Updated 7/27: Hip-Hop purveyors, here's 2 songs. What you think?

[top dawg]

First off, I'm old school, and really haven't appreciated rap since Public Enemy. Of course having a son that just hit 20 and is fully on board with today's rappers, we've had plenty of debates about the genre. He says the artists of today are more versatile and talented in their delivery (even if they ain't singing about anything of real substance). He says that today's young people just want to vibe to the beat and get "lit." Seeing the likes of Lil Pump, XXXtentacion, and others, I have come to understand (through much reluctance) that he may be right. 

That being said, my son is throwing his first track out there which embodies this new new wave of artists.

Yeah, I'm dad, so maybe I am not as objective as I'd like to be, but, honestly, I think this short little audio track is banging. I certainly have heard stuff on the radio that's not as good. What you think?

@AggieLean, bump it in the Piedmont!

Here's a new song. 

 

[AggieLean]

4 hours ago, top dawg said:

First off, I'm old school, and really haven't appreciated rap since Public Enemy. Of course having a son that just hit 20 and is fully on board with today's rappers, we've had plenty of debates about the genre. He says the artists of today are more versatile and talented in their delivery (even if they ain't singing about anything of real substance). He says that today's young people just want to vibe to the beat and get "lit." Seeing the likes of Lil Pump, XXXtentacion, and others, I have come to understand (through much reluctance) that he may be right. 

That being said, my son is throwing his first track out there which embodies this new new wave of artists.

Yeah, I'm dad, so maybe I am not as objective as I'd like to be, but, honestly, I think this short little audio track is banging. I certainly have heard stuff on the radio that's not as good. What you think?

@AggieLean, bump it in the Piedmont!

I’ll give it a listen and return with my analysis, lol. I’m driving around and can properly listen. Give it the “whip test” to see if it rides good in the system.

[AggieLean]

Alright, gave it a full listen.

I like it, as it brought me back to my early 20’s. I was in college and all that was on my mind, besides school, was girls and hanging with my dudes or my “gang gang”. I can easily see this being played on all the hip hop stations here in Atlanta. “Turn up” music is still the wave right now. Once things pop here in Atlanta, it takes off. If and when it pops here, it’ll be all over the Triad.

The beat knocks. In today’s climate, that’s almost as important as the lyrics being spit. 

Now, all speak on the lyrics. They’re simplistic, as he’s really not talking about much. It’s cool, though, as most singles follow the same formula. Now, if he drops an album, he’ll need to have a few introspective cuts on there. I can’t speak on Pump, because I’ve only heard two songs from him, but xxxtenacion, uzi vert, Kodak, and all these younger rappers, although they have numerous songs that use the same formula as your sons, they also have them cuts that talk a lot of what young people go through today. 

His flow is cool. I can tell he can spit. Overall, it’s a cool song. I’m still a young dude myself (29), and be in them clubs and lounges from time to time. I was in a hooka lounge last night, and everyone was vibing to all the trap music. I’ll definitely put my young dudes on this back home in Winston and Greensboro. I’m one of those dudes that appreciate hip hop from all, both young and old. I like to see people rap about fun times, but I also like hearing rappers talk of the bad as well. As long as your real and being true, I’ll find the good in it. Tell him to keep grinding and push this single. It can pop and make noise out here!

Now, back to my Lisa Stansfield, been around the world and i ya ya and I can’t find my baby. Lol

[top dawg]

Come on, people I know more than Aggie listens to hip-hop. Have some pie, rather good, bad or ugly (not trollish). 

@MechaZain@Cookie Lyon where you and Lucious at? 

[Porn Shop Clerk]

This is much better than most amateur level stuff I hear. If he keeps at it, he might have something.

[Porn Shop Clerk]

He deserves better vocal production.

[top dawg]

5 minutes ago, Porn Shop Clerk said:

He deserves better vocal production.

Are you just referring to the sound quality, or the actual production? He knows that he's got to get a better mic, and there's only so much he can do outside of a studio with the acoustics. But he plans to make improvements. He recently switched jobs, and is still waiting on that first, once-a-month paycheck from the county (LOL).

Thanks for the feedback. Truly.

[Porn Shop Clerk]

6 minutes ago, top dawg said:

Are you just referring to the sound quality, or the actual production? He knows that he's got to get a better mic, and there's only so much he can do outside of a studio with the acoustics. But he plans to make improvements. He recently switched jobs, and is still waiting on that first, once-a-month paycheck from the county (LOL).

Thanks for the feedback. Truly.

A mic screen might help, but there are also tricks like layering and some filters (autotune is an overly abused one) that can help take the rawness out of the P's and S's, stuff like that.  I think the mic is okay, but maybe he's just a touch too loud in the mix for that particular mic.

I'm trying to find a really good example of some of the stuff that can be done like panning, etc, there are tons and tons of videos on youtube about vocal production, etc.  I think it's mostly the reverb that's bugging me? Seems to accentuate some weird inflections here and there on the track.

But seriously he needs to keep at it and get better.  He could be really, really good one day.

[MechaZain]

On 5/19/2018 at 11:16 PM, top dawg said:

Come on, people I know more than Aggie listens to hip-hop. Have some pie, rather good, bad or ugly (not trollish). 

