How to promote the sale of bass lines and loops

[rob aylestone]

The snag for me is that lyrics are pointless for me - it's about tunes, so somebody rapping is (to me) being a poet - the words and the rhythms. I'm not sure if having just rhythm as the vital musical component is enough to call it music, but clearly a drummer is a musician, so so must a rapper be - they just don't play a musical instrument - but I also have to accept that the voice is one, that's established, but singing is a combination of pitch and rhythm - so would a randomly changing pitch with random rhythm be music? Bag Pipe players clearly think so.

Rap, EDM, tik tok incidental music, possibly games and effects all seem a great home for loop created music. Getting the packages to the creators of this stuff is the tricky thing, because most will be using DAWs to produce the tracks, so how do you get to just the targeted people? I really don't know.

 

[Random dude]

The snag for me is that lyrics are pointless for me - it's about tunes, so somebody rapping is (to me) being a poet

They're rapping to music. It's not at all like poetry. There's a difference between "Spoken word" and "Rap". Rhythm is part of music.

they just don't play a musical instrument - but I also have to accept that the voice is one

I hope so, or else you can't consider what Robert Plant or (Enter favorite singer here) does as music. You ever hear Lou Reed? Is that considered "music"? Because there certainly is no melody there.

Anyway, this thread isn't about who likes what kind of music, or who decides what constitutes "music". I brought up rap as a potential market for someone trying to sell loops.

I don't know why it turned into a commentary about personal taste and subjective opinion....again.

But since it did..........

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.......and I'm not directing this at anyone, just thinking out loud since the subject was brought up....I think there's a little bit of generational and racial prejudice when it comes to how people perceive rap/hip-hop. A lot of people complain about the "violent" and "sexist" content. Boo Hoo....

But those same people never had a problem when old white men were singing about the exact same topics. I mean, "Outlaw Country" was all about "Posse's, running from the law, shooting people, etc..." When Johnny Cash sings "I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die", people think that's so cool. He's such a hero. What a badass. But heaven forbid a rap artist utter those same words.

Alice Cooper used to chop up a baby (doll) on stage.

Freddy sings "Mama, I just killed a man. PUT A GUN AGAINST HIS HEAD, PULLED MY TRIGGER NOW HE'S DEAD", and people celebrate that song as being so "touching" and "heart warming". Lol.

As far as "sexism" is concerned, rock and roll has always been about sex. Millions of songs about one-night stands, picking up chicks, and some of those "chicks" were "Sweet 16" or "Just 17, you know what I mean". But nobody ever had a problem with it. I still don't, but I also don't have a problem with rap lyrics. Listen to some early Stones. "Stupid Girl", "Under My Thumb", "Stray Cat Blues" ("I can see that you're just 13 years old")....and many more. I can go on. But I just wanted to address the hypocrisy of how certain music is harshly judged.

^^^^I probably went a little too off topic. There's a good chance I come back tomorrow and delete most of this. I might have ventured into territory that belongs in an off topic forum. If so, I apologize.

Again. It wasn't directed at anyone. Just a 3 coffee rant on a Saturday morning.

 

[grimtraveller]

Listen to some early Stones. "Stupid Girl"

WARNING !! WARNING !! MAJOR IRRELEVANT THREAD DIVERSION !!

The lyrics of that song are priceless ! I still laugh like a hyena when I hear that song. It's the most un-PC song of the 1960s, when judged through today's lenses. But if taken in context {a guy really pissed off with a particular woman}, it's actually very English and humorous. It tells one a lot about the real beneficiaries of the sexual revolution in the UK during that decade !

 

[Random dude]

WARNING !! WARNING !! MAJOR IRRELEVANT THREAD DIVERSION !!

Too late for that. I beat you to it.

The lyrics of that song are priceless ! I still laugh like a hyena when I hear that song. It's the most un-PC song of the 1960s, when judged through today's lenses. But if taken in context {a guy really pissed off with a particular woman}, it's actually very English and humorous. It tells one a lot about the real beneficiaries of the sexual revolution in the UK during that decade !

To be honest, I threw that one in just because of the title. I don't know what it's about. And, like I said, I'm all about non-PC, offensive lyrics. I'd probably find it hilarious, too. One of my favorites, and it's also a damn good tune, is "Stay With Me" by Faces. That tune cracks me up.

