Free-Hot-Rap.com Changes to Website

Whassup Peeps?

It's been a long time since I blogged. Time has gone by so fast. The last time I posted a blog was back in November! I took a better position at my day job and it requires alot of my attention. Yes, I said day job. We've all heard the saying, "Don't quit your day job". We'll I've quit mine several times and got good and bad results but I can honestly say I'm okay today.

Although I haven't been blogging regularly, that doesn't mean that I haven't been working hard on what I can do to make the www.Free-Hot-Rap.com site better. I changed the site to be easier to navigate and although I still give away the 7 free rap instrumentals, selling beats is not my primary focus anymore...helping newbie emcees is.

Why am I doing this you say? We'll to be honest with you, my beat making skills are cool but everybody is doing it. In layman's terms, there is too much competition for selling music online. I know of some guys making 5 figures a month consistently but that doesn't mean selling instrumentals is right for me just because I know how make them. Trust that I AM a true emcee and my lyrical skills far exceed my production skills.

Now this doesn't mean that I won't make anymore beats. I enjoy beats like no other. I just don't have to make all of them myself to be happy with myself. Writing and spittin' lyrics for me comes easy because I've done it for over 25 years. Damn, did I say that? Yes. Over 25 years, I've been hashing out some dope lyrics. It's natural for me.

Is it natural for you?

I asked because I've noticed several people who come to the www.Free-Hot-Rap.com site are interested in songwriting. I believe these are the people who I'm supposed to help. Beats are a dime a dozen but well-written song win Grammys and songs, I can definitely teach you how to write. But its not only writing the song that's important. A true artist that wants to succeed in this business must learn it from all angles.

There is much more than just beats and lyrics (Whaddup J-Force!). The music business is as KRS-ONE put it on The Arsenio Hall Show many years ago: 10% show and 90% business.

So please stay with me as I make this journey into teaching this business to you and whom ever else reads this. I think I've found my calling.

Check out my free article on music contracts and get 7 FREE rap instrumentals right now at www.Free-Hot-Rap.com.

Let's Make It Happen!!!

Mello Melanin, The Hot Instrumentalist

Attention Rappers: How To Beat Writer's Block

Lately, I've been dealing with the challenge of just finishing ONE song. Yep, you heard it right: One song. I mean this is not just a one day thing or a one week thing. This has been going on for a little while.

A friend of mine asked me to write a song for a group that he's working with because they needed material. I accepted the challenge not having written a whole song for anybody before because I figured it would be a good way to branch out further into songwriting. I mean I've written verses for people to spit but never a whole song and being that its for a younger audience makes it more challenging.

The real challenge that I'm having involves simply staying focused on getting it done. I've come up with several song topics but actually writting about them has been difficult. 2007 has been a very strange year for me. I can't say its a bad one but its definitely not one of my most favorable years.

I not a big fan of excuses but it seems as if I've been cheering them on lately with this latest project.

So here is what I am proposing to do and if you think it will help you then by all means join me.

First, I need to seriously look at my "Why" for doing this project. Why am I doing this? Is it for fame and glory? Is it because I like to write? Or maybe its because I see dollar signs and a pot of gold at the end of the writing rainbow. What ever my "Why" is I need to clearly have that in the forefront of my mind if that is my goal and then the second step is to...

WRITE IT DOWN!!!

I heard some stats a while ago that said that people who have clear, specific goals with a deadline are usually more inclined to achieve them. I believe that figure was about a 97% achievement ratio. What's absolutely krazy is that I ususally write my goals down but with this project, I slipped. I'm only human.

Once I've got my goal for this project written down and my "Why" for doing it firmly etched in my brain. The next step is to break that main goal into smaller goals or milestones. How else do you eat an elephant but one bite at a time?

Okay, so now I got a reason and some written goals and milestones to look forward to. Here is the next and one of the most critical ingredients:

Action!!!

All this planning is cool but nothing happens without action. And while action is great, it helps to have a map of where you're going. That's what all the planning and goal setting was about in the first place. So you begin to take steps toward the first milestone.

For me that involves having at least 2 songs completed before the end of next week that I can submit to the group's manager for review. To do that I must schedule some time out of my busy life to sit with the pen, the pad and some fire beats to write to...let's say about 30 to 45 minutes a day. I can afford to do that even if it means getting up a bit earlier in the morning...without hitting the snooze button.

Today is Friday evening going into Saturday morning so by Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest, I should be reviewing my progress to see how far I am from completing the 2 songs. This is a good half-way point to access where I am and if something is truely holding me back, what is it?

