At least on film...
Everything in the world shows up in duality, mainly darkness and light. In the movie Moana, there is a personified version of this concept in the character of Mother Nature. The duality is Tefiti (light) and Te Ka (darkness).
Where am I going with this? Music visuals and films have captured both the good and bad of society - in this case, the hood. Hip Hop and film in the 90s framed and reflected the hood as a dangerous place full of crime and low life expectancy, especially for the "chosen ones". Think Ricky from Boyz N The Hood. (That poor fellow didn't leave that place on time.)
In addition, if the Hip Hop songs weren't about violence, they were about sexual objectification. The "Tefitis" of Hip hop did exist too, and they include Will Smith and Jazzy Jeff with their song Summer Time. Another one is Skeelo's I wish. These were a few of the rap songs that framed the hood as a utopia. A Tribe Called Quest and Queen Latifah are two artists amongst many who represented the East Coast in that regard, with some edge.
However, none of these genres has framed the hood as beautifully as Neo Soul. A good example is Jill Scott and her music video of A Long Walk. The camera strolls with her against the backdrop of people hanging out under the sunset, from her love interest's POV. The surroundings also include young men playing basketball. It is the classic visual hood-topia.
Another example is the music video of Girl Next Door by Musiq Soulchild ft. Ayana. This is a coming of age song and the music video reflects that by framing the hood as a childhood paradise with relatable memories. When the main characters in the video (played by Musiq and Ayana) grow up, they become each other's love interests. Their environment also becomes a lovers' paradise. This is a far cry from the "Te Ka" of the hood widely seen on film and music in the 90s.
One can also acknowledge that there have since been other movements and genres that have continued the legacy of positively framing the black community and the environment it mostly inhibits. This includes the Classic Man movement led by Jidenna and conscious rap by Common.
Most recently, Hip Hop has become centered on personal expression and niche appeal, rather than mainstream and generic creative direction. In my observation, artists like Vince Staples, Kendrick Lamar and Noname fit this category. The visuals and images that accompany their music also have an arthouse essence to them, which brings a new kind of visual beauty to the hoods that they come from.
Could the postmodern "Tefiti" of Hip Hop give Neo Soul a run for its money? Maybe, but one can also argue that Hip Hop (visually) pushes the envelope now, due to the inspiration of Neo Soul. That's a hot take, but feel free to share your thoughts.