For Week 9 in the Blueprint 2009 contest, we come to the Kanye West-produced “Never Change”. Using the soul sample “Common Man” by David Ruffin, Kanye gave this track a real soulful sound. Let’s see what you all can do with it!
We are trying something new for remix submissions this week. Every Sunday I always spend hours downloading all the remixes, compiling and reuploading them for everyone to check out. Starting this week we are gonna try having you upload your remix directly to my Box.net account via the upload widget you see below.
To make this new procedure easy, please name your mp3 with your name (ie, TokyoCigar.mp3 or Isbjerg.mp3). This will make the remixes easy to identify. I also know some of you tend to make tweaks later in the week and resubmit new versions or your remix. If you do that here, just name your final remix with -FINAL after your name (ie, Phurcat-FINAL.mp3 or GC-FINAL.mp3). Leave a comment if you have any questions. Hope this isn’t too difficult… it should make things easier on me.
Remember, if you’re new to the contest, read the rules. Remix is due next Sunday (June 21st) by 3pm Eastern Time. Good luck!
DOWNLOAD SAMPLE
DOWNLOAD ACAPELLA
{ 71 comments }
This week is gonna be chunky. The record is DRIPPING with samples. I cant wait to hear how cats go in on this one.
just quickly put it together
clickmy name for the link above lol new
GOD DAMN tokyo!! xD that shit was reeeeaally hot man! like how u chopped it!
best beat on the album in my opinion. this week will be fun
I just submitted my remix.. I still gotta make a few changes and add a bassline to it…has a playfull feel.. tell me what yall think…
Just posted mine…enjoy and comment!
Is – Reminds me of Streets is Watching, dope shit! Love the bassline, drums are tight too!
neverjayz – Enjoyed the chops, drums fit well too! All the chops were a tiny bit distracting for my ears, and the vocals ran a bit…great job though!
PERFECT – Great drums! Interested to hear what it would sound like with bass, but it definitely has that playful feel you described…
Tokyo – Talk about choosing ill samples…damn homie! Great filtering and drums too…it’s getting serious in here!
Tokyo Cigar – man is sounds so hipnotizing!!!.. i love that compressed sound.. i was gonna use that same sample part but after listening to yours, yeah I should go mess w/ another sample..lol… good job
Isbjerg – that’s serious!.. killer beat.. drums are on point..
neverjayz – some serious chopping going on… the vocals got away at the end.. drums make sense with the chopping.. good stuff
G.C. – upbeat… yeah I caught that small switch after Jay says pause that.. nice.. the drums make it lively… good job
ok people…i missed last week’s contest…had mad shit on my plate…but i’m back!!!!!
aww man where do i begin…..
Isjberg…..the ILLEST drums i’ve heard so far
Tokyo….crazy chop homie…nice NY-like drums to match with the chops
GC….sounds like an official jay track already…nice work man
Perfect….it feels like jay is with an ill band live on stage or sumthin….i dont know if u tried to give the track a rock feel….but i think u do….and it sounds crazy
Neverjayz (i’m guessing that’s getnyceproductionz)……nide drum pattern and choppingt
HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA… OHHH SH******TTTTTTTTT!!!!
ISBJERG!!! STRAIGHT FIRRREEEEEE!!!
WHOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!
mad props to all especially to my man mellow daze who just started to do his thing and is already at the top
sup yall, just got into the contest, put some feedback on my joint, let me know about it..
made it sound kinda souly…
props to markoz the human beatmaschine, gonna hear bout him soon!
killed the basseline razor sharpe, mad props! beat is bangin
ibsjerg, shit is gaaaaaaangzta!
ISbjergs remix is the shit… again!
Ok, obviously some people cannot read. PLEASE name your mp3 with your name only. For example, if I uploaded a remix, I would call it Kevin.mp3.
Unless your name is neverjayz, your remix will be ignored. smh
Isbjergs joint “is the shit” …(i’m singin’ “i’m the shit” by DJ Class, lol)
Just uploaded my joint…don’t be afraid to critique people!!! 206 STAND UP!!! Don’t sleep on Seattle…just give us a few yrs hip hop wise…we’re gonna be the new Detroit LOL
@deli – My boy (who went by Buddy Lee at the time) was in the Seattle scene, working with the Boom Bap Project. Haven’t heard from him in a long time. What up Seattle!
everyones got dope remixes…just uploaded my joint…
@g.c. – what’s good family!!! that’s what’s up…yeah seattle definately got some sleeper artists and producers…but slowly we are being heard with artists/producers like jake one, boom bap, dyme def, etc…ill remix by the way fam!!!