@MechaZain@Cookie Lyon where you and Lucious at? 

At first it's generic and pretty boring but when he starts mixing up his flows and voices I'm digging it. Like a male Nicki Minaj and I don't hear those all that often. It's such an oversaturated market, you gotta bring something new to the table or you'll just be drowned out. His standard trap flow wasn't special but the way he snaps between different ones is. Would like to hear him really go off like that.

Your son's right though. Rappers today are more talented than ever because in the internet age they have to be. Any style of hip hop that you're into there's great people doing it at every level of substance. I don't know why we act like ignorant party hits are some new development in rap. If it ain't Lil Pump it's Vanilla Ice.

[bLACKpANTHER]

Artists today are not artists.. they have not studied their craft and it shows.. their goal is to use hiphop as a platform to get them famous and they disrespect the vets shoulders they are standing on today..

Funny thing is - only a select few (Kendrick, J.Cole, etc.) will have longevity because they have put in the work.. So all the flashin' that you are supposed to do when you 'get on' will just wash these new rappers out and make way for the next pawn for the radios, business execs and corporations to push in front of the masses.. sad thing is - the masses eat this sh!t up..

Imagine if an NFL owner could have Aaron Rogers or Cam Newton or OBJ on their rookie contracts forever?? sounds like a good deal right!? well, thats what the hiphop industry has done.. the industry MAKES the artists now..

in the 80s, 90s and early 2000s - hiphop was (for the most part) dictated by the fans and the artists together..

But ima stop.. fug this new era..

[MechaZain]

7 minutes ago, bLACKpANTHER said:

Artists today are not artists.. they have not studied their craft and it shows.. their goal is to use hiphop as a platform to get them famous and they disrespect the vets shoulders they are standing on today..

Funny thing is - only a select few (Kendrick, J.Cole, etc.) will have longevity because they have put in the work.. So all the flashin' that you are supposed to do when you 'get on' will just wash these new rappers out and make way for the next pawn for the radios, business execs and corporations to push in front of the masses.. sad thing is - the masses eat this sh!t up..

Imagine if an NFL owner could have Aaron Rogers or Cam Newton or OBJ on their rookie contracts forever?? sounds like a good deal right!? well, thats what the hiphop industry has done.. the industry MAKES the artists now..

in the 80s, 90s and early 2000s - hiphop was (for the most part) dictated by the fans and the artists together..

But ima stop.. fug this new era..

Nah trash radio rap is no more prevalent than it's ever been we just have the luxury of nostalgia. Ringtone rap of the 2000s was worse than today,  90s had a lot of empty gangster rap and industry plants, 80s had a bunch of corny dudes. Nostalgia gives us the luxury of only remembering the good parts.

[bLACKpANTHER]

1 hour ago, MechaZain said:

Nah trash radio rap is no more prevalent than it's ever been we just have the luxury of nostalgia. Ringtone rap of the 2000s was worse than today,  90s had a lot of empty gangster rap and industry plants, 80s had a bunch of corny dudes. Nostalgia gives us the luxury of only remembering the good parts.

[top dawg]

1 hour ago, bLACKpANTHER said:

Artists today are not artists.. they have not studied their craft and it shows.. their goal is to use hiphop as a platform to get them famous and they disrespect the vets shoulders they are standing on today..

Funny thing is - only a select few (Kendrick, J.Cole, etc.) will have longevity because they have put in the work.. So all the flashin' that you are supposed to do when you 'get on' will just wash these new rappers out and make way for the next pawn for the radios, business execs and corporations to push in front of the masses.. sad thing is - the masses eat this sh!t up..

Imagine if an NFL owner could have Aaron Rogers or Cam Newton or OBJ on their rookie contracts forever?? sounds like a good deal right!? well, thats what the hiphop industry has done.. the industry MAKES the artists now..

in the 80s, 90s and early 2000s - hiphop was (for the most part) dictated by the fans and the artists together..

But ima stop.. fug this new era..

Times are changing and things are evolving whether we like it or not. I think that the industry can make an artist if the powers-that-be choose to, but I do think that there has to be some talent somewhere. With this Internet age, I think that fans "make" artists as well, because the industry isn't likely going to overlook an aspiring artist who commands hundreds of thousands of views at a time. The thing is though, I do believe that talent is being flat out overlooked because of pay-to-play or pay-to-promote in order to push art whether it's actually good or not. I think that some blacks in this industry (which we basically created) are largely full of poo because they've wholeheartedly adopted these barriers of entry, when art---at least worthwhile art---shouldn't even be about that. 

[top dawg]

5 minutes ago, bLACKpANTHER said:

Sorry, I think he's right to a degree. Ironically, some would probably say that Will Smith is exhibit A. Mind you, I appreciate Smith.

I think that @MechaZain may have just a tad of disdain for some artists back then from his tone (not trying to get into his head), but he can speak for himself, but I also believe that you may just have a lack of appreciation for some of these talents of today. There is a middle ground, and it's not just about Cole or Kendrick. Monotone rappers with the same style of delivery on every song could be looked upon as boring. And, like it or not, rap is about more than lyrics (especially these days). You know, "One man's trash..."