My Advice to Young Aspiring Artists....

[shadeed]

Maaaan, I got the call yesterday about these young bucks who "got them fire 16's" and as usual I gave my advice, "Keep em writing", "Try to book them some talent shows to build up stage presence" and most importantly "school them on business side".
But my connect puts the beat on, and these young boys start spittin over the phone. There was a couple hot punchlines (I've heard em ALL people) but all I'm hearing is "I bust my chrome....I got more guns than the army (yawn) my heat melt snow in the winter (u get the picture).

Anyways, I just wanna say that if you're young and NOT really tough, don't spit that gun talk in your lyrics because somewhere along the line, somebody is gonna test your heart
out here at these shows. There has only been a few acts marketed as tuff kid rappers in the whole 35 year history of hip hop and those are The Youngstas and Shyheim the Rugged Child, Poetical Prophets (Mobb Deep) and son, you AIN'T them!

Honestly if you're 15-20 and you're a "MC" with some kinda talent, the labels are looking for a Bow-Wow/Fabolous/Lil Romeo type anyway, so all the gun bussin is not gonna get over with your demographic, so you'll be chillin on the shelf, a tax write-off for the label.

 

[Reyne]

im NOT an mc and i agree with everything your saying but what do expect from these kids. they grow up listening to NWA 2PAC BIGGIE and they dont know wat else to rhyme about. i figure at least theyre inspired by hip hop and that they are gunna improve their flow by spittin anything even that gun crap. when their flow does improve they will also understand the need for more constructive rhymes and rhyme topics. i think it also depends a lot on where your from. here in australia the attitude of our mc's is good. they rhyme bout drinkn beer smoking chasing girls and having barbeques. to be hip hop in australia doesnt mean your hard it means your down for a good time and your enjoyn taking it easy.

 

[shadeed]

im NOT an mc and i agree with everything your saying but what do expect from these kids. they grow up listening to NWA 2PAC BIGGIE and they dont know wat else to rhyme about. i figure at least theyre inspired by hip hop and that they are gunna improve their flow by spittin anything even that gun crap. when their flow does improve they will also understand the need for more constructive rhymes and rhyme topics. i think it also depends a lot on where your from. here in australia the attitude of our mc's is good. they rhyme bout drinkn beer smoking chasing girls and having barbeques. to be hip hop in australia doesnt mean your hard it means your down for a good time and your enjoyn taking it easy.

Host, I've been to Australia MANY times and Sydney N.S.W. is actually my favorite city of all the places I've been to in the world. American culture and Australian cultures are totally different, and the hip hop scenes and the hip hop INDUSTRIES are run different, which is huge when considering what these companies are marketing to the public.
Australian in general are cool as hell, laid back and love to drink some alcohol!
So obviously that will reflect in a lotta the music coming out.

Most people under 30 couldn't even tell me who all the members of NWA are, and unless you are mid-20's and up, you didn't catch Pac when he was raising hell.
You are only inspired when it causes you to do something ORIGINAL, mixtapes used to be the shit, now I hear "The Mac will make you flip like Mary Lou Retton" for 15 songs!

Australia has a strong DJ'ing scene, and even techno and D&B, but other than the rock group Silverchair, I can't recall anybody who took it to that next level internationally, so artists are still "free" to record honest music, especially in the hip hop genre.

In America however, where billions of dollars are made of rap music, record companies are marketing IMAGES, which are not a reflection of everyday life. The problem that a lotta (gun talk) MC's that I know personally find out the hard way, is that everyday life isn't a video shoot, and many young rappers still live in the hood, and before they got on they were nobodies, now they are a target.

In the U.S., there are people that listen to a rapper and actually say "When I see him, I'm gonna see if he's really real or not!!!" I'm behind the scenes at a lot of shows and events, and it just gets old seeing a rapper get his jaw knocked off, and robbed for his homeboy's chain just because he thought he was thuggin on wax and real thugs would let it slide.
Just because they don't publicize it, doesn't mean it don't happen regularly, that's why your favorite rapper has security, think about it!

