Talk about the music biz - marketing, promotions, contract law, copyright etc...
By acq1 Thu Jan 03, 2008 8:18 pm
I'm sure this has been covered in here before but my search didn;t turn up anything. just curious how i can start shopping my beats. I have a nice arsenal of all kinds of styles, and I need to start making some doe from this ish...Any insight would be helpful...

Peace!!
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By 7 1 4 Beats Thu Jan 03, 2008 8:21 pm
Start making beat tapes and start handin them out all over your hood and clubs and bars. Oh and make sure wherever you go you got a beat tape cause you never know who you run into. To make it in the game it's alot of who you know not what you know and how you gonna stay there.

By acq1 Thu Jan 03, 2008 10:13 pm
7 1 4 Beats wrote:Start making beat tapes and start handin them out all over your hood and clubs and bars. Oh and make sure wherever you go you got a beat tape cause you never know who you run into. To make it in the game it's alot of who you know not what you know and how you gonna stay there.


Shouls I hand out full tracks, or just liek 30 sec samples of a bunch of tracks? Good Lookin!!!
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By 7 1 4 Beats Thu Jan 03, 2008 10:25 pm
Don't do full tracks you'll just get jacked. Do like 30 secs with a tag on it every so often to just stop people from jackin your tracks and being able to rhyme straight over it.

By acq1 Thu Jan 03, 2008 11:00 pm
7 1 4 Beats wrote:Don't do full tracks you'll just get jacked. Do like 30 secs with a tag on it every so often to just stop people from jackin your tracks and being able to rhyme straight over it.


Word! Would you happen to know how to get my music in the hands of a label major/or indie?
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By 7 1 4 Beats Thu Jan 03, 2008 11:32 pm
Go to some Label Majors websites and see if they have a contact.

By acq1 Fri Jan 04, 2008 12:29 am
Will do...I'm gonna do some detective work tonight. Just wanted to get a good starting point.

Anyone know how they feel about sampled work. None of my samples have been cleared. haven't had a reason to yet. I just do a bunch of mixtape type stuff..No commercial releases yet.

...

By roxstar Wed Jan 09, 2008 6:43 pm
It's all in who you know. No one wants a beat tape with 30 seconds of an instrumental, and even if they did enjoy it, they still need to know someone important that can make a difference. If I got your cd and loved it, it's very doubtful that's I'll be so gleefully happy that I play it for everyone that walks into my house, and if everyone likes it, what's the chance that they would do the same with their friends?
The music business is extremely flooded to the point where the industry is suffering. Everyone makes beats, everyone raps. Aspiring producers can buy a piece of software and create, record, master, and duplicate on the same computer they watch porn with. Everyone has a beat tape; stacks of untouched cd's get thrown away at radio stations. Radio stations! They don't sell music, they play it, so can you imagine what a label goes through? They don't want your cd, and even if you had a chance to meet Russel Simmons and pass him your best work, he would look at it like, "Damn, another one??" and smile in your face.
The best thing to do is make some music, and let it speak for itself. Labels want money, they don't care about our basement heat/fire that we create. The best music isn't always what sells.. trust me, there are better rappers than Soulja Boy, and way better producers than Lil John. If you make something that people want to hear and create a buzz, they will find you.
By acq1 Wed Jan 09, 2008 10:44 pm
If some industry cats here my ish and like that's cool. I am more worried about building my rep locally right now. Want to get my name out there so people hit me up for beats etc. There are tons of local rappers where I'm at, and not too many worthy beat makers, so I want to take advantage of the open market and make a littl escratch on the side. Pretty much just to keep my gear up. So I don;t have to spend my money and wifey won't be bitc---in at me all the time...

