have you ever been asked to make...

interesting convo...

i think its not about having trouble getting a certain sound or certain style.. its more about the difference between sitting down and letting the creative juices flow VS. sitting down and saying im gonna make a hit record.... u feel me?

for me at least - the beat is ALWAYS better, when im not TRYING to make a good beat... make sense?

i always get people asking me to make beats completely different than what i make on my own.

like ppl around here are always saying "make me a trey songz or drake" type beat

usually im asked to make radio sounding beats, and i usually have to turn them down

@ES-K

Sounds like you have a lot of things going on at the moment going in multiple directions. To me it seems like you are applying pressure on yourself that's not necessary. Both the label and the artist have confidence in you so that should be enough motivation to get things cracking. Success is good believe in yourself. It may help to prioritize the projects to help clear your mind to create.

I would ask myself:

What project is most important?

What are the deadline dates you have to meet?

Are they Paying for your services?

Which one will open doors for more work for me future?


As for the very specific track: Where you asked to sound like someone else or was it based upon a specific genre? Two very different specific's to me.

thanks for the reply man, good advice.

JBM wrote:As for the very specific track: Where you asked to sound like someone else or was it based upon a specific genre? Two very different specific's to me.

definitely was NOT asked to sound like anyone.. no real requirements either ... its just 2 dope artists, both i'm fans of but one i've been listening to since i was 15 - its hard picking the right beat.. i just want this to be AWESOME, from a FAN's point of view.... you know what i mean???? so im just gonnna stop thinking about it i think and make a bunch of dope beats.. i have a bunch of samples on hand right now so it should be easy as long as i get in the zone.. just a lot going on and im moving right now so i gotta just be patient and wait till im settled before i get started. ill keep digging.... anyways


thanks for the the reply.

o yea - track gonna be done by mid september, so you will be able to hear pretty soon!!!

es-k wrote:definitely was NOT asked to sound like anyone.. no real requirements either ... its just 2 dope artists, both i'm fans of but one i've been listening to since i was 15 - its hard picking the right beat.. i just want this to be AWESOME, from a FAN's point of view.... you know what i mean???? so im just gonnna stop thinking about it i think and make a bunch of dope beats.

Stop stressing you big poof... you know you're good!

You'll nail this no problem.

,lol thanks Coz we shall see...

I have never worked to produce a song with someone else. I would be aprehensive, when i start a track I will just dig for samples or tweak a synth and when I find a sound I like it usually emulates the mood im in at the moment. I would have to be able to put myself in a place mentally where the other person would want me to. Unfortunately I'm no social butterfly so that can be hard for me, I always want to do my own thing.

es-k wrote:
if i have a beat, and a vocalist -- its easy for me to produce the track around them and make the changes that they want me to make... but when i start with a blank slate and they say they want "X" type of beat, its harder to accomplish even if ive made 100 beats like it before...

any tips out there?

I hate these situations. I'm sure there are guys out there that are good at coming up with a specific sound at the snap of a finger.....I'm just not one of them...at this point. I let the music inspire me as I go....so I never know what I'm gonna make until it's done LOL.

es-k wrote:o yea - track gonna be done by mid september, so you will be able to hear pretty soon!!!

Looking forward to that. From your implications I bet it's an old school artist I probably like. (I'm 39)

Coz wrote:

Stop stressing you big poof... you know you're good!

You'll nail this no problem.

Word up....I agree.

Esquilo wrote:I have never worked to produce a song with someone else. I would be aprehensive, when i start a track I will just dig for samples or tweak a synth and when I find a sound I like it usually emulates the mood im in at the moment. I would have to be able to put myself in a place mentally where the other person would want me to. Unfortunately I'm no social butterfly so that can be hard for me, I always want to do my own thing.

Same here......can you imagine Scott Storch trying to sound like Pete Rock or Kev Brown trying to make a Dr. Dre beat? We are all individuals....each person shines their best when they express their uniqueness by staying most true to what it is they do..... I heard it said before "You do you, and I'll do me"

Metatron72 wrote:Looking forward to that. From your implications I bet it's an old school artist I probably like. (I'm 39)

i'm excited to play it for you!! you WILL know the artist loll

I actually love being challenged to develop my craft in different directions. When the style request is not my normal thing, I look to that like an opportunity to grow in understanding and appreciation of other styles and approaches.

Not sure what was meant by that musician / beat maker distinction mentioned previously though. Care to clarify?

I think its challenging and fun, but it has to be in your own musical comfort zone, and be something you are proud of creating and putting out there.

I have had a couple artists recently ask me to make a dubstep beat like Skrillex. My style is far from it, 90's boombap, and if I do electronic its more electro/freestyle. The more I research dubstep though, the more I am gravitating on hatting it. Everyone uses the same sounds, loud a$$ wobble bass I really dislike. If I do it Im gonna try and put a totally diff spin on it.

konc3pt wrote:I guess this is what separates real musicisinas from beat makers

I guess this is what seperates a true 'producer' from a 'beatmaker'.

Producer gives the client pretty much what the client askes for whether its a soundalike sound or not.

Beatmaker gives the person a choice from a selection of disparate beats he thinks are good.

Personally I think that if you want to make money from making music you need the ability to work to a clients specification. What you have done before may not be suitable for the clients needs.

So do you turn down the work because all you know is boom bap, or depends heavily on the use of samples?

I know a lot of guys here can't make a beat without using samples, just because they have an MPC...