This is where you can VENT!

[dacalion]

WHAT DO YOU LIKE/DISLIKE ABOUT ILL?

I'll start with my dislikes because they are more important...

1. Clits! - sometimes pronouced mistakenly as clicks. Its cool to have people who got your back or in your corner BUT when you are wrong about something and you reach for your boys and they join you just because it's you....thats jacked up, I haven't noticed it too much lately but you fuggers know when and where to show up.

2. Pretenders! - these are you cats that think you know EV-VER-RY-FUGGIN-THING and youre only pretending to know. How in the heyell do you tell me how to get a record deal if you haven't a clue of what a A&R Department is. Oh and I luv reading some of the ish you cats that have won 2,3,4 Beat This/ Battle Thats say...not all but some get that "my ish dont stank" attitude and just because I got this title, I KNOW what Im talking about.

3. Role Players - these are you cats that think you have to be more than what you really are. You know who you are, here's a clue...look under your Avatar, if it doesn't say ADMINISTRATOR, MODERATOR or STAFF....then guess what?!?!?....you ARE none of the above! Know your roles!

What I like...

1. Best place on the internet that Ive come across to share, get reviews and showcase your beats. I actually think Fade has provided more than enough resources for everyone.

2. Other than the occassional brain farts here and there, the Moderators do a great job overall keeping things in line and on topic and all the other blah, blah stuff that you do. If you check out some of the other sites, its a fuggin madhouse! ILL has some good Mods, bottom line.

3. Props to the Staff who bring some nice interviews, props to DJ Excellence who is staff and provides some dope mix tapes, Relic for doing the Illest internet radio show on the web, Fade, STRESSWON and a few others who provide FREE albums, thats some good ish right there.

4. I like the potential for a great community of hip hop artist, producers, musicians, graffic artist, equiptment specialist and all the rest thats represented here at ill. There are cats that are doing very well in the game and STILL come back to share very valuable info to help others rise up...good look'n y'all.

Overall, I like this spot alot, some of you cats be trip'n real hard on either yourselves or your skills or whatever!?!?!? and thats to be expected to a degree. It doesnt really phase me because Im not gonna live a make believe life (like you find on the internet), that is just fake as heyell. Im gonna keep doing me and being me until I die.

Much Luv 2 my Illfam, I spoke my mind...speak yours!

dac

 

[thedreampolice]

For sure, this is a great place. I have even met a number of people on here in real life and worked on projects together. In fact dacalion and I have talked on the phone many times (I will hit you up soon I swear!) I don't have much to complain about but I agree that I hate when someone answers a questions and is just totally wrong. (I have been known to be wrong before as well but I don't answer a questions unless I am very sure of the answer) Wrong info can steer someone in the wrong direction and waste hours of there life. Don't answer a questions unless you KNOW the correct answer, unless of course it is a subjective topic like what DAW is the best Mac/PC Etc. But questions like "how do I update my audio card driver"...come on, don't say "you know just install Fruity loops" sorry thats lame.

 

[Ozmosis]

This is def my favorite site, even if I dont post anything Im online to see whats on the threads every day since I joined. I can tell the traffic is lower then it used to be since the first few years I joined. The beat this used to always be full every month and the showcase would go atleast 7 pages. Its still my mun 1 site.

 

[Fade]

Good thread! I didn't read it properly at first, didn't know you were talking about this site LOL.

Over the years I've seen many things happen on here and I've seen many ups and downs. ILL was at its highest in the 2003-2006 range but now it's slowed down, but it has also slowed down in the past so I'm sure it will pick up again. What I don't like is that out of the members that ARE here, there's little participation in things such as Beat This, Radio, Battle That, etc. If anything, now's the time to participate since you'll stand out more cause there's not too many others getting involved.

For example, when we released Vol 1 & 2 of the ILL Compilations, there weren't many people buying it, and some even wanted it for free. Where's the community spirit? Here's a chance to check out a CD with songs from guys you see every day on here, and at the same time give back to ILL buy spending a few bucks. For those that don't know, it costs me about $50/month for the server to run and this is out of my pocket, I only make some back when there's sales of stuff like VIP, ILL4LIFE, CD, etc.

