Jay-Z is getting back into the groove of making music by pulling together a 2-day music festival in Philadelphia on September 1 and 2. The three-stage Made In America festival will feature a number of different musical genres, including rap beats, rock, rhythm and blues, dance and other acts.

Jay Z Has Other Projects In The Works

The music festival was announced at the beginning of May and will come together over the summer. Confirmed acts for the festival include Jay-Z, Pearl Jam, Skrillex, Mike Snow, Afrojack, Calvin Harris, Odd Future, D’angelo, Rick Ross, Wale, Passion Pit, Santigold, Dirty Projectors, Janelle Monae, Prince Royce, Rita Ora, Savoy and The Knocks. Some observers speculate that Bruce Springsteen will also make an appearance at the festival, partially because he is already scheduled to perform in the city on September 2 and 3.

Jay Z promises that there will be plenty of headline acts as well as some new musical talent that he will be showcasing. The show is a charity benefit and proceeds will support the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey. Tickets for the event are already on sale. General admission tickets for the two-day event are being sold for about $150 per person. Platinum VIP tickets, which include exclusive access to VIP viewing areas, stage-side seating, preferred parking, access to the VIP lounge, VIP concessions and bar areas, plus a VIP host, are being sold for about $950 per person.

Catching Jay-Z’s attention may not be the easiest thing in the world to do, but there’s a great tool available for you that can help you get noticed in the rap music industry. DubTurbo is a music production software package that’s available for both the Mac and PC.

DubTurbo allows you to create, record, mix and publish your own music. It also comes with a large and growing library of royalty-free music samples. This feature alone makes DubTurbo worth the price.

DubTurbo has a lot of excellent features that other music production software packages don’t have. One of the key differences between DubTurbo and competing products is the ability to record your music as .WAV files. You’ll get high quality master recordings that you can use to make MP3 copies for distribution when you use DubTurbo. With other products, you’ll start out with a lower-quality MP3 file, which will reduce the quality of the copies you distribute.

Download your copy of DubTurbo today and start making your own music!

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Rap music has been around for decades but it is in a perpetual state of rediscovery. Diverse races, cultures and ethnicities have adopted rap music and have created an amazing array of rap beats that define the evolving face of rap music. While rap may have gotten its start on the streets in the United States, today it is possible to find rap music from all over the world. The music isn’t limited to one particular group’s experience, and lyrical beats are often included in other musical genres.

It’s Still Easy To Get Into Rap Music

One of the most unique characteristics of rap music is that it is easy to get into. Unlike other musical genres, which may require a great deal of training, practice and experience, rap music is unusually accessible, even to the most novice rapper. The qualities that make rap music attractive are beat, lyrics and flow, and anyone who can master these can have an exceptional career in the rap music world.

Music publication has also changed dramatically in the past several years. Advances in computer technology allow would-be musicians to record, mix, and publish their own music. Better still, programs like DubTurbo come complete with everything a musician needs, including music samples. This lowers the cost of entry into the business even more.

DubTurbo make getting into rap music easy because it comes with a library of tutorials that you can use to help you develop your signature musical style. The tutorials will help you learn how to use the software to its fullest potential, and will help you create a professionally recorded product that you can distribute or use during live performances.

While many music production software packages allow you to create MP3s, professional recordings are more often .WAV files. MP3 files are essentially copies of lower quality than the original recording. With DubTurbo, you can create high quality .WAV files that will help preserve the best audio qualities of your recordings.

DubTurbo gives you everything you need in a single package. It’s available for both the Mac and the PC, so there’s no additional equipment to buy and you’re not locked into a particular computer platform.

By far, the best part of DubTurbo is the free sample library that comes with the program. Sampling is a critical component of beatmaking, and DubTurbo sets you up with an excellent library of royalty-free samples to use in your own beats. These royalty-free samples are yours to use with your music!

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Rap music has taken a lot of heat lately for promoting criminal activity and a criminal lifestyle, but you’re likely to find a deep division among people about whether that criticism is valid. While it’s true that some rappers choose to make music about their criminal exploits (real and imagined), you’re likely to find just as many rappers who use the music to express more universally acceptable themes like love and peace.

