Hip Hop/Rap music video analysis: 99 Problems- Jay Z

The first most noticeable thing about this video is the grey colour scheme. This fits right into the hip hop/rap genre and instantly suggests this song is going to have some sort of deep meaning/message about it. It is also good to note that a lot of Jay Z's songs have the same sort of feel to them, with some form of nostalgia or some story to tell from the past. This could be a use of intertextuality as it is a common theme throughout a lot of Jay Z's music. This fits into the Goodwin theory that nearly all music videos contain intertextuality.

There are quite frequent references to the slum life that a lot of people had to go through as a child, something which Jay Z also frequently references throughout all of his music. A shot of a man holding a gun and a child wearing a balaclava are the first signs of this sort of "ghetto" lifestyle which many endured. The setting of the majority of the video is also a reference to this as most of it is rundown buildings and squalid looking houses.

One of the typical conventions of a music video is ever present in this one. This is where there are lots of close ups of the main artist in order to emphasise who the attention should be on and to create more awareness of who the artist is for people who have never listened to their music before.

Throughout the video there is also evidence of the racial tension which existed in these ghetto type areas. This is particularly noticeable during the policeman scene.

There are also lots of moments in this video where women are sexualised purely for the male viewers. The "male gaze" theory is clearly in use here. This is a very common convention for this genre of music so it is unsurprising that it features here.

Genre brainstorm

This was our groups genre brainstorm. The other day in class our group brainstormed all the different genres there are and basically decided which ones we were interested in and which ones we weren't. I couldn't actually make the lesson on the day, however 2 members of our group started it and we finished it in the next lesson. This was a useful bit of research as we all decided on which genres we thought would be suitable to cover for our music video. In the end, we decided to go for hip hop as it is a very recognisable genre and one we are all familiar with.

Our genre

The genre our group has decided to choose is the Hip Hop genre. We all came to an agreement on this because we all felt familiar with the genre and most of us regularly listen to it. We are also familiar with many of the artists which makes it easier when it comes to creating our own one. Because of this we felt it was a logical choice to pick this genre.

Mobygratis research

http://www.mobygratis.com/home
Today during lesson we visited the website Mobygratis.com. This is a website where an artist has allowed people to use his music for free in non-profit pieces of film.

This is the home page of the website. This features a brief introduction to the site and a video from Moby himself explaining what his website offers.

This is the catalog of the website where people can choose which song they would like to use in their piece of work. To then use this song, they have to contact Moby himself who will accept the request within 24 hours.

There is also a video page on the website which shows videos which have used Moby's music and been sent in to be portrayed here.

This page is useful as it gives us another option for our music video. However, as a group we have come to an agreement that we will use a different song to cover instead of using any of the music from this page.

Songs and genres our group are considering

This is a list of songs and genres our group is considering to cover for our music video.



Prodigy- Breathe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmHDhAohJlQ (electronic)

Prodigy- Firestarter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmin5WkOuPw (electronic)

Skepta- Amnesia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_70a_tFddQ (hip hop/grime)

Wiley- Can you hear me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbQaCCb_Gzc (hip hop/grime)

Drake- Find your love: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xyv4Bjja8yc (rap/ hip hop)

Kid Cudi- Day 'n' nite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrDfSZ_6f4U (hip hop)

Black Eyed Peas- I gotta feeling: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSD4vsh1zDA (hip hop/pop)

Sean Kingston- Fire burning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkyhvCdJ_vM (hip hop/rap)

Rolling Stones- Paint it black: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4irXQhgMqg (rock)

Lenny Kravitz- Fly Away: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvuL5jyCHOw (rock)

We haven't decided our genre at the moment, as shown by the variety of genres of the music videos listed above. However, the majority of the songs listed are hip hop. This is a genre our group is considering heavily. This is because it is a genre we are all very familiar with and all listen to. However, more research into the genre and other genres will conclude our decision.

These songs are not final choices and there may be others which we decide to add, the main focus of this piece of research was to look at different genres and how each music video was either different or similar to others in the same genre.

Cross media case study

Cross media case study (2) from james Covill

Goodwin's music video theory

Goodwin's music video theory consisted of 6 points which are now universally known in the industry:

1. Music videos will demonstrate genre characteristics. E.G. a stage performance in a rock video.

2. There is a relationship between the lyrics and visuals. This means that what can be heard in the lyrics will usually be seen in the video.

3. There is a relationship between the music and visuals. This means that the pace, tone, mood and feel of the music will be portrayed in the video. This is usually portrayed in the editing of a video. E.G. as the pace of the music builds the cuts will be more frequent.

4. The demands of record labels will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist. The artist may also develop motifs which become a reoccurrence in most of their music.

5. Frequent reference to the notion of looking and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.

6. Often intertextual references.

This theory applies to nearly every music video and essentially sets out the codes and conventions of music videos. This will be the structure that our group uses when it comes to actually creating our music video.