Part of the task is to not only take the photos and do the design of the magazine; but I am also required to write the double page article, and I will be assessed on that writing.

Therefore, in this task I will analyse an article from a professional music magazine and consider how it is written. I will consider the target audience and evaluate how the written word (copy) fulfils their needs, uses and pleasure of this particular media text.

Previously I have stated that their needs, uses and pleasures included:

• Up to date information (gigs, trends, available media…)
• Fashion ideas / new looks
• Gaining an insight into stars’ lives and personalities
• A reflection of their own values, attitudes and beliefs

The Article

Q September 2017 “The rapper and musician’s rule for life” by Chris Catchpole

I have chosen to analyse an article where an artist gives their ten top tips for life. This particular article is from Q magazine and the rapper Wyclef Jean is sharing his insights about life.

Structure

This particular feature is a ten top tips for life list. This helps the target audience feel a sense of closeness to the artist as they are giving them advice like a close friend would. Also in the article is a list of 5 albums that the artist loves. In doing this it makes the artist appear humble and real as even though he has people idolising him, he also has idols, making him seem relatable and present.

Presence of a Journalist

There is no obvious journalistic presence in the article as it is written in first person and seems to be the artists words. This makes the artist seem present and involved in the readers lives. This will help strengthen the target audiences sense of personal identity. The readers feel like they are gaining personal insights into the artist’s lives which makes them feel wanted and included.

Language and Aim

The entire article seems to be directly from Wyclef’s mouth with little journalistic input however some phrases in the article are in speech bubbles showing that they are direct quotes from Wyclef. One of these quotes is “I remember when I was 27 this person was an asshole to me.” The quote makes him seem aggressive and angry which fits with the rap genre. The conventional language means that readers will most likely have a preferred reading to the article. Another quote that Wyclef says in the article is, “Stop everything, put one of Mick Jagger’s records on so he can understand how he’s influenced me.” This implies that he is humble and is willing to stop his work to show his appreciation for another artist. This also suggests that he is real and sincere as he is not afraid to admit the impact that someone else has had on him.

Representation of the Performer

The artist is represented as real and genuine with the use of first person. This means that the target audience can relate to the artist enforcing their sense of personal identity. He is also presented as unapologetic which is shown is his first point about karma. He says “you’re going to help the people that wouldn’t have shit on you on your way up.” This shows that he is not a person to let people walk over him and he does not think that that is a particularly bad thing. From this quote he also appears quite aggressive with the use of an expletive. This aggressive or angry nature is a convention of the rap genre which further helps to enforce the target audience’s sense of personal identity even though it might not be positive.