Denotation
The magazine consists of a coloured main image photograph of a male looking directly at the camera. It is a mid shot showing his head down to his stomach. We can also see both his hands as it is placed on his chin overlapping one and other. Although it is not visible it looks like he is sitting on a chair. The background is black and does not give any hint of a setting. The photograph of the male takes up the whole space on the magazine. The masthead is behind the photograph and in front is 5 cover lines. The cover lines are yellow and white and the males name is in yellow. There is a free CD at the left third. The barcode is also visible at the bottom right of the magazine.
Masthead
The masthead is very distinctive as it is bold and stands out. The colour of the masthead is in yellow which connotes a bright atmosphere; the background is black so therefore the colour yellow could represent dominance as it plays the part of the sun which gives the newspaper light against the dark background. The contrast of this allows the masthead to stand out and attract the targeted audience; this also connotes the status of the male in the photograph. The masthead is also written in sans serif which connotes a more youthful vibe and a more modern vibe which gives a sense that the targeted audience is for teenagers around the ages 15-19. The title of the masthead is ‘HipHop Connections’ this shows that the magazine is very urban and is music based. Also the use of the word ‘connection’ makes the Hiphop audience feel invited and part of a community and connotes that the magazine brings people together.
Character
The cover photograph is of a successful rapper named ‘Jay z’
Composition
He has a very serious face on and his hands are on his chin which suggests dominance and control. He is also blacked out which could suggest a thug kind of look which also relates to the whole hard and dominant theme.
Costume
His costume is all black with a NY cap. He looks like he is wearing a black coat with a black top inside. He has a long silver chain on with a ring which is also silver but with blue. His hap is not worn straight forward inside it is tilted to the side, this not only plays with the lighting on his face it also connotes boss material and rule breaker as every male wears their caps the right way whereas he is tilting his.
Non verbal Communication
His non verbal communication is very strong and connotes power, his face is straight with no smile or angry expression however he is looking straight at the camera. His hands are also on his chin which connotes a high status.
Lighting
The lighting used is side lighting. This is used to create two shades on the subjects face so in this magazine one side of the males face is light whereas the other side is dark. This could connote power and secretive behaviour as the lighting suggests he has a dark side waiting to come out. This could intrigue the target audience to buy as he looks very powerful against the contrast of the magazine.
Setting
There is no hint of setting in the front cover as the background is just plain black which connotes confusion and emptiness.
Cover Lines
The main cover line links to the photograph as it says “Jay Z, He’s Back” this explains why he looks very dominant in the picture as he is coming back fighting to become a better rapper. The are 2 cover lines that relate to other people in the same music industry however there is 1 cover line about an Englishman in New York this shows that the magazine is music based but also looks at issues related to news. This makes the magazine seem reliable and more valuable.
Target Audience
Considering all these points I would assume that the target audience for this magazine is teenagers from the ages of 15-19 mostly targeted at males than females. They understand hip hop more than any other age group and like to be in power or dominate which is what this magazine represents.
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