EVALUATION QUESTION 2: HOW DOES YOUR MUSIC MAGAZINE REPRESENT PARTICULAR SOCIAL GROUPS?

My magazine design has been made to represent teenagers ranging from ages 15 upwards, particularly teens that listen to the genre of rap/hip-hop music. This audience was selected from the results of my questionnaire. The magazine features a mixed-race male of the rap/hip-hop music genre, I represented this culture by allowing the model to fit in to the stereotype. For example the model is wearing a new era hat baseball hat which is a prop which is has been around since the birth of the genre.
This male model which I have used for my magazine cover is wearing the stereotypical costume a UK rapper would wear. The puffy jacket which he is wearing as long been associated with teen (youth) gangs it was is commonly worn by young people who are associated with a gang, this then in tern then represents teens. As well as this particular fashion and music are also linked, the change in urban fashion has seen the puffy jacket being worn by not only people in gangs but by a lot of young people which comes back to the sense that it represents them, which is why I have used it. Commonly the new era hat has become iconic not only is it worn by the rappers the makers of the music, but also the teens who listen to the music is know become part of the culture and fits into the stereotype of what a young urban teen who listens to rap/hip-hop music will wear. The hat alone represents both young teens and rappers.
The model is wearing a gold chain this is a well-known fashion statement which is to show the wealth of the individuals and is often linked with the stereotype of a rapper. I have researched and looked at many magazines of the genre and I have found that well-known rappers such as Kanye west and Jay Z wear these gold chains. For teens wearing a chain is an indication of how much money you have, how cool you look or if you fit in to the term “fly”. I also think the chain represents young black males as they are mainly the ones who dress like these and the rap music industry is also mainly dominated by black males which mean that the magazine also represents black males.  The model is also wearing an Armani top which is expensive clothing, in rap music having or wearing expensive clothing shows how cool you are and is once again an indication of how much money you have. In almost every example of a big rap/hip-hop music magazine it will be rare for the person on the front of the magazine to be wearing clothing which is not expensive.