'Yonkers' is not a typical music video, as Tyler the Creator (who also directed the video under the pseudonym Wolf Haley) was unsigned when it was released. Since there were no demands from a record label, he chose to create a more left field, unconventional video.
Voyeurism
The video features only one scene, of Tyler rapping in front of a white background. This creates a sense of extended voyeurism throughout the whole video, however this is somewhat negated by the fact that Tyler is rapping to the camera, which takes away the audiences sense of looking without being seen.
Demands of Record Label
Since the video only features shots of Tyler, the whole thing is in essence promoting him. He is shown wearing expensive clothes and jewellery, but with very dark writing and images scrawled on his body, showing off his unique selling point, which is that he raps about conventional rap topics as well as more twisted and taboo themes. This is further emphasised by him eating a cockroach and hanging himself at the end of the video.
Lyrics & Visuals
Tyler lip-syncs to the song throughout the whole video, creating a direct link to the lyrics. They are also explored in an abstract way through the video's dark imagery.
Intertextuality
The video is quite self-contained, featuring very few references to other works. However the lyrics of the song contain references to a huge variety of other music, such as Marvin Gaye or the song 'Airplanes' by B.o.B., a fellow rapper whom Tyler despises. He also refers to other media, such as Reptar, a character from the TV show Rugrats.
No comments:
Post a Comment