1. Analysis of Music
magazines.
{ Omar Clarke

2. This magazine is effective for a range of reasons. They have used a
masthead that has a background, this is a subversive feature as most
mastheads don’t have a background. Through the red background on
the masthead helps project it despite it having the main image layered
on top of it. They have developed a consistent colour scheme through
only using red and white. For the vast majority of the text they have
used the colour white, this creates emphasis on the word ‘domination’
as it is the only word in red. Through it being the only word in red it
captures the audience’s attention. Underneath the word domination,
they have developed the phonology of the cover, as they have used
alliteration, ‘rebirth of rap royalty’, through using alliteration it allows
the magazine to stay in the audience’s mind. The main cover line is
relevant to the main image, as you the audience is expected to
generate a sense of domination through the focus expression in the
faces of the artists in the main image. This magazine has only utilised
one image, this also helps create dominance of the artists, as they are
that powerful to be the only image on the magazine and it still
generate interest. They have constructed the other cover lines in a
subversive way as they have aligned them all to the top right of the
magazine cover. They have placed the main image over the mast head,
which also emphasises its dominance and effectiveness. Through the
main image in this magazine gives direct address as they are looking
at the reader, this allows the cover to generate a more personal
approach.

3. This magazine displays a very extreme case scenario through its
background, main image and main cover line. The magazine displays
exaggeration to execute dominance of Jay Z in the rap
industry, through having him taller than other tall towers of the USA
infrastructure. The main cover line, has ‘JAY-Z’ in the largest
font, this also accentuates dominance of Jay Z. The main cover line
displays the usage of the rhetorical questions, which appears to be
conventional for hip hop magazines to have rhetorical questions. The
textual information is all in black apart from ‘Jay Z’, also generating
dominance of the artist to make the audience feel as though he is
bigger than hip-hop. The selling line at the top is in a small size font
but due to it being bold it captures the audiences attention. I think
the publishers of this magazine have used a dull grey and white as
the main background colour to allow contrast with the ‘all black’
clothing of the main image. This allows the main image to look even
more dominant in conjunction with the question ‚is Jay-Z(main
image) bigger than Hip-Hop?‛
They have kept the text on the left of the cover aligned which helps
develops the structure of the magazine. Through keeping the text
aligned on the left allows the main cover line to capture the
audiences attention as it is also on the left of the cover but it isn’t
aligned and is in much larger bold font than the text above it.

4. This magazine generates a warm approach through its colour
scheme. The cover consistently uses yellow and white. The use
of a bright yellow and white help to make the magazine eye
catching. In addition the cover has a masthead in large, bold
font. This generates a sense of dominance of the cover. Above
the masthead they have aligned both the sky line and strap
line to be of the same length, this helps to enhance the
structure of the cover. All of the cover lines along the left have
been aligned and are in quite a small font. The publishers have
done this as these cover lines are not as important as the main
image and the main cover line. The main image and the main
cover line take up three-quarters of the page, accentuating
their dominance. Most of the main cover line is in relatively
small font whilst the subjects are in yellow and much larger
font. They have done this due to Eminem and Dr Dre being
powerful artists and producers in the Hip Hop industry, such
that they only need to make it clear that they are the subject of
the cover line and that is enough to entice the reader.

5. Main cover lines analysis:
I like the way this main cover line has been used as it is unconventional but yet very
effective. Most of the main cover lines I have researched more a less keep the same size
and colour of the font for each word in their main cover line. Whilst this cover line has
the content of the main cover line in white and in small font compared to the subject of
the main cover line in yellow and in large font. This accentuates the dominance of the
artists. Despite using two colours, they have used two colours that compliment each
other and work effectively together. This main cover line uses idioms which is relevant
to the Hip-Hop culture as we are used to hearing rappers not pronounce the ‘g’ or ‘ing’
words in their lyrics, hence why the cover line has used ‘cookin’up’.
This main cover line is effective for a range of reasons. They have used white
font on a dark background which captures the audiences attention. The term
‚power‛ is in larger font then the rest of the cover line and is on a separate line.
This accentuates the term ‚power‛. The typography they have used for the term
‘power’ creates a futuristic approach through it’s cut in the letters.
This main cover line is effective . Through using white font that is bold
accentuates its dominance. The most effective aspect of this major cover
line is the white font has a black gradient on it that makes the text look
damaged and employs a ‘gritty’ approach. I think this is effective as it
represents the Hip-Hop culture as Hip-Hop artists tend to be from a
hard upbringing whereby they are used to this ‘gritty’ lifestyle, which is
shown through a lot of Hip-Hop artists music.

6. Mastheads: (1) Mastheads: (2)
This mastheads design is original and creates a unconventional
approach. Within the masthead there is a picture of a microphone , this is
a subversive feature of a masthead. From my perspective this makes the
magazine more captivating and through the use of the microphone with This masthead contains subversive features as it has a background.
a strong fist helps to enhance and develop the hip hop genre through the This makes the masthead more eye catching, especially through a
masthead, as hip-hop artists are perceived as strong characters through bright red colour. The typography is bold like the other masthead I
their lyrics normally being about hard experiences. analysed. The other masthead is clearer to identify it’s genre due to
its design having an microphone with firm firsts around it. This
The font is quite bold and through the blue outline helps to create a masthead is more dominant and assertive than the other one
graffiti approach to the writing. The publishers have used this as the hip courtesy of its bright red background in comparison to the ‘Source’
hop genre rose based around graffiti in urban parts of America in the masthead.
1980’s. The have aligned the vertical word ‘the’ with the horizontal word
‘source’, this enhances the masthead and makes it subversive as it breaks Both magazines utilise typography that is relevant to the music genre
the conventions of mastheads. as they both demonstrate a ‘graffiti’ approach, emphasised by them
being bold and not rigid in their lettering.
The size of the masthead isn’t that big in comparison to other magazines
I have researched, however through it’s bold font and thick typography,
makes the masthead appear big to the reader. They have placed the main
image overlapping the masthead, perhaps to accentuate the main
image(artists) dominance.