The document compares images from a student-created music magazine to real music magazines. It finds that both use black models in similar poses that suggest toughness, such as hands in pockets and hoods on. While the backgrounds differ, both aim to make the black models stand out. The student magazine's model was also edited in Photoshop to increase brightness and contrast. Both representations reflect today's youth culture and the common portrayal of black people on music magazine covers. However, the student magazine differs in using a single model rather than the two or more models typically found on covers of popular rap/grime magazines.

1. Howdoes media productrepresent particular social groups?
I have decided to compare two images from my music
magazine, with real life magazines; one that is from my
double page spread and the other, which is directly from my
front cover. The right hand image is from my magazine, and
the left one is from a real music magazine called “recognize”.
I have identified that both models have similar poses, and
they both happen to be black, which shows that majority of
rappers are usually from afro-Caribbean backgrounds. They
both have similar facial expressions alongside the same
posture, in terms of their hands in their pockets, their hood
hats on, which indicates to the audience that they are
tough/gangster. The mis-en-scene of my image is of my
model looking directly at the camera fiercely, alongside the
real music magazine “Rap-up”.
This shows that the posture of my model is conventional as
it is used in real music magazines. From looking at both
backgrounds, one can identify that the backgrounds aren’t
the same, however in one way they are seeing as they are
both plain, however I decided to use a bright background
on my magazine, whereas “rap-up” have used a light grey
to make the black model stand out. Alongside that I used a
colored filter, and increased the brightness and contrast

2. through the help of Photoshop on my model, whereas the
real music magazine hasn’t used a filter on their model.
Furthermore, I believe that the posture/ effect on both
images represents todays youth society, as well shows that
its usually black people that are the front covers of music
magazines.
“N-hits” is the front cover magazine that I have created,
whereas the real music magazines named “frequency” and
“XXL” are real music magazine. As you can see, real
rap/grime music magazines consist of older black men,
which appear to look tough/solid/bad boy. The older black
model is wearing a number of gold jewellery pieces, which
indicates to the audience that he is wealthy/thug, middle
class. However the language used by the Afro Caribbean
men may be of working class therefore the image
contradicts the way in which they speak. I have also used a
black model in my magazine, which is posing in a specific
way that suggests to the audience that he is also
tough/gangster. This again, I believe meets the codes and
conventions of real music magazines.

3. However when comparing well-recognised rap/grime music
magazines such as “XXL” the image on the front cover
usually consists of two or more black male models, whereas
mine is one model. This shows that my magazine is also
unconventional when compared to popular grime/rap
magazines.