Do you still feel the magic?

[UNORTHODOX]

I was reading an article about J Electronica signing with JayZ and Jay said he "wanted to bring back the magic to hip hop". At this point I completely forgot about it. When you first heard hip hop there was an amazment, a magic, what happened? Have we grown out of it? Are we desensitized? or are our tastes as consumers so far from that realm that we dont recognize, see, or care to accept songs that ALLOW the magic to work? Is it the attention spans and sensibilities? Thinking out load here, but still, any thoughts counter arguments etc is welcomed

 

[dahkter]

I think the quest for making magic is what keeps us doing it (that's what keeps me doing it).

My personal opinion on a magic track:

- dynamics / soft parts followed by loud parts (aka "the drop"). bringing some or all of the beat out then bringing it back in at the perfect moment. some good rock music has that feel to it also (Zeppelin "Bring it on Home" and "The Ocean" come to mind + the Pixies/Nirvana/Fugazi/etc)

- verses that get better as the song goes on (Black Sheep Choice is Yours / Busta's verse on Scenario / Freddie Foxx verse on Militia/Jay Electronica on Exhibit C). I even thought Nikki Minaj's verse on Monster created some magic out of what would have been a rather average song.

- With a lot of songs, all you need to hear is the first 30-60 seconds, after that, nothing new or exciting happens, it's just a copy and paste of the first verse/chorus. yawn. that is the anti-magic IMO

- beat that makes you move / lyrics that make you think / flow that captivates you / a voice that takes you somewhere (certain singers can lace a track with "magic" even when it's acapella).

re jay electronica, I'm happy he'll have the budget to make good shit (i.e. clear samples + studio time + pay producers to make beats).

I really hope for more and more magic, both from the immediate ill fam and the larger music community, the last 10-15 years have been pretty dry for "magic" as far as I'm concerned. I guess the big issue is the luck factor. Magic can't always be forced, sometimes the end result is greater than the sum of the parts that make it.

Good post Ace

 

[2infamouz]

i think music has become so much more of a product than a passion now tht "magic" tracks just dotn come around as often...From most producers to most artists on tracks every1s more concerned with makin money than making music...this is all jus my opinion but i think most people are focused on trying to find a profitable market / targeting certain groups of people and interests than making music they like themselves..

 

[UNORTHODOX]

I think the quest for making magic is what keeps us doing it (that's what keeps me doing it).

My personal opinion on a magic track:....

Dope post Dahkt! I love your break down, reading alot of those elements reminded me about the musicality that existed and the feeling of when you're making your first tracks and you try to get every nuance nailed. Thank you!

i think music has become so much more of a product than a passion now tht "magic" tracks just dotn come around as often...From most producers to most artists on tracks every1s more concerned with makin money than making music...this is all jus my opinion but i think most people are focused on trying to find a profitable market / targeting certain groups of people and interests than making music they like themselves..

Dope post too Ayron, I agree, the formula drained the magic out of what was once fresh and unique. The second part I agree with also, the need to monetize have been a big focus of mine and I think, the focus on Getting/earning/etc money and the bisiness aspect has distracted from the art of it all. Not to mention alot of the anchors of creativity (artist/producers) have also done this. I've been feeling like I forgot something in the chase to achieve

Thanks guys!

 

[Relic]

Ill agree that alot of the magic is gone to the 16-8 formula but there is still some great stuff in the underground.
Dahk thats a good point about nothing changes after 30 seconds.
Im going to have to endevor to have a formula that changes up somewhat.

 

[dacalion]

Dope Topic! I agree with what everybody has already said, here's my 2 cents...

I feel like the "magic" is within us. With the decline in hip hop music, we are going through a transition period where those that were "just on for the ride" are falling off and realizing that the game was just a phase to them. Those that had that spark from day one are still enduring and still have that "magic" inside them. Same thing goes for those responsible for creating the magic, if it wasn't really inside them then they can't reignite that spark in us.

There are tons of factors involved, the way record labels are handling things, the over saturation of mp3 players and the decline in home systems, the internet and so on have changed the game faster than the game can adjust to those changes. So here we are, stuck in this state of wondering "whats next?" becoming less and less active, meanwhile the world is going on.

We have to keep that "magic" and record labels have to keep providing that spark. Everyone here knows that Illmuzik is a dope community but look at the boards, the level of activity, the participation and you will see who has that "magic", who is just along for the ride and who doesn't have that spark anymore. I'm seeing cats that used to be quiet starting to speak out more (they have that magic...). I see cats that I thought were die hard heads starting to drop off (they were along for the ride...) and I'm seeing those that never lost that magic standing up and sticking to what they love.

