VIDEO: Kanye West Talks Dilla, Creating 'Wrong Music' in Stones Throw Doc

For more than 15 years, Los Angeles hip-hop label Stones Throw has been one of the most vital independent labels in music. Founded by DJ/producer Peanut Butter Wolf, the label is responsible for releasing groundbreaking albums by J Dilla, Madlib and Madvillain — the collaboration between Madlib and MF Doom — alongside compilations of rare, overlooked funk, soul and hip-hop tracks.

VIDEO: P. Diddy Is Taking Beat Submissions #BEATSFORTHEGODS

Fresh off of his Howard University commencement speech, Sean “Puffy”/”Diddy” Combs has put out a call for beat submissions from new producers. On May 16th he wrote on his Instagram page:

Video: Hit Bot & Nipsey Hussle Perform “Alert” At Revolt Live

Stacked with a performance and sit-down from HS87's Hit-Boy, Crenshaw's commander Nipsey Hussle joined the REVOLT Live stage for a surprise performance today. Performing their latest hit "Alert", the Cali-natives packed the audience for a hyped close-out to Hit-Boy's birthday celebrations and the release of his long-awaited HS87 collective We The Plug LP.

Apple Confirms Beats Deal, Jimmy Iovine Leaves Interscope

It's official! About a month ago reports regarding Apple purchasing Beats By Dre for $3.2 million surfaced on the web and Dr. Dre openly hinted on becoming the first hip-hop billionaire yet the deal was never officially confirmed. Today Apple revealed that the deal has been sealed but the offering has been lowered to a flat $3 billion. The New York Post points out that recent news regarding the Beats Music streaming service only having a user-base of 111,000 might be the cause for the lower offer. 

Put Your Brain to Work

Your brain is a powerful thing. You hear this all the time but you forget just how amazing it is. Everything that has ever been accomplished has started as an idea or a problem to solve in the brain. Before I go off on a complete tangent I wanted to share some new ideas to boost your creativity.

Production Gone Mobile: Why Mobile Software Is Worth Checking Out

The use of mobile devices has sky-rocketed in the last few years, and with that comes a plenty of new, scaled down adaptations of computer software for mobile. With tablets and smartphones becoming more powerful and more prevalent, mobile software is also seeing a boost in quality and some companies are even porting their software entirely, or at least optimizing a “for mobile” version. 

LordQuest Breaks Down Production on Schoolboy Q's Blind Threats

Crafted with Nas in mind, Toronto’s LordQuest never expected ScHoolboy Q to stray away from his usual hard-hitting vibe and use the understated beat for “Blind Threats” as a backdrop for his accounts of anarchy. 

Calling Dr. Dre To Surgery

“Boom, boom go the beats that rock the nation,” goes a line from “Surgery,” the 1984 track from World Class Wreckin Cru that legendarily summoned Dr. Dre into the cut. In the ensuing 30 years, the man’s beats have never stopped booming—while his Beats (the company he co-founded with partner, friend and mentor Jimmy Iovine) now reportedly commands the highest price Apple has ever paid for anything.

How to Get Inspired When You Aren’t

You love to make music. You have the determination to make something great; maybe you’ve made some great tracks already. So you sit down in front of your computer, your DAW stares back at you from your glowing computer monitor, and…you got nothin’. Your wellspring of inspiration seems to be utterly dry today. But no need to be concerned. Feeling uninspired is something we all deal with.

Interview With Legendary Music Producer: Quincy Jones

In part one of a two-part interview, Jian speaks to Quincy Jones about his musical past and most vivid memories, including how he went from "baby gangster" to musical great, and how a near-death experience left him with only one fear.

Digga "Rhythm Roulette"

Digga met us at 125th and Madison in the heart of Harlem, where he blindly copped some records from a local street vendor.

Rico Love: "HipHop F****d Up the Definition of the Word Producer"

Thisis50 & Young Jack Thriller recently spoke with Rico Love for an exclusive interview!

Should I Submit?: Are Remix Competitions Good For Your Career, or a Waste of Time?

DJs and producers looking at the vast amount of internet resources for forwarding their careers frequently come across remix competitions, often through a label, artist, or a major website. 

Kanye West Previews New Song in adidas Commercial

With Kanye West and adidas working on sneakers for a few months now and the 2014 World Cup a little over two weeks away, the artist and the German corporation joined forces for the first commercial from the new viral campaign The Dream: All In Or Nothing. 

Kanye West's 2014 Album Details Revealed By Billboard Source

A source tells Billboard that the project features "mostly a mixture of soul samples and tamed Yeezus-esque darkness."

The A to Z of computer music: C

Cardioid (pickup pattern)

A microphone with a cardioid pickup pattern is more sensitive to sound coming from directly ahead than from behind it, as shown in the diagram above. In short, whatever you point the mic at comes out loudest, and whatever's behind it is most strongly rejected.

Every Pharrell Song Starts The Same Way: Discopop Says Pharell is "rubbish at writing song intros"

For all the classic songs Pharrell Williams has produced, it took until today for the world to notice that the intros to many of his songs use an identical trick. A quick four-count loop of the first beat occurs in songs from this year’s hit “Happy” to last year’s “Blurred Lines” all the way back to “Right Here (Human Nature Remix)” by SWV in ’93.

Boi-1da & Vinylz Detail the Making of Lil Wayne's 'Believe Me'

The beatsmiths describe the making of Wayne and Drake's fiery single...

Do Different DAWs Sound Different?

