Working Through Mood Swings To Stay Focused On Rap and Hiphop

Have you ever had one of those days where you wanted to just quit working toward being a success in Rap music? I ain't gonna lie. I have and I'm having one today as a matter of fact. Yesterday was equally as blah as well.

The fact is we all have mood swings, especially when things or events are not going our way. I'm not motivated to do anything today, however, I know that I must move ahead and make progress. I learned something a few years ago about having emotional ups and downs when you want to achieve your goals.

Its called "working to rule not mood". Every now and then I forget this but most of the time this is what keeps me going and helps me eliminate procrastination. What it means is this in the simplest terms:

Work your plan to be a ruler, not just to change your mood. Also, it means don't let your mood deter you from you plan.

This is very important to us as artists and record label owners because sometimes things don't go as planned. Sometimes our jobs slow us down. Sometimes its our family or friends. Regardless, we are still responsible for the choices that we make in life.

For me, its a combination of things that have gotten me unfocused but I must continue to work. I must continue to blog. I must continue to market myself and others. I must continue on the journey I have started or else what? Quit? Naw folks, that ain't in my blood.

Here's what I do to work through it. I focus on something good that has happened in my life or someone I know. Sometimes this takes a while to work but it does work. So please remember to keep your eyes on your goals regardless of how you feel. The feelings will eventually pass away but if you change your goal every time something goes wrong, you'll never achieve anything.

Let's Make It Happen!!!

Mello Melanin, The Hot Instrumentalist
mello@free-hot-rap.com

Download 7 Hot Rap Instrumentals, Hiphop Instrumentals, and R & B Instrumentals Right Now at http://www.free-hot-rap.com/!!!

P.S. My homie Jax knows all about staying focused with his new album "Sharper Images". Check him out at http://www.seriousknockent.com/.

P.S.S. National Economic Boycott Day Nov. 2, 2007 - Let's not spend any money on this date so that we can let the justice system know we mean business.

Echo Project 2007 Wrap Up: The Recap of Hiphop Acts

Wow, by my standards, the first ever Echo Project festival was a success. I got to meet a lot of people and I had a great time. Big up to my J.O., A-Tow for picking me to go represent. Also, shouts out to the promoter, my main man Jason, for the lookout.

Hiphop was truly in the house this past weekend. The only show I really got to see was Common. He turned it out! His "band" included a live drummer, Kareem Riggins, a keyboardist, and a live deejay. It was dope to see.

I didn't get a chance to actually see the other Hiphop acts with my eyes but I heard them with my ears. The GZA/Slick Rick set sounded pretty good and Cypress Hill always puts on a good show. I missed The Roots and Collective Efforts altogether. They performed on Sunday but I was worn out by working long hours Thursday thru Saturday.

All in all, I think the festival was a success. I had a really good time and I would have loved to be onstage with all of those people in the crowd. People actually came and camped out for 3 days just to be in the place to be. $200 per ticket & $20 per car. I've never seen so many tents in my life.

Also, the other thing that was interesting (besides the naked lady trippin' on drugs) was the prevalent use of Nitrous Oxide (laughing gas). The partygoers would buy balloons filled with this stuff and just inhale it all. $5 per balloon! Too much excitement for me.

It will be interesting to see how next year's festival will turn out.

Let's Make It Happen!!!

Mello Melanin, The Hot Instrumentalist
mello@free-hot-rap.com

Download 7 Free Hot Rap Instrumentals, Hiphop Instrumentals, and R&B Instrumentals Right Now at www.Free-Hot-Rap.com.

P.S. Don't forget to check out my homeboy Jax and his new album "Sharper Images". Check him out at http://www.seriousknockent.com/.

Equal Justice In America!

Blogging Live From The Echo Project Festival in Atlanta, GA: Live Hiphop, Rap, R & B, Rock, & Other Genres

Yo, I stumbled upon a major music festival this weekend here in my hometown, "The A". Its the first year of The Echo Project Festival and people are having a ball. I've been here since 3pm Thursday and I'm not scheduled to leave until 2am Friday...then I'll be back at 11am!!!

DubConscious just got through playing some Reggae vibes and it was awesome. There are people here camping out until Sunday with tents and RV's. The food is good, the people are great and this outdoor festival is even set up for WiFi.

Some of the heavy hitter names in Hiphop are The Roots, Cypress Hill, The GZA and Slick Rick (performing together!!!), and special guest Common. There are also a couple of hometown acts as well like my boys Collective Efforts and Heavy Mojo. This is only a handful of the great acts that will be performing this weekend. All live music with live instruments!