The VIP is another thing. It offers a few perks throughout the site, but also it's a way for you to give back. $2/month is very very small but the whole idea behind it was that if a lot of members bought VIP then it would cover the operating costs. So VIP is for everyone to gain some perks but at the same time just to help out!

In the past I would see participation dwindle and I would always think "What can I do to bring more people in?" but now I realized there's nothing else to do! IllMuzik has SO many things, competitions, radio shows, vip, forum, blog, articles, interviews, reviews, and it goes on and on. There's honestly nothing else to add except for content. That's why I always tell people to write a review or an article and send it over so I can put it up, but unfortunately it's very rare that people contribute.

I know most people today just want to hit up a site for some info and then jet, hell I'm like that too on other sites, but IllMuzik has always had a close knit feel to it, so that's why I don't understand why more people don't get involved in certain parts of the site.

Dacalion you're right; the clicks are a bad thing. I know people are familiar with each other cause they've been on here for years but to a newbie on the forums it can be a turnoff. They come here and see threads that have only members that have been here for ages and no other newbies, so they get scared and leave. I'm not sure how to treat that other than create a section for newbies (there I go again!), fuck whatever man lol.

 

[Shonsteez]

The clicks are a bad thing. I know people are familiar with each other cause they've been on here for years but to a newbie on the forums it can be a turnoff. They come here and see threads that have only members that have been here for ages and no other newbies, so they get scared and leave. I'm not sure how to treat that other than create a section for newbies (there I go again!), fuck whatever man lol.

Thats why I always try to encourage new members to be active and stick around and make it clear their input is important as well. I dont think you need a newbie section, if anything we just need more camaraderie towards new members.

 

[dacalion]

^^^^And...remember, newbies dont know how to take some of the sarcastic ish that we shoot at them...we all know each other and we know what to expect from each other, the newbies dont. So if they ask a question that we think is stupid or petty, just remember we were there at one point. Get off ya fuggin high horse and put ya feet back on the ground mofo.

~
dac

 

[Shonsteez]

So if they ask a question that we think is stupid or petty, just remember we were there at one point. Get off ya fuggin high horse and put ya feet back on the ground mofo.

Exactly, theres no need to clown somebody cuz they dont coin their question right, etc.

No community is perfect, and theres always a few bad apples, but Id say that the majority of ILL members have always been pretty kind to one another. Thats what makes this place awesome.

 

[Ominous]

...but now it's slowed down, but it has also slowed down in the past so I'm sure it will pick up again. What I don't like is that out of the members that ARE here, there's little participation in things such as Beat This, Radio, Battle That, etc. If anything, now's the time to participate since you'll stand out more cause there's not too many others getting involved.

I see the slow down everywhere. In other forums, etc. I don't know how muc of it is the economy. I am sure some of it is because I know a lot of people who are doing things like cutting internet costs to save their money and just using their work connection which probably blocks forums.

But I agree with what you are saying. I think people don't realize illmuzik isn't what they want it to be because they are not active. Now is the time to be active. But everyone I know works on recognition. So when they don't get any, they just move onto something else.

But that almost might be due to something outside of illmuzik. Specifically, I know people who have made realizations about themselves and their choices and have made adjustments. I have personally been hit up by other producers who ask me if I am still active because they have given up. And I am talking about cats who have actually had placements and such who have hung it up. So I think ill has slowed down partly because people got out the game.

For example, when we released Vol 1 & 2 of the ILL Compilations, there weren't many people buying it, and some even wanted it for free. Where's the community spirit?

That is what I think is missing in all forums. The COMMUNITY isn't what it could be because the way interaction works in forums has not changed anywhere I have been in the last few years. It is all based on the clicks. The only people who are really active here are all people who interact with each other. If outsiders get nothing out of it, they move on.

I remember a long time ago we were trying to revamp the BEAT THIS voting system, I was trying to point that out then. I understand we have to rank producers and determine a winner. But people aren't motivated to participate because they get nothing out of it. No feedback. I proposed that we open up polls so people can get GRADES on their track which would help them understand what their strengths and weaknesses were. But heads thought that was too complicated. Fast forward to today and you don't ever see new people participating because once they lose, what do they come away with.

