When cash rules everything... Commerce beats art and quantity beats quality. Sad but true

I have a few different hypotheses: 1. In the past, the main way to get discovered was to have a unique sound. You had to be different for labels to even think about meeting with you. Today, young artists can have a song go viral even if it sounds like lots of other music out there. You don’t need a ‘different’ sound to be discovered. 2. The current generation of producers/artists has grown up listening to the same music. Streaming services have made it possible for producers in LA and Toronto to listen to the same music and have the same musical influences. In the past, your exposure to music was heavily influenced by where you lived. Music is global now. Shared experiences/influences = shared sound. 3. Technology was changing faster in the past. A lot of “signature” sounds were based off of whatever physical synth or technology came out (think sample chopping, distortion, 808s, etc). Innovation in technology doesn’t evolve as much year over year like it did before.

I feel like part of it is that people REFUSE to listen to underground or less popular artists. Producers ARE advancing and experimenting, but a fair amount of popular one's aren't.

Producers aren't the problem. The dynamics of the music industry has placed so much emphasis on the bottom line it encourages artists and producers to make safe music via musical formulas that have been proven to work like trap that has been consumed for almost 20 years. Producers and artists that are innovative and that create music that's rooted in authenticity exist but don't always get the backing because it's riskier. Especially hiphop that's conscious and socially aware. It starts with the audience demanding more than just the mediocrity that's force fed to them.

Since I am a producer now, I hear the same beat over and over again in today's Hip Hop. I think the antidote to this is like what you mentioned i.e smaller producers working with smaller artists and developing their own unique sounds together or just rap/sing on your own beats or both. The E-Collab system is just watering down the end product.

Two main problems with producers today: 1. 90% of producers couldn’t tell you where the F key is on a piano, let alone what a chord is or what a progression should resolve to. Basic music knowledge is sorely lacking. 2. Technology today allows for anyone who can click a mouse to grab a bunch of premade loops, which are being used by 1000 other producers, throw them in a DAW and call it a beat. No music knowledge or skill needed.

This is a part of why I listen to a lot of triphop and experimental. it is interesting and textured, it holds nuance and isn't afraid to break convention because essentially it is just a more modern take on jazz in many ways.

As a producer I think that a major problem is also the type beat system. A lot of internet people say that to be discovered you should run a YT channel where you post consistently (so 1 beat a day) and to exploit the algorithm you should keep the same style of beat. So that's why small producers make the every day the same beat over and over again without tring to develop new styles.

I've gotta say just even browsing youtube and beatstars, a lot of beats sound the same. But when you find a unique, well produced beat now a days, it feels like finding gold! Underground producers are the best! They're willing to take more risks and remain unique!

Producers aren't the issue, the audience is. They're the ones that keep the industry pumping out mediocre beats by constantly eating them up.

I’ve been really fond of these collaborative albums that an artist and producer unify to create, without outside producers. Examples jpegmafia/Danny brown, Kaytramine, Gibbs/madlib. I feel these collaborations not only bring back previous attempts of innovation, but also encourage nuance to hip hop

The problem is how easier it has become for anyone to make beats. People no longer have gone through direct/ indirect music theory. Some producers can’t even play an instrument and that takes away the timbre in musicality.

I first started rapping, then learned production, now do the artwork. Its a dope feeling when you can flesh out a concept urself start to finish, and that individual process/style cant be duplicated. 💯

This is why you need to support your local artists, cause those people produce, records and mixes all of their tracks by themselves. And keep their tracks 100% original.

I think the problem with the perspective of it being towards the producers is mainly the fact there are soooo many producers now. The underground producer community is as big as its ever been with the rise of tiktok prods and cheap studio software/free reddit plugins. It’s nearly impossible to be unique because someone has likely already done the exact same thing before. But there is a difference, if you are consistently working on making unique and fun beat’s and practicing you have more of a chance to catch someone’s ear

There are some producers out there that still make me feel that spark I used to feel way back in the 90s/early '00s. Conductor Williams, Daringer, Alchemist, etc. are still bringing the originality imo.

I believe the same can be said for R&B. The production has been watered down to sound and fit like Drake’s style of singing. There are very few artists who are truly singing with passion and not just carrying a note with a song while cussing every two lines lol.

