Reiss Vince 12B

Textual Analysis: Representing an artist

Snoop Dogg is one of the most influential artists of late 90s and early 2000s. The thug image that goes with a career in rap, is portrayed in almost all media representations.

From figure 1 its clear that even in seasonal issues the artists personality and habits are always at the for front. This Christmas issue of the Rolling Stone magazine looks to highlight the festive season while portraying snoop Dogg’s fascination with smoking blunts, with one of the two props being held as if it were a blunt. The side profile look towards the camera, combined with his heavy eye lid glance, looks to symbolise his confidant and laid back domineer. His facial expression is a cold one and can so be attributed to the thug image he is attempting to show. The predominantly red colour scheme keeps the issue festive, while the big chain around his neck, keeps the hard man portrayal. The cover line looks to illustrate the implied image of him smoking with ‘SNOOP DOGG’S SMOKIN CHRISTMAS’. The lack of G in Smokin is an attempt to imitate his speech and force the reader to hear snoops voice as they read it. The tag lines on the left stats Snoop Dogg as ‘Americas Most Lovable Pimp’, yet more imagery of his thug image. The contrast of lovable and pimp portrays him as a character, and frames the cover image as his thug image, is holding a candy cane and wearing a bobble hat.

In this issue of HIGH TIMES, Snoop Dogg is still the main focus of the cover. This mid view picture captures him in a suit with a fur over coat. A classy look at first but still high lighting his thug image as this attire was indicative of 1920’s American gangsters or the mafia. It’s also a trade mark of a stereotypical pimp. A partly smoked blunt or cigar casually hangs from the side of his lip. This casual positioning shows the audience that he is so comfortable with a blunt that it does need to be front and centre but a Meer prop in the overall image. The two awards that are shaped as bongs are even more of an indication to snoop Dogs stoner life style. Them being the only indication as to what he does. All we know is that he’s very good at something but music is never highlighted. The posture of snoop Dogg is always confident while his facial expression matches, his eyes don’t. The squint or heavy eye lid look is often present; this can be assumed to be as a result of the blunt in his mouth. The main cover line stats him as the ‘Stoner of the year’, But with a magazine called ‘high times’ it is clear that this would be the focus of their articles.

Reiss Vince 12B

This final Cover is at a contrast to the previous two, as there Is no ‘Lovable’ or ‘classy’ aspect to the image. In fact resembling a mug shot, with its close up of his face it continues to conform to the thug image. The hooded jumper and jacket resembles the common attire of a Compton native and is therefore the least stylised image of the set. With no props but a accessory, ear ring, Snoop Dogg looks at his most comfortable. The earring has the shape of a bone in it, this links to his name ‘Dogg’, highlighting the character that is Snoop Dogg rather than the3 person that is ‘Calvin Cordozar Broadus. Jr’. The pouted lips with a hard expression give the impression of attitude. This being what gives the image the mug shot look. Yet again we never see Snoop Doggs full eyes, there is always an excess of eye lid. Although he looks the most aware out of all the pictures the case can still be argued that he’s a little bit ‘stoned’. The cover line isn’t clear with this magazine, but this is probably as its a set of throwback issues as the ’40 years of Hip-Hop’ suggests. As only one of the selling lines has Snoop Dogg in it ‘Snoop Dogg 1995’. We are thereby assuming the image is also a throwback. Portraying a younger and much rawer persona. The casual clothes showing him before he made the money to have suits and designer clothes as the former covers have. This could be an indication to the magazine being rawer then its competitor’s .To conclude, Snoop Dogg is always portrayed as a ‘never sober’ ‘lovable pimp’, with a calm yet attitude persona.