- How is the artist being represented?
- Who is the target audience and how are they being addressed?
- What evidence is there of input from the record label?
Genre
The genre is hip hop/rap, which is usually associated with big jewellery, baggy clothing and an urban setting. The music video conforms to these conventions as it includes shots of an estate, with images of graffiti, jewellery in a shop, and men in baggy clothing. The video also features police and Jay-Z getting shot, linking to the stereotype of violence and crime.
Lyrics and Visuals
The lyrics of the song match the visuals being shown, helping tell a story and therefore having a synchronous relationship. Examples of this are shots of police while Jay-Z sings 'do you know why I've pulled you over?' Jay-Z then replies ''cause I'm young and I'm black with my hat pulled low' while shots of Jay-Z are shown and he pulls down his hat over his face. Furthermore, the lyrics 'snapped by paparazzi' accompany mugshots of boys.
Music and Visuals
The cuts within the video are in time with the beat of the song. This makes it fast, aggressive and harsh, matching typical hip hop and rap songs.
Record Label Influence
There are many close-ups of Jay-Z as he sings. The record label is clearly trying to sell his music and image to people. The close-ups of Jay-Z also show him acting aggressively, and close-ups of other aggressive men are included, fitting with the genre. Long and mid-shots of women are used instead of close-ups, suggesting they are less important than men. However, there is a significant amount of close-ups and voyeuristic shots of the womens' bodies.
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