Hip-hop has fully become pop now so this was inevitable unfortunately. Even in the 00s it wasn't at the very top of the music "food chain", now that it is, artists I think just want what works for their 15 minutes of fame. A producer/artist relationship is key though, all the greats had 1 producer (or 1 producer group)

good point, but i think part of the problem are also streaming services. in order to get played in the algorithm or get onto playlist you have to sound similar to other tracks. if you do stuff that is more experimental, it is very tough to get an audience these days

So much good information for young producers (and old like me!). Thanks, bro! Very nicely done across the board...

We’re ignoring the fact that artists are requesting the same beats. When the artist aren’t choosing the different beats we have no choice but to make what they’re requesting. I believe it’s also on the artists to choose the next sound. We only making what’s being requested. That’s business 101.

this video has kicked off a great conversation in the replies, loving what I'm reading here. It's great to see so many people are still passionate about this. I do struggle severely with burnout and haven't composed anything for over a decade, swamped with other commitments and numbing myself with drugs in the limited time I have to myself. I do want to get back into making music again one day and seeing the love for the craft in places like this video and this comment section inspires me to get back into it again.

The issue is rap is mainstream and the mainstream doesn't care about furthering the art form. I've seen songs get dragged because they're not using the same triplet flow and heavy base 808s as everybody else. I feel like this is also true with female pop vocalists. I didn't even realize how many of them were out at the moment because they literally all sound the exact same

Some artists are to blame too. Why do I say that? Because recently I heard an interview from Producergrind (shout-out to them) and they were interviewing Turbo who produces for Young Thug, Lil Baby, Gunna, etc. His biggest record is Drip Too Hard (which went diamond). He said on his interview when he was working with Young Thug that everytime he saw him which was maybe everyday he wanted a new beat pack. So when you got artists like Thug who want a new batch of beats as much as possible, how can a producer that want placements take time and be creative? I agree totally with this video tho. You got super producers like Southside that makes 50 trap beats a night. So what is that telling new producers trying to make it? That I gotta make microwave beats to keep up. It's crazy

This video speaks to what and why I haven't been listening to a lot of Hip Hop today. Even being a producer I don't listen to it so that I can keep my creativity fresh and not trying to be like EVERY OTHER producer now. I love the fact Navie of how you detailed every valid point to hip hop now even with the research! Great video family and I am glad some one has said this! Blessings!

It’s interesting seeing the stuff that happened to rock happen to you guys now, what’s eerie though is when it happened to us we knew hip hop was coming next, I still have yet to see a dominant sound emerge for the next wave of popular music (I guess 80’s maybe? But I feel like that’s already coming to it’s end as well)

This is a rly good video I had no idea abt any of this!!!

Agreed. I think technology and internet have made things so easy that mass production of beats and lyrics has become the focal point vs innovative creation. The genius of a producer or rapper used to be celebrated by stories of how they perfected their craft - whether it be the producer who spent 3 full days finding the perfect snare for one single part of a song, or the rapper who took a full week on one verse. Seems like now mass production and speed are celebrated more - how fast someone can make a beat and how quickly the artist turns it in to a song, which leads to everything sounding the same.

Great subject that needs to be talked about: -In the years 1980-2000 when beats were mainly sample based, producers had to be musical expert and pull from many genre outside of hiphop. Rock, jazz, classical, movie soundtrack... from drums to melodies to bass everything needed to be sampled and put together from scratch. Now 90% of producers are using VST's presets and sample pack. Also most young producers nowaday only listen to hiphop which doesn't help. -The social media algorithm values quantity over quality. Before, artists would work on their project for 2 years before dropping their album. But now you have to release stuff often or the algorithm will leave you behind. Which means no time to reinvent yourself. -Autotune really lowered the bar so much when it comes to riding a beat. All a producer needs is a fat bass, autotune and social media clout to make a song blow up. -Overpowered computers. Limitation brings creativity. When a sampler had only 10 sec memories and 4 track, producers needed to be scientist to really pull the best out of their groovebox/synthesizer. Now all you got to do is torrent the latest hot vst and that's it.

