3. Poverty- Artists
describe working
Genre Conventions
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.
4. 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
5. 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
7. 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
8. 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’
