Beat Maker artists The Black Eyed Peas are being sued by two different songwriters who separately claim that their work was stolen by the group. In the first case, Bryan Pringle alleges that will.i.am lifted Pringle’s demo song, “Take A Dive” which Pringle says that he sent to three different music production companies, including Interscope, over a period of a several years. Pringle claims that will.i.am’s song “I Gotta Feeling” is substantially similar to Pringle’s demonstration piece.

Troubles Don’t Stop There For Peas

In a separate suit, rap music artist Phoenix Phenom says the Peas illegally copied her song “Boom Dynamite” and turned it into the hit “Boom Boom Pow.” Phoenix Phenom says that they were approached by Interscope and provided the company with a copy of Boom Dynamite. Phoenix Phenom claims that the song was remade by the Black Eyed Peas.

Once again, the inherent danger of the music business rises! For new artists, one big danger – especially in rap music – is the use of samples. In these cases, the artists are not claiming that their finished work was illegally sampled, but instead that their work was substantially reproduced by another artist.

Regardless of the mechanism, the outcome is often the same: a lengthy legal battle. To avoid being caught in this trap, it’s important to use royalty-free samples, or to get the written permission of the original artist or right-holder before using music. Today, this is normally accomplished with a “split” agreement, where an artist agrees to share song royalties with the original artists.

On one hand, splits accomplish the goal of music licensing, and in the end probably prove to be more cost effective than paying for a legal defense, but the royalty return for artists on their music is usually pretty low in the first place. It’s always best to avoid splits. Using royalty-free samples is one way to do this.

Sonic Producer comes complete with thousands of royalty-free samples as part of the initial installation. You get access to samples that can help you create a unique sound without having to worry about future splits or releasing unlicensed music. In addition, Sonic Producer allows you to create professional-sounding recordings that you can sell, distribute or use in your own musical production. It’s the ideal solution for avoiding copyright infringement lawsuits once a song has already been released.

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Rap beat artist Kid Cudi says he’s done with rap music and wants to spend more time singing. He has reportedly formed a band and will experiment with rock music, even as his new rap music album, Man On The Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager is scheduled to hit the streets November 9.

“Just Over Rapping”, Wants To Experiment with Singing

Kid Cudi, whose real name is Scott Mescudi, says he’s no longer motivated by rapping and is more interested in pursuing his instrumental music. Kid Cudi says he’s teaching himself guitar and already has a rock band lined up for studio work. Kid Cudi signed with Kanye West’s label, GOOD Music in 2008 and helped write “Heartless”, which was performed by Kanye West and reached the number 2 spot on Billboard’s Top 100 chart.

As a solo artist, Kid Cudi reached the Billboard Top Five with his single Day ‘n’ Nite. The new album features “Erase Me” which was released this summer and reached the #22 spot on the Billboard Top 100. Kid Cudi also appears in the HBO series “How To Make It In America” and has his own line of clothing.

Kid Cudi was first picked up by Kanye West in 2008, after creating a mixtape entitled A Kid Named Cudi. The mixtape was released with 10.Deep streetwear and was made available for free download. According to Kid Cudi, his musical career began in 2003, just five years before he was signed to the GOOD Music label. He has also appeared on the Dream On and Universal Motown labels.

Is Kid Cudi’s switchover for real? It’s hard to say, but Kid Cudi’s rap music career has definitely opened the door to other opportunities for the performer. Rap music is a good starting point for emerging artists because it’s still possible to get into the business and make a name with self-produced music. Self-produced music is probably more acceptable in rap than in any other musical genre, and creates a great opportunity for artists to make a personal brand.

A great tool to use for self-produced music is Sonic Producer. Sonic Producer enables you to make professional-sounding rap and hip-hop music beats using royalty-free samples that are included with the product.

It’s not clear when he will make his rock music debut, or which label will carry his work. Currently he’s working with producer Dot Da Genius and Chip Tha Ripper on his new rock music material.

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Eric van Tourneau, the music director for Cirque du Soleil is working with Legacy Records to produce a hip hop remix of songs originally recorded by Elvis Presley. The remixed album will also contain punk genre versions of some of The King’s music.

Reaching Out To Hip Hop Music Fans

Legacy Records Vice President Tom Cording says he’s prepared for complaints from Elvis purists who may not appreciate the newly remixed songs, but says that the remix is a way to bring Elvis’ music to a younger generation of music fans who would otherwise not hear Presley’s music. One single from the album, “Suspicious Minds” has already been released. The new album, entitled Viva Elvis: The Album, will be available November 9.

