Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer

If ever there was a case of a music video following the script (said script being the lyrics, of course) it is Ini Kamoze's My Girl, directed by T Rob. It isa bit like that ad on television about ads, talk about the product, show the product.

So, when the first verse of the bouncy reggae song opens with "my girl no carry no 50 grand purse with 40 cent in", a bashy purse is placed on a table, a manicured hand goes in and out comes a clutch of coins.

The next line is "my girl don't shine har eye fe no guy wid rent a rim" and there is a girl in a car (turns out to be a white Toyota), eyes popping wide as she spots a hot car with hotter rims. There is a nice flash of leg showing under her green skirt when she pushes out her head, then her body, then takes a tumble as she falls out the window.

The next line is "my girl don't s... no with juice a run dung pon no chin", the mute button being applied where applicable to ensure airworthiness. And (heh heh) relax, there is no representation of that.

It is back to the script, though, on "however, she will carry my heatseeker, undercover", a blurred object taken from a man and placed in a handbag in a black and white shot, as both colour and black and white are used to good effect in the video to My Girl.

Natural girl

The literal take on the lines continues in the second verse ("my girl no have six kids fe bout seven rusty dude" and "my girl no come pon site a hype fe baby food"), through to the lines about the girl of Kamoze's desires who he will take home to Mama. No surprise that she is a natural girl, hair, jewellery and all. No surprise that Mama is there to hug and hold.

What saves the video for My Girl from stumbling into the land of corniness is the humour of many of the lines it follows and thus the room it allows for funny scenes. So the hottie who bounces on one leg as she 'hypes' for the baby food, the lass who falls from the car window and then runs after the Corolla as the hot car with hot rims keeps driving, the girl who pushes Joe's head underwater as Kamoze takes her by surprise on "won't try to hide any man in the sauna", all make for a good chuckle.

Dancing is also extensively incorporated in the video, a couple dreadlocked men working out on processed hotties, a male crew dropping moves, a couple club-looking scenes among them. And just in case y'all thought Rasta women are stiff, on the line "she raise my flag and hoist my banner" there is a shot of a slender lady in headwrap and long red skirt, working it nicely.

Yeah, there is that line "my girl no birthday suit out an' gone go walk a road". Only the bare legs are shown though, but they are good ones.