Feeling Shook

[Low G]

Allright, So far I've been keeping my head low and practicing my skills as far as producing goes... But recently I've had my eyes opened and seen some of the realities that lay before me. To be an actual real producer is still a trip around the globe over every moutain on earth away.

As far as it goes I still know nothing. All my efforts towards any kind of song feel amateurish and unoriginal. I feel like I'm in the back end of the crowd instead of leading it. It seems like there are at least 3 more producers on my block not to mention all the ones in this whole world. There are millions of bad rappers blocking my way from discovering good ones. The biggest one is I have no financial backing to really persue any of this other then as a dabbling hobby.

I just want to see how some of you face these odds when your 2 days hungry cuz your savin up for rent and some new equipment? Why do you still do this when it starts to cut you deep and you start feeling a bit shook about your honest future in this game not to mention life? I'm not giving up or stopping anytime soon but fuck I could use some advice on fooling myself to not really worry about it. Honestly, it seems like my 2 choices are work a dead end job till retirement or go chasing dreams hoping for a break. I think it's obvious what I've chosen but man I've got mad respect for all the cats who have been grinding at this for decades and still seem to be chasing that dream without sucess.

I dunno what to expect for responses but I just had to channel my frustration somewhere.

Peace.

 

[Relic]

Im right with you and Im so addicted to it I cant stop, Ive lost absolutely everything in my life at times except for s drum machine and a bible, if I never "make it" Ill still be doin it and trying to get it out.
Ill has helped alot.If I never get a grammy at least maybe I can get a little "B". lol

 

[LDB]

Numeral Uno- if you're following the state of "hip hop" (like u should be..lol) it's in the dumps (financially). Yes, we still listen to it and sometimes even purchase it legally but our love and passion (hip hop) really really sucks right now (financially).

Some thought the month of December would put "New York" back at the top of the hip hop food chain because of all the highly anticipated releases by well established artist. Guess what...it came and went and "all of them" tanked badly. Wu, Ghost, Beanie Sigel (Nas shit is pushed so far back we may never hear it) his "Ni%%er" album by title is definitely not needed at this critical juncture in hip hop (unless the man who said "hip hop is dead") wants to put the final nail in it's coffin! (WE NEED GOOD PUBLICITY FOR HIP HOP....THE BAD IS PARTIALLY THE REASON IT'S IN THE TOILET)

You're probably like "why the fuck" is drama coming at me with all this. (LOL) Is actually quite simple Low.....if you're doing music right now and thinking about the potential financial gains it may bring "STOP"! Right about now you have a better chance of winning the lottery. U feel me?

I think all of us that are hoping to one day get that big break and live off this music, need to really really re-evaluate what we're doing. If you're not paying bills or holding back on rent and shit like that to cop new equipment "STOP"! Real life should always come first homie! I know where your mind is because I've been there many a time. I promise you that if wasn't for the "real" jobs in my household I would not be messing with this music shit at all, period.

Almost all major artist are trying to get out of there deals and go independent so they can at least see some money when there albums only sell a couple hundred thousand copies. Big budget albums are about to become a thing of the past...especially for hip hop. A hundred grand sold on a modest independent budget is real good money by the way!

I'm not telling you to give up on your "passion" but I am suggesting that you turn it in to a "passionate hobby". A hobby you do because you love it, and you do it no matter what, not for financial gain though it may in fact have the potential to produce money.

People may not be rushing out to purchase new albums but they are in fact still getting out to see artist perform. That's the reason everybody out right now is touring Europe and the UK real hard.

I have a project coming out first quarter '08 and I'm seriously thinking about giving it away or pricing it around $3 and giving all the proceeds to a well known charity. I'm going to try to turn all my attention toward doing live shows in '08 and trying to get money from that end of the business. We're most likely going to give away our music at these shows. By the way, you can still get soundscans if you give your music away! You just have to pay for the album then give it away. Use those new soundscan credit cards that H&R drop'd the link to in the resource section (I think).

