please critique my Hip-Hop mix especially if you hate hip-hop

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crosstudio

crosstudio

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i put together a 3 song production skills demo, and i'd love to have it critiqued by both hip-hop headz and hip-hop haters. i don't fancy myself a rapper, i just make beats, but i wouldn't mind the vocal critique either, especially as it regards to the quality of the vocal recording and the lyrical content.

Equipment:
roland xv-3080
ensoniq/emu asr-x pro
audio technica 4033 mic
mackie 1604 vlz (used mostly as a mic-pre)
frontier designs wavecenter/tango24 d/a/d
sonar (with waves [multi-comp, peak limiter], autotune, ultrafunk [compressor and eq], & the real dsp-fx [reverb, delay])

the shine behind the stars

a parental advisory is in effect. its not gangster rap or anything like that, but it is uncensored hip-hop
 
PHAT!!!

One word to say: PHAT!!!

Beathoven

(P.S.: The sound effects were a bit too loud)
 
Really cool man.

I like the "In my world" Track.

Admittedly, i'm in work, and listening to it on a pair of headphones, but it sounds good.

I'm gonna listen to the other tracks, and i might reply again.

Rochey
 
In my world is ph-ph-phattt

I think its some top 40 material.

the mix is well balanced. the arrangement is nice, and the instrumentation is phat.

I dont listen to lyrics. I only want a good hook. This one has a good hook.



the vox on luci fur is too low.

peace
 
OOOH!

I really want to hear your stuff, but I'm at the office and can't download crap. I will wait till I get home and check your stuff out. I know you've got to be proud. Sounds like you've done well from the response you've received so far.
 
Daaaaamn!

Dude, this is GOOD.

Cyan's totally right. The thing that seperates rap that only rap fans like, from rap that makes it onto the charts, is a hook. And you've got a great hook here.

I also liked the fact that it didn't really sound like any of the other rap I'm hearing currently.

I'm keeping this thing on my hard drive, and I've got your other tunes downloading right now.

Now, all that said, I have some suggestions that I think would make this even better.

Move that snare waaaay up front. Grab some hiphop albums and listen - hell, even a recent Michael Jackson album, and you'll hear what I mean. That backbeat has to really slap you.

The mp3 messes up at 1:05. Maybe I got a corrupted download, but check that out.

Actually, judging from this track, I don't think you're a bad MC at all. Reminds me a bit of Dre's style on The Chronic.

Last thing: You aren't milking this hook for all it's worth. By my count, you go to the chorus four times in three minutes, and the chorus is about thirty seconds long. That means 2/3 of this song is the hook. :) At the last verse, you finally go to a different style, and that's ear candy. It makes the song feel different, makes it more interesting. Each time you go to the chorus, you phrase it exactly the same. Don't do that! Try something like this: The first chorus, do it exactly the same as what you've already got. It's an extremely memorable chorus. Once is enough to establish the "norm" in the listener's memory. The second time, add a slight pause, maybe even in a couple of different spots, where the listener won't expect it. As an MC, it's your job to constantly change up your flow. Keep the listener's ears perking up, keep us paying attention. The third chorus, layer on an extra vocal or two. And the fourth chorus, go all out. I would consider adding a nice soulful string part (I keep hearing the strings from Michael Jackson's song "You Rock My World" as I listen to this track).

Just my thoughts. This is already a GREAT song, and I could easily imagine hearing it on the radio. But you've got the skill to take it further.

Good job.
 
Eurhythmic, you make a very good critic. Your posts actually help the mixist.

What you said is exactly on point. I record some rappers here and what they talk about is the message. I tell them that as a listener I dont care about a message. I want a hook. I dont know the history of rap so I treat it like all other music that moves me.

I dont think that the chorus is too much on "in my world" I dont like hearing rap go on for too long without chorus.
 
Eurhythmic, you make a very good critic. Your posts actually help the mixist.
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Hey, thank you! I love reviewing and critiquing music - I do a lot of it. I hope I never come across too harshly. But, I generally only criticise a recording if I really like it. :)

It's funny... in a few months, I'll have been a member of this BBS for two years. But I never really paid attention to the mp3 mixing clinic before, just because it takes so damn long to download stuff at 56k. I got so much great feedback when I re-launched my old mp3.com page, that it made me want to hear what everybody else was doing. Now, I sort of wish I had started sooner. I never realized what a wealth of musical talent this place is.

