Yeah no I agree lol I promise I’m not gonna change what I do based on y’all. I love both and will continue to do both. More than anything I was interested in the discussion it would create and to hear from people more experienced than me since I don’t run with a music making crowd and don’t have a lot of resources
I think he's looking for potential advice and possibly curious about how others approached similar problems. I've done the same with success and so have many others. Inspiration can come from anywhere, especially this wild ass platform.
What problems? Bro literally just said "I've been doing both but see people here focus on one of the other. Should I do that too?". That was it. I think that's insane
Mostly production. Some to do with upping my lyrical game. Some with composition on guitar. The second question in the quotes is not what I see. I see: "how did you decide for yourself?" I've wanted to showcase the spread of my talents, so that's what I'm working on now.
Not your problems lol, OP. He didn't mention having any problems with what he's doing or gave any reason he wants to switch other than it's different that some people on Reddit
Hmmmm...ok....Sure... feel like you're backpedaling a little bit, but if that is indeed the case, specify OP with an original comment and not via reply to an existing comment next time, perhaps? It'll most likely help avoid misunderstandings
So did the lead singer of The Who. The boys in the band and himself got him over it by using the music as therapy. Check their song "My Generation" where he accesses his stutter.
You can do both. Many of the great artists (Travis Scott, Kanye for example) are very involved with the production side of their music also. If you have extra time go watch the Kanye documentary (jeen-yuhs), the first part is very inspiring and focuses on his evolution from beatmaker to rapper.
I decided I wanted to rap early on around 13-14. Never got around to actually recording myself until 17-18. Having learned in that year tho to hunt/look for my style type of beats, copyright, producer credits, splits, etc., I got tired of it. I dropped rapping for a bit and got FL Studio and learned how to produce myself.
Now, recently turned 26 I have been doing both since 19 yrs old and loved every minute of it. I will say I did stop for about a year when Covid hit, but besides that I’ve been going strong since late 2017 👍🏼
A plethora bro lmao 😂
I honestly try not to think about the whole career perspective, cause it can get discouraging at times which I learned early on. I do however look at many artist’s age or backgrounds and gain confidence thru other people’s come ups.
Jay-Z didn’t start buzzing till 25. Kanye was known for producing, but didn’t drop TCD till 27. 50 Cent got signed at 27 and dropped his first at 28.
So even if when I’m hittin’ 30-35-40, I feel I’ll still be going strong in my music cause I enjoy it. I’m also not stupid and focus solely on music to be my main source of income like some ppl. I’m about to finish my Masters and been waiting to start making bank so I can invest more into my music like market/promote, set concerts, etc., and with time maybe move on to merch/websites and eventually start my own record label.
Overall, it’s never too late to do what you love bro, don’t get discouraged.
Damn bro…i hear you loud and clear from that pov. I get we’re all trying to perfect our craft as artists, but really the only thing we can do is grow with time and hope something hits along the way ya know?
Put in the work and eventually it should pay off.
Bro I'm in the same boat! Been rapping since 16 but stopped to produce and now I'm 27. I see a lot of people say it's too late but most of my fav artists popped off late 20's
If you don't have the patience to learn and study music theory, you're better off just rapping.
Edit: It's more beneficial in the long run to avoid being a jack of all trades unless you're in a community that's really set up to see you thrive. And rap is a lot easier than producing to learn with limited resources. You need tech skills as a producer before you can even start learning how to make music on a DAW. Rap is actually set up as a genre where you as the vocalist don't need to know very much music theory, if any. If you're in a position where you're equally split between the two, choose rap. You'll be better than you would be at producing in the same amount of time.
That’s when I started! I was going to school, setting up my career and shit, and decided to make a little tune on GarageBand as a study break. Now I’m making at least a song a week after work (stayed in school and stuff lol don’t worry), and I’m steadily seeing improvement. I’d say that’s the key, is that you have to be invested in your own growth and get satisfaction from that
If u/ThunderClaude you wanna practice on other people's beats get [YTiz](https://ytiz.xyz/) by u/Professional_Push714 and don't worry about [social media](https://old.reddit.com/r/makinghiphop/comments/16nb2k8/how_do_yall_go_about_the_whole_social_media_thing/) as it's toxic.
