995. The reference clip uses the original recording, and your video keeps that soundtrack.
Who is in the reference clip?
An AI-made fan parody with look-alikes of two Jedi from the Star Wars prequels. This template is an unofficial fan-style format, not connected to Lucasfilm, the films or the song's rights holders, and neither look-alike is kept in your video.
Do I need two photos?
Yes. The Rapper and the Singer each need a photo, because the motion guide replaces both performers with grey silhouettes, so neither of them is kept. A third photo, for the Background, is optional.
Can I change the background?
Yes. Add a location photo in the Background slot and the template tries to build the whole performance in that place, keeping both performers, the cuts and the camera moves. The hangar and the armoured guards are removed. A wide, evenly lit photo with a visible floor works best. Leave it empty to keep the hangar.
Who sings?
The Rapper performs the verse for most of the video. The Singer is silent while walking past and sings the chorus in the last few seconds. Put whoever should own the microphone in the Rapper slot.
Do we wear the robes?
No. There is no costume. Each person wears the outfit from their own photo instead of the reference's dark and beige robes. The hangar and the armoured guards stay as they are unless you add a background photo.
Will it use my voice?
No. The video keeps the original recording, whoever is in the photos. You do not record anything.
Does the mouth match the words?
The song is not sent to the video model, because famous recordings are refused. The mouths follow the movement tracked from the reference performance, and the song is restored at the end. These are instructions to a model, so check the close-ups before posting and re-run if the lips clearly drift.
Whose photos can I use?
Your own, or photos of people who agreed to be in the video. Do not upload photos of actors, celebrities or anyone who has not consented, and label AI videos clearly when you share them.
How long is the video?
30 seconds in 4:3 landscape, in seven shots, ending on the trooper choir and the Singer's chorus.
Is the preview generated by Oakgen?
No. It is the AI reference clip the trend comes from, used as the motion and timing reference, not an Oakgen result. Its two performers are never reused.
How much does it cost?
6,090 credits per 720p video. The quote includes both photo preparations and the complete video. Check it before generating.
Ideas for your next video
Plan a story, keep your character recognizable, and make the finished clip your own.
How to Make the Gangsta's Paradise AI Video With Two Photos
Make the Gangsta's Paradise AI hangar video step by step: choose the Rapper and Singer photos, read the quote, check the close-ups and post it responsibly.
The Star Wars Gangsta's Paradise AI Parody Explained, and Who to Cast in Yours
Why the Star Wars Gangsta's Paradise AI parody works, what the song is, what the template keeps and how to cast the Rapper and the Singer in your own version.
Make your Gangsta's Paradise video
Upload 2–3 photos. Everything else is set.