KennyBeats' series The Cave has made him my favorite producer. I love the energy of the artists he brings on and you can tell they're friends not just business partners

The eCollab style doesn't seem to kill innovation in rap as much as it just makes every song sound disjointed as hell without any fun or groove focused parts because too many people are tinkering with the production (Jack Harlow's "First Class" is a great example of this). It's merely a textbook example of having too many cooks in the kitchen (aka the law of diminishing returns).

Seeing JPEG live was a game changer. He really runs his own show and it's super inspiring

Well said ! An other big issue is the beats vlog that keep popping up on KZfaq. I see industry producers making 5 beats in an hour or even less and basically every beat is the same. These beats have zero "personality", there are just oversaturated sounds that producers know that work in the industry. I think that harms a lot the community as newer producers think they should do the same to succeed, apart from the vlogs interviews of producers saying how to get placements and build your connections is very bad as well. All of them say the same things, but I haven't seen any them say how to be creative and follow your own path to success. This why I don't like the industry, everything is about money and zero risk is taken

great video im glad you touched on this topic bro

That feeling first hit me back in 1993 when sampling had its first sharp dive and the producer overtook the role that the DJ once held.

I’m a singer/songwriter, and I started out as just a producer, back before beatstars was really popping off, I used to feel like rappers never picked the beats that would make the best songs. It’s like they wanted the song to be finished without vocals on it. I focused on solely my own work and now I honestly say “no” to working with most rappers. Unfortunately for a lot of people it really isn’t about the art, and I think what we are about to see is a large “culling of the herd” when it comes to musicians who didn’t get into it for the right reasons.

you nailed it. I never did a collab, and people thinks its wrong, but thats what I "feel": I wanna make "my beat", then will see what happens. If someone likes the loops or the drums I can easily extract, but I keep developing both beat making and composing.

I would like to point out artists like Rico nasty for experimenting with production. She's one of the few people I've heard rap on a hyper pop beat as well as always doing something leaning towards punk or metal

The group system is more intimate and hands on which is why OutKast has so many classics An intimate sit down with the artists are what creates timeless work

Totally great and timely topic to bring up. On top of the situation mentioned here, there are a few other major systemic probs… “Type beats” are reinforcing the tendency to play it safe as possible as well as condition a producer to spend more energy learning the techniques and tropes of another producer or trend and being rewarded for it more easily than trying to stand out. They end up learning for example, how to use their daw’s sampler to do NY drill bass glides, clipping, maybe some saturation and ducking it under the kick as you would hear in a pop smoke track, instead of learning how to produce bass in a more general sense and being capable of doing something creative with it, so they can just replicate or build on it a little at best. Another far more difficult issue is that the audience is getting very comfortable with this context where even some name brand producers “signature sound” is only a slight deviation from others and anything that drifts too far from what we used to call “signage sounds” is now being considered genres. The best way I can explain this, is take the recent developments in NJ Club/Drill tracks by Bandmanrill’s producer, MCvert (the tag “project project x x, yo mc make another hit”) should be MCvert’s sound, even though he may use some cliches from previous Jersey Club, he’s also revolutionized its application in hip hop and even if his beats have a very similar rhythm, at least it’s HIS sound (as far as my knowledge of that scene goes), but now we have other producers globally replicating that sound and we are calling MCvert’s sound, “Jersey club”. It would be like if in 1995 you had tons of producers emulating RZA down to the Kung Fu samples and calling it “Kung Fu Soul” and hearing it from countless producers, using endless prepackaged sample packs already starting with a loop that comes from the same records RZA was pulling from. RZA in fact probably wouldn’t have his iconic status or anything close to it because it would get lost in a sea of imitations. Worst part is the music fans are getting very used to this situation and afraid to stray far from the carbon copies of a few unique sounds being thrown at them.

I would think it helps to not only put your projects out if you’re a producer but also to make sure that said projects feature your most creative (and perhaps most “off the wall”) bodies of work.

