DEDICATED TO THE ART OF HIP-HOP BEATS.
- RAYDO
- BRONX, NY, United States
- WELCOME , I GO BY THE NAME OF RAYDO. I WAS RAISED IN THE SOUTH BRONX, NEW YORK CITY SINCE THE AGE OF SIX YRS OLD.GROWING UP IN THE BRONX I WAS SORROUND BY THE ELEMENTS OF HIP-HOP, GRAFFITI , DEEJAYING, BREAKDANCING, RAPPING. I HAVE CREATED THIS WEBSITE TO PRAISE & PAY HOMAGE TO THE MEN & WOMEN BEHIND THE BOARDS MAKING THE BEATS FOR ALL YOUR FAVORITE ARTISTS.REMEMBER HIP-HOP IS NOT DEAD AS LONG AS THE BEATS KEEP BANGIN'.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
@Young_Guru Creates Scholarship For Cape Town's School Of Audio Engineering by ANDRES VASQUEZ
Young Guru is set to award a recipient of a new scholarship at Cape Town's School of Audio Engineering.
As the engineer behind several Jay-Z albums, Young Guru has learned a lot about the trade. Now, Young Guru's giving back. He recently linked up with Heal the Hood and Cape Town's School of Audio Engineering to create the Young Guru SAE Scholarship.
According to a a Pro-Systems report, the recipient of the scholarship will be acknowledged and announced in 2013. The school also plans on inviting Young Guru to the announcement so that he could be a part of the event.
Aside from this scholarship opportunity, Young Guru has offered workshops at the school. He's discussed his work and career including his working relationship with Jay-Z.
Rico Beats Addresses Producing "Exodus 23:1" For Pusha T by SLAVA KUPERSTEIN
Producer Rico Beats says Pusha T never mentioned Lil Wayne during the recording session for "Exodus 23:1."
If Pusha T meant for "Exodus 23:1" to be a diss, Rico Beats didn't find out until the fans did.
In an interview with MTV News, the producer insists that he heard no indication that Pusha was going at Drake or Lil Wayne on the song, as has been widely speculated.
“Honestly, when we were in the room listening to that record, I didn’t hear none of these guys’ names brought up,” he said. “It was none of that. Dream got in his zone and he went in the booth. Pusha got his pen, like I didn’t hear nobody mentioned.”
Regardless of Pusha's intentions, Lil Wayne wasted no time responding, first via Twitter, then by releasing "Goulish," on which the Young Money general name-checks Pusha. Since then, Pusha's brother No Malice has responded via Twitter, seemingly referring to a mid-2000s photo of Lil Wayne and Cash Money Records CEO Birdman kissing.
Rico revealed that Pusha requested something dark for the album, and found inspiration in a Notorious B.I.G. classic. "I went down to the studio and I was just listening to Biggie. I was just playin' pure Biggie. So ["What's Beef"] came on and once I heard [B.I.G.'s] 'ha-ha-ha-ha' [vocal] I was like, 'Oh shit.'"
Rico has confirmed that he will continue to collaborate with Pusha T in the future.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Album Review: 1982′s ( @StatikSelektah & Termanology) “2012″ by Jon Garcia
1982 is made up of Termanology and Statik Selektah; a rapper’s rapper, and a producer’s producer. As a duo, they can be considered an independent party making their name amongst the underground, and are now entering their second term with 2012. Baring the election style artwork, the two are seeking a vote of confidence from the Hip-Hop nation.
Their campaign starts off strong, with “Lights Down” being an immediate front-runner. Shrouded in a dream-esque, cool groove with distant samples and scratches, the track sets the listener in a steady rock. This is followed by “Up Every Night”, a perfect example of Hip-Hop Doo-Wop. The cheery, upbeat production Statik provides is uncanny here – the song puts a smile right on your face. Following the good vibes theme, “Happy Days”jams optimism into four minutes of rap, with features from Mac Miller, Bun B, andShawn Stockman of Boyz II Men (I know, right!?). These three tracks are highlights of Statik’s production; when at its very best, sounds like it was crafted in ’96 somewhere between Ironman and Wrath of Math. The main aspect of his beat-making, and this has always been the case, is that it never overwhelms, but rather allows the MC to breathe on it. This can work for and against him.
