Feeling Shook

[slik da relic]

once u go outside of ur home/block/hood, and perform for strangers that never heard ur shit, and they are dancin and participatin in ur performance (dancin, singin ur hooks, laughin at funny songs, etc...) noddin they head n shit, how can you stop???!!! that shit is a drug!!! thats why Mike came back, Evander is still fuckin fightin, and the Rollin Stones (the TRUE Relics) are on stage still doin sold out shows!!! when u perform your stuff, whether its u or someone else, and its good, someone's gonna like u and what u do... the only way to find out is to keep grindin.

da relic

 

[Chrono]

buy recs and sell recs making copies of your shecks. become familiar with the works and slowly but surely saturate yourself within the organism of multigenerational melodies. make tunes and sell thems booms making notes of the naledge you consume. i go to school because my fall back plan is a career in biotechnology but my hustle is straight music. though the music i make is not for sale but for free. the info i gain from music i sell, as you should, as the study from the streets of the colden earth complete.
::edit::
though i do not sell info i sell recs and a very definitive work ethic that is much more worth my time. have a bomb worth ethic surpassing everyone elses and a thought-out plan and you will make money.

 

[shadeed]

First off - comparison is the starting point for all unhappiness. What other producers may be/do/or have is really smalltime thinking in comparison to what you can do and become IF you take the time to honestly assess where you're at and FOCUS on improving.

Secondly - A large % of your favorite rappers and producers have slept on somebody's couch, got evicted or had to make a major move to another city to make 'it' happen. Most of your fav. rappers and producers have toiled away behind the scenes for YEARS writing for other artists or having their placements taken by more established producers. Sacrifice is just part of the game.

Thirdly - Find another way into the game. The truth is only like less than 10% of all the artists actually make a successful living from music these days. There is more than one way to earn a check in this business and there are more people behind the camera than there are in front of it.

 

[eldiablo]

you dont have to have the newest and the best shit out to make quality music,, in reality all you need for hip-hop is a drum machine, a sampler, and some turntables.. those should be enough. i havent bought anything new in ages, besides free software i get here and there. but i cannot say im innocent! i caught a felony or two selling drugs to buy gear, if i think back, and try to determine if it was worth it or not, i know i wouldnt be were im at now, if i had some bullshit 9 to 5 trying to save,,,,"it starts to become a joke"
you know if your asking these questions you already have the love. with the way the music game is now, for a cat to think that there going to get rich is a pipedream. the money in the industry is not like it used to be. if it wasnt for me chasing dreams as you would say, i couldave had a benz, house with a white piket fence, wifey, and 2.5 kids. all i know is that this is all i know. if it wasnt for the music i'd done went crazy a long time ago. the love for money and the idea of being succesfull monetarily is different than the love for music. it would be nice to be able to merge the 2, but to use an example how many athletes make it to the pros????? how many had a chance to make it to the pros but didnt and still enjoy playing??? to truelly love something you will achieve success in some way shape or form.

as the hero would say,
sometimes no matter how hard you try, you just cant get ahead!
i hope you all never give up on your hopes and dreams!
just keep on trying !! never give up !!!!

...eldia ..

 

[Relic]

^^^^Word

I guess for me I'm just confused about what my realistic goals for the future are and should be. As for what I mentioned earlier it was more about becoming a respectable producer and having the opportunity to work with good artists then trying to make money in this. Don't get me wrong this would definitely be my career of choice if it were possible but that's still unrealistic and a long road ahead.

For money right now I do freelance work of various types in the media industry. This is highly unstable income and when I have a job it's good but then things can dry up fast and I can't find work for a month or two sort of thing. I personally hate this and hope to land something a bit more stable or have alternative income on the side. I think even doing up soundtracks for video games or films would be a good career to shoot for but that's still tough as hell with all the ppl lined up at the door for those jobs allready.