This is so true about getting innovative ideas to artists, loop makers and producers are just making lazy music because its easy to get placed and it doesnt challenge the artists. As a producer myself im trying to start this new sound called 'Neural Music' which is a mix of trap, soundtrack, percussion, industrial and ambience. At the moment non of my beats actually reflect this on my youtube as its a type beat channel however on my Instagram I showcase it more. Now me trying to push this sound without direct connetions to an artist is almost impossible as most producers just dont have the mindset or clarity on how to push a sound or don't want to make the artists uncomfortable. Which is why in my case as person trying to bring a new sound I have to create drirect connections or close connections. For Producers it's also the lack of people that listen to different music as a music producer you should listen to all types of music to draw new ideas but sadly most hip hop producers just listen to hip hop. Personally I bearly listen to rap, more on the side of soundtrack music, industrial music, and ambient music. Which is why I have my sound. So what im getting at is a solution for producers is to do your best to create a direct connection with artists and not going through other producers for your oppurtunities. Also for producers to explore more genres of music so they create their own sound. Because nowadays if i go through my loop email most loops or melodies sound exactly the same, same sounds, same effects and just lazy overall. More thought has to be put into it for us producers to create new ideas.

the biggest problem i’ve noticed is producers who ONLY use loops. I am by no means against chopping samples, but i’ve seen way too many producers just drag loops into FL and throw in a drum loop and call it their beat

I think part of the problem is also the music labels that are not letting music evolve. You see newer producers redefining the sounds with super trap for example and different kinds of beats but they aren’t being utilized. Recently I discovered a new artist getting pushed online and he’s literally just a Nav clone. Same can be said for many new artists that are popping up outta nowhere. Labels realize what is selling and they are capitalizing and milking it as much as possible until they are forced to look at more ways to push the music forward and evolve.

Honestly this is why I just dont collab with producers...I want no one to mess with my beats period.

I definitely do agree with some comments that say it’s the fan base. I say that because we as fans/viewers/listers push mediocre sounds to the forefront and that’s what the labels run with. I watched a video from the breakfast club and Stephanie Mills said which I ageee with that nowadays they only push mainstream songs on the radio while talented artists suffer while back then you had various variety’s on the radio pop/rock/hip hop/soul/gospel etc we need to as a collective bring that back!!!😊

Thank you for bringing that topic on the table. I’m making beats myself and I always blame myself for not liking the main stream of beats on beatstars. But these beats are being sold like crazy. It’s hard for me to hold my place in all this.

That's why underground music is so good, its unique and the beats are unique.

This is well thought out great video. Thx for this.

you’re 100% right. i started noticing i changed my style of music to try to get placements. i eventually stopped making music all together. u can clearly see this e collab system when u see 4 producers make a loop from europe place a beat on lil baby album

honestly this was really thought provoking. having this ecollab system means no one can understand, be on board with, and be on the same page with the ideas that are presented

lots of amazing music out there. keep diggin

I used to play shows and collaborate with a bunch of artists while I was studying in another city. They became my best friends and we made some very special music together that I'll always treasure. When I finished studies, I moved to my hometown to work. I tried my hand at the youtube game and sending out beats to artists, but it quickly became stale and I ended up hating it. Sending beats to rappers online, everyone playing the numbers game left a sour taste in my mouth. I thought I'd lost my passion for music or that I'd somehow lost my talent. What I realised years down the track is that the connection I had with those artists is what made music such a special thing to me. I tried time and time again to recreate the sounds, or the energy but it was never the same! Sometimes I look back and wonder how I even came up with an idea. The music I made then represented a specific moment in my life, a connection, and being in the same room with people a million times more talented than me made me up my game. I would urge the new generation to get out of the basement and into the lab with a bunch of random artists. You might make some of the best music you'll ever make.

I like your argument and the points you brought up. I would also add that there seem to be a lot more people down for tagging along knowing other artists have already seen success doing one thing versus trying something new which is risky and more of an uphill battle. Essentially we have a lot of peeps trying to take shortcuts, being lazy so just hopping on bandwagons and also people who are in it more for clout and material things.

Well said sir!! Excellent insight and explanation. Yeah hip hop already has one foot in the grave. We truly need a rap renaissance!!

The last time I was super excited for hip hop was when I first heard Griselda. I come from the boom bap era. My goat producers are Dre DJ Premier and Timbo. Dilla too. It felt like you were getting a collab between a great rapper and a great producer. The music now feels lifeless and vapid.

Man this video is just encouraging me to be more innovative with my music

Drill and the Griselda Movement are sth fresh!!

