According to the regime in Lupe Fiasco’s music video, Words I Never Said, an ideal society is for everyone to follow the rules and have the same thoughts. Like many of the most iconic activists, Lupe Fiasco is thought to be crazy, dangerous or different, but he doesn’t let that hold him back from doing what he believes is right. The first scene is where Fiasco is on the bus and is the only one speaking. Everyone on the bus looks exactly the same and this is exactly what society’s standards are. The next scene is where the girl sees a Fiasco sticker and takes her mask off. She now sees their society for what it really is and the picture starts to become clear showing her new way of thinking. The last scene is where the four officers come and take Fiasco away. These four men are still wearing masks; the illusion of power blinds them from seeing that they are being oppressed as well. The importance of the mask is used to show how society is oppressive, uniform and obedient, and Fiasco is fighting these detriments in society by speaking out. 

A mask is normally used to prevent someone from making sound in order to stay passive. In the video at 1:21, Lupe Fiasco gets onto the bus and sits in the back; he walks by all the masked people without a mask and then proceeds to rap. This scene is set as a panoramic to show that Fiasco is the only passenger without a mask on. This establishes an object-oriented shot, to show the viewer what is the most important in the scene. Everyone else has a mask on and cannot speak, so when Fiasco begins to rap on the loudspeaker all of the other passengers become confused and start to give him disapproving looks. Fiasco does not seem to be fazed by the looks he is receiving because he is actively standing up for what he believes in and refuses to be silent. An object-oriented shot is also, used in order to show that what Fiasco is saying is important and people should listen. This shot is when everyone is focused on the same object, further showing the conformity within the group of masked people. These masked people represent the ones who remain silent in the face of morally corrupt situations. The regime in place in this video is corrupt and Fiasco is fed up. He does not agree with events such as brainwashing people, wrongful imprisonment and oppressing people based on who they are and their beliefs. Fiasco refuses to conform to society’s standards and he feels so strongly about what he is rapping he is prepared to accept the consequences for speaking out. 

Silence in society creates room for one person or party to dictate the way it functions. Moments before the scene at 5:29 the screen is black and white. At 5:29 the picture becomes clear and vivid when a woman removes her mask. This scene is a close up to show her face and her happy facial expressions once the mask is off. This happy facial expression is the first time a masked person is seen having this emotion. The masked people have blank absent looks because when you are brainwashed you don’t think: you just do. The mask silences the voice of the people in return brainwashing them and forcing them to conform to its standards. The more time one spends being corrected and controlled the less willing they are to venture away from that training and more likely to remain obedient: this is how brainwashing works. Animals do not speak and are trained by their owner; they are meant to be obedient. The people in the video are acting exactly like a dog would once they are trained to something. In this instance silence is being trained. The Lupe Fiasco sticker is there to show that she is following in his footsteps and finally speaking out for what she believes in. 

Society can become blinding and distort our vision of what we actually believe is right or wrong. In the video the people who are trying to control the divergent people, use distorted images to basically brainwash them. This seems to have succeeded because at 2:21 in the video four police like men, come and take Fiasco away because of his rapping. No one speaks up for him and like the people on the bus the police are also masked. These police are the people who are doing the work of the regime and they are still wearing masks. They don’t even realize that they are being manipulated and oppressed as well. The illusion of power that the regime has created for these officers blinds them from seeing the truth that they actually don’t have any power. Similar to the masked men, the people on the bus don’t realize they have been brainwashed. These people experience cult like tendencies because like cult member they are willing to do anything to stay within society’s standards. This is a problem because their blind loyalty distorts their individual opinions on what is morally correct. We all have the potential for greatness and if we allow regimes or society to kill that creativity and silent that voice we wouldn’t achieve that greatness. This is exactly why the regime silences the people with the masks because they fear someone will take over. So, you give people fake power and make people think there is nothing wrong with the situation to keep that power. If these people were to have clear vision of what is actually going on they would not be so loyal. Without this brainwashing type of society the regime in charge would not be able succeed. Regimes that dictate over their people’s every move thrive off of blind complacency. 

The mask is used to show the silencing aggressive society that creates standards for people to follow to a T and the hatred Fiasco feels for this society. Fiasco in the first scene refuses to conform on the bus and raps his views even with the judgmental confused glances he gets from the masked people. The woman in the second scene finally sees society for what it really is and takes off her mask meaning she is now willing to speak up for what she believes in. The four masked men in the last scene believe that they have power; however, they have masks on as well because their opinions and views don’t matter to the regime either. The regime has succeeded in creating a rule following, cult like society with only one person's idea, thoughts and opinions; nevertheless that doesn’t stop Fiasco from striving to break society’s standards and standing up for what he believes in.