Music magazine analysis

Music Magazine Analysis
Analysis of Genre Specific Magazine Pages

Most of the font on the front
cover is white, contrasting The central image is a large image
with the coloured that takes up the whole front
background, the juxtaposition cover, even obstructing a portion
of colours emphasizing the of the masthead, of two white
white font. This colour of font rappers who both face the
clearly represents the issue camera face on. This body
discussed in this issue – “Is language and blocking gives an
hip-hop finally colour blind?” impression and representation of
and keeping the cover line challenge to the onlooker to
articulated clearly for the judge their abilities on their
particular VIBE audience this colour, this is also indicative of
debate applies to. the attitude associated with the
rap industry and emphasizes
their success and prominence
Buzz words attracts more within the industry despite their
readers through the need colour because their similar
consumers have for attitudes are shown here clearly.
surveillance. The
“exclusive” knowledge on
T.I and the London riots
and the red font in the
white text box makes it
stand out and shows the
importance of the cover
line below.

Here the main cover line is at
the bottom of the page, The smaller cover lines here
emphasizing the importance are on various rappers of
of the artist in the central smaller status than Lil
image. There is block font Wayne, shown very blatantly
used and the colour is both in the size of font and
translucent white and just a positioning of them. These
white outline, again are also in white, in keeping
furthering the prominence of with the colour scheme and
the image to the reader. This contrasting with the purple
is significant as it is an image background to bring in the
of Lil Wayne on stage and readers focus. The variety of
that’s what the article artists discussed within the
discusses: “Lil Wayne the magazine means that XXL
king of hip-hop live”. The use has a very diverse mode of
of the word “king” also address, ensuring a much
explains why the central wider audience and
image is the main focus on consumer base they can
this front page, it connotes appeal to.
the significance and success
of a “king”, even if its just in
one respect of the rap
industry.

The lack of very many cover
lines at all highlights the main
image, an image of a
prominent rapper Busta
Rhymes that takes up the
whole front cover and has a
bleed. The image features the
The colour scheme of this rapper wearing green clothes
FC clearly represents the and diamond jewellery while
topics shown to be he lights a cigar with burning
discussed in the magazine money. The connotations
in the skyline and very few here are obvious, that this
cover lines – money and “recession-proof” rapper is so
marijuana. (Dollar bills are successful and wealthy that
green and medical he can burn money to light an
marijuana is legal in the expensive cigar even in the
USA.) The association is economic downturn. The
very reflective of the genre blatant appeal of getting to
as making money and this financial state in our lives
smoking marijuana are is appeal enough to pick up a
common topics discussed in magazine with this central
rap. image like this, and indeed
because of this central image.

The skyline and other cover
The anchorage here is lines as well as the plugs show
made prominent here a wide range of articles on
through the size, various artists and topics that
contrasting font (with give huge variety to the Hip
the masthead it is Hop Connection audience it
situated next to) and otherwise get if it focused
the colour scheme of solely on the front cover
yellow on black interview with Jay-Z. However
highlighting the cover there smaller size and
lines. This prominence placement on the page give
highlights the central the central image more focus
image, which isn’t the to draw more audience in.
sole focus of the
readers attention given
all the rest of the
content on the front The free CD plug in the skyline
cover. Therefore this attracts additional consumers
cover line gives the and the sizeable amount of the
central image the page taken up the CD itself give
prominence on the this element of the front cover
front cover it otherwise significance in the readers focus
wouldn’t achieve. and attention. The font of the
plug also contrasts greatly with
the otherwise yellow font on
the FC.

The pull quote used here
attracts more consumers
The contrast of red on given their need for
black font of the masthead surveillance and knowledge
and the black and white of the people and celebrities
central image and rest of they like. It is highlighted
the front cover highlights through the use of red
the masthead and plugs to speech marks and its
draw attention to the placement on the front cover
magazine. In addition the – prominent and on its own
black and white image and with no clutter it becomes
cover line font will attract the focus of the readers
more attention on a attention.
magazine rack in
comparison to all the The simple lay out as well as the
colours that most pull quote work together to show a
magazines use to gain simple aim the artist has – to make
attention and attract music and that’s it. He isn’t shown
potential consumers to to be the biggest thing on the front
their magazines. cover, instead he is shown the same
size as the cover lines in a simple
pose that connotes humility and
modesty. As opposed to the second
front cover, where the rapper is
presented as the biggest thing
there is on the page, this implies
ego and arrogance as opposed to
modesty and humility.