But like I said, this happens in almost all the forums I go to. Like UGHH for example. When they post beats, there are rarely times I see people giving feedback. It's almost like it is too much work for people to listen to 20 beats a week. This is where I thought iLLmuzik could really knock all other communities out the box. But we failed to come up with anything better than what others already do. Granted, the system here is the best in my opinion, but it doesn't do what i think it could.

For example... last Beat This, Wizard won hands down. But why? Was it his drums? Was it his mixing and sound quality? Was it his melody? Change ups? And what about the people who lost? Why did they lose? What kind of feedback did they get for their music?

The poll system fixes all that. Instead of people having to write essays, they can just click and vote and then use a number system to explain their vote for each producer.

In the past I would see participation dwindle and I would always think "What can I do to bring more people in?" but now I realized there's nothing else to do! IllMuzik has SO many things, competitions, radio shows, vip, forum, blog, articles, interviews, reviews, and it goes on and on. There's honestly nothing else to add except for content. That's why I always tell people to write a review or an article and send it over so I can put it up, but unfortunately it's very rare that people contribute.

I can't speak for anyone else here, but I am always reluctant to contribute here at illmuzik for some simple reason, little response and the response you get can sometimes be negative. I told Steez about that. He told me he appreciated when I would put up funny sh*t in the forums but I was slowing down because they never got any response. And then recently, DJ Nice, an accomplished producer/artist posts a legitimate insightful question in a thread, and he gets called out for Self Promotion.

There is a fine line between contributing and spamming and it is hard to tell where some things might fit in.


I would say the best thing about illmuzik is that everyone here seems to be a lot more mature in the sense that they don't act disrespectful to each other.

 

[UNORTHODOX]

Compared to most I'm new. i was put off at first because some of my comments went "ignored", shit they still do. Shonsteez always replies, there are also a few others that take the "welcom" OUTSIDE of the introductions section. That has helped, but there is undoubtedly a comradery between long time members that can be alittle stand-offish to new members. From feedback- to the battles- to Regular discussion if you arent a long-term or "celebrated" member, you kinda go unnoticed.

I made a resolution to be a part of the different events especially the battles. Its just I've been doin a crappy job at it, but I'm getting it organised. The only thing I dislike about this site besides the cliques, and the one-sidedness in preference of beats is people that dont contribute or even log in untill they have something to promote.

ILL is a great place. The goods WAY out way the bads IMO
PS. I didnt even know there was still an ILL radio till last week.

I agree with omnious.

 

[Ominous]

i was put off at first because some of my comments went "ignored", shit they still do. Shonsteez always replies, there are also a few others that take the "welcom" OUTSIDE of the introductions section. That has helped, but there is undoubtedly a comradery between long time members that can be alittle stand-offish to new members. From feedback- to the battles- to Regular discussion if you arent a long-term or "celebrated" member, you kinda go unnoticed.

EXACTLY.....

The only thing I dislike about this site besides the cliques, and the one-sidedness in preference of beats is people that dont contribute or even log in untill they have something to promote.

And that is what I am talking about when I try to explain the idea of including some way to have forced feedback in the BEAT THIS battles. Shit, sometimes even the people who enter don't take the time to give feedback to the people they are competing against.

And it doesn't even have to be the BEAT THIS. It can be the regular showcase. It could be something as simple as deleting a post if the poster doesn't provide immediate feedback.

 

[UNORTHODOX]

I agree Omnious, those are actually very great ideas.

@Fade, do you need us to rally up and hijack other forums members?
@Dac I think your threads been hi jacked lol!!

 

[dacalion]

EXACTLY.....



And that is what I am talking about when I try to explain the idea of including some way to have forced feedback in the BEAT THIS battles. Shit, sometimes even the people who enter don't take the time to give feedback to the people they are competing against.

And it doesn't even have to be the BEAT THIS. It can be the regular showcase. It could be something as simple as deleting a post if the poster doesn't provide immediate feedback.

Yeah this is something that I feel is very vital BUT I think it should come after the contest is over. I also liked the idea of having a hand picked panel like back in the day. I know its not really a reliable way to do it but Im sure you could find x-amount of reliable judges who are known not to be in a click. Its too easy to spot those who are (you mofos make me sick...lol).