Yo thanks for the props yall.
The record had so many parts that it was crazy. Kanye murdered the original beat but there was still so many parts of the David Ruffin record to work with. I felt that the vocals were too ill not to grab. I did the beat a couple of weeks ago then dusted it off for this week. Glad yall liked it.
Yo Kev big up on the new format. It makes checking peoples joints out way easier.
Deli – dope beat. Bouncy and hard. The piano’s sound like some western saloon fight scene. I could see MOP killing that beat.
GC – Very jazzy feel. Cadillac mack steez. I like the hi hats a lot too. Sounds like some funky early Souls of mischief shit.
Isbjerg – WHOOOOO!!! Crazy. This that 70’s action flick “throw him in the van and put the bag over his head” shit.
Lakim – Reminds me of a Mathematics joint. I see street life spazzing on this. Nice
Mellow – i like the part of the record you used. Nice chops. The rimshot gives it that early Dungeon family feel. The vocals were off a bit but still a ill joint.
Perfect.p.iiitch – OOOOOHHHHH!!!!!! are you fucking kidding me?!? Beautiful. Oh my god i love the parts you used. I cant belive i missed that. This is that shit you just want to hear everytime you wake up. Hard drums too. This gives the song a crazy uplifting feel. Slug and Murs over that beat would be a hit.
Razor – You like the young diamond d. I love the filtered bassline. Great build ups too. i love the toms. You might need to slide that beat to me to rhyme on LOL
How is this new format working for everyone? So far I’ve only had one person have problems. I see G.C. has multiple versions already… haha. I’ll clean these up as the week goes on.
here you go tokyo…..
http://www.box.net/shared/o5eempfpqc
@Razor- Wow you mad qucik with it kid. LOL I just downloaded it. I’m gonna lace this joint in a little bit. I been doing so many beats that i aint dropped new rhymes in a while. I’ll send the track to your myspace when i’m done.
ight kewl…. i’m def lookin foward to it….
First time postin here so a lotta criticism is greatly appreciated
Holla Fam
F1rst RMX 4 Ya
1 Luv Jamal Dekay
my bad next time b i the read rules but forgot to enter the name just had it the same as i named it on my laptop
but ya i think lakim was the best one so far
Damn, there’s a lot of hot joints right here. Congratulations for all.
Mad props for GC and Tokyo Cigar, I love the way you mixed it.
I have to clean up my sample but don’t hesitate to criticize my “zic” (as we say in France).
Hip hop lives and don’t know any frontier.
Peace from Paris.
Tnx for the critics tokyo, the contest is wildin!
i am still waitin for that rashid hedee remix
I just submitted my remix. I hope you all enjoy
GC, Isbjerg, Lakim (damn ! i guess we caught that vibe at the same time), Tokyo (Yes my man !), those are tracks i could wish i had made !!!!!!! (is my english correct ? hope it’s overstood, Lol) DEFINITELY !
Honor & Respect to y’all producers
@Bidim – Thanks for the love! Here is the correct way to say it: “Those are tracks that I wish I could have made!!!!!!!”
44th Productions: the low end is banging hard. a lil too hard. but the beat works out well.
DekayBeats: The rhythm isn’t off beat per se, it just doesn’t sync with the rhythm of the vocals.
DeliGenius: The beat doesn’t really build. If this was a song with more than one artist, it would have been pretty perfect.
Half-Centric: The chorus doesn’t really work. neither melodically or rhythmically
Isbjerg: A nice changeup to the original that isn’t garrish. wish there was a breakdown somewhere though, but overall still dope.
Lakim: not bad. the poor mix quality really detracts though.
Mellow Daze: The mixing is very flat. and the chorus rhythm change up isn’t really working. Overall it just doesn’t really knock
Perfect Piiitch: The loop you chose is interesting at first, then it kind of stays there and it just doesn’t really do much. It’s just needs a changeup at least.
