Do Diligence

Wazzup,
Ok so I'm currently in music class and to be completely honest, this professor is boring as all get out. At least I'm understanding it. I was up til 2 A.M. last night finishing another song since I'm getting my mic back in about a week. When I am tired, like now however, I am way more susceptible to my feelings so I'm just gonna vent for a second.

I need more hours in a day. One thing that I promised myself that I would do is write a song a day. However,  since I'm a rapper and a singer, I feel the need to write 2 songs a day. Now the difficulty comes in trying to balance out my school work and college commitments. I don't just want to write candy-coated lyrics I want them to have some substance underneath them. But finding the time to do such and still keep my sanity is becoming increasingly harder. Hopefully, I can figure this out. I'm about half way through my 1st project so I'm ok on timing. I just hope that I can pick it up. I hate being in the present with music. I love living in the future.

I guess, it's just about molding minutes. Gotta create seconds.  Gotta make time and just keep up on it.
Kind of reminds me of what Crucial said "Success is nothing without attempt."

Ok, done venting. Back to working on my YouTube video "New Everything" and augmenting notes in the F scale.

Tres

L.A.S.E.R.S. Release Date!!!

This has just been released on MTV:

The fan-organized event was dubbed "Fiasco Friday," but the event was anything but a disaster. Upward of 200 fans cheered, danced and rapped Lupe's lyrics for hours before he arrived just shy of 3 p.m. to address the crowd.

"So, y'all actually did it, huh?" he said to the audience. "The first thing I want to say is: Congratulations. The second thing I want to say is: Thank you very much for putting on a very peaceful protest. The third thing I want to say is: Lasers is dropping March 8th!"

Each remark from the MC drew a loud reaction. The event was initially organized by two New Jersey natives, Matt Morrelli, 19, and Matt La Corte, 17, as a way to help Lupe Fiasco score a release date for his long-delayed third album. The rapper had been at odds with his label over creative differences, among other issues.

But last week, he sent a picture via Twitter of himself with Atlantic Records executive Julie Greenwald with the caption "Victory." A press release was issued the next day announcing the March date for Lupe Fiasco's album

For more information, click on the link below for original news address:
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1650151/20101015/fiasco__lupe.jhtml

Wishlist: Sonic Gear!

Yo yo yo,

So I should be alseep right now but I just finished an intesne piano session and am still coming off the high of it so... LET'S DO SOMETHIN' CRAZY!!! (To my fans: No, I am not drunk. Just really REALLY tired and hyper right now). So I went out to one of the mall down here and low-and-behold, they had some of my favorite stores (Spencers, Hot Topic, F.Y.E., etc.) BUT what I didn't know is how much better it is than the one from my neighborhood. See in these southern versions, they had Sonic swag that I didn't even think exsisted (a Sonic bandana? That's sick! ) So, for myself (or any fan that wants to donate to the "Lil' Vypa loves Sonic and deserves more Sonic gear because of his awesome-ish music" fund, I've comprised a list of the Sonic gear I already have and the Sonic gear I am looking to attain. So, with out further ado, let's get into this!

What I Got:
- Sonic Hat
- Sonic Shirt
- Sonic Belt
- Sonic Wallet
- Sonic Hoodie
What I Want:
- Sonic Beenie
- Sonic Scarf
- Sonic Hoodie (Black)
- Sonic Dolls (2, maybe 3)
- Sonic Shirt (I want everyone under the sun)
- Sonic Poster
- Sonic Gloves


The worst part is all of those items are about a 20 min drive away but, being the college student I am, income is rather low currently. So, well see how this goes...
Hopefully, by the end of this school year, all of these items will be in my inventory.
O and sorry for the randomness of this entry. I'll put something important up soon.


Tres

Sampling: Innovative or Thievery?

With my music software coming in about a week, I've been mentally and musically prepping myself so the second the equipment gets here, I can start making new music for you all. However, one thing I have noticed is though I have never made one, my favorite types of beats are those that have an element of sampling [For all of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, Sampling is, in layman's terms, taking audio from another song, modifying it for your song and using it as instrumentation]. I don't know what it is about these types of beats but I love hearing how you can take one song and use elements to convey a different Idea. Hip-Hop was born off of these beats [Don't believe me then tell me why Rapper's Delight, one of the earliest Hip-Hop songs, sounds o so similar to Chic's "Good Times"]

However, in recent years, sampling has gone under harsh criticism. Everything from the Drake/Playboy case to the constant bombardment of Kanye West's usage of sampling (not his 'very' social life) has put this once popular musical device into a negative light. Well, because of Breakwater's work and my relation, I've always wanted to pay homage to the one's who came before me and made this possible for me, meaning I was going to eventually address this subject. Because of my longing to use their songs as samples and advance my producing skills, I'm going to play the devil's advocate and stand up for this sampling production. So let's dig into this.

Sampling is not easy or a cop-out for making a melody. I don't care which skilled producer we are talking about. I personally believe sampling is just as hard if not harder than making your own melody just because you have to...
a) hear the original song
b) identify what part you want to sample
c) Isolate it and then chop it
d) Modify the sample (everything from changing pitch, different effects, speeding or slowing the sample, etc.)
e) Make sure all the parts around it flow with the original instrumental
Worst part is, people can pick a great song, not understand the mechanics behind sampling and make either a boring loop with drums that don't match or butcher the sample and actually make a beat far worst than if the sample was never there. Let's make this clear: if you do not know how to sample, you need experience with listening a lot of different beats. If you can not pin point every layer in a song, you can't sample period. I can't tell you what it's like to go on YouTube and see a wanna be producer sample Breakwater's material and (in my opinion) fail miserably. Sampling should not be just taking a part of a song and making that the entire song but, instead, adding a new dimension to the overall project. Even if you listen to Slow Jamz, the drums production is original and the piano ornamentation is no where to be found in A House Is Not A Home. My point being, to be able to pinpoint 20-old seconds of a song, chop it, loop it, change the frequency and THEN construct a beat around said sample is a difficult task and one that should not be taken lightly. 

Sampling should not be seen as stealing but as another instrument in the overall production. For example, a producer by the name of LB3, out of Brooklyn, New York, uses samples as a bases for how the beat will be constructed. Still he begins with the drums, knowing how the sample will layer. Then he adds in other instruments to complement it. My point being, he didn't just rip a part of a song, loop it and add a clap. He legit turned the record (well the horns and back noise) into an instrument, which is the point of sampling. Matter of fact, sampling  when done properly, can pay homage and give respect to those who have come before you. I mean, think about it. People may not know The Wallace Collection but I bet they know Daydreamin'. My point being these new school artists who give recognition and property rights to those they sample end up subconsciously giving these older artists honor because they respect them enough to say "That could work for today's generation." This musical device can bridge the different musical genres from the different centuries that have preceded our own.


So, you tell me if sampling is bad cause I honestly don't see it. I see the same reason people say "Hip-Hop Is Dead" as the main contributors to why people don't appreciate the tool as much as in the past: wack producers/artists. If you use a screwdriver to hammer a nail, it'll work but not that well. Same rule applies. Producers who don't understand the mechanics behind sampling mess it up for the legit artists who really understand chord structure and how to construct layers around or through a sample. If their was any way to beat this, it would be to study how some of the greats (Kanye West, 9th Wonder, J Dilla, No I.D.) construct their samples. Studying is essential  to really understanding and really taking advantage of such a cleaver and productive tool.


Tres