Lyrics analysis - Wiley - Mike Lowery

Verse 1:
I like this flow so bro I'll say so much that I do one
And it's just like when man a man heard where's my brother on road it was a new one
I might be known as a MC stroke producer causing confusion
Anytime you hear anybody trying to be king don't believe the illusion
I'm gonna do it how I know they can't do it even if they can't do it I do it like its a light jog
If you are in the music game and you happen to know my name then you're in the right job
If I never gave birth to the scene then you'll be a cameraman behind tripods
Whoever don't like me then runway, we don't need to have dialogue
See I got a good heart like Malcolm X, but if I run up on a man I ain't preaching
I've been stabbed 21 times could have seen death quicker but no I'm still breathing
Some man had one beef and a next beef and their acting like they go boxing
I just said SYM to a spitter three times with a killi I knocked him
When I say I lock a man's ear off I'm not at all talking about radio
If I'm gonna kill a sound boy it's better that I do it than say so
And if they wanna see a blood bath, they will if not, then maybe they'll lay low
Bring another wave round, make you see the colours of a spark like a rainbow

Verse 2:
I got people from all walks of life thinking Wiley's on a mad ting
But they don't know I speak my mind, when I speak not for the reaction
Call me a keyboard warrior because I might hit him in the head with a keyboard
Funny when a man says, physically we ain't equal
I like that, it gives me a platform to climb I spread my wings like an eagle
I grew up in London, that place there is full of the wickedest people
Certain times you see a idiat who rolls in a badman vehicle
Call that a lookalike, that boys life is sweeter than treacle
You wanna know why I'm so hated? because I don't give a damn when I get irate
And when it comes to it my fans might burn you out like MySpace
When I make countless songs, and I do good work with locals that I rate
So if I'm attached to the club scene like a wired up studio why hate?
When it comes to the ladies I swipe like a thief in the night no black gloves
I want a peng ting with big bumper, slim waistline and fat jugs
Lets get hyper tonight let me show you what that does
This drunken vibe is covering my head in a place like a hat does
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"I like this flow so bro I'll say so much that I do one" since Skepta was the first person and original person to make the Mike Lowery track, Wiley is trying to say that he had heard Skepta's verion and liked the "flow" and so had decided to make his own version.

"And it's just like when man a man heard where's my brother on road it was a new one" - In this sentence Wiley is referring to his previous work "where's my brother" and how it was original by stating that it was "a new one" also what Wiley is trying to say is that Skepta's Mike Lowery was like his "where's my brother" orginal and new.

"I might be known as a MC stroke producer causing confusion" - This line refers to Wiley as an artist in general. Because he founded the Grime scene and was known as one of the best MC's he's recently been producing songs for other artists, then changing and producing songs and music videos, hence why he say's "causing confusion".

"Anytime you hear anybody trying to be king don't believe the illusion" - This line refers to Wiley's self image as the best MC and is basically saying if some other artist is saying he's better than him or the king of the genre not to believe it.

"If you are in the music game and you happen to know my name then you're in the right job" - This line refers to Wiley's status within the Grime scene as it's founder.

"Whoever don't like me then runway, we don't need to have dialogue" - What Wiley is trying to portray in this sentence is that those people that dislike him as an artist or as a person doesnt really faze him but just not to talk to him or about him.

"See I got a good heart like Malcolm X, but if I run up on a man I ain't preaching" - In this line Wiley uses clever and witty wordplay to make a point. The way this is done is by Wiley referring to Malcolm X who is a well known preacher, by referring to Malcolm X, Wiley then refers to what Malcom X does and says if he was to argue with someone he's not "preaching" meaning he wont talk but will take action.

"Some man had one beef and a next beef and their acting like they go boxing" - What Wiley means in this sentence is about what other artists or people are trying to imply about their self-image after they have had one or two fights.


"If I never gave birth to the scene then you'll be a cameraman behind tripods" - Since Wiley is seen as a pioneer of the grime scene as well as one of the artists to push the genre forward, in this line he is trying to say that if it wasn't for him creating opportunities in the grime genre then the grime artists today would of had a different career path.

"If I'm gonna kill a sound boy it's better that I do it than say so" - What Wiley means is that if he was to do something he wouldnt mention it but take action since to Wiley, actions speak louder than words.