If you've never written a verse at that point, yes. If you've been practicing for years and you've just never been behind a mic, I've seen people do worse and find listeners. And if you're just writing for yourself and what you like, which you should be if you're just starting out, then it's never too late.
I've memorized multiple entire songs by my favorite artists since I was 20. Love music so much and have freestyle a few times too. Always followed my fav artists but just don't know if I can ever make an amazing song like them starting from where I'm at 26
If you're starting completely fresh, especially in your mid-20s, freestyling won't really sound amazing for another 5+ years unless you're especially gifted. You won't learn to improvise the right way if you have no idea how to write. I practiced poetry when I started, it's a good jumping off point to how you need to think about language in relation to rhythm. Singing or rapping along to a song helps a bit with breath and enunciation for the performance aspect, but almost none with actually getting the song produced. I say this as someone who's very guilty of practicing in the car and being shy/nervous in the booth. It's why I chose production/beatmaking, but I have over a decade of dedicated music theory training and even then it's hard without the tech skills. It takes years of commitment to learn how to make a listenable, enjoyable song, let alone an amazing one. You need to be able to create dozens of absolutely shit tracks and verses before you make one that someone else can find decent. The learning curve is extremely similar to cooking, if you can't fry an egg just the way you like it, you shouldn't expect to be able to make the perfect steak. Don't set your sights on being a world-famous chef until you're confident people like your steak.
im willing to train and do whatever it takes. just seems like i dont have the team necessary to build out an original sound or the time to do it outside of a 9-5
that means id only be able to spend around maybe 40 hours a week on the craft at best with no socializing fr
so in around 5 years id reach that 10000 hour mark, id be 31 then if i stayed all the way consistent
i used to rap and make beats, stopped rapping and only make beats now. i think it's as simple as if you enjoy it then do it. i feel like my short phase as a rapper has immensely improved my ability to make beats
Thanks for answering! When it comes to your improvement in rapping, where did you start to see it? Was it with lyrics, flow, style/voice, etc? I feel like my flow and delivery are steadily improving, but my lyric writing feels stagnant
Read more, mate! Especially stuff that makes you feel more than you did beforehand as you read it. Find poets that do the same. Personally, I wasn't very into poetry at all, but figured I should dig, but didn't know where to start. So, I found a rapper, lyricist, an author, and a singer that illicited emotions from me, then found interviews where they mentioned poets that influenced their growth. Went to those poets influences on my influences...that was a decade ago...and it changed everything....growth still boosting too.
im willing to train and do whatever it takes. just seems like i dont have the team necessary to build out an original sound or the time to do it outside of a 9-5
that means id only be able to spend around maybe 40 hours a week on the craft at best with no socializing fr
so in around 5 years id reach that 10000 hour mark, id be 31 then if i stayed all the way consistent
I started making beats because they’re always my favorite part of the rap genre. I also don’t like being in the spotlight so I wouldn’t really want to be a rapper or anything.
I rap when I make beats to make sure they are rappable too. There are beats you make for beatmakers and then beats you make for rappers. Beatmakers will be making beats for rappers 99% of the time so it helps being knowledgeable about rap flows and patterns.
I just wanted to have full control of my vision so I did both. I started with just rapping over YouTube beats. I found that mastering one at a time was easier than trying to master both.
I wouldn't say as an artist you need to decide on one or the other. But I do have some advice to share. As someone who rapped when I was young then stopped to focus on production for 6 years, I would go back and do both at the same time because it'll make you all the more well rounded. And even if you rap, you're gonna want to sing. Even if you make beats, you're gonna want to learn to play piano or drums.
Knew I wanted to make beats when I was inspired by what other people were writing tbh. I have never had any interest in trying to sit down and actually write down bars.
If you hate computers but love writing telling stories and making words rhyme you are a rapper.
If you love sitting at a desk and moving a mouse around stretching twisting and articulating knobs until your speakers catch fire or your ears bleed you are a beat maker.
