Comments on: Instrumental Albums Are NOT Free Beats!

By: Interview: Exile | The Find Magazine

Interview: Exile | The Find Magazine — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 11:27:12 +0000

[...] What do you think of rappers who rap over known producers’ instrumentals and release it on their own project to promote themselves? (example) [...]

By: Praverb the Wyse

Praverb the Wyse — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 01:32:00 +0000

This is common with up and comers who unfortunately utilize the technique as a marketing ploy to generate interest. The ploy affects artists who actually work with the beat makers directly. I believe that a lot of beat makers in this world crave and need exposure. Emcees should try to reach out to these up and coming beat makers and create original music. Great article Kevin!

By: Journeybrave

Journeybrave — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 14:30:00 +0000

Yo, I’m guilty of this too, but hey it’s hip-hop. These cats built their careers on sampling and the fact of the matter is unknown emcee’s aren’t really getting any true shine from rhyming on their tracks anyway. It’s still hard work for the independent emcee and the producer. I could see if 9th wonder or Damu were lower tier unknowns that had dope beats and someone just jacked them for it, but these cats are well known. They have deals with budgets!!! I don’t even have 1000 friends on facebook, so what does it hurt them if I rock over their beat. They’re getting money, I’m barely getting plays! I say they need to get off their high horses and remember how they got into the business and better yet how they cultivated their “love” for “producing”. They went into a crate, picked out an album(with no permission), found a loop or chopped up a sample, added some drums and then added their name next to “Produced by…” These cats are crying for nothing, they’re spoiled, and hypocritical. I understand the branding aspect and that they don’t want to be associated with bullshit, but they aren’t!!! Their brand is established and can’t be tarnished by some random lower tier unknown emcee (like myself). I took a 9th beat and killed it, plus put some powerful visuals with it which actually enhanced his track but that’s just a matter of perspective. At the end of the day, this business is about popularity which translates into $$$ and as long as you aren’t taking away from someones money I think you’re good.

-Journey Brave

By: Dj ILL ONE

Dj ILL ONE — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 00:27:00 +0000

This is the very thing that producers like Dj Houseshoes has been confronting people via the web about for a while now. I agree wholeheartedly. If you get permission from the artists,that actually could be a very good thing. You never know,you might just be able to work with them in the future. Emcees need to go through the proper channels,or just stop being cheap and pay for a quality track.

By: Corsico

Corsico — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 23:28:00 +0000

Well written.

That being said, whether it was ‘borrowed’ or not, saying the track was produced by [insert producer here] isn’t wrong, technically. Is it proper business? No. But you get the point….

By: Jimminy Spittit

Jimminy Spittit — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 18:28:05 +0000

So basically If I want to use an instrumental and release the track as my own I have to ask the producer, I’m confused what is wrong with this if your not saying that you worked with the producer himself, what on the mixtape I say “rapped on instrumental ______”

By: K-RooL

K-RooL — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 13:54:01 +0000

Umm, so is it ok if I record a song on an instrumental and put it for example on myspace?
Of course I’m not about to promote the track as produced by ______ or stuff like that. And I’m definetly not getting paid for it. lol. It’s just that I like rapping.:D

By: Emay

Emay — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 00:24:49 +0000

@J. Bizness

True true, I see what you’re saying for sure man. Arrangement is definitely a big part of an instrumental album. Concept is also a main part of it. That’s a good point about selling beat CD’s to. We shouldn’t complain at all I think. Especially those of us that sample without the permission of whomever we’re sampling. We’d be hypocrites haha.

By: J. Bizness

J. Bizness — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 00:16:42 +0000

@Emay

I NEVER said that producers should HAVE to tag beats. It’s personal preference. As far as a “beat tapes” & instrumental LPs, the only difference that I can think of is arrangement. I mean… They’re ALL beats. I agree: tags are not attractive, but they keep a good amount of people away. As a beat-maker myself, I could care less about a rapper complaining about the tags. I’ve done it before. If a rapper wants a beat, it only makes sense to contact the producer. I also agree when you say that producers should suck it up because like I said – Rappers rap. Why would producers expect anything less? I feel it’s kinda egotistical in a way for producers to get mad at people rapping over beats that they release (free or otherwise). Another solution would be for producers to charge for instrumental LPs or “beat CDs” alike. In fact – most “beat CDs” were exclusive to buying artists. The fact is: beats get leaked. Back to my original point – If people rapping over your music bothers you, tag your beats or stop releasing free material.

By: Emay

Emay — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 00:04:32 +0000

@J. Bizness
I don’t think producers should have to tag an instrumental album. haha. It would take away from listening to the project. An instrumental album and a beat tape are different things. A beat tape is usually intended for rappers to spit on and is sometimes tagged. An instrumental album is meant to be listened to as you’d listen to any other album. Listening to an instrumental album by Bonobo with tags on it wouldn’t be attractive at all. I think us producers need to suck it up, and that rappers should use whatever they feel as long as they don’t sell it, and it sounds dope.

