I made beats tonight. And last night. And the night before.
I've been pretty prolific over the last two years, and I'm sitting on a lot of beats at the moment. Over 200 beats, some are absolute bangers, others have varying degrees of bang. I've got crazy, crazy potential instrumentals for this album. I'm just too un-focused to write the damn thing.
Some nights I just can't shit out any rhymes. I've not really been one of those "Yo-check-me-out, elbowing-my-way-into-the-cipher, rap-rap-rappity-rap" emcees since my...um, my early twenties. However some nights I'm really on point. Catch me on another night and I will rap, write and even freestyle up a funnel cloud.
One point that I think alot of purists nowdays don't credit is the live show aspect. Sure you can freestlye off the top while pointing at objects around you, but can you hold down a 45-minute live set of jam after jam, and keep it interesting? I can. THAT shit I feel makes you an emcee, so what if you're spitting writtens. Anyway moving onward...
I just think at this stage in the game I'm far more effective as a speaker and storyteller (how pretentious was that?) making my strange observations about the world, than as a battle emcee.
On the same tip though, I've found that in my vast rapping experience I've gotten to where I can shit out a Typical Palumbo Verse with relative ease now; i.e. couplets about how I'm realer than you, how I work harder and am more creative, the obligatory drug reference, obligatory wrestling reference, etc. etc. rinse, repeat. I don't want to fall into the trap of being stagnant because I want to please my audience. So I feel the need to really talk about some unique topics and always be funny and intense 100% of the time, and not waste anyone's time when I'm on the mic. So this makes lyricism difficult for me at times.
On the opposite tip however, I don't want to make a bunch of fucking "Ballad-of-Bilbo-Baggins" outer space shit that doesn't make any sense to anybody. Hip-hop needs a degree of nut-grabbing and egomania and hardcore feeling yourself...or it's not Hip-hop.
So on the nights I just can't figure any of this shit out...I make beats. Making beats is fun. Making beats is low-pressure. When making beats I can zone out and do whatever the fuck I feel. I can blaze, put porn on in the background and just get busy. I find that if I can close my eyes, nod my head, and eventually pass out to the beat, then it's a keeper. I like sound. I like notes, melody, samples, drums, FX, the studio...I like music. Music is the best.
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2 comments:
would you believe i kind of don't like to make beats? it's mostly when i don't make the kind of beat i'm looking to hear. i usually make beats that the remedy for all the shit i'm tired of hearing...or the kind of beat(s) i want to hear more. other than that, i think i don't like to make beats. it's wierd...cause i also take it seriously.
wow! that's surprising, I hear you though
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