Making Music

I've made all genres and styles of music, but Hip Hop is where I always end up. Hip Hop enables me to express my thoughts, feelings, and life experiences in such a way, lyrically, that no other style of music allows me to. Hip Hop has many sub-genres in itself, and I've dabbled in them all. When I write a song, I picture peoples' reactions to hearing it. If it's a club song, I like to make sure that lyrically, it's simple enough to catch on to, while delivering it with such a flow as to somewhat harmonize with the beat in order to have the song feel full and complete. If it's a song that is meant to reflect more so on the lyrics, I still harmonize with the beat, and though the lyrics are more complex, I still have to word it as to ensure that my bars aren't so jumbled together that the lyrical message is lost due to lack of vocal audibility. Another key factor is volume, vocally. Some songs demand a loud powerful voice to match the intensity of the beat, while others may require a calmer, more relaxed voice to be delivered smoothly. The last and final ingredient, is swag. You could be the shyest person in public but when you step in that booth, your confidence level just jumps through the roof, and vice versa for those who are very confident in public yet freeze up while recording. You have to add a certain attitude to the vocals depending upon the style and topic of the beat and song at hand. It has to be genuine though because forced swag is easy to tell and will discredit you beyond belief. The most important thing to remember when making a song, is keeping it real. Most people mimic what they hear on the radio and see on television. Regardless of how many times a song or video may be in rotation, keep in mind that the Record Label behind it is keeping it in rotation, it's not necessarily true that people are requesting it stay there. Also, if you have the budget and connections of a major label, anything you create can be force fed socially through the media. However, if you're an independent artist working with a budget of next to nothing, maybe even nothing, your talent will be that check you're just waiting to have cleared. So keep living and keep learning and take the time to notice your artistry develop, you'll be amazed at how far the journey goes.