Floyd The Locsmif Drops Another Classic Hip Hop Instrumental Album

ATL, Stand up!!! Here is one my homeboys from the "A", Floyd The Locsmif. This album is so dope, I think I can safely put it right up there with Dilla's Donuts album. Classic!

You can read about it on Nodfactor by checking out the link below:

Floyd The Locsmif Presents Divine Dezignz #3: Dirty Canvas | NODFACTOR.COM: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Click play to enjoy the ride!!!



Let me know what you think!!!

Mello Melanin
www.RapBeatCreator.com

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For More Hip Hop Beats Click Here!

Make Your Own Beats: To Beat Or To Blog? That Is The Question

Okay, so it's almost 3AM and I'm just sitting around. I'm kinda exhausted and I'm contemplating should I make a beat or post on my blog. Well, you're reading the results. Do you remember the post I put up a couple of months ago about the 3 essential things you need to make beats? It was The Will, The Way, and The Movement.

Well, I can tell you right now I'm having trouble with The Will and The Movement. I think I took the easy way out and just decided to blog. LOL. I'm such a lazy muthafucker sometimes. And I know my X-Board and Reasons both miss me but I'm just absent today.

Does this mean when you make your own beats you will get these slumps too? Probably so. Why? Because your HUMAN!!! Everyone is entitled to a break. Especially if you make beats using the computer or do any type of computer work for a long extended period of time. You need a break.

I just don't feel like making my own beats right now... Hey, at least I'm honest, right?

Tomorrow will be a different story. I'll holla...

Let's Make It Happen!!!

Mello Melanin, The Hot Instrumentalist
www.RapBeatCreator.com

Make Your Own Beats: Old Skool vs. New Skool

There is a big difference between the music today versus the music 20 years ago. The Hiphop Kulture was in its "Golden Era" back then and the music was alot more fun. It wasn't making as much money as it is today but it seemed a bit more pure.

Everyone was working to be different from the competition, not trying to emulate them. I mean Heavy D was different from N.W.A. Public Enemy was different from The 2 Live Crew. Big Daddy Kane was different from Run-DMC. And being in the true spirit of Hiphop, the artists strived to be different from each other. What was cool is that you could hear all these artist on the same radio playlist. There was balance.

Today I can't say that at all. Most mainstream rappers are consistent when it comes to talking about Ballin'. How much they are ballin? How much money they have? How many girls they have? Let's talk about my Phantom and my Bentley and how I got to be this way selling drugs, etc., etc. Yeah right!!! The only ones that sound different now are the underground emcees. There are some who still flex skills like Common and Lupe Fiasco but they are rare and they ain't selling records like the drug dealer/pimp types.

The music is different as well. Some of the music still bangs but since everybody found out that Soulja Boy made his break off of Fruity Loops & MySpace.com, people have been trying to copy that formula.

What???

There are still some producers that sample and there are still some who try to make their music have a signature sound. I applaud these producers for wanting to be different. Make your own beats. Make your own sound. That my friend is Hiphop. Peace...

Let's Make It Happen!!!

Mello Melanin, The Hot Instrumentalist
www.RapBeatCreator.com

There's No Magic Pill To Make Your Own Beats

The Blastmaster KRS-ONE & The Hot Instrumentalist, Mello Melanin

In this Hiphop "Matrix" there is no shortcut to being successful. In other words, Neo, there is no blue pill! There is nothing magical about making your own beats. There is nothing magical about being successful.

However there is a formula for luck and here it is:

Luck = Opportunity + Preparation

Let's break that down really quick. You've heard of people being in the right place at the right time. We'll they were lucky. An opportunity presented itself and they were prepared when it happened. No magic necessary.

So the question is how can you be prepared when an opportunity presents itself?

I like to relate my lessons by using my own experiences so here is a perfect example of how I was lucky. At my church, our youth ministry was working on events for planning their youth week. The director of the youth ministry was a friend of mine by the name of Server. Server had seen my group Prophetix perform several times before and he and several other people asked me if we would perform during youth week. I was a bit hesitant at first but I eventually said yes.

About a week later, I was told that KRS-ONE would be performing for our youth week as well. I thought that would be cool because I knew we would be opening up for him. Well, the show went better than I expected and KRS was very impressed with our show. I knew he was giving a lecture to the kids the following day so I went to it because I had heard him speak many times before. He did a History of Hiphop speech that was great!

