By using Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s video for “the Message” and Jay Z’s video for “Empire State of Mind” one can notice comparisons and contrasts in setting, lyrical content, and representation of women.
Music videos revolve around location and where the artist is at, during different moments throughout the video. The setting is a crucial element that enables the viewer to have a better understanding of what places and environments the musician was thinking of when writing the song. In Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s music video “The Message”, the setting showcases an urban, rough part of town, but in Jay Z’s music video “Empire State of Mind” the setting mainly displays famous and well known parts of New York City. This difference is significant because the audience can get an idea of what growing up or living in this city is really like. In “The Message” there is litter and broken glass on the street, homeless people sitting in forsaken areas, and unkempt