J Cole - She Knows Analysis

 J Cole - She Knows

"She Knows" is a single by American Hip-Hop artist J Cole taken from his album Born Sinner, released in 2013. 

• Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics ( Hip-Hop)

The very first shot demonstrates the Hip Hop genre as it pans through an American suburb (North Carolina) that looks cheap. Also all of the characters featured in the music video are mixed race or Black, which conforms to the Hip Hop genre. Once Kyle gets to school he meets his friend and decides to skip school. They go skateboarding and the setting very much conforms to the Hip Hop genre as it's run down, bleak and desert-like.

• There is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals 

The relationship between the lyrics and visuals are subtle because the video is narrative but there are many links. For example the shot below is in time with the lyrics "Got me up so high". Also Kyle and his friend are seen running away from the cops in time with the lyrics "Can't be what you wan't from me" which could be referring to how Kyle is letting down his parents by skipping school. Both of these examples amplify the lyrics rather than contrast them.  

• There are normally close-ups of the artist to promote them

As the music video is a narrative based music video there are no close-ups of J Cole. However most record companies demand shots of the artist in music videos, which could well of happened as J Cole does have a cameo role. J Cole is depicted undressing Kyle's mother, just as Kyle walks in to see what's happening.