SONGWRITING TIPS/LESSONS FROM THE PROS

CLICK ON THE DIFFERENT PICS FOR A NEW VIDEO LESSON

(Videos via @ www.artistshousemusic.org)

Jimmy Iovine (CEO Of Interscope) Interview On How To Get A Record Deal, Sales Decline, & The Industry [Gives Advice]

GREAT INTERVIEW!!!

IS HIP HOP CASKET BOUND???

After hearing Lil Flip's new song "Do the Kim Kardashian", I threw my hands in the air and said, "What the fuck is going in Rap these days??? First Halle Berry, now Kim Kardashian???" Have we run out of things to rap about??? So we choose celebrities and make dances after them??? I'm sorry guys, but I'm confused. So I did some research on the demise of Rock and Roll. I came across this great piece and after reading it, it seems that Hip Hop is heading in the same direction. I want to hear your thoughts, leave comments.

THE DEMISE OF ROCK AND ROLL

WRITTEN BY: DEREK DRAVEN

The reason for the demise of rock and roll is a pretty simple one. When a certain musical style reaches its peak of popularity, it begins to settle in, become the norm, and (with regret) suddenly become too commonplace for most folk. Record companies realize that to continue reaping billions of dollars, they must come up with "the next new thing." In the early 90s, this meant introducing music that went into a completely opposite direction as traditional party-hard rock n' roll

The result? A musical Pandora's box was opened, and has spawned artistic evils on a multitude of levels.

Almost overnight, we went from grunge music (which barely lasted 3 years), to alternative music. While everyone tried their mightiest to sit and figure out exactly what this moronic term meant, record companies were already planning to unleash the NEXT big thing: the new pop movement. How do you define today's pop music, besides being "popular?" It's quite simple, really. Take a real large pot, then gather a whole bunch of musical genres together. Water down each musical genre to the point where all merit, talent, and skill is gone, then toss them all into the same pot. The result was dance music, boy bands, rock, punk, ska, and hip hop all rolled into one. All image, no substance, with zero talent.

Where did it leave us? These days, the popular music world has become a sound wave wasteland, with each sickly, struggling band re-starting the vicious cycle of copying their predecessor's material. All popular music sounds precisely the same these days, period. I can no longer tell one rock band from the other, nor one rap group from the other, nor one female singer from another. To further layer on the hilarity of the situation, the record companies have the nerve to blame illegal music downloading as the cause for dropping musical sales! It must be VERY convenient to pollute an entire industry to the point where it has become stagnant, then turn around and blame your target audience!

So who is to blame for all of this? I hate to say it, but it's the people buying the albums. Yes, you heard me right! Rather than speak up and have their say regarding their own individuality, they fell prey to the timeless trap of wanting to fit in by liking the same things as their peers. The music industry is fully aware that teenagers are self-conscious and desperate to fit in, and it didn't take them long to realize that cheap marketing campaigns and a quick buzz can stimulate a teenager's need to have the "next big thing," in hopes of looking cool.

Stop for a moment and ask yourself how a band such as Nickelback could attain such wealth and fortune, with almost no musical skill or talent to back them up? Nickelback has been called out countless times for blatantly ripping off their OWN songs, purely because the original song did so well on the musical charts.

To make matters worse, the other low-grade bands at the bottom of the talent pool have resorted to copying each other's songs almost bar for bar. What we have, essentially, is one really large band, where different musicians guest on each album. Gone are the days of a popular music band actually sounding DIFFERENT than their peers. These days all it takes is a ridiculous hairstyle, a garage-band musical skill level, and songs aimed towards the preteen audience to assert their fame and fortune.

There is one shining light at the end of this deep, dark tunnel. Ironically, it lies underground. The underground music scene is where the REAL rock and roll has fled, and it's quite willing to sit back and laugh while waiting for the surface-dwellers to rip themselves apart. All you need do is look for yourself. The Internet is a POWERFUL search tool, and real hard rock fans craving that feel-good sound won't have to look far. In fact, rock n' roll has branched out into so many different forms of fun music, that it's impossible not to at least take a look

THE END

Pharrell’s Advice For Today’s Artist

WORDS FROM THE WISE!!! SINGERS TAKE NOTE...GET YOU A COACH AND EXERCISE...PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE...AUTO TUNE CAN'T SAVE YOU ANYMORE...LMAO!!! JUST KIDDING BUT ON A SERIOUS NOTE THOUGH, SEPARATE YOURSELF FROM THE OTHERS BY PERFECTING YOUR CRAFT AND THEN PRESENTING IT. RATHER THAN TRYING TO TOP THE GARBAGE THAT'S OUT THERE ALL READY.

