Canadian Beat Makers Represent at North by Northeast Beat Battle
As many of you are learning as Canadian MC Drake blows up all over the world, Canada’s got talent. This is our first post on a beat battle up north of the border but I’m sure there will be more as we ramp up publication.
Here’s a recap of what went down and a good write up on the winner – Toronto’s own Rich Kidd
North by Northeast Beat Battle Recap
The Best Producers All Have It
The Best In The World all have one thing in common: Originality
I love sports. Right now, as a Lakers & Dodgers fan I’m lovin it. The main thing I love about the champions story is the hard work they put in to get to the top. Yes there’s always a degree of talent, but raw talent doesn’t win championships. Raw talent doesn’t get you to that spot:
Best In The World.
To get there you have to put in more effort than everyone else. That extra work is what puts you on top.
In the beat business we’ve got the Billboard Charts. Every week they crown the top artist, producer, and writer. Not only do they present the trophy, they list the starting lineup of the winning team right under the song title. It was reading those names and learning how they got there that made me want to make beats and be a part of this business. And I wanted to be the best.
Back then the same names would show up more often than not: Babyface, Jam and Lewis, Teddy Riley, and eventually Jodeci then Timbaland. These were the R&B charts before hip hop got officially added later in the 90s. One trend I noticed was that they all had biters. Bad. People made whole careers biting there styles.
As a fan that kinda pissed me off, but as a kid trying to be a producer it appeared to present an opportunity. If I could do what they do, I can get to the top too. So I made beats and wrote songs that matched what was on the charts to build my skills and to mimic the best.
That was cool while I was learning but realistically, you can’t outplay somebody at their own game. You eventually have to do your own thing or you can only ever be as good as second place. The leader got that top spot for a reason: They’re the original.
The original dunk from the free throw line?
Dr. J
The original sky hook?
Kareem
The original tongue wag?
Jordan
You just can’t do those things and ever fully claim that top spot. Not working. You’ll always owe some part of your success to the original.
In each case with those Best In The World producers, the biters eventually got so bad (good?) that they diluted the style and played out the sound altogether. It just wasn’t hot when everybody sounded like that. (AutoTuned vocals anyone?)
In response the originals did what only the original can; they pushed things to another level. They went back to the lab and raised the bar on the copycats. They had that ability because they had done the work to get there in the first place. They were comfortable in the lead position and used to building the own path to walk. The original leads while other follow.
When the originals make that next move, the copycats all sound dated. The same scenario plays out over and over again. Snoop & Dre, R Kelly, Kanye, – they’ve all have had to switch up styles to stay ahead of the pack. As they elevate the game, some of the copycats will take what they’ve learned and go on to build their own path to walk. Others will just go away or remain second tier producers with no hopes of ever reaching that top spot. They aren’t starving. I’m not saying there isn’t a market for what they do. I’m just saying they’ll never be the best.
For my money, I’d rather keep striving. Working to push my own style through the crowd. I’ve yet to reach that top spot, but I’m in the gym every day working on my game. Working on moves no ones ever seen before.
Stay Thirsty My Friends
A-Zar
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