Rap Music

Great Debates: Should The Old-Fashioned Record Store Be Allowed To Die?
Some of my favorite out-of-genre Rap albums (David Axelrod's self-titled album, Donny Hathaway & Roberta Flack's 1972 album and so many others happened this way). People need excitement, and how many of us purchase or dismiss (or illegally download) an …
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P-CEP Perspective: P-CEP teachers discuss music
“I like rap, which people find hard to believe,” he added. “I just don't like when it's degrading to women or a race.” Thomas' taste extends into the past as well with Elvis, Led Zeppelin and 80s hair bands. Thomas' favorite musical memory is listening …
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Beastie Boys Join the Rock Hall of Fame; Award Presented by Chuck D
The induction marks the celebration of a highly eventful career for the rap trio that built its name early on with help of Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin at Def Jam Recordings. They continue to craft songs and distribute their work worldwide.
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Home Recording Studio Guide – Learn to Record, Mix and Master
This Superb 128 Page Guide will get every Musician recording, mixing and mastering great audio tracks quickly and efficiently!! Clear Processes, Diagrams, and Color Pictures will makes this an incredible value and Must Have Instant PDF Updated 1/2008
Home Recording Studio Guide – Learn to Record, Mix and Master

Article by Mike Chambers

Are you currently a independent musician and performer interested in launch your next cd, or mix tape however are having problems acquiring production. Or perhaps you are like me and don’t have a big budget to shell out on beats. I’ve been releasing music over the past 5yrs now and have developed a great group of followers selling my music on the web.

I struggled for a while attempting to find production that fit my budget until eventually I discovered soundclick. Sounclick had been a great start for me but after time soundclick begun to get very saturated and I found a great deal people with the same beats I had. That actually annoyed me because I wanted to be taken seriously about my music. Plus the majority of the beats on that website usually are not mixed well. I come to understand this the hard way. I recorded a song which had been very popular but because of the poor quality of the beat it never had the opportunity for radio. That was one of my best songs, and it never stood a chance on account of poor mixing.

Therefore after dealing with a lot of internet sites, with wack producers, and wack beats I did a google seach on rap beats and found out about a great site. Since that time I have released 5 mix tapes and have been on radio stations by using this same site. The best part about it I leased almost all my beats from their website and paid merely 29.99 for a track that got me on the radio with almost no budget. I’m now getting paid shows around my area and have been in contact with several A&R’s from major labels.

I usually don’t publish any articles and reviews about web-sites but I have to give props when props are due. I owe a great deal of my success to them because If it wasn’t for the high-quality and industry sound production I wouldn’t have been qualified to stay ahead of the crowd. Yes my lyrics are just as good (or even greater) then the next person’s but whats a song without Top of the line Beats.

About the Author

If you are interested in getting Radio Ready Rap Beats please check out the Rap Beats Headquarters at http://www.rapbeatshq.com

I have been in the music business for about 3 years now, and one of the trends that seem to be going on right now is the desire for one to start their own record label. Because the industry is so saturated with hopefuls trying to get that big record deal from a major or large independent record label, many are seeking to start their own business in the music industry. One of the most interesting but challenging things that one can do is to start a Hip Hop/Rap Record Label. It’s actually not that difficult, especially if you’re a producer, because you then don’t need to pay too many other producers to make beats or record your artists, so this can save you money. There are, however, a few very important things that one must do in order to start. I have some more information, as well as a great product on my Squidoo lens Starting And Running A Hip Hop Record Label.

1. The first thing that many people forget is that if you are an artist, producer or even an engineer, you really need to find management. A manager’s job is very important, as it helps you to shop your material to the important decision makers in the industry, and your manager will also help you plan your future in your business.

2. The second thing you need to do is file your new record label as a business with your state. Each state has it’s own set of rules for filing, but typically you file with your Secretary of State, you would then choose whether you want to file your business as a partnership, sole proprieter, LLC or Corporation. There’s usually a fee involved, but it’s about 0 to 0 depending on your state.

3. The next thing to do is to get artists, or a producer if you are an artist. Now I do want to let you know that there will be some money spent at first…that’s just the way it is…however, it doesn’t have to be that much if you know where to look. The product that I talk about in my Squidoo lens Starting And Running A Hip Hop Record Label talks about how to get the money to do this.

4. Once all this is done, you begin making music! You have to shop your music though, which means that you need to get some kind of distribution. You can always start online with Tunecore, that’s what I used at first, and they put your music on iTunes, Napster, Amazon and several other online outlets.

Starting your own record label can be one of the most rewarding experiences you can have, but it can be very difficult if you don’t have the right guidance and advice, visit my Squidoo lens Starting And Running A Hip Hop Record Label for more information how to make it to the top. Have a great journey!

Related Rap Recordings Articles

I have been a sound engineer since 2000. My first clients at Studio 5.1 recorded rap/hip-hop music. Even before that time as I worked at other studios in the San Diego area, I recorded artists looking to be the next “rap star.” My experience with rap music in general has lead me to the conclusion that I no longer wish to record rap music.

I make no secret of my feelings towards rap music in hopes to combat the desires of those who wish to engage in making rap music in hopes that they will choose a more noble course in their lives.

The following are reasons and rationale why I have decided to discontinue recording rap music:

1)The lyrics of rap music are degrading to women (and therefore degrading to the men who use such language in their lyrics), they are unabashedly vulgar, they glorify an unhealthy level of materialism, and greed that perpetuates selfish, ego stroking content that is completely counter-productive in society.

