CODES AND CONVENTIONS OF R&B/RAP MAGAZINES’ DOUBLE PAGE SPREADS

A L E X I P A P H I T I

FADER MAGAZINEDirect Address- connects artist to audience (Personal Relationship – Uses & Grat.)

Artist’s Initials

Article Introduction to introduce artist to readers who don’t know the artist

Article

Article Title, creates a sense of humour by using play on words relating to Wiz’s lifestyle

Snapback follows colour scheme

By-line

Drop Capital, it marks the beginning of the article

FADER CODES AND CONVENTIONS• Fader uses a general convention among magazines, which is using

one of the pages of the double page spread a complete image of the artist in the interview. This shows the reader that the double page spread is completely dedicated to the artist

• The use of the artists’ initials in a large font above the article further supports the fact that the article is dedicated to the artist. The initials also follow the colour scheme of the article (of Black and Gold) and catch the readers attention

• The title of the article is “How High” which appeals to the target audience as it reinforces the artist’ general portrayal to the media, as Wiz Khalifa raps about smoking “weed” and getting high often

• The mise-en-scéne of the article also reinforces his portrayal as the image shows him smoking (presumably marijuana) and looking relaxed and laid back

VIBE MAGAZINE

Pull Quote

Main Image- in colour to draw attention

Article

Article Intro

Other Images, creates a series of movements which adds life to the text and take up space (Barthes – Proairetic Code)

Direct mode of address to unite readers and artists (Personal Relationship – Uses & Grat.)

By-lineSkin on show, controversy and sexual attraction of pose to attract male readers (Mulvey)Wearing bold clothing and jewellery to

match the genre of the magazine and her music (which is being promoted) – Mise-en-scène

The pictures in motion could be an echo of Eadweard Muybridge’s famous photography to animate the article

VIBE CODES AND CONVENTIONS• Use of a long shot in colour creates a sense of dominance on

the double page, which attracts readers to it• The use of the pull quote is also commonly used to give

readers a taste of what is in the full article, to lure them in• The clothing the artist is wearing is bold and bright, which

follows a stereotype of RnB artists to be daring and out there

• The article intro further draws in readers and further establishes a dominant sense by calling her “outspoken”

• The layout can be seen as unconventional as typically double page spreads on use one image on one side of the page, yet this spread uses multiple and each with different colouring, which makes it stand out to get attention

• What is even more unconventional is that there is no article title, which after research I found that is the house style of the magazine.

XXL MAGAZINE

Direct Mode of Address to connect the artist to the audience (Personal Relationship – Uses & Grat.)

Main Image

Mise-en-scène and wording presenting the artist as flashy and ‘gangsta’

Article Title (Dominant – Reception Theory, as the writer is making it come across that 50 Cent is a gangster and people perceive it as he is)

Article

Stereotypically dressed as a rapper as typically they rap about being thugs and having lots of money (Dyer)

Drop Capital

XXL CODES AND CONVENTIONS• The use of mise-en-scène supports the character that 50

Cent is portrayed as, which is a “gangsta”, through the main image, as he is wearing a face mask and a flashy watch

• The article title further reinforces this from the word “Hustlin’” which means making money (presumably through illegal means). This also matches the genre of the magazine (Rap/Hip-Hop/RnB) as it is conventional that artists of those genre brag about their wealth and being a gangster

• The use of the large article title is conventional as it creates a sense of power and importance, which would attract the attention of readers

• Making the main image cover a whole page is also common as it suggests the authority of the artist

GENERAL CODES AND CONVENTIONS• A large image• (Pull) Quote• By-lines• Artist name in bold/Standing out• Colour scheme• Small article text• Direct mode of address from artist• Article in columns • Mise-en-scène• Drop Capital