The magazine cover is designed to appeal to its target audience of hip hop fans. The large red masthead identifies it as VIBE magazine, and the cover image features hip hop artist Kendrick Lamar. Other elements like mentioning artists Kanye and R. Kelly in the cover lines and including hip hop symbols like chains and snapback hats help position the magazine as focused on hip hop culture. The layout lists article titles to give readers a clear sense of the magazine's contents and reassure them it will suit their tastes. Elements like the featured artist image, article listings and use of rule of thirds help guide readers' attention to the most important parts of the cover.