Okay so here are the steps again:

1. Figure out your "Why" for writing the song. Why are you writing the song?
2. Write down realistic goals for completing the song?
3. Set milestones to help measure your progress
4. Action, Action, & more Action!!! Nothing beats action.
5. Track you progress to make sure you're on schedule to complete your song.
6. Finish the song.

With these 6 simple steps, anyone who chooses to use them should be able to knock out plenty of songs in a short period of time.

I'll let you know how this works out for me and please keep me posted how it works out for you.

Holla...

Let's Make It Happen!!!

Mello Melanin, The Hot Instrumentalist

mello@free-hot-rap.com

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

Old Skool Music Versus New Skool Music

I've been listening to The Steve Harvey Morning Show (http://www.steveharvey.com/) for the past few days and one of his listeners wrote in that Steve and his crew should play more current music on his show. Well this listener was 20-years old so the crew just tore her down debating the value of the current music.

Before you get upset, it was all in fun and the first thing Steve did was play "In Da Club" by 50-Cent. That joint still rocks parties. Dr. Dre still gets props on that one fa sho! Steve came back later and played "Flashlight" by Parliment. I keep that 'Tear The Roof Off' CD close by because we all know how George Clinton gets down.

I didn't get to hear too much more yesterday but this morning they continued the debate. They threw on "Rock, Skate, Roll, Bounce" and I'm sure people were in their cars on the way to work going nuts. I know I was AMPED!!!

One of the points that Steve brought up was the long standing debate of live instruments versus digital instrumentals. I agree with him about the feeling that live music gives the listener. I was in the band growing up so I know what it does and I love to hear live music played in most venues.

In the letter, Steve's listener stated that he should play songs like Soulja Boy. He indicated that he heard Soulja Boy's song but could not get into it. Maybe the age difference is a problem as well. Also, most of the new music is not created by live bands and the tracks are very repetitive with very little change-ups.

For me, I like both skools of music: old and new. Although, I absolutely dig live music, I've worked with live musicians before and it can be a headache trying to get everybody together just to do one thing. BUT, I've had the same problem with Hiphop groups as well. Outside of that, either music will do me fine.

On the new skool tip, take an artist like Kanye West. His music is nuts and many old skool types dig his music as well. He blends instruments with digital tracks and so does Alicia Keys (who has worked with Kanye). Not only can she sing, but she plays the piano and well as produces. I think some artists just have an old soul and they just know what makes music good because all music ain't all good.

Let me know what you think about this debate.

Holla...

Let's Make It Happen!!!

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

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

P.S.S Rest in peace to my uncle, Willie James Towns and Kanye's mom, Donda West

Hiphop History Month: My Earliest Hiphop Memories

My fellow Hiphoppas,

In my last blog, mentioned that November was Hiphop History Month. It's amazing how far the Hiphop Kulture has come since I fell in love with it back in the 70's. Back then, I was absorbing to do everything I could that had to do with Hiphop. I love rapping, breaking deejaying, and graffitti. I had my crew back down in ATL and we were a fanatics of the culture.

You could catch us in the neighborhood everyday with some cardboard, some fresh gear, a boombox, and a whole bunch of energy ready to get at it. Being Hiphop meant being cool and smooth and different. I remember talent shows at Samuel L. Jones Boys Club in the heart of Decatur where campers my age would win pop lockin' off of "It's Like That" by Run-DMC.

I can even remember being 13 and going on a cruise to Mexico and just being Hiphop to the fullest. I'm pretty sure I introduced a lot of passengers to Hiphop during that cruise. I was a breakin' machine by that point. I was eat, sleeping, and breathing Hiphop.

Today I am still like that young boy. I still get excited about this Kulture. I live, eat, and breathe it everyday.

Are you still true to Hiphop?

Let's Make It Happen!!!

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

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

November is Hiphop History Month

Whassup folks? To all my Hiphoppas out there, Happy Hiphop History Month and many more.

Let's Make It Happen!!!

Mello Melanin, The Hot Instrumentalist

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

The Hot Instrumentalist Has a Dave Chapelle Moment

Whoa! It's been 19 days since I posted a blog. I don't know what happened. I was so unmotivated to do anything but I know I needed to continue forward. I call it a Dave Chapelle moment because I just walked away from show business for while. So much crazy shit was happening that I just blanked out.

See I have basically been successful all of my life, meaning that I tend to move toward my goals steadily. As I put in one of my previous blogs (my last one in fact), sometimes this will happen to us where we get discouraged but we have to keep it moving.

Well, I think I have been revitalized!

I have some new information that I will be sharing with you that will help you along in your career. These things have helped me out tremendously and I'm sure they can help you out if you are looking to get more exposure and sales.

Until then, I'll holla...

Let's Make It Happen

Mello Melanin
mello@free-hot-rap.com

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

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.