Young Producers

Yo, I love hype! It's great at a hip hop show. It's great at a party. Hell, it even worked going into a couple of midterms and finals in college. But one place hype is in abundance and needs to be tempered is in YOUNG PRODUCERS! Yeah, I am referring to just what you think I am - young cats...between 18-21 who own a studio, are "making beats" and maybe got one or two industry connects *I know somebody, who's boi knows someboy, who's girlfriend is the niece of...* Since embarking on this journey known as my music career I've run into a couple. And let me tell you they are exhausting. I am not that damn old - a tender succulant 22, is all - but the cats I am referring to come up to my shoulder, are rocking the most gaudy *oversized bubble/bug-eyed armani/versace/chanel/i'ont even know shades or an old-rememer-when-"Hey Yeah"-by Andre 3000- and even before then-when-diddy ran the city Mohawk* "industry type fashions and are HYPE as hell. While they are well intentioned (I may have been a little harsh on them back there) and may come up with some hot beats, I'ont trust 'em. It's like the HYPE plugs up their ears and everything AND I mean EVERYTHING is HOT!

Young Producer talk:
*Yo, that's hot right there*
*This gonna be a classic*
*Wow, this is bananas*

Elle B:
*Um, we've been a recording studio for four hours, anything finished is gonna sound great"
*I hate Bananas*
(just kidding, I really love bananas the fruit, just the one's that Young Producers be talking about)

I was working with M, on a project to submit to this girl group, Sorella. We were referred to the infamous Phonix aka Darius and Tyler. First of all, I'll say they are sweethearts. But, we referred to Phonix, Tyler met us at the studio (an hour late) with Phonix in tow another hour late. In the meantime, Tyler is telling us about this new girl group he's starting (the girls are 13-15 and he's 19) called Sirens. I already know a girl group called Sirens, but, whatever I guess the name is up for grabs until someone makes it big. This group is supposed to be international and all modeled after some "Diva" like Mariah Carey. When we asked Tyler more about the group, he said, think "Glitter, Fragrant, Sexy"

And we're done, here.

The next producer, I've yet to work with and I am not sure that I am going to call him. I just don't know how much I can take, really. My boi, D Mitch from undergrad used to play ball with this cat in HS. This new producer is "doing his thing" although I am not quite sure what that is, but I was invited to his 21st bday party at club XES. Well, I'll just say this, first impressions are important because when me and my girl SD walked into the party, we felt as though we were at a Disney Channel casting call. We say Miles from Moesha - drunk as hell celebrating his 19th and some kid from That's So Raven *who tried to "hit" on me a couple of years ago at a Tavis Smiley Youth 2 Leaders Event* Anyways, when I was finally introduced to the new producer, he was so freaking HYPE. Granted it was his birthday and he might have been under the influence, but the convo when a little something like this"

New Young Producer:
*Yo, anything you need, anything you want, just le me know*
*My brother's an engineer, I put on shows, Marcus (aka Miles) be in the studio rapping*

Elle B.
*Fa sho, I'm gonna call you.*
(Thinking to myself, you'ont even know me to be this damn HYPE. I could sound like shit and write the same way)

Anyways, the point of this tirade was to simply say that a producer can't be effective to an artist, if he is too HYPE about everything and has no objective point of view. This problem is not just found in Young Producers, but the problem persist there in outstanding numbers. My diagnosis of the issue is that there are just too many cats, with disposable income, who get a studio and the latest sound gear, ie ProTools, Reason, and MPC, Phantom keyboard, Condensor Mic and a closet for recording, and call themselves a PRODUCER. All you've got is HYPE without any substantial musical knowledge. When we finished recording the song for Sorella, I called Tyler to tell him that we need to change some of the orchestration (the track was pretty much a loop) for the bridge and the outro... Never did I hear him so quite before. Where'd the HYPE go?

This is part of the problem with the arrogance of Kanye, but I'll save that for another day.

*The Beatnix are young, but they've got a real music background*