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!

Photo Credit: Crickontour, via Flickr

If anyone still thinks that rap beat music is a fad that will pass, they’re in for a surprise. Rap music, which has its roots in African-American culture, is spreading with quiet determination around the world. The musical style has broad appeal in places one doesn’t immediately think of as “rap-friendly.”

Rap In China And The Middle East

Breakthrough rap artist MC Jin originally made a name for himself on BET’s “106 & Park” by winning seven consecutive “Freestyle Friday” rap competitions. He even had some success with a US record deal, but the rapper tackled an even larger challenge when he moved to Hong Kong in 2008. Though he had a loyal following of fans in Hong Kong who loved his English lyrics, many of them didn’t understand them since they don’t speak the language.

No problem for MC Jin, who has re-invented himself by rapping in Cantonese, no easy feat for someone born in Miami. Cantonese is a less common Chinese dialect and relies on sound and inflection to transmit meaning. A single word can have 6-9 meanings, depending upon how the word is said. One of the elements of his raps that is still missing in his Cantonese work is the clever use of words that MC Jin is known for in his English-language raps. He says that simply mastering Cantonese is hard and he hasn’t quite gotten to “clever” yet. MC Jin still releases some materials in English and combines English and Cantonese in others.

Rap music is also making waves among Southeast Asian Muslims who are attracted to “classic” American rap styles. The messages aren’t inspired by Islam nor are they political, but focus on the same social ills that American rap music has become associated with.

The pervasiveness of rap music and its appeal to other cultures is a testament to the music form’s universality. Regardless of your culture or language, rap music is a way to get your message out, and rap music can be a conduit among people from a variety of backgrounds. If you’ve got a desire to get your message out, try producing your own rap beats with Sonic Producer. Sonic Producer delivers thousands of royalty-free samples that you can use to create your own mixtapes and music. Export your tracks to MP3 format and share them with friends, fans and the rest of the world. Download your copy today and start making your own rap beats!

Photo Credit: Swedish Pavillion at Shanghai Expo 2010, via Flickr

Bun B, one half of the beat maker group Underground Kings – UGK – has released what will be the final solo album by UGK’s other half – Pimp C. The Naked Soul of Sweet Jones will be on store shelves October 5, nearly three years after Pimp C died of an accidental overdose. . The first single, “What Up” features the late rapper with Drake, and was produced by Boi-1da.

Album’s Recordings Were Made After Prison Release

Chad Butler, known as Pimp C, spent three years in prison following a conviction for aggravated assault and probation violations. He was released in late 2005 and spent time compiling recordings for the UGK’s 2006 album release, Pimpalation. Pimpalation was certified gold and reached the number one spot on both the Billboard US R&B and Rap music charts. It also reached the number three spot on the US Billboard 200 chart. Pimp C was also featured in two other singles in 2006, Love Song by Missez and D-Girl by Brooke Valentine.

What Up isn’t the first time Bun B and Drake have worked together. Bun B’s current album, Trill O.G., features a Drake collaboration entitled “Put It Down.”

Rap music collaborations are hot today; rarely does an artist release an album that doesn’t feature at least one, and several of the top albums feature a majority of collaborative tracks. With the right recording and post-production tools, you can create your own collaborations with friends, colleagues or other artists you’ve never even met!

Sonic Producer is an excellent, full-featured software package that enables you to create your own mixes, collaborate with other artists and produce professional-sounding tracks for nothing more than the cost of the software and the time it takes to create your music.

Sonic Producer offers royalty-free samples that you’re free to use in any way. Once the track is finished, the sound is yours to keep. No splits or other payments that could reduce your cut or prevent your music from being heard, played or sold.

Sonic Producer is available for both the PC and Macintosh platforms, so you’ll be able to get started on your music production right away, without the need for special equipment or additional software. Once your music is finished, export your work to MP3 and keep it, share it, play it or sell it! Download your copy of Sonic Producer today and get started on your music career!

