Drake - HYFR

For my video analysis I have chosen Drake – HYFR (Hell Yeah F*cking Right). The genre of this song is Hip Hop and the video follows the conventions of this genre. It was directed by famous video director, Director X, who is also well known for making videos for artists such as DMX, Aaliyah, Nicki Minaj and Justin Beiber (‘Boyfriend’). The video was then released on the 6th of April 2012.

In this video Drake, who is Jewish, Is having a re-bar mitzvah, which develops into a lively party. Drake also performs his song with his entourage. Lil Wayne who features on the song also performs his rap whilst other famous artist’s lip sync word, whilst dancing and having fun.

This video mainly uses a narrative structure as the song is about having a good time and living life for the fun and joy and that it is illustrated in the song via the party after the bar mitzvah.

However there are also abstract elements, the re-bar mitzvah is one as the ceremony is about confirming your faith however that has no relationship with the song. Also through Lil Wayne’s costume as he is wearing a panda face mask which is just the simple use of a random object to create that element of abstract.

The shot type used the most within this video is wide shots, this is so that everything can be captured in the short clip and the audience is able to grasp a full understanding of the atmosphere.

Close up’s are also used so that the audience are able to recognise the artists within the music video.

An birds eye view shot is also used within this music video. It has been used in order to firstly show what action is going on but also to establish that drake is higher within the shot.

The main aspect I am able to identify about the editing is that there are a lot of fats cuts used throughout the music video, which is synchronised with the music. This allows the audience to recognise the beat of the song without necessarily listening to the music, which is a very clever technique to use.

There is also slow motion used to show the audience what is really going on and allowing them to take a closer look at what is going on within the clip without is jumping to another clip very quickly or too much going on at one time.

The mise-en-scene within this music video is very stereotypical of a Hip Hop video in some elements. The character performance of the artist rapping into the screen is the most obvious convention of a Hip Hop video and Drake and Lil Wayne both do this when performing their raps. The costume is also very stereotypical Hip Hop wear, with oversized clothes and baggy jeans .

The lighting is very subdued, it is not necessarily dark but it appears to have a shadowed filter over the screen in order to give the appearance of mist which makes it look darker than it really is.The set are very contradictory

however very suited to one another as one is a temple setting, emphasis on the religious aspect of the video. Whereas the other is in a party hall, celebrating the religious ceremony.

Hip Hop artists are featured within the video, because they have a role such as Drake and Lil Wayne who rap in the song, also because they are friends with the artists and are well associated with the genre (DJ Kahleed and Birdman). There are also Jewish people featured within the video as they are associated with the bar mitzvah aspect of the video. These people are all represented as their stereotypical characters through their costume.

The target audience for this artist are Hip Hop fans and Drake and Lil Wayne fans, as it is their song they are both featured within the music video and the song is of the Hip Hop genre. Some Jewish people may like the video as they may see it as a positive promotion of the faith and way of getting the faith the reach out to young people.

The audience may consume the video in a cognitive way as they are able to learn a small part of what takes place at a Jewish bar mitzvah during the ceremony and the actual celebration.

The audience would also consume the video in an affective way as there is lots of performance and fun taking place within the video which an audience would view as entertainment and the atmosphere of the video could make the audience feel good.