I will definitely keep you posted!

Let's Make It Happen!!!

Mello Melanin, The Hot Instrumentalist
mello@free-hot-rap.com

Download 7 Free Hot Rap Instrumentals, Hiphop Instrumentals, and R & B Instrumentals Right Now at http://www.free-hot-rap.com/!

P.S. For more great music, check out my man Jax's new album "Sharper Images" over at http://www.seriousknockent.com/.

"Sharper Images" by Jax

Stop Unequal Justice in America!

What Rap Artists Don't Know About Marketing Can Kill Them!

So you think you know about running a successful business and you figure that since you can rap, it would be easy for you to start and operate a record label. You get some instrumentals from some producers and you hit the studio to record some of your best work.

You have 5000 CDs pressed up and your artwork is killer so you figure you're ready to "do it big". You tell a few people about your CD and maybe someone in your family buys a couple to pass out to their friends.

Then something weird happens...

You expect people to come beat a path to your door but it doesn't happen. The CDs begin to collect dust over in the corner of the garage. The people who you thought were going to buy because they told you they would, never showed up.

Now you're depressed and feeling like the music business is a joke. You blame all of your woes on the industry because you haven't blown up yet. This is a familiar senario for many Hiphop artists. "What went wrong?", you ask yourself. Here is the answer to that question:

Most rap artist fail because of one main thing: the lack of a solid marketing plan. I would even say that most artist don't even have a business plan because if they had a business plan, they would have a marketing plan.

Marketing is not hard. It is a science. It is measurable and it is do-able. It is a key ingredient to success in any business. As a matter of fact, all business are two businesses in one. Huh? What do you mean Mello?

All businesses are in the business of providing their products or services to their target market. However all businesses must market their product or service and that is a business all to itself. Marketing begins with identifying your target market. These are the people who are most likely to buy your music. You do this by researching your market with such things as surveys.

What type of music do they like? How old are they typically? How much money do they earn? What type of clothes do they wear? W hat kinds of food do they eat? Where they hang out? What was the last Hiphop album they bought? etc.

Once you've got this information then you are ahead of most artist and you are more likely to succeed. I will be giving out more music marketing information like this because I was once in the position where I didn't know what to do concerning getting my music out to my fans. Today, technology has changed the music business and the way we gather information is much easier than it was when I first took rapping serious.

So if nothing else, please learn who your target market is because I want to reduce the learning curve most artist have when they decide to pursue music as a career.

Let's Make It Happen!!!

Mello Melanin, The Hot Instrumentalist
mello@free-hot-rap.com

Download Free Hot Rap Instrumentals, Hiphop Instrumentals, and R&B Instrumentals right now at www.Free-Hot-Rap.com!

P.S. Check out my main man, legendary Hiphop artist, Jax and his Hot new album "Sharper Images" at http://www.seriousknockent.com/.

"Sharper Images" by Jax

Free The Jena 6!!!

History of Hiphop

What's up folks? I was surfing the net as I do and I came across this post on Flixya where DJ Opor breaks down some nice Hiphop history. For the next 2 or 3 days I will be posting portions of his take on the History of Hiphop. For those that want to learn more about the Kulture, here is a good way. Read on!!!

History of Hiphop: "Rap music originated as a cross-cultural product. Most of its important early practitioners-including Kool Herc, D.J. Hollywood, and Afrika Bambaataa-were either first- or second-generation Americans of Caribbean ancestry. Herc and Hollywood are both credited with introducing the Jamaican style of cutting and mixing into the musical culture of the South Bronx. By most accounts Herc was the first DJ to buy two copies of the same record for just a 15-second break (rhythmic instrumental segment) in the middle. By mixing back and forth between the two copies he was able to double, triple, or indefinitely extend the break. In so doing, Herc effectively deconstructed and reconstructed so-called found sound, using the turntable as a musical instrument."

History of Hiphop: "While he was cutting with two turntables, Herc would also perform with the microphone in Jamaican toasting style-joking, boasting, and using myriad in-group references. Herc's musical parties eventually gained notoriety and were often documented on cassette tapes that were recorded with the relatively new boombox, or blaster, technology. Taped duplicates of these parties rapidly made their way through the Bronx, Brooklyn, and uptown Manhattan, spawning a number of similar DJ acts. Among the new breed of DJs was Afrika Bambaataa, the first important Black Muslim in rap. (The Muslim presence would become very influential in the late 1980s.) Bambaataa often engaged in sound-system battles with Herc, similar to the so-called cutting contests in jazz a generation earlier. The sound system competitions were held at city parks, where hot-wired street lamps supplied electricity, or at local clubs. Bambaataa sometimes mixed sounds from rock-music recordings and television shows into the standard funk and disco fare that Herc and most of his followers relied upon. By using rock records, Bambaataa extended rap beyond the immediate reference points of contemporary black youth culture. By the 1990s any sound source was considered fair game and rap artists borrowed sounds from such disparate sources as Israeli folk music, bebop jazz records, and television news broadcasts."