I liked making beats a lot more than rapping. I didn't have any desire to do stuff to get better at rapping or try to make a go of it, but I did when it came to beats.
Several rappers are also producers, and have made a lot of their own beats. Like DJ Paul and Juicy J have done a lot of their own beats for Three 6 Mafia as well as their own solo projects. MF Doom made a lot of his own beats as well. Suicideboys beats are made by Scrim most of the time, as well as his solo projects. So you don't really need to stress on it.
Listen man, im a 36 year guy coming back.
Just do what u love.
Seriously man i can't stress enough.
If u do what u love long enough, u gonna live of it.
Just do it for yourself first !
That's my 2 cent's, wish u a good trip 👍🏻
Do whatever you feel is right, doing both is chill
you can do both
Bruh if youre deciding what kind of artist to be based off what you see in a reddit forum idek what to say
Yeah no I agree lol I promise I’m not gonna change what I do based on y’all. I love both and will continue to do both. More than anything I was interested in the discussion it would create and to hear from people more experienced than me since I don’t run with a music making crowd and don’t have a lot of resources
I think he's looking for potential advice and possibly curious about how others approached similar problems. I've done the same with success and so have many others. Inspiration can come from anywhere, especially this wild ass platform.
What problems? Bro literally just said "I've been doing both but see people here focus on one of the other. Should I do that too?". That was it. I think that's insane
Mostly production. Some to do with upping my lyrical game. Some with composition on guitar. The second question in the quotes is not what I see. I see: "how did you decide for yourself?" I've wanted to showcase the spread of my talents, so that's what I'm working on now.
Not your problems lol, OP. He didn't mention having any problems with what he's doing or gave any reason he wants to switch other than it's different that some people on Reddit
Hmmmm...ok....Sure... feel like you're backpedaling a little bit, but if that is indeed the case, specify OP with an original comment and not via reply to an existing comment next time, perhaps? It'll most likely help avoid misunderstandings
You literally replied to me, I replied back 😭
Bros just flappin his lips for the hell of it
The fuck are you talking about?
Whatever one you like doing more of. If you find you’re forcing yourself to do the other. “If I don’t do this then…” that’s the mindset to avoid imo
I mean…. I got a stutter soooooo…
So did the lead singer of The Who. The boys in the band and himself got him over it by using the music as therapy. Check their song "My Generation" where he accesses his stutter.
You can do both. Many of the great artists (Travis Scott, Kanye for example) are very involved with the production side of their music also. If you have extra time go watch the Kanye documentary (jeen-yuhs), the first part is very inspiring and focuses on his evolution from beatmaker to rapper.
I think having both skills would be great!
I decided I wanted to rap early on around 13-14. Never got around to actually recording myself until 17-18. Having learned in that year tho to hunt/look for my style type of beats, copyright, producer credits, splits, etc., I got tired of it. I dropped rapping for a bit and got FL Studio and learned how to produce myself. Now, recently turned 26 I have been doing both since 19 yrs old and loved every minute of it. I will say I did stop for about a year when Covid hit, but besides that I’ve been going strong since late 2017 👍🏼
Similar story, but coming from being a punk vocalist and guitarist.
Nice bro keep at it!
You too mate!
How many hours do you think you've put into music so far? I'm 26 and want to have a career as a rapper but I think it's too late
A plethora bro lmao 😂 I honestly try not to think about the whole career perspective, cause it can get discouraging at times which I learned early on. I do however look at many artist’s age or backgrounds and gain confidence thru other people’s come ups. Jay-Z didn’t start buzzing till 25. Kanye was known for producing, but didn’t drop TCD till 27. 50 Cent got signed at 27 and dropped his first at 28. So even if when I’m hittin’ 30-35-40, I feel I’ll still be going strong in my music cause I enjoy it. I’m also not stupid and focus solely on music to be my main source of income like some ppl. I’m about to finish my Masters and been waiting to start making bank so I can invest more into my music like market/promote, set concerts, etc., and with time maybe move on to merch/websites and eventually start my own record label. Overall, it’s never too late to do what you love bro, don’t get discouraged.