Rap Music Can Be Positive, Too

Rapper K’naan is a great example of how rap music can be a positive influence on listeners. K’naan, who hails from war-torn Somalia, is one of the most gifted rap music lyricists making music today. His music doesn’t focus on crime and the criminal element. Instead, it focuses on his experiences with war, and how they changed him forever.

K’naan is probably best known for his “Waving Flag”, which was used by Coca Cola during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. K’naan is also releasing a new album, “God, Country or the Girl” this month. The rapper also serves as a reminder that rap music can offer a positive influence to listeners.

The commercial success of K’naan’s approach to rap music proves that there is indeed a place in the market for rap music that doesn’t support, promote or glorify the criminal element that has been associated with rap music.

This comes at a time when self-produced music is finding relatively easy entry into the marketplace, and independent music producers are getting the technical support they need to create, publish and distribute their own music.

Computer software like DubTurbo enables music producers to create their own sound. By providing all of the tools required to record music professionally, DubTurbo supports the move toward self produced music and may help change the face of rap and hip-hop music for good.

With DubTurbo, new musicians have a complete, professional studio recording package on their computer. Better still, DubTurbo comes with a library of sample sounds that musicians can use royalty-free, as well as a library of tutorial videos that show users how to get the most out of DubTurbo.

If you’re a new musician and you’re looking to break into the rap music scene, don’t spend thousands of dollars on renting studios. Record your own rap beats and get the professional sound quality you expect at a fraction of the cost. Download your copy of DubTurbo today and start making your own beats!

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If you’re not familiar with the Beastie Boys, you’ve missed out on one of rap music‘s original acts. The Beastie Boys, who first hit the charts in the 1980′s, introduced rap music to scores of white, middle-class suburban kids. Last week, The Beastie Boys, also known as Adam Horowitz, Adam Yauch, Michael Schwartz and Michael Diamond, were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Honor For Just The Third Rap Act

The Beastie Boys are just the third rap group to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, behind Run-DMC and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. Rap masters LL Cool J and Chuckie D formally inducted the group.

In its earliest years, the group was associated closely with producing legends Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin at Def Jam Records. The group credited other acts in the emerging rap music genre for their influences, including Bad Brains, The Slits, the Treacherous Three and XRay Spex. Four of the group’s eight albums reached the top of the Billboard Album chart, including Licensed to Ill, Ill Communication, Hello Nasty and To the 5 Boroughs. The group continues to perform today, and most recently released an album entitled Hot Sauce Committee Part Two in 2011.

Their first release, New York Thrash, was a forerunner of the modern mixtape and preceded the release of their first EP, Polly Wog Stew (1982). Originally, the band worked in the hardcore metal genre, but successfully made the switch to rap early on. Since the group’s inception, they’ve sold more than 40 million albums world wide, about half of which were sold in the United States.

The Beastie Boys made it big with the help of an established music producer, but they also helped to open the door for artists who want to produce their own music. The Beastie Boys were considered a “groundbreaking” act in the 1980′s and served as many fans’ first introduction to the rap music genre. The group paired famously with Run-DMC for its Raising Hell tour in 1985 and first cracked the R & B and Dance charts in the same year with “Hold It Now, Hit It.”

The Beastie Boys demonstrate that anyone can break into rap music and deliver a successful sound. For aspiring new musicians in the rap music genre, one of the best tools to have is DubTurbo, a complete music-production software package that lets you create your own musical style!

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Rap music can be a highly influential form of music, but are some music producers taking advantage of certain areas’ crime rankings to promote their music? That’s what some analysts are suggesting. Is crime an effective way to sell rap beats? No one can say for certain, but certain music producers don’t mind the association.

Do Crime And Rap Have A Solid Association?

While many rappers write lyrics about their criminal exploits, and more than one rapper’s career has ended in a hail of gunfire, music producers are quick to point out that music, by itself, doesn’t promote crime. That doesn’t stop rappers like Fresco Clean and Black Lung from using Rockford’s position as #9 on the FBI’s list of the Most Dangerous Cities in the US as a way to market the group’s music and elevate its profile among the gangsta crowd.