 

[trinidad]

On an international basisi i think hte hip hop is more concered with the ol school feel of the game, thats y in places like Australia theres a different feel to it howeva what i think messes up the game is that these young cats just feel ignorance too much, Like the Dipset that shyt is nothing but pure ignorance n these high scholl kids eat it up like like free lunch, it is true a lot of ur favorite rappers dont even think bout going to the hood no more alone, look at Newark Nj Were i from there was a time that every rapper was getting robed i know of cats that personaly knock out niggas like Mobb deep or wu, The rap game is all fucked up now cuz of that every one wanna be a thug, but thats only cuz every one wanna be a rapper including thugs, battles be turinig into fist fights i hat thet ish

 

[bigdmakintrax]

Back to the old adage......Keep it Real....thats what its about it, if you ain't done it you sure can't flip it......now usinig metaphors and the like as substitutions you can most definitley entertwine gunplay and street to a great extent, it all has to be lyrical wordsmithing ......but some cats like dipset or maybe more authentic cats spitting they do live right in the middle of a lot of what they talk about now would some of these cats incriminate themselves...naaaaah hopefully not, its easier for me to believe some of what they talk about than some kid in the middle of some town in Kansas with 1 gas station LOL ...... I agree I get sick of having 10 mc's in a row and they all talk about the same exact thing in the same way.......the commercial record industry is looking for Commercial Music and Commercial acts what more can be said......if you cant realize that the underground is your home.....

 

[Agent Smith]

word...
i do think (imo) that even though they are young kids, they can still rhyme about something creative. i've been rhyming since i was probably 14 and even though they were terrible quasi-battle raps, they were free of gun talk or threats. they were simply low par old school style...what im saying is as long as these kids base their raps on some original (or even as long as it's generic) shit, they will better be able to flip their style and take it to a new level. inspiration is one thing, but imitation leaves you limited.

 

[shadeed]

word...
i do think (imo) that even though they are young kids, they can still rhyme about something creative. i've been rhyming since i was probably 14 and even though they were terrible quasi-battle raps, they were free of gun talk or threats. they were simply low par old school style...what im saying is as long as these kids base their raps on some original (or even as long as it's generic) shit, they will better be able to flip their style and take it to a new level. inspiration is one thing, but imitation leaves you limited.

Yeah, Paul Wall used to rap about cartoons and wear Mickey Mouse watches when he first started out, now he got that major label push, He's "in the club posted up with some gang bangers". A lotta rappers I know (the famous ones) literally got tough after they got signed, when you got 100 people around you at all time that literally would kill for you,
it does cloud your perception a lil bit.

 

[shadeed]

On an international basisi i think hte hip hop is more concered with the ol school feel of the game, thats y in places like Australia theres a different feel to it howeva what i think messes up the game is that these young cats just feel ignorance too much, Like the Dipset that shyt is nothing but pure ignorance n these high scholl kids eat it up like like free lunch, it is true a lot of ur favorite rappers dont even think bout going to the hood no more alone, look at Newark Nj Were i from there was a time that every rapper was getting robed i know of cats that personaly knock out niggas like Mobb deep or wu, The rap game is all fucked up now cuz of that every one wanna be a thug, but thats only cuz every one wanna be a rapper including thugs, battles be turinig into fist fights i hat thet ish

On the international side, hip hop is more of an old school feel because it caught on late for other countries, so they still are sticking with the elements. In Japan, at any train station you go to, you will see kids breakdancing no b.s. The hip hop spots out in Tokyo spin some of the best shit, and you can dig for some of the ILLEST records I promise you, I feel like its 1987 over there no doubt!!!

In Germany, underground lyricists actually sell more over there than in the states.
Guru's Jamatazz series was a big seller in Europe, internationally speaking, the citizens are a lil' more mature and sophisticated than Americans (not even my opinion, its a fact)
so it reflects in all aspects of culture not just music.

 

[trinidad]

i AGREE WITH THE FACT THAT THEY CAUGHT HIP HOP LATE BUT I DUNNO BOUT THE MORE MATURE ASPECT OF IT, i JUST THINK THEY DIFFERENT. pOP CULTURE IS JUST DIFFERENT IN OTHER COUNTRIES, CULTURE AFFECTS EVERYTHING, lIKE IN JAPAN THEY HAVE A VERY RESPECT BASED CULTURE THAT HAS TO BE A FACTOR INTHIER MUSICAL CHOICE FEEL ME?

 

[Fade]

I remember listening to a local radio show here late at night, they would let kids call in and 'freestyle'. All I heard was stuff about robbing banks, pulling million dollar heists, watch my gat blow, I'll buck you down, etc.

So I called the DJ during the show and told him to stop letting these kids on, he said that he has to give them their time to shine, but still - that's like saying you're a producer looking for rappers yet you audition singers.

Anyway, yeah that shit needs to stop. We know you don't have a Hummer and a bank roll bigger than my house.

 

[shadeed]

i AGREE WITH THE FACT THAT THEY CAUGHT HIP HOP LATE BUT I DUNNO BOUT THE MORE MATURE ASPECT OF IT, i JUST THINK THEY DIFFERENT. pOP CULTURE IS JUST DIFFERENT IN OTHER COUNTRIES, CULTURE AFFECTS EVERYTHING, lIKE IN JAPAN THEY HAVE A VERY RESPECT BASED CULTURE THAT HAS TO BE A FACTOR INTHIER MUSICAL CHOICE FEEL ME?