"And if they wanna see a blood bath, they will if not, then maybe they'll lay low" - Wiley describes something which is gory "blood bath" that people wouldnt want to go through, this is more of a threat by Wiley to those who anger him, and if those who are angering him dont want to see a "blood bath" then they should stop being of an annoyance to Wiley.

"I got people from all walks of life thinking Wiley's on a mad ting" - This line refers to Wileys current music direction within the scene.

"But they don't know I speak my mind, when I speak not for the reaction" - The reason that Wiley mentions this is because sometimes people make assumptions that Wiley say's things in his music or other forms of media just to spark a reaction but this sentence clears that assumption up by Wiley saying he is just saying whats on his mind and how he feels about it.

"Funny when a man says, physically we ain't equal, I like that, it gives me a platform to climb I spread my wings like an eagle" - Wiley uses this in his lyrics because a lot of people challenge him but he see's it as a method to expand and develop his skills.

"Certain times you see a idiat who rolls in a badman vehicle, Call that a lookalike, that boys life is sweeter than treacle" - Wiley states this in his lyrics because of what he see's is going on in society today, what he is trying to mention is that a lot of people are trying to become what they are not to impress others and are actually the opposite of what they are trying to show.

"You wanna know why I'm so hated? because I don't give a damn when I get irate" - Irate means to show extreme anger or feelings, so by implementing this term in to his own lyrics Wiley is trying to explain why some people hate him either as an artist or as a person.

"And when it comes to it my fans might burn you out like MySpace" - Since the MySpace 'hype' is over and the trend has moved on to facebook, Wiley is trying to represent the other artists work as 'MySpace' and saying that his fans will finish the other artists 'hype'.

"When I make countless songs, and I do good work with locals that I rate" - This line refers to Wiley's recent disagreement with his producer, this line is used by Wiley to let us know that he knows what he is doing.

"So if I'm attached to the club scene like a wired up studio, why hate?" - Wiley is asking this question to those that envy the fact that he is being paid alot of attention and treated importantly by many people as well as clubs.

"When it comes to the ladies I swipe like a thief in the night no black gloves" - Wiley uses metaphors to tell the audience how ladies are attracted to him and how he takes them with him after the club or event is over.

"I want a peng ting with big bumper, slim waistline and fat jugs" - In this line Wiley is reffering to the sort of woman he seeks or desires.

"This drunken vibe is covering my head in a place like a hat does" - In this line Wiley is trying to say how being drunk takes over his mind and how his mind and body works.

Record Label Research

Music Institute (record label) Research

Finding the correct media institute or record label for our music product would be an essential part of our media products venture; this is because if the correct institute or record label is chosen then the artist as well as the media product can be marketed properly and much more efficiently. Choosing the correct record label can also help us to maximise our views as well as to maximise the amount of target audience being reached out to, this is because different record labels specialise in different fields for e.g. A&E records specialises in developing artists that produce work in the rock genre and therefore can reach more rock audiences than XL Recordings which can be seen as more of a hip-hop label.

Since our media product is of the grime genre we will be researching different record labels to try and find out which record label would be best for us.

Def Jam

Def Jam recordings is an American based record label which is owned by universal music group. This record label focuses more on the hip-hop genre which has produced many popular and well known artists such as Kanye West, Young Jeezy and other artists. Although the record label is American, Def Jam could be a potential record label which can help distribute and popularise our media product, though it is American Def Jam has signed British artists in the past, these British artists were popular artists such as N-Dubz. By looking at the fact that Def Jam has signed British artists before, it tells us that it is not impossible for our media product which is British to be taken on board this record label. However although Def Jam are popular and do have a significant amount of consumers at their disposal it will not fit our requirements as most of their audiences are fans of the hip-hop genre as well as most of their artists being from the hip-hop background. This means that Def Jam may not have enough resources or sufficient experience when dealing with the grime genre and therefore may not have the time and effort to help our media products in development.

Boy Better Know

Boy Better Know is an independent grime record label which is based in the U.K. mainly in London and has produced successful artists such as JME, Skepta and Wiley. Although they are successful artists they are also the runners of the Boy Better Know record label. Boy Better Know is an ideal record label to produce our media product seeing as they focus mainly if not then entirely on grime which means that they can give us their time and knowledge as well as their focus and experience on distributing our media product. Although Boy Better Know is an ideal record label for our media product Boy Better Know wouldn’t have any room for expansion in to other areas of genre’s such as collaborations etc. also because Boy Better Know is new and recent record label they do not have as much market share as record companies that have been in the business for longer than they have, or as the same amount of experience which means that our media product may not get the correct marketing.