Razor Sharpe: nice flow, and the changeups are good. the track isn’t evenly mixed though. the drums are beating my eardrums, but the claps and snares aren’t crisp. the snare roll also kind of sounds like an afterthought.
RNP: everything is overcompressed. I like the way you did the chorus. I wanted to do something similar, but couldn’t really get a grasp on how i wanted it to work rhytmically. the background loop got to be repetitive by the middle of the second verse though.
Rodloos: what is this? I think I see what you were going for, but it really just doesn’t work.
Smoke: The Chorus stops this from being great. the changeup from the verse was good, then what sounds like the original chopped into the mix makes it kind of incoherent.
Tokyo: nothing really to say other than the drums don’t quite hit as hard with the vocals because of their swing.
WylsFisk: I really like this one. I normally don’t like it when people take the chorus off (for whatever reason) but it works here. although at the beginning of verses, you can still here the remnant.
Well, that’s all of my opinion.
Hi
Great competition
I’ve just discovered this website thanks to my brother and damn it’s hot.
Good contest and a lot of competitors. Love and respect for all of you.
I don’t have time to participate but I can enjoy your creativity.
After listening the work of each one, I can humbly say that according to me there’s 2 guys who clearly made a very good remix for different reasons: Rodloos and WylsFisk.
Rodloos : you made a sound far away from the Kanye’s spirit. It’s a kind of risky but it works fine (sorry I’m not agree with you Cory Hall ! ). This is what I call creativity and then Hiphop. But 2 things should be changed : voice “Changes” (from 2Pac ?) is too repetitive I think and that type of Nordlead sound should be arranged or replaced by another sound.
So for these reasons, I think that WylsFisk is at one step above you.
WylsFisk : Not as creative or risky as Rodloos joint because you stay in the Kanye’s spirit but you did it well. It’s clean. Good work man.
Oh, Kevin, your website rules man ! I’ll send the link to my friends.
OOOH WEEE ! The Lady is in the building! You guys are Really setting the bar in this room!lol
Im off work tomorrow and just downloaded the accapella. CANT WAIT TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH THIS!!
As of right now everyone brought some dopeness but my personal favs right now are 1BJERG …2TOKYO CIGAR( i love that name) 3Perfect PIIITCH.( no particul order) Rodloos I like the grit in your grind.SMOKES I like your whole THE Supremes meets the streets sound.
Imma Go Harder than baltimore on this! I ‘ll BE BACK
MrsAmeryca
that k-mo beatz shit is crazy. best so far
thx 4 the advice cory hall….imma take what u said into consideration…
i agree wid u Cory Hall, the chorus was actually the part i was most concerned about…actually still workin to see if i can find a way to get exactly what i wanted.
tanx MrsAmeryca
What up yall, I finally was able to get in on this week’s flip, I love this sample! As usual lots of great entries, Just submitted mine, Feedback is welcome. Good luck everyone! Peace.
My bad Kev! I forgot to rename it. It’s just a ruff version, I’ll upload the final tomorrow.
http://www.box.net/shared/ecie9t08it
Wellll!I havent had the chance to listen to the newer entries I hope to check them out tomorrow!
Didnt get a chance to make something for the contest and I got 33 minutes before I have to leave for the airport! Goin on vacation and my husband said Im not alowed to do music on while gone….THATS BULLSHIT!lol
BUT I wanted to do cut up Camp lo ‘luchini’ and do sumthin cool with that beat I was really lookin forward to it! AAH what the heck Ill see if I can put something together in a few minutes?! Dont want you guys to think I dont Love what your doin here!
MrsAAAAAAY
EEEEEEEW Dont judge me Just listen to it I Dont have time for perfection just know I tried! WISH ME SAFE TRAVEL!!!!!!!….GOIN TO THE 3 0 5 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just uploaded mine. I think RNP killed this shit, also liked the YoKuzin and razorSHARPE joints.
http://www.box.net/shared/eni552tgu5
This isn’t my final submission. I gotta add a couple more things to it and mix it down properly but I think it’s bangin!
I went real bomb squad wit this one. lol
Here’s my entry for this week.
Jay-Z – Never Change (Remix) Feat. Nas
Produced by Kobé Tha French Wit an H.
http://sharebee.com/45024ff0
Peace Out
What did you guys get as the BPM? I think I got something weird like 85.41
David Ruffin is the man (except for that whole Tammy Terrel thing). Real nice remixes posted up so far.
