WORKSHEET : « Express yourself », NWA

N.W.A. - Express Yourself (Official Music Video) (youtube.com)

I. Watch the music video without the sound.

Settings:

-Who do you see?

-Where are they?
-What are they doing?
-When is it?
Hypothesis: What are the different problems shown in this clip?

II. Watch with sound on.

a. PART I (0-1’19)

-JUMP TO 1988 : They are black people ho are rapping but it’s forbidden

-who arrives? A police officer arrives

-problem:Rapping was forbidden so they are arrested.
-why did the state prevent them from singing? Because it allows people to express themselves
-where is the boy now? Now he is in jail

→ What is N.W.A trying to tell us? It shows that freedom of speech isa not respected,
especially concerning the black community.

→what's N.W.A's answer? Write down the chorus:

b. PART II (2’50→ 3’20)

-what major historical event is revisited here? The murder of JFK

-what's the big difference? Here, the singer is not dead , he’s black.
-who do you think tried to kill him? Probably the police man, racist people

-why? Because he is a threat for the government.

→vision expressed in Part I and II:

…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
c. PART III (4’10→ end)

-describe what you see. I see an electrical chair, a way to kill people with death sentence. Here,
the singer who was rapping died on the electric chair.
-the corridor reminds you of ?
→vision expressed in Part III:
The band wants to show that freedom is an illusion. People are not allowed to think what they
want, to say what they, to be who they are. They must be quiet and not express themselves
d. Conclusion
→message of the video: RECAP showing the importance of this song for the black community.
This song and the band want to make people stand up for their rights.
They encourage to people to express themselves despite what the government says.

They want people to keep fighting for their liberty.

They want to expose the government by showing the injustice the black community must go
through.

The band is showing the reality.