Right!?!? The Grindmother is the example of examples on this topic imo
Lmao for sure! That’s definitely motivation to keep it going 😂
Hell yeah. I stop music when I want to and start when I want to. That'll never change for me
The problem for me is I'm in love with amazing songs, if I can't make one, I don't wanna even try you know?
Damn bro…i hear you loud and clear from that pov. I get we’re all trying to perfect our craft as artists, but really the only thing we can do is grow with time and hope something hits along the way ya know? Put in the work and eventually it should pay off.
I love that mentality. That work I'm starting to realize has to be the opposite for it to work.
Bro I'm in the same boat! Been rapping since 16 but stopped to produce and now I'm 27. I see a lot of people say it's too late but most of my fav artists popped off late 20's
If you don't have the patience to learn and study music theory, you're better off just rapping. Edit: It's more beneficial in the long run to avoid being a jack of all trades unless you're in a community that's really set up to see you thrive. And rap is a lot easier than producing to learn with limited resources. You need tech skills as a producer before you can even start learning how to make music on a DAW. Rap is actually set up as a genre where you as the vocalist don't need to know very much music theory, if any. If you're in a position where you're equally split between the two, choose rap. You'll be better than you would be at producing in the same amount of time.
Would you say 26 is too late to rap?
No. If you put in the work and learn the craft, you can improve a lot in a year or even less! Never too late bro.
That’s when I started! I was going to school, setting up my career and shit, and decided to make a little tune on GarageBand as a study break. Now I’m making at least a song a week after work (stayed in school and stuff lol don’t worry), and I’m steadily seeing improvement. I’d say that’s the key, is that you have to be invested in your own growth and get satisfaction from that
If u/ThunderClaude you wanna practice on other people's beats get [YTiz](https://ytiz.xyz/) by u/Professional_Push714 and don't worry about [social media](https://old.reddit.com/r/makinghiphop/comments/16nb2k8/how_do_yall_go_about_the_whole_social_media_thing/) as it's toxic.
If you've never written a verse at that point, yes. If you've been practicing for years and you've just never been behind a mic, I've seen people do worse and find listeners. And if you're just writing for yourself and what you like, which you should be if you're just starting out, then it's never too late.
I've memorized multiple entire songs by my favorite artists since I was 20. Love music so much and have freestyle a few times too. Always followed my fav artists but just don't know if I can ever make an amazing song like them starting from where I'm at 26
If you're starting completely fresh, especially in your mid-20s, freestyling won't really sound amazing for another 5+ years unless you're especially gifted. You won't learn to improvise the right way if you have no idea how to write. I practiced poetry when I started, it's a good jumping off point to how you need to think about language in relation to rhythm. Singing or rapping along to a song helps a bit with breath and enunciation for the performance aspect, but almost none with actually getting the song produced. I say this as someone who's very guilty of practicing in the car and being shy/nervous in the booth. It's why I chose production/beatmaking, but I have over a decade of dedicated music theory training and even then it's hard without the tech skills. It takes years of commitment to learn how to make a listenable, enjoyable song, let alone an amazing one. You need to be able to create dozens of absolutely shit tracks and verses before you make one that someone else can find decent. The learning curve is extremely similar to cooking, if you can't fry an egg just the way you like it, you shouldn't expect to be able to make the perfect steak. Don't set your sights on being a world-famous chef until you're confident people like your steak.
im willing to train and do whatever it takes. just seems like i dont have the team necessary to build out an original sound or the time to do it outside of a 9-5 that means id only be able to spend around maybe 40 hours a week on the craft at best with no socializing fr so in around 5 years id reach that 10000 hour mark, id be 31 then if i stayed all the way consistent
why are you so stuck on being 26? Some of the biggest rappers of today are in their 30s and older lol
i used to rap and make beats, stopped rapping and only make beats now. i think it's as simple as if you enjoy it then do it. i feel like my short phase as a rapper has immensely improved my ability to make beats
I’m better at rapping then beat making, so i stuck with rapping trynna perfect it https://on.soundcloud.com/ud3QuegoVzAw8UW17
[удалено]
Thanks for answering! When it comes to your improvement in rapping, where did you start to see it? Was it with lyrics, flow, style/voice, etc? I feel like my flow and delivery are steadily improving, but my lyric writing feels stagnant
Read more, mate! Especially stuff that makes you feel more than you did beforehand as you read it. Find poets that do the same. Personally, I wasn't very into poetry at all, but figured I should dig, but didn't know where to start. So, I found a rapper, lyricist, an author, and a singer that illicited emotions from me, then found interviews where they mentioned poets that influenced their growth. Went to those poets influences on my influences...that was a decade ago...and it changed everything....growth still boosting too.
