Leftfield- Afrika Shox (1999)

Africa Bambaataa
Feel the rhythm of the Africa Bambaataa
Are you ready for the new age?
They are setting the stage

For the renegades
To control your mind
They planned it yesterday, free
Zulu Nation here to stay

Let's get electrified, let's get electrified
Let's get electrified, let's get electrified
Let's get electrified, let's get electrified
Let's get electrified, let's get electrified

Pump it, rockin' it, stickin' it, funkin' it Africa
Pump it, rockin' it, stickin' it, funkin' it Zulu Nation
Z.U.L.U that's the way we say Zulu
Z.U.L.U that's the way we say Zulu

Zulu Nation, cities of angels
Zulu Nation, cities of angels
Africa Bambaataa Zulu Nation
Electro funk, electro funk
Electro funk future shock

We want your funk Africa
We want your funk
Let's get electrified, let's get electrified
Let's get electrified, let's get electrified

The world is on fire, can I take you higher?
The world is on fire
Zulu Nation
Ha ha ha future, ha ha ha future

Electro get going and the funk don't stop
Time to clear the floor and let the Zulu's rock
?

The year 2000 is on the way some say
The year 2000 has been here since yesterday
Electric beats, electric beats
We're Zulus

?
The future's gonna rock
?
The future's gonna rock say what
Z.U.L.U that's the way you say Zulu
Z.U.L.U that's the way you say Zulu

‘Afrika Shox’ from the album “Rhythm and Stealth” by Leftfield was released in 1999 on the 6^th of September. It is an integrated genre of music, which consists of progressive dance/electronic/house, but also influenced by reggae.  Music and dance were of great importance to the people enslaved from the 1620’s to the 1860’s. All over America, slaves made music and danced for many different reasons, to remember their ancestors, to mourn, to worship, they also did it to strengthen the bonds within the community,  as well as for leisure and to find love.  The poem ‘Limbo’ by Edward Kamau Braithwaite can be inter-textually referenced to this video, this is evident throughout the video.

Limbo:

And limbo stick is the silence in front of me

limbo

limbo

limbo like me

limbo

limbo like me

long dark night is the silence in front of me

limbo

limbo like me

stick hit sound

and the ship like it ready

stick hit sound

and the dark still steady

limbo

limbo like me

long dark deck and the water surrounding me

long dark deck and the silence is over me

limbo

limbo like me

stick is the whip

and the dark deck is slavery

stick is the whip

and the dark deck is slavery

limbo

limbo like me

drum stick knock

and the darkness is over me

knees spread wide

and the water is hiding

limbo

limbo like me

knees spread wide

and the dark ground is under me

down

down

down

and the drummer is calling me

limbo

limbo like me

sun coming up

and the drummers are praising me

out of the dark

and the dumb god are raising me

up

up

up

and the music is saving me

hot

slow

step

on the burning ground.

This video represents many issues such as slavery, racism, a society which is not accepting, and excluding. The video also uses subliminal messages to show political incorrectness. The mise-en-scene within this music video indicates that it is aimed at a more mature audience. It is also aimed at audiences who enjoy the techno/dance scene. All the images and shots within the music video are very straight/ strong and very geometric, representing the harsh nature of the modern world. The opening, low angle shot is of The Twin Towers; this shot connotes white supremacy; and is also used as a cultural signifier to New York. The shot then pans down to the ground level; this could be signifying the main character’s status in society, and implies that he is insignificant within society and the nation. In terms of slavery, which is what the main character represents, he is representing the status of his ancestor’s centuries before this was filmed.

The second shot in the music video, has used the rule of thirds to show a hectic New York street, and a police car with its sirens on. The flashing lights of the car represent the lights which are used in clubs and are associated to the dance and electronic/house genre. The police car represents how society fear the constraints and laws that are oppressed on society, and also signifies how the buyers and owners of the slaves in the time of slavery were the equivalent to the police in this photo.

The dark mise-en-scene, city views and urban setting represent the urban genre of music within the video. Saturation is low, connoting the bleak world that the main character faces. The camera cuts to a shot of a car park underground; this is a cultural signifier of underground music, it is dark, includes flashing images, and is also unknown to the mainstream music scene. The fact this clip is also in black and white also suggests that it is a non-mainstream video also.

