Radial Analysis; Vibe Magazine Front Cover

I would be analysing is front cover of a popular Hip/Pop magazine ‘Vibe’. This magazine is also of the genre Rap/Hip-hop. Since this follows the same genre as the magazine I would be creating I would be analysing the conventions in which make this a successful magazine and would be implying these features when designing my own publication.

The front cover has a consistent house style theme of the colours ‘black’ ‘white’ and ‘red’ as these colours stand out when displayed on a plain white background as the colour black which is seen on the suit, tie and hat conatates mystery and darkness as the character has something in which needs to be revealed, the colour white which is used as the background and shirt is used so the whole publication looks appealing but also the colour symbolises purity. The red colour which is used on the masthead and also on the coverlines does make the text appear more different to the other two colours but also this colour conatates blood, evil and also fear.

The layout of this magazine cover is simple which makes it easier to understand and read for the audience, due to the use of colours in the publication it becomes more elegant and easy to read as the publication tends to stand out more. The main image used has an old school gangster theme with the black and white suit which normally gang members would wear. In the publication they are a few coverlines as the page doesn’t look as busy; however by doing this the viewer can avoid being confused by reading many different coverlines as they can focus on the detail of the image. Overall I feel that this layout is quite simple but very appealing as you can tell that it was well thought out as where the masthead, main image and cover lines are placed correctly.

The masthead which is used in this front cover publication covers the top front of the cover which makes it very appealing and easier to read. The colour of the masthead also helps in making the lettering very appealing as once the audience read the first letter of the typeface they instantly would recognise the next lettering as this typeface is Vibes own personal typeface.             Magazines tend to have a bold masthead and are one basic convention in all magazines. The masthead being ‘Vibe’ reflects the target audience’s ethos and personality because it shows how lively they’re and the vibe they actually get from the magazine.

The main image which is used in the magazine is an image of an international known American Hip/Pop star ‘T.I’. The image is a close up shot which only displays the stars’ face and shoulders (upper body), the shot is also eye level as the Hip/Pop star is looking directly to the camera. This kind of shot close up shot helps the audience focus more on the characters facial expression and grab more attention to detail.

The effect Sepia which is used on the publication gives an urban gangster look is mostly used in genres such as Hip/Pop images, as this makes the image of T.I appear more classical and old school which often refers to a gang life. To maintain a gangster old school look the rapper T.I wears geeky glasses and a black suit hat which connotates an old school gangster leader. Most stereotype rappers clothing would be different compared to the smart clothing which T.I is wearing T.I is wearing smart, this is again due to the connotation of old school gangster as this theme changed into hoods etc after the 20^th century, this eventually make the audience think of a different perspective of gangsters and their life by analysing there clothing. The facial expression which T.I has is quite serious and lets him maintain that urban look. His body language best suites the facial expressions as both these techniques go well together. The targeted audience would be attracted to this front cover as they would be aspired by the artists modern look as he creates a new stereotype for Hip/Pop, as this inspires people to follow the footsteps of the artist.