Renewing older music is a great way to reach out to young music fans who wouldn’t otherwise hear songs. Sonic Producer provides the tools you need to create your own music, remix older tunes and create whole new sounds. One great thing about Sonic Producer is that it provides hundreds of royalty free samples you can use to make your own sound.

Sampling or re-recording someone else’s music is a great way for a new artist to get in trouble. Music is copyrighted and without the permission of the music’s owner, you can quickly find yourself in financial trouble. Sonic Producer’s samples are included with the product, and they’re entirely royalty-free. Anything you create is yours to do with whatever you choose. Export your music to MP3 and share it with your friends, make it available on the Internet, or use it during live performances.

You can also use it as a basis for promoting your own music. Set up a Web site where you can promote your music and make songs, mixtapes and even entire albums. Sonic Producer is one way for you to create the music you want to make.

Don’t know much about producing music? No problem. Sonic Producer can show you how to put together the rap beats people want to hear. Learn how to make a professional-sounding mix in no time. Within hours, you’ll be able to create your own music. Sonic Producer is available for both the Mac and Windows platforms, so you don’t even have to buy any special equipment. Download the software, install it on your computer and get your music career in high gear. There are lots of opportunities to bring your music to the world. Let Sonic Producer help!

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C. KhiD, an emerging hip hop music artist, has announced that his new album “New Hip Hop Songs” will be available for free download starting October 25. C. KhiD works with producers Johnny Juliano, Bravestarr Beats, and LOSBeats.com on this new collection of hip hop music.

Free Hip Hop Music Is A Way To Build A Fan Base

C. KhiD says his songs appeal to the “under-30″ crowd, and says that he and a handful of hip hop music artists are changing the way hip hop music appeals to fans. Producers Johnny Juliano and Bravestarr Beats have recently created rap beats for hip hop music artists such as Wiz Khalifa, Travis Porter, and Nipsey Hussle.

Fans who want to download the music, or want to hear C. KhiD for the first time can visit C. KhiD’s Web site (ckhid.com) beginning Monday, October 25 to get the new tracks. C. KhiD’s producers say they expect to see 100,000 downloads in the first month. C. KhiD has already been building a quiet following on YouTube and on his own site. His YouTube hits have exceeded four million and his site boasts more than 100,000 hits each month. In addition, ringtones featuring C. KhiD’s music have been downloaded more than 350,000 times.

C KhiD’s approach underscores the importance of being yourself when it comes to producing and promoting your music. “I’ve had a lot of success on-line because people like who I am authentically. I love entertaining, I love music, and I love having fun. Will Smith, Heavy D, and Teddy Riley might have been the last successful people to do what I do and be successful,” says C. KhiD.

Online distribution is just one way in which independent hip hop music artists can promote their work. C. KhiD is also looking for support from local DJs and party promoters to help spread his music to new fans.

Independent artists can be successful when it comes to music self-production and self-promotion. One key in producing great rap beats is to have the right tools on hand for the job. One great tool to have is Sonic Producer. Sonic Producer is a software program that can not only help you put together rap beats, but also can show you how to put together the music that people want to hear. Check out Sonic Producer and see how it can help you get your music career started.

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Rap music artist T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris, lent a hand to Atlanta police by successfully talking a suicidal man down from the top of a building. Harris, who is from Atlanta, was giving a radio interview when he heard about the suicidal man. Since the man’s location was nearby, T.I. drove to the site and offered his help. The man agreed to come down from the building after spending a few minutes talking with the rapper.

Rap Music Can Speak In Other Ways

The episode illustrates how powerful rap music and rap artists can be. One reason rap music is so influential is because it resonates with the fans. The artists also have their own resonance; they’re ordinary human beings, too. T.I. spent a year in federal prison on weapons charges, and was on supervised release when he and his wife, “Tiny” Harris were arrested on drug charges. The judge in T.I.’s case wasn’t moved by the rapper’s admission that an unaddressed drug addiction caused him to violate his probation, and the rapper was sentenced to an additional 11 months in prison.

Rap music artists are more than gangsters, however. T.I.’s suicide intervention and his charitable works show another side of the rap culture, which fans understand and appreciate. Rap music is more than just a genre; it’s part of a larger culture and a larger community.

