Frame it the Right Way; Aim for A Career in Music

Opening Up Music-Related Opportunities by Broadening Your Scope

By AMIR SAID (SA'ID)

Many beatmakers (producers) put themselves in a trap. For most, the goal is to have a music career rather than a career in music. What’s the difference? you say. Isn’t that the same thing? Isn’t that just semantics? Well, no, it’s not the same thing; and it isn’t just semantics. Once you unpack the philosophical approaches that lies beneath the framing of each of these phrases, you notice that there are glaring differences.

As a framing, “music career” usually evokes the understanding of the traditional recording artist/label dichotomy and music industry architecture. Indeed, for most people, this is the idea that “music career” triggers. So as it follows, a music career is typically understood as a vocation that is squarely rooted in, and otherwise connected to, the parameters of the music industry. Therefore, a music career is something that is inevitably measured by or against, for better or worse, the metrics of the major label system hierarchy and the mainstream infrastructures that secure its place in both commerce and popular culture. And although the music industry as a whole contains a number of distinguished areas of concentration (production, songwriting, performance, licensing, publishing, etc.), to have a music career commonly implies that one’s livelihood is inextricably tied to the music industry.

A “music career” embodies a philosophical approach that fundamentally sees the music industry as both the chief means (if not the only means) of employment and as the primary arbiter of success. This deference to the music industry is warranted, given the scope of what a music career implies. But such deference can be detrimental inasmuch as it often curbs how many recording artists/musicians think about their possible career opportunities. When recording artists/musicians limit the scope of their career opportunities to those traditionally found within the music industry, they cut off a world of other industries that could use their musical talents. Similarly, when beatmakers narrow their idea of a music career to landing placements on a rapper’s album, they shrink the modes by which they can earn a living off of their music-related talents.

A Career in Music Signals Something Broader

As a framing, “A career in music” implies much more than the traditional recording artist/label dichotomy and music industry architecture. It embodies a philosophical approach that fundamentally sees one’s musical talents, not the music industry, as the guide for opportunity and the chief metric for success. Moreover, “a career in music” signals to me something broader, something less restrictive and hierarchical. While the “music career” framing seems to imply something singular, something that’s attached to the music industry and its sub-industries (e.g. session work, tour support, etc.), “a career in music” conveys something much more multi-dimensional and spacious.

“A career in music” works as an umbrella framework that’s not deferential to any one spectrum; for instance, it treats the traditional recording artist/label dichotomy and music industry architecture as one dimension. And so, there’s infinite room for a league of other music-related dimensions as well. Further, as a framing, “a career in music” leads recording artists/musicians to expand their ideas about how they can earn a living from their music-related talents. And, inevitably, it opens up new possibilities for them; at the same time, it removes a dependence upon the music industry architecture.

What Does this Mean for Beatmakers?

This idea of using the framing, “career in music”, is just as important to beatmakers as any other musician—perhaps even more. Far too many beatmakers look at beat placement with romantic eyes; they see it as the single “big break” that can make their career. As such, these beatmakers focus all of their attention on getting their beats into the hands—or email inboxes—of any rapper, or other vocalist, or A&R, or so-called music industry “insider” that they can. At the same time, they ignore or choose not to explore (for whatever reason) other ways to earn a living from their music-related talents.

Is this singular strategy wrong? Not necessarily, depends on the situation and the people involved. Each person brings their own advantages—know-how, expertise, and connections—to the table. However, if this is the only strategy that a beatmaker has, then I believe that the odds of them having a sustainable career in music are extremely low. Still, can one placement trigger a “music career”? Of course. But that’s more long-shot exception than it is the norm. So is it reasonable or practical to follow such a course? And the truth is, even with a number of acclaimed placements, a beatmaker can still be on the short end of a music career. (In The BeatTips Manual I cover this in more detail.)

Thus, if this “one-shot” placement strategy describes the approach and course that you’ve been taking, I strongly urge you to stop and transition to a more diverse way of thinking about your music-related talents. You are the commodity, not your beats. Beats are an extension of your music ability, but they should not be considered the extent of your music capability.

Now, here I am in no way suggesting that beats hold little weight or that they’re inferior to other recorded music compositions. Of course I’m not making that suggestion; beats have their own distinct value, both in terms of their art and in their financial value. What I am saying is that in addition to the traditional use and scope of beats, that is to say, for use by a rapper (or other vocalist), you have to think broader and more deeply about the new uses and commercial scopes for your beats and your music-related talents.

Bottom Line:

How you frame your goals are just as important as the goals themselves. So goes your framing, so goes your thinking…so goes your opportunities and actions!

For many beatmakers, transitioning forward from the “one-shot” placement strategy will depend on how committed they are to seriously studying the art of beatmaking and music in general. To be certain, the only way to unlock new possibilities for your music-related talents is to be aware of their existence in the first place. If your equation is: “make a beat + shop it + get placement = music career,” then you need to learn new math.

In addition to helping beatmakers better understand our art and craft, my goal is to encourage and help beatmakers think in terms of having a career in music rather than having a music career. To that end, below I’ve listed some music-related opportunities that you can create for yourself that you may not have thought of before. There are more opportunities to be sure, but the list below will hopefully get you started in how to think them up.

Museum projects
Museums of all kinds put on new exhibitions each year. Most try to involve local artists and creatives whenever they can. Investigate! Visit local museums and come up with music ideas that you can pitch to them. Is it a long shot? Perhaps. But then again, you’re not competing against millions of other people shopping their beats for the exact same slot on an album or a free mixtape!

Art Galleries
Like museums, art galleries rely on their ability to put on new and interesting shows. I’ve been to a number of art shows in New York. Some have had non-descript DJs; some have had the radio playing; some have had iPod playlists running; etc. Never have I seen one show with a mix of beats that were crafted exclusively for an artist’s work. I suspect that this market will blossom in the future, especially as upstart galleries continue to vie for attention.

Film Schools
I’ve seen some pretty decent student films that were undermined by shitty music. Believe me, there’s a market there. Maybe not the most lucrative one, but you can get the experience of using your beats in new ways, not to mention the valuable experience of working with an artist from another medium. (Note. Visual art has always influenced my music and writing.) Offer your services to film school students. Better, see about getting your name onto a film school’s registry of services.

Performance Poets and Other Spoken Word Artists
Service those artists that are “rappers” outside of the traditional hip hop sense.

Web Designers and Developers
Web designers are interested in customized audio solutions for their clients that want music prompts and such. Seek out web designers and offer your freelance services. Create your own market in this area, and try to form partnerships.

Sneaker Stores and Hip Boutiques
Sneaker stores and hip boutiques are art galleries. Well, to some at least. But seriously, these are places that thrive on an edgy, “hip” vibe. Capitalize off of this and pitch stores on custom beat tapes. At worst, you play a hand in setting the mood of the place for eager shoppers. At best, your music is an ad for you work. And don’t forget, it’s also an official placement.

