Link: cpb-eu-w2.wpmucdn.com/blogs.grammar.sch.gg/dist/e/5/files/2018/01/Bio-29g1s94.pdf
Use this document to help you unpick the article and explore how the journalist is using words to create a tone, an impact and communicate their ideas. This article contains a short biography on James Lavelle, a British musician who in the 1990’s helped found the musical group “UNKLE”, and essentially created the “Trip Hop” genre of music. The Journalist, Dorian Lynskey, uses a particular type of word choice and narrative style to portray Lavelle’s life as an uplifting underdog story, by showing the musician’s quick rise to fame, as well as how he has dealt with the problems that usually entails. For example, by referring to Lavelle as a “boy wonder” and “visionary lightning rod” in the stand first, the journalist portrays him as an almost prodigal musician who rose to prominence very young, which fits with the narrative of the underdog story. This is furthered when the journalist incorporates a story about Lavelle’s 24th birthday, where he appears to be at his peak. This is because he’s surrounded by fellow musicians, as well as an “everest of cocaine”, his record label and band are doing well, and he even bought an expensive Basquiat painting. However, just like in any underdog story, Levelle has to hit a low point, which is why the journalist immediately follows this with the fact that by 2003 the once great musician was deep in debt (so much so that he had to sell his prized Basquiat painting), and his record label had failed. By putting this information directly after the story of Lavelle’s 24th birthday, it impacts the reader more by highlighting the contrast of what Lavelle had, versus what he currently has. Continuing this theme of the underdog story, the journalist then cuts to the present, and incorporates a shoutout to UNKLE’s new album to communicate the idea of a comeback to the readers. Similarly, the journalist provides insight into the wisdom that Lavelle gained from his aforementioned experiences, and through this communicates the message of resilience. This is because despite people calling Lavelle insane, urging him to quit music, and him going through what he described as “quite extreme situations, both financially and emotionally”, he persisted/learned from his past mistakes, and was able to produce a new album as a result. This provides a satisfying conclusion to the themes of an underdog story established throughout this biography.
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