Updated 7/27: Hip-Hop purveyors, here's 2 songs. What you think?

[Peppers90 NC]

take me back to the sauce

[top dawg]

His second effort, @AggieLean @Porn Shop Clerk @MechaZain 

 

[Porn Shop Clerk]

Really?  Just his second track?  Pretty damn impressive.  I really like the intro. Yeah this is a groove.

[AggieLean]

Going to listen now. Will give feedback in the morning 

[Porn Shop Clerk]

I prefer longer, richer, deeper material but he's got all the tools he needs to be something really special one day as long as he keeps working to flesh out his techniques and styles.

[Porn Shop Clerk]

^I'd add an R&B breakdown, something different from the rest of the track but still fits (that's where it gets tricky) with another verse a chorus fade and push the song length to 3:30 or 4 minutes.

[Porn Shop Clerk]

stepping up the pace on the final verse for a progressive finish would be nice.  i know he can do it.

[top dawg]

5 minutes ago, Porn Shop Clerk said:

stepping up the pace on the final verse for a progressive finish would be nice.  i know he can do it.

I'll definitely relay your thoughts. 

A kind of R&B intermission that breaks but flows within the context of the song simultaneously. I think I get it. I'm trying to steer him away from trying to be Drake-ish though because I don't think he has the chops. That being said, a little harmonizing doesn't hurt sometimes. As for the length, my wife and I (and others) suggested that it was too short.

I appreciate it.

[Porn Shop Clerk]

Yeah a sweet little "filler" piece to give it more depth.  The final verse showing off his talents would add a nice layer of character development to the song, a hero's journey if you will, from doubt to confidence, like a phoenix rising from the ashes of their own crucible.

[Porn Shop Clerk]

breakdown/final verse/chorus/fade

[Porn Shop Clerk]

He could be so much better than drake in all honesty.  See if you can get him to dig into some old Outkast, Wu, Bone, etc if you haven't already.

[E CaT PanTHer 2]

To be honest, way too many effects on his voice. Studios give you the luxury of autotune, reverb, and delays, but it seems like all 3 are excessively used in this song. A studio song should sound as close as possible to a live performance, with a few added nuances to give it that sonic boost, but in this particular case, I don't think he could come anywhere close to sounding like this live. Just something to ponder if he wants to pursue his music career further. 

Additionally, lyrically he doesn't have much substance. Hip hop should be about tackling a particular subject and delivering a specific message about that issue. Throwing a bunch of lyrics together, using excessive auto tune, and boasting about how great you are is so played out thst those rappers are a dime a dozen these days. If he wants to stand out from the crowd and be different, he has to offer something unique to the game. Just my 2 cents. 

[top dawg]

16 minutes ago, E CaT PanTHer 2 said:

To be honest, way too many effects on his voice. Studios give you the luxury of autotune, reverb, and delays, but it seems like all 3 are excessively used in this song. A studio song should sound as close as possible to a live performance, with a few added nuances to give it that sonic boost, but in this particular case, I don't think he could come anywhere close to sounding like this live. Just something to ponder if he wants to pursue his music career further. 

Additionally, lyrically he doesn't have much substance. Hip hop should be about tackling a particular subject and delivering a specific message about that issue. Throwing a bunch of lyrics together, using excessive auto tune, and boasting about how great you are is so played out thst those rappers are a dime a dozen these days. If he wants to stand out from the crowd and be different, he has to offer something unique to the game. Just my 2 cents. 

I hear you. It's kind of an old way of thinking though that doesn't necessarily fit in with the reality today. There is an up and coming artist called Bleu Vandross aka Yung Bleu who is getting numbers. And of course he isn't the only one. Though he sounds very little like his production live, people don't seem to care. 

 

I pretty much think that it's been established that hip-hop is not static and is evolving. This includes in production and mastering, and lyrically as well  I don't think anyone can say with any authority anymore as to what hip-hop should be, because it is what it is. It is essentially what millions of consumers and people who are investing in it say it is. Just my opinion.

[E CaT PanTHer 2]

41 minutes ago, top dawg said:

I hear you. It's kind of an old way of thinking though that doesn't necessarily fit in with the reality today. There is an up and coming artist called Bleu Vandross aka Yung Bleu who is getting numbers. And of course he isn't the only one. Though he sounds very little like his production live, people don't seem to care. 

 

I pretty much think that it's been established that hip-hop is not static and is evolving. This includes in production and mastering, and lyrically as well  I don't think anyone can say with any authority anymore as to what hip-hop should be, because it is what it is. It is essentially what millions of consumers and people who are investing in it say it is. Just my opinion.

Most definitely. I mean it's a song I can definitely jam to. He's got a great delivery and a great flow, and if that's what he's looking for, then nothing else matters. I mean Drake doesn't offer much substance these days, but picking catchy beats and writing catchy hooks can really stick, like "in my feelings" which hasn't just taken the country by storm, but the entire world.

The only thing is he has to make a name for himself first, and that's where I feel he needs be unique to stand out from the crowd. Once he does that and develops a fan base, he can do whatever he wants. 

You stated this is only his 2nd song, so I'm assuming he's relatively young. As long as he keeps pursuing, he'll evolve and eventually find his niche. He's got the tools to be very successful.