History of Hiphop: "In 1976 Grandmaster Flash introduced the technique In 1979 the first two rap records appeared: 'King Tim III (Personality Jock),' recorded by the Fatback Band, and 'Rapper's Delight,' by Sugarhill Gang. A series of verses recited by the three members of Sugarhill Gang, 'Rapper's Delight' became a national hit, reaching number 36 on the Billboard magazine popular music charts. The spoken content, mostly braggadocio spiced with fantasy, was derived largely from a pool of material used by most of the earlier rappers. The backing track for 'Rapper's Delight' was supplied by hired studio musicians, who replicated the basic groove of the hit song 'Good Times' (1979) by the American disco group Chic. "

History of Hiphop: "Perceived as novel by many white Americans, 'Rapper's Delight' quickly inspired 'Rapture' (1980) by the new-wave band Blondie, as well as a number of other popular records. In 1982 Afrika Bambaataa's 'Planet Rock' became the first rap record to use synthesizers and an electronic drum machine. With this recording, rap artists began to create their own backing tracks rather than simply offering the work of others in a new context. A year later Bambaataa introduced the sampling capabilities of synthesizers on 'Looking for the Perfect Beat' (1983).of quick mixing, in which sound bites as short as one or two seconds are combined for a collage effect."

History of Hiphop: "Quick mixing paralleled the rapid-editing style of television advertising used at the time. Shortly after Flash introduced quick mixing, his partner Grandmaster Melle Mel composed the first extended stories in rhymed rap. Up to this point, most of the words heard over the work of disc jockeys such as Herc, Bambaataa, and Flash had been improvised phrases and expressions. In 1978 DJ Grand Wizard Theodore introduced the technique of scratching to produce rhythmic patterns."

History of Hiphop: "Sampling brought into question the ownership of sound. Some artists claimed that by sampling recordings of a prominent black artist, such as funk musician James Brown, they were challenging white corporate America and the recording industry's right to own black cultural expression. More problematic was the fact that rap artists were also challenging Brown's and other musicians' right to own, control, and be compensated for the use of their intellectual creations. By the early 1990s a system had come about whereby most artists requested permission and negotiated some form of compensation for the use of samples. Some commonly sampled performers, such as funk musician George Clinton, released compact discs (CDs) containing dozens of sound bites specifically to facilitate sampling. One effect of sampling was a newfound sense of musical history among black youth. Earlier artists such as Brown and Clinton were celebrated as cultural heroes and their older recordings were reissued and repopularized."

This ends day one. Be on the look out for tomorrow's blog with more Hiphop History!

Let's Make It Happen!!!

Mello Melanin, The Hot Instrumentalist
mello@free-hot-rap.com

Download 7 Free Hot Rap Instrumentals, Hiphop Instrumentals and R & B Instrumentals Right Now from http://www.free-hot-rap.com/

P.S. Check out my main man, legendary Hiphop artist, Jax and his Hot new album "Sharper Images" at http://www.seriousknockent.com/.

"Sharper Images" by Jax

Free The Jena 6!!!

Calling All Rap Artists: Please Fall In Love With Hiphop Again

I remember the last interview Biggie did with BET. I candidly remember him saying that he wasn't having fun anymore. It was kinda ill to hear him say that but for some reason I completely understood.

Biggie was on his second full-length album and he was on the top of the rap & pop charts. Bad Boy was dropping singles left and right yet Big wasn't happy.

The beef with Tupac had consumed him and Pac had died a few months before the interview. Big's heart was heavy and like he said, he wasn't "having fun anymore".

How many of us have reached that point?

I sure there are some current mainstream Hiphop artist our there now who has just been overwhelmed by this business of music. It's not easy and you have to pay a lot of dues to be successful in business. It's cool to be the freestyle champ but on the business side, you may suffer if you don't do all or most of what it comes with.

So Biggie was stressed out...alot!!! Rap artists and Hiphop emcees today can learn alot from what he was going through and what he was feeling at the time.

Getting bling should not be your sole objective: being successful and financial planning for the future need to be number 1 and 2 on your list because money may not alway be there. Like Big Boi said, "Can't gamble on that dope money. Might not always be sufficient."

