For Lovers of Beats, Rhymes and Classic Hip Hop!

Jul 09, 2015 by strat - Comments Off

The A3C Festival is here and the lineup reads like the Justice League of Hip Hop especially if you’re like me and have been down with the culture basically since inception. I unfortunately won’t be there first hand to witness the plethora of mind-blowing beats and rhymes but I can surely dream! The lineup reportedly includes: De La Soul, Rakim, Pharoahe Monch, Jean Grae, Cam’rom and many more. For more check this article on OkayPlayer by ZO.

Peace

Food for Ears: Beats, Sounds, Lyrics

Jul 08, 2015 by strat - Comments Off

kweli unnamed-6_e94091e9-85c7-46e0-85e4-3e9f6ebb3090_1024x1024

Food for Ears

So one of my favourite all time emcees, Talib Kweli just dropped a surprise album of B-sides and previously unreleased content featuring the likes of Common, Yasiin Bey Kanye West and Killer Mike……wait, what?!!?!

Read the article by Scott Heins on OkayPlayer here

Latest Beats and Sounds Online

Jul 08, 2015 by strat - Comments Off

Ok so yes I’m a producer and I specialize in Hip Hop (I make other genres too btw!). However at heart I am and always will be a Hip Hop fan. Lately one of the most impressive things about Hip Hop as a genre has been the quality of the beats and instrumentals. One of my favourite young producers is Metro Boomin. Check out this new one from Young Scooter produced by Metro. The vibe is, as they say, ‘on fleek’!

Why Artists Should Focus on Hot Singles rather than Just Mixtapes

Jan 21, 2014 by strat - Comments Off

rap beats, buy beats online, hip hop, mixtapes, hot singles

The Mixtape is King…Or is it? There may be a More Efficient Use of Your Budget for Rap Beats and Promotion.

The culture of hip hop for many years now has glorified the mixtape as the standard medium for artists to get their name out on the streets. Basically the trend is, if you don’t release a mixtape you’re a nobody. This has been further reinforced in recent times by the high number of successful mixtapes released by top artists such as Meek Mill, Ace Hood and Lil Wayne. For those of you old enough to remember, the mixtape has evolved and has seen many different forms. At one point the mixtape was primarily a DJ platform where the DJ would put together a number of top releases on one project and showcase his mixing skills. Then artists began to use the mixtape to release more informal tracks where they mostly rapped or sang over popular rap beats as opposed to hiring a producer to create original instrumentals. Nowadays a mixtape can be seen as basically an informal street album with artists doing songs over original rap beats as they would on an album. While this is a great part of hip hop (as well as r&b and pop), rising artists must also understand that time, money and focus can be better spent at certain times on singles instead of a large body of work. I’m about to explain why.

Why Focusing on Singles can be Better in the Short Term.

Focusing on one song at a time gives you better focus content wise and it prevents the feeling over being overwhelmed by the thought of getting an entire body of work done right and released by a certain time. With a single you can view the project as finite and pay more attention to every detail of it from the lyrics and flows to the beat and the mix.
Potential for sales and licensing. A single is easier to market by virtue of the low price on iTunes for example, and it can also be licensed to film or TV which can potentially bring in significant royalties for a long time.
Easy collaboration. If you are a member of a good artist forum or you have a plenty followers on Twitter/Facebook/Instagram who are also artists, you can easily find like minded artists to do collaborative singles with. This is beneficial because you can each introduce each other to new sets of fans and followers.
Easier on your budget. Producing a 10 song mixtape can be expensive in terms finding the right beats, studio time, artwork and promotion. However when you focus on one single at a time, you can earmark smaller amounts of money and give yourself time to earn more income. There are plenty of sites which allow you to buy beats online inexpensively, as well as many online sources for graphics, promotion and distribution.
A single is a vehicle for a great music video and an opportunity to earn money via Youtube.
The right single can be an engine for great success. If a single creates enough buzz it can lead to amazing things such as: a position on Billboard, performances on highly rated shows, a huge following on social media and opportunities to work with top artists and producers. All these things will in turn create an environment where it begins to make sense to drop a mixtape or even an album because by this point, you would have enough fans and a big enough budget to truly give the mixtape the mileage it deserves.

Unfold Your Strategy in Stages.

I am in no way bashing or saying that a mixtape should be avoided. On the contrary I’m suggesting that artists look at their process in stages. The single and all of its merits can easily open the door for a more successful mixtape release instead of trying to rush and do the mixtape first. If you need to buy beats, go online and buy a few that you really feel and create from there. Over time as your exposure grows, fans will begin to demand a larger body of work. After all, no one can sell to an audience that does not yet exist. Take your time and think things through. Put energy and attention to detail into making a great record and do this each time you set out to make a record and eventually your body of work will take shape. Remain focused and watch your success as an artist unfold.

