The Source analysis - The Game

Within this edition of ‘The Source’ magazine, there is a massive use of red as a key colour to the magazine. It is present within the actual title of the magazine and half of the texts on the front cover of the magazine as well, including within the sub-title ‘The GAME’ and the slogan of it where it says ‘Suicide Is Not An Option’. This colour-theme is used in this context to give a strong symbolism of danger, peril and menace. This is linked indefinitely to the slogan that says ‘Suicide Is Not An Option’, and also the actual main image of the magazine that shows ‘The Game’, a hip-hop artist pointing a gun to himself, which all connotes images and portrayals of danger.

The font of the text is also used for effect in the magazine cover, but more so for the main sell-line and sub-title than for symbolism of Danger. The font is in a brick-like form and I believe this effect is used to resemble and imitate the shapes of figures in certain retro games such as ‘Tetris’ and ‘Space Invaders’, which adds to a good result due to the rapper’s name, and the fact that he is the main cover artist to the article, so the theme should be based around him to an extent as well.

The cover artist also adds to the theme of danger due to the tattoos that he owns. They make him look far more intimidating, dangerous, rebellious and thuggish than he would look if he never had them as we normally illustrate a gangster or outlaw or rebel of some sort to own them. Therefore connotations and undertones of danger and hazard can be implied from this too. The background due to front cover also draws upon a sense of danger; as it is just a hard, cracked, dirty, untaken care of concrete wall giving a suggestion of grittiness and grime for the edition of the magazine, relating to the danger of the magazine.

The sell-lines of the magazine range from rappers such as ‘Twista’, ‘Lil-Mama’, ‘Three 6 Mafia’, making the magazine seem more appealing and worth even more of a purchase as the main cover story will be accompanied by many subsidiary and smaller stories giving more variety and choice to the reader as they may not be totally interested with ‘The Game’, but they could be incredibly fascinated and keen on the other artists mentioned on the cover. Not only this, but there is also sell-lines such as ‘The Music of Grand Theft Auto IV’ and ‘BET’s Iron Ring’ that highlight events or features of different media being linked into the magazine articles, meaning that even if the reader isn’t particularly interested in any of the musicians featured, they may have a strong interest in the ‘Grand Theft Auto 4’ game and music that is within it, or they may hold a strong interest in the music channel ‘BET’ so would be curious to read about ‘BET’s Iron Ring’. The puff within the magazine works well as it says ‘The Bible of Hip-Hop Music, Culture and Politics’, and since the Bible is the Holy book and the most important books to Christians, the magazine is basically saying that they are this but for music. However, the fact that the image of the cover artist is blocking half of the puff from being read and is cut off, it doesn’t work entirely well in this instance.