This music belongs to Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam. The reason i have chosen this song to analyse is because i feel that it has some very stron lyrics and meanings behind it which are clearly visualy represented within the created music video.
This song is definitely written from MIA's perspective while in the US and the West. Visa-immigration issues, questioning the value of her art and her contributions to culture, poor job opportunities for immigrants, a belief that minorities are likely to be criminals, a general belief that immigrants are somehow bad for the economy, it's all there.
Mia's early life has strongly influcenced the lyrics chosen for this particular song. Mia grew up in a corrupted govermental system which created several different sterotypes to people with different skin colours or coming from a different country. She was sterotyped to be one of those individual 'immigrants' even though she was born and raised in south-london. The lyrics in this song strongly represent that.
The song starts with a very relaxing, trance type of beat. This may instantly represent the type of person she is. This also may be representing how she feels about the topic she is discussing within the lyrics. The opening shot is of paper planes flying towards the city. This is possibly representing the immigrants flying over from their country to the big city life. The opening lines ''i fly like paper, get high like planes'' may be showing one of the first signs of sterotyping towards people who come across over-seas, this is suggesting that maybe they're drug addicts or something to do with that sort of social identification. The second opening clip shows a man walking along with a suitcase which with worn run down clothes. This is helping to show what the song is about in more detail and to help people understand what the rest of the song is going to revolve around.
One of the second clips that show the particular sterotype Mia is singing about, is the group of clips which show her working in several different 'lower class' jobs that are not particually considered glamerous or well paid. These include shots of working in a convinience store stacking shelfs. Working in a burger van and also taxi driving. These are all sterotypes that people are commonly faced with and choose to accept it.
Several other sterotypes are represented through the use of different sounds throughout the song. These include sounds of a gun and sonds that represent money. One particular line '' All i wanna do is ( bang bang bang ) and a ( cashier opening sound ) and take ya money'' This is suggesting that the sterotype of immigrants are violent theifs along with the already exsisting sterotypes.
The use of camera movements, angles and shots through out the video are very simply but effectivly put together. The starting clips are edited to match the beat of the song all the way throughout. This gives the music video a large range of shots because so many cuts have been used to split up the clips.
There is another interpitation to this particular song which is to do with dealing with drug dealers and themordern corrupted american society who are compulsivly obsessed with making money. I have highlighted the lyrics to which i think may represent the second interpritation of drug dealing.
I fly like paper, get high like planes
If you catch me at the border I got visas in my name
If you come around here, I make them all day
I get one down in a second if you wait
Sometimes I feel sitting on trains
Every stop I get to I'm clocking that game
Everyone's a winner now we're making our fame
Bona fide hustler, making my name
All I want to do is BANG BANG BANG BANG!
And KA-CHING!
And take your money
Pirate skulls and bones
Sticks and stones and weed and bombs
Running when we hit them
Lethal poison through their system
No one on the corner has swagger like us
Hit me on my banner, prepaid wireless
We pack and deliver like UPS trucks
Already going to hell just pumping that gas
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