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The BeatTips Manual by Sa'id.
"The most trusted source for information on beatmaking and hip hop/rap music education."

Mainstream, High-Concept Approach to Beatmaking Scuttles Hip Hop

Creative Appeasement Undermines Hip Hop’s Core Focus on Style and Originality; Beatmakers Better Served by Less Compromising

By AMIR SAID (SA'ID)

Under the guise of mainstream demands (or perhaps mainstream aspirations), some beatmakers ignore the core aesthetic preferences and characteristics of beatmaking, aiming instead to use compositional styles that they believe will accommodate the greatest number of listeners. This mainstream strategy, or rather “high concept” approach to beatmaking (which in and of itself isn’t inherently a bad thing), often leads to a cycle of mediocrity, or perhaps better stated, pseudo-hip hop/rap music.

On one hand, this cycle of watered-down hip hop/rap music appeases the consumption demands of club-going and less-scrutinizing pop masses. But on the other hand, by offering up a false dominant hip hop/rap ideology, this grade—perhaps lower or just different, depending on your perspective or vested interest—of hip hop/rap music works to mis-inform people about hip hop/rap music and the encompassing hip hop culture. Unfortunately, this often carries with it the side-effect of undermining the efforts of those hip hop/rap music makers who seek to represent a more balanced composite of what hip hop/rap music has to offer.

While hip hop culture’s fundamental ideology has in many ways (and for many reasons, far too many to analyze here in this article) moved into the mainstream, it still remains in its original sub-culture context. And this cultural duality inevitably affects how individual beatmakers approach music concepts such as rhythm, melody, form, texture, theme, scope, feel, arrangement, etc. A fact that’s illuminated even more when you consider how individual interests and tastes, as well as class and ethnic backgrounds, manifest themselves in particular notions of creativity and originality. But should mainstream considerations, or perhaps even what is or should be considered mainstream, be privileged more than the basic concept of one’s own sense of creativity?

Aside from the aforementioned benefits of a high concept approach to beatmaking, the dangers of such creative appeasement (or unreasonable compromise) are many. But the most pressing concerns that I have are threefold. First, as I mentioned earlier, the act of favoring a mainstream approach to beatmaking over valuing the core/fundamental aesthetic concepts, principles, and priorities of the beatmaking tradition often leads to a cycle of mediocrity, which yields pseudo-hip hop/rap music. In turn, this pseudo form of hip hop/rap music establishes—and simultaneously reinforces—a false dominant hip hop/rap ideology, an ideology that in many ways downgrades or ignores some of the most important tenets of hip hop/rap music and the broader hip hop culture.

Second, this creation of, and deference to, a false dominant hip hop/rap ideology strangles creativity and undermines hip hop culture’s fundamental focus on (and notion of) style and originality. When this happens, a disconnect is created between the music and the culture that spawned and nurtures it. As a result, much of the nuance, formal and informal elements, and sensibility that makes up hip hop/rap music dissolves, damaging, perhaps irrevocably, the entire music tradition.

My third concern with the mainstream, high concept approach to beatmaking deals with how creative appeasement (at this alarming level) diminishes the overall value and power of hip hop/rap music in contemporary music culture. When hip hop/rap music is watered down, it loses its bite, weight, and overall affect. And although hip hop/rap currently enjoys a hefty influence over contemporary music, what will be the level of this influence in the future? Even more pressing, who will be the beatmakers most responsible for maintaining this influence as well as moving hip hop/rap music forward? Does this mean that future beatmakers—co-leaders and gatekeepers of the hip hop/rap tradition—will be urban pop sympathizers, who are mostly ashamed to even use the “beatmaker” moniker? Does it mean that future beatmakers will be those who merely dabble in something that, at best, echoes hip hop/rap music?

In retrospect, over the past 25 years, most of hip hop/rap’s biggest mainstream successes did not come about due to beatmakers having a subdued sense of style and originality or a warped deference to "mainstream" compositional conformity. On the contrary, in the period between the early 1980s and mid-1990s, the period wherein the beatmaking tradition witnessed (absorbed) its most formal strides, it was pioneering beatmakers, not an abstract mainstream, who dictated compositional style and direction.

This is not a simple commentary on, or an exhausted, romantically nostalgic look at, the mid/late1980s or “the 90s” eras of hip hop/rap music. Sure, there were classics in the 80s and 90s, many of which were rightfully added to the canon of hip hop/rap music. But I also recognize that there were a great deal of absolute duds and disturbingly poor knock-offs of hits during these eras as well. So I’m not hypnotized by hip hop/rap’s past golden eras (indeed, I argue that there are actually three separate golden eras—1973-78; 1982-1989; and 1990-97). Instead, I value, embrace, and revere the foundations of hip hop/rap music, particularly, its beatmaking tradition, and the developments that have occurred within the aforementioned periods. However, that being said, I'm also deeply concerned about the current era of hip hop/rap music, specifically, the beatmaking tradition, as well as future eras to come.

Therefore, within this context, my focus here is narrowed to the compositional choices of those beatmakers most responsible for the classic—well received, “mainstream”—material of all three of those heralded eras of hip hop/rap music. Indeed, in each of those “golden eras,” you find many (nearly all) beatmakers helping to shape and define what mainstream hip hop/rap is rather than seeking to be shaped or defined by it. Unfortunately, today, however, there are far more beatmakers actively aiming to be defined by a hip hop/rap mainstream (one that currently is woefully unbalanced) than there are those seeking to help rehabilitate and/or continuously redefine it.

Finally, it should be remembered that the ubiquitous hip hop/rap “underground” emerged as a response to a burgeoning hip hop/rap mainstream that increasingly grew unbalanced. Indeed, prior to, let’s say, 1990, the line between what could be considered underground or mainstream hip hop/rap music was blurry. Or another way of looking at it was that the hip hop/rap mainstream was balanced. Thus, this begs the question, Will mainstream hip hop/rap music ever contain the level of balance that it once did? Perhaps not. But I believe if it does, it will be because of the help of those beatmakers who utilize the core aesthetic preferences and characteristics of beatmaking for their compositional style and direction rather than take dictation from abstract mainstream demands.

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The BeatTips Manual by Sa'id.
"The most trusted source for information on beatmaking and hip hop/rap music education."

Mix Engineers, Apply What You Know—Don't Just Talk About It

When It Comes To Mixing (And Beatmaking), Knowledge Is Power, So Long As You Effectively Translate That Power To Your Craft

By CUS

I remember the first time I walked into the infamous Power Play Recording Studios (NY). It was 1993. I was up for an internship there, and I had arrived for my interview. In the waiting room, there was another young man. He was also there to be interviewed for the same internship. As we both waited for the studio manager, we got acquainted. It was mostly small talk, because in the back of my mind (and I’m sure his, too), I was staring "the competition" in the face.

