I'VE BEEN JUDGING AND ATTENDING A LOT OF SHOWCASES LATELY. I'VE BEEN TO A FEW BEAT BATTLES AND IT SEEMS LIKE I'M ENCOUNTERING THE SAME ISSUE. THE COMMON DENOMINATOR BETWEEN THE SHOWCASES AND THE BEAT BATTLES IS THESE ARTISTS AND PRODUCERS ARE COMPARING THEMSELVES TO THE WRONG PEOPLE. NO DISRESPECT TO SOULJA BOY OR GUCCI MANE BECAUSE I'M A FAN OF BOTH, BUT ARTISTS FEEL LIKE THEY CAN MAKE MUSIC THAT'S SIMILAR TO GUCCI AND SOULJA BOY AND FEEL LIKE THEIR MUSIC IS HOT. THEY FEEL LIKE WELL MY BEAT IS BETTER THAN "CRANK THAT" OR MY SONG IS BETTER THAN "BRICKS." THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT SOULJA BOY AND GUCCI HAVE PERFECTED THEIR CRAFT AND THEY HAVE THEIR OWN SOUND. THEY ARE GOING INTO THE BOOTH AND TRYING TO MAKE DANCE SONGS OR VERY SIMPLE RECORDS OVER CHEAP SOUNDING BEATS AND TALK ABOUT MONEY AND DRUGS AND FEEL LIKE, "IF GUCCI CAN PULL IT OFF, SO CAN I." THEY TRY TO OUTSELL MORE DRUGS THAN JEEZY OR RICK ROSS.
INSTEAD OF LOOKING UP TO GUYS WITH LONGEVITY LIKE JAY-Z, LL COOL J, OR KANYE WEST. SOME MIGHT FEEL THEIR MUSIC IS HOT BECAUSE THEY REALLY DO WHAT THEY ARE RAPPING ABOUT. THE PRODUCERS ARE LOOKING UP TO SOULJA BOY, SHAWTY REDD, DJ TOOMP, AND THE RUNNERS, WHICH ARE ALL GREAT PRODUCERS. BUT THEY FORGET ABOUT DR. DRE, TIMBALAND, AND THE NEPTUNES. I FEEL THE PROBLEM WITH MUSIC RIGHT NOW IS THAT THESE NON SUBSTANCE RECORDS ARE MAKING THERE WAY THROUGH THE AIRWAVES. IT GIVES A LOT OF THESE ASPIRING ARTISTS WITH NO TALENT HOPE THAT THEY CAN MAKE SIMILAR TYPES OF MUSIC AND MAKE IT BIG IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY. THEY GET THEIR LOCAL PRODUCER WHO JUST LEARNED HOW TO DO BEATS ON FRUITY LOOPS WITH MINIMAL KITS, COME UP WITH TERRIBLE RECORDS, RECORD 20 SONGS, PUT 'EM ALL ON A CD, CALL IT A MIXTAPE, PRESS UP CDS AND PASS 'EM OUT TO EVERYONE AND FEEL LIKE THEY'VE ACCOMPLISHED SOMETHING, OR HAVE A MOVEMENT (LOL). WHAT IS THAT???? I WANT TO KNOW DO YOU GUYS AGREE THAT THE REASON WHY THE QUALITY OF MUSIC SUCKS RIGHT NOW IS BECAUSE A LOT OF GARBAGE IS MAKING ITS WAY TO THE AIRWAVES AND THE ARTISTS AND PRODUCERS ARE LOOKING UP TO AND COMPARING THEIR MATERIAL TO THE WRONG PEOPLE?
You raise an excellent point. If I had a dollar for every unsigned artists that claims to have a "movement" within the first 6-months of them rapping I'd be a millionaire. Let me pose this question to you- Is it that the artists are comparing their material to the wrong people, or are the consumers to blame for supporting their efforts? Or further... is it the label's fault and radio's fault for pushing these sub-par records in the street and forcing them to receive recognition in the first place? If an artist sees that a certain sound is easier to pick up airplay or to get a deal (even if its a single deal, but that's a whole different subject, lol) why wouldn't they conform to get where they want to be? Just curious of your thoughts..