@Adam – Mine was pretty much dead on at 85.45…so yours is right there.
just uploaded mine. Looks like there’s some strong competition as usual. Had to take the last couple weeks off. beats were getting in the way of school. but finals are over so IM BACK. I kept it pretty simple this week. Props to all the other producers. Good luck
ps- if you listen, try to listen all the way to the end, theres a little bonus, even though i found out im not a creative as i thought. Damn you Rodloos!
Yeahhh, sorry Ransom. And I even put this little bonus on the debut and into the mix as Elroy78 had pointed out.
Oh, thank you Elroy78 for your advise. You put your finger exactly where I’ve decided to change “one single grain of sand”. And you’re right, I try to make creative thang. Risky but that’s me.
It’s another remix now, VERY VERY HOT, and I LIKE IT. I hope y’all too.
Cory Hall : you said “What is this ?” –> IT’S A REMIX BABEEEEEEEEEEE !!!!!!
Oh, Kevin, thank for the first upload. It works now. Shame on my web connection.
Peace from PARIS (sorry if I make some syntax errors).
Thank y’all, you so good you made me rethink it, so i reflipped it, don’t judge my english, just comment the beat, Lol
HIPHOP LIVES
OnE
Just check out my Rodloos-FINAL mix and not the first one.
Out
Bidimridim, your mix is pretty cool man.
Good luck for the judges !!!! lol
PS:my final is the current one. Comments are welcome.
Thanks Rodloos. i like your final mix, really audacious, not my usual choice, but originality is the way i like it. Props.
Respect collègue
, de Martinique
Aight Yall. I just uploaded my final version of the remix. It’s crazy. I went Liu Kang on crack wit this shit. lol
Tell me what you think.
http://www.box.net/shared/eni552tgu5
yo quris,
this is straight fire!!!
i think you killed it on that one, very nice filtering and extra juicy drums.
Like it very much, peace!!!
I had to go back and add some more strings to the mood…
44th Parallel – I could imagine RZA do this and could hear GZA over it.. I dont feel Jay so much on this, but I dig the beat…
44th Prod – The vocals off.. I like the vibe in the beat, but the vocal is off..
Adam Bomb – Nice drums… Nice chopping.. Nice idea in your choice of sample order..
Bidimridim – Damn ! Drums are great and the Pete Rockish producing is superb..
Cory Hall – You know what… At first I was surprized by the angle, you took it by but you went all the way and made it your own.. I want your version of this remix album, all the joints..
D7 – Kanye Westish, you’ve got those chopping skills locked down..
Dekay Beats – With that kind of beat, I would like a more complex type of rhyme on it.. I really like the beat, but not for Jay..
DeliGenius – I like your breaks and your vibe in the beat.. Good one..
DJ TommyIIGunz – Another route.. Im not sure about the ride, but It grows on me.. I dont like the short delay on the vocal.. But amazing N.W.A. Beat, no doubt..
GC – On that ride again… A real nice joint for the car in the summer.. You really listen to the originals for something more, and I can hear your drums are back to normal..
Half-Centric – Are the vocals off ? Youre still chopping like a mad scientist – Superb!
K-Mo Beatz – I like your drum programming and the way to place the chords and the hats for the important parts..
Kobe – Thew drums and the sample doesnt fit well together, sorry.. I like them apart but together.
Lakim – A really dope joint… Its fits well together and I cant do nothing but enjoy it..
manz – Nice.. Good vibe, but its hard to stand out with this many men doing great.. You got some great things, but for me I had to listen to it a couple of times to appriciate all the details..
Mellowdaze – I didnt feel it.. I heard a few things, some drums a little arrangement and nothing else.. You’ve gotta bleed, sweet and breathe beats to get noticed.. Im sorry but I need more of this joint..
MrsAmeryca – I wanna know what you could have done with this with more time… Im not crazy with the intro but the second thing you threw in there got balls… I wanna hear it with some adjusted levels and with you on the board, not stressin’… I love the beat..
YoKuzin – Its a hard one, because Im left with a really good feeling but I cant compare the producin to someone right now… But I like the style..
PERFECT.P.IIITCH – you have a hard time with this.. I like your drums and your samples, but I need a little extra spice..Gimme some spice..
