This forum may be predominantly 4 the discussion of production but who can rap?
At Gearslutz, what I have witnessed, and discussed, has always tended towards the nuances and subtleties of music creation/ post-production.
I am curious, seeing at this is the rap & hip-hop section, to see if there are many artists here who have involvement in more-than-behind-the-laptop aspects of composition: for example, rapping.
I appreciate the technical feedback that I have had access to, requested and received, however; I think that vocal performers can lend so much to a track that the highly nuanced music is elevated even more due to attention being diverted (in this case, to the vocals, which demand attention).
DJ Premier is a sickhead but with Guru, they were both immortalised - one as a SICK producer, the other with dope flow. Combination = Just straight up fly.
I have made a track for which I am currently considering a rapper to feature on.
The style is more cLOUDDEAD than gang starr, admittedly.
Do many people imagine rapping over their instrumental pieces or is it just me?
For now, I'm tired of my instrumentals & want some live vox.
The best producers are rappers .....imho...we have both visions ...that doesn't mean non rappers prodicer are not good , but it misses a little something ....
I always remember that this gear and technical stuff is second but I'm an artist first,I just rather know how to do everything with out depending on someone else.
For my career i basically have to do everything myself. Production. Recording. Graphics. Pictures. Nobody really gives a **** about a rapper or believes you when you say thats what u wanna do. I had to leave the gangster shit alone to be successful. It took me 5 years to learn how to use a damn computer to do what i wanted to do but its way better than the shit i was doing. Haha. But anyways You Tell Me.
Producer/Rapper here. I can rap in english and spanish. I can go from english to spanish and spanish to english fluently over beats with ease. I do it for the love and to document my life and what I been through. Check me out if you get the chance.
Emcee/Beatmaker here
as a Beatmaker I feel that my personal preference is overwhelming and destroying my potential sales.
People generally don't like my favorite beats until they hear the lyrics I have written for them.
it's just as well tho, I never meant to sell my beats, it was just on the odd chance that I needed extra loot.
I only make beats because I rhyme, and nobody else can or is willing to make, for free, the kind of beats that I want.
The best producers are rappers .....imho...we have both visions ...that doesn't mean non rappers prodicer are not good , but it misses a little something ....
Yeah, if you rap you get a better vibe for the arrangement in general and how things can or should breakdown.
You don't have to be a grade a lyricist. But understanding how to make a track as crazy and creative as possible yet just tame enough so that just about anyone can rap over it easily is a definite advantage.
I find myself using old verses I wrote (that fits my instrumental theme) to "rap" over to get a feel to it. Today I've been interested in gear more than ever to expand my capabilities. I feel limited if I can only "rap", likewise if I was only to create beats.
-- I actually hate to be referred as a "rapper", it holds an awful stereotypical definition nowadays, an "artist" fits my criteria better, just my two cents.
^^i agree 100% on the last part of your post.
rapper first, picked up mixing second. i wanna get into producing sometime but i dont really need it since my friend produces for me and i get new industry beats from the net everyday.
the producer thing only is more recent there was a point when this place was just engineers and another where there were a ton of rappers now its just dominated by guys aspiring to be the next Lex Luger
Emcee/Beatmaker here
as a Beatmaker I feel that my personal preference is overwhelming and destroying my potential sales.
People generally don't like my favorite beats until they hear the lyrics I have written for them.
it's just as well tho, I never meant to sell my beats, it was just on the odd chance that I needed extra loot.
I only make beats because I rhyme, and nobody else can or is willing to make, for free, the kind of beats that I want.
-- I actually hate to be referred as a "rapper", it holds an awful stereotypical definition nowadays, an "artist" fits my criteria better, just my two cents.
I feel both of you...I been rapping for longer than I care to admit and...1, no one likes my favorite beats until I spit over them 2, the ones I really don't care for are the ones people go ape sh!t over. and 3, at my age saying im a rapper does bring about a certain perception of me that I'm not sure that I want as my first impression. Now when I say I produce or am an aspiring engineer it's a completely different story. I don't know if musicians from other genres go through this or is it exclusively a hip hop thing
__________________
The less a man makes declarative statements, the less apt he is to be wrong in retrospect.
-- I actually hate to be referred as a "rapper", it holds an awful stereotypical definition nowadays, an "artist" fits my criteria better, just my two cents.
I feel both of you...I been rapping for longer than I care to admit and...1, no one likes my favorite beats until I spit over them 2, the ones I really don't care for are the ones people go ape sh!t over. and 3, at my age saying im a rapper does bring about a certain perception of me that I'm not sure that I want as my first impression. Now when I say I produce or am an aspiring engineer it's a completely different story. I don't know if musicians from other genres go through this or is it exclusively a hip hop thing
I know Exactly what you mean I'm a artist/producer
I say artist because im not exactly a rapper not exactly a singer and I've always played instruments growing up
I was picking up ground as an artist as a kid but couldn't find a producer to fit my creativity so I started producing, didn't feel like "Engineers" were bringing out what I wanted in my mixes so I became one.
