The results of my first studio sessions (song)

oh, lyrics:
:05
If I described how I feel in a word or two
up or down, it depends on today's mood
might have a bad taste, even the good food
fresh style, new class even for the new school

kinda hippieish, knowing that I give a shit
standing up for love and life, sitting when I take a trip
around the world, back to the 2-0-6
that's where I kick back, rock mics, and spit this

chorus(x2) :29
--
I got...one life, one mic, one love (one love)
I got...too nice, too bright, lit up(mmhmm)
I am...so right, so left, so blessed okln 90,
just...kick back, these thoughts is fresh
--

:53
am I a dreamer? I don't know, maybe
baby? migh t be young, still ain't lazy
word up, I'm educated, c reative
clean off the slate and make way for greatness

Never been famous, never been racist
used to claim this and that, but never patience
blast off, going to my mind in a spaceship
go ing through the nerves hoping miracles emerge
``` ````````````
but empi rically speaking I have never deserved
what I got: life and the urge to learn
now I get a chance to give back, to breathe
the whole truth and nothing but, never leaving my roots, so that's what

I am telling you all, it's what you believe
but when the children bleed heavy and the starving live free
it's hypocrisy, and I am one of few anomalies
that fight against the system using weapons of peace

chorus(x2) 1:40
--
I got...one life, one mic, one love (one love)
I got...too nice, too bright, lit up(mmhmm)
I am...so right, so left, so blessed
just...kick back, these thoughts is fresh
--

2:04
Dressed to impress, if my dress does impress
then I guess I'll buy Guess rather than my groceries
better than the rest of y'all, roll with a shoulda lean
whip game on lock, fucked up, mug mean

You know that ain't me, I got unique style
Proper fitting jeans with a slightly crooked flirt smile
I go off the tracks when I record tracks
but the music got a hold of me, back to reality

The senses interact, focused on the contact
of social contracts, so I make tracks, that blast
stay whack, I'm just crazy, like crack
that's fact, wrap it up, crackin up', Matt is

still on the scene, with a dream of a clean world
clearly obscene, but I mean well, gee, swell
I say what I say, get paid what I'm paid
and I'm cool with the fact that we need a fresh change

chorus(x2)
--
I got...one life, one mic, one love (one love)
I got...too nice, too bright, lit up(mmhmm)
I am...so right, so left, so blessed
just...kick back, these thoughts is fresh
--

What programs where you using for the beat?  It sounds too midi-y.

I dont know what sam used but I used ACID pro and I agree the backbeat is a little too regimented and loopy but I can fix that when I get to finalizing this

soooo sick and professional that's sick dude

That was sick, I really liked it personally. Double voicing use seemed odd I found, but I'm sure with a more polished and more professional recording of the vocals it will sound a lot better. For the instrumental, try recording the whole thing for the final in one go, and making slight changes to it every time it repeats, or every few times it repeats or something. It will keep things fresh and interesting.

Aside from that, the lyrics were dope, as was the entire track.

Honestly, I thought it was dope... But really, it doens't make you any cooler to use improper grammar.

"clean off the slate and make way for greatness"

"these thoughts is fresh"

you have some wicked vocab, all ruined by the fact that your english isn't right.

also if you were to drop some techno beats behind a song.. similar to Dizee Rascal, I think that is a dope style that isn't super big.

you're right about the chorus, but how is that first line you pointed out incorrect?

and I am definitely planning on working with some techno/electronica beats. I already have two or three in the works. thanks dude!

yesss can't wait to listen to this dude. you've introduced me to some sick music!

thats sweet good luck man.

damn good start man, follow some of those advises and itll be golden

I really like it man. that's a good start and i can't wait to hear some of your other stuff. i would also like to see this song finalized. it's gonna be dopeeee.

CHINESE MOTHER FUCKER

CHINESE MOTHER FUCKER I already replied to this once, but it didnt work, so i am now retyping this as i remember. So i will forget almost everything i wanted to say.

I see you are right. I read it "Clean off the slate" similar to "fresh off the block
like "I am clean off the slate"

not as a command as intended

And now i am hyped for the techno tunes.

i was also going to  mention that rick ross' Boss, has a bass line that is dope as fuck.. recreating something similar could have epic results.

and that jacking other people beats and backdrops is sick (as seen in mash up) even though its not really original. good music is good music IMO.

also i think the singer has a voice of potential

i know there was more.. FUUUUU

JEA JEA JEA JEA JEA

oh i use logic studio to whoever asked but i made that in like twenty minutes (literally like 5 tracks), and matt just took and made it wayy better.

not be mean or anything but i could spit something better in 5 minutes

if you got a non generic meaty sounding beat that would be hella baller

try abelton, its preset sounds re real nice and its wicked easy to work with samples

nice work slim shady. maybe you and asher roth can do a duet

shredmasters soundcloud is hyphy

That was fuckin dope man!

when i first heard you on NS a long time ago im gonna be honest i thought you were never gonna be a good rapper but holy shit dude youve improved so much

cooooooooll

its one of those songs that you listen to once and its cool but you could never listen to it again

thanks but I don't use samples and I am already pretty good with ACID. I'm getting a keyboard hooked up next week so I'm pretty fucking stoked on that too. gonna be way easier to make more complex rhythms and improv breakbeats and shit

