Analysing Afrika Shox by Leftfield using Andrew Goodwins theory of music videos.

1. Afrika Shox is another music video which follows
Goodwin's theory of music videos. The song is by
Leftfield featuring Bambaataa. It was released in 1999
and reached No.7 in the UK charts.

2.  The video is more of a story following the character
more than a performance. It is trying to show how the
black culture is suffering through a predominantly
white culture. To enforce this, during the break-
dance scene the character watches and then joins in
with the white dancers. (3:12-3:36) This
metaphorically shows how the black culture is dying
and more people are becoming standardised to the
white culture. During this scene one of the white
dancers kicks off the main characters leg as he is
breakdancing. This symbolises the white culture
taking control of power in music and dance.
 As the main character is African American, the genre
characteristics show that this music is black urban
and hip hop.

3.  In the video an African American is shown to be
hobbling round the streets of New York. This
character reflects the idea of slavery and war
veterans and how the black culture is still being
undermined and discriminated. As a main theme
the character implies the idea of suffering
because or for the country. To emphasise this
suffering, the costume is black and ragged and
lifelessly sits on the persons body. He limps
round the city like he doesn’t belong and stands
out against the washed out pale faces.

4.  The location used is in New York which is an
urban area and reflects the music variety. The
city is made up of geometric patterns and
uses bleak colours. This amplifies the music
and the genre because of the technical,
industrial side to the city which shows the
technological/ electric side to the music.
 Furthermore, an underground car park is
used for the break-dance scene. This allows
the music to echo and amplify the hip hop
culture.

5.  The artist is only scene once through the
whole music video and is shown as a hero/
Samaritan to the man. Relating to star image,
we are shown him in a low angle which makes
him look more powerful than us.
 The veteran is used the most as the main
character, and is shown to be suffering as he
hobbles around. We are put in his shoes and
feel sympathetic as we follow him around
showing how he has to deal with
discrimination by himself.

6.  There are no women in the music video for us
to be voyeuristic towards them, but the
notion of looking is still used as we watch the
main character. We watch him through one of
the bystanders, watching but not helping.
 Usually the camera would watch the women's
body to sexualise her, we watch the veterans
body in a negative way and see how he is
broken down physically by society.

7.  The location of a towering, entrapping city is
also used from films ‘Metropolis’, ‘Blade
Runner’ and ‘The Matrix’. These all create a
dystopian world that we are sucked into and
get lost in, like a fantasy.
 Mary Shelly’s book ‘Frankenstein’ reflects the
veteran walking through New York. “The dun-
white sockets in which they were set, his
shrivelled complexion and straight black
lips”. It shows how the man is an outsider and
a loner, just as Frankenstein was.