So the studio manager came and got us, and gave us a tour of the studio. As we walked around the studio, the studio manager went over a list of things that would be expected from us. Whenever the studio manager asked questions, it seemed like my competitor had all the proper responses. I was actually intimidated by this (a bit), mostly because I added little to the conversation. My reluctance to speak had nothing to do with my social skills. I can usually get along with just about anybody. The problem was that I was not too keen on discussing bit rates and sample frequencies and the like. Still, to my surprise, after the tour and interviews, we were both asked to join the studio's roster.

Looking back, I don't know what deterred me from speaking about mathematical factors that determine sonic outcomes. After all, I was a better than average math student in college. I think it was being in a major recording studio environment—for the first time—that kept me hesitant and unable to demonstrate my full range of knowledge. In any event, it was my drive and determination that helped me outlast my competitor. After several months of interning, I proved to be more dependable (and punctual) than he, and thus, I was the only one who the studio manager kept on at Power Play.

What’s the Point

I think about this scenario whenever I'm presented with puffed-up “mix tech talk,” like sample rates, bit depth, and the like. Many people expect mix engineers to be able to carry on with these sort of technical discussions (often rants). To me, these sort of discussions are often carried on by mix engineers who are either obsessed with that side of engineering, or by those mix engineers who want to appear to be more knowledgeable than the average engineer working in our field. In either case, what needs to be understood is this. It does nothing to have all of the “tech” info locked in your brain, if you do not have the drive to apply it when necessary. Furthermore, it doesn’t matter how much one mix engineer (or beatmaker) knows, if he or she can't effectively apply to their craft.

Today, there are many mix engineers who understand the schematics of engineering, but who can’t really mix all that well. Schematics aside, mixing is an art; Sa'id calls it "a musical science that’s detailed and intricate much like beatmaking." I feel the same way. Thus, although I wholeheartedly believe in the quest for “know-how,” I also believe that when you secure the know-how, you have to also put in the effort to sharpen your craft. (This reminds me of those mix engineers and beatmakers who can give lectures of what allegedly should be common knowledge, but who can’t deliver or demonstrate their knowledge in the form of a decent mix.)

Bottom Line

Before you're comfortable in a seat that critiques what a "good" engineer or beatmaker should be, commit to being a "good" (quality) engineer or beatmaker. I never have and never will claim to be all-knowing within my craft. I embrace the fact that there is always room for growth. This is why I continue to read as much as I can about mixing and beatmaking. Furthermore, I seek out conversations with people in my field who are indeed knowledgeable and genuinely concerned with improving their own skills.

Now that we're solidly in the digital era, many of us mix engineers debate (more like argue) about which program houses a better sound; or what is sonically superior; or which digital program gives one better mixes; or which program offers better "analog" simulation; etc., etc., etc. These types of discussions breakout at many recording studios on a daily basis. Yet I wonder how do these rant-laced discussions (arguments) do anything to assist one in their own sonic growth and understanding of mixing? To me, for the most part, they are simply debates that give the illusion that those participating in such discussions are at the top of their game and above the upper echelon of the high realms of superb mix engineers.

But just like in 1993, when I earned an internship at Power Play Recording Studios, these conversations do nothing to feed my appetite for learning more about my craft, nor do they help me to soar in my profession. Furthermore, puffed-up mix tech-talk cannot match my determination to get out and apply my knowledge to my style and approach to mixing. And perhaps I should concede that some of these discussions aren’t entirely useless, but if they do nothing other than offer mindless, heated debate, they are highly counterproductive.

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The BeatTips Manual by Sa'id.
"The most trusted source for information on beatmaking and hip hop/rap music education."

Beatmaking Offers Extensive Music Experience

Beatmaking Points to the Core of the Hip Hop/Rap Music Tradition; Leads to New Kind of Multi-Skilled Musician

By AMIR SAID (SA'ID)

Among the many different ways to experience hip hop/rap music, there is no other art form in hip hop culture that allows one to immerse themselves more extensively than beatmaking. And among the various elements that make beatmaking a uniquely intricate art form, I have found that there are three major characteristics that most underscore its uniqueness.

The first characteristic that jumps out at every beatmaker is the meticulous nature of the various processes that beatmaking requires. Because beatmakers are one part musician and one part programmer, we have to control a number of different steps in the musical process that DJs (and traditional musicians) simply do not. For instance, prior to the compositional phase of the musical process, beatmakers are enjoined with the task of finding and/or making sounds to work with. And in beatmaking, after the compositional and arrangement processes are completed—processes, I should add, that require any number of programming steps—many beatmakers (myself included) transform into defacto mix engineers, as we further lock in the sound and sonic impression that characterize our individual styles and sounds.

The reliance upon technology in the creative process of beatmaking is another major characteristic that, on one hand, helps define beatmaking's uniqueness, and on the other hand, leads beatmakers to experience hip hop/rap music more extensively than fellow artists within hip hop culture. In beatmaking, the connection of creativity and technology is paramount; it's a force that binds beatmakers to the perpetual pursuit of creating and manipulating sounds. Moreover, as witnessed by beatmakers' staunch product and brand loyalty to leading electronic music production instrument (EMPI) manufacturers, the connection of creativity and technology in beatmaking serves as a form of identity and, in many ways, a badge of musically creative honor.

The depth of analytical study that's involved in beatmaking is the third, (and perhaps most important), characteristic that most underscores beatmaking's uniqueness, and prompts beatmakers to experience hip hop/rap music in quite an extensive manner. Beatmakers engage in a high level of self-imposed study. In the constant pursuit of a higher skill level, we study a great deal—often much more than traditional musicians. Indeed, all beatmakers necessarily study the fundamental techniques, methods, and practices of the beatmaking tradition as well its history, in particular, the lineage of styles and sounds from beatmaking's inception to the present. And while most traditional musicians will never study the art of beatmaking, even once in their life time, most beatmakers regularly study the elements and processes of other music traditions outside of hip hop/rap. In fact, for beatmakers, no music form is forbidden territory; wherever we find inspiration, we use the styles, techniques, methods, and practices of our tradition to convert such inspiration into hip hop/rap form.

Here, it should be noted that the level of analytical study involved in beatamking leads to time-intense and style-focused practice. And it should be further noted that whenever we work on the creation of our beats, we enter into a ritualistic-like cycle that's every bit hypnotic as it is therapeutic and creatively meticulous. It also bares mentioning that precisely because of the analytical study component of beatmaking, many beatmakers become, subsequently, serious purveyors of music history. Thus, no matter how you look at it, in the final analysis, beatmakers represent a new kind of multi-skilled musician.

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The BeatTips Manual by Sa'id.
"The most trusted source for information on beatmaking and hip hop/rap music education."

Boog Brown Passes My MC Lyte Test

Amid Questions Surrounding the State of “Female Rappers,” Boog Brown Impresses…Without the Hype

By AMIR SAID (SA'ID)

Discussions about "female rappers" carry little weight with me, because I rate the rapper and their rhyme, not their gender. However, when pressed about my list of top female rappers, I always began with MC Lyte. For me, MC Lyte—in her prime—sits comfortably in the 1st tier of great lyricists, regardless of gender. But as far as any list that excludes male rappers, I rate MC Lyte #1. Therefore, before I can rate any female rapper that has appeared after MC Lyte, I first have to hold them up to what I call the "MC Lyte Test."

