1. Genre characterisics
The costumes in the video follow the rules of a hip-hop genred music video, as they all had he gangsta "street" look. They are also seen getting in trouble with the police, a typical which is also a typical aspect of a hip hop music video. Involvment in criminal activity is also showed when you see the scene of dog fighting in an underground club, which also connotes violence.
There is a street dance scene, where you see people street dancing on the streets, which is a very conventional. The video is set in urban Brooklyn, New York, in a run down neighbourhood.
there a minimal shots of sexualised women wearing gold bikinis. the women do not look very classy but like prostitutes. There are not as many shots of them as you would expect to see in a music video of this genre, however this could be because of the rundown area they are from. The video is also lacking representaions of wealth; the cars shown in the video are normal, the clothing worn is scruffy and the images of bling are also minimal. It seems like Jay Z is looking at it but has not yet attained it.
There is a jail scene in the video, where all the inmates are black. A white man, who is not in jail, in a suit is shown, and also a white policeman. This is a stereotypical representation of race as it shows black people as jail birds and white people as the people of authority.
The shooting at the end also relates to the genre as it reflects the image of "gangsta cool".
2. Lyrics and visual
The song is about being a gangsta and having the lifestyle of one, which is illustrated through the video's images.
The lyrics and visuals have a synchronal relationship through out the song. Images in the video, sometimes generally and sometimes more specifically, reflect the image. For example, when the lyric 'God' is said there is an image of a crucifix and when the word 'bitch' is said either an image of women or an image of the dogs fighting is shown. When the word 'paparazzi' is said you see flashes, however they are the camera flashes of the criminals getting their picures taken. Also, when the lyrics 'from the hood' are said, Jay Z pulls is hood down.
The story about getting pulled over by police is literally illustrated through the visuals, which is a very narrative style.
The visuals show some of the 99 problems, the pinnacle being him getting shot.
3. Music and visuals
The camera movements are jerky and constant which matches the rise and fall of the beat. Also, the cuts are in sinc with the bass, especially at the beginning.
There are lots of cuts and many different images which makes it hard to see everything on the first viewing. This is similar to the song, which is dense with themes, imagery and narratives.
4. Demands of the record label
There are lots of low angle and close up shots of Jay Z. This makes him appear powerful, which is a desirable image to promote within the hip hop industry. There are fewer shots of Jay Z than you would expect. This could be either because he is being modest os that he is the 'top dog' on the streets. It also reflects the fact that he is a well established artist and doesnt need his face all over the video.
5. Notions of looking/voyeuristic
There is a shot of him looking at police in the wing mirror, which could show that he is involved in criminal activity and is getting suspicious.
Various shots of women which are very sexualised are also shown, which is a common feature of hip hop videos. An example of this is when there is a shot of a womans bare legs, wearing knee high leather boots, walking is shown. This shot could be connoting prostitution.
There are shots where we are looking through bars in to the prison. This could be hinting that, the criminal activities he is involved in could make him end up there.
Also, a X-ray shot through the boot of his car is shown, which shows us there is an illegal dog in a cage. This makes the audience think they are more involved with th video, as it lets them in on the secret.
6. Intertextual reference
Rick Rubin is shown in the video. He is a music producer, who helped Jay Z produce the video. The shot of him getting shot at the end is in slow motion which has references to action films. Also, it is shot in black and white which refers to other gangsta films.
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