Scott Servante
AS Media
Hip-Hop Magazine Contents Page Analysis:
Main Image:
The main image consists of two artists. The man at the front is wearing gold jewellery (a necklace, bracelet and ring). This suggests that he has lots of money and that he is an important person, that should be recognised. The man standing behind him is standing sideways and is looking over his shoulder towards the audience. He appears to be wearing a silver necklace and watch. This idea that he is wearing jewellery made from an element that is cheaper than gold, suggests that he is less important than the man at front. In terms of body positioning and posture, they are back-to-back, which implies that they are an icon as one or are working together.
Masterhead:
The masterhead reads 'the A-side' and is written in a very bold and simplistic font. This idea of the 'A-side' suggests that the magazine and the artists that are featured in it, are the best, therefore the letter 'A' has been used as a ranking. Also part of the masterhead is the magazine logo (XXL) and the date. It is important that the magazine logo is used in the contents page as it displays consistency and helps to maintain a consitent house style. The date follows conventions and allows the reader to know what issue they are on.
Headers and Sub-Headings:
'Features' has been used as a header for the sub-headings. This is used to show the reader what is important on the page. There are seven sub-headings, which is a lot less than the 'House' magazine had. This is because the magazine goes slightly in-depth about each article
etc. With the first article, the page number and sub-heading has been enlarged so that it stands out against the others. This is due to the fact that it is the cover story, which is highlighted in a red box that contains the words 'cover story.' The cover story appears to be about what 50 Cent and Soulja Boy have in common. It doesn't reveal anything so it therefore encourages the reader to read the article. There is also a black bar under the first three sub-headings, seperating the next four. This suggest that they are on different topics etc.
Colour Sceme:
The colour sceme on the contents page consists of three colours: black, white and red. The black text works really well against the white on the page and the red is used to break the page up. For example the different colour is used to highlight the important parts on the page, such as the cover story. In addition to this, red is the colour that is used as background for the magazine logo. Using the colour red throughout the magazine then illustrates a consistent house style.