“Shining” is the first time Term takes the podium and puts his rhymes in the driver’s seat. Over triumphant horns, he lets his flow dominate (“I’m shining light blue and reds like a cop car/ I keep it underground, f*ck being a pop star”). “Too Long” is a definite lyrical standout, as he addresses the public with an intimate message involving his family past. This notes a change in tone for the album, from glossy to gritty. The next song, “Time Travelin’”, is probably the best; it speaks on all the people and situations Term would change if he had the chance, leaving you wondering who he’s going to mention next(“And I know it sounds remorseless/ But I would have made Barbara Bush get an abortion”). What makes the song hit home is the authenticity of it and the substance it holds. Most of the music these two make has purpose, and it shows throughout 2012.
As the album progresses, though, it begins to literally slow at the halfway mark. There is no sound progression; some may see this has a consistent flow, while others will call it a stagnant lull. There is no signature song for the album to revolve around; cuts are good, but not great, and the good songs are not good enough to make up for the lack of greatness. There are no impressive features; all are passing, but the least likeable is“Make It Out Alive” with Freddie Gibbs and Crooked I, spitting uninspired rhymes over tired production. As a whole, I think most listeners will step away from the presidential-themed album as most citizens do with most president’s terms of office – ‘It was fine. He did a pretty good job.’
100,000 VIEWS FOR BANGIN-TABLES
I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE FOR THEIR SUPPORT FOR BANGIN-TABLES.HIP-HOP PRODUCERS I TRULY APPRECIATE THE LOVE..BANGIN-TABLES IS JUST GOING TO GET BETER..SO STAY TUNED..SHOUTOUTS TO ALL OF YOU.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Listen and Download Sleepwalkers from @TheRealBigRemo All beats come courtesy of The Soul Council
Raleigh, N.C. rhymesayer Big Remo has come together with The DJBooth to offer his latest street album, Sleepwalkers, for streaming and digital purchase.
Remo’s first Booth release and third with Jamla(see ‘10’s Entrapment and ‘11’s Robinhood Ree), the project features 15 original records from the underground spitter, including reader-approved single “I’m Back.” The premium, 320 KBPS purchase version features three additional instrumental tracks.
Joining Remo on the guest tip throughoutSleepwalkers are Rapsody, Bluu Suede, Tiwony,HaLo and Bun B. All beats come courtesy of The Soul Council (Khrysis, E. Jones, Fatin “10” Horton, Ka$h Don’t Make Beats, AMP, eric g., and 9th Wonder), except on the project’s title track, which features production by The Sleepwalkers.
DOWNLOAD BELOW
@PRODUCERAMADEUS INTERVIEW EMPIRE RADIO MAG.
Interview by: Jacqueline Wah
When I hear the name Amadeus I think of Mozart. What made you choose that name?
That’s exactly who I had in mind. Amadeus was a famous classical composer who created thousands of masterpieces in his time. He was young and very well respected for his musicianship and his compositions. In grade school, I had the privilege to watch the movie in my music class and didn't really pay attention, but I got the idea. His name I always remembered because I thought it was a weird name. I never knew that one day I would become a record producer and use the world famous name of Amadeus.
Growing up, what drew you to music and what made you want to become a producer?
As a child, I was always exposed to all genres of music. Every Saturday my mom and dad would get up early, put on music nice and loud, and clean up the house. I heard everything from The Bee Gees to The O'Jays to Grandmaster Flash to Hezekiah Walker and The Love Fellowship choir, so I developed a love for music at an early age. I also had the privilege to attend Catholic school which allowed me to study a musical instrument; and that instrument just happened to be the drums. My story being similar to a few others, I thought I was going to be the next big hip hop artist; but one day I had a moment of reality in which I realized it was not going to happen. With some great advice I transitioned to behind the scenes and pursued a career as a record producer.