This is a significant shot in the music video. It shows the black American actor stepping out of the shadows, and into the day light. This can be linked with the ‘limbo’ poem when Braithwaite describes the slaves descending from the ship “out of the dark and the dumb god are raising me ,up ,up ,up ,and the music is saving me ,hot ,slow ,step ,on the burning ground” The audience can imagine that the character is feeling like this, because as he rises the audience can see his eyes, almost blind; blind to the way in which modern society view things, but also how the society in the time of the slave trade viewed things also. The noir mise-en-scene and chiaroscuro lighting supports the dark theme of the video, and reinforces the two different worlds. He is venturing into the unknown, and therefore can be linked to migrants and immigrants from other cultures who are also venturing to find happiness, but however are greeted with the harsh reality of the modern society in 1^st world countries.

This shot shows the main character crouched in the dark, I related this to the famous drawing ‘The Slave Ship’ by Marcus Rediker; which shows just how brutal the conditions of the slave ships were. I think the positioning of the character represents the positions they were in before they were allowed to descend the ship.

This shot then shows the character walking into the streets of New York. The audience can see that he is walking like a Zombie or an alien.  The characters costume and makeup also indicate this. The white, cloudy eye contact lenses he is wearing make him appear blind also. This could also connote that he sees the world from a different perspective, or however represent that he does not view the world, how it should be seen in modern society. The fact that his eyes are white (no colour in his eyes) indicates that there is no colour in his life, his life is bleak; just like the lives of slaves.

This shot shows how the character is having a culture shock and is alienated from the population; he is invisible to society; he is a blind person within a crowd of uncaring people. He is used as a portrayal of the slaves once used in America, who are now forgotten. The way he is separated from the crowd signifies that he does not fit in with the modern society. The ambient lighting, low saturation and the urban mise-en-scene that surrounds him connotes that society is repressive and he is made an outcast.

This shot shows the character crossing a busy New York street. We can tell by his thin, brittle legs that look fragile and weak, that he is malnourished. He is also walking unsteadily; this could be because his muscles have weakened, due to lack of exercise and lack of use. This represents the fact that after slaves had been on the ships for weeks, their limbs would not always work properly due to lack of use and they would be so malnourished.

This shot of a bystander shows him showing interest in the main character, he stares negatively at the character, and his facial expression indicates he is ‘disgusted’ and ‘appalled’ by the man, and arises the thought that he may be a disgrace to society. His potential disability and race has affected this man’s judgement of the character, and this represents the views of several people in society.

This shot shows the bystander is indifferent towards the main character, and shows that he is not the least interested in providing him with his help.

The camera then cuts to a shot of the main character holding out his arm, to suggest he needs support and help, however the audience are conscious that he will not receive help, even if he is in desperate need or pain. The by-standers ignore his cry for help and laugh. This can relate back to slaves, as they would not have received help, even if they were in agonising pain, as they were worthless to their owners.

This shot Is significant within the music video. The main reached out his arm to receive help, but however, it got broken off by someone passing by. This picture represents the aim of the music video as a whole. The fact that the main character is hollow on the inside, connotes the fact that people treated slaves as if they were ‘nobody’s’ but also to signify that they thought slaves to have no soul or feelings.  It also represents slaves as being fragile and that they felt hollow, and felt meaningless. Personally, this is the most powerful shot in the video, and it makes the audience think an awful lot, about the meanings behind the video.

After the pedestrian knocks the characters arm off, he peers down at it, but however shows no sorrow or sympathy. This shot represents many groups and attitudes in society in regards to facing our consequences. This man does not seem fazed that he has hurt the character, however looks quite pleased with himself after this shot; as he turns away and disappears.

This shot shows the main character grasping a metal fence, this is ironic because the lyrics that fit with the shot say:

We want your funk Africa
We want your funk
Lets get electrified, let's get electrified
Lets get electrified, let's get electrified

In this shot, the main character watches break dancers in an underground car park in New York; this is where break dancing originated, and also links in with the source of the genre.  The white break dancers are essentially alienating blacks, white people are now dancing, they have hijacked the dancing that originally came from slaves. The man glances at them in distress; this may connote his confusion and sadness towards the fact white people have grasped the dancing culture very casually without accrediting the slaves that dancing originated from. This may signify that white people are trying to control the blacks in society, like they once did. The dark mise-en-scene is suggests potential threat, the non-ambient lights that run along the ceiling resemble prison bars that could suggest he is in a confined space and feels claustrophobic. The general theme of the music video is alienation. This shot is also ambiguous and shows that the band is staying away from the mainstream audience, and it also connects to the British-ness of the band. 

One of the last shots is of another black man ‘witch doctor’ that is in a modernized tribal print costume.  He is the sole person in the video who has approached the character and offered his help.  The camera then cuts to a low angle shot of the witch doctor; from below he seems angel like, due to the bright light behind his head. The man then offers to lend him a hand and says ‘would you like a hand?’  This is ironic because the character has no hands.