XL Recordings

XL recordings is another British independent record label which works with various artists from various genres such as Giggs, Gorillaz, the prodigy and more. XL recordings has been producing and working with artists since 1989 which means that XL has a lot of experience as well as contacts with in the music industry which is very valuable to an up and coming artist. Also because XL has been running since 1989 their marketing tactics as well as market share and experience can be viewed as an important asset in to distributing a successful media product seeing as they have many doors of opportunities that are already open which means that there would be little or no complications when dealing with our media product.

The record label that we have chosen to go for would have to be the Boy Better Know record label. This is because the record label is mainly if not entirely focused in to the grime genre which means that their market share should be grime fans. The reason that this is important is because XL and Def Jam may have a considerable amount of market share but only a small percentage of that market share may be grime. Also for a new and recent record label Boy Better Know has produced millions of views online which shows that for a new and recent record label they still have a lot to learn meaning they have so much more potential. Going with Boy Better Know would be the best choice since if Boy Better Know realise their potential and can grasp their potential then they can easily become one of the leading record labels and therefore being part of this would help our media product to be recognised.

Denotations and Connotations Analysis - Nas - One Mic

Denotations: (What you see)	Connotations: (What it means)
P.O.V of car driving along the road	At the beginning and near the end of the music video a P.O.V of what seems to be of the driver of the vehicle is shown driving in one direction, this could represent that the artist is on the right path on the ‘road to success’.
Buildings lights effects	The lights of the buildings are seen fluctuating with the beat, when the tempo of the beat is changed the tempo of the lights fluctuating is also changed, this is to give a visual with the sound of the track.
Artist in empty room	The artist being shown by himself in an empty room can represent that he wants to lead a simple and humble life, as well as wanting to be alone which could be linked with the word ‘one’ from the tracks title.
Musical equipment in empty room	The artist shows musical equipment in his empty room, there is not a lot of equipment but ‘one mic’ ‘one’ set of speakers and ‘one’ artist which could again represent the track title.
Police vehicle and sirens	Police is a typical convention in Hip-Hop videos which is shown negatively, the artist has made use of this convention and shows the job role of the police officer and what he does.
Group of men running from law	The group of men running from the police can represent what the artist had to go through as well as the circumstances some people in society have to live with.
Glass bottle is smashed	The glass bottle being smashed in the ground shows a visual link with the artists lyrics when he says ‘Bus stop glass bursts, a fiend drops his Heineken’, when this sentence is said the artist is referring to a gun being put to use, the audience that understand this sentence is then given an ironic glass bottle being smashed on the floor as to represent the end of a life.
Image of Jesus	The image of Jesus could have been used to represent the artist’s faith.
Riots	The riots that go on in the music video between villagers and the local authority can represent the artists inner balance which they are trying to portray as being unstable as the lyrics and the way they are said are more aggressive and seem to have a deeper meaning for the artist.
P.O.V of rock being thrown	The P.O.V of the rock being thrown can represent the aggression and the lyrical flow of the artist’s style.
Artist stands up in empty room	The artist stands up from a seating position at the start of the last verse; this could have been done to show the artist being ready to perform his last verse, it could also have been used as a visual to introduce the powerful lyrical content of the last verse.

