why aren't there rapper producer groups/duos anymore?

[def1nition]

back in tha day most of the albums were made by rapper producer groups you had Pete Rock CL Smooth, Gangstarr, Tribe, Slum Villiage, Digable Planets now albums are produced by different producers on damn near every track. I think albums would sound more unified and creative if it went back to this.

 

[Shonsteez]

Man, to me its like most of those guys were crew to begin with and so they had more of a union going on in each group which also reflected in tha music i think...And nowadays its like that unity has slowly disolved and is lesser and lesser what with how popular it is to simply put a popular producer on blast with jus about any other popular rapper maikin it right now...Its like no one really gives a shit at that level cuz everyones more about theyre money then actually bein crew and stayin that way to put out good hiphop...I actually think thats one of tha major aspects of why i dont like tha mainstream alot these days as well...Its like, Nothing feels original since everyone and theyre grandma has so-and-so producer or so-and-so rapper on whats supposed to be theyre solo album, but is really a large compilation of other pop-artist-rnb cats-rappers and that shit sells so......

 

[StressWon]

When ya a group, ya gotta split the money,,,when ya a solo artist,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[Cheo]

Cuz everybody thinks they can rap nowadays...its almost to the point where everyone thinks they can make a hot beat too.

 

[bigdmakintrax]

Imma tell you....unless you have a label with contracts to lock them down, Artists have no allegiance...there are too many beat makers in tha game nowadays....I think there are some crews that stay together for the love but that is rare.....as a producer I like to sell beats but I would rather have some true heads that want to just stick with it and put out records.....

 

[Shonsteez]

Well said D, once again agree to tha fullest. My motives are tha same.

 

[boneyboys]

Hehe, I think at this point God pops up and says that the nasty A&R men don't want groups cause they have to sort out lots of people so it's more expensive. But I'm definitely a fan of the group feel to hip-hop, I think it definitely gives a lot more continuity.

 

[AHXBEATS]

Don't forget Milk and Giz, Jazzy Jeff and the fresh prince, G-Rap and Polo, The Juice Crew and Marley Marl. Nowaday everyones greedy. You got cats chargen 200+ thousand for a beat.. Who needs a partner with prices like that. Plus you don't want your whole album sounding the same.. Even the best producers, sound the same a lot of the times. Don't mean to crush yalls EGO'S, but most people sound the same, no matter how much you think all your tracks are different from one another. And your best friends keeps telling you there all different.. Having your own sound is a good thing. Makes you identifiable.. If someone can hear a brand new song and say " ohh that's a {your name} beat". then you know your doin it. I'm pretty sure by now everyone can spot a Kanye, or Neptures beat from the first listen. That's cause they doin it, and doin it big. But sooner or later that next cat will come along and replace them and they'll be on the bottom trying to climb back up like Swiss.

X-RAY
"aka"Jewel Avenue OX

 

[Formant024]

Hmmm,

J-Zone, i dig this fella and he's sick on the mpc.
Ehr..., necro and his ASR.
Def Jux crew, lotta cats produce themselves.

This is a industry issue, not an underground dillema hehe.

 

[def1nition]

yeah I think the industry has a lot to do with it, nowadays it's like three or four producers that have a monopoly on the bussiness if you're not produced by one of them it's hard to have a hit song, plus most record companies want to use in house producers when they sighn a rapper so they can keep the publishing rights to the songs. But what is happening is everyone is trying to sound like these 3 or 4 top producers so they can get put on and not trying to develope their own sound or a group sound. I have a crew that I produce with it's me and one other producer and 1 rapper. The tracks I produce for artists outside the crew sound different than the tracks for crew because they would get lost in the sauce with all the other shit other producers are produceing for the album it's almost like I have 2 personalities as a producer 1 for crew and one for the other stuff I produce.

 

[pmJ]

Groupie...

I am actually working on my guy's solo album and starting a collabo(crew) album for myself. I look at two points the group vs. solo.

On solo album, the fans have a better chance to see where this artist is going, what they are about, its like the artist can get established as an individual. Vs a group album where its two or more people expressing same subjects with different styles and approaches."What I mean by that is" (two or more people expressing same subjects with different styles) was that a track/ablum could be more diverse. Which I feel would be a good thing. For an artist that has already been somewhat established. Personally, I feel a solo/group can be successful with the right elements. Groups can suck though cuz you rely on other persons to help promote, attend shows, etc. And some people may not be as committed as you are into music. Personal Experiece. Just read it and didnt want it to be misuderstood. I know there is more to it, but......

