Anthony Williams

A2: Godwin’s theory

Hip-Hop- The Game and 50 Cent - Hate It Or Love It

1. Hip-hop genre of music focuses on mostly ethnicity of black urban life-styles for example showing estates, ghettos, streets of where the person comes from also presenting who lives their and how. This is shown in the music video The Game and 50 Cent - Hate It Or Love It showing black people out on the streets in New York and Los Angeles. The video constantly relates back to Goodwin’s theory in the hip hop genre as it shows jewellery on the artists, graffiti, expensive cars, well known brands and gang references. As in the video we can see both artists in vehicle while one looks out the window we can see clouds this makes us aware they are in a jet this demonstrating the rich life-style also due to the name brands they are wearing and thick gold jewellery while rapping.

2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals in this hip hop video as the artist’s constantly talking about where they are from and how it is like living their for example poverty, drugs, murders, life struggles, and gang life style. They also use visuals to help plan it out to the audience so they work together to relate better to the audience as they understand both artists share similar struggles within different cities. The visuals help the audience see what is going on and can understand more of what they are talking about within their lyrics. In this print screen below it shows a boy changing his appearance constantly then stops at a suitable choose, wearing all red. The audience can now tell what type genre it is because the artist's lyrics matches the visuals, “I'm from Compton where the wrong colours be cautious” this relating back to rappers firstly because most known rappers come from Compton and secondly stereotyping them to mostly all be involved in well known gang culture in the area; aswell as seeing red the audience can also tell he is or once was a notorious a Los Angeles, California Blood.

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3. Hip-hop videos intend to follow the music’s tempo when editing as a part of the relationship between music and visuals as in this video the editing is calm and

slow matching the style of the song by using fades and visible editing throughout the whole video so that the audience can be drawn into the song and video. Hip-hop videos try to gain a strong relationship between music and visuals so that the audience can tell what type of song it as the audience can tell in this video that it a sad story about growing up in the ghetto and that it is not a party song or street anthem as the editing isn’t fast and frequent.

4. The demands of a record label in hip-hop intend to focus the artists backgrounds and personality for example a women has to have some sort sex appeal while a man who sings needs to be handsome, although in this case the demands of the record label in the video intend for the artist's to look urban wearing baggy clothes and jewellery this helps the audience understand what type of genre it is. The record label also focus on close ups so that the audience can see the artist. This gains the artist public attention and helps develop their career in the music industry so that they can make a large of amount sales. This is used within the video as the artists are seen constantly so we can know what they look like and so we class them as someone famous and extraordinary this building a connection with viewers.

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5. The notion of looking in this video shows many elements of hip-hop but which is really frequent is the use of CGI used as a setting to alternate between Compton, California and Jamaica, Queens, New York.

6. Intertextual references are very common in hip-hop videos as artists intend to show t expensive products and knowing the other stars make them look sound more appealing to their audience. In this video there are many intertextual references to other artists, gangs and products. 50 Cent wears a NY baseball cap this

references back to the New York Yankees this helps the audience understand

where he is fro while The Game shows graffiti of N.W.A which was a well known Los Angels hip-hop music group, which also points out where is from.

7. The narrative of the video is primary about both artists' childhoods growing in up in two tough cities and the struggles they have to overcome to become rappers. This is shown by the notion of looking.

Rock- Evanescence - Bring me to life

1. This music video has the genre characteristics of rock genre due to the visuals of four members of a band in a room performing, playing instruments, such as drums and guitars. Also each person in the video wear black or have black hair this associated with the sub-culture Goths, Goths are known for listening to rock and heavy metal. The music of gothic metal is generally characterised by its dark atmospheres, this is shown in the video as we constantly see darkness as it is set at night.

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2. The relationship between lyrics and visuals is strong in the rock genre as gothic music in general frequently creates deep, depressing, romantic, passionate and intense feelings. This is proven when we hear the lyrics in the song, “How can you see into my eyes like open doors? Leading you down into my core where I've become so numb. Without a soul, my spirit sleeping somewhere cold. Until you find it there and lead it back home”. It looks like she has having a bad nightmare of someone trying to invade her mind and she is calling for help, this feeling menacing and intense. The lyrics of this video also show use the vocals of rock as when the male singer of the band sings. He makes a range of guttural growls and

shrieks; this is also a diverse range of vocal styles in gothic metal.

3. The dark visuals in the background create a gloomy, depressing and menacing effect as each room is shadowy also outside. The woman in the video is seen to wear a white robe making her look innocent and pure, this makes the audience feel she doesn’t belong in this place and could be

in danger. This blends with the music as it is critical and heavy based making her look and feel small.

4. The demands of the record label occurs in this video as the audience see close ups of the main artists being the female and the leading male artist, also we are shown each member of the group. This creates a connection between the audience and them as it feels as if the audience know each and everyone turning them into fans, this creates sales for the group.

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5. The notion of looking shows the representation of gothic appearances by showing darkness, tattoos, black hair, and instruments such as guitars and drums.

6. There are not many intertextual references used within this music video although one that stands out is a woman wearing a clown mask that appears to be similar to the horror film Halloween, this is used to represent fear and shock which embodies gothic beliefs in rock.

7. The narrative of the video starts with the main artist in a nightgown and asleep in a bed within a building, dreaming of falling through the air below a skyscraper. As the chorus begins, the band are performing in another room in the building as she awakens, making her way to the window. She climbs out of the window of her room and begins to climb the building until she reaches the window of the room where the band is performing. The leader of the band in the building notices her and opens the window, which accidentally causes her to lose her balance and grabs the ledge for safety. Throughout the bridge and chorus, the leader of the band unsuccessfully attempts to reach for her, and she falls off the building. However, she is shown asleep within her bed again, as if the music video were a dream.

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