shit was pretty damn good i wana hear some more

Sick man! Enjoyed that!

You can get way, way better beats out of logic than that just by using the sample library, without even touching a keyboard.  Remixed some shitty Jay Z song for a music production class last semester, used ONLY samples, and it came out baller as fuck.  Add some horns or something to make it stand out and a little more upbeat, add a funky ass bass line, and use a drum sample loop for the background, so it actually has some thump to it and doesn't sound so electronic.

I really can't stand using samples in songs. I feel like I'm cheating. Some artists make it sound awesome, but personally I cannot make and claim music that isn't mine if it uses other's work (hence the shoutout to Sam, who started this beat). A drum beat that isn't sampled that you mix up and improvise with breakbeats and different combinations of snare/hihat/cymbal/pedal/etc will be infinitely better than any drum loop. add some left and right panning and reverb and you'll be set for realistic sound, even with MIDI presets (see Snazzberries in my soundcloud page in my sig, I think I did a decent job in that one with drums).

Once again, samples can SOUND ill and I know that's how hip-hop started up but I'm not like most other hip hop artists and the producers today should aspire to create their own totally original sound. That's why the best are the best; they are distinct and musically talented.

To start - I respect anyone who's making music and putting themself out there. However, the drums on that snazzberry track are not professional sounding at all. They just sound like preset e-drums from fruity loops or acid made on an 8th note quantized 4/4 beat. No offense, I see that you are trying to be an emcee not a producer, but sampled drums sound sooo much better in most cases. you don't have to sample a whole break and loop it, just taking recordings, cutting them up, and making your own thing out of it is the way to go.


anyways, this is how hip hop drums should be done:

what studio was this at?

I doubt this was at a studio

That was so sick man that is so money no doubt

he said it was his first "studio" session

He said he used acid, I have never ever seen acid used in any studio I've been in, not even the most ghetto ones.


studio is a pretty broad and overused term these days, when I think studio I think of a pro tools HD rid with 24 channels, with booths and all those goodies

A lot of crew comment on the sounds and that's cool, but I think you could also do some great stuff just using a bit better mix. Knowing how to EQ a mic for this type of music is super important (try playing with 4k), and how to use your soundfield. Try panning vocals across a few tracks, doubling tracks for emphasis etc.

home studio setup and I'm taking it to KTUB in kirkland, WA.

which, I should mention, uses pro tools and has the soundboards with soundbooths and all that set up professionally.

and to freezed - I still refuse to use samples. I'm not trying to be an MC or a producer, I'm trying to make my own 100% homegrown music. I'm trying to work with a drummer I know who's actually on NS for later recording sessions but for now this is all I have.

you really need to upgrade your sounds. its not hard you can find drum samples anywhere, and its not a crime or anything. it has nothing to do with being unoriginal either, most of the artists/producers out there do it anyways.

I'm not most artists. I appreciate the love and critique, but the project's parameters specifically say that this has to be 100% my thinking and playing/synthesizing.

sorry for posting all over this thread but I'm taking your guys' advice and upgrading my programs and sounds and all that, plugging in a keyboard, and recording more of myself playing live instruments rather than synths. It'll cost me more than a pretty penny but at least I'll get some good quality out of it and then I might not even have to go to a real studio to record.

Thanks, you guys are awesome. No matter if you've got love, hate, or ignorance, music makes me happy and gives me some real challenges that I truly enjoy working on. Having someone to keep it real and tell me what's up is what I really need to get better. So far that's what you've been doing. Ya feel me? yeah.

Until I get some professional quality shit done,
Matt

pretty good. I'd try a little more autotune tho.

bad advice
i liked it a lot the way it was

first off, i really like that beat

but if you're not looking to drop a whole lot of money on some keys, check out the m audio axiom series, especially the 25.

'

i picked up one of these off ebay for less than $100, it's small but ipretty fantastic

if you want i can hook you up with a bootleg of reason 4, FL studio 8 or Pro tools 8 too. 

I thought your song was alright, not a huge fan of the track but the feel of the vocals was pretty tight. I am going to have to reiterate what Icon. said about using proper grammar though, there is for sure no reason to use improper English just because it's a rap track. I'm from Philly and still use correct grammar in my music, and see no reason to do otherwise. Perhaps you are from the ghetto's of Washington, but just a suggestion. Decent track though, keep it up.

not too shabby, I remember hearing an instrumental you posted while back and not feelin' it at all but this was a little better. I like the synth line during the chorus but it could use some mastering or EQ or something. Once i get  comfortable with Logic I'll make sure to post some of my stuff. 

holy crap, they actually charge people to use a Digi 002?

At my school we had 12 003 setups with the main 24 channel HD rig /claim

I have a yamaha keyboard I just need the MIDI connector which I'm picking up next week.

hahaha, that was COMPLETLY sarcastic

aight well this one was recorded at home, but I figured I shouldn't make a new thread. All my own production this time.

Concept by SirFryanator

SO DOPE.