Immortal Technique Addresses Nas’ Ghostwriting Controversy

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A few weeks back, renowned journalist Dream Hamptonmade an allegation that Nas employed Jay Electronica and dead prez’s stic.man to ghostwrite songs on his 2008 album Untitled, sparking a debate about ghostwriting in Hip Hop. Immortal Technique weighed on the situation during an interview with Hard Knock TV after he joined the conversation on Twitter, stating that he knows many rappers use ghostwriters but feels the situation could have been more constructive.

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Ghostwriting is a bad thing, imo. It's lazy.
Ghostproducing is just as lazy.
Why put your name over someone else's work?
If you say just for money.
That's sell out material.
 
MrWonderful said:
Ghostwriting is a bad thing, imo. It's lazy.
Ghostproducing is just as lazy.
Why put your name over someone else's work?
If you say just for money.
That's sell out material.
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There is nothing wrong with selling out.

Most people couldn't sell out if they tried anyway. That is why most music acts flop.
 
Ghostwriting is not a bad thing at all, Nas is an excellent example because everybody knows that Nas is a good rapper/writer and has proven himself before. I would much prefer to see rappers in future use a team of writers instead of trying to do everything themselves. It is probably why most albums have one or 2 good tracks and the rest sucks.
 
nas is easily top 5 of all time, you can make a legit case that he's the best, but imo having ghostwriters is like corking your bat.
 
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Catch 22. Ghostwriting is bad. The ghostwritten are like wind-up dolls that recite someone else's written thoughts. So let's get rid of all ghostwritten artist. This would be anti-Hip-Hop. Most of the early Hip Hop records were ghostwritten. Although most would agree that the lyrics to "Rapper's Delight" could be understood by a 2nd grader, this was the world's first introduction to Hip-Hop! It was GHOSTWRITTEN (stolen to be exact). Will Smith, P Diddy, Dr.Dre, Eazy-E, "Jesus Walks," Snoop Dogg (Ego Trippin'), Ice Cube (Del the Funky Homosapien), Mase, etc. Your favorite comic-GHOSTWRITTEN! President Obama-GHOSTWRITTEN (speech writers). Jay-Z's book-GHOSTWRITTEN! Even some of the greatest producers have ghost producers. If we got rid of ghostwriting and erased it from the history of Hip-Hop we would solve the problem of "lack of creativity," "lack of originality," etc. in Hip-Hop BUT we would be taking away from the history of Hip-Hop. Therefore, by solving one problem we create another. Catch 22.
 
Why do you assume that the person being written for has a lack of creativity?
 
Also, we can't assume that those who have material written for them have no input into how the material's written. One of the examples mentioned above, Dr. Dre, is VERY hands on in who ghostwrites for him and what and how they write
 
It's like songwriting for an artist in another genre. You sit down and talk about where they are in life. The ghostwritten might not be without creativity but they sure are without SOMETHING if they need someone else to write down what is in their head.

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The words are in their head and about their life but they can't structure the lyrics? They don't know how to tell their story? I (the ghost writer), have to play mind reader?
 
deanlofts said:
Why do you assume that the person being written for has a lack of creativity?
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Because obviously they needed a ghost writer...

So let's say Just Blaze for example ghost produces a song and you sell it to 50 cent with your name on it. Are you the creative one who made the song or is Just Blaze?

It's phony that's what I'm saying.

You can tell when people use ghost writers as well it's not hard to hear...
 
The Light said:
Catch 22. Ghostwriting is bad. The ghostwritten are like wind-up dolls that recite someone else's written thoughts. So let's get rid of all ghostwritten artist. This would be anti-Hip-Hop. Most of the early Hip Hop records were ghostwritten. Although most would agree that the lyrics to "Rapper's Delight" could be understood by a 2nd grader, this was the world's first introduction to Hip-Hop! It was GHOSTWRITTEN (stolen to be exact). Will Smith, P Diddy, Dr.Dre, Eazy-E, "Jesus Walks," Snoop Dogg (Ego Trippin'), Ice Cube (Del the Funky Homosapien), Mase, etc. Your favorite comic-GHOSTWRITTEN! President Obama-GHOSTWRITTEN (speech writers). Jay-Z's book-GHOSTWRITTEN! Even some of the greatest producers have ghost producers. If we got rid of ghostwriting and erased it from the history of Hip-Hop we would solve the problem of "lack of creativity," "lack of originality," etc. in Hip-Hop BUT we would be taking away from the history of Hip-Hop. Therefore, by solving one problem we create another. Catch 22.
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That would be stupid.

The reason why ghostwriters exist is because they usually do not have the star power or charisma to shine on their own. Conversely, the artists. producers, presidents, authors, etc. that use ghostwriters usually do not have the strong writing abilities or even time of the ghosts. When the ghosts and the performers work togther to make a product, the result is better.

The only incentive for a musician to write their own music is to collect money for the writer's share of performance royalties. Artists like Rihanna and Usher that do not write all of their own songs do not get writer's share of performance royalties, unless they do co-writing. Those artits get mechanical royalties from the sales of their records though. Well, if they recoup.

You guys need to learn the business instead of crying about the art. Guys like Diddy like artists that do not care about the business. They make money off of having hungry guys do all of the work. But Diddy always gets a publishing share and writer's share royalties from songs he works on. He has a publishing company with ASCAP and BMI.

Diddy is smarter than the art. He is about the business. He will be making money from music until he dies. Those royalties will then pass on to his heirs. Think!

 
Can an artists even choose NOT not to have a ghostwriter/songwriter? Or is it forced by the label?
 
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TzToppDogg said:
Can an artists even choose NOT not to have a ghostwriter/songwriter? Or is it forced by the label?
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It's a taboo thing BUT!!! why don't production teams get beat up for 2-4 people collabing on beat?

Time to move on and enjoy the songs (if they're not by somebody gay)
 
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deanlofts said:
Had to lol about this, what about openly gay? Maybe Hip Hop needs a "Don't ask don't tell" policy.
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That's definitely needed because people aren't asking but it seems to be the "in thing" to tell, lol.
 
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Legal Dollaz said:
LOL, ya'll dudes is too much...
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The truth is... it never crosses my mind until I read it somewhere. It's not like I hate them but as a person that has kids, I don't want them to be exposed to it. So all of this "coming out" isn't really necessary imo.

Nothing would be wrong if nobody ever talked about their sexual preferences, ... nothing.

People don't go around broadcasting their medical conditions... so it's the same type of thing. Something Private.

Snoop should've said "I think it's time for rappers to come clean about their irritable bowel syndrome and herpes"...

^^^ people just don't do that because its private.
 
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