We got to get creative man. We're probably going to give the album away with say, 12 tracks on it. Build a website and have an additional 12 tracks that you can download but only after redeeming that soundscan card. Once we get the soundscan verification we'll email a password to the customer so they can download the additional 12 tracks (free). We'll still get the scans to make our presence felt on billboard. I think this will at least keep us a float until the industry rights itself...if in fact it ever does.

p.s. keep doing you homie. You may never get to the point where someone hears your music and says "that gotta be a low g track", but you can still make good music. And from what I've heard you make "good music". Get out that mode of comparing your self to other producers. IMO that's not very constructive and can in fact put you into a serious writers block! The only thing you should be comparing your present production to is your "past" production IMO. Try to be the best by doing you and improving "U". You can never fall short if you stay true to self! At the end of the day that's all that matters. Do what U love and love what U do!

All these were suppose to or did come out in December!

Drama - Gangsta Grillz (TANKED)
Label: Atlantic December 4, 2007
Ghostface Killah - The Big Doe Rehab (TANKED)
Label: Def Jam December 4, 2007
Joe Budden - Mood Muzik 3: It's About To Get Worse (Mixtape) (PUSH'D BACK)
Label: Self-Released December 4, 2007
Styles P - Super Gangster, Extraordinary Gentleman (PUSH'D BACK)
Label: Koch December 4, 2007
2Pac - Best Of 2Pac: Thug (WHY...LET THE MAN REST IN PEACE ALREADY)
Label: Amaru/Interscope December 4, 2007
Scarface - M.A.D.E. (TANKED)...
Label: Rap-A-Lot December 4, 2007
2Pac - Best Of 2Pac: Life
Label: Amaru/Interscope December 4, 2007
Pittsburgh Slim - Tastemaker (WHO R U)
Label: Def Jam December 4, 2007
Too Short - Get Off The Stage (WHY TOO SHIZZY...WHY)
Label: Jive December 4, 2007
Birdman - 5 * Stunna (MAKES MONEY BECAUSE OF SINGLES AND NO BIG BUDGET) (SMART)
Label: Cash Money/Universal December 11, 2007
Wu-Tang Clan - 8 Diagrams (TANKED)
Label: SRC/Universal December 11, 2007
Hi-Tek - Hi-Teknology 3 (NO CHART ACTION WHAT SO EVER)
Label: Babygrande December 11, 2007
Bow Wow & Omarion - Face Off (TANK'D)
Label: Columbia December 11, 2007
Mario - Go (TANK'D)
Label: J Records December 11, 2007
Gucci Mane - Back To The Traphouse (HORRIBLE...TANK'D)
Label: Atlantic December 11, 2007
The Dream - Lovehate ( NO CHART ACTION...TANK'D)
Label: Def Jam December 11, 2007
Beanie Sigel - The Solution (TANK'D)
Label: Def Jam December 11, 2007
Small World - World Premiere
Label: Def Jam December 11, 2007
Mary J Blige - Growing Pains (GOOD MUSIC...NOT SELLING STRONG AS PREVIOUS ALBUMS)
Label: Geffen December 18, 2007
Disturbing Tha Peace - Strength In Numbers (BULLSHIT..)
Label: DTP/Def Jam December 18, 2007
Lupe Fiasco - Lupe Fiasco's The Cool (GOOD ALBUM...VERY LO SELLS)
Label: Atlantic/1st & 15th December 18, 2007
Chingy - Hate It Or Love It (TANK'D)
Label: DTP/Def Jam December 18, 2007
Freeze - The Big Chill
Label: Listen Close Records December 18, 2007
Jaheim - Makings Of A Man (NO CHART ACTION)
Label: Atlantic December 18, 2007

THE GAME IS FUCKED UP AIN'T IT?