What you said is exactly on point. I record some rappers here and what they talk about is the message. I tell them that as a listener I dont care about a message. I want a hook. I dont know the history of rap so I treat it like all other music that moves me.
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You should know; you're a very good producer. And I'm of the same opinion - hell, I think almost all music listeners are. The songs that end up being our favorites are the ones that mean something to us lyricially, but first it's the MELODY that grabs you. I don't even hear the words of a song until I've heard it probably more than twenty times. Hell, I still don't know what this song is about. I've probably listened to it fifteen times now. I think it's about white girls with bouncing tits. Okay, works for me. Gimme the hook. :)

For example, I really enjoy Eminem's Marshall Mathers LP. I like it not just because of the incredible production and his MC skills, but because underneath all the controversy, he makes a lot of good points.

But I never would have been interested enough to listen to the whole album, if not for "I'm Slim Shady, yes I'm the real Shady..."

I dont think that the chorus is too much on "in my world" I dont like hearing rap go on for too long without chorus.
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Just to clarify, I don't think that he goes to the hook too much. Heck, most popular rap singles are mostly the hook... the verses are just those little bits in between. :) But also, if you'll notice, on almost all of those recordings - every time they go to the hook, there's something different. You may not even notice it right away. Some of those things are felt, rather than heard. But it's those little things that keep the listener on full alert for the full three minutes.
 
these beats are hot. what do you use? it sounds good. i can get some hard kats on some of your tracks. what all are you recording and making your tracks with? its sounds good, keep on those beats.
 
Luci Fur finally finished downloading.

It's just as good! Maybe even better.

I think you just became one of my favorite rappers.
 
Oh, I forgot to mention something earlier. Oops. The track that I comment extensively on in my earlier posts is "In My World".
 
Hey, you want to put the lyrics to these songs up someplace? I've been trying to figure them out, but it's not easy.
 
KICK A$$

Hey...Finally got a chance to sit down and listen. Your stuff is GREAT!!! I listen to hip hop (personal fan of down south booty music being an ex floridian)...but I must say that your stuff was very refreshing...it wasn't falling into any 'preconceived' categories...like East Coast, West Coast, whatever...that's GREAT!

'In my World' made we wanna go bounce my titties....haha....LOVED IT!!!

Keep up the good work!!! Try headin' out to your next big convention, settin' up a booth and throwin' out your stuff...I'm sure someone'll pick you up if they haven't done so already!!!

ROCK ON!

Damn...I wanna rap.

Unfortunately the irish side kicks in every time I try and I end up soounding like an F'd up Children's Story...
 
mshea,

Could you write an Irish folktale rap? That would be just about the most entertaining thing ever. :)
 
HA HA!!!

Yeah...that'd be a hoot. Get some irish drums thumped up with some bootie bass, some guitar and irish flute...I could called myself Lyrical the Leprechaun...

'rolling in my cart and buggy...
makin' sure I stash me money'
I got endz...look at me pot o' gold
me lucky charms be gettin' all da hoes...etc...etc...


I see platinum written all over it. HAHHHHHAAAHHH!!!!
 
thanks for the critique

i'm a software architect by day, and a beat maker wannabe at night. i've got a software release coming up, so i haven't been online all week. thanks for the encouragement. i'm thinking about joining taxi.

Eurythmic and CyanJaguar:
thanks all for the tips on bringing up the snare, and varying the lead vocal on the hooks. i knew that the hits on luci fur were too loud because the normalized track didn't have the same average level as the other two tunes.

Mshea:
although i've always listened to hip-hop and go-go, i'd never seriously attempted to make hip-hop tunes before. i'm glad you liked it. i heard your tunes on your mp3 page, you have a great voice.

c9-2001
i've use the ensoniq asr-x pro with the urban expansion card. once and a while i sample some percussion stuff into it (congas, shakers, etc...) but the basic drum sounds are all stock.
 
Hey CS man I must say I am by no means a fan of hip-hop. I do love my Trip-Hop: Massive Attack, Tricky, etc. and while I think the first two tracks are pretty solid they don't grab my attention, but the third is ultra-tight. The only thing that kills it, for me of course, is the harmozing vocals. Just makes it sound to R&B'y, which is probably exactly what you were going for but it got to me is all. But I think the mixes sound on and Lucifurr has huge potential, keep the beats comin!


Laj
 
Let Me Know

crosstudio said:
i'm thinking about joining taxi.
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Hey! If you do, please leave a post on how your experience was. I was considering doing that to see if my be able to unload dot com blues. Wasn't sure if it was effective or not. Sounded pretty cool though.
 
in my world is good. Im not much of a real rap fan R&B whatever you want to call this stuff. In my world towards the end kinda lags if you are listening to it for substance, BUT if you are listening to dance then its perfect.

I'm listening to drink holders, it doesn't quite carry the same punch, but the first song is hard to follow.
 
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