Music Video Analysis: Ill Manors- Plan B

This video belongs to the Hip Hop genre. However, this veers more towards the grime sub-genre. The video as a whole features elements of drugs, gang life and anti-establishment behaviour. These are very common elements of the grime sub genre.

The video starts with an establishing shot of the setting and the main artist himself. The setting is instantly recognisable as a grime/hip hop music video setting. Several more shots of the artist in what looks to be a very rundown and urban area follow this. Then the video becomes unique as it uses animation to portray what the lyrics are saying.

As is the case in most videos of this genre, the main artist is accompanied by a lot of extras who are they to essentially fill out the frame and portray the idea of this urban lifestyle. It is interesting to see how this video has used a mixture of performance, animation and narrative already.

The video goes on to talk about politics which is a very common theme in a lot of hip hop/grime videos. Many of these songs talk about how they don't like government and the politics of this country and this song is no difference. Politicians are mocked in order to portray the lack of faith that a lot of working class and unemployed people have in the politics of their nation.

Shots of riots and antisocial behaviour are also used in this video in order to fit into the whole narrative of the song itself. This is further backed up by shots of police and violence between the two groups.