I like the group thing myself reguardless. Groups seem to have a different kind of energy vs. a solo artist. And some groups from amature to pro can be a lot more entertaining to watch perform..................pm

 

[Shonsteez]

I dont think its bad to have other featured producers on yer album if you want to mix it up a bit, But i believe especially for yer first album you really should "Do You", or more so yer "Crew Only" if you got one anyway?...

I also think that if your too bored to listen to an entire LP of a new groups material without 20 freakin other producers on it - you may not really appreciate tha music to tha same extent as others??? - Its just a thought really. I mean, If you look at it like; in order to be satisfied or happy with an album you buy, "It has to have like 80 rappers and 80 producers on it" - then maybe your not really interested in tha music itsself, but moreso jus tha hype revolving around it???

Ponder that. - Im sure someone will either highly disagree, or completely misinterpret what i said!?


Steez

 

[1d3nt1tY]

well.... my opinion on this is mixed. I like the way a group sounds, just cuz you get more people putting talent into the track itself... You can see the difference of different people's outlook and style.

A solo artist cd seems to get monotonous, saying the same shit like 15 different times with a different fill in verse... if they don't switch up a bit and you never hear anything other than one guy on similar sounding tracks, it gets lame after awhile.

I think we need group productions, even if the money gets split up between them all, just because it will help propel more than one person at a time. First a group, then solo albums to follow. unless you have no homies, they are all dead, or you don't have anyone that you would want to share the wealth with.

Look, I'm tryin to bring everyone I can with me to the top, if I were to ever blow up... I wouldn't be alone...

Hiphop was given to us by "groups" of people to begin with, nothing sounds better than a circle of fools makin dope shit, plain and simple, and it's one of the reasons why it grew so much over the years... most of the reasons I love hiphop was because of my first experiences with it when I was young, and it was all groups and breakdancers... and dope ass shit. tru, I have been influenced by solo careers too, dj quick, too short, e40... etc etc...

I guess it depends on the person, if someone has enough talent to bring it proper without soundin stupid after 13 tracks, it is most definitely a good thing. any rapper needs substance with lots of shit to say for me to keep it playin, pretty much.

what do you think of that peoples???

 

[Shonsteez]

I guess it depends on the person, if someone has enough talent to bring it proper without soundin stupid after 13 tracks, it is most definitely a good thing. any rapper needs substance with lots of shit to say for me to keep it playin, pretty much.

Word tha fuck up! - - - See thats tha tip Im on....Seriously tho, if as an artist you cant do that and hold yer own shit down for at least 13 tracks than I think that its time to go back to tha drawing board cuz you dont really belong in tha game droppin cd's that are that stale. I mean who tha fuck wants to buy an album with only 3 good songs on it outa like 13 or 20??...Fuck that - to me thats like why even waist tha time and money to release a piece a shit like that.

 

[Diveno-Quadrant]

Well i'm not sure but i would say that today the industry seems to focus on individual artists.Take for example Nelly,Eminem,G Unit...one person that made it and brought up his crew afterwards cause the companny didnt want to risk with the hole package.Just for the all times sake...my favorite duo Guru-Premo...nuff said.

 

[Shonsteez]

Yeah, but tha formula of using a butt-load of producers on a debut'ing artist's cd nowadays highly outweighs having "crew" or for that matter tha same two cats or whatever from generally start to finish. It jus doesnt happen these days, and since producers have so much hype in tha game nowadays - they jus link up with hella cats and make a album but say its jus so and so instead of all these other rappers for example. Esentially, cats are jus droppin a grip of "MIXTAPES" and callin it an album. And, yes that doesnt go for every artist making it in tha mainstream...Im jus shining light on tha fact that you dont see too many groups or solo artists these days coming up and staying with tha same cats makin music together in tha future...Some do, I mean, there always will be a good majority who do...But ALOT DONT now, more than back in tha day anyways...and you see that leak through in a lot of tha shit you can peep on tha tube these days.

 

[Phonetik]

I think loyalty has diminished in the game. Rap is better when you hear a beat for a couple of seconds and you are like oooh, thats that pete rock and cl shiot! ya know?