Digipak Analysis

By Aaron McGreevy

Album Background

The name of the album that I am going to be analyzing is 50 cent Get rich or die tryin this was the rappers first album which was released in 2003. The debut album also sold 872,000 copies within the first week and became the fourth best selling rap album in the US selling eight million copies.

Digipak Analysis

In this album is comes with one disk that contains sixteen songs which is sixty nine minutes of playing time. The main theme of this album is red this represents danger and stands out and this is why it is the main background colour as he is trying to tell you the type of lifestyle he lives without actually telling you.

Front coverAlso the titles are visible such as the artist name in the top right and the album name in the top left hand corner different fonts are used for each one but the main focus of the album cover is the image which is in the center and draws your attention.

The first thing that stands out straight away is the one large image of 50 cent and the effect as if someone has shot through some glass. This no only stands out and draws your attention to the middle of the album cover but also gives tells you that he is involved in violence and especially guns as shown with the bullet hole.

Also seen on the front is a picture of him with his top off and a chain which very clear and can be seen visibly through the bullet hole. This is a convention in the rap genre so therefore this is a conventional album cover. Also the fact that he has his top off is a bit narcissism as he is showing off his body and the image is visible so he wants you to see it

Back Cover

On the back of this album cover the song names are clearly stated and are easy to read which is important. Also the layout is set out so the picture is on the right and the text so they do not overlap and doesn’t make it harder to read. Also round the edge of the album on the outside is red which has the album written on both sides.

There is one major picture which is of 50 cent looking over his shoulder which may be trying to tell you the type of neighbourhood he is from and this is the background image on the back which looks like a rough area. The picture suggests this from him looking over his shoulder meaning he always needs to be on the lookout. This fits the generic conventions of the Rap genre as violence is usually seen in this.

At the bottom of the back cover is the Executive Producers which is clearly stated next to the background and all the other logos in the bottom left hand corner.

SpineThe spine of the album has the same colour scheme as the rest of the album which is red also he name of the album is clearly state on the side so will be easy to spot and the colour will stand out when it is on the shelve.

Inside BookletOn the inside the first thing you notice is the picture which is on the left, this is a drawn picture and is of 50 cent wearing and showing off his jewellery. A generic convention of Rap videos is that they contain lots of chains and watches etc.

The watch from the front cover can be seen here so there is a link between the front cover and the inside of the booklet.

The chain has a cross on the end so this may suggest that he has a religious side. Also there is no text at all and on the inside is just the large picture which takes up the whole page.

Booklet interior

The first five song names are on the right hand side with a bit of information about the song for example the lyrics and how the song name came about.

There is a picture on the left hand side which also overlaps onto the right hand side shows him with a gun on his back this is not the first picture with holding a gun which suggests that he uses them on a regular basis.

The background picture is similar to the background shown on the back cover of the album as it is a rundown area which you would normally relate to the rap genre.

Booklet interiorThis is another page of the booklet that comes with the album the layout is similar to the previous page with a picture of 50 cent on the left and then the information about songs. This picture is of 50 with his top and showing of his muscles and his jewellery on display such as his watch and chain.

The text on the right hand side of the booklet is easily readable this is important as there is a lot of text which is not the biggest size even with the background picture it can still be read.

Booklet interior

On this page the layout is somewhat similar apart from that the picture and the text have swapped side. The background has also changed but the type of location is the same being on a street.

The picture does not show a face but the reason for this is that the emphasis is meant to be on fact that has a lot of money on display. Having money on display is a common convention in the hip hop/rap genre so this image has done so accordingly.

Booklet interior The picture of 50 cent is of him having his arms folded and looking very serious he is also looking directly into the camera so is directly looking at the audience and also a low angle shot is being used for the picture so is showing that he has power and authority.

The background as on every other page is also similar and buildings can also be seen so is a city environment this is also another convention of the genre to be set in a urban environment. I will consider this when creating my own digipak as well as the type of pictures used.

Discs

In this album there is only one disk which contains all the songs on the album ,shown in the picture below. The album name is on the CD as well as a bullet hole effect which ties in with the generic conventions such as crime and guns. The disc colour is black which symbolises power, wealth, mystery as well as making a change from the red background which is used throughout so black really makes t stand out.

Disc impressions

When the disc is removed from the album there is the disc impression which can be seen in the picture below the disc impression. The disc is completely different to the disc impression underneath it meaning that as soon as you take the disc out it stands out. The image is G-Unit which is the name of the rap group that 50 cent is from this is clearly stated and the text is the same colour as the disk colour so red and black is the main colour scheme in the album.

Digipak analysis - Overview• The main colours used throughout the Get Rich Or Die Tryin was red and

black linking the red with power and black being mysterious and dark. The colours also stand out and draw your attention.

• The album has other good effects added to make it stand out even more such as the bullets holes in the CD as well as the smashed glass effect on the front cover.

• The pictures are the main thing draws your attention especially the image on the front cover, many conventions are included in the album such as guns and chains and also environments that fit the genre.

• Overall the album is very generic and follows convention expected in the rap genre but also mange's to be something different and unique. All so the title Get Rich Or Die Tryin means try to get money or get hurt this is reflected in the pictures e.g. 50 cent holding money and also holding several guns.