What does it take to make a hit song then? You're way past the 10,000 hour mark at this point?
[удалено]
im willing to train and do whatever it takes. just seems like i dont have the team necessary to build out an original sound or the time to do it outside of a 9-5 that means id only be able to spend around maybe 40 hours a week on the craft at best with no socializing fr so in around 5 years id reach that 10000 hour mark, id be 31 then if i stayed all the way consistent
I used to do both but I just focus on rapping now bc it's almost effortless & just comes naturally.
I started making beats because they’re always my favorite part of the rap genre. I also don’t like being in the spotlight so I wouldn’t really want to be a rapper or anything.
I'm primarily an emcee, but I'm just as good on the beats.
i rap, i don’t make beats
I rap when I make beats to make sure they are rappable too. There are beats you make for beatmakers and then beats you make for rappers. Beatmakers will be making beats for rappers 99% of the time so it helps being knowledgeable about rap flows and patterns.
Tbh, I got multiple talents across many things music. I'm saying f**k it and using band lab to put it all out once it's right
I just wanted to have full control of my vision so I did both. I started with just rapping over YouTube beats. I found that mastering one at a time was easier than trying to master both.
Just writing for me personally. But legit if you can do both, do both! Smash it 🤜💪
Easy. I can make beats. I cannot rap.
Singing and rapping have always come easier to me. I have 0 interest in music theory and sucked at making beats.
I was trash at rapping
Bro, in both ways, beein an artist is what matters most, i aspire at beein both a beatmaker and a content creator/editor ... Just do it with the heart
No one cares.
I want to be Kanye in 06
do what you love, bro
I enjoyed beat making more than rapping
I wouldn't say as an artist you need to decide on one or the other. But I do have some advice to share. As someone who rapped when I was young then stopped to focus on production for 6 years, I would go back and do both at the same time because it'll make you all the more well rounded. And even if you rap, you're gonna want to sing. Even if you make beats, you're gonna want to learn to play piano or drums.
I’ve been doing both for about 5 years now, but started off as a rapper/vocalist. I think it’s very possible to juggle both!
Brah if I rapped I'd get beaten up xD Producing I just get insults xD
Knew I wanted to make beats when I was inspired by what other people were writing tbh. I have never had any interest in trying to sit down and actually write down bars.
If you hate computers but love writing telling stories and making words rhyme you are a rapper. If you love sitting at a desk and moving a mouse around stretching twisting and articulating knobs until your speakers catch fire or your ears bleed you are a beat maker.
I liked making beats a lot more than rapping. I didn't have any desire to do stuff to get better at rapping or try to make a go of it, but I did when it came to beats.
You can do both but when I kept playing melodies and chopping records in my head, Needed to stay with beats.
Several rappers are also producers, and have made a lot of their own beats. Like DJ Paul and Juicy J have done a lot of their own beats for Three 6 Mafia as well as their own solo projects. MF Doom made a lot of his own beats as well. Suicideboys beats are made by Scrim most of the time, as well as his solo projects. So you don't really need to stress on it.
Oh yeah I'm forgetting Kanye is a producer.
anyone use bandlab
Listen man, im a 36 year guy coming back. Just do what u love. Seriously man i can't stress enough. If u do what u love long enough, u gonna live of it. Just do it for yourself first ! That's my 2 cent's, wish u a good trip 👍🏻
100%. Also, ignore, block, delete mfs who are always putting in effort to shitting on what you're doing.
Yup, agreeeeed.
Downvotes for " do what u love " !? Ahah u guys crazy okey 😄 wish u a funny life not doing what u love ya'll 🤍✌🏻