 

[Relic]

I remember when I was younger that there WAS this feeling of excitement and magic when ever I found a new song or say a new album would drop, but back then there wasnt a formula and you could do whatever on a record aka You Aint Fresh and Rappin Duke to PSK to Cookie Puss.
It was all wide open and it was magic.

 

[Ozmosis]

I remember when I was younger that there WAS this feeling of excitement and magic when ever I found a new song or say a new album would drop, but back then there wasnt a formula and you could do whatever on a record aka You Aint Fresh and Rappin Duke to PSK to Cookie Puss.
It was all wide open and it was magic.

Your right, their was soo much variety then, even thru most of the 90's. The artist were more hungry to get heard, not because it seemed like the cool thing to do but because thats what they loved. As known and mainstream as Snoop has become he didnt come into the game with a sence of entitlement he new he was blessed to have the opportunity and was hungry and made the magic.

 

[UNORTHODOX]

Dope Topic! I agree with what everybody has already said, here's my 2 cents...

I feel like the "magic" is within us........ We have to keep that "magic" and record labels have to keep providing that spark.

Agreed but how do you keep a flame when everything else is cold with the wind blowing 90mph? How do you protect the magic when the fuel runs dry for extended periods of time?

I remember when I was younger that there WAS this feeling of excitement and magic when ever I found a new song or say a new album would drop, but back then there wasnt a formula and you could do whatever on a record aka You Aint Fresh and Rappin Duke to PSK to Cookie Puss.
It was all wide open and it was magic.

Agreed, monotony is the devil. Some experimentation is needed.

Do you ever feel like people arent willing to hear different?

Your right, their was soo much variety then, even thru most of the 90's. The artist were more hungry to get heard, not because it seemed like the cool thing to do but because thats what they loved. As known and mainstream as Snoop has become he didnt come into the game with a sence of entitlement he new he was blessed to have the opportunity and was hungry and made the magic.

RIGHT! There was a hunger! And not for money. I have a theory, the more money we love (in hiphop), the less the need for hiphop is. I wrote a blog on this, long story short, Hiphop was rebellion music, but as time went on we accepted and grew into the exact entity we were rebelling against.

 

[dacalion]

Agreed but how do you keep a flame when everything else is cold with the wind blowing 90mph? How do you protect the magic when the fuel runs dry for extended periods of time?

Hip hop was born as something that went against all odds, you couldn't afford a drum set so you banged on trash cans and plastic paint buckets. You couldn't be cool and wear top name jeans but you could starch the heyell out of some Levi's and look just as good. True hip hop stems from the struggle, wind or fuel is not an option.

 

[Pug]

I'm in agreement with pretty much what everybody said here. Back then, you could go into a store, close your eyes, grab any record off the shelf, and have a pretty damned good chance it would be something amazing. Now... well I don't see that happening. Still, today I received a parcel with 2 Damu the Fudgemunk records, and the magic is still there, but you gotta go through a decent amount of shit to get to it.

 

[dacalion]

I must luv hip hop (or music for that matter) too much because I haven't been excited to hear anyones ish in a while. But that hasn't touched my luv for it. I think at some point we all grow and mature into other things but I can't even imagine giving up something so dear to me or even allowing the lack of that initial desire to buy someones album even remotely phase me. A lot of cats say that my music has that late 90's feel with a todays twist on it and I think thats because those were my favorite hip hop years.

Wacka Flocka is a hot "new generation" artist thats doing well for himself but I came from the Eric B. and Rakim/ EPMD/ TCQ era, and thats what it would take for me to highly anticipate some new ish. Cats like Damu are great to me because he has some old school style in what he does but most of these new heads are for the new school followers.

 

[Sucio]

Music always has a greater affect on teens, which was why we were always at the record shop picking up mixtapes, albums, etc. The music shaped us as youths into what we are today. The music for the most part isn't made for us grown folk, anymore...It never has been made for the grown folk. It was made for the teenagers because they have the most buying power in music, always have been....always will be.

Hip-hop in the 80s and 90s was a little different to the fact that hip-hop was relatively new so it was for everyone, young and old....but as hip-hop got older, and the novelty went away, it became more of a business and it had to keep up with other genres who've catered to teenagers.

The magic will always be there...Kanye's recent album was a really good album for me..and I like where he's going...It had that magic for me...People talk about his autotuning and stuff... The guy is relevant...and he STILL is himself and does what he wants to do....You have to admire that about him...considering that not many artists have the ability to do that.