The group’s first EP, Whiteboy Wasted, has recently been released by producer Soleternity, and hopes to appeal to a largely white middle- and lower class youth audience. They’re also hoping to catch the attention of college-aged students who are part of the fraternity/sorority scene and other middle class demographics who are looking for a voice. The songs on Whiteboy Wasted are largely about partying and having fun, and could be a nice way to kick off the summer.

The EP is Fresco Clean’s recording debut, but the 22-year-old is a veteran battle rapper and has traveled the world in rap competitions. Black Lung has already released a number of indie beats, and has already released an LP under his own name.

The potential rap and hip-hop audiences are large, and there’s plenty of room in this growing medium for many more talented musicians. Getting started has never been easier. All the tools you need to self-produce your rap beats are available in a single, awesome package. Dubturbo combines the best tools with the easiest-to-use interface in a single software package. DubTurbo is available for either the Mac or PC and enables you to mix your own beats. Better still, DubTurbo comes with a library of royalty-free beats you can use to enhance your own sounds.

Need more? How about a library of tutorial videos to help you learn how to make the most of this outstanding music software package? DubTurbo is a great way to get started in the rap music industry and gives you everything you need to record and mix a professional sound.
Download your copy of DubTurbo today and start working on your next great career move!

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If you doubt the influence of rap music, take a look at some of the latest headlines. You’ll find a dog-sled racer who makes his own rap beats. You’ll also find Christian rappers, Asian hip-hop fusion beats and Korean rap artist topping the charts with their own brand of hip-hop and rap beats. Rap music is here to stay and it’s moving the music world in ways OG’s never dreamed of.

There’s Enough Room For Everyone

Rap and hip-hop are great musical genres because they’re flexible enough to incorporate local, regional and cultural tastes, while still staying true to the music. What’s even better is that it’s never been easier for new artists to enter the medium.

Today new artists can create, produce and distribute their own music, often for a fraction of the cost it would take to go through agents and established music distributors. This ability to access the audience directly and at a low cost means that musicians and artists no longer need big studio help to find their way into the center of the music scene.

The tools available to new artists today have never been better. Take DubTurbo, for example. DubTurbo enables you to produce your own music, comes with thousands of royalty-free sounds, samples and instruments, a full four-octave sampling keyboard, and tutorial videos and delivers the highest quality .WAV sound files you need to produce crisp, clean recordings that are ready for distribution.

DubTurbo is an awesome, powerful music production software package that’s available for both the Mac and PC. That means you don’t need to purchase any additional recording equipment or computer equipment. You can just download the software and start working on your musical career.

A licensed copy of DubTurbo is a fraction of the cost of renting a professional recording studio and bringing in musicians. With DubTurbo, you have full creative control of your tracks and the program is easy to use. It also comes with a library of video tutorials that can help you get the most of DubTurbo. All of the included samples are royalty-free, which means that you can mix and remix the samples into your own work any way you like. With the built in sampling keyboard, you can also make your own samples and create or enhance the sound library that comes with DubTurbo.

There’s no reason to wait. The rap and hip-hop worlds are waiting for you to make your own impressions. Download your copy of DubTurbo today and start producing your own style of hip-hop or rap music!

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While the debate over copyrighted music is heating up, a new wrinkle appeared last week in the form of a takedown notice issued by Universal Music Group to YouTube. Now, getting a takedown notice from UMG is probably nothing new for YouTube, but this story has a twist. The music UMG was upset about wasn’t even their own. A rap duo called After The Smoke recorded and uploaded one of their own rap beats over a song called “One in a Million” to YouTube.

UMG Asserted Copyright

That’s when the funky stuff started. UMG notified YouTube that a copyright infringement had taken place and YouTube blocked ATS’ song. Only ATS isn’t signed to Universal and the song was completely original by ATS.
As it turns out ATS had opened for Yelawolf, who is now a Universal artist – but wasn’t at the time ATS opened for him. Yelawolf heard the rap beats behind One in a Million and liked them enough to record his own track over it. Yelawolf said he wanted to license the material, but apparently never did. Then he signed with Universal.
At some point, the Yelawolf track, which used ATS’ beats – and was never intended for release – got leaked. UMG took down the leaked tracks, but when ATS put up its own stuff using their own beats, UMG took that down too, saying they owned the copyright for the beats.

