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Opinion
Original editorial opinion about music sampling, copyright law, creative culture, and more.
Madlib Made All the Beats for ‘Bandana’ On His iPad
Madlib shook up the beatmaking community Saturday when he announced that he'd made all of the beats for Bandana, the stellar collaborative album with Freddie Gibbs, on his iPad:
As I've said in my book The BeatTips Manual, if you…
Are Sample-Based Beatmakers Musicians?
A “musician” is simply one who creates (makes) music. It’s someone who is conscious of the notion of music as well as at least one type of music-making process. Whether one likes a particular music form, or prefers the methods used to make…
Did Kanye West’s “Five-for-Five” Album Release Strategy Hinder Teyana Taylor’s K.T.S.E.?
Very few people can be the leader of the creative production behind the music on a given album and the marketing force behind said album at the same time. Normally, these roles are given to multiple people because it’s best to split…
Today’s Fun Hip Hop is Good, But It Needs a Deeper Message (Sometimes)
Trap music, modern-day "R&B", and drill music are cool. I listen to it. Whether I'm at a party, out with friends, or at home alone, it gets regular spins. I enjoy the music just like most of my generation. The music sounds good, it…
Marquee Names: The Soul of Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Mayfield helped reshape the direction of soul music in America and brought forth one of the most celebrated music catalogs in popular music. His gentle musicality, contrasting style, and powerful lyricism made him one of the most…
Why You Should Never Discard Records After You Sample Them
The question of “What to do with the music that you dig after you’ve sampled from it” is often asked. So here, I’ll introduce a question and answer exchange that took place between a regular member of The BeatTips Community (TBC) and…