Staying Ahead Of The Curve: Ever think about the future? | Creativity w/ Pharrell W.

I personally think once you start thinking about trends and whats hot that you kind of hold yourself back more than when you just make music you like. Id hate to be on and making some stuff thats not really me but is considered the hot sound, getting on with a sound you actually enjoy seems like a much better route.
 
Guetta and Skrillex haven't set trends in the music they've done, i think they're just the easiest to put a face to in terms of who does what, and they have a good marketing team?

as far as dubstep goes, the first person to literally have me yell 'what in the absolute **** is that" is doctor p. i was walkin down the street in long beach one night, when someone was bumpin it in their car, and i literally walked in the middle of the street and asked because i had to know.

people always follow styles because they want to get that "1500 dollar check."they are thinking a thousand dollars a day rather than being on that penny compounding. it's way easier to copy something rather than making something original.

do you like the producers you like because they are in fact what's hot right now, or because they're a pioneer/trendsetter/original?
 
tReHoLLa said:
Guetta and Skrillex haven't set trends in the music they've done, i think they're just the easiest to put a face to in terms of who does what, and they have a good marketing team?

as far as dubstep goes, the first person to literally have me yell 'what in the absolute **** is that" is doctor p. i was walkin down the street in long beach one night, when someone was bumpin it in their car, and i literally walked in the middle of the street and asked because i had to know.

people always follow styles because they want to get that "1500 dollar check."they are thinking a thousand dollars a day rather than being on that penny compounding. it's way easier to copy something rather than making something original.

do you like the producers you like because they are in fact what's hot right now, or because they're a pioneer/trendsetter/original?
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They set trends, trust me. If you really listen to dubstep, you could tell the difference easily... That's like saying all hip hop or all pop sounds the same
 
[F_or_DEAF] said:
easier to copy???

those are just people that are being 'INSPIRED'!
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Please tell me this is sarcasm again. There's a HUGE difference between being “inspired” & "copying"..

EX: I can be influenced by a book I read to write my own book or I could just copy that book verbatim.
 
labdummy said:
They say it takes, on average, 6 months for a record to go from studio to radio (it's sort of changed now). Some also say that music is a "vicious circle"(meaning that every couple of years or so, music... REPEATS!)

So, do you, as a producer, ever think about being the one who changes the sound of music? or just go ahead and follow the leader w/ what's going on now (i.e. what's popular, what you hear on the radio, blah blah blah etc. etc.) Just something to think about before you decide to perfect one style mainly because of what's "hot" instead of making your own sound & lane/creating your own unique style that you and only you can make & no one else can replicate.

p.s. I know, I know, I know, we are all influenced by what we hear, which is what kind of 'molds' your sound... but come onnn, let's spice things up a bit.

Identity.. (theft?). Now on to the video, shall we? ↓
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To me, nobody really sets out to CHANGE music. If you set out to CHANGE music, then you're corny, and I can bet that you almost never succeed.


I give people music according to me. That's all. Just my take on music, how I hear it, and how I think it should be.


I don't set out to do anything fancy, or anything that's going to be earth shattering, I just do me.



If it changes the world, then great. But if it just touches a few people, then great too.
 
j.troup said:
To me, nobody really sets out to CHANGE music. If you set out to CHANGE music, then you're corny, and I can bet that you almost never succeed.

I give people music according to me. That's all. Just my take on music, how I hear it, and how I think it should be.


I don't set out to do anything fancy, or anything that's going to be earth shattering, I just do me.



If it changes the world, then great. But if it just touches a few people, then great too.
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That's a lackadaisical approach you have there my friend. Do you think Steve Jobs thought like this? Diddy?

I'm not saying my approach is the 'one' everyone should have, but yours (to me) is a horrible one to have... Just my opinion Troup..
 
labdummy said:
That's a lackadaisical approach you have there my friend. Do you think Steve Jobs thought like this? Diddy?

I'm not saying my approach is the 'one' everyone should have, but yours (to me) is a horrible one to have... Just my opinion Troup..
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Steve Jobs set out to make the best computer possible. He set out for HIS VISION of what computers and technology should be, to be realized.




Puffy set out to make the best music he could.




Steve Jobs didn't innovate anything. Neither did Puffy.



They took what was already there, and made it better.
 
[F_or_DEAF] said:
what about when it comes to TRENDS?

when you follow a trend (monkey-see / monkey-do), are you INSPIRED? or are you COPYING?
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Ahh, I see what you did there (sneaky).

Long answer short, I'd saying it's more 'inspiration' than 'copying'

Mess up my whole thread why dontcha! Lol, good one

---------- Post added at 08:22 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:17 AM ----------
j.troup said:
Steve Jobs set out to make the best computer possible. He set out for HIS VISION of what computers and technology should be, to be realized.




Puffy set out to make the best music he could.




Steve Jobs didn't innovate anything. Neither did Puffy.



They took what was already there, and made it better.
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"I don't set out to do anything fancy, or anything that's going to be earth shattering, I just do me.



If it changes the world, then great. But if it just touches a few people, then great too." - Troup

Diddy & Steve both have a more "determined" approach, wouldn't you agree?
 
labdummy said:
Ahh, I see what you did there (sneaky).