The "sound" of pop culture will be different from country to country, but all pop music is merely a reflection of what is popular. That reflection is not entirely accurate because the radio and major labels dictate what's pop and what's not.

Nah, I'm missing the point on Japan's culture having a factor in their musical choice.
Hip hop is not a native music in Japan, they play the koto and other wind based instruments. Japan traditionally REJECTS anything that is not Japanese, so how
hip hop is a factor is something you'll have to school me on, bro.
You got Japan waaaay twisted homie, not to say you don't have a valid point.
A lot of the "respect based" stuff is from the "old school". The new generation is kinda buck wild in comparison, but still the kids outdo US kids in just about every category except fighting, sexing, drug abuse, and teenage pregnancies.

 

[trinidad]

The "sound" of pop culture will be different from country to country, but all pop music is merely a reflection of what is popular. That reflection is not entirely accurate because the radio and major labels dictate what's pop and what's not.

Nah, I'm missing the point on Japan's culture having a factor in their musical choice.
Hip hop is not a native music in Japan, they play the koto and other wind based instruments. Japan traditionally REJECTS anything that is not Japanese, so how
hip hop is a factor is something you'll have to school me on, bro.
You got Japan waaaay twisted homie, not to say you don't have a valid point.
A lot of the "respect based" stuff is from the "old school". The new generation is kinda buck wild in comparison, but still the kids outdo US kids in just about every category except fighting, sexing, drug abuse, and teenage pregnancies.

Im talking the general upbringing its a bit different in other parts of the world, thats reflected oter ppls choices. n what i mean in respectfull dont nessiarily mean u living life the "right" way feel me. Its like a mafia theres a high level of respect within but they do fucked up shyt thats what i mean about respect And culture does reflect musical choice theyhave adopted hip hop into their culture. As u know, Hip Hop is much more than the music they seem to be into the traditional 4 elements Dancing graph (graph is bogg ass hell out theUS) djing and MC, All Im saying is that for what ive seen they adopted their own tastes as opposed to what like. Cuz to be honest alot of garbage nderground stuff thrives off of the other regions of the world, Buut i cant really say much else bout Japn cuz i aint been there yet. So these just my 2 ciizzents but good looking on your view fam.

 

[Cold Truth]

my two cents?

man everyone raps. thats the problem. EVERYONE raps. every black kid, every latino kid, every other white kid, every 4 asian kids. everyone. old, young, whatever.... everyone. my little brother raps. he's actually decent but he thinks he's pac. at least he has the resume to back it up. he's 19 years old and just got OUT of prison. he spent 70 percent of his teenage years incarcerated. he's got the battle scars emotionally and physically. i've seen him physically destroy people twice his size (i am not kidding or exagerating... ive seen a lot of ko's from this kid).. he has teh prison tats, he's been through some REAL life- not just "hood" life. yup we were abused and beaten and hungry adn homeless and all that drama, i just managed to stay away from certain things, namely out of jail- though i am simply blessed for that cause i did my share of fuck ups.

so what? he's real. he's about it- hey he's already beaten up tweo cats for "disrespecting" him! one month out! he's down. he's tough and he can handle his.

you know what though? its stupid. he's so concerned abuot being real and having his respect he STILL fights for it, even though he doesnt have to. he's prideful. i know a lot of so-called gangsters who would get their world rocked for steppin to him sideways..... but one day, he'll come up on somebody whose strapped..... and... no more little brother. somebody will get embarrassed. if im a 6'3 230 real "gangster" and some 5"9 170 kid leaves my face bloody.... i wouldnt be happy and i'd probably get him when hes slippin. it happened to another mc friend of mine, excepot dude was large. he had the size to intimidate.... so in the name of being real, he refused to give dude his money and dude answered with a 12 guage to the chest. robert-my friend- he was real. he kept it real from his rhymes to his image to his pride... it was 100 percent real.

and now? he's no more. he's a memory.

so while rapping about what you know, what you live, what youve seen, etc... just because its "real" doesnt mean that its right. its short lived. i know i may have jacked this post on some sentimental shit but ive seen the reality of this. ive been tested and proven in my time and been fortunate to walk away, because a couple situations could have very easily wound up with me just like my friend and like the path my brother is now traveling. real artists do draw from their experiences to be sure, however real artists also create new life from dead matter. thus, the fact that yes, hip hop is also a form of entertainment and many spit to entertain- but real artists can go beyond that.

and that brings me to my point here-that these people arent really artists. these people dont really bleed for their art- they bleed for money, they bleed for status, they bleed for power and fame and perks and women..... they dont have hip hop coursing through their viens. they have other agendas. they may want it, but they werent born for it.