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I do agree with a lot of what you have said here. Artists really think that just because it has become easy to make records, it is just as easy to be an "artist". I can't say i think there is a whole lot of artistic integrity in "Turn My Swag On"... but i'm not going there. The truth is there IS a lot of trash on the airwaves. 30 years ago A&R could go to radio and say "You have to hear this record. You have NEVER heard anything like this! It is totally new and cool and never been done before!". Now, unfortunately the same people are going into radio saying "You have to play this record! It sounds EXACTLY like (insert pop artist here)!". So I don't know where to cast blame. I am sure its spread over the artists, radio, major label mentalities etc. BUT... there IS still great music out there. At least that will ALWAYS be true.
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ReplyDeleteI totally agree I as a manager of a hip hop artist have been to tons of showcases myself. not only does everyone try to emulate everyone else they have not studied the craft and have no stage presence. I was drawn to my artist because she was 15years old and she reminded me of MC LYTE a true lyricist. She has performed at several of Lyte's shows and her crew agrees with comparison. Check out a young hip hop artist who is trying to bring back old school hip hop. http://www.myspace.com/ladyte
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Bottom line is this: The easier it is to make, the more garbage it most likely will be. I miss the good ol days when you couldn't just buy Reason or Fruityloops and "make a beat". Don't get me wrong, I use Reason 4 but however, I was on full hardware setups first. I painstakingly learned music using real keyboards, drum machines, played (and still play) real drums, engineered on REAL boards and outboard processors BEFORE I ever knoew what the hell "beat making" on a computer ever was. My point is if there's no pain in the process used to get to the point of achieving true skill there most likely won't be any integrity or "soul" to the music put out. I'll be honest, (and soulja boy I'll say this to your face), I can't stand soulja boy's music BUT, at the time he came, there was no other artist like him in the sense that no one had that charisma and the incredible groundwork that he had already laid down before the world heard it. I remember my friends niece in friggin south carolina 2 years ago telling me about soulja boy before anyone knew who he was...and I'm IN the recording industry...Also, he brought back that 1979 hip hop fun again...just in a different way most of us hip hop heads didn't want to accept. I'm rambling now, but my point is, if there's no hard work put in, your music will most likely sound like everybody else's garbage!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. I believe that people who are making Company decisions are under the assumption that the consumer is willing to buy into that sound. They don't realize that it is an artisits style vs. a movement. the real sad thing is, it is making its way onto radio. It makes a music lover like myself disenchanted with the industry.
ReplyDeleteIf you also take a closer look at what is being played on the radio we will also see it is filled with one hit wonders who produced a good "hook" no substance.
It's surprising that in an industry that should be lead by creativity and originality is lacking those two components. Instead, people are riding the coat-tails of what's hot now. Well music is always moving, ever-evolving and consistently taking surprising turns. It is not stationary, and we can't be either. As musicians/ songwriters/ artists/ producers, we need to be the leaders and creators of that "next, unheard" sound; we need to perpetually stay 10 steps ahead. Having musical and lyrical influences is great, but it’s just that and nothing more. Influences should be used for inspiration, and creative muses that warm up our musical engines of creation. When you want to be a part of something, you have to do your research; you have to know your history. "Unless you know your history, you are doomed to repeat it", and you can't be a leader in an industry unless you know the path that industry took to get to where it is today. Also, good music is undeniable. A good friend once said "when you stop making beats, you can start making music."--how true that is. Don't make what you think is hot or what you think people will like....make something, that when you listen to it, it moves you, it surprises you, it inspires more out of you. Make something that is undeniable, something that could stand the test of time, something that translates musically not just for the US market, but could be appreciated around the world. Take down the walls that restrict you, like a pre-determined genre. Music didn't always have so many genres, and with that, it had a wider audience that liked a particular sound. Today, we have 88 genres that divide the listener markets and produce ever- shrinking audiences for each one. I mean, hip hop alone is divided into separate genres within itself. Think about it...is this even necessary?
ReplyDeleteMy advice has, is and always will be, stay true to yourself, and you will find your individual sound.
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its all of trash being put out there, right now i feel as artist, producers, musicians or whatever you have to develop a craft and understand what and where you want to perfect your talent. it takes long for others but you have to get that alone time and study up and get your stuff together or else you just wont make it
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