I guess I gotta realize that my passion for producing music is hurting me right now and I gotta start making some realistic moves to stabilize what's around me so I can continue doing what I love without it being a burden. Anybody got the # for beataholics anonymous?

As frustrating as I find this there were some good points and advice up there. I think slik hit something tho with me being bored about the way I create. I really do think I should start having more fun with what I do and put on shows and form a crew or something along those lines. So far all I've really done is hand out beat disks to people that never call back or record the odd track with my friends. We usually sit around drinking freestyling to my massive catalogue. It doesn't happen often but it is fun. We should just do the same thing but at a bar where people can watch us.

Anyways, I appreciate the compliments and rest assured I won't be stopping anytime soon just maybe coming with a different approach to it all.

Peace.

dude if thats the case then your not actually "Producing" your just making beats, do some projects , get a serious artist, do an album with a concept behind it,. You may still go nowhere but hey, your doing something!

 

[dj360_iNfInItE1]

.......dude if thats the case then your not actually "Producing" your just making beats, do some projects , get a serious artist, do an album with a concept behind it,. You may still go nowhere but hey, your doing something!

Great point. I have a problem though.....I moved here to Seattle about 6 years ago and got seriously back into my music about 2 - 2 1/2 years ago. I am strictly a producer/beat maker and I don't rap. I would love to do an album. I just don't know anyone here that I could produce. I can't say I really went and searched but then again, where the hell would I look? My music is strongly influenced by East Coast, mainly the 90s Hip-Hop. Anyway, the local rappers I have heard are really on that bullshit I hear on the radio, when I do listen to that shit. I don't compromise my music and I don't want to produce another fuckin Soulja Boy. Fuck dat. Any advice? Thanks!

 

[LDB]

Great point. I have a problem though.....I moved here to Seattle about 6 years ago and got seriously back into my music about 2 - 2 1/2 years ago. I am strictly a producer/beat maker and I don't rap. I would love to do an album. I just don't know anyone here that I could produce. I can't say I really went and searched but then again, where the hell would I look? My music is strongly influenced by East Coast, mainly the 90s Hip-Hop. Anyway, the local rappers I have heard are really on that bullshit I hear on the radio, when I do listen to that shit. I don't compromise my music and I don't want to produce another fuckin Soulja Boy. Fuck dat. Any advice? Thanks!

My advice...START RAPPING then!

Either that or become more open minded about what's being played on the radio. You can't change or redirect the game on the outside looking in! Do what's being played on the radio to a certain extent and slowly incorporate your sound with these new artist. Everything on the radio is not Soulja boy.

Dudes kill me talking about how much they hate what's on the radio. The game is not going to come to you...you have to come to it. Keep waiting around for it to come back around to the music that you loved in the 90's and you'll be old and gray. They say history repeats itself every hundred years or so. LMAO...will you be around when it does?

I'm just being real with you yo. Get in the game by any means necessary if you want to change it ya dig?

Compromise homeboy.....you have to try and change the game from within....there's no other way!

 

[dj360_iNfInItE1]

My advice...START RAPPING then!

Either that or become more open minded about what's being played on the radio. You can't change or redirect the game on the outside looking in! Do what's being played on the radio to a certain extent and slowly incorporate your sound with these new artist. Everything on the radio is not Soulja boy.

Dudes kill me talking about how much they hate what's on the radio. The game is not going to come to you...you have to come to it. Keep waiting around for it to come back around to the music that you loved in the 90's and you'll be old and gray. They say history repeats itself every hundred years or so. LMAO...will you be around when it does?

I'm just being real with you yo. Get in the game by any means necessary if you want to change it ya dig?

Compromise homeboy.....you have to try and change the game from within....there's no other way!

Yeah, I used to rap and I stopped. Maybe I should put my pen and pad back to work. I don't want to compromise my art at all. I am an artist first. If I can get into the business being me, then I will. If I can't then I won't. I am not relying on gettting rich doing music. I do it cause I love it. I just want to produce a dope MC, ya know? I feel ya though man. I guess it's back to rapping. Thanks for your input.

