In Hip Hop, we tend to focus on our “hot 16s”.  But do most REALLY understand what it takes for a hot 16 to actually BE a hot 16?   I think it would be beneficial for hip hop, and for music in general, for more artists to focus on making great songs.  It SOUNDS easy, but it’s not!  On one front, you have to focus on an interesting concept and figure out a way to bring it to life.  And at the same time, the listener has to be interested in the track for it to really hold any weight

In hip hop, it really doesn’t matter what “type” of rapper you are to be considered good.  It’s all about delivering lyrics in a way that touches the listener.  Most people that know my tastes in hip hop know that I listen to EVERYTHING that’s dope.  I don’t care where you from…as long as I can feel it, that’s what it’s all about.  I listened to everything from Geto Boys to Common, Ice Cube to Chuck D, E-40 to KRS-ONE, A Tribe Called Quest to MC Ren, Ant Banks and “The Whole Damn Yay” to Outkast and The Dungeon Family, and everything in between.  The underlying theme is that all of these artists have a way of captivating you with their words.  I didn’t become a fan of none of these artists because they were force fed to me on the TV or radio every day like a traditional pop artist.  NONE of these artists deliver “empty”, meaningless music for the sake of just being “pop”ular…and that’s why I’m forever a fan.

This is what you have to deliver, in my opinion, in order to be an elite songwriter.  And this is not just for hip hop, but ANY artist!  Learn how to “travel” when you write…Take the listener on a journey, and come from your HEART when it comes to creativity!  I can FEEL when an artist is delivering a song that is coming from their heart, or a track that you can tell they love while they’re recording it.  When you deliver this kind of honesty on the track, you’ll win every time.  This hip hop thing is so much more than just putting two words together that rhyme.  There’s an element of substance that’s needed in the rap game, and also music in general.  Think about all of the classic soul songs you’ve loved for years.  Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, and Marvin Gaye (to name a few) are epic songwriters.  I continue to learn from artists like these every day.  Just think about all of the inspiration we, as artists, have today.  We have decades upon decades of timeless music to learn from.  Don’t be afraid to embrace it.

If you’re an artist, and you absolutely LOVE music as a bonefide fan, don’t ever forget to remain a student and learn from the greats.  And it’s that humbleness that’ll also take you far…probably farther than you thought you could ever go!