How did you get connected with BadBoy and The Hitman?
I was actually connected with the BadBoy family through one of my mentors, Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie, who was one of the original BadBoy/Hitmen years ago when I sold my first track to artist Nucci Reyo, who was signed to MCA Records. D-Dot took me under his wing and guided me in my production career. He kept me with him in the studios, at events, the office, etc., introducing me to Harve Pierre who was the VP and to Bobby Springsteen who was the A&R at that time. I built relationships with them both, earning me an opportunity to go into the studio to work alongside the late, great Heavy D for about 2 months. In that time I met pretty much everyone that was behind the scenes at BadBoy Entertainment and maintained the relationships. Years later after producing for over 50 artists, I got the attention of Dalton Hernandez who worked for Fran Spero and managed all of the BadBoy/Hitmen producers. At the time I was looking for new producer management, so we all sat down and came up with a plan and strategy that got everyone on the same page. We were all excited to move forward and on that day I was made a BadBoy/Hitmen producer.
When you were starting up your production company, Platimum Boy Music (PBM) what were your original goals and vision for the company?
Platinum Boy initially was the name of my publishing company under Ascap, and as I grew as a notable record producer it transitioned into a production company consisting of artists, producers and songwriters. I wanted my company to be a team of extremely talented, motivated and passionate individuals who had a dream and wanted to devote their time and energy towards making the dream one day reality. I want us to be one of the most successful companies ever known for creating superstars, creating amazing music, and inspiring the world.
I was checking out your Twitter and saw that you posted a picture of one of the greatest rock bands, Jane’s Addiction, concert. What other recording artists in that genre, or any genre outside of hip-hop and R&B are you into?
I love all types of music. I listen to artists such as Cold Play, Mute Math, David Guetta, Adele, Kirk Franklin, Fred Hammond, Mary Mary, Marvin Sapp, Evanescence, and The Doors to name a few.
You’ve worked with artist such as 50 Cent, Tyga, Chris Brown, Trey Songz and may more. How do you keep the creative juices flowing to deliver a fresh new sound for each artist?
It’s simple. I just do me! When I create music, I create totally off of feeling however I’m feeling at that moment, and that’s what you get. If I’m pissed off you will hear it in the track I create. I believe that’s why artists get on my tracks and talk that real talk because the emotion in the music inspires them to do so. I always said to myself I have to love the tracks I create in order to be able to convince the artists and the audience to love the music as well.
Are there any new artists that you’re interested in working with and why?
Definitely interested in working with Machine Gun Kelly, Frank Ocean, Marcus Canty, Kendrick Lamar and Asap Rocky to name a few. I feel they’re extremely talented, unique and passionate about their artistry, and I love creating music with artists like that!
When you produced Foxy Brown’s “My Life” for the Cradle 2 The Grave soundtrack, what mind set were you in back then compared to your mindset now?
WOW great question. I was in a great space creatively back then which was probably about 10 years ago because I wasn't really dealing with any politics at that time I was just able to do what I loved to do which was to create good music. Now the game has definitely changed and not for the better, but because I love music and I love creating music I stay in it regardless. I’m an adult now, so life has definitely changed. I have a family in which I love very much and that I must take care of so it’s serious for me now. It’s more than just a hobby – it’s my life and my career so I take it sooo much more seriously now.
Who are some of your role models and why do you consider them to be role models?
My Dad, my grandfather, President Barack Obama, Sean"Diddy"Combs, and Shawn"Jay-Z"Carter to name a few. My dad and grandfather gave me that work hard and take care of your family spirit that I have. Our President is black and showed the world that you can do anything you want to do in this world; you just have to work hard and never give up. Diddy proved that you can grow up in the hood, not have a father and still make it in life and become one of the wealthiest people in the world. Jay-z proved that you can start off bad by selling drugs, living a street life and not doing the right thing, but make a change in life and end up being another one of the wealthiest and most successful people on earth.