If you’re confused at this point, so is everyone else! ATS filed a dispute against the takedown by UMG and was told that UMG asserted its rights as the copyright holder and ATS had no claim. Enter the lawyers. Now, allegedly everything is worked out, but ATS – and many other artists – are concerned about how carefully YouTube (which is a major distribution channel for independent music) checks on copyright claims before acting on them.

At this point, I should mention that for artists who use royalty-free beats, this isn’t an issue. Sonic Producer has a huge library of royalty-free beats that are guaranteed never to get you into a takedown argument after you’ve published your own music. With Sonic Producer’s library of royalty-free beats, you get your music published, plain and simple.

You can use, mix, remix, alter, publish and republish Sonic Producer beats however, whenever and how often you want to. Ahh – the joy of simplicity! Download your copy of Sonic Producer today and start publishing your own music.

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Four of the top new musical acts from 2011 deliver rap beats or hip-hop music to their growing cadre of adoring fans, according to Ace Showbiz. That’s a pretty neat answer to those who claim that rap music has lost its relevance somewhere along the way. Rap music is highly influential, and has been since it hit the music scene, and with at least 40% of the top acts being rap or hip-hop, rap music still has a long way to go.

Fresh Faces Dominate Fresh Music

The classic rappers are now the industry’s elder statesmen, as the second generation of rappers move into the music industry. Diggy Simmons is no exception. Son of Run DMC rapper Rev Run, Simmons is well on his way to his own claim to fame, hitting Ace Showbiz’s list at Number 3. Simmons isn’t new to the rap scene. He’s been self-producing and self-publishing his own music since 2009. 2011 is a breakout year for the young rapper, though. He hit the Billboard charts and peaked at number 21 with his first hit single, “Copy Paste.” He’s also received some professional recognitions from BET for his musical talent. He’s definitely on the “watch list” for 2012.

Entering the Ace Showbiz list at Number 6 is Tyler the Creator. Tyler the Creator – like Diggy Simmons – isn’t brand new to the rap and hip-hop scene. He broke in with Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them but that hasn’t stopped him from carving his own path to success. His major solo hit in 2011 was Yonkers – again a self-produced, self-published tune that stirred up a commotion by taking on B.o.B., Hayley Williams and Bruno Mars. The fuss was apparently worth it because the song hit number 9 on the Billboard Hotseeker chart and Tyler the Creator’s album, Goblin, hit the number 5 spot on Billboard’s Hot 200.

Mac Miller pulled a fast one on the hip-hop world by hitting the top album spot on Billboard’s Hot 200 with an independent label – Rostrum Records. That feat was first accomplished in 1995 by the Dogg Pound, and Miller’s Blue Slide Park is the only indie album ever to repeat that. Miller, at just 19 years of age, is certainly an artist to keep an eye on in 2012.

J. Cole rounded out Ace Showbiz’s list in the Number 10 spot. J. Cole had a lot of help from mentor Jay-Z, and it seems to have paid off for the young rapper – whose debut album hit the Number 1 spot. The top spot is a little more special because J. Cole is the first solo act to hit the Number 1 spot with his debut album since B.o.B. J. Cole was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2011.

The key takeaway here is that two of the four top acts of 2011 went the self-produced route. They are absolute proof that you can self-produce your own music and be highly successful at it.

If you’re into making rap beats, make your 2012 resolution one that includes self-producing your own music with Sonic Producer, one of the best music production software packages available today.

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The 2012 Grammy Award nominations are out and many of the usual rap music suspects have been nominated for consideration. The award ceremony is set to air in February, and the nominations feature some classic rap artists against the industry’s young guns, along with a few surprises.

Something For Everyone

In the Best Rap Performance category, the nominees are:
• Black and Yellow – Wiz Khalifa
• Look At Me Now – Chris Brown
• Moment 4 Life – Nicki Minaj and Drake
• Otis – Jay-Z and Kanye West
• The Show Goes On – Lupe Fiasco

No major surprises but it’s notable that given the “Collaboration” category below, the Best Performance nods include two collaborations.

