What usually drives your reason for creating a beat?

[shadeed]

After giving this question a lot of thought, I can only explain my motivation for production by using the California Gold Rush as a metaphor. In the 1800's, everybody was selling their homes and dreams to move to California and strike it rich. Many people arrived and soon went broke after discovering that most of it was illusion. When the smoke cleared,
a few people did actually find gold, but the people who maintained the most fortune were not the people who went searching for the gold, it was the people who set up shop for starstruck travelers and SOLD THEM THE TOOLS.

Basically since everybody wants to "live the dream" and be a rapper these days,
I'll always make a living because every rapper needs a beat.
I don't necessarily LOVE the beat-making process, but I enjoy the finished product,
I'm more involved in the marketing and promotion aspects of production.
I tried being an MC and I was pretty good at it, but I can sit in my house and take
1 hour and come up with an instrumental, and make $200-500 bucks (I'm flexible haha!)
off some guy in West Bumblef--k, who needs a "Neptunes sounding beat", you cant beat that!

And to answer the second question, at this stage of my "career" I am a beatmaker only.
I submit tracks and get paid up front. I define a producer as somebody who shapes the course and direction of an entire album. I am starting to work with a group of MC's
and I make the beats based off their flow, personality, and preference.

 

[Shonsteez]

Hey,

I just wanted to add, that i find it really interesting that most of us beatmakers are past or present artists as well!.....That seems to be an ongoing trend.....must be something about that end of the spectrum of expressing ones self.....Ive actaully been a artist ever since i was alittle kid.....Ive done extensive drawing/painting/ and computer art over the last 15 years of my life.....

 

[Royal]

Same here Steez

Hey,

I just wanted to add, that i find it really interesting that most of us beatmakers are past or present artists as well!.....That seems to be an ongoing trend.....must be something about that end of the spectrum of expressing ones self.....Ive actaully been a artist ever since i was alittle kid.....Ive done extensive drawing/painting/ and computer art over the last 15 years of my life.....

...but back on the subject, I think I make beats for me. I usually don't care if someone is feeling them or not, I just make them to express myself. If people like 'em, they like 'em. And if they don't, screw 'em.

Maybe when I start working with more people and start selling them my reasons might change, but for now, I do it for myself.

-Roy

 

[2_nice]

i roll out of bed and i'm like... damn i feel like making a beat i think that would be fun... i then hit some buttons flick some switches start up my shit then go to happyland... i think aspirations etc. cloud artistic integrity

 

[Producer_GyaL]

i LOVE to read how music is so important for people. I enjoy this thread.

 

[mr mello]

i LOVE to read how music is so important for people. I enjoy this thread.

Yeah me to.

I draw comics and paint too (wierd) anyway, I just love hip hop as a culture, I am in to Graff, B-boying, Deejaying and emceeing. It offers one so many ways to express oneself, for me making beats is just another medium I can use to express myself. And as an emcee it gives me a lot more control , although I must admit , I find it a little difficult to rhyme to my own beats.

Its also nice to hear other poeple appreciate your work , but that is not my primary objective

 

[DJ Excellence]

Its interesting a few of us here are into drawing/painting as well...

I used to paint too lol ... well still do occasionaly , but it's like I've lost all my skills

 

[MarkN]

the reason i do it is i want to, i don't have any reason to i guess and no1 tells me to do it, so it really is just for me ! and what better reason ?

as for working with MCs i haven't really worked with many so to be honest what i do is produce tracks with the sample im working with ill listen to it and try and find a mood that it suits ill build the track to suit a mood, then if an MC says i want a track to rap about so and so on i will look for a track that i think will sound good with that !

 

[Formant024]

pushing audible frequencies is an obsession...no matter what music it is...

 

[Lex]

Hey,

I just wanted to add, that i find it really interesting that most of us beatmakers are past or present artists as well!.....That seems to be an ongoing trend.....must be something about that end of the spectrum of expressing ones self.....Ive actaully been a artist ever since i was alittle kid.....Ive done extensive drawing/painting/ and computer art over the last 15 years of my life.....

Definately an interesting point - I probably woulnd't describe myself as an artist if someone asked, but I love art - I'm always drawing, sketching, messing about in photoshop, writing graffiti in lessons, taking stupid pictures with a shit camera...just like beatmaking, I enjoy creating things or putting an idea thats in my head into a physical form [in the case of art] or a sonic form in the case of producing/playing in a band.

 

[Equelizer]

making beats is a art. its like painting a picture and your sounds are your colors. it may be a sad picture or a happy picture. for me making beats comes naturally, i have a ear for music. i had never learn to play any instruments. i am an ex-football player who loved hip-hop. what drive me is creativity. being able to come up with some beautiful shit from nothing.

 

[J Beatz]

what drives me to make a beat is too see somebody noddin there head to my music. when i make a beat i always am thinkin of an atmosphere and mood and i try to add that to my music. i think that pulls the listener even more into what they're listenin to.