I have chosen to look at these three artists because they each have different styles and work in different genres. Lil Wayne focuses on Hip Hop and Gansta Rap, whereas the Pussycat Dolls are more Pop, R&B and Dance Pop, and James Blunt is classed as Folk-rock/Soft Rock and has more of an acoustic vibe.
How is Lil Wayne Represented?
In Lil Wayne's video John Lil Wayne uses as many typical Hip Hop values and stereotypes as he can. Throughout the video you can constantly see that his whole body is covered in tattoos and that he has piercings and tattoos on his face too. These show that he is being represented as a 'gangsta' as a lot of criminals that have been to prison have tattoos and that is what he's showing.
We also see him wearing a huge diamond chain around his neck with an NY symbol which is commonly linked with rappers and other artists in this genre. He wears a baseball cap too, which is an item of clothing that most urban artists wear. He wears a headband that says the word 'Chaos' which instinctively makes the audience think of him as a destructive person. He also has golden teeth which shows wealth, which is a common link to all other artists in this genre.
Th lyrics in this song are very explicit and he uses words that are used a lot in Rap and Hip Hop like 'motherfucker' and 'nigga'. He also refers to guns in this son, speaking of them as if he uses them all of the time, which is another common theme in this genre. A lot of rappers are religious and Lil Wayne displays this theme too when he does the symbol with his hands for praying.
Looking at the mise-en-scen of this video you can see that the rooms are all dark and smokey which suggest that he has a dark personality. If everything was bright and pink the whole persona of him being a 'gangsta' would have been lost. Also, there are lots of close-up shots on females that aren't wearing much clothes and what they are wearing have lots of little metal spikes which are associated with sex.
Also, throughout the video Lil Wayne is the only person in the shot and he is the centre of attention, emphasized by a spotlight pointing directly on him.
There are lots of thing on the floor and falling from the ceiling which are a sign of destruction throughout the video, which imply that Lil Wayne has destroyed it and destruction is a theme that again creates the image of him being a bad person.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fumBcKC6RE&ob=av2e
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