LL Cool J Speaks about The State of New York Hip Hop

I FEEL LIKE HE JUST BROKE DOWN WHAT HIP HOP IS REALLY ABOUT IN A NY MINUTE...HIP HOP WAS ORIGINALLY ABOUT HOW DOPE YOU WERE ON THE MIC AND HOW DOPE YOUR STYLE (FASHION, CLOTHES, ETC...)WAS AND SETTING YOUR OWN TREND...SOMEWHERE (I SAY MID 90s), IT NO LONGER MATTERED IF YOU CAN RAP GOOD OR IF YOU RAPPED ABOUT ANYTHING AT ALL, AS LONG AS THE BEAT WAS BANGING WITH A CATCHY HOOK. THE ESSENCE GOT LOST AND IT TURNED INTO WHO HAS THE MOST MONEY AND PEOPLE JUST STARTING JUMPING ON WHATEVER TREND WAS HOT TO GET IN THE GAME...I FEEL LIKE THE "DOA" RECORD ADDRESSED THAT!!! WHAT YA'LL THINK?

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PRODUCER AND A BEATMAKER...WHICH ONE ARE YOU???

One of the biggest misunderstandings of the music industry is the difference between a producer and a beat maker. People automatically assume that if they start tapping on a drum machine or playing some keys that they're considered a producer. That is incorrect. I feel like a lot of self-proclaimed "Producers" are not producers at all. They are either beatmakers or musicians. I've worked with all three and so I
am well equipped to write this blog.

A beat maker simply makes beats. One might say well isn't that producing??? No, it is not. If I never played basketball a day in my life and I pick up a ball and start to shoot, can I call myself a basketball player or am I learning how to play basketball? I feel like a beat maker is in the process of learning how to produce. Making a beat and then telling someone to rap or sing on it, is not producing at all. And that's what a lot of aspiring producers are doing now. They make tracks and get people to rap or sing on them with no instructions or direction. That's not producing. That's making a beat and giving it to someone to do what they want on it. There is nothing wrong with being a beat maker because there are some good ones out there. The only problem is that a beat maker is only as good as the material that is layed on his/her tracks. So if you make a good beat and Lil' Spank spits some GARBAGE over the track, then you're considered garbage because you called yourself a "PRODUCER."

So what is a PRODUCER then? A producer's job is to create, shape and mold a piece of music into their vision for the artist's album. A producer also might control the recording sessions, coach and guide the musicians, and mix the records. His job is to oversee the record and make sure he agrees with every component of the song. A producer is responsible for the song as a whole, not just the beat. He picks and chooses who is going to write, rap, or sing on his track. He picks and chooses the musicians he will get to play certain instruments live. He has a vision for every track that he makes. He is able to bring out the best and only expect the best material on his track. He understands that if the material is not good then he is held responsible. If Tyler Perry allows his actors and actresses to deliver terrible acting performances and the movie gets bad ratings, he gets the blame for it because he is usually the producer of the movie, as well as the director, actor, and writer. So it's no different with a music producer, if the song is no good, then YOU are to blame.

Then there are the musicians who THINK they are producers. A musician is simply someone who is good at playing a certain instrument or two. Producers that don't necessarily play instruments hire musicians to play specific notes and sounds to build a track. Most musicians learned how to play at a young age by playing in a band or in a church. But just because you know how to play an instrument, it does NOT make you a producer.

As I stated previously, I've worked with beat makers, producers, and musicians. Most talented beat makers usually go under the tutelage of a good producer until they learn how to produce records. A beat makers regimen is firing up his drum machine and playing with sounds until he feels like he made a good beat and so on and so forth. A producer has a clear understanding of what he is going to create. He might go through old samples, or get a musician to play certain keys, bass, or guitar. They know what type of vibe they are about to create and they understand their strong points and hire people to do what they are not so great at doing. The musicians I've worked with are similar to beat makers. If they are a piano player, their drum kits and patterns are usually horrible. So the difference between a producer and a beat maker is the producer is able to take what the beat maker or musician creates and make it a whole lot better because they have a clearer vision.


My top 3 producers are Dr. Dre, Timbaland, and Jermaine Dupri. None is better than the other to me because they all do what they do differently. In my opinion, Dr. Dre is the best hip hop producer, Timbaland is the best R&B/Pop producer, and Jermaine Dupri is the best all around Producer/Writer.

FYI: Some of my favorite producers are Kanye West, No ID, Swizz Beats, The Neptunes, Diddy, DJ Toomp, DJ Premier, Marley Marl and a host of other old school and up and comings.

