Kanye West and Jay-Z's music video for "Otis" features representations of black culture and rapper identity. It begins with the two rappers modifying a Maybach, a luxury car iconic in black culture and rap lyrics as a symbol of wealth and power. Their tough body language and Jay-Z grabbing the camera represent their ethnicity as black rappers. The video also shows four attractive women in the backseat, objectifying them and portraying them as sexual objects, which is common in rap culture. Throughout the video, symbols like a New York Yankees hat, Rolex watch, and American flag further emphasize the rappers' representation of black culture and identity.

1. Micky Hamid
Music VideoAnalysis1
Kanye West& Jay Z – Otis
The music videobeginswithatrackingshotof a Maybach. This car is iconicamongstblackpeople
and inrappersin particular,itisan emphaticsymbol of wealthandpoweramongblackculture and
as a resultisfrequentlymentionedinrapsongs. Thistherefore showsastrongrepresentationof
ethnicity. Kanye andJayenterthe shotholdingasaw anda blowtorch,clearlylookingtomodifyand
damage the car. Thisalsohas representationsof blackrappersasitshowsthat theyare perhaps
destructive. The bodylanguage the two use whentheywalk canalsorepresentthe factthatthey
are blackrappers.Theywalkina toughwayand withswagger,alsothe waythat Jay Z looksbackat
the camera showsthugbehaviour. We can alsosee thatthe videoissetin an industrial lotthrough
the establishingshotatthe beginningof the video.
Jay Z isgrabbingholdof the camerawhichshowsclearreflexivity,asitisexposingthe filmmaking
processand makingthe artificial nature obviousandintentionaltothe audience. Itcouldalsobe
seenasquite thugbehaviouras he is shakingandmessingaroundwithapiece of equipment,which
againis representinghisethnicityandhisoccupationasa rapper.Throughmise-en-scene,we can
see that JayZ is wearingaNewYork Yankeessnapback,whichisanextremelycommonitemof
clothingthatis predominantlywornbyblackpeople,sohe isagainemphasizingthatrepresentation.
Jay Z isalsowearinga large Rolex watch,whichisalsoa big symbol of wealth,whichhe is
representing.There isalsoahuge Americanflaginthe background,whichisiconic.Thisisbecause it
isshowingpatriotism,whichissomethingthatisoftentoucheduponinrap songs,as ‘America’and
‘USA’are oftenused.

2. Four girlsare seeninthe back of the newlymodifiedMaybachwhich representswomen ina
negative waybutisa common representationforKanye andJay.Womenare oftenobjectifiedinrap
culture as theyare representedasonlybeingusedforsexualpurposes.Thisisexemplifiedbythe
fact that there are four attractive girlsinthe back of the car wearingprovocative clothing sois
clearlyportrayingthe girlsassexual objects,astheysooftenare inrap culture.We can alsosee from
thisscreenshotthatthe car hashad its windowsanddoorsremoved,sparksandflamesfromthe
engine are alsocomingoutof the car. This isto make the classicand iconicMaybach, intoa more
sportycar, andfast sportscar are yet anotherrepresentationof rappers.

3. Kanye isseenholdinghishandsinprayerwhichagainrepresentsblackrappersandblack peoplein
general.Prayerandreligionisanextremelyimportantthinginblackculture andthisisshownbythe
fact that Kanye Westhas hishandsinprayer showsthat.In termsof postmodernism,religionisone
of the grand narrativesthatLyotardclaimedwasdyingoutas no-one believedinit,butperhaps
sceneslike these inmoderndaymediasuchas musicvideoscontradictthat.
In termsof narrative,there isn’tmuchhappeninginthe video.All thathappensisKanye andJayZ
modifyaluxuriousMaybachintoa sportscar and drive aroundan industrial lotinitwithgirlsinthe
back of it. The style of the videoisa performance asthe artistscan be seenmimingthe wordstothe
songsbut isalsoa conceptual videoasthere ismeaningandconnotationsincertainpartsof the
musicvideo.The narrative isstructuredbyusingcontinuityeditingandisa linearnarrative,however
the crosscuttingisdone rather slowlyandnotmanyfast editsare used,andinfact, slow motionis
usedinsome of the scenes.The entire videoconsistsof justone settingandveryfew scenes,andit
useslotsof close ups andtwo shots.All the soundinthe videoisdiegeticandnospecial effectshave
reallybeenused.