Why you will NEVER make a living selling beats.

[biggrome]

I don't get you BigRome. You keep claiming to be lightly involved or uninterested in production and yet you have some of the keenest insight. What's your deal?



-Drew Spence logged on as Griffin Avid
Thanks Griff.
[/COLOR][/COLOR]

Ha Ha thanks man, you should post more. Good stuff.

I just see trends over long periods of time (like on FP). I really can't be chasing like most of these dudes with 2 small mouths to feed and a wife that hates the words Ableton LIVE more than "damn she thick".

Even the people that post here don't actually look at what happens. They'll say Mannie Fresh is dope! He came up with one group of dudes. Swizz Beats - DMX, Zaytoven - Gucci, Shawty Redd - Jeezy. Not saying that's all they did but normally when people talk about one... the others name is somewhere around. Now that producers are like stars... it's going to stay that way for the people that find them a hot prospect and ride with him instead of trying to get crumbs from the established artist that already have their own agenda. They'll get 15 different beats from 15 different people... and if the first 6 are wack... people might not get to yours. Dre and Snoop, Primo and Guru, Pete Rock and CL Smooth, hell, Marley Marl - Juice Crew... all legends... it may not be as cut and dry as that anymore but if people gravitate to an artist, they want that artist to have a sound. When the artist start taking beats from everywhere... the people don't appreciate all of the "left-fieldness"... Artists do grow but so do producers, it's the come up that gets them up to the spotlight.

Sort of like how Nelly had that dude do all of his beats at first but that dude kinda messed it up himself... it was still on some duo type ish.

Dre normally only backs one person at a time... it seems.

I saw that.

Michael Jackson / Quincy Jones... or when he had Teddy handle all of those songs most of 'em had a consistent vibe.

If I were still in it to win it I'd be like this...

Both building names...

It's not that I wouldn't want to do music for a living but I'm not up for struggling and having a good story, lol. I'll get up and take my ass to work, it's not glamorous like CRIBS but I live aight considering where I come from.

Hell, I still make beats just to keep the blade sharp in case some ish jumps off. I have just as good of a chance at getting heard as the dude making 10 beats a day... my one might be the one somebody likes. Who knows, I'm gonna keep doing it because I really don't see a reason to quit, music has never paid my mortgage and I never got mad about it.

"Phugg you music you sorry ol batch, I don't need you anymore!"

Nah, can't see it, lol. Music is my best friend, gets me through the morning, the day and puts me to sleep (jazz station).

 

[deRaNged 4 Phuk'dup]

1,000 are going to find their own Soulja Boy or Waka Flocka and just build their own thing slowly and that's where the next Drake, J. Cole, Wale will come from. Those people will be on some 9th and LB stuff without the drama. Some Snoop and Dre Batman and Robin type vibe... not just random people with $20 on their stuff.

I don't get you BigRome. You keep claiming to be lightly involved or uninterested in production and yet you have some of the keenest insight. What's your deal?

This dude knows too many inside jokes, right?

I remember me and Rome used to bump heads when i didn't know shyt but thought I did because of my track record. Dude is too intelligent for music tho, lol. Him and J Troup are of the few on this board that should NEVER count on this music shyt. Without it, i'd be in jail or dead, because of knowing how things work, I want what they got...without it, they have careers and 401k(Retirement). And know they ain't missing shyt, yet still love what they do. What pro who doesn't make big money can say the same without lying to themselves? Message in that bottle.

So...Shameless plug, go to my twitter for links to new(and old that just leaked) songs I produced for Pop A Lot and big Wy ft. The Game(considered for R.E.D. Album with new verse)and wonder why I ain't talked about the fag Gayme(oops) in a while.

I really can't care. F**k that dude. i need a real job.

 

[biggrome]

This dude knows too many inside jokes, right?

I remember me and Rome used to bump heads when i didn't know shyt but thought I did because of my track record. Dude is too intelligent for music tho, lol. Him and J Troup are of the few on this board that should NEVER count on this music shyt. Without it, i'd be in jail or dead, because of knowing how things work, I want what they got...without it, they have careers and 401k(Retirement). And know they ain't missing shyt, yet still love what they do. What pro who doesn't make big money can say the same without lying to themselves? Message in that bottle.

A lot of stuff I've "observed" came right from this site and watching other people. People might think I come off negative a lot... but I've seen a lot of stuff. I listen more than I talk, that's probably hard to believe with my post count, lol.

Yeah, man I can't change ish now in my life I'm too far in. My wife said if I were to make it my publicist has to be 80 years old. She kinda makes the biz seem like I wouldn't be able to have no fun...