Later that day, the church had a fish fry and all the kids took pictures with KRS. As we were leaving, I got a "gut feeling" that I should ask him for a contact number. I followed my instinct and asked. He gave me his number but stated it would best if I called him when he got back in 2 weeks from touring in California.

This is were the "luck" comes in...

I asked him if I could come on the tour with him and he looked at me real serious and replied "Word! Are you serious?" My response of course was "YES". He said the he could work it out but he'd have to check on the logistics. I was to call the number he had given me on Sunday evening and you bet I did.

I called the other members of Prophetix and let them know what was going on and they couldn't believe it but I could. Lo and behold, I get a phone call back from KRS and he told me that he wouldn't pay for our trip out to California but he would pay for our trip back, pay for our hotel, pay us $500.00 a piece, and pay us a per diem which is money for every day we were out there in Cali. Sounded fair to me. The total time from me asking him could I go to actually being on a plane to Los Angeles was less than a week!

My "luck" got even better though...

When we got settled in Los Angeles, we had a meeting with KRS where we were debrief on how the shows would go. He explained that he didn't want us to open up for him but he wanted us to actually be on stage with him during his set. No joke. Talk about a trill. Imagine being on stage with KRS-ONE while you perform his classic joints with him in front of packed audiences. It was great! And we got to perform in so many other cities in Cali from San Fransisco to San Diego in the process so that made the 2 weeks even better.

So yes, I do consider myself lucky but I was prepared when the opportunity presented itself. That is the point I'm making.

Are you prepared if someone comes to you right now and asks you for a CD full of beats or a full demo package? What have you done up to this point in your career to say that you are ready for a life changing opportunity? You should alway be prepared for an opportunity. You'll never know if it will be the lucky one that changes your life.

Let's Make It Happen!!!

Mello Melanin, The Hot Instrumentalist
http://www.rapbeatcreator.com/

P.S. Get started building your catalog of beats today. Check out Music Producer Pro if you haven't done so already by clicking here!

Cain't Get Right: The Rap Beat Creator Has A Brain Fart

For the last few days, I have done NOTHING productive...well at least it seems that way in my mind. I feel like I've been spinning my wheels. I have an old Dell laptop that I've been working with for a while and I've just been having all kinds of challenges dealing with this thing.

One day last week, I decided to pull out the Dell because my wife was using our desktop computer and I really wanted to do some "stuff" on it. We just moved back in late April and we are still getting situated in our new home. With something as important as a computer, I try to keep all my things together. Well, for the life of me, I couldn't find my power cord for the Dell which I haven't used in months.

I looked every place in our garage that I thought it could be. I looked in the den. I looked in the office. I looked in our bedroom. I even looked in the "junk" drawer in the kitchen.

All the while, I'm trippin' ' cause I know it's here in the house and it should be somewhere near the computer. Eventually, I postponed my search, frustrated as hell.

The story continues...

This past Sunday, my brother-in-law called me about setting up his computer for wireless networking. After I spoke with him for a while about it, I began my search again for the missing cord.

Maybe it's being anal but when I'm ready to work on the computer, I have to have at it with no delays. I decided to look in the hall closet and to my surprise it was there along with some other cords that my wife had collected when she was setting up our Playstation.

YES!!!! I was estatic. So I began setting up my wireless network and the Dell was working fine.

Then I had problems setting up the wireless network. Here I am trying to set up a network by taking shortcuts and I wasted several minutes all because thought I could just simply hook up some wires. WRONG!!!

When I moved, I switched to Comcast from AT&T to have the fasted connection possible. But I forgot that the software that comes with the router searches for the type of Internet connection you use. Duhhhhhh!!!

Well, by the time I figured that out, the Dell started to lockup so I started doing hard boots on it. In my "inpatientness", I bypassed the screen that said, "Windows was shutdown improperly an it is checking your files to make sure they are not damaged."

BIG MISTAKE!!!

I could have thrown the Dell across the room but it wasn't the computer's fault. It was my fault. And guess what. Now the computer won't boot up Windows and I spent Monday evening trying to figure it out.

This story has 2 morals.