Phur – Thank you for bringing the drum intros back.. That kick gives it the nice riding vibe..
Quris – Imma try to be nice, but honest… I like the idea of the joint, I like fact that it brought thoughts back to 1996 and Lil Kim joints, but the EQ are way off… The layers are good, but the sound of it reminds me of my first productions.. Listen to it, compare to some other joints and try to get another mix in it… You can still make it.. Or else mail me and Ill help out…
Ransom Notes – Nice ryder music…. I can feel the breeze in this joint…
Razor – I cant get my hands down with the surprising handclaps.. I love it..
RNP – Raw energy.. But leave it at that after first verse.. I were expecting more by first chorus.. More..
Rodloos – I didnt feel it… It got annoying and all though I tried to like it, it didnt got me at all.. You have some great ideas and I dont wanna be the bad guy here, but the hihat bothers me and the repeating intro got to me…
Rooklin – Funny, I had some Björk in mind and so did you.. I like the flow in your joint…
Smokes – Nice sound, but you lost me a bit on the chorus….
Tenth – I really like your joint.. I first hated the snare but I quickly fell into the joint.. A reallt nice remix..
Blaq hand – Vocals off ? I had some expextations for you. you sounded pro, so that the vocal sounded like that turned me off….
Tokyo Cigar – aka the chop king doing his thing thing… The hardest chopshop in the biz..
TRM101 – Good entry… Not surprising, but solid…
Vucaheela – A good loop, but a bit more variation please…
Wylsfisk – Good remix, nice chop and took me by surprize… Good one…
One
Isbjerg: you nailed my sample, that’s fresh, good ears. And good looking with all the comments. I’m on your track right now. You created some real restrained energy with this, sounds dangerous. real nice.
Damn Isbjerg. props on the feedback. im sure that took some time to do. Im feelin the beat. went dark with this one. fits well with the chorus.
Others i was bumpin:
Tenth-nice chop. works well. and the addition of the other vocal sample is a bonus. i feel like it would be next level if you could have a real bass player tear it up and add a little variety to the bass line.
RNP- Right off the bat just has a real nice summer vibe. diggin the scratchin and how you pitched the kanye part down. creative
Tokyo- chops are nice, but it just sounds off to me.
GC- Once again you found a way to flip it like no one else to make it sound different. like it
44th production- Beat is tight. That bass hit at the begging of the drum pattern is hard, But the vocals are off.
@Isbjerg, yo thanks for the feedback homie I appreciate that for real. That revised chorus on your joint is ill, the sample sounds like its from a musical maybe? Works very well with the overall feel of the track. Dope, well done.
Aight, my entry is submitted, listen to it! I did a tempo 100 track without time stretching the vocals!!! Big props to RNP, Lakim and Blaq Hand, the competition really grows. Peace out to ya all.
O.K. Got some time to check people out before somebody come in. I’ll point out the one’s I like.
Bidimridim – My Fav.
GC – Like the snares and chops. It’s a good feel.
44th Parallel – Like that bounce and bassline.
Isbjerg – I like that, sound like a theme for something.
manz – Like how you chopped it.
Ransom Notes – Like the feel of this.
RNP – Like the drums and the hook on this.
DJ TommyIIGunz – like them skits.
What’s up fellas.I’ve been sooo busy and i’m JUST submitting my remix.I’m mad that I have’nt been able to check out the other ones.I will try to get around to listening to them,but cant promise,cuz tomorrow is Father’s Day and I have my baby girl with me.A happy early Father’s Day to everyone.
One
Yo I just posted my remix lemme know what you guys think thanks!!!!!
Would somebody tell me what they think of mine? its saved as Kingimi Productions – Never Change Remix.
Thanks in advance!
@ Isbjerg & Yokuzin, a quick thank you, appreciate, and Happy Father’s Day to y’all !!!
@ Isbjerg
Thanks 4 the probs… yes that is true…
that was one of my first remixes… normaly i just make beats… it is very creazy to do a own style beat to a accapella… maybe will be my next one better!
1 jam
@ Kingimi – Your beat is awesome and do really catches the vibe of the song, but wheres the sample ? And turn up the mood a lil bit..
@ Dekay – one back, I will look forward hearing from you again…
Happy fathers day.. Nottinghammers salute..
TIMES UP!
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