Ok, so i'm finally making money at this. the latest moves from Cold.

[sYgMa]

I was just playing, but yeah... congrats man!!!

And may the cashflow be with you!

 

[Cold Truth]

congrats truth, u making moves man. I'm feeling Qwerty on the marriage shit. I guess one day u gotta get married but i still cant see why...

you cant see why?

uh.......

ok......

why not?

chris rock says it best..... "new Pu$$y dont take care of you when your sick!"

a man is an idiot to pass on a good woman. when the right one shows up, you got to move on it.

if you ask me, a family is the most rewarding achievement there is.... prisons? if your wife turns out to be a ball and chain type, that means you didnt pick too well.

marriage is a good thing.

 

[The Konductor]

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 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.

I've noticed that these days many emcees are looking for many different sounds, not just one that defines them. Shady(strings), G-Unit(piano), Lil John(that synth he always uses), all have signature sound because of the sounds they repeatively use. How are you going to manage this Cold, cuz what if the cats you are working with all want strings and piano as the main rythum(I can't spell) for their tracks, then are you going to suggest they choose different instruments, or will you just play/programm the lines/melodies differently?

I totally agree w/ Truth. Many of us have better odds at being successful in the production game, than having a successful relationship that will carry on even outside of this worldly shit we're stuck on. I would trade alot of shit for a good woman. I have to admit though, I haven't tried all that hard to find the one, I'm too busy smashin Hoes'. Truth, sounds like you're on your way man. As the saying goes, behind every strong man, is an even stronger woman. Too bad 80-90% of women are no good trifflin H to the Izzo"s.

 

[Cold Truth]

^^^^^

as far as the beats go, they get what i give them, dammit! lol

nah seriously though....

i can do piano and string beats all day long... actually, most of my beats use the exact same patches.. the same 2 bass patches, the same rhodes patch, the same piano, same horn patch, three string patches, same calvinet, the same two or three guitars and maybe three organs..... i even re-use the same synth patches. i use the same 8 or 9 chords, i have a lot of stuff that uses the same exact chords arranged and played differently.

honestly, its all in the arrangements, the mixing, and the other sounds surrounding them that make a difference. i dont mind that element of my production personally.

but, i seem to have a way to avaoid the sameyness- mainly because i tend to do "mood" music, i can do somber, i can so soulful, intense, epic, jazzy, bluesy, raw, street, whatever...... i can use 808 kits as easily as i can use boom bap kits. i can do acoustic sounds or synth sounds just as easily. shady/g unit tend to do the exact same types of tracks- party/club, intense/dramatic, and rnb. thats basically it.....

i do not expect to have that problem, because i do not presently. my strength isnt across the board in the sense of doing all popular styles, (club/street/rnb,etc) , it is more in the sense of being able to draw different emotions and give the artist (and listener) a particular feeling from track to track...

 

[joeburnem]

Cold Truth.....awhhh hell, you know

 

[shadeed]

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.

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?

Hey, you are makin moves, and going in a positive direction.

#1, Money and family/friendship can mix successfully IF you maintain strong business sense and principles first.
#2, It sounds like you care what others think, if you believe that people will say you
"sold out" to produce music outside your normal genre. In this bizness, you HAVE to be versatile and flexible to stay working, with the reggaeton movement coming into effect in this country, you have to tap into Latino markets too, that's just being smart (in my opinion) Try to get the Chicano dude rappin in Spanish and all that, and build up his fuckin fanbase and get that money.
#3, I recommend you start up a small label and sign your artists for one CD deals, and do a profit split at the end, at least file your paperwork with your state. www.rapcointelpro.com is a goldmine for info on how to do it the right way. Good luck!

 

[Equality 7-2521]

dope shit truth! well done bro. definitly follow through with this one. if Joe is REALLY serious about helping out with the stdio thing, do all you can in your power to make it happen. let us know how it all goes.

 

[hobgoblin]

Hey, you are makin moves, and going in a positive direction.

#1, Money and family/friendship can mix successfully IF you maintain strong business sense and principles first.
#2, It sounds like you care what others think, if you believe that people will say you
"sold out" to produce music outside your normal genre. In this bizness, you HAVE to be versatile and flexible to stay working, with the reggaeton movement coming into effect in this country, you have to tap into Latino markets too, that's just being smart (in my opinion) Try to get the Chicano dude rappin in Spanish and all that, and build up his fuckin fanbase and get that money.
#3, I recommend you start up a small label and sign your artists for one CD deals, and do a profit split at the end, at least file your paperwork with your state. www.rapcointelpro.com is a goldmine for info on how to do it the right way. Good luck!

#1, Money and family/friendship can mix successfully IF you maintain strong business sense and principles first.

maybe it can - All i know from my own personal experience is that It NEVER works out - someone ends up getting dicked cos that feel they can mess you around cos they know you that well. Its hapened to me so I'm talkin from personel experience - I'm not tryin to piss on your fireworks Truth, just bear in mind that workin with friends/family is HARD - theres more on the line than furthering yourself in the industry so if it goes tits up your losing a friend as well as a buisness associate
- sayin that it looks like a bloody good opportunity to gain valuble experience - so I'd roll with it.

Think about this though, what if a label/bigger artist comes in and wants to snatch you away from this setup with this joe guy - hows he gonna feel about you leaving his son wit no producer - are you gonna pass up an opportunity out of loyalty?

 

[Cold Truth]

uh nope.. i know this sounds caous of me and all.....

but while i know these people and its fam and all.... we arent "close" on that level, and its not going to "cost" me anything on that end. i have known the guy for a long time, he's relative to the people im living with and all that but we arent thick like that. this is simply a marriage of convenience for all parties. so, like i said, i know all the "money and blood dont mix" issues but it really isnt on such a level where something important could be irrepareably damaged. maybe i overstated the relationship... joe is a good man though, and i would not do him dirty.

one thing- he makes no excuses for his son. this is all about oppurtunity here, and if he doesnt grab at that oppurtunity, then joe knows the drill. all joe is doing, his whole stance is, i want to help ya'll help yourselves- but he still wants to see the product before he invests in it. im a loyal dude; you can have it both ways. if i get sscooped up and ced doesnt, that doesnt mean ced or joe gets left dry. that means increased oppurtunity for ced (even if it is ridin coatails, thats what the industry is built on anyways) and for joe, that would mean he made a good investment.

all in al, this situation only develops losers if someone gets greedy or oversteps their bounds- in which case, sucks to be the guilty party, even if it turns out to be me.