• Lesson #1: You should definitely have a dedicated computer to operate your business if you have a family or more than one person in the household that uses the computer. Anything can happen such as computer crashes, viruses, or simply someone wanting to use the computer when you need it.
• Lesson #2: Don't force your computer to do silly things because you're impatient with it. I'm going to try to work on the Dell a bit more but since its so old, I may just by a new one.

The result of these few days of banging my head against the wall is that I didn't create any beats at all. I just beat my head up against the wall only producing a big knot on my head filled with frustration.

Holla...

Let's Make It Happen!!!

Mello Melanin, The Hot Instrumentalist
http://www.rapbeatcreator.com/

Ghostface Killah In Iron Man Movie

I finally got to check out the Iron Man movie last week. I thought it was a dope movie for many reasons. One in particular was toward the beginning of the movie when Tony Stark was on his private jet. While Tony was having a party on his jet with his flight attentants, he had a big screen TV in background with a Ghostface Killah video playing.

For those that aren't fans of Ghostface, they wouldn't have known that one of his alter egos is Iron Man aka Tony Stark. I thought what a great deal for Ghost. He doesn't sell a whole bunch of albums but he is the most consistent of the Wu Tang Clan. Truely underrated and when I met him back in the day he was very cool & humble.

One of the other reasons I liked the movie was that I'm a big kid. Iron Man was one of my favorite heroes growing up.

Also did I mention that I've always had a fantasy to fly?

Ummm, I'll tell you about that later...

Holla!!!

Mello Melanin, The Hot Instrumentalist
http://www.rapbeatcreator.com/

P. S. Getting your music into soundtracks is a great way to get lots of income. If you would like to learn how to make rap beats so you can market your songs to the music supervisors for blockbuster movies click here!

P.S. Iron Man pic courtesy of Zane Rosenthal & Marvel Entertainment. Ghostface Killah pic courtesy of Adam Bielawski / Photorazzi.

BET Awards: The Best One Yet?

Whassup folks,

Did you happen to catch the BET Awards a few nights ago? Some people are saying this is the best one yet. I would have to agree with those critics. I watch the BET Awards on Tuesday night and I really enjoyed it. If you didn't watch it, you missed a treat. Everybody did a pretty good job and there were even some GREAT performances that night.

Let's get started from the beginning. D.L. Hughley was the host and he was nuts. I would've liked for him to tell more jokes but the show wasn't about him. His opening monologue was great. He ain't as busy as Steve Harvey and Cedric the Entertainer but he is still a King of Comedy.

The opening act was Usher performing "Love In The Club". Although it wasn't one of his best performances, he gets major props on dancing on 2 moving conveyor belts going in the opposite direction. That took a lot of skill. Alot of lip syncing but that's to be expected when a person has that much dancing talent. A-Town represent!!!

Young Jeezy's set was okay but his mic sounded horrible. I thought that was unacceptable for BET because they got long money and that should have been fixed. Also, there is a slight possibility that Jeezy didn't do a sound check but I seriously doubt that was the problem. He brought out the beat creator himself, Kanye West to close out his set and his mic was horrible too. Thumbs down to BET again for the lousy engineering during this set.

Next was Keyshia Cole. Although I think she is sexy as hell and can blow with the best of them, that didn't stop her performance from being garbage. She came down from a pedestal which had been done so many times before but what really hurt her was not having any background singers. She's too dope to miss that and I don't know if it was her decision or not but her opening song was wack as hell. Then she went into her second song which was last summer's banger "Let It Go" that featured Missy Elliot & Lil Kim. Keyshia ripped off her dress and oh my God! That's one fine sista. She was rockin' some long white boots that took my mind off the horrible opening song. Lil Kim was okay and Missy wasn't there at all but Keyshia...wow. I'm still a fan...

Oh yeah. Her mom and her sister were wildin' out at the pre-show. Also, during one of the introductions of the award presenters later in the actual show, Keyshia's sister's boobs almost fell out of her dress. I'm sure men who like stacked women (me included) were just wait for them to pop out but it never happened...

I can't remember if Ne-yo went next but his show was dope. His choreographer went nuts and the whole dance team looked solid. He was probably my runner up for one of the best acts of the night. The brother's singing was pretty good even though he was dancing which was a downside to Usher's show: singing and dancing at the same time.

