The genre of music that my group and I have chosen for our practical work is Hip Hop/ Rap. To get an idea of how music videos from this genre are constructed and presented, I have decided to analyse a song from this genre. The song I have chosen to analyse is Like Toy Soldiers by Eminem.
The song tells the story of Eminem trying to calm a violent community of rappers, referencing feuds he's had with others and stating how in the end none of it is worth it, as it results in death. He does this as his childhood best friend ended up being killed because of this, so he uses the song and the accompanying music video to support his message and ideology. Eminem's Ideology is all about giving a positive message to rappers and the communities that rappers or fans of rap genre, particularly C2DE communities a positive message also. Another Ideology is about how violence is not the answer to solving problems you may have.
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| Eminem watching his friend Proof on the operation table, covered in blood |
When watching the video, I found that one of the most visually stunning parts of the video is when Eminem is standing outside the operating room of a hospital, covered in blood, watching his friend bleed out. Featuring close up's of anguished faces on doctors and Eminem are there to show the fading of hope and to express internal sorrow of each character. This observation is further cemented when his friend dies, a close up of the heart monitor flatlining and Eminem's hands on his head show the start of his emotional shock at losing his friend. The video itself is very emotionally heavy, and in my opinion is a perfect compliment to the song.
Lyotards narrative theory applies well to most music video's, as the chorus section usually breaks up the song and makes it fragmented. With Like Toy Soldiers, Eminem has a linear story line which flows through the whole song. However, there's still an element of the song being fragmented, as we can see the main story of how he's rapping about the death of his friend, but also he's rapping about gang violence as a whole.
The Mise en Scene is effective in cementing the genre and also the ideology put forward by Eminem. The costume cements the genre, as they're all dressed quite casually but the clothing labels are well known, which is the look a Rapper would go for. Eminem's performance cements his Ideology, as we can see him getting involved in feuds, then we see the death of his friend. This being the catalyst of him changing his ways, his performance clearly shows this. The death of his friend and his reaction to it, thanks to his performance is clearly visible, and we can connect with him due to this, as we can relate and empathise with him.
The representation of gender is pretty equal in the video. As the video is documenting what was going on in Eminem's life, the focus is going to be on him and the people around him, so there's everyone is shown as they are. Also due to the song's nature and message about bringing people together, it's important to show equality between the genders.
I found that the editing usually goes in beat with the music, a common trait of music video's, meaning nothing is being subverted in how the video is seen. A good example of this is the end, when the final chorus starts playing, it cuts to the funeral of the rapper Proof. I believe that in this instance this has been done so that this is one of the final visual messages that the viewer will see. This could mean that Eminem personally wants to advertise a message that feuds and disagreements are irrelevant when you compare it to the potential or actual loss of someone close to you. The Video is also structured in a specific way to the song, which is telling a narrative of Eminem being involved in feuds. This could be to show how he has changed, by relating himself to the situation, then showing the consequences, and then showing how he doesn't want feuds to exist. His argument for it is stronger as we see his personal story. For example When the chorus plays, it shows the hospital scene of Eminem, except for the final chorus when it is the funeral of Proof. The verse's are then left to tell his story.
To try and understand the meaning of the song and the video, I analysed the lyrics to see any meanings and to see if they are visually represented in the video.
"Step by step, heart to heart, left right left
We all fall down like toy soldiers
But by bit, torn apart, we never win
But the battle wages on for toy soldiers"
These lyrics form the chorus of the song. The meaning of these lyrics are about how everyone's come's out of these feuds or 'wars' looking foolish. It also represents how the people are like literal toy soldiers, fighting in other peoples conflicts, and by using the term 'toy soldiers' demeans the whole nature of it, By using a child's toy, brings the whole meaning of the reason to fight down, as you can call it childish and meaningless.
"There's a certain line you don't cross and he crossed it
I heard him say Hailie's name on a song and I just lost it"
These lyrics talk about Ja rule (He) and how he mentioned Eminem's daughter in a "diss" track, a song where you mock another person, popular in the rap genre. These lyrics could've been included in the song to show where Eminem has come in terms of maturing and wanting to end the violence and also answering questions as to why he retaliated and made a diss track back.
"There used to be a time when you could just say a rhyme
and wouldn't have to worry about one of your people dyin'"
These lyrics talk about the past of the rap genre. It also shows how Eminem clearly is wishing for those same circumstances to still be like at the present, but it unfortunately isn't like that, as he is releasing this song to talk about it, and possibly advocate for those past circumstances to come back, to create a less violent atmosphere in the rap community.
"It's not a plea that I'm copping I'm just willing to be the bigger man if y'all can quit popping off at your jaws well then i can"
These lyrics again talk about Eminem wants the violence to end before someone dies. However, the 'plea' that he references could be interpreted as half-hearted on Eminem's part, as he says he's willing to be the bigger man if they stop, rather than just apologising.