The MC Lyte Test (a test that could equally be used for male rappers as well) is a set of parameters that I use to rate any female rapper. These parameters include: style, delivery and flow, word mastery, sound, feel, non-contrived attitude, and raw edginess.

Since MC Lyte graced the mic in 1988, various female rappers have emerged with respectable skills. In fact, there have been a number of female rappers that many music critics and fans alike have lauded with great acclaim. But political correctness aside, since MC Lyte's prime, there's only been two female rappers who have passed my MC Lyte test, and a couple more who had the potential to, but never did.

Well, now I'm compelled to let it be known that Boog Brown passes my MC Lyte Test.
Like MC Lyte, Boog Brown understands the rhythm of words. She molds them, folds them, blends them, caresses them, and snaps them. Equally comfortable with straight and slant rhyme, Boog Brown chooses words for their full value, not for the brevity of writing rhymes. Moreover, she doesn’t rely on gimmicky deliveries or overly wordy rhyme schemes and phrasings. Such rhyme tricks have impressed (mesmerized) some, but I’ve always found those sort of rhyme gimmicks to be cliché and boring. I dig rhymes straight up. Gimmickry, particularly the borrowed and oft-used type, is usually less engaging, if not outright whack. Straight forward inflection/intonation, especially when it's delivered with believable—non-contrived—attitude, is dope.

What also impresses me about Boog Brown is her delivery and flow. It's agile and multi-directional, not grounded and predictable (listen to "Masterplan" produced by Apollo Brown). Moreover, she utilizes superb breath control; you never hear her take extreme gulps of oxygen or stumble over her pauses, both marks of a complex lyricist with just as much style as substance.

On "Understanding" (also produced by Apollo), Boog Brown shows off how she presses go, then drops a string of well-measured lines of dense poetry that regularly come together to give insider looks at various snap shots of life. And in the tradition of the most advanced lyricism, she drives by each bar of her lyrics without glancing at its effect, without giving a glimpse of uncertainty or exhaustion. Such confidence echos the pedigree of all dope complex lyricists, male or female.

Then there's Boog Brown's sound. It's effortless, smooth, and genuine. Even when she's romantic (check out “Hey Love”), her sound and feel is in tact, not compromised. And while many female rappers fall pray to a lack of expression in their rhymes (perhaps a side-effect of a male-dominated tradition), Boog Brown strikes through with a clarity and feel that never sounds forced. Rhyming, in its highest degree, is an art wherein words are made to grab, dance, punch, rock, and shock, all with style, and no sense of effort on the part of the rhymer. Once you can “hear” the effort—the forced flow, the superficial borrowed style, the clumsy lyrics—the magic of rapping ceases to exist. And this is where Boog Brown excels. She doesn’t fall into the “Look at me, I’m a female M.C. mantra.” Instead, she soars on her own lyrical terms, without the benefit (or detriment) of “female M.C.” charity praise.

What's Next for Boog Brown

Although Apollo Brown’s beats have certainly served Boog Brown well, most of the beats off of their stellar Brown Study album carry a similar texture and form, and they usually move in the same “mid”/mid-tempo range. That’s no knock against Apollo Brown—that sound is dope. In fact, he’s mastered that sound and feel; it compliments the drum frameworks that he favors for most of his beats. I'd just like to hear Boog Brown on a couple of slightly uptempo joints, or some beats with a different type of swing to them. To Apollo's credit, the “U.P.S.” beat, I think his latest release with Boog Brown and a joint I really dig, finds him using a bit more “bounce” in the beat. Promising signal for what's to come from the the Boog Brown/Apollo Brown enterprise.

Still, the thought of Boog Brown branching out and incorporating beatwork (and different production nuances) from other perennial beatsmiths (I’d really like to see her paired up with Statik Selektah, DJ Premier, The Alchemist, or Kevlaar 7), is something I can’t help but consider. Currently, Boog Brown is sitting on the cusp of league MVP-caliber talent. But I believe if she maneuvers right—that is to say, split the wig open of the hype machine by matching her rhyme skills with other key beatmakers—she could be looking at a hall of fame career.

The music videos below are presented here for the purpose of scholarship.

Boog Brown "UPs" [prod. Apollo Brown]

Boog Brown – “Hey Love”

Boog Brown & Apollo Brown – “Masterplan”

MC Lyte - "Paper Thin"

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The BeatTips Manual by Sa'id.
"The most trusted source for information on beatmaking and hip hop/rap music education."

Beatmakers and Trade Secrets

Shop-Talk Elevates the Beatmaking Art Form and Tradition

By AMIR SAID (SA'ID)

Musicians have long shared tricks of their trade amongst each other. It's a tradition as old as popular music itself. However, for some reason, many beatmakers (producers) pride themselves upon keeping a vale of secrecy over their beatmaking methods. What gives?

I could speculate about the cultural undertones of this, but that's not what this piece is about. On the contrary, this article is about why the notion of secrecy (specifically among some well-known beatmakers {*producers*}) in beatmaking is ridiculous. As I told a fellow beatmaker the other day, "there are NO secrets between real musicians!" What I was saying (and he understood immediately) was that dedicated musicians share a common fundamental goal: to develop their skills and elevate their craft. Indeed, this is why we constantly seek out people and resources that we believe will help us reach that goal. In this regard, beatmakers should not view themselves any different. We are musicians, and as such, we stand to benefit a great deal from an exchange of information.

No Two Beatmakers Are One in the Same

Regardless of the method or technique used, no two beatmakers are the same. Given the same tools and the same understanding, each of us will inevitably develop our own approach. And I've found that it is within this approach that you find the most interesting "secrets." But instead of having an attitude that promotes the talking of shop (beat talk, if you will), when pressed for specific ideas, secrets, and the like, some beatmakers clam up, or offer the proverbial: "don't wanna' give the secrets away." Huh? What's that all about.

Listen, at face value, there are NO magic secrets that can instantly transform a beatmaker's skills. Secrets (or better yet, pointers, tips, hints, insights) are only as good as the beatmaker who understands them and can, in turn, incorporate them into what they're already doing. For example, DJ Premier is known for his drums, chops, and his ability to finesse the bass out of the breaks that he chooses to use. However, there is no doubt (and he has said as much), that he would not have been able to develop those skills, had it not been for Large Professor. As Premier told me (rather matter-factly), it was Large Professor—another beatmaking pioneer in his own right—who showed him how to filter bass sounds in samples, and also how to make the Akai S950 really work for him. In turn, Premier introduced Large Professor to a new way of diggin' in the crates and surveying music. And before that, another beatmaking pioneer, Showbiz, schooled Premier on diggin' in the crates and surveying music. Thus, these examples of sharing trade "secrets" demonstrates how, for each of the aforementioned beatmaking pioneers, the common goal was to get better and elevate the art form.

