LH: Analysis of a Promo Package

Gang Starr - Full Clip

Richard Dyer looks strongly into star image, he states that through paradoxes the artist will come to a successful level, for example a paradox such as their presence or absence.

• This particular video, shows many conventions of the hip hop genre. High numbers of meat shots are used where he raps into the camera in an aggressive manor. This creates star image through promoting a theme masculine perspective of this character.
• The many locations of this video connote how he started from the bottom, it shows a particularly rough area which would be assumed that this is where he was brought up. Also, it shows clips of him performing to large crowds which also constructs the image that he is successful and has a large following. This can be escalated through the found footage of him with Mike Tyson who was in his prime at the point of this release, connoting he is powerful and high up in the world which juxtaposes many of the other shots used in the video where he is in deprived areas, which further shows Dyers paradox ideology as he is shown to be both ordinary through his rough upbringing and extraordinary through what he has achieved since. Guru who was one of the members of this group used this video to show the world about his upbringing in Boston.

• The start of the video shows the screen saying "Big L rest in peace" who was another rapper in the same period, this is a clever method for constructing his star image as it shows him to be more human due to his ability to feel the same emotions as any of the viewers, positioning him at a similar level to them.

• Many shots throughout this video show the artist on a television screen which creates a symbolic code, of his fame because it is unlikely he would be shown on a television unless he had a certain amount of fame. This promotes Dyers concept of incoherence as he is both extraordinary as well as being ordinary through the clips of him from his home town. This is a clear demonstration of how Gang Starr have developed their star image, by incorporating Dyers theory of the paradoxes. As shown above to be extraordinary and ordinary, we also see his presence in the lip-syncing shots which surround the videos narrative, as well as shots of absence with the establishing shots; as these do not encompass the stars whatsoever.

• A high proportion of the shots used in this music video show the members of Gang Starr either rapping or DJing, this shows them to be talented and promotes their ability, and adds to their the paradox in the sense of being extraordinary. This is probably the most conventional part of this video, it is particularly common for a video of the hip hop genre to contain high numbers of these shots.
• We could get elements of Laura Mulvey's view of the 'male gaze' from this particular video, because in some cases it could be seen as relatively provocative in the sense of its sexuality. The artist is shown to be very masculine so it is not surprising when there are a few shots of dancing women, which instantly create a more sexual scene.
• Todorov's theory that media texts follow a coherent narrative, and those that are conventional follow the same series of events cannot be applied to this sort of video as there is no narrative meaning there could not be a climax or resolution to the video.
• The concept of binary oppositions can be looked at cleverly in this video. Looking at this using Levi-Strauss' theories we can pick out binary oppositions like how Guru is shown   to have been brought up (In the rough neighbourhoods of Detroit) to how he is shown to live with far more glamour and panache now, shown through shots of him with famous people and performing to big crowds.

• This album cover gives very little away about the artist, but we can tell from the metallic background that they are trying to create a star image they could be "hard" and "cold" which are two characteristics that can be developed from the metal background, this encapsulates the whole ideology of the album.
• From the parental advisory sticker in the corner of the Digi Pack, it can be told that this album has the specific target audience of those over the age of 18, this shows the audience that he could be rapping about delicate subjects which is common for this era of hip hop, where topics are commonly discussed on tracks which cause high levels of controversy.
• The title of the album Full Clip: A Decade of Gang Starr, is very clever when it comes to creating a star image. As it states they have been creating music for a decade, showing they have experience in this particular job. It mentions the dates 1989-1999 which is commonly known as hip-hops golden era promoting their ability as it suggests they aided the creation of this so called golden era.
• This piece also shows elements of Dyers paradox's, the artist in this case is shown to be particularly absent through this album cover, as it just states his name and the album name and a boring metallic background, but on the contrary when comparing it to his music video he is far more present in its particular narrative through shots of him breaking the fourth wall. This absence is key for his star image, the audience can never be let too close.