Cold Truth
IllMuzik Moderator
well lets see... no money *in my hands* just yet and we all know how that one goes, soo..
but here is proof that going for that big money from the jump doesnt always pay off.
but i got three artists right now.
the first one, Ced (tahts all i know him by) has several cd's (kinda like merc in that sense) recorded but they are all used beats. he is the nephew of a dude that i live with, who i have known for about 11 years. i have known his brother, Joe,a succesful buisness man, (he owns a fairly prosperous construction company here) about the same amount of time. so Ced comes over and i check his cd, which is very commercial, gangsta rap. anyways the beats are pretty generic to my ears and whatnot but ced can be molded into a pretty good artist. i gave him some songs to write to but let him know they were tracks taht were already being written to etc but he could write and spit over them, and gave him a 3 song, $200 deal for it. so im thinking, i know my beats are worth far more then that, but hey its my first customer.
turns out, he is Joe's son- which i didnt find out til la few days later. Joe tells me, you help my son get going and i'll pay you. i cant pay you what you are worth, i can tell (he heard "my old soul" and was like..."you got skills like THAT?"), but i can pay you something to help him. he's going to pay for the first three songs for Ced.
here's the kicker. Joe is successful and has always thrown his money and help to people who were worthy investments- not for a return but just to people who would actually do something with his resources and succeed.
so, joe says once he sees where the finished product is going (for both of us as artists, not just ced over my beats) and sees us making moves, he plans on throwing his hat into the ring. which means, his name, his credit, and his money. he plans on building a small recording studio for us and whatever gear i need to get produce as high quality a product as we can. he has no plans on dropping 20 g's or anything, but he certainly plans to help us help ourselves.
i know all of the "be careful, mixing money with friendships and family" and all that, i understand all of those things. but this is the first person who has come to me, believed in me and offered up their financial backing and unless god shows me this isnt the thing to do, this is a direction i am going to explore.
i have another cat named Bo within the same family circle who is from Chicago and has that typical fast flow and a solid voice and delivery. he's gettin his little settlement and wants to do a whole cd, but i told him we'll negotiate that then and there.
i also have a chicano rapper who wants chicano rap beats.
NOW, before i get the "sell out" statements from people who know that i have my particular standards and thoughts, these cats wanted my beats as they were, my style and all. do not expect dumbed down from me; do not expectthese artists to be typical of the industry cats you normally hear.
i plan on doing my best to develop these three guys and pushing myself to still ake Cold Truth beats that fit the westcoast, chicano, and midwest sounds (they are each of a different sound and style completely) that they prefer..... but i plan on making these guys better artists and pushing them to their limits..... as well as myself.
i dont do west coast naturally, i dont do chicano styles naturally, i dont do bounce or midwets naturally, i do 4/4 melodic boom bap. hopefully i can develop new sounds from all of this...
because these guys are not typical of the types of artists i would choose to work with but if i really consider myself a producer, and a talented one at that, then this is the best way to make that mark. out of my comfort zone, with completely different artists and all of that. and *TRY* and do it MY way. yes, i am going to work with and adapt to them, but none of these dudes have a sound that defines them, and my job is to develop that sound around them for them- and instead of making cookie-cutter, typical industry beats that fit what they are looking for, i am planning on developing sounds that work but yuo wouldnt expect for them.
anyhow, thats the latest in my journey. what do ya'll think?
but here is proof that going for that big money from the jump doesnt always pay off.
but i got three artists right now.
the first one, Ced (tahts all i know him by) has several cd's (kinda like merc in that sense) recorded but they are all used beats. he is the nephew of a dude that i live with, who i have known for about 11 years. i have known his brother, Joe,a succesful buisness man, (he owns a fairly prosperous construction company here) about the same amount of time. so Ced comes over and i check his cd, which is very commercial, gangsta rap. anyways the beats are pretty generic to my ears and whatnot but ced can be molded into a pretty good artist. i gave him some songs to write to but let him know they were tracks taht were already being written to etc but he could write and spit over them, and gave him a 3 song, $200 deal for it. so im thinking, i know my beats are worth far more then that, but hey its my first customer.
turns out, he is Joe's son- which i didnt find out til la few days later. Joe tells me, you help my son get going and i'll pay you. i cant pay you what you are worth, i can tell (he heard "my old soul" and was like..."you got skills like THAT?"), but i can pay you something to help him. he's going to pay for the first three songs for Ced.
here's the kicker. Joe is successful and has always thrown his money and help to people who were worthy investments- not for a return but just to people who would actually do something with his resources and succeed.
so, joe says once he sees where the finished product is going (for both of us as artists, not just ced over my beats) and sees us making moves, he plans on throwing his hat into the ring. which means, his name, his credit, and his money. he plans on building a small recording studio for us and whatever gear i need to get produce as high quality a product as we can. he has no plans on dropping 20 g's or anything, but he certainly plans to help us help ourselves.
i know all of the "be careful, mixing money with friendships and family" and all that, i understand all of those things. but this is the first person who has come to me, believed in me and offered up their financial backing and unless god shows me this isnt the thing to do, this is a direction i am going to explore.
i have another cat named Bo within the same family circle who is from Chicago and has that typical fast flow and a solid voice and delivery. he's gettin his little settlement and wants to do a whole cd, but i told him we'll negotiate that then and there.
i also have a chicano rapper who wants chicano rap beats.
NOW, before i get the "sell out" statements from people who know that i have my particular standards and thoughts, these cats wanted my beats as they were, my style and all. do not expect dumbed down from me; do not expectthese artists to be typical of the industry cats you normally hear.
i plan on doing my best to develop these three guys and pushing myself to still ake Cold Truth beats that fit the westcoast, chicano, and midwest sounds (they are each of a different sound and style completely) that they prefer..... but i plan on making these guys better artists and pushing them to their limits..... as well as myself.
i dont do west coast naturally, i dont do chicano styles naturally, i dont do bounce or midwets naturally, i do 4/4 melodic boom bap. hopefully i can develop new sounds from all of this...
because these guys are not typical of the types of artists i would choose to work with but if i really consider myself a producer, and a talented one at that, then this is the best way to make that mark. out of my comfort zone, with completely different artists and all of that. and *TRY* and do it MY way. yes, i am going to work with and adapt to them, but none of these dudes have a sound that defines them, and my job is to develop that sound around them for them- and instead of making cookie-cutter, typical industry beats that fit what they are looking for, i am planning on developing sounds that work but yuo wouldnt expect for them.
anyhow, thats the latest in my journey. what do ya'll think?