Women are precious and deserve respect. Rap music not only degrades women, but falsely teaches women that in order to obtain acceptance from a man they must be a promiscuous, one-dimensional waste of a person.

Vulgar language makes up almost 50% of the total lyrical content of rap music. Most often this vulgarity is part of the mistreatment and sexualization of women or in promoting violence to one another.

The materialism, greed and uncaring self promotion so common to rap music lyrics stands against all socially productive ideology and opposes all that is good for the human race. Life should be about what we can do for others; what we can add to the world – not about what we can take from it – or who we can take it from.

Rap music has set at its core the lowest qualities, perpetuates shameful and demeaning treatment of women, champions drug use and violence, and is an assault on enduring principles at the foundation of civilized society. These reasons alone are sufficient motive to discontinue any activities to create, promote, or produce rap music, music videos, or anything like unto it.

2)While not universally true, an overwhelming majority of rap artists behave in such a way that places an undesirable increased legal risk studio owners. Rap artists tend to engage services with little to no ability or intention to pay for services rendered.

Aside from including lyrical content about drug use/abuse, some of the rap artists have engaged in discussing the sale of and distribution of illegal drugs outside of lyrical content in the presence of studio staff. This information places our facility in an unwanted position and is no longer neutral on illegal acts even those that occur outside of studio time. We either need to report the illegal activity possibly bringing hostilities to the studio and its employees, or not reporting the activities and becoming an accomplice to one degree or another. The liabilities from this information is not welcome.

Work has also been performed for music videos, as well as recording time, with deposits paid and the remainder of the work tenured without ever being paid the remaining amounts. Rap artists, more often than not the same individuals that fill their songs with lyrics about how much money they have and all the fancy cars they drive, seem to be the clients that have engaged recording services and “left their money at home” or some other excuse for not paying. I even had a client not pay me for over a year claiming that ‘he couldn’t pay me because he was in prison for selling drugs in an effort to earn money to pay me for the video work.’ Such hypocrisy and scapegoating is not a recognized excuse for non-payment. Socially moral studios should not endorse engaging in any illegal activity, including violations to intellectual property laws such as using beats or music tracks illegally for any design or purpose. Morally concerned studio should also take the position to not endorse or condone any morally offensive or illegal activities engaged in efforts to pay for services rendered.

It is my feelings that rap music in its current state is an insult to civilized society and should be reformed or discontinued.

Rap music originated by the African Americans in the early 1950′s and 60′s. It was a means of conversing especially while reciting a poem, or while singing. Soon it became a term which denoted a unique musical style which would spread throughout the world. Though rapping is the most important thing in hip hop, both the terms have separate meaning. Rapping is defined as a technique which most artists use, while hip hop refers to a genre of music, which has certain specific characters to it. If you are an artist who is good in rapping and want to showcase your rapping talent to the world, then you must consider getting a deal with a rap record label company.

There are more than 100 record companies in the US alone who are constantly trying to discover the next big rap star. So as a rap star, you have a big advantage of getting noticed by one of these companies provided your act is tight, and you have killer beats to match your lyrics. As a music artist you should also remember that there is an intense completion in today’s music industry. The fame and money which the music industry offers has made a lot of people flock to these record label companies. However, only few have the required talent to become a singer. This has put a lot of stress on the people working in the record labels, as they have to screen nearly hundreds of demo CDs day in and day out, making them almost impossible to identify a good artist from all the others.

So, if you want to get the attention of the record label, you need a new approach. Nowadays, most of the representatives listen to the demos sent by contacts or partners who they trust. It is very important to have a contact in the musical industry that might help you to launch your career.

More info of Record Label Companies

Music video by Afroman performing Crazy Rap. (C) 2001 Universal Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.

Rap and Hiphop are some of the most popular genres of music. Many people like these kinds of music because they are modern, have some artistic value, and have messages to send out to the world. Nowadays, you can stretch your love for these types of music further by learning how to start a rap record label as well as how to start a hip hop label even if you’re not yet in the music industry.

How do you do this? Follow these steps and aim for success:

1. Think of your message. Some record labels have a vision and a mission in mind when they were starting out. Learning how to start a record label begins by concept-building and vision mission planning. This will determine your direction and the message of the music you want to produce.

2. Look for some artists. There are new and rising stars out there waiting to be discovered. All you have to do is search for them. You can begin by searching YouTube for artists who have uploaded their demo videos and some samples of their work. You can also try hanging out in bars and clubs to scout for some new and fresh talents.

3. Register your business. Make sure you register your business in the IRS and get a Tax ID. This will avoid any legal complexities in the future.

4. Hire an attorney. Most people who would like to know how to start a rap record label and a hip hop label don’t know that there are some legal issues you would have to deal with along the way. Having a legal counsel definitely helps whenever you encounter these things.

5. Look for some interesting material. You have your message and your vision is clear; the next step is to find material and turn it into a masterpiece. If you are serious in learning the ropes of how to start a hip hop label and a rap label, you must look for fresh ideas, interesting compositions and potential hits that will take the world by storm.

6. Purchase some equipment. These days, this is not so much of a problem considering the many gadgets that can easily produce good music. You can start modestly and begin with a few technical instruments that will help you make good music.

7. Record your music. If you are able to buy some equipment, you have the artist and the material you composed, then it is time to push the record button and start recording those hits.

8. Part of learning how to start a record label is to learn how to market your music as well. Learn the different avenues that you can expose your tracks to. These days, the internet is one of the best ways to promote and advertise your records. Use this to your advantage.