 

[Iron Keys]

i feel this way also. always feeling held back by lack of resources and funds. i mean, to by some sick synth, like u already seem to have to have 'made it' in sumway to afford that shit. 5 grand for some korg oasys ting, for tht much it should come with wheels and double up as a car for fukk sake lol

 

[afriquedeluxe]

i feel this way also. always feeling held back by lack of resources and funds. i mean, to by some sick synth, like u already seem to have to have 'made it' in sumway to afford that shit. 5 grand for some korg oasys ting, for tht much it should come with wheels and double up as a car for fukk sake lol

i hope I dont come across as an asshole, but dude, you don't need a 5 grand synth to make hot beats lol, all you need is a pc. Get a part time job and fund your studio. That's what every other producer, made or not made, did on the come up.

Back to the issue though, if you are not in the game for the love, it will eat you up. Like Lil Drama boy said, if you are in it for financial gains then you ought to reconsider because there's other easier ways of making money. Just do it for the love, and if it ever blows up, you can get out of the "basement" and do bigger things. If not, then you can still enjoy it as a hobby.

I have heard people who are/were passionate about music say that day jobs eat up their musical energy. They work 9-5 mon-fri and get home and can't make a single track because they so tired. So it seems to me the best way to get forward is to go at it fully. Maybe you can balance, I don't know. It's one of those things where you just gotta take your time and think about how to best approach it.

 

[Iron Keys]

i hope I dont come across as an asshole, but dude, you don't need a 5 grand synth to make hot beats lol, all you need is a pc. Get a part time job and fund your studio. That's what every other producer, made or not made, did on the come up.

Back to the issue though, if you are not in the game for the love, it will eat you up. Like Lil Drama boy said, if you are in it for financial gains then you ought to reconsider because there's other easier ways of making money. Just do it for the love, and if it ever blows up, you can get out of the "basement" and do bigger things. If not, then you can still enjoy it as a hobby.

I have heard people who are/were passionate about music say that day jobs eat up their musical energy. They work 9-5 mon-fri and get home and can't make a single track because they so tired. So it seems to me the best way to get forward is to go at it fully. Maybe you can balance, I don't know. It's one of those things where you just gotta take your time and think about how to best approach it.

hey no probs man, often i dont explain wat im thinking fully. im not saying i need that, im just saying like, uni consumes all my free time so i rarely have time to do a job or to make music. i aint gone lie and say i dont hope to make money from music, but for me its about wanting the whole world to bounce to my shit and feel it. for me its mainly about getting mad love for wat i do. my main drive is to ge people to love me and wat i do. i already got tht thru bball, but then injuries and education slowed up my progress and this next year i plan to get back on that shit, but thats another story..

i just want to be able to get my midi keyboard working :'( it dont show up in none my host softwares as a midi input option

 

[LDB]

i hope I dont come across as an asshole, but dude, you don't need a 5 grand synth to make hot beats lol, all you need is a pc. Get a part time job and fund your studio. That's what every other producer, made or not made, did on the come up.

Back to the issue though, if you are not in the game for the love, it will eat you up. Like Lil Drama boy said, if you are in it for financial gains then you ought to reconsider because there's other easier ways of making money. Just do it for the love, and if it ever blows up, you can get out of the "basement" and do bigger things. If not, then you can still enjoy it as a hobby.

I have heard people who are/were passionate about music say that day jobs eat up their musical energy. They work 9-5 mon-fri and get home and can't make a single track because they so tired. So it seems to me the best way to get forward is to go at it fully. Maybe you can balance, I don't know. It's one of those things where you just gotta take your time and think about how to best approach it.

True! The problem is so many up and coming producers think they have to have hardware to get the job done "right". They are sadly mistaken. Those type thinkers are musical dinosaurs IMO. Having 10 of the highest priced keyboards laying around in your studio is for cosmetic reasons only! Definitely not needed in this day and age! Get a nice keyboard controller and a monster computer. That's where the bulk of your money should be spent. Get a nice universal DAW, some vts and virtual instruments and get to work.