Also in the running for "Best Performance" was Ms. Alicia Keys. She can rock the house by herself but this time she brought along some guest from the 90's: SWV, En Vogue (all four of the original divas), and TLC (R.I.P. Left Eye). Me and my wife were out of our seats because it was basically an old skool concert for us. And since we both from "The A", when everybody on stage started doing the Bankhead Bounce, we went bannanas and started doing it too. What a treat!!!
Now we all know Chris Brown can dance, right? He's been dope since "Run It" and this time he had Ciera with him. They did an awesome routine where she fell down backwards and he caught her with the heel of his foot, kicked her back up and kept on rockin'. Hot!! Very Hot!!!

One of the wildest performances of the night was my homie T-Pain. If nothing else, he gets props for his outfit. My wife said it was teardrops and I said it was paisley but aren't paisley prints shaped like teardrops? Anyway...T-Pain did his thing and his acceptance speech for "Best Collaboration" with Kanye West was too funny.

Back to his show... Pain did "Ringleader" then he brought out Flo Rida who rocked "Lo". Flo dropped a verse then out came Rick Ross to perform his current hit which also features T-Pain. Then came my joint - "I'm So Hood" by DJ Khaleed - the remix version featuring ATL's own Big Boi from Outkast and Ludacris. It was cool because I've met both of them on several occasions and Luda was the first commercial radio DJ to play my vinyl on the air back in the day. Good to see them both makin' moves. T-Pain's set gets props all the way around.

Rihanna's set was cool. What was dope about her set was that you could look around in the audience and see people in the crowd singing with her on "Take a Bow". She only did that one song and I really wasn't that familiar with it but she did pretty good.

At this point the show went into overdrive. After D.L. Hughley introduced Marvin Sapp as Warren Sapp, Marvin tore it down with "Never Should Have Made It". It was good to hear because he changed the energy of the show. And the song is dedicated to his late father so that made it even better when he won the award for "Best Gospel Artist". At the end of Sapp's set, Hughley appologized for calling him Warren which showed alot of character for Hughley.

Sapp's set was great segway into the "Lifetime Achievement Award" presentation by Queen Latifah for Al Green. This was probably the best part of the show. After a video presentation about Al Green career, Jill Scott came out and started singing an Al Green classic. She was followed by Anthony Hamilton who sounded damn near like Al Green. The Mr. Missing In Action himself, Maxwell, came out and closed up that part of the set.

Then Mr. Green got up, accepted his award, then tore the stage down! I mean everybody was up out of their chair dancing & singing along. It was good to see Al turn it out in front of so many young heads. He had so much energy and stage presence. His career of 30 years is truly a lifetime achievement and most artist including myself dream of having careers that long. Thanks Al for all the good music you have put out over the years.

Next was Nelly who came out and rocked with Jermaine Dupri and then Fergie. His set was good but its hard to follow Al Green!!! Nice try Nelly but you still get mad props because the girls in T-Pain's set all had Apple Bottom Jeans on...even the ones on stilts.

To close out, Lil Wayne, who won the "Viewer's Choice", rocked with T-Pain so joint from his new album. It wasn't his hottest joint ever but the crowd was amped and rightfully so. Wayne is the man right now especially with over 1 million 1st week record sales. Nobody's done that since 50 Cent. Big ups Lil Wayne! You deserve it!

So yes, this year's BET Awards was probably the best ever and you can catch the reruns if you missed it.... Holla!!!

Let's Make It Happen!!!

Mello Melanin, The Hot Instrumentalist
http://www.rapbeatcreator.com/

P.S. Don't forget I will be posting a series of tutorials on the blog as well as email. If you haven't already signed up for my email list, you da one who's missin' out!!!

P.S.S. All pics courtesy of BET, Inc.

Hear & See Me Create A Rap Beat From Scratch

Over the next few days I will be showing you how I create a beat from scratch. I will be using audio and video so you can see just how easy this is. If you're on my email list, you will be getting these videos in your inbox. If not, what are you waiting on?

Subscribe today and you'll get 7 free rap beats while they last.

Be on the look out for the next post or email.

Holla...

Let's Make It Happen!!!

Mello Melanin, The Hot Instrumentalist

P.S. As always if you want to learn how to make rap beats, check out Music Producer Pro by clicking here.

2 of Hiphop's Greatest Beat Makers Battle in L.A.

I'm surprised I didn't hear about this earlier. DJ Pete Rock vs. DJ Premier going back and forth on the wheels of steel. I woulda love to be a fly on the wall in that joint. I've been rockin' to both of these cats since the early 90's. I gotta say I missed a good one and I feel even more outta place because it happened on April 18, 2008.

