"SCRATCH" MAGAZINE:
Where did it come from
Scratch was owned by Harris Publications, the same company that publishes the popular hip-hop magazine XXL, as well as King, Rides and Slam. It debuted in January 2004, and was published bi-monthly.
what is it
Scratch was a magazine about the art of creating hip-hop. It featured articles regarding producers, musicians and DJs that make beats for rap records, and details the secret methods, stories, partnerships, philosophies and equipment behind the music. The magazine's tagline was "The Blueprint of Hip-Hop".
who is involved
Various hip-hop producers, DJs and rappers have graced their cover, including Dr. Dre, The Neptunes, RZA, Lil Jon, Kanye West, DJ Drama, Timbaland, Jermaine Dupri, Mannie Fresh, Just Blaze and Eminem.
who reads it
Many teenagers between the ages of 14-21 years of age like this magazine, as surveys have recorded that they find it down to earth with each page exploding with stars. Many hip-hop fans say that they appreciate the free CDs, concert dates and competitions that they can get involved in.
where has it goneIt was announced that the Nov/Dec 2007 issue of Scratch (with Timbaland and 50 Cent on the cover) would be the final issue of the magazine. Harris Publications folded the magazine for unknown reasons. A Scratch blog can now be found on XXL's website, XXLMAG.COM.
FRONT COVER DECONSTRUCTION
The mast head is in a bright colour (yellow) and is the largest text on the front cover. The name ‘Scratch’ connotes a DJ scratching a record, giving a sense of the music that the magazine specialises in (hip hop, rap). The image of Lil Wayne overlaps the masthead, making the front cover less official.
Where did it come from
Scratch was owned by Harris Publications, the same company that publishes the popular hip-hop magazine XXL, as well as King, Rides and Slam. It debuted in January 2004, and was published bi-monthly.
what is it
Scratch was a magazine about the art of creating hip-hop. It featured articles regarding producers, musicians and DJs that make beats for rap records, and details the secret methods, stories, partnerships, philosophies and equipment behind the music. The magazine's tagline was "The Blueprint of Hip-Hop".
who is involved
Various hip-hop producers, DJs and rappers have graced their cover, including Dr. Dre, The Neptunes, RZA, Lil Jon, Kanye West, DJ Drama, Timbaland, Jermaine Dupri, Mannie Fresh, Just Blaze and Eminem.
who reads it
Many teenagers between the ages of 14-21 years of age like this magazine, as surveys have recorded that they find it down to earth with each page exploding with stars. Many hip-hop fans say that they appreciate the free CDs, concert dates and competitions that they can get involved in.
where has it goneIt was announced that the Nov/Dec 2007 issue of Scratch (with Timbaland and 50 Cent on the cover) would be the final issue of the magazine. Harris Publications folded the magazine for unknown reasons. A Scratch blog can now be found on XXL's website, XXLMAG.COM.
FRONT COVER DECONSTRUCTION
The mast head is in a bright colour (yellow) and is the largest text on the front cover. The name ‘Scratch’ connotes a DJ scratching a record, giving a sense of the music that the magazine specialises in (hip hop, rap). The image of Lil Wayne overlaps the masthead, making the front cover less official.Having a cover line end in a question mark leads readers to waiting to read it. Good use of attracting readers here
The cover lines include names of hip hop artists, telling people briefly glancing at the magazine that they are going to be in the magazine, therefore attracting an audience of hip hop lovers.
Generally the front cover is clear about which genre it is specialising, therefore is bound to have a special audience. Everything is easy to read and the image on the front doesn’t make the writing disappear. This magazine definitely would attract me, a 17 year old rap/hip hop lover.
The bar code shows that it is an official media product that you have to buy, however the price is not on the front cover (and if it is it is not clear at a first glance), this either shows that the distributors did not think that the price was important, or that it is rather expensive and thought that it would put off readers.
The image represents a rebellious attitude, (thumbs down) attracting younger readers, as Lil Wayne’s pose is carefree and yet full of emotion. The man in the background is ‘scratching’ a record, pretty much telling us why the magazine is called ‘Scratched’.
There are no puffs, perhaps suggesting that the magazine is too ‘cool’ for giving away free things, making it look less cheap!
You can see that the magazine front cover has three predominant colours: yellow, white and blue, which is used by the text. They are all bright colours making the cover lines stand out and attract readers.
There is not too much text making the image the main focus, promoting the interview or feature on the artist on the front (which is inevitability why they are on the front cover)
