>2. I definitely feel your point re: how does making music
>that sounds like everything else make your music special or
>stand out? In a verse I wrote years ago, my first line was,
>"How much is originality worth today/if you can't get airplay
>unless you sound a certain way?" It definitely still applies
>to this day, and still just as puzzling.

Funny that you say that... I remember sometime last year I made a post asking, if most rappers nowadays don't put much effort into their lyrics and concentrate solely on swag (which almost anyone can at least PRETEND to have; shit, Yung Berg had HELLA SWAG), their beats are almost identical to everyone else's, etc... , then, why should I buy their album over the next man's?

>3. For every person, ultimately it comes down to what drives
>you to do your craft. It sounds to me like you're doing YOUR
>thing, which may not necessarily be what is considered "hot"
>or "in" right now. It also seems like if you wanted to do
>"trap" beats, then that's how your music would come out.

That's the ironic thing. I'm not even making stuff that's too obtuse. It's pretty centered stuff that I'm making. It's just not TRAP.

>As a beatmaker-on-hiatus for almost 2 years now, eventually I
>do plan on getting back to it, but I know that sounds/trends
>have changed in the couple of years I've been inactive. My
>artistic side says "do YOU, fuck what the current trends are,
>all that trap shit sounds more or less the same and I have no
>desire in mimicking the flavor of the moment. My "business"
>side says ain't nobody trying to hear that jazzy, Dilla-esque,
>lo-fi, unquantised noise! Gotta make them hi-hats sound like
>sprinkler systems to get paid! Gotta make that shit to get the
>youngins turnt up (lol at my usage of youngins...at 32 I'm not
>THAT old, but clearly I'm not fond of the majority of the
>stuff the new generation is on. That J-Zone article really
>resonated with me.)
>
Please point me in the direction of that J-Zone article. Now, also, if making that lo-fi stuff is what you like, then do it. I mean, truth be told, you're more likely to generate a loyal following making that stuff than making commercial sounding stuff. And, that loyal following is what gets you shows and shows are really where the money is these days.


>My point is, if I give in to try to be "relevant", I go
>against what I make music for in the first place. For as long
>as I've been making beats, I've used it as a form of
>expression, to create music that I enjoy listening to. Even
>with the potential of making more money through following
>trends, if it doesn't move me, it wouldn't matter what money
>I'd make if the end result leaves me unfulfilled. Furthermore,
>if I were to decide to go that route, it would be on my own
>terms and not on some, "Your shit is dope, BUT we need you to
>make some shit that sounds like this" type of deal. That's my
>personal take, everyone is different. But I say all this to
>say that if you truly believe in what you're doing, those who
>suggest that you stray from your style don't understand why
>you create the way you do. You just have to follow what's most
>important to you (not you specifically, just in general.)

Thanks. And, I'll say this, I have NO PROBLEM going for whatever the hottest trend is right now if folks are talking money. But, in most instances, the people telling you stand in a straight line are not the ones coming up out of pocket for a joint.

Come to grips with the fact that most OKP's are of the Nut Hugger lineage, so, if you' re not part of the little cliques that exist 'round here, your posts will probably tank like Souljaboy's album sales.