Everyone has his or her opinion on the state of hip-hop. Some artists who have been in the game for years say that it’s dead, but the new group of artists say that it’s evolving into something great. What is your take on it coming from a producer aspect?
Music is expression so I feel people have a right to do and say as they please, so I respect it all. Now from a producer’s standpoint, the state of hip-hop is not in a great place on the business side. So many people are making beats, calling themselves producers and working for free so now instead of artists investing and actually paying producers like they use to do, they go ahead and take beats from the up and coming producers and from us for free. Now we have all artists putting out free music on mixtapes and not paying producers but doing shows off of these records and making money. I’m not mad at mixtapes, I just feel like we took it too far. I consider mixtape albums for artists because they can tour off of mixtapes. I feel that we need to get back to the artists and the labels respecting the producer because that has gone out the window.
What are your top ten favorite records that you produced?
This was very extremely difficult but here you go!
1. Justin Bieber "Christmas Eve"
2. Foxy Brown "Get Off Me" -Eve Diss
3. DJ Kayslay featuring Tony Yayo, Llyod Banks, Jim Jones, Papoose & Rell "Men of Respect 2"
4. Tiffany Mynon featuring Fred The God Son "Dance The Night Away"
5. Lil Mo featuring Miri Ben-Ari "Yeah Yeah Yeah"
6. Fabolous "Raw"
7. 50 Cent "It Is What It Is"
8. Young Jeezy featuring The Clipse "Im Illin"
9. Keyshia Cole "Where Would We"
10. DJ Kayslay featuring Lil Cease & The Outlawz "Bury The Hatchet"
What advice do you have for up and coming producers?
Only go after this if this is something that you love to do and are passionate about because if you’re not this is not the business for you. Become a producer to give the world amazing music, don't chase the materialistic things such as money, cars and jewelry because it doesn't last – but your name on album credits will last forever and go down in history. On the creative side, keep an ear out to the streets and the radio to get an idea of what’s happening musically and what sound is hot at the moment. Don't mimic what you hear but create your own version of what’s hot. It took me years to do that, sometimes being too different will have your tracks sitting in your computer instead of being on albums and you don't want that LOL. BE YOURSELF. It's the best way to be.
You’re a Ceo, producer, music director and drummer for Trey Songz. When do you have time to relax?
I have to force myself to stop working from time to time, but even as I’m resting my mind is constantly in motion thinking about the next move. I'll relax when I know for sure my kid’s kids and their kids are taken care of because of my hard work and labor. I do NEED a vacation though. I probably will be taking one soon LOL.
What new projects are you working on for 2012?
Since being back home from touring with Trey Songz, I’m back in the studio creating that new heat so stay tuned to hear some new Amadeus tracks on some of your favorite artists. I’m also in the process of finishing up my artist Tiffany Mynon "The Angel of R&B" album as we speak! She currently has 2 singles out right now, “Dance The Night Away” featuring Fred The God Son and "I Know How To Love You.Com", both produced by myself. So stay tuned for Tiffany Mynon's project coming soon and to all the readers out there stay connected with us on twitter @ProducerAmadeus & @TiffanyMynon. Also be sure to check out our website daily for updates http://www.platinumboymusic.com
Industry Intel: Recording Engineer Salaries (By Industry and Region) May 10, 2012 by Justin Colletti
Despite stories of big studio closures and contracting CD sales over the last decade, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) suggests that the audio engineering profession has grown considerably since 1999. Although competition remains fierce and growth is expected to slow , median annual incomes have increased in recent years, rising from $30,000 to $46,000 between 1999 and 2010.
But before we dive into these numbers, it’s important to know their limitations.
