Introduction

Jahnani

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Jahnani here. Been a hip hop head for awhile and for some reason I've waited this long to get into making beats. I'm really looking to get into making my own instrumentals with samples, etc. Noob here so any words of advice or online tutorials to get me going would be nice. Right now I'm using Logic Pro and a have an Akai MPC Mini. This is probably a broad question but where do you find your samples? Download them? Vinyl? Do they have to be a certain format? Sorry for all the questions. Hope to get some stuff posted to Soundcloud soon.
 
Hey, welcome to forum! :) Personally, I try to not use samples. I do a little bit though, and they come from various sources. You can search on google for anything pretty much. You can sample from vinyl, or cds, too sure. For the vinyl, you'll need to run it through an audio interface. You can even sample gameboys and stuff, but be cautious with the rights on what you're taking. I tend to frown on sampling...it's not really good to sample. It's much better to make your own stuff for your songs. My upcoming releases have "samples" (if you will) but everything is recorded with my own microphone.

but anyway, welcome. There's a good hip hop community here. it's good to meet ya.
 
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I tend to frown on sampling...it's not really good to sample. It's much better to make your own stuff for your songs.

Tell that to J Dilla, Pete Rock, MF Doom and an entire host of world class producers before them that built an entire scene; a genre - based on sampled music.
Comments like this only ever come from people who don't understand what hip hop is, how it's traditionally been expressed and where it came from. I frown at you.

Do you call graffiti 'vandalism' and think breakin is wack as well?! Smh.
 
You're right. He did. Most people who sample do.
He also sampled an absolute shedload.
To frown on the use of samples in order to make music shows a massive level of ignorance as to what hiphop is and where it came from though.
Also the implied assumption that the samplist is a lesser musician than one who does not sample is both stupid and offensive in equal measure.
 
Furthermore... Most hip hop producers that do engage in sampling - don't sample from hiphop (at least not often) - my own crates are mostly made up of 70s soul and funk, northern soul and jazz.
Making hiphop from hiphop isn't very exciting...
 
You're supposed to make it from your head. everybody knows when you take a melody that isn't yours, especially with content ID. A system can tell when somebody doesn't write there own melodies.

But we've been fed by liers for so long, many of us have lost integrity. And apparently we've even lost our understanding of legendary artists. It's really a shame people are so ignorant now.
 
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Sorry, but it's your elitist attitude towards sampling that's ignorant - clearly shows that you have no idea what hip hop is about.
 
You don´t have to sample melodies. Thats probably not what no guru refers to. Sampling can be the work of a genius or it can be plain boring. Of course a song needs an own artistic edge. But that does not exclude sampling. By the way; I sampled a lot in the demo below. But that was more coz my rapper didn't show. Ever. :)
 
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Welcome and be sure to ignore any purists and/or purism you encounter on the forum. Hip Hop has never had and doesn't have any rules, especially in its current incarnation. The essence of Hip Hop's musicality is sampling but it is an art form that must be studied and sampling is not cheating, but wanting shortcuts to understanding music is.

Don't rush to post your work on music sharing sites as those change constantly due to audiences' lack of attention span.
 
Sorry, but it's your elitist attitude towards sampling that's ignorant - clearly shows that you have no idea what hip hop is about.

that's fine brother. You've already lost my respect. And your ignorance will hurt a lot of future producers. Research the facts before you speak. And i actually have some high connections in music. It's a shame I have to tell them about you, ...lol, but it worth a good laugh.
 
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- "sampling is not cheating, but wanting shortcuts to understanding music is." -

Um, J Dilla, or any "elite"/"Purist" artist (whatever you wanna demonize them as) would never work with somebody who says things like this. It's not really because you're cheating. It's because it shows that you're not willing to work to make better music. Perhaps this is why you aren't getting the breaks you want in music. You'll need to really change your attitude if ever want to succeed in music, ...especailly under trump (lol i had too) ^.^

There are noobs and there are professionals. You can't be both.

Now if you'll excuse me, my friends music is airing on BBC Radio 1. I want to listen to it in peace.
 