At the same time, don't get so far fome the Kulture that you forget why you loved it in the first place. Money is good but there a alot more things that are better. Holla at cha...

Let's Make It Happen!!!

Mello Melanin, The Hot Instrumentalist
mello@free-hot-rap.com

Download 7 free Rap, Hiphop, and R & B Instrumentals Right Now at http://www.free-hot-rap/.

P.S. Check out my main man, legendary Hiphop artist, Jax and his Hot new album "Sharper Images" at http://www.seriousknockent.com/.

"Sharper Images" by Jax

Free The Jena 6!!!

Hiphoppas: How Do You Feel About the Samples In Rap Instrumentals?

No Trivia: Post-Purist Sampling: "I never think too hard about sampling on any kind of ethical level until a sample jumps out at me as being particularly “bullshit” or I’m forced to defend sampling as a concept. "

Sampling in Hiphop is a art by itself. If it wasn't for sampling, Rap music would not be where it is today. So what makes a good sample?

I think the best producers can flip a sample and no one knows where they got it from. Sometimes a producer will just keep the sample raw but I think it's best to replay it or add effects to it to make it sound unique.

Most times it doesn't matter to me. I can rock over samples and a live band if the job calls for it so I don't really get to stuck in the samples vs. non-samples debate.

Well this post is going to be short tonight. I'll pick up tomorrow where I left off.

Let Make It Happen!!!

Mello Melanin, The Hot Instrumentalist
mello@free-hot-rap.com
Download 7 Free Rap, Hiphop, and R&B instrumentals RIGHT NOW @ http://www.free-hot-rap.com/

P.S. Check out my main man, legendary Hiphop artist, Jax and his Hot new album "Sharper Images" at http://www.seriousknockent.com/.

"Sharper Images" by Jax
Free The Jena 6!!!

Beware of the Rap and Hiphop Judges!!

Yo, I came across this article talking about the creativity in today's music and I was shocked. I'm tellin' you folks. Hiphop is under attack. Read this:

Counterpoint: Creativity In Today's Music - Opinion & Editorial: "Black Folk's music is travailing in creativity. Rap has dominated having no good purpose. Consequently, the music is recycled, lyrical contents are shallow, and it's onedimensional. Historically, black people are renowned for their musical influence on the world. Black musical creativity extends from musical instruments to the majority of musical genres (Gospel, Rhythm and Blues, Soul, Funk, and Rap) that touch every aspect of the black experience while creating musical balance. Moreover, drums, horns, guitars, etc. are imperative to the expression of that experience. Unfortunately, since Hip Hop has become the dominant genre, black music has become one dimensional, stifling the balance and benefits of the others. The rhythms of R&B, Soul and Funk are gratifying and timeless; therefore sampling and remixing their tunes is undoubtedly the reason for Hip Hop's success and longevity. However, over time this has led blacks from musical innovation of the past. Most urban artists exercise no instrumental talent, so they are unable to bring raw melodies into existence. Instead, rap artists have convinced themselves that sampling beats and remixing is innovative. Besides lacking musical innovation, lyrical content is shallow. There is no depth because"

Now this writer obviously hasn't had much exposure to the full Kulture of Hiphop because she chooses to attack the music and how its affecting certain people. She stated that the music is one-dimensional and shallow. Maybe she's been watching BET to get her opinion of Hiphop. I don't know but I can tell she doesn't have a clue.

Let's forgive her for being ignorant first of all. As the older folks say, "If you knew better, you'd do better" and this certainly applies.

But see, I can only blame her ignorance on us. Mainstream Rap music is filled with junk. Sometimes it's like opening a piece of junk mail and buying into it every 3 to 5 minutes. Rap music has become commercialized, criminalized, and just basically thugged-out, pimped-out and hoe'd out. But Hiphop is more than that!

With the way commercialism works, most people like the author of this article don't get to experience any other types of rap music or any other forms of Hiphop like real DeeJaying, Emceeing, Break Dancing, Graff Art & Fashion. She did mention some of these aspects of Hiphop (which she assumes Rap and Hiphop are the same things) but her whole article was just negative.

I can say in defense of Hiphop, that it saved me from who knows what. I could have been a completely different person. None of these types of effects of being Hiphop did the author cover and a real Hiphoppa know the Truth when He sees it.

Let me know what you think about this "opinion". Peace!!!

Let's Make It Happen!!!

Mello Melanin, The Hot Instrumentalist
Download 7 Free Rap, Hiphop, and R&B Instrumentals Right Now at www.Free-Hot-Rap.com.