 

[unaufadox]

So, maybe rather than worry about musicians that play some form of rock or pop, expand your horizons by finding out where the hip-hop artists hang out, ask them where they find their loops and go there.

This Just before I read this I joined a Hip Hop forum. Plan to get going with it (and more) on Monday. It was validation when I read this response after, because I wasn’t sure after a quick browsing of the forums main topics.

'm a rocker through and through. But I love early rap. You want to hear some great bass loops/grooves, listen to Snoop's first album "Doggystyle", or Dr. Dre's "The Chronic". They're both on Youtube. I've worn both those albums out. Groove city.

I used to Love rap but after a while the lyrics began to wear on me. I still play tracks just, not as often. There is no denying the lyrical skill and crazy instrumentals. Art is art.

 

[Random dude]

This Just before I read this I joined a Hip Hop forum. Plan to get going with it (and more) on Monday. It was validation when I read this response after, because I wasn’t sure after a quick browsing of the forums main topics.

Awesome!

I used to Love rap but after a while the lyrics began to wear on me. I still play tracks just, not as often. There is no denying the lyrical skill and crazy instrumentals. Art is art.

Yeah, the 2 albums I named are 30 years old. I haven't heard any rap worth listening to since. I love early rap, even the cornier, "fun" rap like "Bust a Move", which Flea is playing bass on.

 

[unaufadox]

Rap, EDM, tik tok incidental music, possibly games and effects all seem a great home for loop created music.

There's a good chance I come back tomorrow and delete most of this.

No need dude it’s interesting to hear these perspectives. The earlier question: is rhythm enough...I hear that. I was listening to Labbi Siffre’s track ‘My Song’ (sampled by Kanye West) and was really enjoying it. Bare in mind I used to really like Kanye’s version in my loving Rap days. I put on Kanye’s after and felt like man, you are stepping all over this great track with your words. His rhythm, and even what he is saying was in the way here.

At the other end of the spectrum, even now, Capadonna’s (final) verse on a track named ‘winter wars’ by Wu Tang Clan...it would be good of he never stopped

 

[unaufadox]

I love early rap

It definitely suffered over time. These days, I keep just a few in my iTunes library (still ripping CDs for the quality...old skool ) but I rarely play them. I do enjoy some classics with my Son from YouTube when he comes over to enjoy my studio monitors’ bass n detail. Good times are had for sure.

 

[grimtraveller]

It definitely suffered over time

Well, like most subversive stuff that lands in the music business that the powers-that-be can't control at first......it became house-trained. That happens two principal ways. One is money.
The other has the potential to be more interesting. Mainstream artists start to use the art form. And so it ends up in TV and radio adverts, pop hits, films about old ladies in urban situations, commercial Christian songs, and kids shows on TV and streaming.
Those subversive rappers end up fighting a losing battle.

I keep just a few in my iTunes library (still ripping CDs for the quality...old skool

For me, iTunes is the major way I get my music onto my ipod {old school !} and into my ears. Everything ends up on CD but I don't play the CDs, they're my backup.

 

[grimtraveller]

To be honest, I threw that one in just because of the title. I don't know what it's about

It's literally about some young lady that Jagger had been living with {I suspect it's about Chrissie Shrimpton} that he thought was superficial and stupid. It's actually really funny although it's also mean, and the "Look at that stupid girl !" refrain is so catchy. Dylan used to write interesting put-down songs about women, as did the Beatles {the UK "Rubber Soul" album is a misogynistic song-fest !} but few managed to be as amusing as the Stones on "Stupid Girl," not even the Stones with their other sexist {} songs.
There again, maybe it's just my sense of humour.
I love the song "Hey Joe", but the lyrics are more disturbing than anything I've ever heard in rap.

 

[TalismanRich]

Hey Grim, have you ever seen the lyrics to most of Lil' Wayne's songs? Or DaBaby, or Cardi B? In comparison, Dylan and the Stones lyrics are nothing. But that's not the point of this thread.

Back to the topic

Yesterday, I was at football game, and before the game they played about half dozen songs, all hip hop/rap style. These are tracks that are commercial releases and you could see that the target audience was the under 30 crowd. (All us old farts were just annoyed) What I noticed was that there was very little instrumental work on all of the tracks they played. They were very basic synth drum beats, almost every one had the signature trap sound found here.