I agree, way too many middle man and that coupled with the greed of these record labels makes a terrible combination that is bound to destroy art. Art is meant to be kept raw, not processed and artificial.

The other obvious fact that you failed to mention is the one thing that ALL of those producers you initially listed had in common, they all used samples. Every one of them. That has always been the main key to success for Hip Hop, regardless of the ECollab system. It was the samples that made classic hip hop great. Now, apply that to trap music. How often do you hear samples in trap music? It happens, but it's very rare. And it's usually a well known /legendary producer who has migrated into this generation of trap music that has made a trap beat using samples. Most new producers won't use samples because this generation is lame a.f and doesn't give credit to their predecessors. That disconnect, and the seemingly new sound that arises out of that rebellious spirit of disrespect, is what has led to this new garbage music that is only connected by way of the name of the genre. The disconnect is the problem. That's my assessment.

You can hate Ye all you want but the dude has been pushing the sound of hip-hop for ages

Amazing video and insights. This is a major reason I changed my focus to EDM and it’s sub genres. EDM is WAY more producer focused while hip-hop is more rapper focused. Innovations are almost sought out in dance music compared to other genres and the sound palette is so much wider you can truly develop your own sound that no one else has.

Great video!! I agree with everything you said! I also think in part, Artist are to blame as well. I think artist are in such a hurry to blow up that they tend to want beats that sound popular and closer to what’s already working with other artist and less inclined to make what’s true to them as an artist regardless if it is successful or not. Producers play a role in this as well because they want placements and the fastest way to do that is to make music that artist want, which are beats that sound like other music that’s already popular.

My buddy has been producing since the mid 90’s. He was on the G unit album beg for mercy. He doesn’t even bother producing for rappers anymore. He just does beats for TV shows.

100% agree! Had to watch this video, as soon as it popped up. I thought it was maybe just me, been so bored with music lately. Trying to figure out if I was getting old, or the music was getting less innovative and exciting. I want something new, but anytime something new comes out I am underwhelmed. Thank you for this video and your expertise.

Can’t blame producers for what the artist are choosing to rap on

I'm a little late on the discussion. I wasn't aware of that. It explains a lot. I agree the system needs to be changed. Great video and breakdown. Props!

Wow thanks for this. I felt in my gut that brilliant people weren't getting through but didn't know how or why.

I think that more producers need to be open in communicating with artists when working with each other. I can say that a lot of the artists I worked with have told me that I’m the first producer they worked with that is involved with the song and help push the song. It also helps to release instrumental singles too that way producers can get an idea what an artist should do. Overall I’m glad that this conversation was presented 🐉🙌🏽

This is why 15 years deep into this game I still do business in the old way and I make 100% of my beats from scratch

great video!

I still think there is a lot of originality and uniqueness. It’s just now with streaming the ‘safe’ sound is a lot more accessible and would obviously overwhelm those who don’t know where to look or have the want to do so

This is probably the main reason why I mostly listen to underground music, There's some amazing innovative and especially creative music that never reaches the masses. I sometimes find artists that become some of my favourites even though they only have something crazy like 500 monthly listeners on Spotify.

You just spoke out what I‘m thinking since I began producing. In the times of Beatstars, beat production has been industrialized and there is tons of the same generic beats. This makes it not only to a massively available good, it’s also really unpersonal. You distribute something online and it gets used and there is no more work done by yourself on the project. Furthermore, your statement proves once more what I preach almost everyday: if you want to be a good artist you need a custom sound and a custom production which can only achieved by working with one or two producers intensively. Buying beats here and there won’t give you a unique and custommade sound. But this is the key to uniqueness. This is why I completely shut down my beatstars store and began establishing more intensive relationships to artists. I prefer working one on one in sessions over sending beats out anyway. I‘m really selective about who I work with instead of trying to get a placement at all cost. In the long run this will probably a better strategy.

Most rap producers don’t know much about music theory, so while software makes it easy to compose something, they still don’t always know when they’re in key, how to write a good chord progression, etc. Sampling good music worked because you just had to match it to the rest of what you were doing. Maybe play your own melody on a keyboard but on top of other stuff that was good and it’s like you’re suddenly in the pocket.