The Power of Music

Sep 03, 2013 by strat - Comments Off

Connecting Your Emotions to the Beats

This world would be a colourless and flavourless orb if music were to suddenly cease to exist. How would we even survive? I know I’m not alone when I hear a song come on and it takes me back to the emotions I had when I first heard it. Perhaps it specifically speaks to a situation you may have been in at the time or it reminds you of a loved one. In any number of ways, we relate to songs whether they are well written love songs, inspirational songs, or even just our favourite pop beats and rap beats. Take the JT song shown above as an example. If you have felt as though you were totally in love with someone, this song is gonna make you sit there and daydream. Maybe your even lucky enough to look over at that person next to you and smile while the song is playing.

Remember the Feeling you had when you First Heard certain Rap Beats?

To all the real hip hop heads who go apeshit at just the first chord of the beat to a classic hip hop track. I remember feeling the adrenaline flowing each time I’d hear the first 4 bars of T.R.O.Y (Pete Rock & C.L Smooth), Award Tour (ATCQ), C.R.E.A.M (Wu Tang), Gin & Juice (Snoop), Chief Rocka (Lords of the Underground)…..this list could go on forever so let me quit while I still have your attention. This should be an inspiration to all you songwriters and producers out there. Strive to put that emotion in your songs and your rap beats so that listeners and artists who buy beats online can feel that connection. Don’t just make tracks because you feel you have to. Allow the art and the music to flow from you via the highways of true inspiration and enthusiasm.

How to Add Hit Making Value to Your Productions

Apr 24, 2012 by strat - Comments Off

Whether you are a rapper, singer, producer or filmaker, you need great quality music for your productions. These days there are plenty options for those of you involved in creative industries. You can buy beats online, license royalty free music, license music from established artists (highly costly) or simply make the music yourself. No matter which method you choose, the music in your productions needs to be of good quality. I get seriously annoyed if I’m watching a movie or TV show and they’re using some painfully generic sounding background music!

In the above video clip I present a new sample pack called Radio UberStarz Vol 1. It features 5 Hip Hop/R&B/Pop construction kits which are perfect for any of the aforementioned uses. Artists who usually buy beats online can use kits like these if they are in the mood (and have the capacity) to be more creative, as these kits give you more flexibility than just using an mp3. Producers can use these loops to add to or inspire their own beats. A producer is NOT necessarily the guy who plays all the instruments in a beat. That guy would be called a composer, musician or simply just beatmaker. A producer is the person with the overall creative vision for a project. He decides what goes where and how it should sound. Loops and samples have long been a big part of a true producer’s arsenal (If you play many instruments or compose your own beats from scratch, that’s great too!).

Take some time out to check out the loops and samples in the kit featured here, and perhaps some of my other kits. They are proven, trusted by other producers and can easily help you add that hit-making sound to your productions

INDUSTRY TALK: The Definition of “MC”

Mar 10, 2012 by strat - Comments Off

Throughout the years, I have been privy to many a debate on this topic. I have been a connoisseur of fine hip hop since the late 80s and many of my peers respect me as an authority on the subject. That aside, I’ve noticed that peoples’ opinions of what an MC supposed to be, within a Hip Hop context, tend to differ somewhat. On the day when we remember the late, great Christopher Wallace aka The Notorious B.I.G, I thought I would deal with this issue a bit.

So I recently saw some of my peoples in a facebook group arguing (kinda) over whether a certain rap artist can be considered an MC (Nicki Minaj -__-). Some people said that she’s not a good lyricist and therefore she should never hold that title. Well is this really true? Does being lyrical equate to being a real MC? It’s all about perspective really. At the beginning of Hip Hop, the term MC implied “one who moved the crowd”. It was actually closer akin in definition to the dictionary meaning “Master of Ceremonies”. The earliest Hip Hop showcases were not so much about the rapper, as it was about the entire culture. The MC in those days basically hyped up the crowd with simple party styled lyrics (“throw ya hands in the air, and wave ’em like you just don’t care”) while the DJ did his thing on the wheels. Even the early songs by Kurtis Blow, Grandmaster Flash and The Sugar Hill Gang were not lyrical by today’s standards but they did in fact move the crowd. We could even argue about what “lyrical” means, as many people may say that the Furious Five’s “The Message” was a lyrical song simply because of how they brought across the subject matter.

Fast forward to now. It’s 2012 and the game has been significantly changed, time and time again. Now the most revered MCs are the lyricists (I use MC and not rapper. A rapper can be anyone who raps. Many rappers exist and are chart toppers not because of skill but because of marketing). As time progressed, MCs such as Big L, Kool G Rap, Biggie, Pac, Nas, Jay-Z, Common, yasiin bey (Mos Def) and others have made music that redefined how we judge an MC. Nowadays, if you’re not lyrical, your “MC” status is dubious at best (except in the eyes of MTV). The use of metaphor, double entendre and punchlines is now a vital part of being an MC.

