"Afrika Shox" by Leftfield Analysis
"Afrika Shox" by Leftfield was released on the 6th September 1999 as their first single from the album "Rhythm and Stealth". The music video for "Afrika Shox" was directed by Chris Cunningham, who also directed "New York Is Killing Me" by Gil Scott-Heron.
The opening low angle shot is a cultural signifier to New York as the shot displays the famous Two Towers which donate the surrounding mise-en-scene and invokes the feeling that New York is a concrete jungle or maze to live in.
Another cultural signifier which represents the location is the flashing lights on-top of the police car in the medium close up. These flashing lights represent the location which techno/dance genre of music would be displayed in "underground" clubs, songs such as "Afrika Shox". This is also backup by the continuing appearance of lights which take over and dominate the mise-en-scene throughout, such as the ambient light at 0:34 seconds and also the logo of a shop at 1:26.
As well as the flashing lights, the police car itself could represent the type of audience which listens to this genre of music - outlaws, those on the run, people who go into hiding to listen to this type of music as if they should be behind bars as they're revolting against other genres of music and sound - as if the audience shouldn't be seen by the public eye.
One more interesting point is that the police car could be on the lookout for the colored man character within the video. As if the colored man is on the run and is trying to escape from his "masters" - the police. He is being represented as a slave of the city since he walks with a limp and is alienated throughout the music video which is represented by quick edits and fast paste close ups that shows the colored man's confusion by the presence of white people and dominating buildings with in the mise-en-scene. This alienation could be a possible intertextual reference to the poem "Limbo (, Limbo Like Me)" by Edward Kamau Brathwaite as the imaginary suggests and references the poem's lyrics.
Lyrics of "Limbo":
The intertextual references to the poem "Limbo" can be seen throughout the music video, for example, at 1:19 the colored man is falling onto the ground, this is a intertextual reference since the poem describes: "on the burning ground" and also "and the dark ground is under me". Also, the lyrics "the world is on fire" in "Afrika Shox" could be a reference to "on the burning ground" from the poem "Limbo".
Another intertextual reference is the other colored man helping the main character off the ground at 4:16, which is a reference to "up, up, up" and "the music is saving me".
Lastly, another reference to the poem is the line "knees spread wide", which can mean many different things, however, in context to the music video, it is visually represented by break-dances since their "knees (are) spread wide" during their dance routines.
The opening low angle shot is a cultural signifier to New York as the shot displays the famous Two Towers which donate the surrounding mise-en-scene and invokes the feeling that New York is a concrete jungle or maze to live in.
Another cultural signifier which represents the location is the flashing lights on-top of the police car in the medium close up. These flashing lights represent the location which techno/dance genre of music would be displayed in "underground" clubs, songs such as "Afrika Shox". This is also backup by the continuing appearance of lights which take over and dominate the mise-en-scene throughout, such as the ambient light at 0:34 seconds and also the logo of a shop at 1:26.
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| 0:34 |
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| 1:26 |
One more interesting point is that the police car could be on the lookout for the colored man character within the video. As if the colored man is on the run and is trying to escape from his "masters" - the police. He is being represented as a slave of the city since he walks with a limp and is alienated throughout the music video which is represented by quick edits and fast paste close ups that shows the colored man's confusion by the presence of white people and dominating buildings with in the mise-en-scene. This alienation could be a possible intertextual reference to the poem "Limbo (, Limbo Like Me)" by Edward Kamau Brathwaite as the imaginary suggests and references the poem's lyrics.
Lyrics of "Limbo":
Click to reveal lyrics :
Another intertextual reference is the other colored man helping the main character off the ground at 4:16, which is a reference to "up, up, up" and "the music is saving me".
Lastly, another reference to the poem is the line "knees spread wide", which can mean many different things, however, in context to the music video, it is visually represented by break-dances since their "knees (are) spread wide" during their dance routines.
You have made some interesting points with regard to identifying cultural and generic signifiers within this music video. Try to avoid guessing the target audience and try to research it. The music video communicates layers of meaning thus indicating a well educated demographic, whilst also appealing to ethnic minority groups in the UK.
ReplyDeleteBe careful about making simplistic remarks linking the music video to the poem "Limbo". Instead say "the lyrics and images in the music video suggest Edward Kamau Brathwaite's poem, for example.......thus explicitly linking the plight of the crippled, zombie like protagonist to the position of slaves when they arrived in America...." Note "suggest" or "Indicate" rather than this "is" an intertextual reference. We don't know that the director of the music video knows the poem!!!
A competent analysis with points strongly illustrated with references to the poem and to the lyrics.
Thanks for the response, I'll get to work on it as soon as I can of course, always do.
ReplyDeleteThis weekend, from my knowledge I have no plans. So I'll be doing a complete "rework" (improving and adding to) my blog instead.