Needless to say, I've always been against the notion of not not sharing knowledge ("secrets"). In fact, those who know me, know very well that I consistently share as much as I can, whenever I'm asked by a fellow beatmaker. Likewise, some of the most well-known beatmakers have shared as much as they could with me. Also, consider this, even if one beatmaker breaks down their entire beatmaking process to another beatmaker, chances are, the latter beatmaker isn't going to utilize everything that he (or she) learns from the former. Not at all. The latter beatmaker is only going take what he needs and/or can use from the other beatmaker's process. It's this sort of exchange that each beatmaker can use to further develop their skills.

Final note, keep this in mind: the entire beatmaking (hip hop/rap production) tradition is only as good as its weakest beatmaker. Hence, there's merit in all of us trying to help each other step up our skills.

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The BeatTips Manual by Sa'id.
"The most trusted source for information on beatmaking and hip hop/rap music education."

Some Recording Artists Are Better Off Selling Free Promotion Flyers

Over Saturation of PR-Type Music-Makers Will Give Way to New Era of Quality and Creativity

By AMIR SAID (SA'ID)

Even though most A-list recording artists have taken some financial jabs over the past several years, they still earn decent money. However, B- and C-listers (which make up the vast majority recording artists) had better either (1) accept the peril of their musical fate; or (2) pimp out their brand (if it's anyway serviceable) to some to establishment that's not endangered by the clutches of P2P technology and some consumers stubborn reluctance to by buy music.

I used to cringe when recording artists conveyed to me their strategies for new music sales. In some cases, these were people I have been friends with for 10 years or more. In other cases, these were artists who I had long respected, but had only more recently felt comfortable calling friends. And still, these were also artists who were neither friends or enemies, but simply music people that I know. However, now I no longer have to cringe when I hear about plans like that redundant one; you know the one in which the strategy itself is predicated upon some delusional phantom "movement." Or how about all of the misguided and woefully under-matched DVD/video strategies. Indeed, in today's music scene, one has a better chance of making more money selling free promotion flyers than do using the stale (over played) strategies of the day.

One reason that I don't have to hear any of these non-reality-based strategies is because I have consistently (and cold-handedly) removed myself from even the most remote music-industry connection. Understand, I have never been, nor have I ever wanted to be a music industry "insider". As a kid, I learned early on that you don't have to be in the circus to see all the clowns. The other reason that I don't have to hear (and/or subsequently entertain) any of these non-sensible music-money-making strategies is because most of the once "new" and "imaginative" strategies have become so old and repeated that they have successfully paralyzed wholesale numbers of unsuspecting recording artists (many of which who operate more like defective "androids").

Certainly, this does not mean that I glory in the demise of the dreams of many artists. On the contrary, I reserve a special level of respect for the kind of dedication that many recording artists demonstrate. However, contemporary "success schemes" have converted a large majority of recording artists into de facto marketers and/or PR types, who seemingly just dabble—by chance—in making music in their spare time.

Thus, with the undeniable collapse of many of the most popular music money-making tactics, I'm convinced that a new crop of recording artists (especially in hip hop/rap) will continue to emerge. I'm not saying that this new group will ignore the necessity of some level of marketing and PR. I just believe that they will concentrate less on marketing/PR and more on the novel idea of, well, making creative, imaginative music. In fact, I envision that this new group of recording artists will reject the "quick fame and money" routine, and focus on generating something fresh, new, and eerily indicative of what history shamelessly has left to peddle. If I'm right, we are in the last days of the PR-type music-maker dominated era, and are at the horizon of something more engaging and fresh.

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The BeatTips Manual by Sa'id.
"The most trusted source for information on beatmaking and hip hop/rap music education."

Beatmaking Is a Teachable Music Process

Despite What Some Beatmakers Might Have You Believe,
Beatmaking, Like Other Music Processes, Can be Taught

By AMIR SAID (SA'ID)

The pursuit of knowledge (“know-how”) has always been an important theme in hip hop culture.Likewise, the concept of teaching has always been critical to the advancement of all hip hop art forms. In hip hop culture’s infant stages, the first line of hip hop architects sought and secured knowledge when and wherever they could. Kool DJ Herc, Grandmaster Flash, and Afrika Bambaataa (the three earliest pioneers of hip hop/rap music) learned directly and indirectly from each other as well as other influential artists and figures of the time. Moreover, they willfully took advantage of whatever educational resources were available to them at the time. (For instance, Grandmaster Flash, an electronics major in high school, read books on electronics and audio systems, this helped him go beyond the boundaries of the DJ mix equipment of the time.)

Thus, to seek out knowledge: To read a book on beatmaking; to watch beatmaking video tutorials; to read websites that offer beatmaking information; to ask for help from other beatmakers—these are not the sort of things that go against hip hop/rap tradition. These are not “anti-hip hop” measures. On the contrary, to seek sound knowledge—wherever it may be—rests at the very foundation of hip hop culture. That said, beatmaking—an infant music process, as far as prior music processes are concerned—is still establishing its main metrics of uniformity. Which is to say that beatmaking knowledge, something that was once acquired entirely through informal means, is formalizing just like how other music processes have. (Indeed, one of the purposes of The BeatTips Manual is to help with such formalization and educational uniformity.)

The Democratization of Music Production Tools
and Its Effect on Ideas About Music Education

Once the tools of creative production are democratized, that is to say, made more accessible, an interesting phenomenon takes place: More people create. This phenomenon, although seemingly simple on the surface of it, is actually more complex than one may gather. For instance, in the case of contemporary popular music, the more people who create music, the more blurry the line gets between what music consumers deem “good” or “bad” music. Likewise, the more people who create music, the thinner the line gets between professional and amateur musician. Further complicating this matter, especially when it comes to beatmaking, are the various notions about music education, training, and expertise. Specifically, as more and more beatmakers enter into the beatmaking community, what constitutes “appropriate” training and learning activities?

In the case of the beatmaking tradition, accessibility to a wide array of electronic music production instruments (EMPIs) has taken the beatmaking tradition from the obscure shadows of an otherwise underground art-world to somewhere near the front of the global pop cultural psyche. Beatmaking is no longer a secret; it's no longer a tradition inherently reserved only for a select group of individuals (like some of those beatmakers who happened to be around right when the major recording labels first began to recognize hip hop's mainstream appeal and subsequent commercial viability). Instead, beatmaking is an open pathway to anyone who dares to embark on the journey. And as with all open creative markets, this journey allows (naturally) for the inclusion of various personal commitments. In other words, some will travel farther and deeper on this journey than others; and some will commit more to the beatmaking tradition than the processes of other music traditions. That is the great reward—and risk—of a swollen number of beatmakers.