THE RAT RACE: CHASING PLACEMENTS PART 2 (RELATIONSHIPS)

The music business is all about relationships. Allow me to explain why it's so hard to catch a break in this business. Having undeniable material and talent is only half of the uphill battle of getting a major placement. The other half is building good relationships with OFFICIAL people. There are so many imposters in this business and it's no different than the streets. It's a hustle! So just like the streets you are going to come across a lot of FRAUD and MIDDLEMEN that will attempt to swindle you into believing they will make you successful.

Once you've PERFECTED YOUR CRAFT, the next step is to do your homework on who is who. As a producer or a writer, you have to surround yourself with a good team. Your main focus should be to make tracks or write songs and your manager's job should be to get it to the right artists or A&Rs.

Like I stated in part 1, remember that you are competing against industry vets and hungry and upcoming producers and writers like yourself. Some of the upcoming producers and writers might not be as talented as you or have better material, but they might have a better team of managers and that is why they are able to catch a break.


Also, understand that most of the industry veteran execs and managers came up together. I'm part of the new generation. I'm still on the road to becoming a future mogul. So all of the producers and writers that I deal with now, I will make sure to look out for in the future. But, at the end of the day, they have to deliver. My job and reputation are on the line and I refuse to do any favors that will cost me my job. It's the same with the veteran execs now. They have their own team or "Go To Men/Women" that they work with and there is nothing wrong with that as long as those people constantly deliver. I used to be the "MAD MANAGER" wondering why all the execs would run to the household names. Now being in those shoes, I realize that the household names or veteran producers/writers know how to give you exactly what you are looking for. Where as the new and upcoming producers/writers are still learning how to do that and may take longer to deliver.

It's all about relationships. It's six degrees of separation. It's a small industry of execs, but there's a plethora of talent. When playing basketball, I thought I was the man because I was the best in my neighborhood. It wasn't until I went away to basketball camp that I realized how good I needed to be to make it to Division 1 basketball. There's a whole world of talent out there and that's what I think you guys need to realize. Shooting for a placement for a major artist with no idea of the sound or direction of the album is like trying to hit the bullseye on a dart board from 30 feet away in the dark.

I started out managing new producers and writers. I wasn't affiliated with anybody with a household name. I went to every music conference and I would be one of the guys to rush the panelists once the panel was over. But as my understanding of the music biz grew I realized that I needed to be patient. I was Gung-Ho. I swore I had the hottest material, but honestly as I look back now, it was just mediocre. I didn't have an A&R ear as a manager. I was just submitting whatever my clients created. Some days I sent in up to 15 beats at a time, 10 different songs with no specific project in mind. As my understanding grew, I came to realize that I had to affiliate myself with nothing but GREATNESS and that's how I got my start as an A&R.

I was ambitious and anxious but I realized I needed to be patient. Instead of me trying to rush the panelists I realized that's it's always better to be introduced to someone by a CREDIBLE person. I had to learn music industry etiquette. So as I built good relationships with artists and A&Rs, my job became easier and more opportunities presented itself.

THE RAT RACE: CHASING PLACEMENTS

The rat race is the ruthless, competitive struggle for success in the music business. Let me start off by saying that this blog entry isn't to discourage aspiring songwriters and producers, but more so to motivate you to write and produce to your highest potential. This blog is intended to paint a vivid picture so you understand what you're up against. I'm not happy with the creativity and sound of music right now so instead of complaining about it, I'd rather share my knowledge in hopes that it will reach the right people. I want the people on the outside trying to get in to understand how great their music will have to be to play a part in this industry.

I remember one day, my varsity basketball coach had a guy come speak to us at practice. He passed out a piece of paper with statistics on how many high school basketball players in the United States that actually make it to the NBA. To sum the sheet up, there were hundreds of thousands high school and college basketball players and only about 60 actually get drafted into the NBA per year. The percentage rate was .00042%. Now I could have taken that information and given up on chasing my dreams to join the NBA that day, but instead I chose to work harder because I knew what I was going against.

Music is no different. There are a lot of songwriters and producers working on the same projects. The reality of it all is that a very small percentage of them will ever actually become successful. I think a lot of aspiring writers and producers are misinformed and forget the history of music. This concept of "song shopping" is all new. There wasn't a "Who's Looking List" back in the day. There was one producer and an artist or group who collectively created an album. It wasn't about let's go get a beat from Quincy or Berry. It was, let's give Quincy this project. In rap there was the DJ and the rapper. DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, DJ Premier and Guru (Gangstarr), and Eric B and Rakim. So this " song shopping "concept is something new that executives are starting to impose and unfortunately its not working anymore. There is a reason why Justin Timberlake and Alicia Keys outsell their peers everytime. They have a consistent sound as well as one MAIN producer over their project. Miley Cyrus isn't running around saying "I need a single, who has one?". Her father, Billy Ray Cyrus has EXECUTIVE PRODUCED every single project.

