1. Anthony Williams
A2: Godwin’s theory
Hip-Hop- The Game and 50 Cent - Hate It Or Love It
1. Hip-hop genre of music focuses on mostly ethnicity of black urban life-
styles for example showing estates, ghettos, streets of where the person
comes from also presenting who lives their and how. This is shown in the
music video The Game and 50 Cent - Hate It Or Love It showing black
people out on the streets in New York and Los Angeles. The video
constantly relates back to Goodwin’s theory in the hip hop genre as it
shows jewellery on the artists, graffiti, expensive cars, well known brands
and gang references. As in the video we can see both artists in vehicle
while one looks out the window we can see clouds this makes us aware
they are in a jet this demonstrating the rich life-style also due to the name
brands they are wearing and thick gold jewellery while rapping.
2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals in this hip hop video as
the artist’s constantly talking about where they are from and how it is like
living their for example poverty, drugs, murders, life struggles, and gang
life style. They also use visuals to help plan it out to the audience so they
work together to relate better to the audience as they understand both
artists share similar struggles within different cities. The visuals help the
audience see what is going on and can understand more of what they are
talking about within their lyrics. In this print screen below it shows a boy
changing his appearance constantly then stops at a suitable choose,
wearing all red. The audience can now tell what type genre it is because
the artist's lyrics matches the visuals, “I'm from Compton where the wrong
colours be cautious” this relating back to rappers firstly because most
known rappers come from Compton and secondly stereotyping them to
mostly all be involved in well known gang culture in the area; aswell as
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seeing red the audience can also tell he is or once was a notorious a Los
Angeles, California Blood.
3. Hip-hop videos intend to follow the music’s tempo when editing as a part of
the relationship between music and visuals as in this video the editing is
calm and slow matching the style of the song by using fades and visible
editing throughout the whole video so that the audience can be drawn into
the song and video. Hip-hop videos try to gain a strong relationship
between music and visuals so that the audience can tell what type of song
it as the audience can tell in this video that it a sad story about growing up
in the ghetto and that it is not a party song or street anthem as the editing
isn’t fast and frequent.
4. The demands of a record label in hip-hop intend to focus the artists
backgrounds and personality for example a women has to have some sort
sex appeal while a man who sings needs to be handsome, although in this
case the demands of the record label in the video intend for the artist's to
look urban wearing baggy clothes and jewellery this helps the audience
understand what type of genre it is. The record label also focus on close
ups so that the audience can see the artist. This gains the artist public
attention and helps develop their career in the music industry so that they
can make a large of amount sales. This is used within the video as the
artists are seen constantly so we can know what they look like and so we
class them as someone famous and extraordinary this building a
connection with viewers.
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5. The notion of looking in this video shows many elements of hip-hop but
which is really frequent is the use of CGI used as a setting to alternate
between Compton, California and Jamaica, Queens, New York.
6. Intertextual references are very common in hip-hop videos as artists intend
to show t expensive products and knowing the other stars make them look
sound more appealing to their audience. In this video there are many
intertextual references to other artists, gangs and products. 50 Cent wears
a NY baseball cap this references back to the New York Yankees this helps
the audience understand where he is fro while The Game shows graffiti of
N.W.A which was a well known Los Angels hip-hop music group, which also
points out where is from.
7. The narrative of the video is primary about both artists' childhoods growing
in up in two tough cities and the struggles they have to overcome to
become rappers. This is shown by the notion of looking.
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Rock- Evanescence - Bring me to life
1. This music video has the genre characteristics of rock genre due to the
visuals of four members of a band in a room performing, playing
instruments, such as drums and guitars. Also each person in the video
wear black or have black hair this associated with the sub-culture Goths,
Goths are known for listening to rock and heavy metal.The music of gothic
metal is generally characterised by its dark atmospheres, this is shown in
the video as we constantly see darkness as it is set at night.
2. The relationship between lyrics and visuals is strong in the rock genre as
gothic music in generalfrequently creates deep, depressing, romantic,
passionate and intense feelings. This is proven when we hear the lyrics in
the song, “How can you see into my eyes like open doors?Leading you
down into my core where I've become so numb. Without a soul, my spirit
sleeping somewhere cold. Until you find it there and lead it back home”. It
looks like she has having a bad nightmare of someone trying to invade her
mind and she is calling for help, this feeling menacing and intense. The
lyrics of this video also show use the vocals of rock as when the male
singer of the band sings. He makes a range of guttural growls and shrieks;
this is also a diverse range of vocal styles in gothic metal.
3. The dark visuals in the background create a gloomy, depressing and
menacing effect as each room is shadowy also outside. The woman in the
video is seen to wear a white robe making her look innocent and pure, this
makes the audience feel she doesn’t belong in this place and could be in
danger. This blends with the music as it is critical and heavy based making
her look and feel small.
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4. The demands of the record label occurs in this video as the audience see
close ups of the main artists being the female and the leading male artist,
also we are shown each member of the group. This creates a connection
between the audience and them as it feels as if the audience know each
and everyone turning them into fans, this creates sales for the group.
5. The notion of looking shows the representation of gothic appearances by
showing darkness, tattoos, black hair, and instruments such as guitars and
drums.
6. There are not many intertextual references used within this music video
although one that stands out is a woman wearing a clown mask that
appears to be similar to the horror film Halloween, this is used to represent
fear and shock which embodies gothic beliefs in rock.
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7. The narrative of the video starts with the main artist in a nightgown and
asleep in a bed within a building, dreaming of falling through the air below
a skyscraper. As the chorus begins, the band are performing in another
room in the building as she awakens, making her way to the window. She
climbs out of the window of her room and begins to climb the building until
she reaches the window of the room where the band is performing. The
leader of the band in the building notices her and opens the window, which
accidentally causes her to lose her balance and grabs the ledge for safety.
Throughout the bridge and chorus, the leader of the band unsuccessfully
attempts to reach for her, and she falls off the building. However, she is
shown asleep within her bed again, as if the music video were a dream.
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