Artist Transformation

Eminem

Born on October 17, 1972, in St. Joseph, Missouri, rap musician Eminem had a turbulent childhood. He released The Slim Shady LP in early 1999, and the album went multi-platinum, garnering Eminem two Grammy Awards and four MTV Video Music Awards. In 2000, he released The Marshall Mathers LP, which was noted as the fastest-selling album in rap history. More recently, in 2010, Eminem released the Grammy-winning album Recovery, a highly autobiographical attempt to come to terms with his struggles with addiction and experience with rehabilitation. Eminem plans to release his eighth album, MMLP2, in 2013.

Early Life 

American rapper, record producer and actor Eminem was born Marshall Bruce Mathers III on October 17, 1972, in St. Joseph, Missouri. He never knew his father, Marshall Mathers Jr., who abandoned the family when Eminem was still an infant and rebuffed all of his son's many attempts to contact him during his childhood. As a result, Eminem was raised by his mother, Deborah Mathers.

Types of Music Videos

Performance

Performance videos focuses on the artist or brand just plainly performing either on their own or in from of a crowd. There is no sort of narrative what so ever throughout the video and would usually have a wide variety of camera angles and regularly repeats. This is very popular amongst the rock artists videos and much preferred to other styles of music videos.

Some examples of this are:

• Arctic Monkeys - Brainstorm - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GmvSIUp5Zk
• Bon Jovi - Livin' On A Prayer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDK9QqIzhwk
• Go Audio - So Quiet You Were - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDK9QqIzhwk

All these music videos used the same camera angles and showed the bands playing on stage and occasionally switches from each band member. However, the Bon Jovi's video is the only one to introduce the audience into the video, this gives the sense you are really there.

Narrative 

A narrative performance video is usually mixed in with a little bit of performance involved with the artists/s signing or with a guitar etc. this is usually popular amongst hip hop artists  as they show little performance and show what the video is about. It usually has a story behind the video, this is a way artists can connect with their audience and fans.

Some examples of this are:

• Coldplay - the Scientist - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RB-RcX5DS5A
• Guns 'N' Roses - Every Time - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SbUC-UaAxE
• Eminem - Stan - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOMhN-hfMtY

All these music videos have a story line and a meaning to them, its like they are trying to put out across a message to their fans. They usually follow close to the lyrics of the song. 

Cameo

These type of music videos often feature other artists for example from the same label. This can also be when famous appear in the music video but are not involved in the singing. 

Some examples of this are:

• Fall Out Boy - I Don't Care -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Alh6iIvVN9o
• Michael Jackson - Black or White - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2AitTPI5U0
• Taylor Swift - Bad Blood - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcIy9NiNbmo

Functions of a music video

Promote The Artist

The artist is the highlight of the music video, so the record label do everything they can to make their artist look as good as possible so they catch people eye. This will make a record label lots of money from all the publicity through the media.




Entertain

Music videos can also be to entertain. "Dubstep" music videos are often purposed to entertain their audience as the artist is usually a DJ and the music is the most important thing, for example; Lil John - Turn Down For what.


Symbolism

A  music video is also done to symbolise greater or bigger things. Artists use videos to make a point about them selves or about the world or about others.



Show Emotion

Some artist make a video to get their audience thinking about themselves and about the world. They also sometimes have other and deeper meanings





Representation

Music videos are also used to represent an artist in a certain way. Music artists use their videos to represent themselves ans sometimes as a sex symbol. For example; Rihanna represents her self as a sex object, this has become her unique selling point.