SOFTWARE IS A POOR PRODUCERS BEST FRIEND!

 

[slik da relic]

everyone here makes valid points, but u MUST NOT let new gear, new equipment, new features, be ur downfall (gear lust)... if u feel u cant do it with what u got, try and figure out whats holdin u back... this is the reason software programs like FL blew up... the prices are very affordable (and can even be cracked), giving everyone a chance... ive been usin the RS for 5+ yrs now... i bought an Alesis Fusion 2 yrs ago, which is around $800-$1000 now and a Korg ER1 6 yrs ago which is around $100-$150 on ebay now and also a Nord Lead 2... some machines take much more work to get the best out of them, but it CAN be done... if u can get a workstation, GET ONE... it doesnt hafta be the new cuttin edge joint that just came out... it can be an older one thats still capable... people 4get that b4 the Fantom X came out, there was the Fantom "S"... it had less memory than the X, but it has everything the X has except the sounds arent as rich... WHY THE FUCK does "Hip Hop" need rich sounds???!!! even RnB doesnt need the richest soundin horns, but Hip Hop music DOESNT need it at all.

u can get bored with the type of music comin out of ur setup... i was there... but, what we all are so happy about is that we have very good soundin presets and thats enuff to win us over... the preset button pressin synths is part of the reason music is in a funk... the RS, ER1 and Nord all are knob turnin machines... fukk menus... turnin a knob to make a new sound is much more satisfyin (instant gratification) than goin thru menus and submenus to find other parameters to tweak... i guarantee u more than half of us dont even dig that deep... now, how about takin than new twisted up sound and runnin it thru ur sampler... yea, chop that up... now thats when ur creatin and havin fun... but the one thing u must remember is find what machine u like, and stik with it... i dont care about the other machines that come out like i used to... i wanted the machinedrum (knobs), and i also hoped the new Linn Drum 2 (one has knobs, no sampler? the other has sampler, no knobs... fukk em both) was gonna be something that i mightve wanted, as well as the Spectralis (more knobs, sampler, almost perfect)... but why??? what i have is doin me just fine, and i know 3 out of 4 of them inside out... my crew owned a Juno 6 REAL analog synth, with sliders and everything way back in 84, and thats why i KNOW a machine that can create sounds with just a flik of ur wrist, is the type of machines people will be MORE happy with. but on the whole, think outside of wtf is goin on but keep it within that genre... thats how artists like Prince, Hendrix, Micheal, Sting, Elton and others became LEGENDS!!!

2 vids to give u some inspiration... yea, i know they r on here... but lets look back... AGAIN!!!







not to mention my vids as well...hehe (shameless... promotion)

da relic

 

[Elgen]

have a fall back plan mate

im trying to work my way towards a university degree in architecture, but that doesnt mean im givin up producing, just means i can be successfull at something else im interested in if music doesnt blow up for me

 

[Relic]

Yeah LDB is right, Put Life first!

 

[Iron Keys]

woah ppl getting all fired up bout my misinterpreted statement hmm. im saying all i need/want is a good piano sampler and orchestra thing, a good synth and i'll be good. i dont want an mpc (well i do) but i dont think it would benefit my style, but i got a midi keyboard, but it wont show up as midi input in my host software, so i cant useit, makes no sense to me!

and about uni, it actually does fully control my time, i was trying to make tracks wile in first term, and just scraped a pass, i need much higher grades than that. so im trying to go sick on that uni work as soon as i get it to hopefuli free up time for beats.

 

[slik da relic]

yo... after listenin to ur myspace page (Low G), i gotta say i like 3 outta the 4 trx u got up... are u SERIOUS???!!! youre either your biggest critic, and/or ur bored with the way you create ... i think if u dont have a partner, u should get one.... sometimes thats what holds us back... u need a lil crew of guys/girls thats serious and has ur same interests and goals in this... it will then be MORE enjoyable... they mite even have pieces of equipment that u feel ur solely lackin... but ur trx sound good for Hip Hop if u ask me... maybe not that over the top platinum hit, but i know u got lots more.

da relic

 

[Relic]

Yeah he does have good stuff...