By roxstar Thu Jan 10, 2008 7:25 am
I'ma tell you a lil something about rappers. Most of them kats are selling dreams just to get beats for free. If I could count the amount of times I've heard, "I'm about to get signed" or, "I can get this on the radio" or, "We gonna be paid" or "My cousins brothers aunt is dating an A&R at __insert label name here__," I would be rich. Most of these dudes are gonna waste your time, want your best material, and play it for their boys while they drive around in someones back seat smoking blunts. Unless you personally know these dudes, or you know they are serious, I wouldn't phuck with none of em. They will come to your house hungry with dirty shoes on their feet, and won't even bring a blank cd to record their music. Also, they will tell their other mooching friends about the new producer to take advantage of. Your phone will be ringing with non paying appointments. I've been there. On the weekends when you wanna chill with the wifey, they will want to record, or "stop by to chill." I hope you don't drink, because they will, and their gonna piss on your toilet seat and not wipe afterwards..sounds like a productive vocal session doesn't it. haha! While the wife is cooking, expect to hear coments like, "damn, that schyt smell good!" and their gonna wait, and wait, and talk on the phone, and wait, and smoke, and wait until you get ready to eat and say, "you hungry?".. that's what they were waiting for.
Now, if the people your working with are serious, seasoned Mc's, then that's a different scenario. They should be doing shows consistently. They should draw a crowd also. You want your music to work for you. While your at home sleeping, they should be performing. If your cd is being used to crumble weed on, your wasting your time. Remember, most of these cats are a waste of time.
Remember what I said. I guarantee it's gonna be like deja vu! I think every producer that's put some time in has been through everything I've mentioned above. :)




"There are tons of local rappers where I'm at, and not too many worthy beat makers, so I want to take advantage of the open market and make a littl escratch on the side."

By acq1 Thu Jan 10, 2008 8:01 am
[quote="roxstar"]I'ma tell you a lil something about rappers. Most of them kats are selling dreams just to get beats for free. If I could count the amount of times I've heard, "I'm about to get signed" or, "I can get this on the radio" or, "We gonna be paid" or "My cousins brothers aunt is dating an A&R at __insert label name here__," I would be rich. Most of these dudes are gonna waste your time, want your best material, and play it for their boys while they drive around in someones back seat smoking blunts. Unless you personally know these dudes, or you know they are serious, I wouldn't phuck with none of em. They will come to your house hungry with dirty shoes on their feet, and won't even bring a blank cd to record their music. Also, they will tell their other mooching friends about the new producer to take advantage of. Your phone will be ringing with non paying appointments. I've been there. On the weekends when you wanna chill with the wifey, they will want to record, or "stop by to chill." I hope you don't drink, because they will, and their gonna piss on your toilet seat and not wipe afterwards..sounds like a productive vocal session doesn't it. haha! While the wife is cooking, expect to hear coments like, "damn, that schyt smell good!" and their gonna wait, and wait, and talk on the phone, and wait, and smoke, and wait until you get ready to eat and say, "you hungry?".. that's what they were waiting for.
Now, if the people your working with are serious, seasoned Mc's, then that's a different scenario. They should be doing shows consistently. They should draw a crowd also. You want your music to work for you. While your at home sleeping, they should be performing. If your cd is being used to crumble weed on, your wasting your time. Remember, most of these cats are a waste of time.
Remember what I said. I guarantee it's gonna be like deja vu! I think every producer that's put some time in has been through everything I've mentioned above. :)


Man that is so accurate.. I used to have dudes just stopping by wanting to record over some beats. That's one of the reasons I stopped doing vocals and just started producing beats. It's like here's your beat give me the money...take it to the studio and do what you want with it.. no more fools trampling into the dungeon... I sell beats all the time to broke a s s cats for like $30 or whatever I can get out of them. Sayin the same thing. "This gonna be a hit". And next week they come back and say the same thing...Wanting a better deal....$30 bucks...come on man..That's lunch money for like half a week....I am working on gettin in with a few cats that are actually doing things .."Seasoned MC's" so hopefully that will open some serious windows for me....But i agree with everything you just saiddd...

Peace

Acq1
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By J WALES Thu Jan 24, 2008 5:35 pm
^^ and dont forget spilling shit on your berber, asking to many questions, wanting to sound like so and so, can you show me how to work PT! i only record my boy when he come down other than that you can forget it and hide your good shit cause they will bring their grimey azz clepto friend with em!