The image of Jay-Z takes up one page of the double page spread and thus enforces his presence on the article. In the image we see Jay-Z's face and shoulders, yet his shoulders are cut off, he cannot fit on the page, possible due to his broad shoulders, demonstrative of the struggles in his life and the power he now holds. He is wearing black sunglasses along with a black t-shirt. This is consistent with his overall image, he is known for wearing 'all black everything'. The sunglasses completely conceal his eyes and give a feeling that there are many things that remain untold and that possibly he could tell them in this article. The sunglasses add emphasis to his trademark mouth and lips which have helped make his career and fortune. The t-shirt he wears is a v-neck, the could possibly suggest victory. The necklace around his neck is a symbol of his wealth. The image is cast with a red wash-like effect on one side. Red is the colour of the Q magazine logo and also a colour of passion, love and blood. The other side is white, a colour of purity and cleanliness, perhaps suggesting Jay-Z is now tainted and his purity is dissapearing, he is now soiled. This could well apply as he is known to have had an unsavoury past. The picture is almost in the Shepard Fairey style made so famous by Barack Obama's successful election campaign of 2007. This relates to Jay-Z trying to achieve equality, power and wealth as a black American.
Red is used again as a quote from the interview is placed on Jay-Z's shoulder. He is talking about the adversity he met from Noel Gallagher when he headlined at Glastonbury and the colour red demonstrates the power he showed to overcome it. The quote also relates to him breaking down cultural and social stereotypes.
The RapRadar logo stands out and does not follow the house style. The font and colours used are unique to the double page. For those who do not know what RapRadar is, they could be forgiven for thinking RapRadar is a radar for rap, and that Jay-Z is under this radar, he has been found. RapRadar is a rap news and blog website and therefore you could say the appearance of the logo is a plug.
The large red J behind the text in a serif font is a mirror image of the Q magazine logo, yet it is a J, because the interview is about 'Jay-Z'. The whole text is in a sans serif font which holds with the classy, upper-end look of Q magazine. All over the double page, Jay-Z and other key words are highlighted in red, the colour of power, passion and Q magazine.
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