Speaking of working together, the nominees in the Best Rap/Sung Collaboration category are:
• All of The Lights – Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi and Fergie
• I’m On One – DJ Khaled, Drake, Rick Ross and Lil Wayne
• I Need A Doctor – Dr. Dre, Eminem and Skylar Grey
• Motivation – Kelly Rowland and Lil Wayne
• Party – Beyonce and Andre 3000
• What’s My Name – Rihanna and Drake

Recognizing standout rap music songs is one thing you can count on from the Grammy Awards. The 2012 nominees for the Best Rap Song are:

• All of The Lights – Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi and Fergie
• Black and Yellow – Wiz Khalifa
• I Need A Doctor – Dr. Dre, Eminem and Skylar Grey
• Look At Me Now – Chris Brown, Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes
• Otis – Jay-z and Kanye West
• The Show Gees On – Lupe Fiasco

The Kid Cudi nomination is a little unusual, given that Kid Cudi announced that he was leaving rap behind back in 2010. I guess he hasn’t gotten around to that, yet.

These nominees are a little disappointing, since these nominees were all recognized in either the Best Performance or Best Collaboration categories. There’s a lot more to rap music than just these tunes. The nominating committee could have done a better job on these categories.

Finally, the nominees for the Best Rap Album are:
• Lasers – Lupe Fiasco
• My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy – Kanye West
• Pink Friday – Nicki Minaj
• Tha Carter 4 (IV) – Lil Wayne
• Watch The Throne – Jay-Z and Kanye West

This list is also a little disappointing. There’s no nice way to say this: Lasers just doesn’t belong in this category. Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy definitely holds up to the hype and is poised (fairly) to win the category, but Pink Friday, which is mostly a C-level effort, ends up being, on the whole, only marginally better than the long-awaited Tha Carter IV, and not quite as good as Jay-Z’s Watch the Throne. The nominations leave out some more worthy contenders like Saigon’s The Greatest Story Never Told, Phonte’s Charity Starts At Home, All 6′s and 7′s by Tech N9ne and Royce da 5’9″ Success is Certain. Even Drake’s Take Care ends up being better than everyone nominated, except Kanye’s Fantasy.

If you’re thinking that you can do better than most of the nominees here, and you’re into making your own music, check out Sonic Producer and get your rap career in high gear!

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Iconic rap music artist Heavy D died unexpectedly on November 8 in Los Angeles. Heavy D, whose given name was Dwight Arrington Myers, collapsed as he was returning to his Beverly Hills home. He was rushed to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he died. Prior to his death, the rapper had complained of breathing problems and was diagnosed with pneumonia.

Unique Style Earned Heavy D A Place In Rap History

As Heavy D, Myers was among the most recognizable rap music acts of the 1980′s and 1990′s. His style was a mixture of reggae and swing, and his lyrics were free from profanity. Myers was the lead artist in the group Heavy D and The Boyz and first charted with their debut album, Living Large. The group recorded a total of five albums between 1987 and 1994, only the first two of which included Troy Dixon (Trouble T-Roy), who died following an accident in 1990. Eddie Ferrell (Eddie F) is the co-founder of Uptown Records, the label on which Heavy D and The Boyz released their albums.
After the fifth group album, Heavy D went on to a solo rap career, releasing four more albums, the last of which, Love Opus, debuted in 2011. Heavy D also performed live for the first time in 15 years at the 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards in October. Myers demonstrated that rap music artists could succeed with unique styles and approaches to lyrics. While many of today’s rap music artists rely on the shock of foul language, Heavy D’s lyrics were always clean, yet engaging.
Myers also worked as the president and CEO of Uptown Records, and was instrumental in the development of Mary J. Blige. Myers also hired Diddy Combs early in his musical career. Uptown Records, renamed Uptown Entertainment folded after Myers left the organization to pursue acting opportunities.
In addition to his work as a music producer and recording artist, Myers also made guest appearances on several television series, an off-Broadway play, had a recurring role on Boston Public, and occasionally acted in motion pictures. His last appearance on the big screen was in “Tower Heist,” released in the US just four days before Myers’ death. Myers also provided the theme music for several television shows, including In Living Color and MADtv. He also made guest appearances for Michael and Janet Jackson, BB King, and appeared in the video for One More Chance by Notorious B.I.G.
Myers was nominated for Grammy awards in 1992, 1995, 1997, and most recently in 2009, and also received four nominations for Soul Train awards, winning Best Rap Album in both 1988 and 1990.

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