 

[Sincock]

My advice...START RAPPING then!

Either that or become more open minded about what's being played on the radio. You can't change or redirect the game on the outside looking in! Do what's being played on the radio to a certain extent and slowly incorporate your sound with these new artist. Everything on the radio is not Soulja boy.

Dudes kill me talking about how much they hate what's on the radio. The game is not going to come to you...you have to come to it. Keep waiting around for it to come back around to the music that you loved in the 90's and you'll be old and gray. They say history repeats itself every hundred years or so. LMAO...will you be around when it does?

I'm just being real with you yo. Get in the game by any means necessary if you want to change it ya dig?

Compromise homeboy.....you have to try and change the game from within....there's no other way!

Sorry, can't really agree with that.

Don't do shit you don't like to get in the "game". That completely defeats the purpose of why you do music. If you're only interested in making money, (which I assume you're not), then there's easier ways of selling out, like being a wage slave or something else.

Be true to yourself; there's no point living in the past, LDB got that right, but don't do something you don't like either. There's still a market for quality music and if truth be told artists on smaller labels usually see a much larger percentage than those on majors that you're hearing on the radio.

 

[Relic]

My advice...START RAPPING then!

Either that or become more open minded about what's being played on the radio. You can't change or redirect the game on the outside looking in! Do what's being played on the radio to a certain extent and slowly incorporate your sound with these new artist. Everything on the radio is not Soulja boy.

Dudes kill me talking about how much they hate what's on the radio. The game is not going to come to you...you have to come to it. Keep waiting around for it to come back around to the music that you loved in the 90's and you'll be old and gray. They say history repeats itself every hundred years or so. LMAO...will you be around when it does?

I'm just being real with you yo. Get in the game by any means necessary if you want to change it ya dig?

Compromise homeboy.....you have to try and change the game from within....there's no other way!

hahaha no doubt.....

 

[Relic]

Sorry, can't really agree with that.

Don't do shit you don't like to get in the "game". That completely defeats the purpose of why you do music. If you're only interested in making money, (which I assume you're not), then there's easier ways of selling out, like being a wage slave or something else.

Be true to yourself; there's no point living in the past, LDB got that right, but don't do something you don't like either. There's still a market for quality music and if truth be told artists on smaller labels usually see a much larger percentage than those on majors that you're hearing on the radio.

You can absolutely make shit that you dont like to get in the game.
If you aint makin moves then what are you doing then?
If you CAN make somthing you dont like then itll prolly be easier.

Why not make shit that to us now SOUNDS dumb?
If its dumb, then do the damn seasme street beats , they are buying them, make your hobby what you love.
That other shit is your business, eventually you may develop enough business to make your hobby THAT SHIT. Sem?


Wow thats so drunk and against what we do , but if you are trying to get paid then you MUST make what others want to hear period, thats no BS, go look at God's posts.

hahah I just said all that to provide a different perspective....
So ya know its...

 

[dj360_iNfInItE1]

It's all good. I can't bring myself to do "Snap Music" or "Pop Music". I can't do it. I understand what Drama and Relic are talking about and that's good if you are trying to break into the game commercially. I would much rather be known in the underground. I make good money in my real job and it's cool. So, with that in mind.......no selling out for me thank you. I know I am gonna catch shit for that but that's okay. I love doing music and there is no guarantee that if I do what's hot now I will get in the game. I will just do me and like I said, if it becomes popular, great, if not......I will love it no less.