The title “contents” is shown
here broken up and across
The image here takes up several lines attracting attention
almost the entire page, and is to the title to give the reader
the main focus of the some direction as to what this
audience’s attention because page is because otherwise it
the cover lines are written in wouldn’t be obvious this is a
quite a small font by contents page.
comparison to the size of the
image of Kanye West. This is
representative of his
prominence and success in the This is the most common
industry and therefore attracts layout of a rap magazine
consumers as he is shown to contents page – the image is
be very and even more more than twice the size of all
important than the actual lines the text put together. This is
and of the contents page. often done to reflect the size
of the individual in the rap
industry as only the biggest
stars will be in the featured
interview.

This is the less common layout of The contents page colour
a contents page in a rap scheme is often far more
magazine. While it may look very muted than it is on the
similar and the image is still front cover , whereas the
large, it is smaller than the text colour scheme on a front
which is important as this is rare cover is typically very bright
because often the rappers and vivid in order to attract
featured claim to be the biggest consumers the colour
etc. whereas this isn’t scheme on a contents page
represented in here. Instead in is subtle and muted in order
combination with the pull quote to reflect the further
also featured the page reflects deeper the magazine gets
the rappers contrast in aims in into the featured persons
comparison to almost all the rest character: the bright
of rappers in the industry – here colours, flashes and buzz
he is represented with the aim to words aren’t there to mask
make music because that’s what them. Instead they are bare
he loves to do, not because he and unmasked, implying the
loves the lifestyle that comes audience is reading further
with the success and wealth. into the persons life and
character.

The mise en scene in this
image also shows the typical
Here the image is of equal size muted colour scheme of
to the lines of writing on the contents pages in rap
page and so represents her magazines, the audience feel
equal importance to the an implication of deeper
contents of the entire knowledge of her as she is
magazine. This makes her less shown, quite literally bare
of a feature, as opposed to the with little to hide behind.
men on contents pages which This is perhaps less poignant
despite what size their image is than it was in the previous
on the page are shown to be contents page because of
one of the most important the stereotypical male ego
features in the magazine. that is flaunted by every man
in the rap industry, whether
The woman in the image is it is authentic of their
shown only in her underwear, personality or not and so this
this reinforces the stereotype could be construed more as
within the rap industry that a comment on her sexuality
woman are there for and objectifying her, given
objectification and not a lot she is shown with little
else, she is also shown with her covering her inn any respect,
hands behind her back in a than showing her personality
position that connotes for what is actually is by
weakness and a lack of power in comparison to the front
comparison to the body cover of this issue.
language in every other image
shown in this document.

Here there are velvet curtains The size of this image inn relation
in the background that to the text of the contents page
connote a showman aspect of is quite large, obviously showing
this rappers personality and is his importance within the
representative of his ability as magazine and therefore
a rapper given that live connoting his success and
performance is an integral part prominence by comparison to
of an individual rappers overall the other features which he is
ability and skill. This gives the shown to be superior to here.
audience the implication of his The mise en scene of the shot is
superior skill and abilities, this darker than the convention, he
is reinforced by his costume. almost blends in with the
curtains behind him, conveying
The suite shown here informs an individual message of
the audience of Eminem’s separation and privacy as
success given that it simply opposed to the proximity to the
connotes wealthy and any reader that is conveyed in the
further deductions are obvious first two contents pages given
but in addition that only the that he is almost blending in to
successful rappers become the background the reader isn’t
music moguls, often enough of aware of an obvious statement
their own labels that this is implied that states “I’m here.
almost a convention that the Deal with it” instead he is seen
most successful rappers follow studiously looking right at the
. Therefore there is an camera, as if to the reader and a
implication of this specifically, sense of intellect beyond the
and more than an implication stereotype of a typical rapper is
is the reader has background created in conjunction with the
knowledge on this rapper implication he is some form of
anyway. music mogul

This unique way of
displaying the title of
“contents” attracts the The size of the image here is far
readers attention and bigger than the actual lines on the
identifies the magazine as contents page showing these women
Vibe Magazine, in addition as a clear and important feature of
it is shown smaller here the magazine, as opposed to the
compared to the contents other contents page featuring a
page featuring Kanye West woman shown in this analysis. There
and so the women appear is further contrast in the costume and
more prominent and
mise en scene of this image, here the
remain the focus of the
women are shown in flattering but
readers attention.
comparatively respectable outfits that
The background here is bright don’t adhere to the industry
white, and while their dress stereotype of women, in addition the
means the convention of a background is unusually bright,,
muted colour scheme on the however their dress is muted and so
contents page is maintained this convention can be seen here as
this still has an impact on the well, showing them to be of equal
readers understanding of
stature and similar to the men shown
these women as they observe
in previous contents pages as the
the page. It implies a
same conventions are applied to
positivity to their presence
them.
and contrasts with the
representations of men in
previous contents pages. This
is representative of the
significant difference in the
perceptions of genders within
the rap and hip-hop
industries.