The government’s data on salaries draws heavily from the Occupational Employment Statistics (“OES”) survey, a questionnaire which is filled out by businesses that hire and pay workers. Although the BLS also conducts a Current Population Survey (“CPS”) survey that attempts to fill in gaps with answers from individual members for the labor force, it’s likely that even with this extra data, the government’s numbers may not fully account for the impact of the self-employed.
Based on the way these surveys work, it’s especially unlikely that the incomes of aspiring engineers who make a little extra money through recording on the side factor in much at all. While this can seem like a limitation at first glance, it may actually help keep the wage data fairly pure for our purposes. Despite their limitations, the government data on engineer salaries represents the best and most comprehensive collection of full and part-time compensation currently available.
Where are the jobs, by industry?
According to the U.S. government, the number of jobs for broadcast, audio and video engineers in general grew by 20%-25% from 1999 to 2010. Surprisingly, an even higher rate of job growth near 50% went to the small subset of those engineers who work specifically in sound engineering.
Unfortunately, growth isn’t expected to remain quite that high over the next decade, even as the rest of the economy picks up steam. While federal economists expect jobs for broadcast engineers and A/V technicians to keep pace with the average for other occupations and grow at a healthy 10-13%, the outlook for pure audio positions is not quite as good. Job growth in that area is expected to slow to a paltry 1% for the next 8 years.
Although the BLS statistics are unlikely to be a perfect indicator of the exact number of Americans who do any paid audio engineering work, they can give us a great sense of where most of the work can be found. Today, the industries that employ the most sound engineers are Motion Picture and Video (24%), Broadcast and Cable Television (14%), Music Recording (14%), Live Arts, Entertainment and Sporting Events (12%), and Broadcast Radio (4%).
How much do they pay?
While national median wages for sound engineers are roughly $46,00, government economists say theaverages are significantly higher, near $56,000. This is because salary disparity can be significant in this line of work, with the top 10% earning averages near $100,000 and the bottom 10% earning closer to $20,000 annually. For comparison, the average salary for all workers in the U.S. was $46,000 in 2010.
The highest incomes (just like the greatest levels of job growth) are in motion picture & video, where the average is about $73,000. Meanwhile, broadcasters working in television can expect averages above $50,000, and those who work in the recording and live sound industries see annual incomes in the mid $40,000s.
For the very few engineers who work in designing circuits, computer programs and architectural installations, average salaries range between $60,000 and $80,000.
Where are the jobs, by region?
California beats out New York, just barely, as the largest market for sound engineers. Taken together, employment in these two states makes up nearly 45% of all of the jobs on the books at the BLS.
After these major markets is Florida, with nearly 15% of all the audio jobs, followed by Illinois and Texas with nearly 7% of all audio jobs each. After that, Nashville, Boston, Las Vegas and Seattle have high concentrations of audio positions relative to other cities their size.
Although there may be more total employment in New York and California, expect competition to be fierce. Even the government’s economists predict that those who are new to the field will have a better shot breaking into smaller markets.
How much do they pay?
Thanks to a healthy film and video sector, sound engineers in LA report the highest average salaries in the nation, earning near $83,000 a year.
Although far fewer engineers work in Las Vegas, they also enjoy unusually high average salaries around $80,000, thanks to their profitable live entertainment industry. The same dynamic holds for the pockets of audio engineers who work near Sacramento or San Jose. They can expect averages around $70,000 due to the robust computer technology industry in those areas.
Here in New York, the average income for audio engineers is roughly $66,000. Our bustling recording industry surely plays into this equation, although once again, averages are often even higher for those engineers who work on the television and video sides of the discipline.
The rest of the Northeast does pretty well too. Although upstate New York, Washington D.C., Rhode Island, and Boston have a fraction of the number of total jobs, salaries in those areas are also firmly above the national average, and hover just above $60,000.