The fact that I can do what many people cannot is the magic for me as well. I don't want to waste that magic and let it fizzle away. All of us here have the ability to affect another person's life through our music and have another avenue to communicate to the world...We don't need to write stories and blogs about how we feel, we can put it together in a 3 minute song/instrumental...We are all blessed here musically and I think sometimes we (including myself) take it for granted.

So do I still feel it?

Every day...I am proud to say that I produce music.

 

[Fade]

The magic is LONG gone. It's not like Jay-Z can just come in and make hip hop amazing again, not happening. When hip hop was amazing, it was the time period, plus the fact that it was still growing and producers were still coming up with new sounds to hit us with. Now it's all recycled garbage.

It's the same thing with every aspect of life today, whether it be music, movies, tv, sports, etc. Movies are horrible today, it's all the same shit over and over. Look at DJ'ing - it was insane back in the 90's, everyone was freaking out over the DMC comps and DJ's were battling all over the place. Now? It's all beeps and boops and they go 100mph all technical, but have no soul.

I think what happened along the way is that people saw how popular something was so they thought "hey I can do that too" and next thing you know, there's a million producers out there, a million actors, a million rappers. Basically every form of entertainment has been done to death. I used to get all hyped up when I would see a certain rap group coming to town and I'd HAVE to go - today? Who cares.

 

[Quality]

So do I still feel it?

Every day...I am proud to say that I produce music.

Exactly, I feel honored to be apart of something I love.

 

[UNORTHODOX]

Hip hop was born as something that went against all odds, you couldn't afford a drum set so you banged on trash cans and plastic paint buckets. You couldn't be cool and wear top name jeans but you could starch the heyell out of some Levi's and look just as good. True hip hop stems from the struggle, wind or fuel is not an option.

Agreed! true

I must luv hip hop (or music for that matter) too much because I haven't been excited to hear anyones ish in a while. But that hasn't touched my luv for it. I think at some point we all grow and mature into other things but I can't even imagine giving up something so dear to me or even allowing the lack of that initial desire to buy someones album even remotely phase me.

So not being excited to hear something new isnt a problem? Do you still enjoy the tracks you did when you were younger? The energy of our culture is stale, how do you stay unphased by that?

Hip-hop in the 80s and 90s was a little different to the fact that hip-hop was relatively new so it was for everyone, young and old....but as hip-hop got older, and the novelty went away, it became more of a business and it had to keep up with other genres who've catered to teenagers.

The magic will always be there...Kanye's recent album was a really good album for me..and I like where he's going...It had that magic for me...People talk about his autotuning and stuff... The guy is relevant...and he STILL is himself and does what he wants to do....You have to admire that about him...considering that not many artists have the ability to do that.

The fact that I can do what many people cannot is the magic for me as well. I don't want to waste that magic and let it fizzle away. All of us here have the ability to affect another person's life through our music and have another avenue to communicate to the world...We don't need to write stories and blogs about how we feel, we can put it together in a 3 minute song/instrumental...We are all blessed here musically and I think sometimes we (including myself) take it for granted.

So do I still feel it?

Every day...I am proud to say that I produce music.

Great post, I agree. I dont quite agree with the sentiment that it was made for teens, how old were people when hiphop was created? damn sure wasnt teens. Nor in the 90's it was young/mid adults. Even 40's. I agree we are a bit more affected and our lives revolve around other things but should that affect it so much?

I def agree with the end

 

[dacalion]

It's just the passion that keeps me going moreso than anything else. I just can't rely on most (not all) of the new artist to deliver that spark. I have to rely on my luv for the culture. As for my personal music, I get that spark everytime I finish a beat. I look forward to hearing your opinions, good or bad. I even look forward to what you guys are doing. I enjoy supporting your projects almost as much as I enjoy mine. If I can contribute in any way, I don't think twice about it. The way I see it, old schoolers are the roots of the culture, the seasoned cats are the branches and the leaves are those that come and go. Relying on others is asking for trouble but sometimes we gotta take chances. I choose to take my chances on things that have proven to be reliable which keeps the disapointments to a minimum.

 

[UNORTHODOX]

Gotcha

 

[Sucio]

Great post, I agree. I dont quite agree with the sentiment that it was made for teens, how old were people when hiphop was created? damn sure wasnt teens. Nor in the 90's it was young/mid adults.

What I am saying is...that magic has gone away...because hip-hop is NOW for the teens..but that novelty that made it cater to everyone has fizzled away....

 

[UNORTHODOX]

Ahh__