One of two typical double page The pull quote here encapsulates what is implied through the layout of this
spread layouts is used here: one double page spread, he says that “it’s all documented” and therefore the
large or two medium sized images implication is he doesn’t hide because he can’t hide anyway. He also refers to
displayed next you a lot of text on fake personas, another thing noticeably absent from this double page spread ,
one artist or band. The amount of the not so subtle hints of luxury and wealth that boost the persona of someone
content about the artist and the who claims to just be interested in money and not a lot else.
images themselves imply an
openness and proximity that is
uncommon among celebrities in
general and shows something about
this particular artists personality as
opposed to someone who doesn’t
offer the same proximity to readers.
This is supported by the costume in
both images which is simple and
unassuming without implication of
luxury and wealth it shows this
rapper and vocalists aim to create
music instead of money as shown in
the shot of him in a recording studio.
The amount of content also implies
during the interview itself the artist
was more forward than others might
have been and therefore there is
more to discuss, hence the size of
the article.

Here is a second example of a common
double page spread layout in a rap magazine,
a large image and a large text. Perhaps
indicative of what is important in the rap
industry – the size of your success. The
masthead hear attracts audiences because of
its size on the page and the blocked font as
well as the intriguing word “cipher” that
ensures you will continue reading as you want
to know what the cipher, (or encrypted
message) from the artist presumably, is. This
is in keeping with the personality of the artist
featured who fans will already know has
misunderstood tattooed on his face and
claims nobody can understand him. This is an
example of how the layout of a DPS can
immediately convey messages to an audience
through something as simple as a title. This
message is extended through the display of
an image of him on stage (where he is known
to have superior abilities than a lot of rappers
in the industry) implying a difference between
what you see on stage and the actual man
behind the stage performance and the music,
hence the title “the cipher” referring to his
music as a cipher.

This is the other common layout of a double page
spread in a rap magazine: a very large picture taking
up almost the entire DPS and a small article
conveying little about the persons character. These
types of DPS don’t convey the same proximity or
imply much about the persons character. They simply
show very clearly how they are and how they want
to be perceived by others. For example the image
here is of the artist in a luxury suit holding a
champagne glass and a champagne bottle in front of
a white background and some scattered transparent
balloons that altogether connote a wealthy party
lifestyle he wants to be associated with. And by
extension also connotes his success and popularity
through the display of wealth here. The fact that the
image here is the largest thing on the page implies
this is the most important thing to this rapper – his
The comparatively small amount of text in this article
image and the awareness of his wealth and success.
compared to the first two and strengthens the implications
This contrasts with the initial two layouts which
already set forth by the image as it shows little about the
perhaps display a side of the rap industry which is
artist himself and only focuses the audiences attention on
much rarer, as layouts that connote the same things
the image more because its such a small article by
this does are very common throughout not only rap
comparison.
magazines themselves but just this analysis too.

This is another example of the first of the two
common DPS layouts in rap magazines, it
shows a large image of a rapper in simple
clothes, however he is covering a part of his
face. In addition there is a large amount of
text in the article on him showing a lot more
about him than the previous DPS did about
the rapper featured in that DPS. The body
language in the image is defensive doesn’t
connote close proximity to the audience
however it does also imply intelligence, as
stated outright by the title referring to him as
“pure genius”. Otherwise it includes simple
mise en scene that doesn’t connote success
or that he is an established persona (I have no
idea who he is) but instead implies he is down
to earth and not interested in flaunting
success or money instead the title and his
The pull quotes and direct look into the camera in the
body language imply he is interested in being
image show this rapper isn’t afraid to show who he is
recognised for his intelligence within the
actually and doesn’t hide behind a persona or an image
industry and by extension talent as well.
of just wealth and luxury. Instead he gives his views
about things directly and isn’t afraid to look the observer
in the eye as it were as he does that, even if it is from a
magazine DPS and not in person.

This is a good example of how this type of layout
can be used to convey more than just a fake
persona or image too. This very large image of
T.I. close up but wearing sunglasses shows his
lack of fear of proximity and of an observer
seeing him but also shows the observers
incapacity to see him clearly anyway. His
confidence is conveyed here with a clear
message that he isn’t afraid for the camera to be
that up close because we won’t properly see him
anyway. This is a good reference to what is stated
often in the industry by several rappers, that
others won’t be able to understand them
because they are that much better than them
and this is what is shown here and is another
common feature throughout rap magazines, the
size of egos in the industry shown more subtly in
this case, more often not so subtly.
Again the ratio of the sizes of the article and the image is
significant as it is a comment on the importance of the content to
the readers focus. This first thing seen is the rapper as this is the
first thing that is read into and analysed. After registering all that
has been connoted and implied through the image the consumer
will then read what little there is to say on the rapper. This is
important because the fact that there isn’t a lot said about him,
but at the same time he is obviously important ensures the
readers understanding of what is implied throughout this DPS

Music magazine analysis

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Music magazine analysis