Lets talk about...

... the status of the hip-hop game right now... actually, lets talk about the music industry in general... people now are debating that the music industry is dead, and this and that, but i don't think it's dead... i think it's far from dead... the music industry is SUFFERING from a business stand point... to me, music is as alive as it has ever been... there is so much GOOD music out there that we all probably have never heard yet, but it is out there... and yeah there is some garbage as well, but taking that into consideration, every year there is more and more talent on the rise...

now for a second, i want to talk about the production game... IT IS TOUGH!!!! i've been grinding this production career full time for almost 7 years now, and each year it gets harder and harder... i feel very fortunate to be at the place i am now, and also that people out there are actually catching on to my music... i am 27 years old now.. back in 2000, 2 years into college with a great internship doing Computer Networking and Cisco, i decided to pack that up, and make a sudden and drastic career change... i'd go as far as to say DILLA CHANGED MY LIFE because if it wasn't for him, i probably would've never had the inspiration to really grind and make music (you should hear my first beats... straight DILLA lol)... anyway, back to what i was saying... these 7 years went by so quickly, and i've learned so much.. made some bad choices and some good ones, but overall, i would not take it back for the world... if you really want to pursue music production as a career, just know that it is DAMN HARD! when you first start off making beats, and you feel you are ready to collaborate, the worst thing you can do is charge money.. yeah i said it... $50, $100.. that's one thing, but please by all means do not think you are going to be able to slang beats for more than that... if you do and if you can, then go for it! but you are better off getting a day job to pay the bills, and focus more on networking, doing things for free, and building up your resume... when i first started slangin' beats, i did most, if not all beats for free... i built relationships with people, and worked to build up my discography... your discography is probably the most important aspect of your production career... ANYBODY can make hot beats nowadays, but your grind and making smart moves is what sets you apart from the rest... establish a place for yourself in the market as well! and one piece of advice that i took a long time ago, and still apply to this day is to never let anybody tell you what you can and can't do... music production is a tricky business... if you want to reap the benefits of waking up in the morning to make beats all day as a realistic career, KNOW YOUR BUSINESS!... i've made some bad decisions in the past, only because my business sense and knowledge wasn't up to par... i learned a lot from the experience, and now i am wiser than ever... don't jump at the first opportunity you see, and please, DON'T hire a manager if you don't need one, or don't trust one... most of the things that managers do early on in your career, you can easily do yourself! ... so save that 15-20% income and do some research!... read ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE MUSIC INDUSTRY by Donald Passman... read books on music publishing... join ASCAP, BMI, OR SESAC... do your research early and know what you are getting into!...

and lastly, don't worry about people trying to tell you what kind of equipment to use... FRUITY LOOPS changes lives! (see: 9th Wonder)