#rapper life

[mrtimriordan]

[thisisscribe]

Rapper Life

AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!! I've been trying to finish this one song for the album for over a year and I FINALLY started writing it last Thursday. After tonight I have 2 verses and the bridge. One more 16 & an edit to the hook and I am 40 bars from my first full length LP. It's almost real. She's almost finished.

[freshdotdaily]

Thoughts on RAP Collabos

I've done a bunch of collaborations with a bunch of dope emcees.

I'm also IN REAL LIFE homies with many emcees.

Most of these collaborations have been for my project.

The emcees I've collaborated have generally fallen into 3 categories.

Dope, on-the-come-up, building their buzz, new guys (medium percentage of songs)

Peers on about the same professional level or buzz as myself, give or take 5-10 points of establishment (big percentage of songs)

Established artists w/ press, catalogs who gig/tour frequently (small percentage of songs)

ALL stem from a place of mutual respect where we genuinely like each others music. Nobody has done me any "favors" or looked me out. I know this because no one that falls in categories 2) or 3) have EVER charged me for a verse. Actually, I've NEVER been charged for a verse in my entire career. I've been really blessed that way. Plus, my bar work is silly, bruh. 

Sometimes some of these guys, actually a lot, they start out as 1)'s and end up as 2) or 3). Some reach back for collaborations. Mostly 1's.  3's RARELY reach back for a guest verse.

Which is fine.

However, I'd be a liar if I said it didn't raise my ire when I watch 2's make project after project (especially 2's who started out as 1's and being guest featured helped propel them to 2's) and have yet to reach back for a guest feature. 

I've had about 3 emcees literally go back on their word for a reach back to make music together. I almost feel like I don't even WANT the guest appearances now solely for the sake that they almost feel like obligation. This art form is so ego driven & while I'm not above ego motivated movement as mere mortal, I cannot subscribe to them wholly when creating music. Making music is such a personal and cathartic experience for me. It's my main outlet, the reason MOST people know me, a source of income for me to LIVE and literally outside of God, love and family, it's MY LIFE. So despite my best efforts to not take these oversights and rap aberrations in my career as personal affronts, they FEEL so dismissive to me. Like, a disappointment if you will. It forces me to question if cats really fuck with me like that although I know I've got significantly bigger fish to fry as an artist. Blame the Virgo in me that must critique and over-analyze the minutia of every corner of my entire shit, yo. 

It hasn't STOPPED me by any means. Only the hand of God himself could stifle my creativity and even then, like Jonah, I'd put up a bit of a fuss before adhering to the almighty. There aint a man alive who can quiet my pen and process. Although when I dwell on it, my rear molars whet and granulate themselves in artistic angst much to my chagrin.

So henceforth, if I've featured my music friends on my projects and they haven't reached back and offered me a moment of shine in THEIR spotlight, fuck it, I'm letting go of the grudge I've silently held in my heart and mind. I'm done poisoning my creative well with resentment. If it is meant to be, it will be. I'm letting them tight feelings go, b. Straight up. If I claim love, then love is what it's gotta be allllll the way. Ain't no such thing as half-way love, fam.

BUT, know this- I'm no glutton for punishment. I know my worth. My creative well is dry for y'all niggas going forth. Let welfare feed y'all this season. That's no love lost, but till I'm allowed at cats tables to partake, the vast resources at my disposal will remain for me and mine solely. My lady chastises me for being so free with giving alley-oops and yet having to receive not one. I hear you, ma. Soup kitchen is closed. Collaborations are supposed to be MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL and from a place of genuine bon-homme. So if my bars aren't held in the highest esteem as a solid contribution, well so be it, it's attached to a balloon and freed. If money has to exchange hands for my next great collabo, it's only right. I mean, 10 years of free bars from dope rappers is enough I suppose. 

- F.

[geek-selforum]

I’m going to start pretending that every skeevy guy that calls me “Red” or “Li’l Red” on the street is just a fan of my rap music.

[exenihilo]

The most problematic thing artists go through however, is when you write a first verse that is just so damn perfect, you end up setting the bar (pun!) higher and so the second verse and every verse after that becomes significantly harder to write.

[exenihilo]

I just wrote what might be one of my best verses...like ever. Like not just some throwaway shit that fifteen year old me would have written on a piece of paper. These 16 bars are compact, complex, and it's just one those I'd go with if I ever met a legit hip hop artist that asked me to spit. I wish I was at my studio right now.

[thisisscribe]

Rapper Life

Listening to Drake's Worst Behaviour... WHO LET THIS MAKE THE RECORD??!?!?! The beat is hot but dear Lord... NO BARS. It literally may be the worst thing I have ever heard. It hurts to think that I'm actually lyrical and there are kids who will bump this saying it's better quality hip hop.

[fiftyshadesofjayjay]

TAKING A 3AM BUBBLE BATH AT A FANCY HOTEL

Because we all deserve to be Drake sometimes 

Editors Note: Drake, at no time, deserves to be Drake.