Hey, I'd trade my job for your paid off house... I still have 18 years of payments left! (gotta pay this mofo off early somehow)



Man... I saw your real job thing... this guy just got hired in our dept... our boss said 867 people had applied for it. The Office Assistant job opened up a little while before his and a girl was already working the job... 530 applicants! SHIT IS CRAZY! They were going to let her go and give it to somebody else... until people said they liked her.

 

[deRaNged 4 Phuk'dup]

^^^My house was $150,000 in redneck damn near trailorpark/a couple blocks away from the hood Newport news, VA, lol. I don't have the option of getting loans. After U.S. Recessions, "Musician' is the equivalent of writing 'Unemployed" in your occupation slot on the paperwork.

I couldn't afford to stay out West. I'd trade that for security and an 18 year mortgage for coming back to 2 blocks away from shyt I spent my entire life swearing I'd get away from. I'm gonna have to sell this place to retire, lol. And I'm always talking Retireing, because since like 28 I've know my ride was over at this. 31 now? I got nothing left, i can't compete with Lex Luger. lol.

Another message in the bottle, lol.

 

[Ty baby]

lol Deranged your funny the subliminal kings

 

[JSLmusic]

I love it when the fp community turn lemons into lemonade, despite what the original intention was, the thread could have been a whole lot worst...

 

[biggrome]

I got nothing left, i can't compete with Lex Luger. lol.

... and look at what dudes are willing to accept for their music now... $20. Got Damn.

All the people trying to make a living at music are competing with dudes that still get allowances and live in the basement for free.... and they just need $20 here and there.

They'll gladly take a G for beat and brag all over the internet for a year off of it.

G Malone said now it's $500 take it or leave. Exclusive.


You can still compete with Lex Luger though...


Lex Luger said he came up with Waka Flocka when nobody knew Flocka... another duo.

It's late as hell! Y'all take it easy.

 

[barrettj]

griffin that was possibly the realest shit i ever read on a forum

 

[Griffin Avid]

griffin that was possibly the realest shit i ever read on a forum

Griffin is sharp, but I'm a little sharper... Here's a true story with a twist at the end. I met KRS One's manager and since people said I had hot beats, I was able to shop my beats in D&D studios directly with KRS. Now this was at his second height. He had the weed record playing every day on the radio out with "Mad Izm" with Channel Live and was doing it. Yeah, we're going way back.

So I'm in the studio with his brother (ICU?) talking rap stuff and Chris comes in and says What's up and builds with me a minute about whether or not he should do a record with Das EFX. Wow. My brain melted. can you imagine ME having input?????!!!!!

Other producers came in and started playing their beats and Chris grabbed a composition notebook and said he was inspired to start writing. I was intimidated at the quality and sickness of these other beats. So much so that I said I was there to do an interview (I had a underground college radio show at the time) and not really there to shop beats. I was scared. I can admit it. I fronted.

Months later he released the album Blueprint, which I thought was weak compared to all his other work and MY BEATS WERE INDEED BETTER THAN THE ONES HE USED. I realized much later (years later) that I should have played my beats the same and rose to the occasion. Who knows what would have happened. All I know is that I thought in my head I was ready, but really I wasn't.

If I had the experience of actually producing, it would have been about what I could make WITH KRS and not just how good my beats were.

At the end of the day, if you're really going to go in on this beatmaking thing, then your beats need to sound like an instrumental to a hit record. Not a hot beat that a rapper (whose writing is up to the level) can TURN INTO a hit record. Sounds weird, but it's true.
--------
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I got a million stories, like when I thought I had a record deal with SONY. They actually said "Welcome to the family" and shook my hand. Thought I was in.

I've had highs like having groupie love for rapping and I've had lows like pretending I'm not home while my landlord is knocking on my door. I've used headphones so that he doesn't hear any sounds and gives me another day to rustle up the rent.

I've had R&B artists want to pay me with physical treats and I've had artists tell me It's my beats that blew their record deal.

If there's anything to take away from this, it's like this music bug is a journey. If you truly feel it like that, then making music and the pursuit of your dreams has to be your real reward. If you enjoy making beats - with your heart- then you'll never regret a day spent hunched over something with blinking lights.

You will enjoy your gear/studio and feel pride over what you've accomplished. It all has meaning. In the end, you'll only regret What You Didn't Do. And that will be giving it a 100% when you could have or should have.

Use iStandard
Use 30/30 Submissions
Use Conferences
Use Twitter...facebook, soundclick, SoundCloud, CDbaby...even myspace...

Just don't expect that to be enough because it's not.