And I'm just hearing about it today!!!

Any true head should know how these two legends are. I mean, I still rock Mecca and The Soul Brother like it came out yesterday. And who ain't noddin' their head when Mass Appeal comes on by Gangstarr (produced by DJ Premier). If you haven't heard of these two then you're either mad young or been under a rock for all of your life.

I've seen both of these guys live separately but to see them together would've been a treat. I'm mean look at this crowd:

Here are some other close up pics. All photos courtesy of Scifen:

This is CLASSIC Hiphop!!!!

Let's Make It Happen!!!

Mello Melanin, The Hot Instrumentalist

P.S. Get Ya Skills Up! Learn How To Create Rap Beats For CASH like DJ Premier & Pete Rock. Click Here For More Info!

How To Create Rap Beats That Create Residual Streams Of Income…Forever!

For people who are new to making rap beats for dollars, here is an interesting concept: if you create a hot beat, it will pay you many times over and above the time it took to create it. What do I mean when I say this? I mean your beats have value, not only to you but to others as well.

My rap group Prophetix, put together a single back in 2000 called "True Urban Grit". It was the first song we recorded with our new Dee Jay/producer. Little did we know that this song would become a standard (a song that stands the test of time) in our music catalog. We released the single to as many media outlets as we could including commercial, non-commercial, and college radio. We sent out press releases, email blast, and performed that song all over the United States. We even sent copies of it overseas.


We'll that song not only was a favorite in our live shows but it became #1 on Tokyo, Japan's most popular rap radio shows. Yes, I said Japan. We sold all of the copies that were pressed up so we made some money as well as gained recognition. After we had completed several other projects a few years later, we get a call from DJ Numark from Jurassic 5.

This was in 2005. My DJ knew Cut Chemist who was the other DJ in Jurassic 5 and I'm not sure how Numark got the song but somehow it ended up in his hands. He wanted to put out a mixtape with "True Urban Grit" on it so we begin negotiations. After the negotiations were over we finally agreed on some upfront cash to let him use the rights to our song. We settled on $1,500.00 which is not too bad for a song that was created 5 years earlier. The part that is even more amazing is that he only used the first 30 seconds of the song.

This was pretty cool considering we didn't expect this money to come at all. This is the power of not only creating rap beats but understanding music publishing as well. Creating rap beats is an investment in your future. Is this for everyone? Certainly not, but for those that are serious about being in the business of music, it would do you good to learn about music publishing and royalties.

Wouldn't it be good to collect checks over and over for music you only worked to create once? I have only scratched the surface of the power of creating rap beats. Some artists don't even know they can collect fees for licensing their beats to BMI and ASCAP. These are the publishing societies that license your music to radio, television, movies, ringtones, etc. They also collect payment for you and send you a quarterly check if anyone uses your music.

Imagine what kind of checks Dr. Dre, Timbaland, Kanye West, and Just Blaze get just for creating rap beats. Now imagine how it would feel if you were getting these checks. It would feel good wouldn't it? So what are you waiting on? You have beats to create! Get started making and marketing your beats now and with a bit of luck and hard work you can get rich by making beats.

Let's Make It Happen!!!

Mello Melanin, The Hot Instrumentalist
www.RapBeatCreator.com

Music Producer Pro: Create Rap Beats Overnight

Whassup Folks,

I thought the Rap Beat Manual was pretty good. I've found something even more thorough to help you get your production skills up to par and moving in the right direction.

This program is called Music Producer Pro and it comes with video tutorials and a load of bonuses. You can check it out by clicking here.

Let me know what you think...

Let's Make It Happen!!!

Mello Melanin, The Hot Instrumentalist

http://www.rapbeatcreator.com/

P.S. If you are serious about getting started and creating rap beats as quick of the click of your mouse you should really check out Music Producer Pro. Holla...

3 Things You Need To Create Rap Beats

With today's technology, creating rap beats is not nearly as difficult as it used to be but the top 3 steps remain the same. These are the things you absolutely must have to even create your first beat:

• The Will
• The Way
• The Movement

Let's start with The Will. It all starts here. You've got to do more than just want to be a producer. You have to have the willpower to figure out what it takes then do what it takes to be successful. And let's stop and define success real quick: Success is the progression of a worthy goal. This means success is not obtaining the goal but the journey you go through to obtain it.

