Rumahn Digipak analysis 1.

50 Cent - Get rich or die tryin

This is the front and back cover of 50 Cents album. The genre of this music is Rap/Hip -Hop and therefore the characteristics of the genre are very distinct and are shown throughout the covers above. For example, rap music is commonly associated with violence and gang culture. On the front cover, there is an effect which makes the image look as if it has a bullet hole in glass. Another characteristic is an urban theme which is carried through the Rap genre. This is continued in this album as the back cover shows the artist in front of what looks like a rundown area of America at night. This is what is typically expected of Rap album cover and therefore it supports Denis McQuails theory of genre as he says that all media should live up to a certain criteria which is expected of it.

The artist himself is placed in the centre of the album cover, which shows he is the main attraction. He is shown topless, exposing the fact he has a toned body and tattoos. These are both conventions which form the image of a typical rapper as they are seen as tough men. His facial expressions also add to this image as he is not showing any facial expressions, compared to another genre of music such as classical, an artist may be shown smiling and looking relaxed. He does not have much costume on, however he does have a Gucci belt on which shows he must be rich and have money to afford expensive brands such as Gucci. He also has a Gucci gun strap around his neck and shoulders which affiliates him to gang culture. Over the years rap music has developed and artists these days typically have lyrics based around money and violence. 50 Cent has developed both of these ideas here, supporting Christine Gledhills theory of genre which says that a genre much cater to an audiences needs as it allows the audience to easily identify their expectations, meaning the artists can identify and cater to them.

Rumahn
This cover of Chipmunks album presents a close up of the artist in the middle of the canvas. This clearly shows that he is the main attraction to the audience and Vladimir Propp would say that Chipmunk is the Hero. This is because his fans would look up to him as he is their main interested into buying the album. Chipmunk is also portrayed with an urban look, similar to 50 Cent; however, Chipmunk does not look gang affiliated. This may be due to the fact he is aiming for a slightly different audience and the genre of rap has changed since 50 Cents album. Chipmunk still possesses some conventions such as the tattoos and the fact he is not showing any facial expressions. It differs to 50 Cent in the sense that this artist has gone for a more simple approach with their design. 50 Cent clearly intended his album to male buyers due to the violent looking cover. Chipmunk however has left his market wider.

The disk itself continues the theme of the simplicity. Chipmunk himself does not appear on the disk and the background colour of the CD is very basic. This implies that the artist is more focused on the music rather than his image. The style of font is the same as the cover which creates consistency in the album and makes a professional look.

Similar to the CD, the back cover maintains simplicity. The reason of this plain design may be due the evolving of the rap genre which would support Andrew Goodwins theory that genres change to suit and audience. On the other hand, Chipmunk has recently become an established UK artist and the younger audience would recognise him. Due to this, having his image everywhere would not be necessary as the intended market would already know who he is.