I'm playing both sides now. I'm still shopping records for the producers and writers signed to Jermaine Dupris' publishing company (Dieniahmar/EMI) and I'm also doing some A&R consulting at Atlantic Records. As an A&R, I seem to be encountering the same problems with producers and writers. They are submitting material based on what the artist has done already rather than where the artist is trying to go with his/her upcoming album. This is called submitting records BLINDLY. They don't have a clue of the direction of the album, they are just assuming rather than finding out. So they'll purchase a "Who's Looking" List and it'll say something like "Looking for an Uptempo." I'm sorry guys but that is not enough information. You guys have to find out the direction/sound of the album and then build a track/song that fits the sound and storyline of the album. It's easier said than done. You have hundreds of people calling the labels everyday because they bought the A&R Registry and it lists every label and A&Rs contact information. Do you think an A&R wants to sit there and take calls from strangers all day long and tell them the directions of the project he is involved in??


The solution is "Get your alliances right". First, get to know who's who in the business. I attended every music conference there was in order to learn the execs' faces and positions. Find a manager who has a good reputation of doing good business. Perfect your craft!!!! Remember that you are competing against industry vets like Rodney Jerkins, Bryan Michael Cox, Jermaine Dupri, Timberland, Neptunes, Polow Da Don, No ID, Johnta Austin, Ne-yo, Tricky and Dream, Sean Garrett, etc., as well as new and hungry aspiring producers and writers like yourself. So if your material isn't up to par, why are you getting frustrated that the A&R didn't accept a record you wrote for Toni Braxton??? Ne-yo probably wrote a bigger/better ballad than you did!!!!

I'll write a part 2 to this because it's gets deeper than that. I'll get into song deals and relationships next.

IF YOU TAKE THIS INFORMATION AND GET DISCOURAGED THEN YOU'RE A "CUP IS HALF EMPTY" TYPE OF PERSON AND THIS BUSINESS ISN'T FOR YOU. THIS IS A CUT-THROAT COMPETITIVE BUSINESS AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE THICK SKIN AND PATIENCE, YOU DON'T STAND A CHANCE.

HAS THE BAR BEEN SET TOO LOW??? PART 2

Is the emergence of these mediocre aspiring artists, producers and songwriters due to the fact that the bar is set too low? Doctors and lawyers make a good living for themselves. But I never wanted to be a lawyer or a doctor because I didn't want to study hard to take the Bar Exam or the LSAT. Instead I chose to pursue a career in what I'm most passionate about, MUSIC.

I work for Jermaine Dupris' publishing company and my job is to find hot new producers and writers to sign. In addition, I have to orchestrate studio sessions between writers and producers so that they can come up with great records for me to shop to major record labels. Lately, I've been noticing that a lot of these writers are using the same melodies and subject matter. The producers are using the same progressions, 808s, and sorry ass drumrolls. The majority of rappers rap about "Getting Money, Grinding, Swag, and Haters." So I've come to the point where average is unacceptable There is no gray area when I judge records now. It's either a great record or it's terrible.

So has the bar been set too low?

Yes and No.

Remember, we are in the business of selling music. The only artists that are selling records are artists that are putting out quality music. Kanye West, T.I. and Lil' Wayne are consistently selling on the rap side and Beyonce, Rihanna, and Alicia Keys are consistently selling on the R&B side. Most of the NEW artists that get heavy radio spins, with the exception of Soulja Boy's first album going platinum, are not selling. Ace Hood, Hurricane Chris, V.I.C, Shop Boys and Young Berg all flopped.

Men lie. Women lie. But numbers don't.


So hopefully the aspiring artists, writers, and producers will see that it's not about a quick buck and trying to ride the new trend, but it's about consistently delivering GOOD QUALITY MUSIC.

So are artists shooting to be a little better than Gucci Mane rather than Kanye??? Or a little better than Cassie instead of Beyonce because the bar has been set too high?

HAS THE BAR BEEN SET TOO LOW????

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?

TERRY LEWIS SPEAKS @ 2008 EMI MUSIC CONFERENCE

Find more videos like this on Today's Agenda

DJ KAY SLAY GIVES ADVICE TO ASPIRING RAPPERS