The masthead XXL denotes the largest size of male clothing. This could connote that the magazine is aimed at a niche market of male consumers, this is because the genre of rap/hip-hop music is more attractive to males due to its obscenities and innuendos through the lyrics.
The masthead for XXL is bold yet simplistic. This would attract reader attention because it is the largest font on the cover. This immediately grabs the attention of readers. The logo is also in red which could be used to connote aggression and anger. Red is a house colour of rap and hip-hop because aggression and high levels of angry emotions are a large part in the lyrics commonly used in the rap and hip-hop industry.
There is a strapline on the front cover which says "N#GGAZ WITH ATTITUDE" this strengthens the view that this is a magazine aimed at a male target audience. It also indicates that this magazine is not aimed at those which are faint hearted. The strapline links well with the genre of music because rap and hip-hop is stereotypically acclaimed as aggressive. The strapline also engages with its target audience through the use of taboo language. It engages the reader because rap was/still is a genre of music which is dominantly black and so the use of this word is not racist.
The image used for the XXL cover shows the rap artist Nas with a facial expression which seems unimpressed. This makes him seem an arrogant character which links well with the attitude associated with the rap and hip-hop industry. The curling of the lip empathises his hard-hearted as it gives the impression of him tutting. The twisting of his nose indicates that he is sneering at somebody or something which can give the idea that he is looking at something with disgust. His head is also tilted to the left slightly which also gives the impression that he is pitying somebody.
Also in the image Nas is showing eye contact with the reader. This shows confidence in the artist and that he is not fearful of anything. He is also leering at the camera which gives the reader an uneasiness. This uneasiness is caused by the powerful presence of the artist which links well with the idea of reputation.
We do not see much of Nas' body language because the shot used for the front cover is a medium close up. What we do see in the image though is straight shoulders. The straight shoulders also show confidence from the artist. Along with this idea of confidence it can also give the interpretation that he is shrugging off something uninspiring.
On the front cover the coverlines are written in a a dull silver/gray colour. This gives an indication of grime which is one of the sub-genres of rap. The gray is bland which shows a lack of emotions which shows a cold-hearted nature. This could be because rap artists are not allowed to show any emotion which could be seen as weakness and so if a colour represented as non masculine is shown it could damage their reputation.
