This document analyzes and summarizes the key elements and intended meanings of the artwork for three album covers: 1) A$AP Rocky's "Everyday" cover features a black and white color scheme and photo location that subverts hip-hop styles to convey a mature, grown up song. 2) J. Cole's "Forest Hills Drive" uses varied colors that depart from typical hip-hop aesthetics to subvert genre stereotypes. It also features the artist looking away atypically for the genre. 3) Overall, the document discusses visual design elements, intended meanings, and how some covers conform to or oppose typical expectations for the hip-hop genre.

1. ANALYSIS OF MUSIC
COVERS.
1

2. THE SANS SERIF FONT USED ON THE MAIN STRAPLINE OF THE POSTER
SHOWS A MORE INFORMAL LOOK. THE PREFERRED READING OF THIS
POSTER SHOWS THAT IT IS MORE INFORMAL AND SUITED MORE TO A
YOUNGER AUDIENCE.
THE FLAG HE IS WEARING IS ICONIC TO AMERICA. THE PREFERRED
READING OF THIS SHOWS THAT, AMERICA IS BIG FOR HIP-HOP / RAP AND
THE BIRTHPLACE OF THIS GENRE OF MUSIC. THE OPPOSITIONAL
READING OF THIS IS THAT AMERICA CAN BE KNOWN FOR A LOT OF
NEGATIVE THINGS LIKE GUN CRIME AND VIOLENCE.
THE LARGE DATE, LOCATION OF THE SHOW AND ARTISTS NAME SHOWS
THE READER CLEARLY WHERE AND WHEN THE CONCERT IS. THE
PREFERRED READING OF THIS IS THAT THE READER WILL INSTANTLY
KNOW WHERE THE SHOW IS, WHEN AND WHO IS PERFORMING. THE
OPPOSITIONAL READING IS THAT THE READER MIGHT THINK IT’S A BIT
TOO EXCESSIVE HAVING IT ALL SO BIG.
THE COLOUR SCHEME THROUGHOUT MOST OF THE POSTER IS BLACK
AND WHITE. THIS PREFERRED READING FOR THIS IS THEY ARE GOING
FOR A STYLIZED EFFECT FOR THE READER. THE ONLY BIT OF COLOUR IS
GOLD AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POSTER WHICH CAN LINK TO THE GENRE
OF MUSIC. THE OPPOSITIONAL READING FOR THIS IS THAT THE MUSIC IS
DULL / BORING.
2

3. THE ‘INTERFERENCE’ LOOK ON THE POSTER HAS AN OPPOSITIONAL READING
OF THE MUSIC IS QUITE BROKEN. THE PREFERRED READING OF THIS IS THAT
IT CREATES AN AESTHETICALLY PLEASING LOOK FOR THE READER. THIS ALSO
LINKS BACK TO THE BLACK AND WHITE COLOUR, LIKE AN OLD TV.
THE BODY LANGUAGE OF THE ARTIST / MODEL IN THE POSTER SUBVERTS THE
TYPICAL STANDARD OF HIP-HOP / RAP ARTISTS. HE LOOKS SHY AND SCARED
WHEREAS NORMALLY THEY ARE KNOWN AS LOUD, GANGSTER ‘LIKE’ AND
CONFIDENT.
3

4. 4
This is a cover of a song that A$AP Rocky did, called
Everyday.
The design has stuck with the black and white color
scheme. This shows a smart and stylish look which
matches with the style of the song and the building in the
photo. The location of the photo seems to be in a
mansion of some sort. This subverts the style of music
that this artist produces. The preferred reading of this is
that the artist’s song is mature and grown up.
The sans-serif font used on all of the text on the cover
shows a formal look for the song. This matches with
everything else on the cover. The oppositional reading of
this is that the typical audience for the genre of the song
is young. This cover doesn’t show that.
The main attraction point of the cover is the 2 artists. One
is the main artist and the other is the feautred artist.

5. 5
This is both the front and back of J Coles album, Forest Hills Drive.
Much like A$AP Rocky, J Cole is a hip-hop / rap artist. Although
they are from the same genre of music, their style of album is
completely different.
There is no proper house style of the album art. Both the front and
back are different in colours / images but are still very colourful. The
oppositional reading of this is that the genre of music that the album
is, subverts against the stereotypical colours of the genre. Usually
the colours used are black, gold and white (like the A$AP Rocky
artwork) but here the artist has used a lot of different colours.
The main image of the front of the art shows the artist looking away
from the camera. The oppositional reading of this is that usually hip-
hop artists are quite confident and the image shows the artist
looking shy / scared. Although, this is also the main selling point of
the album, when the audience see the artist on the front of the
cover, they will instantly recongnise him and more likely to purchase
it.

6. 6
The balance of images / text on the artwork is heavily out balanced
by images. The images on the covers are much larger than the text.
The audience will be attracted to the