Product Analysis - The Game- How we do

Genre Characteristics?

American gangster rap genre

What is the relationship between music and visuals?

The Game and Dr. Dre in the opening sequence are smoking and the long whining music forms a relationship with smoke. The extremely fast pace editing at the beginning of the song is done on every beat in the song. The video is very dark, filmed mostly at night, in a club or on a dark background with dim coloured light on the artists faces. The editing between the shots is fast pace and often on the beat of the music.

What is the relationship between visuals and lyrics?

In the first chorus there is no lip sequin. When Game sings about ‘chrome’ wheels, it cuts to them on a car. When 50 Cent sings “kiss my ass”, he blows a kiss. There are many cuts to the cars and the locations that are not really linked apart from he sings about money and the music videos cuts to the car. There is quite a lot of lip syncing. When 50 Cent sings “I put Lamborghini doors on that Es-co-lade”, it cuts to a shot of the car driving with the Lamborghini doors open. There is very little reference to women in the lyrics but there are many shots of female dancers in the club.

Are there close-ups of the artist and star image motifs?

There are two long close-ups of The Game and Dr. Dre before the song has begun. When the artist is singing most (nearly all) shots are close-ups. The clothes the artists are wearing are large jackets which are dark in colour, often wearing hats which reinforce the gangster image.

Is there reference to the notion of looking?

There are a number of POV shots that put the audience within in the narrative as one of the artists and when these shots take place the female actors in the videos are starring at the camera. This POV shot suggests if you are a ‘gangster’ then you’ll receive female attention.

Are there intertextual reference?

The use of cars with large chrome wheels is a common convention with US gangster rap, like with such artists as 50 cent who features in the song.

Is it performance based or narrative based? How much of each?

It is a mixture of both, and the beginning it is mostly narrative based with shots of The Game waking up and walking outside then driving his car. When he begins to lip sync is when he is singing his verse, it is with-in a narrative context.

Representations?

The female representation is very voyeuristic. In the shots of females in the club scene they are dancing erotically in suggestive positions wearing little clothing. This in evidence with shot of the women in the cage only wearing underwear and a face mask.

Ideological discourses?

The music video reinforces the ideological discourse of a gangster life being successful and as prosperous, showing the flash cars, the jewellery and how this attracts female attention. The music video reinforces very masculine values and so do the lyrics. “Cuz s**t might pop off, and if s**t pop off. Somebody gon' get laid the f**k out”, these lyrics strengthen the idea that as a male to deal with your problems, aggressive behaviour is the preferred root.