Assignment: 21
- 1. Assignment 21 – Representation In Music Videos
- 2. Grime/ Drill • Section Boyz • Skepta • JME • 67 • 410 • 86 • Harlem Spartans • Kano • Abra Cadabra • Block 6 • Ice City Boyz • Wiley
- 3. Age and Class All of the artists have their hoods up, this is a representation of lower class as it is associated with chavs. Hoodies are also known to be worn by the youth, this gives an idea of the age of the artists. The fire in this video connotes violence and destruction which is often related back to todays youth and the lower class who care less about their surroundings Grime artists are often correctly associated with being from the streets. This is clear in their music videos through the mise en scene as their clothing gives an insight into their culture and lifestyle. Todays youth are portrayed as being violent and disturbing who walk around in big groups or lurk outside places disturbing elderly people. Grime reinforces this as most of the videos show gangs of people (the artists) walking round rapping. The youth portrayed In these grime videos are of low class however the individuals themselves are an exception to this. They are from poor dangerous areas in London where violence, drug dealing and gang violence is at a high. However, the artists that perform these songs have a lot of money (most likely from drug dealing) this is clear from their lyrics and also shown by how they dress and what they are actually doing in their videos. They are usually driving nice cars and have expensive alcohol.
- 4. Gender The grime genre is predominantly a male genre as gang culture is often associated with males. It is also like this because of what is talked about in many songs of this genre. This is clearly evident through the many groups and mc’s that are well known not only throughout the community but also in everyday life. For example, Skepta is a male grime artist who was one of the very first on the scene and arguably set it off into its popular ascension. He is now slowly progressing into the United States by doing collaborations with famous American groups such as the Asap Mob. There are also a few other grime artists that are beginning to break into other countries and these are all male. Despite grime being mainly male dominated, there are also many female grime mc’s. However, there isn’t many groups of female artists. The most famous ones would be MsDYNAMITE and Lady Leshurr. These are two of the most famous female grime artists, however they both have different styles. MsDYNAMITE focuses more on her singing in the hooks, she is also now beginning to merge into the DnB genre however she is still rapping. Her music videos are slightly different to most grime artists as she usually has a narrative in the daytime in it. Lady Leshurr is very different and is a mix between a regular male grime mc and Nicki Minaj. This is because of how she acts, dresses and even how she sounds. In terms of music videos, hers are much more relatable to the grime genre as it is purely focused on her performance.
- 5. Region/ Place London Manchester Birmingham Each region seems to have their own style of grime which also affects the way they film their videos. The conventions stay the same however there are some slight differences which can help define where a grime artist is from. The London grime scene is probably the most iconic with the pioneers of grime all coming from London. South London the main area for drill music, hence the name Brixton drill with groups such as 67 coming from here, new park road in particular. Drill music videos will often consist of a large group of people all walking around together “doing road”. The videos are all performance with the setting always being the streets. The most famous grime artist from Manchester is Bugzy Malone. The video above that I have used as an example is more of a professionally filmed video which is very different compared to the drill type of music. The type of grime in Manchester is more focused on individual mc’s rather than groups/ gangs. Bugzy Malone’s videos often have a narrative in them however it is still giving an insight into his life and culture like most grime videos. Devilman is a grime artist that is very different to most grime artists. This is because of his unique style and the type of beat that he raps over. He is very similar to Mr Traumatik who has the same kind of style but over drum and bass type music. Devilman is also very well knows for his clashes with Skepta and chip. These are essentially grime rap battles.
- 6. Ethnicity The grime scene is mainly occupied by black people. This is due to the populations in the areas where grime is popular. For example places in South London such as Brixton is where a lot of grime artists are from and live. Therefore, it is more likely that there will be black grime artists then white or Asian ones. However, this isn’t the case for everyone. Grime is also in other places such as Birmingham and Manchester where there are a few more artists of other ethnicities artists. The most well known white grime artist would probably be Devlin. Artists such as example and professor green are also quite big, however, they aren’t really full grime artists. Pacman and Shaker are two Asian grime artists that are very well known on the grime scene. They will often make references to their religion in the songs. Grime is a very diverse genre of music in terms of artists and it is very important to note that in grime everyone is accepted as one and there is no racism. It is unlike the rest of rap especially in America where black rappers walk around in loads of bling and hold up guns where as white rappers seem to be more conservative and less violent and there is quite a distinct difference. However in grime, the artists no matter what ethnicity, all wear the same type of clothes, all act the same and follow the same culture and lifestyle. This is very pleasing for the audience as well as it shows that a type of music shouldn’t be specific to one ethnicity.