If shopping your beats is clicking the send/Upload button, you're not trying to be a producer. If making a thread to get hits on your site is your hustle, you're not a hustler.

When you say "You should come like this.." or "Remember how you cracked them with [name hit record of the artist], we can come like that but really update your sound. Here, listen to this..." When you ask why cats are hanging out back smoking instead of getting their delivery right, you are producing. When everyone has gone home and you're looking at the session notes (sheet) and double checking the credits...

Now I know the thought is, Man Griffie, I live at home home with my moms and no famous rapper....will...ever....you do this FIRST with the rapper up the block. If you can make a hit record with an untrained, unschooled fool who wants to smoke and chase byches more than rap, you can look any industry cat in the face and be confident because you have worked with worse.

I would rather be 65 years old and play a bunch of records that never made me any real money then be 65 and play a bunch of beats that 'could have been a record' that never made me any money.

The choice is yours.

The sum of your time making beats is based on how far you took it.
If you produced, we cannot say you are not a producer.
You may not be rich or famous, but you will be a producer.

A beatmaker has to display his talents himself.
Others will remember what you produced.

 

[DethStarr]

griffin that was possibly the realest shit i ever read on a forum

I agree aswell. Every single person in this forum who is trying to build a solid career in this music shait should HIGHLY consider what Griffin has said in the past couple of post.What Griffin said is EXACTLY what im trying to accomplish right now and what other should be trying to do too.If you look back at the history of producers who have a solid career as of now like Griffin as mentioned all have started producing for a particular person. team, or label. If is not DJ Premier/Guru or Kanye/Just with the ROC or Heatmakerz/Dipset or Timbo/Missy Elliot or Pete Rock/CL Smooth or Swizz Beats/Ruff Ryders etc...So if anyone wants to have good shot in making it then you better building a team from the ground up and go from there.

www.dethstarrmusic.com

 

[Legal Dollaz]

Solid posts by Griffin and Rome, young dudes pay attention.

Learn from the past but also come to terms with what lies ahead and at ALL times keep one foot in reality. In times of transition and great uncertainty (current state of the music biz) INNOVATION is the one term often absent when people engage in these type of discussions. That's where the need/demand is at. The music business was built by innovative entrepreneuers NOT blood-sucking vultures looking for a easy 'come up'. Sometimes the best way to make a living for yourself is to come up with SOLUTIONS that will benefit others. If not the 'producer game' will continue its devaluation into financial oblivion I assure you. The urban music sector has refused to take on the challenge of innovating using online technology (and I dont mean 'networking' on Twitter which is another devaluation trap like Myspace was) because its much harder to trailblaze than it is to follow a script/formula. Where others are shook to death is where you can take the opportunity and run with it

 

[j.troup]

There's some really solid information in this post. As LD said, the young dudes need to take heed.


I would contribute, but as I'm sure many people have noticed, I'm tired of talking on FP. Because everyone knows it all anyway.


You want to be a producer? Then PRODUCE something. PRODUCERS PRODUCE RECORDS. Beat makers make beats.


I produce records...for just about anyone that wants them. I have them sign over their sync rights to me, and I send them on their merry way. And I shop those records to my contacts.


Those records go for anywhere form $500 a pop to $3-5k per record.



The artist thinks they got over because they just got a free song. When in reality, the most they'll probably ever do with that record, is upload that song to myspace, and play it in their car for their homies.



So if you don't have RECORDS, you don't really have anything.



Take that for what it's worth.

 

[barrettj]

I agree aswell. Every single person in this forum who is trying to build a solid career in this music shait should HIGHLY consider what Griffin has said in the past couple of post.What Griffin said is EXACTLY what im trying to accomplish right now and what other should be trying to do too.If you look back at the history of producers who have a solid career as of now like Griffin as mentioned all have started producing for a particular person. team, or label. If is not DJ Premier/Guru or Kanye/Just with the ROC or Heatmakerz/Dipset or Timbo/Missy Elliot or Pete Rock/CL Smooth or Swizz Beats/Ruff Ryders etc...So if anyone wants to have good shot in making it then you better building a team from the ground up and go from there.

www.dethstarrmusic.com

its really only cocky conceided money hungry dudes who wont agree with what he said its common sense really

 

[biggrome]

Say what you will but most people don't want it enough to go through what Griffin Avid did.

A lot of people that make beats are introverts and actually scared of rappers. So most wouldn't be in a room with a rapper and his crew to even produce them. They would rather use the anonimity of the internet and fake names to try to make it all happen. I do know that at one time I was riding around with an emcee prospect and a friend that introduced me to him and the guy actually lived his lyrics. Let's just say he was bout it and was up on lots of heavy charges (violent - sending people to the grave charges). So there will always be a sea of beatmakers from artists to pick from via the internet just because of the make up of "people" now a days.

