Textual Analysis 2

Tory Lanez- Say It

The video earned 109, 390, 466 views on Youtube.

Introduction

Tory Lanez is a singer/ songwriter within the HipHop and R&B

genres.Discovered in early 2010 by fellow musician Sean
Kingston, after watching a video he uploaded onto his youtube
channel of himselffree styling, Tory soon found himself to be
invited by Sean to join Justin Bieber on stage during his tour.

Over the years Tory Lanes found himself becoming more famous
and turning into a more mainstream artist. This was clear in 2015,
when he released his song 'Say It' which was his first single for his
debut studioalbum 'I Told You'.

Representation

Tory Lanez is represented as being a friendly, approachable and

humble man in the video. This is shown by his polite behavior
towards a girl he likes, his mannerisms when he is talking to his
friends, and also the fact that he didnt cause a fight when the girl
he invited to a party, left with another girl (which probably would
happen in other videos from the rap genre).
The representation of Tory Lanez is very different from the typical
artist from the rap genre. For example, Kanye West s portrayed as
being violent and rowdy.

(Left) Tory Lanez,

(right) Kanye
West.

Representation of Locations

The beginning of the video is set on the steps of an apartment, of

which we dont know where. The steps are dirty and do not
represent the people who sit there to have much money or class.
Troy Lanez and his four friends are hanging out here. Although
they have been represented to as being poor they are laughing
and having fun which portrays the idea that having money will not
make your life better.

Mise- En- Scene

Tory Lanez with

his grill

Tory and his group of friends all follow the

generic conventions of artists within the
hip hop and r&b genre. For example,
wearing hats, gold chains, grills and
having tatoos are all a common theme
throughout music videos in the genre I
am studying.
(Left) Future, (right) Fetty
Wap

Casual clothing,
chains and
tattoos.

Mise- En- Scene

In contrast to this, during the music video Tory Lanez is also seen
driving an expensive car. This is also a generic convention of the
rap genre. It is something which is done by other artists such as
Drake, Future and Kanye West.

Screenshots
from Say It

(Above) Post
Malone in White
Inversion,
(right) Drake in
Started From

Narrative

Starting off sitting on some apartment steps with his friends, Tory spots
a young girl who he is attracted to and takes this opportunity to ask for
her number. Reluctantly, she gives in and gets passed his phone.
However, she does not take any further action to this situation because
she was not impressed straight away from his lack of wealth.
Later on in the video, Tory rents a car and is seen driving it past the
same girl who previously wasnt interested.
Now though, she has changed her mind because she has seen his flash
car.
All along, Tory knew what she was playing at, but still invited her to a
party with him, hoping she would be able to fall for him still once she
got to know him, beneath the flashy cars show off wealth.
Sadly, the girl who attended the party left with another guy, but Tory
knew it was because he was richer than he was. She was only attracted
to the money.

Narrative In Screenshots

Institutions

Tory Lanez is signed to the record label Interscope which is a

subsidiary from the record label Universal Music Group.
This means that a large budget can be put into the production of
the music video, allowing more possibilities to have luxury items,
for example the sports car used.
Having an artist signed to a record label, which is part of a larger
label is a benefit to the artist because it ensures that more people
will be aware of him and his success. This can also be boosted by
the advertisement that is carried out by the institutions in order to
maintain his success.

Ideology

Tory Lanez video for Say It is sending a message to two different

types of people. The first one to the audience, saying that having
materialistic items such as fast cars and gold chains does not
make you any more or less of a good person.
However, this ideology is challenged because at the end of the
video, the girl he fell for left the party with another man, who was
richer than himself. But after this, he shows he is not too bothered
and he knew what she was playing at all along.
Secondly, he is sending out a question to similar rappers to
himself, asking why they feel like it is necessary to constantly
expose their wealth through objects to give themselves a more
confident and in your face persona.