jay-z music video

Music Video

Music Video Analysis:

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals3. There is a relationship between music and visuals4. A visual style5. Voyeuristic treatment of the female body6. Intertextual reference

Jay-Z – 99 Problems

1.• Hood/urban are, Brooklyn, New York.• Representations of a ‘gangster’ lifestyle – cruising in cars, dog fights,

loitering, pulled over by police, basketball, guns, criminality, money.• Street dancing.• Scantily.• Goes against representations of wealthy – lacks cars, money, clothes,

bling, women.• Women are minor element in the video.

2.• ‘From the hood’ – Jay-Z pulls his hood down.• ‘Radio’ – Image of radio.• ‘Bitch’ – Women.• ‘Jay-Z’ – Points to himself.• ‘Fast forward’ – Moves hand to demonstrate.• Overall, images illustrates the lyrics, theme of story = all the problems Jay-Z has.

3.• Cuts on the beat.• hard hitting music, aggressive sounding with emphasis on a beat rather than melody.

4.• Lots of shots of Jay-Z, some close-ups.• Close-ups of other men as well – aggressive looking.• Long shots of women, not close-ups (not important).• Jay-Z doesn’t need exposure because he’s established already.• Jay-Z has own record label, Rock-A-Feller.

5.• Jay-Z puts his hand over camera, audience look through fingers.• X-ray vision shot of money in boot, we see through the boot.• Video of Jay-Z outside subway station.

6.• Possibly a video of him, representing himself?