To be able to include an article in my own music magazine, I looked at this example which I then decoded to find out the type of features I should include.

This article is about Wyclef Jean and is based on his 10 rules of life. It was published in a September 2017 edition of a magazine. The first page is very minimalist and presents a large image of the rapper the article is based on. It also includes on of his lyrics “What makes a perfect gentleman? Leave big tips, baby!”. This creates almost an ignorant tone however this tone juxtaposes when you read further and you discover that he has put in a lot of work and effort to get to where he is now. There is no presence of journalism and is written in first person from the musicians point of view. This is shown by the use of the word “I”.  This creates the feeling that he is talking to you as an audience which constructs an informal environment. This makes him seem relatable and approachable. Even though he is extraordinary, he is still human just like the rest of us. The article is structured into 10 sections, each with their own headings. Each paragraph is written on a unique life tip/rule that Wyclef believes is important to know in life.

In the article, Wyclef is presented as very informative but creates the feeling of having a conversation so that the mature topic becomes slightly less serious. Each heading is quite short and easy to understand, which means that if you didn’t have time to read the whole article, you would still understand the concept of it. For example in tip number 3, the title is “Music can save your life. Literally.”. This is hugely important advise and the word “Literally” being on its own emphasizes from the artist how much it means to him. This creates trust for us as an audience as we feel the advise is generally purposeful and useful. Wyclef is a rapper which usually comes with connotations of being quite rough and arrogant however in this article, it presents the other side to a rapper; being quite down to earth and human. This allows the audience to empathize and relate to him more which presents him as a positive role model for his fans to aspire to be.

From this article on Wyclef, you are not only educated on his rules for life (that you can use for yourself), but you are also educated on Wyclef himself. As an audience, you are able to learn more about his personality and way of life. You realize that he is also human and that he is a very genuine and down to earth person.