Getting into the community isn’t as hard as you might think. Many artists have entered the rap music scene on a shoestring budget. Having music and the ability to make meaningful music is just the first step. Making the club scene and getting promoted by local DJs is another important part. That enables you to build a loyal – if local – fanbase.

Self-producing your own music isn’t hard. Start with a great product like Sonic Producer and you’re halfway there. Sonic Producer won’t help you with your lyrics, but it can teach you how to make beats and provides thousands of royalty-free music samples to choose from. You can mix your own beats and start making your own mixtapes.

Export your music to MP3 format and share it with your friends and with the people you meet. Sonic Producer is great because it helps you produce music anytime. You don’t need studio time or special equipment. Sonic Producer works on any computer and is available for both the Mac and PC platforms. If you want to be part of the rap scene, get your music together with Sonic Producer!

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Hip hop artist Huddy Combs, born Andre Hudson, was killed in a car accident in New York on October 13. Combs was also known as Huddy 6, and worked on the breakthrough 1997 Harlem World rap album created by rap artist Mase.

The album contained several tracks by Puffy Combs, and featured other prominent rap artists including Busta Rhymes, Lil’ Kim, DMX, Jay-Z, and Billy Lawrence. Harlem World hit the number 1 spots on the Billboard 200 chart and the US and Canadian top rap album charts. Huddy was also featured on a 2003 mixtape by Ray Benzino called Die Another Day: Flawless Victory 2003.

In 1999, Mase put together a rap group named Harlem World, which included Huddy and released one album, The Movement. The Movement featured artists such as Carl Thomas, Nas, Kelly Price, Mase, Drag-On, Rashad, Jermaine Dupri, and the Harlem Boys Choir. Snoop Dogg recorded a single from the album called Cali Chronic. The Harlem World group broke up shortly thereafter.

Hudson was driving a 2000 Mercury Marquis on the upper level of the westbound George Washington Bridge when it collided with a tractor-trailer at about 5:15 AM. Hudson was pronounced dead at the scene. A passenger in the car was taken to the hospital and treated for what was described as non-life threatening injuries. The cause of the accident is not known.

Hudson was influential in the Harlem rap and hip-hop music scenes, and worked until his death as a party promoter in the New York City area. He was well known among local DJs and emerging rap music artists and worked to promote both new and established rap music artists in New York City.

He was also a good friend of rapper Cameron (Cam’ron) Giles, who credited Hudson with saving his life when Cam’ron was shot in Washington, D.C., in 2005. Cam’ron and Hudson were in town to promote “What The Game’s Been Missing,” the second rap album by Juelz Santana. Cam’ron and Hudson wanted to join a party hosted by Sean “Diddy” Combs at Washington’s H2O nightclub, but were denied entry into the establishment because several of the members of Cam’ron’s party did not meet the nightclub’s dress code.

After leaving the club, the rapper was confronted and attacked by a shooter who escaped. Cam’ron suffered two non-life threatening gunshot wounds to his arms. The shooting remains unsolved.

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In my last post, I discussed an article that appeared in Digital Music News earlier this week, which claims that rap music artists are better (read: more profitable) at the business end of music than musicians in other genres are. I discussed DMN’s first four reasons. Today, we’ll cover the last four reasons.

Rap Music Is More Than Just Gangsta Rap

Greed. DMN doesn’t come off saying that rap music artists are greedy. Instead, what they say is that materialism is built-in to the entertainment industry and rap musicians have figured out how to make the most of what they’ve got going. Rappers like Jay-Z epitomize the kind of “greed” that DMN is talking about. By marketing more than their music, rappers open up opportunities for themselves to expand their brands and make more money. Jay-Z, who currently earns more than any other rapper, does so by promoting a combination of interests: rap music, night clubs, entertainment, other rappers, clothing and more. By spreading out the brand image, rappers can make more money simply because they’ve got more cookie jars to get their hands into.

Building Culture. Rap and hip-hop musicians travel in the same circles. Having a rapper appear on another rapper’s album is part of the culture. Including samples from other songs – well-known and obscure alike – is part of what makes rap and hip-hop music unique. In addition, rappers refer to other rappers’ works, use each other’s language and have an ongoing conversation that the fans all understand. It allows the listeners to be part of the conversation and to understand what one artist means when s/he refers to another artist’s work.

