2. INITIAL IDEAS
INITIAL IDEAS (scan in)Tape:
EP:
The name EP standsMix
for ‘extended play’ it Mix tape is another hip hop
is often used in the term which refers to a trial
music industry but I record released to test
believe it also could be weather an artist will make
used to mean more the big time. They are
than music. associated with being at the
The masthead would center of the genre and
be in the familiar left often credited with being
corner and it would be artist’s best work.
a pop centered The masthead would be
magazine. quite dominant and the
magazine would be styled
to look gritty and
homemade.
WAVED:
Waved is a hip hop slang
word meaning enjoyment or HOVE:
intoxication. It features in Hove is a term used in the
numerous rap songs and I feel hip hop genre, coined by
connects the magazine to the Jay-Z. Hove is a shortened
rap genre. version of Jewish god
The masthead would be Jehovah and has come to
traditionally across the whole mean a type of modern day
magazine and there would be demigod.
few kickers with the model The masthead would be
being a major selling point. vertical down the side
leaving more room for the
models and kickers.
3. CHOSEN IDEA:
Classical masthead,
spreading across the entire
magazine. The masthead WAVED
should have an individual
look about it so it can be
instantly recognizable, and MAGAZINE
should feature a hip hop
font. I elected to go with the
waved magazine idea
because I feel it can be
Central image of model turned into an entire brand.
focusing on mainly the top The title, though connoting
half. The model should have hip hop, is not directly linked
a ‘snapback’ hat on because to the genre and allows for a
they are very symbolic of the broader topic area. In my
genre itself. survey I found that more
people wanted an interview
and review based magazine
and so I felt that this layout
One central kicker relating implied a magazine that was
to the model. The more focused around
magazine’s main selling personality that purely music.
point should be the model
and so the kicker should
relate the that.
4. I feel it is important the the masthead
is seen as more as a logo than simply
the name of the magazine. The
masthead must not just connote the
subject matter of the editorial but
also be instantly recognizable. I looked
to hip hop magazines such as XXL and
Vibe for inspiration but I also took into
consideration successful mastheads
The font here is bold and such as wired magazine which has
readable. The red box around
now become a global brand. These
it makes it completely visually
striking. This logo stands out mastheads stand out from simpler
from other magazines and magazines.
also connotes the larger than
life idea of hip hop.
Vibe magazine opts for a clear font
with a slight flourish on the ‘v’ and a
lower case ‘e’. This makes it stand
out whilst not being overpowering.
The wired masthead is one of
the most recognizable in the
magazine industry, the font
itself connote the idea of
technology as to the
pixelated blocks. It is a prime
example of a masthead that
symbolizes the genre.
8. The mise en scene is appropriate with
the model wearing the genre
appropriate ‘snapback’ hat and ray ban
glasses. There is a great degree of
persona within the rap genre with stage
names and that is personified by the
clothes they wear.
The downward angle of the shot makes the model
seem more powerful, this is commonly found on
the cover of music magazines. This again relates to
the idea that these hip hop figureheads are almost
religious icons.
The pose of the shot is important
because it again connotes power. The
slight angle makes the image more
interesting and gives the model more
of a persona and an individuality.
The dark colours are again important
because the genre plays upon the idea
of darkness. As Rap started in the
Bronx in new york as a means for the
African American community to gain a
larger social stance the colour black
became synonymous with the genre
and still is worn by almost every artist.
9. Illustrated covers
For my front cover I wanted to make it a real art piece more than a traditional photograph of a
model. Guitar world often features covers with illustrations behind artists or even fully illustrated
covers. Independent movie magazine ‘little white lies’ is famous for it’s beautifully illustrated
covers which have become a selling point for the magazine. I wanted to perhaps experiment with a
partially illustrated cover.