We as seasoned members need to come together and welcome the newbies. As far as Im concerned, cats like UNORTHODOX need to be heard. What he is saying is more important than anything that us seasoned vets can even speak on this particular topic. He is giving us a picture of what he sees and how he feels from the start.

Mods, I know its hard for some of you but STOP being commedians! I mean its cool to laugh and joke but I've seen some of you totally fugg a thread up by trying to be funny. Its a time and place for everything, right now cats need y'all to just moderate, thats it!

ok im getting on something else...hahaha

@UNORTHODOX - its all good, we rep'n ill.

dac

 

[Sucio]

I like this place...

It's actually the only hip-hop forum I go to....I've been on a few others and didn't like the people in it, so I've moved on...

Cliques? Eh...Maybe....It doesn't really bother me much....I like to think that I'm cool with everyone equally. Only one I know outside is Nomics...but I've known dude since Junior High.....

Yes I do agree that in terms of preference of music....the members here collectively have that boom bap preference, and when a beat comes through in the competitions, those beats usually get more praise...

There are egos here....Shit..we all have them....some are very vocal about it and don't take criticism lightly.....I take criticism as face value....I'm not going to expect everyone to like my music...

Overall I think the members are pretty down to earth and appreciate a lot of the information we share with each other...shit..we don't have to share anything with anyone......but we do...and I do not take it for granted.....

One of the things I noticed is the amount of active members on this site.....It's like the same 10-20 people who participate in the forums.....Definitely would like to see more of that.......but we're not giving the new members a reason to stay..... Just for example: some dude said he'd master your track for $10....Now we all know that it is unheard of in terms of cost, which is understandable.......He kinda got ganged up on about his pricing, and questioned the member's integrity indirectly.....

I think the reason why the activity has fallen off, is because we're all growing older....responsibilities changed for us......I was in college when I first got on here....Now...I'm out of school..working....got wifey at home...got rent to pay....and working on projects.....don't have much time to be active anymore.....
Also..with the huge emergence of youtube..people post their beats on the site and have random people grade their music....not having to come here for feedback....
Also people are asking questions in search engines....getting the answers in forums where there aren't any restrictions for non-members...so there is no need to join....

Yes...people talk shit and may act like they know everything....shit that's in all walks of life, this place is no different....Which is why it is always good to also research it yourself and not depend solely on an answer from someone else...

This place is awesome...just needs more cowbell....

 

[Shonsteez]

haha, indeed. More cowbell!!! lol.

 

[Gene Flo]

Illmuzik is dope...cant say enough about this site... I joined in 2005 and didnt know the first thing about music production and my evoloution is solely thanks to ill... back in the day the help was flowing and you could get production tips every where... today its more about current events than hip hop production and helping others out.... the comps are dope but i feel like the showcase is dead...ALSO i feel like we had this same discussion last year about this site losing focus and losing output... i've made some really dope connections and thats what keeps me coming back...I know I have not been the most active memeber to this site but its group discussions like this that makes me be pro active and want to make this site back to the "HAY DAY" .... i'm very quiet in general and don't really have a lot to say but if it wasn't for illmuzik.com I wouldn't be where I am today (musically)...

 

[Shonsteez]

Yeah man, Illmuzik is a really great community. I cant thank the heads here enough for giving a honky the opportunity to make a few bucks off his talents. But thats just the icing on the cake to me cuz this place was dope way before I started freelancing. In the end, its the people here that make this place thrive. Even tho it may be slower then it used to be lately I still think this forum cant be fucked with in comparison to its competition. The one thing I couldn't stand on other hiphop forums was the lack of respect towards others and how immature people generally are elsewhere.

 

[classic]

Honestly Its a catch 22 for me. First off I owe illmuzik ALOT. I joined exactly 2 weeks after i started producing in late 03. I basically built my production foundation here. When i came on here I didn't know anything about producing music. Just search some of my early threads and you will see how much of a newb i was. Not to mention the whole smash brothers project started right here in these forums. This a dope site and a great resource when used correctly.

With that being said In 06 made a conscious decision to fall back from the forefront. Those who were around a couple years ago know that i use to post 2 or 3 times a day. My three main reasons for falling back were.