This is why I love metro boomin, kenny beats, take a day trip, and pasqué (aminé prod), they usually collab with their fav artists only who know their sounds and mostly do the whole production process instead of pulling loops and put a trap drum on it

From the Message by Grandmaster Flash, to the Lyrical Flows of Bone thugs n Harmony. We had so much different Diversity and Styles. Today: Trap, Trap and more Bubble Wrap. Even in bloody Movie Trailers!

I’m glad that this is being said. As a person that didn’t grow up with 90s hip-hop I did grow up with early 2000s and mid 2010s music. I really wish that prods were way more creative with their approach to beat making. HECK I wouldn’t even call these new guys prods they’re just beat makers no more no less. There’s no passion anymore. This is coming from a fkg GenZ.

I’ve been feeling this way for the past couple years. Lately I’ve been listening to just about everything except rap, mostly pop and slow ballads from the 70’s

hey Navie, I just want to give a shott out to you. you're one of the realist ones! I've became a fan not too long ago. you set the record straight, no beating around the bush all hands on deck attitude! you let people know what they need to know if they like it or not! that's the type of circle I'm attracted to. now in regards to this tinkle bell generation were these kids grow up to be influenced with these guys with no skills. these people don't put there hart and soul into music no more, some do but most not. plus you need a team effort someone needs to step up to the plate and say this is wrong that is wrong, this shit is garbage! and throw the tape away! ima an 80's kid and I don't listen to the radio at all no more, it just irritates me when I listen to radio and part of the problem is these soft dj's that put money over talent. if I was a dj, I would charge more for people telling me to play they song and I know it's wack! I'll charge they ass an extra fee for wasting my time for playing this garbage. I can go on and on with this pathetic music industry, but for now I'm just concerned about how we can turn this ship around! I'm a producer myself. I started long ago when they created that chump ass mumble rapping! I was about to beat the odds, but I've gotten into some trouble and got locked up and been away from my equipment for a long time. now I'm trying to get back in the game, I know alot has changed since then with this robo rap and AI shit. i have beats that actually have rhythm and make people groove and dance on the the dance floor, instead of nodding off on the wall my program is 90's flavor! its ashame ive took time off, i would have knocked a dent in the rap game long time ago ,but nowI'm looking up to you now and want you to give me some education and knowledge on how to defeat this whatever it is corrupt machine "all hands on deck" with me! let's charge and defeat this discrepancy and never look back!

Dang, these were exactly my thoughts these past few years! As a producer, I started out just making music that I ENJOYED making, and then after a few years of doing that I wanted to branch out and experience the idea of making beats for artists. After trying that for a year or so, I didn't like that the unique songs that I spent hours making didn't gain traction, but the "simple" beats did. So I stopped my subscription to beatstars, which is what I was using to sell my beats and went back to making music I enjoy. Since then, I've published over 170 songs, most of which I enjoyed creating and listening to. Every song is unique, and has some sort of meaning to it, giving it life. That's a bit of my take on this video's topic. I 100% agree with everything you've said, and you've gained a new subscriber! Good luck on your grind, Navie D!

This makes a whole lot of sense. I've been producing for 20 years now and I've always had my own style, it's not something everyone goes for. But one thing I've never even considered is not going directly to artists or a "director" with my work, and instead passing it through 4 or 5 other hands. Innovation dies when that many minds have a chance to alter or dismiss it.

As a a person that listen to Dance Hall,yes, thank you for pointing out that some hip-hop songs need a good beat.

I kind of agree, there is actually a lot of innovation in my opinion, just not in the mainstream, especially in producers. Bigger Artists such as yeat n midwxst have been using new genres of beats such as hyperpop n vaportrap. These genres are pretty niche and really show the talent that new producers have. Some new albums that I would recommend with these innovative beats would be Xhulooo - Nvrlast, heygwuapo - insensate, n Rich Amiri - For the better. These have some fresh sounds n arent as mainstream

I think the problem is that producing is just way easier now… Producers back in the day had to be these wizards that knew everything about music theory, drums, mixing techniques etc. Because back then there were no websites with sample libraries you could subscribe to for 10 bucks a month that give you the most beautiful royalty free melody loops you can think of. We now have drum kits you can buy for 20 bucks that give you the sounds EVERYONE uses, even the best of the best. People back in the day litteraly needed to go to record stores and find sounds through old songs, hoping they find gold. sometimes it would take days, weeks or even YEARS to have s good sound kit. You dont even have to be that good at making music to be a succesfull music producer nowadays. It’s all about connections now. So the top producers might not be the greatest musicians ever but that’s because… they DONT have to be. So the people on top are basically just good business people rather than good musicians. And that’s the problem

really good analysis and it was very clear and concise.