Long answer short, I'd saying it's more 'inspiration' than 'copying'

Mess up my whole thread why dontcha! Lol, good one

---------- Post added at 08:22 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:17 AM ----------



"I don't set out to do anything fancy, or anything that's going to be earth shattering, I just do me.



If it changes the world, then great. But if it just touches a few people, then great too." - Troup

Diddy & Steve both have a more "determined" approach, wouldn't you agree?
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No. Neither one of them set out to be better than other people at what other people did. They set out to DO THEM, the best they could.


Trust me, my determination is second to NONE. But I don't consider my pursuits to be earth shattering nor to I try to shatter the earth with what I'm doing.


I just do what I do, how I think it should be done, to the best of my ability.



If it happens to shatter the earth, then great. If not, I did it exactly how I thought it should be done.
 
labdummy said:
Mess up my whole thread why dontcha!
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naw...not messing up the thread...i mean, we ARE talking about / focusing on CREATIVITY, right?

i just have a different philosophy.

it goes a 'lil something like this:

"INSPIRATION" COMES FROM CREATION OUTSIDE OF YOUR FIELD OF EXPERTISE...(i.e., a digital music producer being INSPIRED by GLASS ART...or a BONSAI GARDEN, etc...

COPYING COMES FROM CREATION (RE-CREATION) INSIDE OF YOUR FIELD OF EXPERTISE...(i.e. a digital music producer being INSPIRED by ANOTHER digital music producer.

when you're "INSPIRED" by someone / something INSIDE of your field of expertise, and you use their work as a REFERENCE / GUIDELINE for your own, then you're erring on the side of COPYING.

i find it "SAFEST" to find inspiration from OUTSIDE art...NOT "INSIDE" art.

but that's just me -

and a rough, general guideline of my

$.02
 
i always wanted my own sound. i spent years trying to copy and emulate those i saw as innovators not because im chasing hits but to set trends, trailblaze and change music.

that's why i love quincy jones and timbaland so much.

quincy set the bar for pop with off the wall and thriller. (not to mention his countless work prior to mj) and timbaland changed hip hop and r&b with missy and aaliyah.

the neptunes fall under the category of innovators because they brought that almost spaced out video game sound, that sounded deceptively simple and inspired numerous copycats. they changed hip hop, rnb and pop music as well.

to call it corny to set out to change music, is kind of what's wrong with music now.

---------- Post added at 04:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:49 PM ----------

f nor deaf that's a dope ass description for creation and inspiration. i'll never forget that.
 
j.troup said:
No. Neither one of them set out to be better than other people at what other people did. They set out to DO THEM, the best they could.
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OH PLEASE, I've been studying these two guys as well as other successful biz men/women for the past 2 yrs (thanks to mycomeup & forbes <- My favorites), also 2 of the most successful business men imo.





Even when it comes to working out (treadmill - see video above), Diddy is inspired. The little things "over"-inspire Diddy!

You can go ahead and retract that... Respond to my pm I sent to you 80 yrs ago btw Troup lol
 
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ya'll are taking what troup is saying out of context.

and i agree with him.

you dont sit there and say how youre going to change music.. you just go out and do it.

Idk if you guys remember the NYC Rock scene in the middle of the decade.. from 2000-about 2006. It was a whole bunch of really cool authentic bands, that just came out with this sound that just shook the industry up. They failed when labels tried to re-create that cool.

you can't sit there and say youre going to make something cool. you just go and be cool.. it has to be authentic and it cant be forced.

If youre sitting there making music with the intention of "changing music" youre gonna fail. It has to be natural, it has to be what youre about
 
as20gp said:
Idk if you guys remember the NYC Rock scene in the middle of the decade.. from 2000-about 2006. It was a whole bunch of really cool authentic bands, that just came out with this sound that just shook the industry up. They failed when labels tried to re-create that cool.
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Could you send me or post some links about this Drew (some of those bands from youtube or a article). This sounds interesting.. might have to make a new thread about it
 
theres no real articles, but i could def give you some names of bands that really took off in that time

The Strokes was one of them: Articles: This Is It: Ten Years of the Strokes | Features | Pitchfork
Great article outlining their career

The Killers, The Hives, Interpol, The Bravery that whole sound at that time came off the strokes.. and some of those other bands didnt have the type of the career the Strokes had was because they were basically following that sound and trend at the time.

Its hard to find any articles cause nobody really talks about it, but i just remember growing up in NY, and learning how to play bass at the time, i really followed the scene. Its just really about being natural and authentic that can help you change music

i think fans can tell when things are forced
 
as20gp said:
theres no real articles, but i could def give you some names of bands that really took off in that time

The Strokes was one of them: Articles: This Is It: Ten Years of the Strokes | Features | Pitchfork
Great article outlining their career

The Killers, The Hives, Interpol, The Bravery that whole sound at that time came off the strokes.. and some of those other bands didnt have the type of the career the Strokes had was because they were basically following that sound and trend at the time.

Its hard to find any articles cause nobody really talks about it, but i just remember growing up in NY, and learning how to play bass at the time, i really followed the scene. Its just really about being natural and authentic that can help you change music

i think fans can tell when things are forced
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I'm doing a doc. about this..
 
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