Tech Sessions #15
Real Producers Vs. Beat-makers II
Ya’ll are going to have to let me stay in the same lane for two weeks in a row. If you missed last week, I would say read Real Producers Vs. Beat-makers before you continue.
Most of the feedback that came in was nothing but positive and for that I am appreciative but the topic of not limiting yourself to being just a beat maker sparked a real serious debate with someone and via their anonymous consent I’m going to bring you their part of the show and my thoughts on it.
Now, this particular person’s logic, reasoning, operating procedure etc is that hip-hop is becoming to reliant on super-producers who control every aspect of the product and that rap production in it’s purest form is simply a DJ with two turntables, a mixer, a sampler and/or a drum machine.
Basically the bare-knuckled point is that rappers should do what they do and producers do what they do and let the engineer make it sound good.
Now to his credit, this is a 22 year-old who pushes more of the classics than most 40 year-olds I know. A new producer coming in that does it because he loves it and not because he has to make it. He is not trying to be the next whoever or somebody who came up on some backpacker shit and is getting all kinds of high and mighty. That has to be understood to get the whole shape of his point.
Where I agree is that every artist should be “ready” to be in the booth before they cut. I won’t use Pro-Tools to splice or jigsaw puzzle a decent verse together. But do I believe that it’s my job to coach the best vocal possible out of the artists? Yes. So in regards to super-producers taking over the game, we agree on the point that some aspects of production have gotten too out of hand and that people who can not sing or rap are being allowed to do so because they are marketable.
But you know what? That’s life and there should be room for fluff. We shouldn’t be forced to live on a diet of nothing but fluff. But some people have a sweet tooth. Oh well, their cavities.
Now, I’m not going to dog dude, nor am I in a position to do so but whether he realizes it or not his mode of thought as a rule is keeping our music from being everything that it can be.
As producers, artists, fans, industry folk whatever, we have placed way too many limitations on what it is we like, do and or willing to accomplish. I straight-up asked dude if he had any desire to once he gets on push ahead to working all sides of the production game and his answer was like ‘ naw. I’m going to stay in my rap lane.‘
Truthfully, dude is tight with his skills and is very smart so I don’t think he’s going to have a problem as long as he pushes ahead and I’m not going to fault him for wanting a certain thing. That’s not what this is about.
This is about a bigger picture that grows smaller with everyday. Being a kid who grew up with hip-hop and can not imagine a world where it doesn’t exist, I bugged out when I really listened to what makes a classic album like Isaac Hayes’ Hot Buttered Soul tick. Ditto for Al Green, Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, The Bar Kays and too many others to list.
It’s not that older is better. It’s that this music which we draw from so heavily took chances. That music would run with a rock riff over a funk beat and have the sweatiest baby come back to me vocal you have ever heard in your life over it. And that music is timeless.
Shit, if you want to break it down on the strictly financial, imagine yourself an old retired fat ass old man with a MPC in your lap and the biggest task of the day being going to the mailbox to get your publishing checks for a bottomless well of spins at classic/oldies radio for songs you wrote 20 years ago. That to me is game.
Staying on point (or trying to), I’m going to end part two of this topic by going out on a major limb. The roots of more than 75% of the music that is made in this country is directly traceable to the innovations of the “urban” cats of the day. A producer now more than ever is in the position to take the lead in the race to the next level.
Glover is one half of the Atlanta, GA based production squad The Audio Assassins which are founding members of The Elements. You can find them both at Audioassassins.com and theelementsinc.com
Message Glover and hip him to how you differentiate between between real producers and beat-makers! Remember, if we limit ourselves to doing just one thing what’s going to happen tomorrow?
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The 2-Way
Replies: 2
posted by: Mepho Brown @ 09/09/04: 04:04 PM EST
"The roots of more than 75% of the music that is made in this country is directly traceable to the innovations of the “urban” cats of the day. A producer now more than ever is in the position to take the lead in the race to the next level."
Overall, I'd have to agree with this. I believe that growth is a constant process and in order for music to evolve we (specifically hip-hop producers) should evolve with our production methods. This doesn't mean to ABANDON traditional methods, but to build upon them...and with the state of music today, innovation is much needed. The problem with being too innovative is that it's not appreciated (monetarily wise) right off the bat...lets' face it, something totally different, or different sounding (specifically in the hip-hop market) is more likely to not get the mainstream $'s than something off the cookie cutter assembly line.....and there are a few exceptions but..you know what I'm sayin...
anyhew....yes there is a difference in beat-making opposed to producing and hip-hop production should expand in both areas..
posted by: Audio Assassin @ 09/10/04: 08:08 AM EST
Mepho,
All of those points are true but it is possible to keep it moving without being herky-jerky with trying to re-invent the wheel. Of course certain things will most likely never blow-up
in the U.S. regardless of how good most of the records are. For example look at trip-hop. It's influence has been huge on creative heads here. I do think we can find a balance and in within that balance could be innovation. I think a lot of us are sitting on hot tracks/ songs that won't see the light of day because we know they are too ahead of the curve which is shame because people just want real music that takes them somewhere.
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