Textual Analysis:

Although Jay-Z is known today as a famous rapper and a producer of Roc-A-Fella record label, he did not start off with the most fortunate setting. The music video portrays the ghetto of Brooklyn, New York in the 1990s and illustrates the struggles that Jay-Z had to go through during his career in order to reach the top of the music industry.

In this track, Jay Z highlights the unfair ways in which he is treat due to the colour of his skin, the incident in the video represents how he and how other people of his race have to constantly deal with prejudice in their daily lives. Driving one mile over the speed limit is something that police would believe is not worth wasting time or effort to pull one over. However, because Jay-Z is from African decent, it is implied that Caucasians do not feel safe about African Americans driving around the streets—Caucasians may believe that African Americans are dangerous, criminals, and/or a possible threat to the community. This stereotype is represented within the narrative, showing the police officer as being white, and suspicious of the black driver, the fact that Jay-Z is famous is not brought into context in this scene.

Within the mise-en-scene, the streets of Brooklyn are shown as being dark through the black and white effect. They are covered in graffiti, which shows youth and possibly the activity of gangs. The half naked women and the big, baggy clothing represent the dreams and goals of people living in that society, although they are being ridiculed for their race.

However Jay-Z is pictured driving around the city with a white man who you would not consider as being involved in Hip-Hop culture. This represents how Jay-Z does not ridicule anyone over their race or wealth, yet all he receives is exactly that. The video cuts on the beat. This can be seen in the dance scene on 02:20, where a group of black men are dancing or "stepping" which is a performance where the dancers make a beat as they move. The song cuts on each beat the dancers are pictured as making.