Photo Credit: Dominick Brady, via Flickr

Hip-hop music artist Wyclef Jean was on the losing end of a ruling by Haiti’s provisional election commission last week, meaning that the Haitian-born performer won’t be on that country’s presidential ballot after all. Jean was barred from running for office due to the country’s residency requirements, which state that candidates must be residents of the country for five years preceding the election.

Hip Hop Music Name Not Enough

Jean was born in Haiti but his family moved to the United States when the 40-year old singer was just nine. He has spent most of his time in the United States, though he travels to Haiti frequently and operates a charitable foundation designed to fund public works projects in the country.

Jean began his career as part of the hip-hop group The Fugees,in the late 1990′s and established a solo career in 2000. He has several recent collaborations with other artists including T.I., will.i.am, Niia, Akon, L’Il Wayne, Eva, L’il Kim, Cyndi Lauper and Timbaland.

Although his presidential bid was cut short, there’s no doubt that Jean would have been one of the most visible candidates in the Haitian election. Before the election commission’s ruling was handed down, Jean talked about his ability to reach out to young Haitians to inspire them to make a better future for themselves and Haiti. Analysts were divided on whether Jean could have made a difference if elected, since he doesn’t speak French or Creole, the two languages most often spoken in Haiti.

Jean would not be the first hip-hop music artist to use his musical roots to start a new career, though most “graduates” opt for careers in related industries like entertainment; music promotion for other up-and-coming artists; and celebrity endorsements. Jean’s political ambitions aren’t expected to put a damper on his career. He still plans to release a self-titled album, wyclefjean, sometime in 2010. That album’s first single is entitled Hold On, featuring Mavado.

If you’re interested in starting your own career in hip-hop music, your options have never been better. You can get into the scene quickly with a little help from Sonic Producer. Sonic Producer is a software application that will help you make your own beats, using the thousands of royalty-free samples that are included with the program. In addition, you’ll get valuable tutorials that show you how to create the beats that today’s hip-hop music lovers want to hear. Download your copy of Sonic Producer today!

Photo Credit: Todd Huffman, via Flickr

Eminem is no stranger to controversy. In fact, he often seeks it – and the resulting publicity – to help promote his music. His latest foray in to “things that make you go hmmmm…” is the rap beat video for “Love The Way You Lie”, a single with Rihanna from Eminem’s latest album, Recovery.

Rap Music Video Features Domestic Violence

“Love The Way You Lie” is a long-running look at a violent relationship, and the interplay between people who abuse each other while at the same time professing their love and promising never to hurt each other. The subject of the song isn’t so controversial; people engage in violent love relationships all the time. What’s controversial about the video is that the video depicts a fight between the artists, followed by a passionate kiss. Reconciliation is implied in the video, and domestic violence advocates say that the video sends the wrong message to viewers and glamorizes violence in the context of a love relationship.

Rihanna has just seemingly closed a domestic-violence tinged chapter in her life with music artist Chris Brown, which adds a certain irony to the video. Despite the fact that violence is a relatively common occurrence in domestic relationships, the controversy seems to be suiting Eminem well. Recovery is at the top of the rap music charts again this week for the eighth straight week.

The video also underscores the ease with which music can send a message. Rap music is especially good at this because it relies much more heavily on lyrics and less on music than other genres. Its reliance on lyrics also means that anyone with a good rap sense can catch a break relatively easily.

New tools are available on the market to help artists self-produce professional sounding songs. Sonic Producer, for example, is available for both the Macintosh and PC platforms and contains thousands of royalty-free samples. The resulting products are professional sounding and ready for export to MP3. Self-producers can share their music, use it as background for live performances and even sell their own music on iTunes!

Sonic Producer includes video tutorials that demonstrate how to use the software and more importantly, how to create the sounds that people want to hear. There are few music self-production products on the market that are as complete as Sonic Producer. Download a copy and try it for yourself! See for yourself how easy it can be to create and publish your own music!

Photo Credit: MiKeARB, via Flickr