Hiphop is about 40-50 years old now. To me it makes sense that a genre changes a lot in the beginning and stabalizes after a couple of decades. When hiphop was a baby everything was new and fresh and there was so much to discover still. Maybe we've reached a time where so much has been done already that it is very hard to be unique.

This was a very thorough and valid analysis brother. You nailed it and perfectly articulated the effects of the new system, in my opinion. No shade at all to those who work in this fashion. After all, business is business. But we certainly can not deny the impact that this business model has had on the degree of innovation, within Hip Hop, that we are used to.

Great video. A lot of what you said was very informative about how the current industry works. I also think that back then there were more isolated groups of people. Seems like now with only a certain sound getting exposure more producers are being influenced by the same sound and standard.

It might not be the system it might be the fact that they are all just using premade sounds and loops as opposed to starting from scratch.

i’ve been staying up getting 4 hours of sleep average for almost 2 years now tryna learn how to produce, mix, and rap on my own stuff cause i’m so sick of rage. glad to see i’m not wrong

Well spoken, but another problem that may cause this is that making music is becoming very accessible for everyone and how many people are really enyoing the process of it? The main focus for some producers is just the money, because of how the industry is built today. They are just simply following a formula on making beats and that's where the actual creativity dies. I hope something changes soon, but it's gonna be hard as Rick said, not everyone is gonna like the new innovation. But keep up the good work bro cus I really enjoy this channel, much love!🙌

V inspiring Navie! Sometimes I feel like my output isn't enough but I'd rather make 5 beats a week that I acc care about than 30 that are mid, problem is it's too easy to get into the routine and actual innovation doesn't feel like progress, but it's the essence of what we're doing! Fs gonna cook up now 👌

not enough people are saying how producers have to copy the hot sound because RAPPERS dont want experimental beats with new sounds, they wanna rap on what's poppin.

Good video 👍🏼. How often do you get that you look like Karim Benzema?

Great video I think this is an interesting concept. I remember Russ saying something along those lines a few years ago. A point that should also be made to elevate what you’ve said is that Artist should also be looking for something innovative as well. The ecollab can create limitations to this like you said but I think it’s a 50/50 split on artist/producer to be pushing for a reinvention of what hip hop music should sound like

Definitely an accurate analysis of the current state of music production. 💯 Here's another aspect I believe that needs to be addressed... We believe this particularly speaks to another huge issue and potentially the biggest reason why music production is in this place... That is.. Producers lack income generated from their music...It breaks down like this.... Producers we lack income because we lack exposure... We lack exposure because we lack distribution of our music... We lack distribution of music because we lack leverage... And leverage is what allows us to get more doing less... So ultimately because us producers we lack in these areas it forces us to cling on to the idea of creating "Popular sounding music" Because we're so pressed by a desire to make money with our music we are willing to forgo being creative or setting our sites on changing the game with some type of new innovative sound. When the primary goal is making money because money is so scarce... Creativity takes the back seat 100% of the time... Unfortunately we won't see a change until producers have system of "Leverage" That takes care of the lack of money problem. When producers are no longer in a position where they have to put creativity second to focusing on how they're going to make money with their music... Then we'll get back to creative innovation 💯

Thank you madlib for providing this insight

I’ve been saying this for yeeaarrrss! It’s true! Thank you for making this video!

The problem with being boring is not having a subject or goal in a song. there could be a lot of people in a collab track that makes a unique and great song. for example, the Astroworld album by travis scott probably has the same amount of producers that jack harlow has. Still, we all can agree Astroworld has an impact on music. the problem is if you don't have a subject, u gonna probably going to talk about fame, money, women, or what you did. the same problem with beats is they don't follow a feeling or genre. they just do it. collaborations can be great if everyone chases the same goal.