The video depicts a day in the life of Biggie Smalls, starting with friends arriving for a party and then a performance. It clearly connects the lyrics and video through lines from the song. Biggie is the sole performer throughout, clearly portrayed as the main character. The video uses children to represent Biggie and his friends, subverting expectations for a rap video in a youthful concept similar to the film Bugsy Malone.

1. Narrative Performance Conceptual
ADHERE • The day in the life of B.I.G –
starts with friends arriving
and having a party then to
a performance.
• Clear connection
between the lyrics and
video – as he keeps the
saying ‘sky's the limit’ and
‘when I was a child’.
• The was times when he
was lip-synching.
• Clips of things to do with
the lyrics.
• The is one performer
throughout – there is a
representation of the artist.
He looks like B.I.G – you
know he is the main
character through the
lighting and camera work,
he is the focus and always
at the centre of the video.
• Youthful concept as they
use children that
represents them.
• Has kind of a link with the
‘BUGSY MALONE’ with the
gangster style/accepts.
SUBVERT • Our expectation of rap
videos by using children to
portray themselves.
The Notorious B.I.G video is a hybrid because it has a narration which is about his life as a rapper
and it also has a performance aspect to the video as they lip-synch and portray things from the
lyrics. Additionally the video ‘sky’s the limit’ has a concept of using children to represent
themselves.