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Estrella Bradley Ogando
A2 Coursework Component 3
Advanced Portfolio
EBO PRODUCTIONS - D-CRUZ Y ANTEX
DIGIPAK ANALYSIS
(ANALYISING HIP-HOP ARTISTS)
DIGIPAK 1: J. Cole '4 Your Eyez Only'
front panel:
The front cover features a backshot black-and-white image of J. Cole looking downward, with the album title next to his figure in white text against a black background in a hand-written font. The cover design is minimalist and simple, conveying a sense of seriousness and introspection. The black and white image is over a black worn-down background with white cracks, with pieces of green and blue around the image.
back panel:
The back cover features a track listing in white text with the same hand-written font against a black background, along with production credits, a barcode and a copyright notice. The design is clean and uncluttered, with a focus on the tracklist. The black background seems to be a torn piece of paper, having another black and white photo next to it on the right-hand side. The photo features a young African-American girl walking wearing braids.
cd disc:
The CD disc features a contrasting black silhouette figure of J. Cole against a blurry blue horizon in the background. The Dreamsville logo (the production company) is in white text. More copyright information is also displayed in very small white letters on the lower part of the disk. The design is minimalist and consistent with the overall aesthetic of the packaging.
inside panel:
The inside panels of the digipak feature additional black-and-white photographs of J. Cole, with the same worn-down aesthetic as the front cover panel with the white cracks. The design is consistent with the front cover, with white text against a black background.
In terms of color, the packaging is primarily black and white, with a focus on high contrast and simplicity. The wording is straightforward and minimal, with a focus on the album title, artist name, and track list. The font is sans-serif and easy to read, with a clean and modern feel. The choice of images is focused on J. Cole himself, with a focus on conveying his persona and identity as an artist. The design/layout is simple and uncluttered, with a focus on conveying the seriousness and introspection of the album's themes.
INFLUENCE ON MY OWN DIGIPAK:
I really like how the typography of the digipak is set, with the ameteur hand-written fond, which is something that I will consider adding in my own digipak. I also really like how there is consisentcy with the overall style (the font, the colour and the black and white theme), which will inspire me to have a conistant style throughout all of my proudcuts (music video, digipak and social media page) whether that is using the same images, the same fonts or the same colours.
DIGIPAK 2: A$AP Rocky 'AT LONG LAST A$AP'
front panel:
The front cover prominently displays a photograph of A$AP Rocky in a black and white vintage-looking filter, with the album title in bold white letters on the right-hand side of him and his name in the centre below him. In terms of conventions of CD packaging, the 'AT LONG LAST A$AP' digipak follows a few established patterns, such as including the artist name and album title on the front cover and listing the track titles on the back cover.
back panel:
In terms of conventions of CD packaging, the 'AT LONG LAST A$AP' digipak follows a few established patterns, such as including the artist name and album title on the front cover and listing the track titles on the back cover. The back cover includes a track listing, barcode, and a small photo of the rapper. The spine of the digipak features the album title and artist name in a stylized font. The background is white with a black and white photo of A$AP on the right side, with the song names on the far left and the initials of the album name displayed (L.L.A.). However, it also deviates from convention in some ways, such as using non-traditional fonts and layouts and incorporating images and designs that are more commonly seen in other genres, such as psychedelic rock or pop art.
cd disc:
The CD disc features a black and white close-up shot of a mouth showing the teeth (most likely to be A$APs mouth) with gold over the teeth. His name is written on the upper side of the CD in white highlighted in a black box. The parental advisory sticker is on the tongue on top of the album name cover and at the very bottom is the copyright information (all written in white font to contrast with the black and white background). The design links well with the rest of the packaging as it uses the same aesthetic and style.
inside panel:
The inside panel consists of 6 candid photographs of A$AP and what looks like his friends. They seem to have been taken either digitally or on film. The photos show the process behind the album and reflect upon the songs and the lyrics and can make audiences and fans feel more connected to the artist as they are having a warm insight into his personal life through the candid photographs.
The overall color scheme of the digipak is dark and moody, with shades of black, gray, and dark blue dominating the palette. The font used for the album title and track listing is bold and blocky, giving the packaging a bold and assertive look.
The choice of images, fonts, and colors used on the digipak are all very deliberate and help to communicate the genre of the music as well as attract a specific target audience. The dark, moody color scheme and bold, blocky font suggest a more aggressive and assertive sound, while the psychedelic designs and bold imagery appeal to a younger, more visually-oriented audience. Overall, the design of the 'AT LONG LAST A$AP' digipak is a visually striking and effective representation of the music it contains.
INFLUENCE ON MY OWN DIGIPAK:
What I like the most about this digipak is the edgy nature of the cd disk. I will want to try to incorporate a similar style to my digipak. I also really like the candid photo gallery in the inside panel of the digipak which gives the audience a sense of familiarity and gives an intimate insight to the artist. Both of these aspects will be things that I will try to incorporate into my own work.
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