But an exponentially large increase of beatmakers aside, a bigger concern of mine is where does beatmaking stand in terms of teaching and learning? What are the educational possibilities that exist for the beatmaking tradition? And more simply stated, can beatmaking be taught? In terms of teaching and learning, beatmaking is ideal for teaching. In fact, the educational possibilities for beatmaking are immense. As to the question whether or not beatmaking can be taught, of course it can. Beatmaking is a teachable music process (everything from its DJ sensibility, to its history, to its most complex processes and methods can be taught). Therefore, in the fundamental matter of education, teaching, and learning, beatmaking’s no different than any other music process. Unfortunately, however, there are some who disagree.

Why Some Claim that Beatmaking Can’t Be Taught:
Self-Taught Beatmaker Ideology; Cloak of Secrecy and Competitive Coverage

Self-Taught Ideology

Many self-taught beatmakers tend to romanticize the factors that go into developing a skill at beatmaking. Those who carry the self-taught beatmaker ideology often tend to argue (sometimes with paranoia) that beatmaking is not something that can be taught or that one can learn about through books, video tutorials, and the like. Instead, these beatmakers seem to support the narrow notion that beatmaking is only learnable through a self-imposed, “trial and error” journey in one’s room. The implied idea also being, of course, that they are learning through “indirect means,” such as records in their collection and those that they hear on the radio. (It’s worth noting that listening to radio today as a means of learning the beatmaking tradition is not as viable an option as it was two decades ago. By most accounts, today’s hip hop/rap radio is in a very one-sided, disheartening state.) Then there are also some self-taught beatmakers (especially well-known vets) who openly admit that they learned directly from other beatmakers, yet ironically, they also often claim that beatmaking can’t be taught.

Thing is, what is often lost on many self-taught beatmakers is the fact that for many beatmakers prior to the early 1990s, beatmaking education resources where scarce. There simply weren’t any books specifically on beatmaking, hip hop/rap’s chief compositional process; and nor were there any beatmaking classes being offered. (Though, at the same time, there were such resources available for other music forms, including the blues, jazz, rock, and, of course, Western classical.) Therefore, quite frankly, beatmakers throughout the 1980s and early 1990s learned through a combination of indirect means, direct teachers, and a great deal of trial and error. But such learning paths, especially self-taught trial and error, shouldn’t be inflated with a sense of superiority. And as honorable as being a self-taught beatmaker may be (I taught myself a number of things, and I'm proud of that fact, but humbled by it as well), the self-taught ideology itself should not hang over the heads of new beatmakers as the best or only legitimate model for learning the beatmaking tradition.

Furthermore, the self-taught beatmaker ideology overshadows the fundamental fact that as beatmakers, we are all students of the beatmaking tradition, no matter how developed (or underdeveloped) our beatmaking skills are. Therefore, as students of the beatmaking tradition—and the broader hip hop culture—shouldn’t we remain committed to studying, learning, and educating ourselves, whenever and however possible? Moreover, shouldn’t this commitment be applauded rather than ridiculed or dismissed? And also, shouldn’t beatmakers be encouraged to follow any learning paths that recognize and authentically represent the beatmaking tradition and hip hop culture?

Look at other music forms and processes, particularly the most highly regarded tradition in Western culture: the Western classical tradition. As musicians of the Western classical tradition advance, they study and train in the areas of theory, advanced theory, form, structure, harmony, melody, counterpoint, etc., utilizing teachers (directly and indirectly), books, tutorials, and the like to do so. It doesn’t matter if beatmaking lacks the global prestige of the Western classical tradition, the fundamental point that I’m making here is that a commitment to serious beatmaking studies is valid and no less legitimate to similar commitments made in other music traditions.

The Cloak of Secrecy and the Paranoia that Surrounds Beatmaking

The issue of secrecy in beatmaking is complex. On one hand, secrecy in beatmaking is valid. In fact, there are areas in beatmaking where I find secrecy to be useful, if not absolutely necessary. Along the lines of digging for records and sampling and sample source material, there’s deep rooted history in not disclosing the source material that one samples. In this regard, I’m a very strong advocate for secrecy, because secrecy in this area is appropriate not only because it helps shield samplers from possible copyright infringement suits (if samples can be identified), but also because it represents a link to early DJ culture, wherein DJs notoriously hid the names of the records they used to gain an advantage over rival DJs. But useful secrecy, i.e. a cloak of secrecy about sample source material and the like, is one thing. A hard line position of secrecy about the fundamental mechanics (method, process, aesthetics, etc.) as well as styles and sounds and the history of beatmaking is quite another.

In fact, notwithstanding the areas of beatmaking that I believe do require (and benefit from) secrecy, for the most part, I find that the cloak of secrecy that many in the beatmaking community (including notable vets) evoke is absurd and not useful. Although there is a “right of passage” dimension in beatmaking, particularly associated with an understanding of the fundamentals of beatmaking and the embracing of canonical works, the beatmaking tradition is not a secret music society. But the simple truth is this: There has always been a cloak a secrecy surrounding beatmaking, mostly because of the lack of formal uniformity within the beatmaking tradition (due in large part to the actual “newness” of the beatmaking music process). But in no way has secrecy surrounding the mechanics, nuance, and history of beatmaking been useful. In fact, I believe that such useless secrecy has contributed to a great deal of beatmaking knowledge not being passed on, which has, in turn, also contributed to an increase of lower quality hip hop/rap music in the past decade. Imagine if musicians from other music traditions held similar positions of secrecy. Imagine if musicians from other music traditions ridiculed and dismissed the validity and usefulness of teaching their tradition.

Competitive Coverage

Looking past the conditions that merit useful secrecy in beatmaking, I believe that a new stream of secrecy emerged as a means for competitive coverage for certain beatmakers. Keeping personal methods and practices a secret are certainly understandable. If a beatmaker develops a style and sound through the ingenuity of his or her own device, then it’s reasonable for them to protect their formulas by keeping them secret. (Some see nothing wrong with a beatmaker practicing creative protectionism with other beatmakers, but I don’t practice it.) However, cloaking the mechanics of beatmaking in the same veil of secrecy smacks of something else. I think when beatmakers do this they are enacting a form of coverage against new beatmakers, or rather new competition.

Nothing demystifies the secrets (or in some cases, the talents) of beatmakers like know-how and understanding of beatmaking. Therefore, given access to the know-how and understanding of beatmaking, a new beatmaker can, in time, potentially emerge as competition to existing beatmakers. But cut off the knowledge base of beatmaking, or undermine access to it, by discouraging others from pursuing it, and one beatmaker (particularly one all ready in the beat market exchange) can dull competition by another. Now, make no mistake: I’m all for competition; it’s one of the fundamental tenets of hip hop. But I support competition based on the merits of a beatmaker’s beats, no matter how many competing beatmakers that may exist. I don’t, however, support competition that’s based on a rigged talent pool—that’s created in part by some experienced beatmakers discouraging others from learning paths that may be different their own. Such activity is competitive coverage, plain and simple.

