Dunno if this happens to anyone else, but you ever noticed when working with MC's....

[Shonsteez]

...that they almost always seem to pick one of your "throw-away" beats when you give them the opportunity to choose for themselves? I'm always kinda surprised I guess. Though, I suppose what it's taught me is that most MCs like simplicity, and often the favorite beats that I make are the ones that have more complex layers or additional elements that come in and out a bit more sporadically.

What I usually do though if they do pick a throw-away beat is go with it because if they're really feeling a particular beat that means they'll pour more of their heart & soul into what they write and how they perform it. So far all the joints Ive done with artists like that have ironically turned out pretty dope, but I always wish I had used a more complex beat in retrospect. lol.

 

[DJ Excellence]

Emcees are weird creatures ....

 

[thedreampolice]

Yea happens to me every freaking time

 

[mono]

i don't like beats with too much going on in them for writing rhymes either. 4 bars loop tops, everything else should be arrangement, otherwise i feel like it dictates what to do with it. sometimes it's cool, but most of the time i prefer a simple hypnotic loop for writing.

 

[thedreampolice]

In fact this track

http://drunkpedestrians.bandcamp.com/track/soft-and-sweet-feat-jordan-santana

was a total throw away in my mind, but the emcee just killed it and made it awesome!

 

[Shonsteez]

i don't like beats with too much going on in them for writing rhymes either. 4 bars loop tops, everything else should be arrangement, otherwise i feel like it dictates what to do with it. sometimes it's cool, but most of the time i prefer a simple hypnotic loop for writing.

Good point Mono! Sometimes its hard to think like a lyricist being strictly a producer...kinda why I decided to start the topic.

 

[lion-ucs]

Yea, the thing is. Most producers think of the music, how THEY do it.

The simplest loop is what attracts, not only MCs. But general audience.

In hip-hop, producers are more like musicians than anything. At least the beatmaking producers.

 

[Shonsteez]

Good point Lion.

 

[Fade]

Agree 100%. In fact, when I gave Stresswon some beats to check out a few years back, he picked the simplest of the bunch and used it for his song, "Ill Muzik". I was surprised because I didn't think it was an amazing beat, it was just a beat, a loop. But like it was just mentioned, MC's prefer the simple beats so they can do their thing on top of it, makes sense. It doesn't really fit if they're trying to rap over a complex-produced orchestra of music mashed together!

 

[Shonsteez]

I suppose it ultimately depends on the MC, but yeah, I dig where u guys are coming from for sure.

 

[Sucio]

Dude..I went through a shitload of beats to my recent client...I hit him with the bangers....he was like.. "those are dope" Played some bullshit joints and him and his artist were like "OH SHIT"

I'm in my mind like "wow...and it took ZERO time to create these...easy money!"

Then I realized that even those throwaway beats are better than Dacalion's.

 

[DJ Excellence]

I don't consider loopy beats as throwaways, loopy doesn't necessarily mean easy to make.

 

[Fade]

Then I realized that even those throwaway beats are better than Dacalion's.

Ha!

 

[dacalion]

Yeah Sucio is such a queen! with jokes too!

 

[Formant024]

lol sucio. Anyway, a good mc compliments your beats when there is room for it. I had some dope bangers but often it would take an opera singer to get up to par with the arrangment/instruments, just to overwhelming and leaves nothing for the voice. I even believe its not that hard to make a track that equates phil spector idea of massive! but that less is more concept, keeping a track as empty as possible, always invites an mc to spit.

check boombyeyeah - sean p...how simple is that track

 

[Shonsteez]

I don't consider loopy beats as throwaways, loopy doesn't necessarily mean easy to make.

Neither I...I dont think anybody meant loopy beats are simple though, but moreso they allow an MC to see a path for where their writing can go easier with something not as busy. - At least thats what I gathered from everyones feedback thus far. No?

 

[lion-ucs]

I think what needs to happen is more producers working side-by-side with artists.

 

[dacalion]

I think that production with all the bells and whistles isn't as appealing to MC's because they would rather the shine be on their verbal skills than on the music. I agree with lion tho, if they work closely together on each track, they could create a good balance of both.

I think a good MC would check the producers best beats and if he wants them modified then he should relay that to the producer. To me it's easier to take away from a beat than it is to re-create it anyway. I don't think that the MC should have 100% say so tho, it's part of the producers job to know whats hot as far as the music goes and even though the MC is out front. They both should respect and have confidence in each others work.

 

[Shonsteez]

I think what needs to happen is more producers working side-by-side with artists.

This is what Ive always felt too. What I notice when both parties are actively participating more is that the end product seems more cohesive.

I think that production with all the bells and whistles isn't as appealing to MC's because they would rather the shine be on their verbal skills than on the music. I agree with lion tho, if they work closely together on each track, they could create a good balance of both.

I think a good MC would check the producers best beats and if he wants them modified then he should relay that to the producer. To me it's easier to take away from a beat than it is to re-create it anyway. I don't think that the MC should have 100% say so tho, it's part of the producers job to know whats hot as far as the music goes and even though the MC is out front. They both should respect and have confidence in each others work.

Good points Dac.
In regard to giving the MC 100% say-so, Id have to say thats pretty rare usually at least in my experience since Ive found that, (1) I prefer to be in charge of most, if not all production decisions usually and, (2) Ive learned that most MC's would rather you give them the direction anyways...

With that said though, each producer/performer relationship is slightly different and with those differences comes variations in the way two people work together. I suppose ultimately it depends on your comfort zone with that individual and how much you trust their creative direction if you decide to allot them more control over the direction of the beat.

 

[mono]

Neither I...I dont think anybody meant loopy beats are simple though, but moreso they allow an MC to see a path for where their writing can go easier with something not as busy. - At least thats what I gathered from everyones feedback thus far. No?

when i write to an instrumental of some other artist, i always cut out 4 bars from the middle and loop them, because any intros, drops, bridges, outros rip me out of concentration and it's hard to get back into the flow.

take dilla's beat tapes for instance. it was mostly 30-40 second straight loops on there, people would then take them, two-track, and he arranged stuff later on.