This is where your will comes into play. Without the willpower to learn what it takes to become a producer and complete all the steps involve guess what? You won't be very successful. You must have the drive to see it through to the end. You can't be easily deterred by every little bump in the road that comes along...and surely they will come.

You must have The Will to keep going.

The second the you must have is The Way. The Way is your vehicle to create rap beats. It is your equipment. I once had alot of will but I didn't have the way to produce anything! But using your will correctly will lead to you doing the research to getting equipment so that you can make beats.

A good way to find out about the different equipment that you will need is to do research in music stores, read magazines like Scratch where producers list the equipment they use, read forums or online blogs. Or if you know any producers, just ask them what kind of equipment to use.

There are many different items to choose from. Some of the most popular tools include the MPC series of stand alone production tools, and computer software such as Reasons & Fruity Loops. Then there are other pieces of equipment like keyboards, microphones, mixer, track machines, etc. You have to decide what's right for you and your budget. For me, I use Reasons 3.0 software and an EMU X-board midi controller because they fit my budget and they make great industry quality sounds.

This is The Way to create rap beats.

Last and certainly by any means not the least is The Movement. This may be more important than the other 2 steps. Nothing happens without action. Nothing! You can have all the willpower in the world but if you're just sitting on the fence waiting for the perfect time then its not going to happen. You've got to get moving. You've got to do your homework by pricing the equipment, setting a date to get it, doing what it takes to get it, and actually using it to become better at your craft.

Talk is cheap! Its the people that act on their desires that achieve their goals...not the people who simply talk about them. Again, nothing replaces action. Nothing.

We see all the top producers in the rap industry and guess what? They are busy working on more and more beats. What's the difference between you and them? I mean we all get the same 24 hours in a day and breathe the same air. The difference is how we spend that 24 hours that we are each given. Why not spend that time making beats?

And as you're making beats you are steadily building up your catalog of songs. YOUR catalog could be worth lots of money one day. Don't sleep...

You gotta have Movement.

Let's Make It Happen!!!
Mello Melanin, The Hot Instrumentalist

P.S. Go check out The Rap Beat Manual by clicking here. It covers these 3 essential things and much more!!!

The History of Rap and Hip Hop Music

Check this out: The History of Rap and Hip Hop Music

Let me know if you agree with this article. Only so much Hiphop history can be put in an article and this is an attempt at a miracle!!!

Holla back...

Let's Make It Happen!!!

Mello Melanin, The Hot Instrumentalist

Become a top producer by learning how to make rap beats. Click here for more info!

5 Ways To Make Money Fast With Your Rap Instrumental Beats

Here is something that near and dear to my heart. :-)

This is an article I found on creating rap beats and instrumentals for money.

5 Ways To Make Money Fast With Your Rap Instrumental Beats

Check it out and let me know what you think...

Let's Make It Happen!!!

Mello Melanin, The Hot Instrumentalist

Learn to create rap beats FAST!!! Click here!

How To Make Rap Beats - Tips For Newbies

Here is another good article that I found :
How To Make Rap Beats - Tips For Newbies

Check it out and let me know what you think!

Let's Make It Happen!!!

Mello Melanin, The Hot Instrumentalist

For more on how to make rap beats, click here!

Jon Jeff.: Top 5 Producers

Wow! I came across this blog like I always do...by looking for new info for you. Jon Jeff does a great job at analyzing the producers however I beg to differ when he places Kayne West as his #1 producer before Quincy Jones!

Jon stated that his Top 3 were interchangable but in MY opinion Kanye ain't even halfway close to Quincy Jones. Period! Point Blank!

He listed Timbaland as #5 based on his last 2 works with Justin Timberlake and his own solo project but I seriously disagree with Jon. Timbaland has been makin' hits since Jodeci and he is very consistent. Jon didn't like some of Tim's sounds but that's what makes him dope to me.

Just Blaze is listed as #4 and he's is truly underrated. Jon again mention's Just Blazes most recent projects and alot of those involved Jay-Z but one of my fav's by Blaze is "Breathe" by Fabolous. The track is SICK!!!

?uestlove took the #3 spot and I can see that. ?uestlove is dope with live instruments and he packs the house with The Roots. He's also very cool down to earth brother. I met him in Portland and he was very humble then after he got on stage he transformed to a deity fa sho.

