The front cover of Vibe magazine features 50 Cent in the center behind the bold masthead. 50 Cent is dressed in grey clothing that blends into the misty grey background, reflecting the magazine's target male audience. He has a briefcase that is reflected by explosive fire in the background, implying he is not to be messed with. Through his angry facial expression and direct gaze, the audience feels they are staring into his eyes and emotions, creating intimacy. The placement of elements like the barcode and 50 Cent's shot are unconventional choices that make the magazine unique.

1. ‘Vibe’ magazine front cover annotation (1)
The Masthead:
The use of Colour:
‘Vibe’ magazine maintains its
usual logo, with its bold, wide
and unique masthead display
with fills the top of the page.
The main artist is usually
placed behind the masthead
the make it effective and to
show who the main artist is.
The attire that the artist , ’50 cent ‘wears,
merges with the misty, grey background. The
use of greys and black again reflect the gender
of the target audience as these colours are
known to be masculine. Moreover, his briefcase
is reflected by the explosive fire in the
background which means that he’s not one to
mess with and that the sell-line ‘GLOBAL
TERROR’ is what he will always be known for.
The artist is also usually at the
centre of the page, right in the
middle of the masthead and
sell-lines to give the audience
the hint that they are the main
feature.
The Barcode:
Usually on the front cover of a
music magazine, the barcode is
placed on the bottom left of the
page, however, ‘Vibe’ has broken
this convention and placed it on
the bottom instead to highlight the
fact that the magazine is unique
and stylish.
The Facial expression:
50 cents facial expression seems angry and
terrifying, again reflects the horrible events in
the background. Because he is making direct
address to the audience, we feel as though we
are staring at him directly into his eyes and
feeling his emotions as well, which is very
effective and allows the audience to feel more
intimate to him.
The Shot:
The use of shot (Medium-long shot) is a clever
use of shot as we are able to see most of his
frame. Music magazine rarely use long-shots as
a front cover shot as it looks pointless and
ineffective and the audience would be unable to
feel intimate with the artist.