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- "Perhaps this is why you aren't getting the breaks you want in music. You'll need to really change your attitude if ever want to succeed in music, ...especailly under trump (lol i had too) ^.^
There are noobs and there are professionals. You can't be both.
Dag Volle aka Dennis Pop sampled a lot in the old Cheiron days. He didn't have to change his attitude to become successful obviously. Success in the industry is determined by many factors for sure, talent being an important one.
But to say that people that samples got the wrong attitude/can´t be successful? Cmon, you can´t be serious about that :)

Enjoy your friends music !
 
- "sampling is not cheating, but wanting shortcuts to understanding music is." -

Um, J Dilla, or any "elite"/"Purist" artist (whatever you wanna demonize them as) would never work with somebody who says things like this. It's not really because you're cheating. It's because it shows that you're not willing to work to make better music. Perhaps this is why you aren't getting the breaks you want in music. You'll need to really change your attitude if ever want to succeed in music, ...especailly under trump (lol i had too) ^.^

There are noobs and there are professionals. You can't be both.

Now if you'll excuse me, my friends music is airing on BBC Radio 1. I want to listen to it in peace.

I made that statement about sampling and no one can make me change it. I personally ain't looking for breaks and about change in attitude I know what I'm up against and they are not excuses but perhaps your attitude prevents you from understanding. Yes I'm a newb and there is nothing wrong with that. Everyone has a distinct path and no two people approach it the same.
 
"Yes I'm a newb"

Then don't tell other people how to do things until you're not a noob. It's misleading people.

Sampling can be okay for sounds you can't make, but it's always better to make and record everything. Sampling a melody because you can't write a melody is not an excuse. Learn how melodies are made. It will serve you much better and longer in your music career, ...but why listen to me right? "I'm an elitist".

ha, ...noobs will be noobs. Instead of trying to learn, they attack the (more) successful people. It makes you wonder why the good artists aren't very active here.
 
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"Dag Volle aka Dennis Pop sampled a lot in the old Cheiron days. He didn't have to change his attitude to become successful obviously. Success in the industry is determined by many factors for sure, talent being an important one.
But to say that people that samples got the wrong attitude/can´t be successful? Cmon, you can´t be serious about that :)

Enjoy your friends music !"

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I hear you. And thanks. It just kind of sucks ya know, you just see the older artists running through recordings over and over and over for hours until they get it right, and today you have somebody take that recording off the internet and put a beat on it in 5 minutes, ...then claim they have a new song. It's not right. if it's really really short, and artistically changed a lot, it's okay, but taking a melody from one song and taking a beat from another song and calling it art is like, ...freakin illegal. You can get away with it if its with a new instrument or maybe with a tempo change, but just ripping the sample cold and using it lol...that's dangerous.


And just to show how dangerous it is today, I'll give you a personal example. I posted a short set on youtube with songs from a handful of friends (fairly successful artists) and myself. I knew I was going to get a copyright claim because my music is copyrighted (and i did), but I also got a claim from some random dude I've never even heard of before. it turns out a 6 second vocal verse was found in the background of my friends songs, and THAT set the copyright scanner off! That little 5-6 second phrase was picked up. lol, so if you want to do anything with selling or streaming music for money, you're going to be screwed. I'm not sure how they split up the money, but I'm sure he'll be paid for his contribution of 5-6 seconds lol...and hopefully I still get paid as well. But ya, this content ID locating shit is some powerful stuff now. It's just not worth the risk, please please learn how to make music on your own. You'll hate me now because it's hard, but you'll thank me later when you're in the studio banging out songs that nobody has ever heard before.
 
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Interesting. I see your point.
Don't worry about me, I made my own music back in the previous millennium. And I still do :)
My songs are pitched nowadays so you won't find them on my SC.
I have sampled two times in my life; one is the one in my signature, the other was a Led Zeppeling drumbeat.
/cheers
 
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right on. I'm listening through them. :) I like the energy and and emotion. You're good. the drums hit, and I like how the melodies pull away when the vocals come in. It opens up nice pocket for the vocals to fill.

Cheers
 
Thanks. Those are old productions. Not very good but thanks anyways. Will try to post something more current there but as mentioned, most is in a catalog for pitching. Thanks again.
 
To answer the question: YouTube. YouTube will be your friend starting out with sampling. Search all kinds of stuff. Over time you will start figuring out which direction you want to go and what Sound you are looking for.
 
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