Is It Ever Too Late?

The question many people ask when wanting to be a professional musician is, is it ever too late?  More to the point, is it ever too late to achieve your dreams or change the present course of your life?  Or are you forever doomed to accept your current lot in life?…..Continue reading

Flow and Delivery VS Rhymes and Complexity

There is often a debate as to what is the most important aspect for a rapper. Flow and delivery vs rhymes and complexity.

A lot of rappers make this mistake when they get passed the beginners stage and start to really develop their lyrics beyond simply rhyming.  I myself have been guilty of this one in the past.Continue reading

Rap Battling VS Songwriting

There has been vast increase in popularity of battle rap over recent years.  This has lead to a debate over whether rappers should venture into rap battling vs songwriting.  I touched on this in an old post where I talked about the battle between Canibus VS Dizaster.

The rap battle scene has been growing steadily over the years.  There was a time when a battle was something that would break out spontaneously between rappers and it was often very improvised and less pre-planned.  Nowadays battles are far more scripted.  Many are setup as big events almost like boxing, with rappers going away weeks to months in advance reading up on each other preparing their disses for the big event.  Battling now seems to be far more of a separate entity from that of making rap songs.  If we were having this debate during the pre-youtube era it would be far more clear cut in favour of songwriting but with the growth and popularity of battling the answer is no longer so obvious.Continue reading

The Bog Standard EP

Ah yes, The Bog Standard EP.  This post is all about my very first release by that very title, The Bog Standard EP.  I originally decided on that title as a kind of play on words what with all the toilet jokes that come with being called ‘Lav’.

At this point in time my main up and coming project is my debut album Lord of the Dead.  I’m really excited about this project especially with it’s completion edging ever closer.  That being said I decided to spare a thought for my very first project.  The Bog Standard EP. Continue reading

How Can An Artist Be Unique?

How can an artist be unique?  In this day and age it seems like a difficult task amongst the vast array of artists out there.

By unique I mean the ability to stand out amongst the other artists.  In many cases innovating and bringing something new to one’s creative endeavour.  Much like the development of a new genre of music.  Or the pushing of the boundaries of a particular genre by taking it in a new creative direction.Continue reading

To Sample Or Not To Sample??

To sample or not to sample?…… That is the question??

Sampling has long been considered the bedrock of hip hop production.  Not to mention an integral part of a lot of dance music, drum & bass, and trip hop.

The vast majority of hip hop classics we love have used samples of other people’s work.  Yet it seems there is an ever increasing threat of a lawsuit being brought to an artist that chooses to use samples of other peoples work without clearance. As a result, it is becoming more and more difficult to produce hip hop in this sample based manner.Continue reading