In the South, salaries are significantly lower. Florida is the 3rd largest audio market in the country, but reported salaries are barely above $40,000 near Miami and $30,000 near Orlando. While the small city of Nashville, Tennessee has a higher concentration of audio engineers than any city other than L.A., average audio salaries there are closer to $30,000 each year.
On the other hand, costs of living is far lower in these states, so conditions may even be comparable from a quality-of-life standpoint. It wouldn’t be surprising if engineers in the bottom 50% of Southern markets have more room to stretch out in their homes than the top 50% of earners in New York!
What’s next?
Although the growth of pure sound jobs is expected to slow dramatically going forward, there are plenty of related areas that are picking up steam.
Audiobooks, podcasts and internet radio are small, but growing markets. More significantly, the world now has more video, and therefore, more recorded sound than ever before. As companies continue to figure out how to monetize streaming web video, we can only expect more jobs there.
When the hosts of our Input/Output podcast interviewed Avid’s Tony Cariddi for an upcoming episode about the future of Pro Tools, he suggested that the audio and video professions may continue merging to a degree. It’s a theory that many analysts share – myself included.
Today, many audio schools – from reputable age-old universities to fly-by-night diploma mills – are modernizing and morphing their educational programs to adapt to the changing times. We’ll investigate developments on that end in the coming weeks.
Monday, May 28, 2012
@JustBlaze Held in Paris Jail, Details Unknwon
Long time hip hop producer Just Blaze was finalizing his tour in Paris, when he was apprehended and thrown in jail for reasons unknown. He was allowed to keep his cell phone for the time being and let out a series of tweets, updating everyone on his situation.
"In jail without the bail."
"My cell. I'm really going to jail. Man listen."
"I'm really in like.. Jail."
"Yes. I am tweeting. And yes I am in jail. in Paris. They are being cool and letting me keep my phone for now"
"They are asking me things I cant answer.. I stopped french accelerated classes when I was 10.."
"Handcuffs. I'm being cool about it. For those that have never had them. They hurt. And are very dehumanizing."
His next couple of tweets reveals that he was let out of the jailhouse, but again he left no indication as to why he was detained initially.
"I'm getting out of here.. No fines. #newminatti"
"Ok I'm officially being let go for now. Thank you all for the support!"
it remains unclear what any wrong doings Blaze was accused of.
Source: Twitter
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Pete Rock Issues Second Statement About Lupe Fiasco "T.R.O.Y." Issue
The disagreement over Lupe Fiasco's remake of Pete Rock's "T.R.O.Y." continues, as Pete Rock issued a second statement regarding the matter, spotted via theLupE.N.D. Blog.
The legendary producer first confirmed that Lupe's representative did contact him, but never followed up:
It’s true that Lupe Fiasco’s representative from Atlantic Records contacted me last fall and he did so while I was in mourning over the sudden death of my cousin Heavy D. I gave the representative a conditional “yes” to use T.R.O.Y. for Lupe’s album but only based on the condition that I be involved on the project. It’s what I always say when approached by people who want to use that particular song. I was never contacted again. At no point was there any follow up from Atlantic Records. Now, the story gets twisted and it’s being said that I said “yes.” The part about my conditions has been left out to make me seem like I’m a hypocrite. When I heard about the song again, it was done, completed, and playing on the radio…and that was Monday night.
Pete Rock continued, admitting that while he couldn't control Lupe's actions, he did not have to approve of them.
It’s true that people have made T.R.O.Y. over. I can’t control what’s done with my work after it’s already out there but I can control who gets my blessings. Those who involve me and respect me in the process, get my blessings. Those who work behind my back – but all the while putting up a front like I’m down with it – don’t.I’m flattered that they wanted to remake my song and that they respect it for the classic that it is. I just think they should have talked to Atlantic Records to make sure things were done right. The biggest violation is from Atlantic Records but what can you expect? Labels are corporations and their whole point is to sell records. If they respect the artist in the process that would be nice, but they’re not required. For as political as Lupe as, I expected him to know that and to have hopefully made them more accountable. I’m surprised that he’s siding with the corporation on this. Technically, there was no crime committed with the release of Lupe’s version of my song.