The beat changed, and occasionally there would be a little keyboard bit, but about 80% was just synth drums and the rap vocals.

One reason I posted this fellow's track is that he has a website. He sells a book about doing techno drumming, as well as does drum services. He's got a bunch of videos on his Youtube page with different types of patterns and sounds, a bit like the OP has. It might give a few more ideas about marketing his work.

 

[Random dude]

There's nothing new under the sun.

 

[TalismanRich]

There's nothing new under the sun.

Somehow I don't think it's the same. I doubt Lucille Bogan spent 4 weeks at the top of the charts or got worldwise distribution. According to Wiki, she might not have even seen the lyrics before she recorded it. I doubt that she got 1000 "listens" in the 30s and 40s.

Cardi B's "'WAP' received widespread critical acclaim for its sex-positive message and for empowering women, with Rolling Stone, NPR, and several other publications ranking it as the best song of 2020" It's currently had well over 500 million streams on Youtube alone.

Compared to WAP, The lyrics of Stupid Girl is about as provocative as "When You WIsh Upon a Star"!

But I don't want to derail the OP's thread.

 

[Random dude]

Somehow I don't think it's the same. I doubt Lucille Bogan spent 4 weeks at the top of the charts or got worldwise distribution. According to Wiki, she might not have even seen the lyrics before she recorded it. I doubt that she got 1000 "listens" in the 30s and 40s.

Cardi B's "'WAP' received widespread critical acclaim for its sex-positive message and for empowering women, with Rolling Stone, NPR, and several other publications ranking it as the best song of 2020" It's currently had well over 500 million streams on Youtube alone.

Compared to WAP, The lyrics of Stupid Girl is about as provocative as "When You WIsh Upon a Star"!

Ok, chill out, man. It's not that serious. I was joking with tat upload. Nobody's trying to convince you to stop hating rap. Lol....

But I don't want to derail the OP's thread.

Don't worry about it. I already did that.

 

[TalismanRich]

Ok, chill out, man. It's not that serious. I was joking with tat upload. Nobody's trying to convince you to stop hating rap. Lol....

Don't worry about it. I already did that.

It's all good...

Now get off my lawn, you young punks!

 

[Slouching Raymond]

Have read the whoe thread.
I was going to suggest rappers will want loops.....then I saw Random Dude's post saying exactly that.

 

[unaufadox]

ell, like most subversive stuff that lands in the music business that the powers-that-be can't control at first......it became house-trained. That happens two principal ways. One is money.
The other has the potential to be more interesting. Mainstream artists start to use the art form. And so it ends up in TV and radio adverts, pop hits, films about old ladies in urban situations, commercial Christian songs, and kids shows on TV and streaming.
Those subversive rappers end up fighting a losing battle.

Really well put dude.

For me, iTunes is the major way I get my music onto my ipod {old school !} and into my ears. Everything ends up on CD but I don't play the CDs, they're my backup.

Same

 

[unaufadox]

Back to the topic

Thanks for this post. I sat there and thought hmmm yea, under 30s are into that trap style of rap/ It's an assumption but, it tends to be younger people I see enjoying that stuff. Also, the artists tend to be young so they have that common interest thing going 'oh, he is young too just like me' they are not out of range like a Jay Z or Nas era of artist ... Tricky thing is I do not like that music haha I am 40 now and am into music with more technique and groove and feeling. The contradiction feels real right now...am I selling to people I don't care to cater for??

 

[unaufadox]

There's nothing new under the sun.

savage !

 

[unaufadox]

Cardi B's "'WAP' received widespread critical acclaim for its sex-positive message and for empowering women, with Rolling Stone, NPR, and several other publications ranking it as the best song of 2020" It's currently had well over 500 million streams on Youtube alone.

These are amazing statistics. Makes me feel like if a song about wet pussy can sell, bass loops can sell too haha I saw a short video where Eddie Murphy is saying to keep at your dream until it comes true. He said something like, just think, someone thought Sharknado (movie) was a good idea and they just kept going and going and it became a movie. I don't mean to put it down, I've never seen it, but I get his point. The most obscure things make it to the light when gone at in the right way.