Use of media language in “Afrika Shox”

Music by left field and BambaataaDirected by Billy Clayton

Goodwin's TheoryCharacteristics of the Genre

The genre of the music video, Afrika Shoxs is immediately identified as techno/electronic subtly by the first shot, the sirens and flashing lights of a Police car. These identify the genre as electronic/techno is often associated with bright lights and electronic sounds, much like the siren of a police car. This scene establishes the genre as well as the sort of places that the genre is likely to be heard, Nightclubs and raves, both of which often have bright lights around them, strengthening the idea that the genre is electronic/techno.

Along with this in a later shot there is a security guard of some kind speaking into a radio in time with the vocals and music, because of this it makes the guard seem like he is a robot, which could be a symbol for western society being robots that go about their every day lives without knowing or caring about anything important happening in the world. It could also be a metaphor for western automation or cold heartedness which is shown throughout the music video.

Goodwin's TheoryRelationship between vocals and

visuals Despite there being very few lyrics the lyrics that there are have links to the narrative that is being shown in the visuals. For example the scene of the Guard talking into the radio. This scene shows a link between the vocals and the visuals as the guard speaks into the radio in time with the lyrics being released. Again, this shot could symbolise western automation and cold heartedness because the guard is alone, which could mean that western society spaces itself out from the rest of the world for security reasons. This could also show that the western world has no time for anything other than maintaining security within itself, further reinforcing the idea of cold heartedness.

The lyrics of the first minute seem to end when the black man hits the streets of New York, this could be a metaphor for ethnic minorities not having a voice/say in the way things are ran in the western world.

Goodwin’s TheoryRelationship between Music and

Visuals The music and the visuals have a loose connection between them through the lyrics and the black ‘protagonist’ of the music video. The relationship between the ‘protagonist’ and the music seems to be a form of march as the tempo increases as he hits the streets of New York. This could possibly be a reference to Vietnam and the marching orders given to African-American citizens at the time who were almost forced into fighting in Vietnam.

The tempo of the Music increases the more damage is done to the protagonist. This could be a obscure metaphor for a time bomb as the time increases the faster and more likely the bomb, in this case the black man, is likely to explode, which he does at the end of the music video.

Goodwin’s TheoryThe demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across

their work

The music video has no close ups of the artists, leftfield, however there are many close ups of the black man/protagonist within the music video. The replacement of the artists in the music video creates a story for the black man/protagonist rather than them. The black man/protagonist seems to be a strong metaphor for Africa, which is reinforced by the title of the track, Afrika Shox. The metaphor idea is used repeatedly throughout the music video. For example the first time the black man/protagonist comes in contact with another person damage is done, which could be a reference to European colonialism as the person he comes in contact with is Caucasian.

Furthermore, another part of this metaphor of colonialism is shown when the black man/protagonist meets some break-dancers, which are all white. This is a metaphor for colonialism because breakdancing was originally created by African-Americans and has been “colonised” by Caucasian people.

Another Motif what seems to recur regularly is images of things that are regularly associated with America, New York in particular. For example The Twin towers and taxi cabs. These images could be the motif within the music video despite the artists being British. This motif could be a metaphor for Americas interventions in Africa and Asia in wars like Vietnam, which is supported by the dog tags and jacket the black man/protagonist are wearing.

The Twin towers being in the beginning of the video could also be used to further strengthen the idea of American capitalism and exploitation of the 3rd world that is shown as a possible idea that could be drawn from the video as no one seems to care for the black man/protagonist that seems to be in military uniform from the cold war, further supporting the idea of exploitation of the 3rd world.

Goodwin’s TheoryThere is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, telescopes, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.

While not at the female body, the music video for Afrika shox is voyeuristic towards the black man/protagonist. This can be seen repeatedly and is noticed by a shaky camera, especially visible in the alleyway where he is first met. This voyeurism seems almost ironic in the sense that no one else seems to care for this person apart from the camera. This could be to show how poorly America has been know to treat its war veterans, especially from wars like Vietnam and Iraq.

The voyeurism expands through all of the music video by the camera feeling like it in itself is actually a person, inviting us in the life of the black man/protagonists life to see how poorly he is treated and exploited. Which could be making a political statement against Americas cruelty towards their veterans.

Goodwin’s TheoryThere are intertextual references.

One reference made in the music video of Afrika Shox is to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. This is shown with the black man/protagonist. For example his eyes are glazed over black and his limbs fall off like they were weakly sown or put on him, like in Frankenstein. The idea that the black man/protagonist is like Frankenstein's monster could be a reference in itself to how poorly the veterans of Vietnam were treated when they returned.

Another idea that could be considered a reference is when the black man/protagonist falls down. This could be a reference to the destruction of the Twin towers. This is prophetic form of irony due to the attack taking place 2 years after the music video was created in 1999.

Another reference is to the history of Africa. Africa is being represented as the black man/protagonist who gets damaged upon first contact with a Caucasian person, which could be a metaphor for European colonialism. The idea of the black man/protagonist being a metaphor for Africa is strengthened by the music video itself when it makes Caucasian cast members interact with the black man/protagonist more damage is done, which could be a statement about the interference of Western nations in Africa is doing more harm than good.