- 7. Who and how are they represented? Grime is an alternative type of rap that is mixed with UK garage to create a unique genre of music that is specific to the UK. It is very prominent in London and is often used to represent the youth in todays generation that are linked with drugs and gang violence. Not only is this evident in the lyrics of the song, but it is also shown in the music videos as they often walk around showing off their daily life. The people in the music videos are always the artists and the videos are often all performance as it shows them going around as a gang drinking, smoking and throwing up gang signs. They are represented as violent people which is clear through their costume and their actions. Here you can see them all with their hoods up and them showing gang signs and pretending to have guns. Here you can see this person in his stone island jacket and his watch that is clearly being shown. Grime artist often like to highlight their life and show off by showing the clothes they are wearing and what they are drinking. For example they are often walking round drinking bottles of expensive alcohol. This is to highlight the money they make from selling drugs.
- 8. Mise en Scene As you can see from the images, the mise en scene in most grime/drill videos is very similar. This allows them to be easily identified and helps the audience relate to what’s happening. Most grime videos are filmed at night time in the dark. This is to give it a dark tone which fits with what they are rapping about. There is usually a group of people that are in the video, even if It is a solo artist. This highlights the gang culture that they are apart of as it shows them all with each other. The costumes they were in the music videos are always their own clothes. However, grime artists will wear very flashy and expensive clothes to show that they can afford them. It also makes them stand out and look good as they are wearing designer clothing. In terms of props, they are very minimal and often consist of a bottle of drink. They will often be pouring it on the floor or holding it out in front of them. Similar to the clothing, it is mainly to show their lifestyle and culture and how they make a lot of money from dealing drugs. They usually film the videos on the road in their ends. This could be their block of flats or just area in general. They also sometimes film videos in places like abandoned buildings to give the video a sinister feeling.
- 9. Camera Work Use of a Drone Drones are sometimes used in grime videos to show the area they are living in and what they are doing. It can also be used to show all of the people in one shot. Examples where this takes place is Section Boyz Lock Arff and Wstrn In2 Remix. They work very well as it highlights their lifestyle and culture in one shot. Camera Movement Low Angles Mid Shots There is a lot of low angles used in grime videos when filming the artists performance. This is to make them appear more dominant and powerful. The reason they do this is to show authority within their gang. The scarier the look, the more realistic their lyrics and emotions will appear. The purpose for mid shots in grime videos is to show the audience what is clearly happening whilst giving an insight into their culture. For example, one mid shot can capture a group of people, show what they are wearing and make their hand gestures and facial expressions clearly visible to the audience. Camera movement in grime videos is very important in not only setting the pace of the music video but also portraying how violent it is. This works in hand with editing as quick cuts and fast camera movement can create a fast pace video. The movement of the camera will often go in and out whilst focusing in on something. This is so that they can capture a variety of things in one shot. It is usually used because each shot contains more than one person and they can’t all fit into one shot together.
- 10. How does representation connect to the artists image and how does this representation appeal to their target audience? • The way the artists are represented connects to the artists image as this is how they want to appear to their audience. • The mise en scene is the most important in doing this, clothing/ costume in particular. The way the artists are shown in their videos will reflect on how their audience look. For example, if a particular artist is wearing a certain brand of clothing, the audience will likely go and by the same brand. • Grime videos are very concentrated on showing how the artists live. They give an insight into their culture and lifestyle, therefore how they appear is very important and will often alter the style and actions of their target audience. • Grime is related heavily to gang violence and drug dealing so the artists are often assumed to be involved in this. Although this is the case for some, there are others that have nothing to do with it. For example, the grime artist JME is a vegan, plays video games and has never smoked in his life, however, he often talks about drugs and violence in his songs. • A portion of grime fans will live a similar lifestyle to these artists that are in gangs. This may be because they have been influenced, or maybe they listen to this kind of music because of their lifestyle. This happens because people can relate to what they are talking about and therefore seem more involved in the music and what is happening.
- 11. Could anyone be offended by this representation and why? The Police Elderly People The police would be the main people to be offended by this, mainly due to the problems that is causes. This includes things such as drug dealing and violence. Grime not only talks about these but it glorifies them making them seem okay. Drug dealing is always shown to create a lifestyle where they have nice clothes and lots of money. They walk around as a gang looking like they have power. This is shown in videos where police cars will drive past them and the gangs will terrorise them and the police can’t do anything. This is all real life as well. The police are also often referred to in grime songs as feds and pigs. This is very disrespectful and would likely annoy the police. The other group of people likely to be offended by grime music will be adults but mainly elderly people. This is because the culture and lifestyle that grime represents can often be very threatening and will likely scare elderly people. This is because there may be gangs walking around at night or hanging outside certain places. The music may also offend them as there is a lot of loud noises and sounds that they won’t be familiar with. The language that is spoken in the grime songs will also offend adults and elderly people as there is a lot of swearing and talking about drugs and violence. The songs may seem repetitive or confusing to people who aren’t a fan of the genre of music as they wont understand it.
- 12. Does it reinforce or challenge a stereotype? • The representation of the grime genre reinforces the stereotype of today’s youth being disruptive and aggressive as they are portrayed as chavs/ roadmen who hang around at night doing nothing but causing trouble to the police. • It also reinforces the stereotype of teenagers doing drugs and drinking a lot of alcohol.