And now i'm this Artist/Producer/Engineer.
Now when a old lady sees me at a store and asks what I do I say "i'm a rapper" she makes a face like she smells dog sh**
If i say producer or engineer she says really? and looks interested I don't get it
even if so... they probably are not the best rappers.
I hear that but :
RZA
DR DRE
Lil JON
Neptunes
Kayne West
TIMBO
Cool and Dre
MannieFresh
DJ Quik
Bangladesh (yep he told me he was rappin ...)
Dj Paul & Juicy J
KLC
Swizzbeat
Warren G
Eric Sermon
Pete Rock
Yeah bro, I'm an mc myself. Started with both things at the same time, rapping and beatmaking/enginering and been doing it for over 10 years.
I feel having the whole vision has helped me big time but you can't be the best at everything because u can't dedicate all ur time to only one thing, feel me?
I'm very good at producing the beats that I like and that I would would rap on. The past year I have expanded into different hip hop genres for beats, only to sell. Still, for the life of me I can't make a good 'new school' rick ross, lil wayne bla bla bla beat. I just dont think like that and honestly despise with a passion 'new school' rap and what its doing to the culture and the art form. (dumbing it down)
My background of hip hop is old school hip hop, underground & lyrical indie hip hop, so i can rap better than 99% of my clients I record and mix. I have to bite my tongue and remind myself i'm getting paid.
Also, RZA is an amazing producer, but definitely not the strongest rapper out of wu-tang. Dre made amazing beats, but a lot of his raps are ghost written.
I think if you are doing both (rapping and producing) there is one that you are going to spend a little more time and dedication on. Its going to show. Your verses might dope, but beat might be a little more simple. Beats might be complex, but lyrics might not be up to par.
I'm very good at producing the beats that I like and that I would would rap on. The past year I have expanded into different hip hop genres for beats, only to sell. Still, for the life of me I can't make a good 'new school' rick ross, lil wayne bla bla bla beat. I just dont think like that
i can rap better than 99% of my clients I record and mix. I have to bite my tongue and remind myself i'm getting paid.
Also, RZA is an amazing producer, but definitely not the strongest rapper out of wu-tang. Dre made amazing beats, but a lot of his raps are ghost written.
I think if you are doing both (rapping and producing) there is one that you are going to spend a little more time and dedication on. Its going to show. Your verses might dope, but beat might be a little more simple. Beats might be complex, but lyrics might not be up to par.
Couldn't have said it better myself. I can, however make a industry sounding beat if a client wants me too. It's just I'd rather not. But I do try to keep my production sounding current.
I rap here and there but I am an a white cat from suburbia so I don't really have a style, persona, or general subject matter I am willing to invest my time in. Nothing wrong with that, some people feel it but I strive to make what I love, so I stick to beats. That's just me explaining me.
On the forum, there are really great rappers who lurk but don't post. Or, they have left. Reason being, rap threads always get torn apart. Truth be told, it seems like half the cats around here just mix (which is cool) but don't always get the cultural side of the music. Production/beatmaking deals with mixing so we some how get a long. When rappers post, mixing engineers become critical of spelling, phrasing, and language that defines the culture of hip hop. Maybe I am being a bit harsh but I know some mixing engineers who do primarily rock who have pissed off some great rappers on here, not really knowing so because the only reason I know is through actual conversations with one side or the other off the board. Sorry, that may seem like a rant but rappers don't really get respect here, which is odd to me.
I rap here and there but I am an a white cat from suburbia so I don't really have a style, persona, or general subject matter I am willing to invest my time in. Nothing wrong with that, some people feel it but I strive to make what I love, so I stick to beats. That's just me explaining me.
On the forum, there are really great rappers who lurk but don't post. Or, they have left. Reason being, rap threads always get torn apart. Truth be told, it seems like half the cats around here just mix (which is cool) but don't always get the cultural side of the music. Production/beatmaking deals with mixing so we some how get a long. When rappers post, mixing engineers become critical of spelling, phrasing, and language that defines the culture of hip hop. Maybe I am being a bit harsh but I know some mixing engineers who do primarily rock who have pissed off some great rappers on here, not really knowing so because the only reason I know is through actual conversations with one side or the other off the board. Sorry, that may seem like a rant but rappers don't really get respect here, which is odd to me.
I have "professionalism" beaten into my head everyday at school, so I try to always type as proper as I can, but even with me doing that I get someone spell check me on here everyday -.- .... so you can't win no matter what route you take. lmao smh
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