The Need for Beatmaking Education and Committed Training

Beatmaking is now recognized around the world. In other words, it has made it to the global stage of music processes. As such, it deserves the same treatment as any other music process. Namely, it can and should be taught to anyone committed to learning the tradition. Fact is, the number of people interested in beatmaking has gone up (and it will continue). So the need for beatmaking education and capable teachers has intensified, not just to account for those newly interested in beatmaking, but to also preserve the beatmaking tradition and culture.

And as the pioneers and lead architects of a tradition fade away, either by means of new career pursuits, volatile market forces, or, unfortunately, death, this task of preserving the knowledge and history of the tradition becomes ever more daunting. Just think of the alternative to no uniform beatmaking education. Sure, one might be able to learn the functions and features of an EMPI, but without a solid knowledge of the beatmaking tradition, one might simply become well accustomed with an EMPI, not necessarily well-grounded hip hop/rap music, or more specifically, beatmaking, its chief compositional process. If EMPI based teaching is allowed to masquerade as beatmaking (hip hop production) education—like it already is at some schools and institutions—, then the beatmaking tradition, in all of its essence and glory, runs the risk of be lost to future generations. This is another vital reason for why beatmaking education and training is needed.

Plus, with more beatmakers, comes more competition. And with a better quality of competition, comes a better overall grade of beats. And since know-how and understanding of the beatmaking tradition directly correlates to the ability and talent of a beatmaker, then beatmakers should be encouraged to study the tradition. This is yet another important reason why beatmaking education and training is needed.

The Reality Exists

The argument that beatmaking can’t be taught, that it is a non-teachable art form is not only misguided and unfounded, it’s counterproductive to the advancement of the beatmaking tradition.
For one thing, this argument undermines beatmaking’s rich history and nuanced complexity. Furthermore, this argument ignores the fact that beatmaking, one of the newest musical processes in the West, is quickly becoming one of the most influential contemporary musical processes in the world.

Even more troubling than the non-teachable argument itself are those who maintain it. Those who argue that beatmaking is a non-teachable music process do so to the detriment of beatmaking’s status among other music processes. The prosperity and/or survival of a music tradition is determined by the caliber of its primary practitioners (and, of course, the general popularity of the music a specific process produces). Therefore, if beatmakers, the primary practitioners of the beatmaking tradition of hip hop/rap music, push the argument that beatmaking is a non-teachable music process, they essentially reduce beatmaking down to something that is nothing more than a hodgepodge, trial-and-error system of tinkering that has little conscious music direction. Thus, such an argument goes against what beatmaking truly is: a serious music process that contains clear and well-defined compositional and aesthetic methods, preferences, and priorities. Furthermore, by arguing that beatmaking is non-teachable, then what those beatmakers (those who presumably already have the knowledge, mind you) are essentially saying is that beatmaking is something of a rightful—natural—privilege reserved for an elite few, not something ultimately accessible for all interested in learning. Wrong.

Beatmaking is in fact a teachable music process. And this does not discount one’s “natural” affinity for or connection to beatmaking. Instead, it’s a firm acknowledgement that anyone, not just a select few, in a select city, region, state, or country, can develop a skill for beatmaking through committed study and training; be it formal or informal, direct or indirect. Because the reality exists: People can be taught the mechanics and integral nuances of beatmaking; people can be taught a certain level of proficiency in beatmaking; and indeed, people can learn to become better beatmakers through beatmaking education and committed training.

—Sa'id

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The BeatTips Manual by Sa'id.
"The most trusted source for information on beatmaking and hip hop/rap music education."

The Wisemen's 'Children of A Lesser God': Classic Street Rap in Full Effect

With 'Children of A Lesser God,' The Wisemen Deliver Classic Street Rap; But Don’t Call It a Throwback, the Essence of The Wisemen Has Been Here for Years

By AMIR SAID (SA'ID)

BeatTips Rating: 5/5

BeatTips Rating Breakdown

To be certain, The Wisemen's album, Children of a Lesser God, is quintessential, unmitigated street rap of the highest quality. I began here because it's necessary to point out. Why? Because at the moment, hip hop/rap music is overly “represented” (I use the term lightly) by three main unfortunate trends: (1) status quo safety efforts, you know, where the top acts do just enough to oil the mainstream machine; (2) lifeless beats and parochial rhymes [where sampling is surface-level at best, and where synth-based creations are either extra emo or just plain too “synthy”]; and (3) publicity-stunt rappers who say or do seemingly anything for attention.

Taken together, these three trends paint a disturbing picture of today’s hip hop/rap music. But this picture is, by any knowledgeable or sensible account, grossly incomplete. Truth is, there’s a lot of good, well-intentioned hip hop/rap music available today. Yet most of it is simply drowned out by waves of mediocrity. Thus in an environment such as this, we need albums like The Wisemen’s Children of A Lesser God to shatter through the Plexiglass.

When you think about it, it’s always been the quintessential street rap album (think Wu-Tang or Nas’s first LP efforts, for instance) that has had the best chance to cut through all the clown noise with something simultaneously threatening, enjoyable, and of course, meaningful. (Maybe that’s one of the reasons this album failed to get proper press coverage when in dropped back in October, 2010; ironically, on the exact same day as The Left’s celebrated Gas Mask. But I digress.)

That being said, street rap albums are a curious thing. They're difficult to pull off, mostly because of the balancing act of authenticity, creativity, and entertainment appeal. And they don’t always hit the mark established by similar albums from hip hop/rap hey-day eras. But The Wisemen’s Children of a Lesser God convincingly strikes the target.

Now, I’d be remiss if I did not mention that the Wisemen artfully use the Wu-Tang architecture as a guide. Here, let’s remember The Wu-Tang Clan: The Wu-Tang Clan were (and still are) in their own league; they were aggressively insular and self-contained; their slang, flows, and metaphors were the codes of their own world—outsiders be damned; they broke from conventional music forms; they rhymed to impress, to challenge, to compete with each other.

Many of these characteristics and qualities come to mind when you listen to The Wisemen’s Children of a Lesser God. And for good reason, as the clear Wu-Tang influence is an actual legitimate connection—The Wisemen front man, Bronze Nazarath is a recognized Wu-affiliate (his link to and work with The RZA has been documented). That being said, however, The Wisemen are not mere emulators of the Wu-Tang style, sound, and mystique; rather, they are the much needed extension of it. An extension, I should add, that is not homage alone, but inspiration, and more importantly, obligation. Indeed, The Wisemen seem to have a deep sense of obligation (duty) to maintain this extension (connection) and to keep alive the influence of one of the most powerful forces in hip hop/rap music history. Fortunately for us, they do a great job in this regard. (I especially liked Children of a Lesser God's inclusion of skits, an element unique to hip hop/rap—not always used or performed effectively—that Wu-Tang perfected.)

