The document summarizes several music genres and their typical conventions and lyrical themes. For hip-hop, it discusses themes of poverty, struggle, crime/violence, drugs, clothing/wealth that are commonly found in lyrics. For indie rock, it outlines themes of love/heartbreak, youth, and friendship. Electro/techno lyrics focus more on beats and samples than lyrics, though some popular songs incorporate vocals about senses, climbing up/down, and playing music.

1. Genre Research

2. Hip/Hop

3. Genre Conventions
• Poverty- Artists describe working class roots and how the environment
they live in can often lead to crime and violence.
• Struggle- Artists explain the way they have to struggle to get noticed in the
industry, or to make a name for themselves.
• Crime/Violence- A substantial amount of Hip/Hop artists have aggressive
lyrics and videos that emphasise the violent conventions of the genre
• Drugs- Drugs such as cannabis, cocaine and crack are mentioned in a huge
amount of songs within the genre, the distribution of drugs is also a
common theme
• Clothing/Wealth- The need to boast amount expensive, stylish clothing is
a popular convention of the genre, it ties in with the need to show they
have escaped their working class background.

4. Typical Lyrics- Hip Hop
• Notorious B.I.G- Juicy
“It was all a dream, I used to read word up Magazine, Salt ‘n’ pepper and heavy D up in the limousine”- Discusses how his lifestyle
has changed from ghetto to Lavish
• Odd Future
“OF Shit that’s all I got, to my little brother Frankie to my little brother Tac, to the Father figure rock to that skatey nigga Lac”-
Discusses how he and his friends are working class and that their friendship is their strongest asset
• Chief Keef- I don’t like
“Snitch Nigga’s, that’s the shit I don’t like”- Discusses dislike for criminal informers, portraying his criminal lifestyle. Inclusion of the
word ‘Nigga’ is common in Hip/Hop lyrics and emphasises both ‘ghetto’ and aggressive themes
• Eminem- Brain Damage
‘Brain Damage, ever since the day I was born, drugs, is what the used to say , I never knew which way I was going but everywhere
I go they keep playing my songs’ – Discusses how he is an outcast in society and the references to drugs relates the common
Hip/Hop themes of crime and narcotics.
• WU TANG CLAN- C.R.E.A.M
‘Cash rules everything around me, C.R.E.A.M get the money, dollar dollar bill’. – Portrays ghetto lifestyle and explains how the
working class ‘ghetto’ attitude evolves around the lack of money individuals have and their poverish life's.

5. Indie Rock

6. Genre Conventions
• Love/Heartbreak- Lyrics and videos often surround the theme of love, and
pain caused by relationships and break-ups. The male dominated genre
has a unique twist on the theme of love that is not seen in more female
dominated genres like mainstream pop.
• Youth- The theme of youth and coming of age is a popular convention of
the indie genre
• Friendship- As the majority of indie artists are formulated of male
musicians, friendship is a key convention of the genre

7. Typical Lyrics- Indie/Rock
 Joy Division- She’s Lost Control
‘Confusion in her eyes, that says it all. And she’s clinging to the nearest passer by, she’s lost control. And she’s gave away the
secrets of her past, and said I’ve lost control again’ – Portraying the story of a couple dealing with an affair, also hints on
themes of mental illness that is common in Indie/Rock.
• Blink 182- I miss you
‘Hello there, the Angel from my nightmare. The Shadow of the background of the Morgue, the unsuspecting victim of darkness in
the valley, we can live like jack and sally in the if we want’ – Supernatural themes of death and crime (victim). Themes of
love and despair.
• Arctic Monkey- Riot Van
‘Up rolled the riot vans and sparked excitement in the boys, but the policemen looked annoyed, perhaps these are ones they
should avoid’
• King of Leon- Charmer
‘She stole my Karma, She’s such a charmer’
Again references to broken relationships and emotional pain that reoccurs throughout the Indie/Rock genre

8. Folk Music
Electro/Techno

9. Typical Lyrics- Electro/Techno
• As our genre of electro/techno is mainly a formation of different beats and sample types lyrics are not such a significant
factor within the genre. However some of the more mainstream, popular songs in the genre do have some lyrics.
Such as:
Rob Swire vocals:
it’s been so long I’ve been out of my body with you
I feel alone, feel at home, feel like nothing is true
you take me to a place where my senses gave-way
turn it round, shut it down, what the people say
climbing up, coming down, gonna give you some
take my hand and let it come, let it come, let it…
take it back when she knows that your doing it right
because everybody else knows what their taking tonight
but I just wanna play it right
we, we’re gonna get there tonight!
it’s been so far, I’ve been walking the line on my own
Other similar products that used lyrics include:
Fatboy slim- Praise You
Example - Kickstarts (Bar 9 Remix)
Rudimental - "Deep In The Valley" (Woz Remix)