Main Competitors & Unique Selling Point

Competitors

For pop promos, “competitors” are other artists’ music videos in which I would take inspiration or direction from (e.g. Zion B’s Stepped In music video). However the song directly addresses the artist’s competitors as “typical rappers” that talk about fame and debauchery/decadence.

USP

My Unique Selling Point would be split into to factors: Micro and Macro elements

Micro elements: Interior Set Designs (in order to increase production value and catch the eyes of the audience). Animated sequences (swinging phones), small comedic sketches.

Macro elements – Representation of the artist: Christian viewpoint (not usually promoted in the UK rap scene but is on the rise e.g. Stormzy’s Gang signs and prayer).

Possible Standpoints/Meanings that could be conveyed

Wide acknowledgement of issues to do with youth in society (mainly dealing with the attitude that everyone is against them and trying to live differently in a crime-focused culture) by showing those issues having an effect on the artist and how he deals with it in the UK rap music industry since the song By My Side is the artist’s response to these specific issues.

Maybe this could be shown through Defamiliarization: Moral concepts being put back into society about normal things (e.g. Lyca sims used in phones are used in rap songs to represent a life of crime since it’s hard for police to track that phone however this song only mentions the original use of a phone by rapping about his Dad using it to contact family across the world). Defamiliarization takes place by deconstructing the negative stigma around these items/ideologies and replacing them with the artist’s innocuous view on those same ‘conventional rap’ items/ideologies. The USP could be visual representations of this through artistic shots.

Cons: This “defamiliarization” idea in this context could be considered to be insensitive since the reasons behind youth crime are sensitive, and saying “here’s an example of a good role model everyone should follow” as one of the main underlying messages of this video may be tactless for the audience of people who already are living a double life. However the real underlying message is “there’s another way to live life” this message is for the audience of people who either want a way out/consider living a life of crime. The debate whether rap music is encouraging crime among youth is very controversial at this day and age: it could be or maybe that artists are just stating the facts of reality that some people face in terms of issues of addiction/and drug culture (as one example); they turn to these things because there’s no help for them.