Powerful, recurring themes. According to DMN, rap music focuses on some powerful, long-running themes, like poverty, violence, wealth, and sex. These themes are common not only to the rappers, but to the fans, who can relate closely with what the rapper is expressing. By giving fans something they can relate to, rappers encourage them to be loyal listeners, and also provide a way for fans to explore these themes in their own lives.

Last but not least, fans are engaged. By keeping fans involved in the evolution of the music, by feeding their desire to hear more of their favorite artists, by showing them their favorite rappers in movies, television programs and other entertainment outlets, and by releasing significantly more material (mostly free), rap musicians prosper even during today’s deep recession.

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Digital Music News published an article this week that explains why it believes rap music artists make better businessmen when it comes to the music industry. The article examines eight ways in which rap music artists support the industry unlike their non-rap artist counterparts.

Music Production Is One Of The Keys

Collaborate. Collaborations are king in the rap music world, and according to the research, collaborations sell better and are more interesting to the listening audience than tracks (and albums) that feature a single artist. By combining artists, DMN argues that producers can “share” fans and get more reliable and effective exposure for up-and-coming acts.

DJs count. According to DMN, DJs are critical to exposing a new artist to the listening audience. They also create a market for rap and hip-hop music by creating mixtapes that are distributed at no cost to the listener. While some may mistake the mixtape as an outlet for material that’s not good enough to be put on an album, the mixtape freebies actually create an ongoing music feed to the audience and increase demand for the artists’ music.

More work means more music. In the past musicians would work intensely for a relatively short period of time to create enough usable tracks for an album. Today’s top musicians (in more genres than just rap) work all the time. Lil Wayne and Lady Gaga are notable examples of musicians who record daily. Not every track is worth putting on an album; in fact, only a few tracks make it to the album stage, but the artist creates a new product every day. This generates a lot of material that would otherwise not be created, or would be thrown away. Today’s artists give away a lot of their music. For example, Lil Wayne has given away more music than most traditional musicians make in their entire careers. The benefits? Audiences have become very familiar with Lil Wayne and reward him by buying his albums when he does produce one. Another benefit? Lil Wayne can release albums at will. He has enough material available to put out a collection whenever the timing is right.

Rappers Find A Lot of Local Support Because rap musicians regularly pay tribute to where they came from, they get a lot of support from fans in those areas. By building a base of support – which includes regular mentions of the places they’re familiar with – rappers can count on receptive audiences for music sales and tours.

In my next post, I’ll look at the other four reasons DMN says that rap musicians are better at the business aspects of music than artists who work in other genres.
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Hip hop beats artist Mos Def has made it official. He’ll join Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music label and collaborate with West, Swizz Beatz, and Raekwon on West’s Lord, Lord, Lord from his Friday album. Previously, Mos Def had recorded on an indie label, Downtown Records, which produced his last album, The Ecstatic, in 2009.

Mos Def Has An Established Fan Base

This isn’t the first time that West and Mos Def have worked together. Mos Def appeared on West’s “Two Words” a track on the 2005 album College Dropout and again on “Drunk and Hot Girls” from West’s 2007 Graduation album. Mos Def has worked primarily as a solo artist, although his first album, Black Star, featured himself and Talib Kweli. His albums have each been released by a different record label, and one – True Magic – received no promotion at all, either by the record label (Geffen Records) or by the artist himself. He has appeared in several other albums and collaborations with other artists and he’s recently developed his own clothing line.

It remains to be seen whether Mos Def will become more productive or mainstream on the G.O.O.D. Music label. Despite his limited album releases and movement from label to label, the hip-hop artist has had an undeniable influence on hip hop music. Working with West and his growing collection of rap and hip-hop artists may finally allow Mos Def to achieve what many see as his true potential.

In the mean time, the hip-hop music world waits for another bright star. Many new artists are entering the business on their own, thanks to the availability of music self production tools. Even as little as ten years ago, self-production was relatively unheard of in music circles, because self production is only half the picture. Promotion is what sells records, and weak self-production tools and poor self-promotion channels meant that new, independent artists had little chance of being heard.
Today, all of that has changed. Self-produced music is much more common, and tools like Sonic Producer make self-production easier than ever. Self promotion is available through the Internet, social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace, and sales channels like iTunes. In terms of music, there has never been a better time to be a self-producer than right now.
Sonic Producer is available for download on both the PC and Macintosh platforms. Download your copy today and see how easy self-producing your own music can be!

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