Even now in a time where success as a rap artist seems to be dependent on your marketing and your beats, real hip hoppers understand what it takes to be an MC. The real reason why I would say that being and MC now requires lyricism is because in many circles, that is how you ‘move the crowd’. Even some of the most popular mainstream artists, such as L’il Wayne and Drake, are top notch MCs because of what they say and how they say it.

To any rappers or MCs reading this, aspiring or established, I hope it helps in some way. To the indie artists longing to claim your place among the greats like B.I.G, study your craft and do worry about hot beats. The beats are everywhere now and you don’t need to have a Timberland sized budget to get them. Simply grab your debit/credit card and buy beats online. Respect the art. Peace.

R.I.P

Christopher George Latore Wallace

May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997

INDUSTRY TALK: Hot New Consequence ft Busta Rhymes (Beat is CRAZY)

Mar 02, 2012 by strat - Comments Off

cover art

Real hip hop seeps back into our lives every once in a while. This Native Tongues reminiscent track (If you don’t know what I mean by Native Tongues, never listen to hip hop again -__-) is refreshing, with the Dungeon Dragon Godfather and the heavily underrated microphone virtuoso showing the younger cats how it should be done! The beat is insane too! Well produced. I’m not totally a fan of the mix but in some cases these things are simply a matter of taste.

If you enjoy hip hop of this nature and/or your are an artist looking for REAL hip hop beats online, visit my beats page. Nuff said

Source for this track and info: Mr. X at Nahright.com

INDUSTRY TALK: How to Start Off Your Music Career with a BANG!

Mar 01, 2012 by strat - Comments Off

Respect The Hustle

I’ve produced and helped alot of independent artists for the past few years. Some of them have received critical acclaim, radio play and even financial success while others remained in obscurity. The reasons for this disparity are varied, however, there is one thing which we all know for sure: marketing methods for artists in 2012 are way different to what they were 5 years ago.

In order to have a successful impact with your first single release, there are a few things I believe that you need to do. I won’t go into the conventional, outdated methods because, let’s face it, times are changing than a Usain Bolt sprint these days. These are some of the tings I suggest for artists releasing music in this present era:

Choosing the right beats. Understand what type of artist you want to be and thus the market you want to capture. Choose beats that not only suit you as an artist, but also embody the prevailing trends of a “hit” in your chosen genre. Personally, I would suggest using a beat that is a bit on the cutting edge of the popular style, since people these days are always looking for something familiar, yet fresh and new. Buying beats online is the best option for shopping around, as there are plenty of websites to suit most styles.

Give your single away for free download. If you don’t already have an established and paying fan base, then upload your song (we’re assuming it’s blazing hot and people will want to have it) to sites like Mediafire or Hulkshare and start tweeting and plus-one-ing and facebooking your download link like crazy. Don’t spam people though, make it tasteful and not excessive. Giving away something for free is a sure way to garner interest, build your fan base and give people an incentive to actually buy when you do have something for sale.

Go viral. Get an affordable HD camera (if you are a do-it-yourself-er) and shoot and edit a simple but clean and impressive video for your single, otherwise find an affordable video guy and get him to do it. Upload that thing to youtube and get to sharing. Signing up to active communities such as ThisIs50 can help you as you share your video and try to get its views up. People like to listen but in this era, connecting with your fans visually is priceless!

Spend money to make money. It’s an old adage but it’s still relevant. Shell out a little cash for some hosting and a domain name and put up a simple WordPress site to showcase or even sell your music. Or simply sign up on Bandcamp. Then the next thing to do would be to buy some banner advertising and place it in high traffic areas, such as online forums where your target market would congregate. Make sure your videos contain your web links as well. This rule also applies to beats. Don’t just seek out free beats, spend the extra couple dollars to buy the tagless beat lease or even the exclusive rights. This speaks to how serious you take yourself and in turn, the universe and the people in it will take you just as seriously.

Ok that was a mouthful but I thought it was needed. The key here is to take yourself and your music career seriously. Turn a hobby into an income generator. I did and so can you.

INDUSTRY TALK: Is the Gimmick-Driven, Auto Tune Era in Music Ending?

Feb 27, 2012 by strat - Comments Off

Adele with grammys
We’ve all been subjected to the past few years in music. With the emergence of flamboyant, larger-than-life personalities such as Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj, and the widespread abuse of Antares’ Auto Tune, The music industry has churned out batch after batch of prepackaged, cookie cutter pop stars. Not to say that these people don’t have amazing natural talent, but these days talent is playing second fiddle to an artists ability to keep the media talking with controversy.

That aside, along comes Adele. This juggernaut of an artist is like the organic fruit in a room full of processed snacks. Dean Cramer of http://www.kingsofar.com gives a better rundown in his article which you should read here

This is something indie artists need to take to heart. Maybe it’s better to be who you are, rather than conform to what the industry is dictating as a prevailing trend. Maybe it’s better to continue to buy beats online for low price and sell records independently in your region. Be the hometown hero. Just a thought.

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