Interesting thought. Who has an easier time getting what they need... a producer or a rapper. A rapper can hit up the Soundclick top 10 or this reviews section and within an hour walk away with 15 beats for $300.00 or LESS (15 beats at $20 a piece). How long would it take a producer to get 15 of his songs completed or to find somebody that would use 15 of his songs? Quite awhile... and by the time he's done, he'll be hella frustrated and possibly let down by a lot of the songs.

Do the homegrown thing if you can connect with a decent emcee on your level that actually wants it and won't waste your time. Completed songs trump instrumentals and remixes all day.

 

[[F_or_DEAF]]

What is most infatuating in the surroundings of a 16 – 24 year old?

Media

this is true...

 

[barrettj]

Say what you will but most people don't want it enough to go through what Griffin Avid did.

A lot of people that make beats are introverts and actually scared of rappers. So most wouldn't be in a room with a rapper and his crew to even produce them. They would rather use the anonimity of the internet and fake names to try to make it all happen. I do know that at one time I was riding around with an emcee prospect and a friend that introduced me to him and the guy actually lived his lyrics. Let's just say he was bout it and was up on lots of heavy charges (violent - sending people to the grave charges). So there will always be a sea of beatmakers from artists to pick from via the internet just because of the make up of "people" now a days.

Interesting thought. Who has an easier time getting what they need... a producer or a rapper. A rapper can hit up the Soundclick top 10 or this reviews section and within an hour walk away with 15 beats for $300.00 or LESS (15 beats at $20 a piece). How long would it take a producer to get 15 of his songs completed or to find somebody that would use 15 of his songs? Quite awhile... and by the time he's done, he'll be hella frustrated and possibly let down by a lot of the songs.

Do the homegrown thing if you can connect with a decent emcee on your level that actually wants it and won't waste your time. Completed songs trump instrumentals and remixes all day.

alot of knowledge bein dropped in this thread...tho its shit i already assumed or knew nice to see a few of us are on the same page tho

 

[[F_or_DEAF]]

You can do ANYTHING if you’re in the right character and state of mind but you must work very hard to rid yourself of the notions which lead us not towards our intended paths but into the paths of other entities looking to exploit us

this is just about the only point i agree w/ in that whole post...

 

[Ty baby]

Griffin avid are you that guy from the omnisphere company

 

[[F_or_DEAF]]

cant wait to see what he says

the OP's post is "aiight"...useful to some, useless to others; and somewhere "in-between" for the rest...

$.02

---------- Post added at 12:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:49 PM ----------

"Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”

best quote in the thread so far...

---------- Post added at 12:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:53 PM ----------

(the whole i bet you're this person and in this situation.)

yeah...that whole "angle" is in fact, pretty lame...

---------- Post added at 12:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:54 PM ----------

Here are some realistic reasons why you "might" not make it:
("It" meaning achieving the success you desire from this or any industry)

1. You spend too much time promoting yourself to/ or hanging with the wrong people.

2. You focus too much on the next guy and what he's doin.

3. You only pursue it part time.

4. You do nothing to separate yourself from the pack.

5. You don't put yourself out there properly.

6. You don't learn from your mistakes.

7. You slept on your opportunity.

8. Your skill set isn't ready yet.

9. Full of excuses

10. Overall Attitude. <=========

persistence breaks resistance

this...

---------- Post added at 01:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:58 PM ----------

"listen to mine and I'll listen to yours - all feed returned"

i hate that "trade-off"...

i personally think it's lame; fishing for co-signs...seems kinda in-secure...

 

[YUNG DIEZEL]

There's some really solid information in this post. As LD said, the young dudes need to take heed.


I would contribute, but as I'm sure many people have noticed, I'm tired of talking on FP. Because everyone knows it all anyway.


You want to be a producer? Then PRODUCE something. PRODUCERS PRODUCE RECORDS. Beat makers make beats.


I produce records...for just about anyone that wants them. I have them sign over their sync rights to me, and I send them on their merry way. And I shop those records to my contacts.


Those records go for anywhere form $500 a pop to $3-5k per record.



The artist thinks they got over because they just got a free song. When in reality, the most they'll probably ever do with that record, is upload that song to myspace, and play it in their car for their homies.



So if you don't have RECORDS, you don't really have anything.



Take that for what it's worth.

what u mean u get sync rights??

they finish a song on a beat u gave to them, then they send it to you and u send the finished song to your contacts????