Though Pete agreed that there is not legal issues, he explained that the matter had nothing to do with the legality of the matter.
Technically, the song can be out there but I’m not talking about legalities. I’m asking: Where’s the respect for the code among artists? No ego, but I know my place in this game. I’m recognized as a legend and I accept that. But most of all, I’m a grown man. The love and admiration that people have for me as a producer and as a man of honor has been non-stop, consistent for over 20 years. That’s based on something that can’t be touched. My music and my character stands for itself. T.R.O.Y was a career-defining song has gotten me invited to the White House. It’s not just because people think the production is dope. It’s also because of what the song stands for. I want my music to touch people but I don’t want to be walked over or lied on in the process.I admit that my outburst on Monday night on Twitter was based on my reminiscing about Heav and Troy. I think about them every day. I apologize for being emotional about this. I had no intentions of hurting Lupe’s career. That’s not me. I’m known for building up not breaking down careers. Moving forward, I’m 100% in control and focused on what’s good.
Friday, May 25, 2012
The Making of @Nas ' "It Was Written" BY INSANUL AHMED, ROB KENNER article via @COMPLEXMAG
Nas: “I wanted to make a street album with Marley Marl. I looked up to Marley as an inventor of so many styles of hip-hop music. I love what he did with Mama Said Knock You Out with LL Cool J. And being from the same hood, the second album had to be with Marley. So I started off with Marley Marl.
“I went in there and we went to work but Marley lives kind of far away. It always seemed like a mission to get there for me. We didn’t work every day, we picked the weekends. I didn’t [always] get out there either—I was getting in a little trouble here and there around my ways.
“After a while, some of my songs would appear as promos on the radio with all kinds of niggas rapping on them. And I didn’t even finish working on the song for my album. Like, I had a song called ‘On The Real’ that I didn’t finish. I was coming back to finish it and before I could, I’m hearing it on the radio with people rapping on it. I couldn’t understand that. I was hurt and I knew I couldn’t work like that.
“I had to rethink my whole album and figure out how to do it. I didn’t know what to do at that point because if I couldn’t do it with Marley, I didn’t have a plan B. I had to figure out something else, so me and Steve Stoute sat together and we had a meeting.
Steve Stoute: “I started working with Nas in 1995, in preparation for that album. I didn’t know Nas before that. I went to the projects looking for him without an introduction or anything. I just drove up to Queens and started asking for him and his brother Jungle pulled out a gun on me.
“He was like, ‘What are you doing here? Why are you asking for Nas?’ They thought I was a guy from another project because I was a big guy and I had a Lexus. It was just the wrong situation but I worked it out immediately.
Nas: “Steve Stoute had done little things here and there in the music business so he’d been around but no one knew him. I saw him as fresh legs to run around this business with me. He wanted it more than anybody else. He was smarter than everybody else and we knew what we wanted to do. He was Cus D’Amato, I was Mike Tyson.
“When I started working with Steve Stoute, he managed producers. We had a vision to take it bigger than life. There’s a thing called sophomore jinx. I had to make sure that we blew people out of the park. I started hearing my style in a lot of people after Illmatic and I knew that I had to be 1000 notches above Illmatic or go home. That’s what we attempted to do.
“I guess I was lazy with it but Steve Stoute and Trackmasters didn’t just let me put out anything. They cared; I didn’t care. They were like, ‘Come on, the whole world is waiting for your next album more than they were waiting for your first album. Your first album came in and you charted low. It was good for a rap album with no big commercial records, but now the whole world is waiting for your second album, so take this shit seriously.’”
Steve Stoute: “I thought that Trackmasters knew the sensibilities between songs that were getting played on the radio and still had a credibility that a rap song needed. They could walk that fine line creatively. Nas knew that I represented Trackmasters so he trusted that. That’s really about it. Nas always trusts me.