 

[Shonsteez]

That was some amazing insight Truth. Fo real.

 

[Fcukisthis?]

Word! I feel you homeboy...but all I'm sayin is if a nigga comes at me sideways I don't mind R.I.P.-in' him...word is bond! Only thing that stops me sometimes is I don't wanna do time.

 

[Cold Truth]

well, have fun when someone r.i.p's you first. there is always someone harder, stronger, better connected- or strapped.

and thats my point here. you aint that tough. trust me. nobody is. everyboywho brags about still being able to walk the hood with their chains, everybody who brags on the mic or in interviews, every dude who thinks/trys/does body everyone who steps... they all bleed and all it takes is once.... one time....

this is coming from someone who used to walk that line and is very fortunate to still be around afterwards. from someone who has seen it happen to guys like you (no offense) who think that way. and if you live by the motto "rather die like a soldier then live like a bitch" the way my little brother does..... well just apologize to your family and loved ones ahead of time. let em know, "hey i am too arrogant, prideful, selfish, and ultimately too much of a pussy to back down and away from these situations". just let em know ahead of time.

when my brother winds up found in a wash somewhere, my mom wont understand. i wont. i dont get it. ive been tehre, done that... i know all about respect and pride and not letting people punk you. i know all abuot that. but the cliche is so true... it takes a bigger man to swallow his pride and not only walk away from a fight, but to change his circumstances to get away from those situations.... and dont tell me its impossible either. trust me. given my history and upbringing, and the people i grew up around.... i should be much different then i am now. i should be every statistic in the book, but i bucked the system and thats who you really need to think about knockin out, is the "system". and you sure as hell cant do it buy gettin your head blown off, much less taking the other guys..... yup.... they look at us minorities and the hip hop community and laugh because we all just kill each other. racist politicians, police, employers, etc are the least of our worries when we act like the savages they say we are anyways- but we'll still blame whitey, george w. bush, or whoever else is a convenient target at the moment instead of looking at ourselves.

yup.

thats hip hop for you. too tough to back down from a fight but not smart enough to realize that thats its problem and change it.

 

[shadeed]

Cold truth you make some good points, I had a meeting with some young artists yesterday and I keep tellin these guys that you open yourself up to a lotta heat and un-needed trouble when you talk wreckless on the mic.
Dudes who have been to prison, "real prison" not central bookings, or the county, will
quickly tell you to keep your ass in school and just be good man, because tough guys don't live long believe that!!!
I want hip hop to go back to a time when it was FUN. The Natives Tongue movement was all about that, and hip hop was started around parties and park jams, but nowadays the park is gettin shot up if you throw a party in it!!!

 

[Fcukisthis?]

I hear you...that's why I, unfortuantely, keep away from 'hip hop' events, niggas don't just wanna have fun like white folks...instead everyone's got that badder than thou attitude, ready to say something rude...just this weekend I was in a club with my girl, no back up, then this big faggot-cocksucker puts his hands on my woman (he was with his crew)...I did walk away from that, I pulled her away and we danced somewhere else....but, son, I was so upset my vision was blurry with anger...

WORD!

That's why I don't get sad when I see people shot up, layin in the street with their insides out, cos mah'fuckers must've said something!

I should've spazzed out and started bottlin them niggas.

 

[trinidad]

I hear you...that's why I, unfortuantely, keep away from 'hip hop' events, niggas don't just wanna have fun like white folks...instead everyone's got that badder than thou attitude, ready to say something rude......
I should've spazzed out and started bottlin them niggas.

No offense but dude that the most ignorant thing iv eva seen on this board, the element we speak of in this board was the "gangsta" of for lack of better term ignorance factor in Hip Hop, Dont get me wrong Hip Hop events are prone to violence but to say niggas sont just have fun like white folks is just ignorant and i dont care qwhat ur race is it is just ignorant, ppl get stomped out all the time a metal n rock events so what is u saying dude??? Then only way toi fix the problem is to get at the root of the problem. like Mos def said ppl always askin when hip hop gonna get better the answeres is hip hop aint gonna get better till we the ppl get better, ya dig.... one moment u complain bout it then u saying u should of spazzed out.. Come on man 4 real?

 

[Fcukisthis?]

You know what I mean, doggy...I'm not talking about ALL hip-hop events...I mean, Lil Jon ain't helping either with hooks like, "Mean-mug a nigga! Mean-mug a nigga!"