1. Ive done alot around here and i feel like it was time to let the new blood shine

2, all about progression and sometimes i feel many of people on ill are still doing the same thing they were doing 5-10 years ago. To each is own but I need to be around like minded cats who are pushing boundaries and trying new things

3. (as somebody else stated) today Im a different person & artist then when i joined 6 years ago. When i first joined ill i was heavy into hip hop and all about beats. Now I'm more into differetn styles of music and being a musician. So checking out peoples beats in the showcase just aint fun for me anymore. Especially when the quality isent that great. Why give feedback on something that is just bad. I feel like ive grown up while the whole hip hop production culture is still stuck in its teenage years.

With that being said I'm always gonna be down with illmuzik . Its one of the first sites I check when i sign on.(habits die hard) I owe this place so much that i could never leave it alone. If there is anything i can do to try and help things along let me know.

class

 

[dacalion]

Yeah class theres something you can do...

Check this out, in the early 90's I moved from DC out to Far Rockaway NYC, I heard a cat named Pete Rock on either WBLS or KISS (I forget which one) scratch'n on turntables. The song was EPMD's "So Whatcha Sayin?" He was killing that ish, I mean really going off. At that very moment, that very instant, I knew DJ'ing was gonna be a part of my life. I started listening to other DJ's like Red Alert, Kid Capri, DJ Scratch, and Terminator X, I bought 2 turntables and a mixer and started mimic'ing their styles. Less than 2 years later, I had maxed turntablism. Later on I was crab'n like it was nothing, I mean clean ish not that raggedy ish them boys on the west coast was doing (j/K).

My point, that moment that I heard PR literally changed my life. It gave me a goal, it kept me out of the streets and so on...Eventhough we have never met or talked on a personal level, we got a feel for each other. You and Ash are the best duo I have heard at this producing game. You two cats have made some of the hottest ish Ive heard on ILL or any other site. (Dont let this go to your head...lol) You cats have touched someone out there the same way. You cats have made someone dream to do what you are already doing. If possible, you should continue to do that, rather than pulling all the way back, make yourself availiable to cats coming up, the most important thing to have is to have guidance. You said it yourself, when you came to ILL you didn't know anything about producing, cats come here everyday not knowing.

So see, youre like an asset to ILL. Its all about fun, learning new ish, getting opinions, competitions, hearing different styles, learning what to do and not do in this game, man the list goes on and on. Pulling back is leaving cats out on a limb that are out there looking for that something that just may change their life.

Oh and I understand that we grow up and move on, we're not at that point anymore, we're doing BIG ISH now... nothing but selffessness. Be a Pete Rock to somebody, the ultimate complement is somebody telling a story about how you changed thier life.

*edit - this is not just for class and Ash, this is for everyone who has accomplished something in this game. shadeed is giving back, H&R is giving back alot of cats are giving back and thats what we need.

Siincerely,

dac

 

[H&R]

What are like about illmuzik is the fact that the members here are more down to earth
rather than egotistical as on other forums ... Their isn't a bunch of childish screen names
just talking trash to each other. Its more of a level headed thinking man zone.

Been visitng since 2005 and will continue to do so !

 

[shadeed]

What I always liked about Illmuzik is that there is a standard that is maintained here. You have to "earn your stripes" here by participating before people take you seriously.

Things that Could be Better
I believe that a lot more can be done with Illmuzik Radio. I've contributed segments and would contribute a lot more with the time available, but that's more of a direct convo with Relic to get that in motion.

More ambitious compilation projects from Illmuzik members. What I'd like to see is projects released that challenge the people doing it - how about an all-rock themed collaboration CD, all jazz samples, so on so forth. There is great power in numbers and compilation projects marketed correctly would bring a lot of attention to the site.

As far as making it to a certain level and falling back, I think it should be the opposite.
The more I succeed in the entertainment industry, the more I want to share how it actually goes.
I didn't realize how many people check for those Blowing Up articles until I had somebody ask me to sign a printed copy of something I wrote while I was speaking at a conference not too long ago.

Doesn't mean you have to log on daily, but it makes the overall site stronger if those who are succeeding are able to be reached and drop gems every now and then.