By: J. Bizness

J. Bizness — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 23:58:40 +0000

Well…
Rappers like to rap.
One simple solution would be for labels and producers to hold off on releasing instrumental compilations. Another solution would be for folks to tag their instrumentals.
That’s always an effective deterrent in my experience.
Though I feel like these solutions won’t eliminate the problem, they will probably help.
Maybe.

By: Emay

Emay — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 23:40:51 +0000

thanks for posting this man. i recently released an instrumental album called emay, karen o, and the kids like more than a month ago and some people used it without my consent. i wasn’t mad, because as being a rapper/producer i know how it feels on both ends when you’re motivated to do something. the thing that gets me mad is when (like kev said) when they’re shouting out dudes that’ve never associated with them before. it just makes me feel sorry for them. i don’t mind seeing mc’s spit over beats when they’re doing mixtapes, because it’s a great way for them to exercise their abilities. but….. when somebody drops an album and their jacking beats it’s pretty wack in my opinion.

By: Kid Captain Coolout

Kid Captain Coolout — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 22:18:30 +0000

@ Michael – building a cashless rapport with producers you don’t know could be a struggle. But if you’re honest and genuine about your purpose… and have a practiced skill level, you should be able to find your way. There are tons of undiscovered producers who may only have one, two or no MC’s to work with. I’d start somewhere along the lines of listening to all of the free-downloads that you see daily. If you hear tracks on an album where you like the production, write that producer’s name down and the tracks from the album you heard them on. Continue doing this until you’ve come up with at least 20 names… and then Google those names if they haven’t left any contact info on the download text. Find out the most you can about a producer before you contact him/her. Most of them already have blogs, websites, MySpace, Bandcamp or Soundcloud pages. After you’ve found out all that you could on your own… contact them and let em know where you stand honestly, passionately and financially.

By: Michael Stover

Michael Stover — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 10:24:46 +0000

I’ll admit I’m an emcee that has done this, but the question I have to ask is in a music industry where buying beats is extremely expensive, what are emcees supposed to do. I understand the whole tagging the producer as though you worked him (that doesn’t make sense), I see where producers are coming from with the whole using their beats. I just wonder what emcees that don’t have money, but still have a passion to make music are supposed to do.

By: drew t

drew t — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 04:21:37 +0000

if producers want to release beats for free, in mp3 form, on the internet, and expect people not to use them, they must be crazy.

if they want all the shit out in the open, as far as permission to use x,y,z beat…producers may want to start contacting the artists THEY sample and steal from,

99% of producers dont pay the artists they sample. cant have your cake and eat it too, fellas.

this is a case of the kettle calling the pot black.

By: GNX Music

GNX Music — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 08:18:49 +0000

BTW… Check out the Harry Fox Agency for more information on clearing samples. For most stuff it is a lot easier then it used to be.

By: GNX Music

GNX Music — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 08:15:56 +0000

One of the reasons so many mixtapes sound like shit is every one of these wanna be rappers thinks they know what there doing. Now if you actual work with the producer who did the track and let him “produce” the song its going to sound a lot better. Either that or they will tell you that you suck and shouldnt be rapping.

The idea of mixtapes was much hotter when it was DJ’s doping mixes. All the mixtapes out now are basically all really shitty excuses for demos and in the meantime people can look cool around the hood and say they are about to get on with …..

To all the artists wanting a career in rapping.. here is some free advice. Get a team of people that know what they are doing. Not the team of people you smoke weed with and call your “indie label” . You will have to pay people that actually know what they are doing.
Make some good music, get it mixed, make sure you can get your samples cleared.
Release it on itunes. Now do your promotion. In case your wondering that costs too. And that is how people get radio play, publicity, marketing, shows and sales. Not by handing out CDS to their people. Even if you doing that to “get a buzz” you should already have a good album in place that is available for sale so when people look for you they can do the right thing and support your music.

By: Kid Captain Coolout

Kid Captain Coolout — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:13:22 +0000

You can’t stop this… and it’s sad to say it guys but, the laws of Hip-Hop are dead and gone. This issue will become a standard act as more new artists emerge and the problem stems from the mix-tape. These days, cats don’t even get clearance from artists for those anymore. But who’s really complaining? Whether you’re reselling someone’s retail music or giving it away for free… there are ten times as many people in line who are waiting to do the same.

By: ALMA

ALMA — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:59:58 +0000

ACTUALLY DR DRE USED2STEAL BEATS BACK IN THE DAY TOO WHEN HE WAS NOBODY SO I DONT THINK U SHOULD USE HIM AS AN EXAMPLE…LOL

By: Remot

Remot — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 20:03:18 +0000

using other peoples music is such a touchy subject in hip hop. If i were an emcee, i personally wouldn’t be rapping over Donuts or other previously released instros, just cuz id rather put something completely new out there. not to say that it can’t be done right, i love a lot of freestyles and ‘remixes’ over old beats

but producers getting mad about this is silly, unless the artists in question are making some sort of profit with their beats. How much of a hypocrite are u, when u sample hundreds and hundreds of artists, usually not giving them credit (cough, 9th), then turn around and get mad cuz rappers use your beats for a free mixtape?