The document provides a textual analysis of the music video for "How I Got Over" by The Roots. It summarizes that the video uses various cinematic techniques to portray themes of poverty, crime, and struggle in an urban environment. This includes the use of low lighting, derelict buildings as a setting, and characters dominated by people of color. Specific shots are described that follow the disabled main character and rapper through the streets from a high angle, reinforcing their vulnerability. The wheelchair prop further emphasizes the theme of poverty and creates sympathy for the character.

1. • Opening shot- Textual Analysis notes: The Roots- How I Got Over
Cassette entry • Drug addict
sped up • Editor chosen to give two being pushed
Props: main characters main air away by
• Wheelchair- time, makes audience dealers- slow
Reinforces theme identify with them and the motion-
of poverty, struggle they have living in emphasises
creates sympathy the ghetto crime/poverty
in urban Camera
for character
• Boombox/Cassett environment
e- emphasise • Low lighting • Various low-angle establishing shots
retro feel of throughout- Editing of Urban/Ghetto environment
setting Emphasises
• Graffiti- negative
Reinforces Ghetto themes/lack of • First shot, close up: 3 quick cuts of 80’s style
environment and welfare in tape cassette inserted into boom box speaker,
help to connate urban followed by close up pan of portable
Hip/Hop environment wheelchair/speaker system
Mise En Scene
• Whole video • Opening performance
• Setting dominated Male • Tracks of both rapper and mid shot- lead singer in
by Ethnic dominated- disabled man following full black clothing in low
characters, Works parallel them through streets, high lighted derelict building
common with lyrics angles portray them as looking away from
connotation of ‘Everyman for weak compared to the vast camera conveys
ghetto- White himself out ghetto landscape negativity and poverty
Police emphasises here’ that relates with the
racial divide lyrics

2. Derelict building
Non-Direct address: again implies
Suggests he is lonely
and works parallel Screenshots that the
character is pore
with themes of and lives a very
isolation working class
lifestyle
All Black clothing
works with low
lighting to create
negative themes that
emphasise the
themes of struggle
and poverty in the
urban ‘ghetto’
landscape setting
Graffiti reinforces Confrontation
urban between drugs
environment addict and drug
dealers- Portrays
how the ‘ghetto’ is
Old damaged dangerous and
building suggests the builds on themes of
setting is poor and crime and violence
not looked after

3. Framed in the middle of
shot, emphasises
important of character and
makes the audience
identify with him more
Wheelchair prop reinforces Character with back to camera, symbolises the them of hope
theme of poverty that runs and he wants to move away from the ‘ghetto’ environment
throughout and creates and make something of himself
sympathy for character