#2: Quincy Jones??? As I posted on Jon's blog, he ain't even in the same category with the rest of the producers. He's in a class by himself. And anybody who can conduct an orchestra makes anybody that's sampling seem like a kid.

And the #1 spot goes to....Kanye West. My only surprise to this is that he's placed above Quincy Jones. We all have different taste.... Kanye is dope. He has a love/hate relationship with most people as an artist but even those folks that hate his mic skills can't front on his beats at all!!!

To read Jon's full critique click the link below.
Jon Jeff.: Top 5 Producers

Let's Make It Happen!!!

Mello Melanin, The Hot Instrumentalist

P.S. To step your production game up you check out this site: Create Rap Beats.

Here's an interesting review on software to create rap beats

I was checking my Google Alerts for any information concerning producing rap beats and I came across this review of FL Studio. It was from a beginner's perspective and I thought it would be good information to share with you. It's a really simple program to use and as a matter of fact it was used to make Soulja Boy's Grammy nominated smash hit "Superman". Of course you can do more advance things that what you heard on that song. :-)

Here's a screen shot of the software:

Here is the product review:

Click here: FL Studio Review on How To Create Rap Beats

Later...

Mello Melanin

P.S. As always, don't forget to check out The Rap Beat Manual so you can get started making beats today!!!

To Create Rap Beats You Need Plenty of This...

As a new producer, creating rap beats require a great deal of creativity. Alot of people get into the game thinking that just because some other well-known producer made a crappy beat that lacked creativity, they can compete. Well, that's only a half-truth. Remember, sometimes its the lyrics that drive the song...not just the beat.

For example, the 'whisper' song the Yin-Yang Twins did a few years ago called "Wait" was creative in the lyrics but the beat was ummm... just basic to say the least. And no discredit to Mr. Collipark aka DJ Smurf either. He's been dope for a long time...on the mic, the turntables, the production boards, and in the boardroom. Sometimes basic works best though...especially for that particular song.

But sometimes platinum-selling producers don't get creative. They're at a level where they just get money...but that's another story for a different day...

So how do you get creativity? How do you get inspired? And on top of that, how do you capture that inspiration the moment you get it so you don't lose it?

Well, sometimes I get inspired by listening to other Rap and R&B songs. There is nothing like checking out your favorite producer and attempting to duplicate his/her drum patterns, piano riffs, etc. Other times I'm inspired by just being quiet for a while. I mean no radio, no TV, no talking...to anybody! You won't believe what can come through to your mind if you just shut up and be quiet.

Other times creativity will come to me just experimenting with different sounds. I use Reasons 3.0 and it comes standard with plenty of sounds. It's been more than enough for my production needs...and no, I don't receive a penny from the makers of Reasons for making that statement. I can find a sound that I like and build a beat around it.

Now, I know I mentioned being quiet earlier but sometimes you can get inspired by a radio commercial, a TV program, something somebody said on the bus, or even a comedian's joke.

There is no limit to where you can get creativity from. Sometimes just being different from everybody else is considered creative. It's really up to you....

Let's Make It Happen!!!

Mello Melanin, The Hot Instrumentalist

P.S. You can get a ton of creative ideas and examples by clicking here!

Talk about creating rap beats on the Rap Beat Creator

Whassup folks,

Welcome to the Rap Beat Creator! My name is Carlton Lewis also known as Mello Melanin and I create rap beats and Hiphop lyircs.

Please take a look aroung my blog...hang out..click on a few links...bookmark it...and check back regularly for all your rap beat tips.

And don't forget to leave a comment and contribute to some great "how to" produce chats.

Mello Melanin, The Hot Instrumentalist

PS. To learn how to create rap beats, click here!

Why Create Rap Beats?

There are many reasons to create rap beats. Some people create beats for money. Others simply love to create music. For me, I started making rap beats because I loved making music and when I couldn't get the amount of music I needed from other producers, I decided to learn it myself. Your reasons may be different. I kinda evolved into a producer.

Anyway...

What's your story? Why do you want to learn how to create rap beats?

I look forward to your thoughts.

Let's Make It Happen!!!

Mello Melanin, The Hot Instrumentalist

PS. To unlock your hidden gift to create rap beats, click here!