Denotations and Connotations Analysis - Kano - Signs in life

Denotations: (What you see)	Connotations: (What it means)
Flats, Council Estate	The artist has maybe done this to show where he is from; this is also done to give it a grime theme as most grime themes are associated with council estates, flats or in any type of urban area.
Home-Studio with live performance	The artist has done this to show what he does or has done to build up his music career.
Pictures of London	The artist has maybe done this to show where he is from; this is also done to give it a grime theme as most grime themes are associated with council estates, flats or in any type of urban area.
Gangs of youths	The artist has done this to show what kind of social life he lives in or is representing, also when looking at the grime genre a convention we may see is a gang of youths behaving in an antisocial behaviour.
Night time – Evening	The artist has gone for a video where it is produced in the evening during dark hours, this could have been done to give the music video a more sinister atmosphere as well as a more grime based theme seeing as grime could be seen as a sub-genre of heavy metal which is conventionally associated with dark themes.
Images of cars, jewellery, money etc.	The artist has done this to show a visual link with the lyrics, also when analysing why a gang of youths act in a certain way, the motive behind there behaviour could be for these reasons.
Road signs	Visual link with the sound/lyrics, road signs are also used by the artist in the music video so that the audience can associate the road signs with the track title ‘Signs in life’ also when looking at this denotation carefully the signs that are shown is something that someone may see everyday in their life or have seen during any part of their lives.
Images of prison	Artist has used this as this is where most people may end up, especially youths that are involved in gangs like the ones that the artists are representing.
News	The artist shows bad news for e.g. in the video there is a police sign which reads out ‘fatal incident’, this is to show that there is not always good news where he is from.
Stolen Car	Visual link with what the artist is talking about, this is to give the video a more realistic theme to be associated with the lyrics
Image of infant putting up his middle finger	This can represent some issues faced in society, how antisocial behaviour is being passed down to younger generations.
Black or dark clothing	This is to go with the atmosphere of the theme as well as being a typical colour or theme a group of youths will wear. It is also conventional clothing that is linked with grime.
Religious Signs	The artist would like to portray a religious side of his music video, where religion also indicates ‘signs in life’, also because religion guides a lot of people and the term ‘signs’ can mean an indication or direction for a person to follow, the artist is trying to convey an image where it shows double meaning.
Images of police vehicles	These are the sort of things that you will see in a typical London urban area as crime rates are high which means there is a lot of trouble with the police.
Bright and occupied room in an unoccupied flat being used as a studio	This could tell us that the artist is secluded from trouble as he is trying to build on his music career, also it can mean that the artist is trying to convey the problems that he faces outside of the studio.

Questionnaire Results & Analysis

Questionnaire (results out of 30)

  

1. What is your gender?

This chart shows us that we had chosen 50% males and 50% females to carry out our survey.

  

2. What is your age group?

Looking at the age group it can show us that the least age group that filled out the questionnaire was 21+ and also may have a completely different taste in music as they are from a different generation.

3. Do you listen to music?

This chart shows us that a majority of the people do listen to music whilst there is still a small gap of people that do not.

4. If yes how often do you listen to music?

The chart shows us that again the majority of people listen to music regularly therefore suggesting that the majority of people are in to the music culture.

5. What genre do you prefer to listen to? 

When looking at the results, the results tell us that the majority of people would prefer to listen to grime, this is not surprising as grime is a dominant genre of music in the U.K. After grime the results tell us that Hip-Hop would be a second choice for audiences to listen to in the U.K as Hip-Hop is more global and mainstream.

7. Do you purchase any of the artists albums, mix tapes etc?

The results tell us that a majority of the audience do purchase albums and mix tapes, this shows that with the right marketing tactics an album can be mass produced as we know the majority of people will purchase the album, although this is the case we would also need to have a pricing strategy as to maximise profits.

8. How much would you spend on an album?

The chart shows that the target audience wouldn’t want to spend too much on an album or mix tape, although other factors can come in to play such as if the artist is well known the price may be higher, if the price is worth the CD etc. Since a majority of the people said they would spend £3 or less it will be a good idea to mass produce so that there will be a better chance of breaking even, the more we sell the closer to breaking even and making profit we become.

9. Where do you purchase or get your albums from?

Since a lot of the target audience said that they purchase their albums and mix tapes from the internet it will be a good idea to put the album up for sale online, this would also be better as a more wider range of audience is available as well as a mass of potential consumers. Also putting up the album or mix tape online is relatively cheap or sometimes free which means we can then again maximise profit for the artist.

10. Do you watch an artists music video?

This question was asked so that we can find out whether a music video will produce views or not, by clarifying that a majority of people do watch an artists music video we know that views can be gained, although views can be gained it is sometimes difficult in to getting people to watch something that they haven’t seen before and therefore has to be unique to catch the audiences eye.

11. Where do you watch these music videos?

The best places to put up our music video would be television and the internet this is because both these media outlets reaches a mass of target audiences as well as potential audiences that can give a boost to a music videos views. Views can be gained through a television by choosing the right institute to showcase our music video for e.g. a very grime theme based music channel would be channel A.K.A where we may want our media product to be showcased. Also with the correct viral marketing we can further increase boosts of views if our media product.

12. Does an artist’s music video influence you to purchase their albums?

Since a majority of the people said yes, producing our media product up to standards would be necessary, this is so that we can try to reach as much of the target audience as possible, the more we reach the more consumers for our media product.

Initial Ideas