 

[ManDAmyth]

#1 decide whether or not your going to be successful making a living off of music.

#2 if you can't make any income through your music, be honest and get a real job. This isn't giving up on your dream. It's providing for yourself so you can persue your goal.

#3 When you get a job you'll have to cut all the fat out of your life. The evenings and weekends should be dedicated to music. If you aren't willing to give up hanging out or going out to feed yourself so you can achieve your goal, your heart is not in it and you should just stop.

It could be because you are not ready at this stage in your life. If you stop and this is your life's calling you'll find yourself doing it again, no matter how much you try to avoid it.

If that happens, you'll be ready.

 

[Sanova]

Simple as this. . . Whatever the case may be, i refuse to work a 9-5 for the rest of my life, I absolutely hate it and actually put in my 2 week notice recently.

I'm in college and this and that but after my final day of work (the 31st) i'll have more time for music and I intend to do something with it...

Doesn't matter to me if everyone likes my music, as long as the right people like my music.

 

[Iron Keys]

Simple as this. . . Whatever the case may be, i refuse to work a 9-5 for the rest of my life, I absolutely hate it and actually put in my 2 week notice recently.

I'm in college and this and that but after my final day of work (the 31st) i'll have more time for music and I intend to do something with it...

Doesn't matter to me if everyone likes my music, as long as the right people like my music.

co sign that right there, altho i have no job to quit ha :-/

 

[Ash Holmz]

i dont think i could stop doing music if i wanted to ... even if i never made another dollar off of it again...... its got nothing to do with money..... i feel where ur coming from low g ... i get that way alot... i think its more the fear of doing something u hate for the rest of your life to make ends meet than anything... two piecies of advice i would give:

1) do projects... complete an album .. make a body of work .. too many times cats get caught up in just making tracks and beats and showcasing them ... and thats all ...i spent years doing that before i got hip to fact that u aint gonna get no where just doin that.... make bodies of work that are cohesive projects that you can present to people. . .. many major artists do the same thing .. they got all this hot shit on mixtapes but the albums hot garbage .. hold onto them hot tracks till u got em ready ... get the right artist on em .. let that shit marinate..

2) dont get discouraged .... evrybody makes music for somebody ... dont follow trends, just do you ... i look at some underground cats like madlib who the genral public has no clue about but is prolly making a better living than most major artists... he may have less fans but they are twice as loyal as the average pop music fan.. somebody somehwhere is fieinding for low g production... you wont find out who it is unless u really get urself out there and start not giving a fuc....

 

[Iron Keys]

in respomse to Ash Holmz, i feel this way too, i make tracks and think they sound good. maybe they aint but still i like em, and some ppl i show them too mite not like it, but it might just be becoz they not into that style of beat. like some one mite like a scott storch beat but not a timbaland beat, so if u showing them sumthing similar to a storch beat, even if it isnt as well produced as ne of ur timbaland style tracks, they more likely to feel it. just for example that was tho.

i told myself i was gone give it up once, then i thought nah cant be doing tht, made me wanna do it even more, then i bought my monitors.

but thing is what i dont understand is, u ask any real hiphop fan if they like this shit like soulja boy and all that, they will tell u no, so it seems that all the sales these comercial shits are making, isnt at all from the hiphop comunity, wich is rather wierd IMO. and the only people i hear tht like tht shit is some typical dumb ass chicks tht play watevers on the radio, fucking skanks

 

[Low G]

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.

 

[Iron Keys]

yeah im planning to actually start making mixtapes and shit next year, with a mate who's already been doing his own thing, its gone be a colaborative one, both having equal input into production and vocals. even if it dont go aswell as planned will be a fun experience no doubt.