But homage and duty to Wu-Tang aside, The Wisemen are keenly devoted to representing themselves and their brand of self-contained community. Indeed, they are not given over to erasing the memory banks of their own background, just for the pursuit of an often romanticized hip hop/rap era (i.e. “the ‘90s”). Instead, The Wisemen understand that while past eras of hip hop/rap music may fade, the essence of these eras remain and never dissolve. As such, the characteristics and nuance of these eras can be studied and used by current music makers for the purpose of creating something that doesn’t simply attempt to mimic, but aims to be just as creative and mutually engaging. Where most of “the ‘90s” revival outfits miss this crucial understanding, The Wisemen absorb and internalize it, rendering a long player (album) that’s just as much reminiscent as it is authentically personal.

In fact, Children of a Lesser God demonstrates how The Wisemen reconcile Detroit’s unique sensibilities with other influential hip hop/rap cities. And I say this to make one thing clear: The Wisemen are NOT hip hop/rap carpetbaggers (like others I’ve noticed), avoiding the sensibility of their home town. On the contrary, The Wisemen are skilled music makers who have connected the rich soul music roots (and nuance) of Detroit to their hip hop/rap influences (some obvious, others not so much). Ultimately, this makes for a style and sound that authentically represents them (their specific interpretations of proven hip hop/rap styles and sounds) and their famed city.

BeatTips Rating Breakdown

Favorite Joints

“Thirsty Fish” ft. Raekwon
(Bronze, Salute, and Raekwon KILL this joint. One of the toughest beats I've ever heard! And Rae is in prime form; you can tell he was diggin' this beat—produced by Kelaar 7)

“Victoriuos Hoods” ft. Victorious, Planet Asia
“Makes Me Want a Shot”
The Illness 2
ft. Illah Days (Verse 1&2), Phillie
“Makes Me Want a Shot”
ft. Salute Da Kidd, Bronze Nazareth, Kevlaar 7

Sureshot Singles

“Thirsty Fish” (10)
“Children of a Lesser God” (10)
“Lucy” (10)
“Makes Me Want a Shot” (10)
“Panic at Vicious Park” (9)
“Victorious Hoods” (10)

Sleeper Cuts

“Faith Doctrine ft. Beace”
“Get U Shot”
“I Gotta Know”
ft. Salute Da Kid, Phillie, Bronze Nazareth, Illah Dayz

Solid Album Cuts
“The Illness 2”
“Do It Again”
“Corn Liquor Thoughts”
“Hurt Lockers”

Gripes and Weak Moments
NONE

Final Analysis

The Wisemen’s Children of a Lesser God is enjoyable. Quite a feat when you consider that most street rap albums are long on the “shock and awe” and short on the enjoy factor. I found that I was able to really chill with this album, you know, dig in to it. This album holds no skip through joints. Beats are not repetitive; each song lays down its own claim. And the song order; the lyrical quality (every rapper in the crew is distinguishable and more than capable); and the timelessness of the dope beats all combine to stop you from rush consumption. I’m also compelled to point out that I found Children of a Lesser God as—if not more—enjoyable than many of my favorite hip hop/rap albums (from the ‘90s til now).

On Children of a Lesser God, there’s no deliberate (or perhaps contrived) social commentary that you might expect to find from the likes of a so-called “conscious rapper.” Yet the social commentary comes through clear in an unflinching, “as told to you” manner. Of course there’s stories of crime, weed and liquor use, and sex-capades. But none of the subject matter on Children of a Lesser God is forced or meant as sensationalism. Instead, the material comes off naturally, with much nuance to take in and subtle lessons to be learned. I appreciate when lyrics inform, enlighten, and challenge without the stench of falsity.

The best parts of The Wisemen’s Children of a Lesser God, notably the songs “Thirsty Fish,” “Victoriuos Hoods,” and “Makes Me Want a Shot” exude a sound, polish, and feel that just isn’t equaled right now. This is not to say that there is no one else offering soul samples and hard raps. Of course there are. But many other acts who are using this formula (soul samples and hard raps) are doing little to draft their own unique blueprints from this foundational formula; nor are they doing a fairly good job at representing the pedigree for which they aim to emulate, match, or surpass. Does this mean that The Wisemen match or surpass the Wu-Tang Clan? No. But it does mean this: In their aim and effort to stay true to their pedigree and influences, they were, in turn, able to create something authentically theirs—something that will now stand for others to attempt to emulate, match, or surpass. That's the continuum promise of a dope pedigree.

Thus, my final overall evaluation of Children of a Lesser God? it’s a 5-star classic. Aside from its cache of razor sharp, crew-backed rhymes and hard—and often eloquent—beats, what truly makes an album like The Wisemen’s Children of A Lesser God a classic is not only it’s ability to take you back, but its enduring power to keep you focused here, in the now, while also giving you a glimpse of the promise of hip hop/rap’s tomorrow.

—Sa'id

Beatmaking Skills Prior to DAWs

Taking Short Breaks from Computer; Self-Imposed Refresher Course Helps Rejuvenate and Improve My Creativity

By AMIR SAID (SA'ID)

Every other week or so, I work on making new beats without the use of my computer. That is to say, without tracking my beat into Pro Tools, my DAW of choice.

What brought about this decision? Two things. First, I like to revisit the mind frame that I was once in, when I didn't have regular access to, or the convenience of, a computer. Second, and this is perhaps more important, I want my son, Amir Ali Said, to always view the computer as an aid, not necessarily a necessity, to his beatmaking skills.

My son, Amir (now 14), first began seriously watching me make beats when he was 4 years old. Back then, I didn't have a computer...I didn't even have a CD recorder. Nope. I had a cassette recorder, and that's what I used to record my beats to.

Looking back on that time, I realize how much I adjusted my beatmaking style to accommodate how I would be recording my beats. In fact, every new piece of gear that I added to my setup—that was supposed to improve my tracking (recording) process—actually prompted me to change how I made my beats. When I first got a mixing console, a 16-channel Mackie board, I changed up how I modified my bass lines. When I got my first CD recorder, I doubled the time I usually spent on "mixing" my beats. And, finally, when I first got Pro Tools, I tripled the time (if not more) that I spent on "mixing" my beats.

In the past 10 years, I've probably acquired five different mixing consoles, three different versions of Pro Tools and its hardware interfaces, four different CD recorders, and no less than seven pairs of speakers and monitors. And with each of these new acquisitions, I increased the time I spent tracking (recording) my beats, while at the same time, I decreased the time I spent actually making my beats.

Lately, this dilemma has been resonating much more. Particularly, because my son's understanding of, and interest in, beatmaking has grown dramatically—much more faster than it took me to understand certain things. So as Amir becomes more in tune with the art of beatmaking, I'm finding that some of the best things I have to teach him are the many things I learned prior to getting a mixing console, prior to getting a CD recorder, and prior to getting Pro Tools. And although I realize that's it's just plain practical to use a DAW, I specifically, think it's important for him to learn how to protect the imagination and creativity of his musicianship from an over reliance on particular music production tool.

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The BeatTips Manual by Sa'id.
"The most trusted source for information on beatmaking and hip hop/rap music education."