I have chosen to analysis an urban music magazine, the Varity of magazine all deliver the common feature of music but some deliver independent ideas. It is seen as a hobby magazine because it allows you to read up on music producing, lyrics, other related subjects.

Analysing a music magazine

The Source is a U.S. company founded in 1988. It produces monthly full colour magazine that covers hip-hop music, politics and culture.

The company was founded by two men David Mays and Jon Specter, it is now currently owned by Black

Enterprise Incorporated.

The Source has made an impact on the Hip Hop genre and has become one of the most popular magazines. It became the main music magazine for years running with only Vibe as competitor.

The Source magazine was originally started by David Mays and Jon Specter as they attended Harvard University. The two were both DJs who hosted a show named Street Beat in the college radio station. Both being inspired by hip hop and the urban scene they decided to created a concert newsletter. Its popularity grow as it landed an interview with LL Cool J. The Source had grown from it former self into a mainstream magazine. The two decided to hire there collage friends who both immediately became equal shareholders in the ownership of the magazine. Mays handled the Publishing duties while specter became the Chief Editor. The Source magazine expanded greatly as they made the company move from Boston to New York around the time of 1990. Their move was to expand the magazine in a mainstream market.

Co-Founder and CEO of The Source, Dave Mays

Rap Artist: LL Cool J

The Source: Contents Page

The Source: 15th Anniversary issue rating the Top 115 Artists.

The Magazine appeals to a wide range audience types but the majority is aimed towards people within the urban origin. The market has been strongly dominated by men ever since the birth of The Source. It is a widely bought by teen males that are inspired by artists and their music.

The lay out of each page within The Source magazine has been created using a unique blend of images icons, colours and text to attract readers and browsers. I have extracted a page

from the source to explain the lay out.

Colour: repetition is used while this article on the Rhyme Fest Event. The Colour red has been used centre colour of this page. They have used images that provide different shades of red. There is a dark red strip at the bottom of the layout and a lighter toned red in the top right corner on I animated image.

Language:

Text: the page has been divided into mini articles that surround the main page event. The Source use a large, capital letter, mainly red on its first word of the main article. It improves the presentation and links to the bottom mini article by use of colour. (use a colour scheme of red, black, white and grey.

Images and icons: They have used an image of two artists on stage competing on stage as a main focus to represent the Rhyme Fest Event.

The Source has come along way since its birth as a concert newsletter and now has many events and sponsors behind it.

This is the front cover of The Source during its earlier production days. There is a recent issue below that has a image of rap artist Cam’ron on the cover.

The two issues when browsed at look completely different, but with a closer inspection similarities starts to reveals themselves. The age gap of between the Issues is around15 years old but still has the Title at the top centre part of the page with a main artist image in the centre.

The Source Magazine has changed since its earlier days but has kept the basic layout that was given to it by its creator.

Word Art: Word Art has been used on the two main titles for articles on the page. The sub title uses two colours, red and black.

Border line:

There is a black border line that separates the main article of page from a mini article on Central Booking. I think the border line makes the layout look more organised and will help readers not to stray from one article to another.

Image: There are images

used for the majority of articles on the page. Using images gives readers a visual idea to relate to the article, they have used two image for the main page article and scale one picture bigger then the other. The images size helps to advertise the article as the main focus of the page layout

Header:

A black rectangle strip over looks the page layout an advertises its title.

Mini Article:

The magazine editor has created a separate article with the title ‘Favourite Source Moments’. Using the bottom of the page layout they have used a series of tool boxes, Photo Images, Text and a colour scheme of black, grey, white and yellow to invented a new type of article. Its use of colour will make sure that readers will look over it, its dark but has bright text and patterns that attract the browsing eye.

Text:

Different font has been used at the start of the main article to for various reasons, it approves the look of the page layout as well as showing the start on the page article. The first letter is the same colour as the sub heading called ‘Central Booking’. The page uses a series of same and similar colour create a presentable page layout.

The Introduction of the Source:

The first appearance started as a layout of one layer. It has a title at the top of the page, a sub title, an image and a column at the bottom that show contents headings

Modern Source:

recent Source issues use a three layer page layout that give the magazine a more 3D look to it the first layout shows the page contents and the artists image that are being advertised. The second is the logo and title of the magazine ‘THE SOURCE’. The last layer is the image background that covers the whole page. I think this layout is very artistic and gives the

cover futuristic look.

As The Source became mainstream it got involved in television programs such as The Source: All Access, The Source Sound Lab and Its own Annual Award show. The Awards is hosted to give praise to the Rappers and R & B artists. To honour the rappers that have stood the test of time and worked to get where they are they are awarded with the “Lifetime Achievement” Award, this is the highest award given. The Source Expanded overseas with a French, Israel and Latino version of the Magazine.

The Source Awards was also known for its controversies, The Official show was film live in 1994. During a performance by Tribe Called Quest Tupac ran out on stage interrupting their performance. The confrontation ended without violence.

The Second Broadcast was filmed in 1995 at Madison Square Garden at the Paramount Theatre. The controversies between the East Coast and The West Coast began to bubble. Owner Death Row Records’ Suge Knight publicly questioned why Owner of Bad Boy Record’ Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs had to appear in every one of his label mates videos. This was seen as disrespect to some on the East Coast and it wasn’t helped by Snoop Dog later saying “F*** East Coast” after being booed by East Coast Fans. The Tensions became high on both sides but this also gave The Source Publicity throughout the world.

The Source held show award show in California Pasadena in 2000. the award show was cut short due to the violence in the crowd and fights backstage. A rumble caused DJ Quick to be hospitalised and resulted in Pasadena Banning The Source having their awards in the City. The Award ceremony only had time to give 5 award out of 15 during broadcast and two shows being cancelled.

Artist: DJ Quick

R&B Artist: Left Eye from the Group TLC

Rap Legend: B.I.G from East Coast

Artist: DJ Quick

Rap Legend: Tupac

The Source Awards Concert performance: Miami

The Source Awards: Rap Artist Snoop Dogg from West Coast

Benzino, co-owner of The Source and a member of the Boston rap group The Almighty RSO began a feud with Multi-platinum rapper Eminem in the late months of 2002. He claimed that Eminem was a product of the media machine sought to discredit black and Latino artists. A remark was also made towards him on a track about his publicity came from the fact he was white. The track mentioned that Eminem would never of blown up without being featured in the Source’s Unsigned Hype column. The Source published several articles discrediting Eminem. He responded with a series of tracks that attacked The Source and Benzino’s street credibility and ethnicity. He also mocked Benzino for trying to turn his son into a rap star.These tracks where widely heard and damaged Benzino and The Source’s credibility, the feud didn’t stop there Benzino went on to creating another several tracks aimed at the termination of Eminem. The tracks where widely ignored by the public. The Source then released an article on Eminem that about an old tape he released in his younger days in which he degraded black people and women. The Source devoted the entire issue to the coverage of the lyrics of the song. He claimed that he created it after a bitter break up with his black girlfriend. He apologized for making the tapes but also exhorted the public to consider the origin of the allegations. Nevertheless, Eminem had sued The Source for defamation and copyright infringement. The case was settled when The Source agreed not to release another future article on Eminem in 2005 that claimed it could expose the truth about eminem. The Source was Satisfied with the results, and felt that the move was considered a win for both parties.

The Source vs. Eminem

Mulit-Platinum Rapper:

Eminem

Co-owner of The Source:

Benzino