2 NEW BEATS

Over the past week I've been on a curious fix of The-Dream, The Lox, and assorted Ski Beatz productions. These inspirations fueled a new beat of mine, a hybrid between classic NY styles and more modern, hip-pop synth elements. The result is "New Stack City." Here are three tracks in particular that shaped the construction of my new tracks. Check 'em out:

#1. The-Dream Feat. Kanye West - "Walking on the Moon"


#2. The Lox - "Let's Start Rap Over"


#3. Jay-Z - "Dead Presidents II" (Prod. by Ski Beatz)


So after dieting on these tracks (as well as others), this is what I arrived at:

"New Stack City" - Prod. by StackBeats


Also, for a little extra taste, here is a sneak peek of another beat I threw together in an hour or so last week. Not necessarily the same inspiration as above, but equally focused on alternating synth layers, odd drums combos, etc.

"Escape From Earth" - Prod. by StackBeats


It's been a while since I've posted or shared any of my originals, but as always comments and feedback are appreciated as this is a work is progress. Thanks.

Animal Collective - "Brother Sport"

Definitely one of the more exotic, ambitious and original albums of 2009, Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavilion hosted some beautifully arranged tracks like "My Girls," "Daily Routine," and this track, "Brother Sport." This video is simply bizarre. Then again it's Animal Collective so I'm not too surprised.



And I had to throw in the video for "My Girls," perhaps my favorite track on the album. I'm not sure the exact effects used in producing these two videos, but the concepts are visually mind-boggling.

Weezy Behind Bars

Well the day has arrived. Lil Wayne is off to the pen. This is a definite downer for many hip hop heads, but I'm going to remain optimistic. Here's my theory:

1. Prison is brutal. Never been, never gonna go, but regardless it's safe to assume Wayne will receive some pretty quality treatment inside (celebrities always seem to do OK).

2. Being "sober" is prison will clear his head. True, a sober Lil Wayne may not be the creative, lyrical craftsman as when under the influence of:

a) marijuana
b) alcohol
c) cough syrup
d) all of the above

But I'm anticipating Wayne's prison term as a reconstructive, reflective period that is sure to churn out some deeply introspective s**t. Think street braggadocio meets prison hardness, a la "Playing with Fire" off Tha Carter III:



I'll admit I'm a fan of Wayne's stream-of-consciousness, "absence-of-narrative-quality" approach but I'm also hoping this changes. His punchlines are unique, often hilarious, but there's usually no story, no dramatic quality like NaS or Biggie. My reasoning is Eminem created Relapse "sober," therefore, I expect something similar to evolve from the demented mind of Dwayne Carter.

Here's a video of Lil Wayne's final time before reporting to prison. A bit slow to develop, but altogether pretty amusing. Plus, for serious Wayne fans, there's a sentimental "goodbye" from Young Money's finest as he pulls away from the studio in his Bugati.



Wayne: good luck inside. And remember what the dudes at Broken Cool had to say here: 8 Things Lil' Wayne Should Deny While In Prison.

Stacks Out.

The Mind Behind the Music

The one good thing that came from the Grammys? Well, I guess, this might be it. Common and NaS give some brief explanation as to the emotion behind their music, as well as addressing violent lyrics as a bi-product of emotion, not necessarily "the hip-hop image." No, it won't end the ceaseless debate on the relationship between hip-hop, violence, misogyny, yada yada yada, but it's satisfying to know these artists are actually conscious of what they're producing and can intelligently verbalize their logic. I applaud you Common and NaS.

What Has The Industry Come To?

In light of the depression I'm experiencing following last night's Grammy award show, I needed to do some serious digging to uplift my spirit. Not only were (most) of the award winners pathetic, status quo industry garbage, but the performances were poorly executed, poorly mixed, and downright agonizing (exception granted to Dave Matthews). The M.J. tribute had potential, but a Michael tribute without dancing = huge mistake. And what was the deal with the frequent dead audio during the Eminem, Wayne and Drake performance? Anyways, in my search for musical uplift, I found this track by CA's Fashawn, "Life as a Shorty". It's a bit dated, but turned my mood nonetheless. It's artists like this whose stories and creativity make music enjoyable, not the trite BS Taylor Swift "sings" about (is it me, or was her duet with Stevie Nicks out of key?). All I can say is that 2010/the next decade must redeem the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences for what it considered "the best" music of the last year.

Fashawn - "Life as a Shorty" Feat. J. Mitchell (Prod. by Exile)


Of course it wouldn't be right to knock "the best music of 2009" without divulging my own favorites. Here are a few of my personal artists/albums of 2009, and I encourage you all to check out the following, or at least give them a chance:

Miike Snow - Miike Snow
Passion Pit - Manners
Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Calvin Harris - Ready for the Weekend

And the list goes on...

So after last night I've made a resolution I encourage listeners everywhere to adopt. In 2010 (and for the rest of my life), I pledge not to support crap musicians who are incapable of advancing their artistic careers, instead continuing to produce weak, self-indulgent records that do nothing for the listeners. It stands to reason why album sales are on a rapid decline: few people respect modern musicians enough to pay them for their work. So lastly, a word to the musicians, producers, engineers, mixers, and label execs: maintain the integrity of your industry, do not sacrifice quality, and please, NO MORE TAYLOR SWIFT NONSENSE!

Rant over.