 

[Iron Keys]

if you do whats hot in the comercial industry now, u will be just putting out wats already out there. u wont stand out as a producer, and when that rapper falls off, saying tht u made a cheesey snap track for a cheesey soulja boy artist, who gets dropped after their first alnbum, hows tht gone loo on u. u really wanna get in the game thru some wack rapper who gets dropped by the label after they sell a few ringtones, u'll be known as 'the guy tht made tht track' then they'll see tht artist aint around. well actually, tht last part aint tru, coz tht shows u can make a hit, but im saying them beats are so easy to make, u prolly wont get seen as a serious producer if u come into the game making tracks for mcdonalds burger raps

 

[eldiablo]

if you feel that the emcee's/rappers in your area suk,, fuk em. you have plenty of emcees here @ ill. and there is a blue million emcee's all over the counrty looking for you. help them find you, or you find them. with technolgy the way it is now, you could fuk with anybody in the country if you wanted to. with the concept that you have to find somebody local so you can produce for them is backwards thinkin..

 

[Iron Keys]

if you feel that the emcee's/rappers in your area suk,, fuk em. you have plenty of emcees here @ ill. and there is a blue million emcee's all over the counrty looking for you. help them find you, or you find them. with technolgy the way it is now, you could fuk with anybody in the country if you wanted to. with the concept that you have to find somebody local so you can produce for them is backwards thinkin..

yeah strate. just make sure they send you the vocals so u can fuck with it the way u want, after all, it is YOUR track, u are the producer. obviously the artist has some input, but u are producing it, u kno how u want the vocals to fit in with the track! just make sure u get the vocals, a poor track looks bad on the producer aswell as the rapper. not always, but it can do.

 

[dj360_iNfInItE1]

yeah strate. just make sure they send you the vocals so u can fuck with it the way u want, after all, it is YOUR track, u are the producer. obviously the artist has some input, but u are producing it, u kno how u want the vocals to fit in with the track! just make sure u get the vocals, a poor track looks bad on the producer aswell as the rapper. not always, but it can do.

True dat. I have been thinking backwards. LOL! Thanks for the input fellas. I will keep all of it in mind. Happy F**kin' New Year!

 

[Ozmosis]

You cant feel that way man, thats like saying "why apply for a job when there are ten other people applying for the same position", or "I cant talk to her she has turned down 5 other guys." You got to make music because thats what you love to do not because your trying to get paid. I make beats to get my mind off things as a way to escape for a few hours. I have no desire to get signed or make a living producing. But if you do go for it, you only live once. And a wise man by the name of Fredrick Douglas once said "Without struggle theres no progress"

 

[shadeed]

You cant feel that way man, thats like saying "why apply for a job when there are ten other people applying for the same position", or "I cant talk to her she has turned down 5 other guys." You got to make music because thats what you love to do not because your trying to get paid. I make beats to get my mind off things as a way to escape for a few hours. I have no desire to get signed or make a living producing. But if you do go for it, you only live once. And a wise man by the name of Fredrick Douglas once said "Without struggle theres no progress"

Good point. Most people don't understand how much time that most of the top producers put into becoming who they are. It's like when a guy says "I wanna sound like the Neptunes" I really don't think people realize that these dudes been in the game for a minute.

I mean, Pharell produced the beat for Rumpshaker, a song that was a hit before I even reached puberty. You can't chop your first board in half on Monday and then go challenge Mr. Miyagi on Friday. At the same time, you can't get all depressed because of that fact. You gotta start where you're at.

If all you got is FL Studio 7, then LEARN and MASTER the program. People don't pay a mega-producer because they can create a beat. They pay for the track record and the experience of creating a mood, vibe with the artist.

Holmz's advice of completing whole projects rings true. Dr. Dre and RZA became household names because they produced multiple entire albums/projects within their camp. Today's beatmaker is focused on placements only, which is why hip hop is losing that "classic feel" because every album released lacks direction and cohesiveness.

Lastly - if you need a 10,000 studio setup to get your ideas out, it's to compensate for a lack of knowledge and understanding of your setup to begin with.

If you ask a master artist to do a sketch or design with colored pencils instead of Photoshop, it'll still get done, it just might take a lil' longer. I don't think someone with that gift would say, "I can't do it without Photoshop".