“I had the unfortunate reality of having to make two records after an artist’s classic album. I had to make Mary J. Blige’s Share My World after My Life which was tough and I had to make It Was Written after Illmatic. Those are tough records to make because where does commercial success rub against artistic creativity?
“Another thing I did was, I actually made a mixtape called QB’s Finest. I took three classic beats and put Nas freestyles on them. I inserted the mixtapes into a subscription of The Source magazine. So everyone who subscribed to it, got the magazine but it had a mixtape in it with Nas’ freestyles. What I was trying to do was set the market up. Just because we have Lauryn Hill singing doesn’t mean that Nas is not still on hisllmatic shit.
“I was nervous all the time. I was mastering and Q-Tip said to me, ‘You’re killing his career.’ I was so nervous about that. Q-Tip was so important, Q-Tip was like, ‘This ain’t it.’ Q-Tip [had a big role on Illmatic] but he didn’t produce on It Was Written.Nas is an artist’s artist. My whole thing was I didn’t want him to end up being like Kool G Rap.
“I went into thinking about the launch strategy. I thought he had much more potential than Illmatic because I felt like everybody liked Illmatic but they just wanted him to stay there. But the record had not gone gold at that time. I just want to see this guy win.”
Tone: “In ‘96, we had just finished Soul For Real’s album and we had Mary J. Blige out. Nas had always been a friend of mine since ‘Back To The Grill’ with MC Serch. At the time, I was a rapper and Nas was a rapper. There was kind of like a rivalry thing between us. I think there was a small part of just getting used to that. Also, me not being a rapper anymore and producing now, and Nas trusting me producing tracks for him. That was big on his part to look past that.
“At the time, we were managed by Steve Stoute, who was also looking to manage Nas. In the conversation Steve had with Nas, he said, ‘You know, once you’re in with Trackmasters, it tends to produce the record.’
“That didn’t really sit well with Nas because Nas was known as an underground rapper and we’d had a lot of mainstream success. In the beginning it was like trying to put a square peg in a round hole. But Nas agreed to give it a shot and we were all excited.”
Poke: “We felt a lot of pressure because Illmatic was a benchmark in hip-hop. The thing about Illmatic wasn’t the records themselves or the album, it was the movement behind it. So how do we make it that?”
Tone:“We both managed to ignore the criticism that people started to give us because here we were going in with Nas and we were going to make radio records with him. But Nas didn’t really know what we knew, which was that we come from the underground. We come from Kool G. Rap, Big Daddy Kane, The Real Roxanne. We come from that era. That’s what we do.
“You’ve got to understand, Nas is used to dealing with producers like Large Professor, Q-Tip, Premo, where they’re giving him raw hip-hop. Our whole thing was raw hip-hop is good—and we love it—but it has to have enough of an appeal to get the people in the stores to buy your record. Not just your homeboy on the block.
“One of the main things that we thought about was producing Nas and making it so that he doesn’t lose credibility. The word ‘sellout’ was a big word, back then. If you got labeled with that word, as a rapper, you were finished. So we had to make sure that we could get him stuff that was middle-of-the-road—that radio could understand and that the hood could understand.
“Once Nas got comfortable and we had a gameplan on how to make this album, things started to magically come together. We knew that, in doing this album, we were going to have to bring in other people, like DJ Premier, to make it a broad enough album so that people don’t say that we tried to make this guy a commercial rapper.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
BANGIN-TABLES WEEKLY FEATURED ARTIST : @FatJoe - Ballin' ft. Wiz Khalifa, Teyana Taylor
BANGIN-TABLES CLASSIC HIP-HOP STOP : Artifacts - Wrong Side of the Tracks
THE BEAT KINGS THE STORY OF HIP-HOP
Maschine Tutorial #1: Introduction
THE CLASSIC SP1200
BANGIN-TABLES IRON-ON PATCHES $2.50