There are many reasons why you may choose one digital audio workstation over another. Within electronic music Ableton and Logic are generally regarded as the go-to packages, but others such as ProTools, Nuendo, FL Studio and Cubase are popular as well. 

Quincy Jones Says Michael Jackson’s ‘Xscape’ is All About Money

Quincy Jones has a blunt assessment on the latest posthumous Michael Jackson album release, Xscape: “It’s about money.”

The music legend’s comments were broadcast Tuesday in an interview on Jian Ghomeshi’s “Q” talk show on CBC Radio. Jones, the great composer, producer and all-around music man, masterminded many of the top hits in MJ’s glittering career. Though clearly he’s not a fan of the “new” stuff. “They’re trying to make money. And I understand it. Everybody’s after money — the estate, the lawyers. It’s about money,” he said.

VIDEO: Behind The Beat feat. DJ Dahi & Rahki Pt.2 (Money Trees)

In this Behind The Beat special FweshlyDipped links up with producers DJ Dahi and Rahki to find out how they created their dope contributions to Kendrick Lamar's major label debut album 'Good Kid M.A.A.D. City'.

Understanding Music Royalties Pt. 2: Mechanicals, Publishing and Sync

In my previous article I started a discussion on music royalties focusing on performance royalties and Performing Rights Organizations.

Mixdown Mastery: 5 Killer Tips for Creating Space in Your Productions

What is Space?

Space in music can mean many things, from the very delicate, such as intricately placed elements – to larger importances such as letting your song breathe more by restricting certain elements. Space is vital, not just from a technical standpoint; but also from a musical standpoint.

7 Ways to Keep Your Ears Fresh for Mixing

We have all made the mistake of frying our ears during session. That muffled, underwater pressure you experience after a marathon mix, as well as the “what did I do???” realization the next morning are all too familiar.

Here are a few tips to keep your ears fresh and your mixes crisp.

VIDEO: Behind The Beat feat. DJ Dahi & Rahki Pt.1: Creating Kendrick Lamar's "Black Boy Fly" (Co-Produced by Dawaun Parker).

In this Behind The Beat special FweshlyDipped links up with producers DJ Dahi and Rahki to find out how they created their dope contributions to Kendrick Lamar's major label debut album 'Good Kid M.A.A.D. City'.

Is All Of This Equipment Necessary?

One of the most frequently asked questions among new producers and DJs or veterans just looking to upgrade their gear is “should I get *fill in the blank* and why?” 

The Importance of Experimentation

Often times, when new producers get started on their own tracks, they tend to mimic some artists that they deeply respect. 

VIDEO: Alex da Kid on Advice for Aspiring Songwriters at the 2014 BMI Pop Awards

Stevie Nicks and Top Songwriters Honored at 62nd Annual BMI Pop Awards

Broadcast Music, Inc. was proud to honor the songwriters and music publishers behind the year's most-performed pop songs at the 62nd Annual BMI Pop Awards, held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on May 13, 2014.

Understanding Performance Rights Organizations and Music Royalties Pt. 1: ASCAP, BMI, SESAC

Performance Rights Organizations (PROs for short) collect money for the composer(s) and publisher(s) of music which is heard either live or recorded in the public forum. This includes music for television, movies, live performances/concert venues, and other public places (theme parks, shopping malls, restaurants, bars/clubs). 

FREE guitar plugin! "Lethality" (PC)

Iridium Iris which is a Swedish music and software project releases a free plugin today called Lethality. This electric guitar, virtual instrument was designed to be a true electric guitar. The goal was to create an easy to use rock & alternative guitar sound within a reasonable price. 

Danja - Throwback Track Thursday 5.08.2014

Music producer Danja returns with another episode of his Throwback Track Thursday series. The series features Danja playing some old beats from the archives.

VIDEO: How to Balance a Hip Hop Song

If you are struggling to get your hip hop mixes to sound professional, than putting more time into the balance will actually be a good exercise for you. It focuses you away from the technicals and onto what you are feeling.

VIDEO: Scott Storch Working Out His Own Lane in EDM

Scott Storch speaks with Mikey T The Movie Star about joining several of today's top DJs in the World.. Dash Berlin , Steve Aoki, Dimitri Vegas among others he was Introduced to the World of Electronic Music at the the 2014 Utra Music Festival , Storch spoke on making his own sound within the Genre

Timbaland on 106 & Park Talks New Album, Movie & “Empire” TV Show with Lee Daniels

Grammy award winning music producer "Timbaland" stopped by at 106 & Park to discuss his new album "Opera Noir" and a host of other things. Some of which included a movie directed by Lee Daniels set to follow the release of his new album and also working on creating the music for the "Empire" television program.

The A to Z of computer music: B

Balance

Adjusting the balance of a stereo signal means changing the amplitude of the left and right signals. It can be used to change the 'position' of an audio signal in the stereo field, though it takes its name from the corrective use of giving each channel equal strength, to 'balance' and centralise the signal.

12 Tips For Choosing Production Headphones

Looking for a new pair? Start here…

Choosing the right pair of production headphones is a surprisingly tricky task. Unlike monitors, it's not enough for them to simply deliver decent sound - they also need to be comfortable enough to wear for hours on end, durable enough to survive the rigours of recording and, depending on your needs, offer noise isolation and portability.

VIDEO: Timbaland Announces New Album Title "Opera Noir"

From Jay Z to Michael Jackson, Timbaland has had a hand in some of the biggest albums of the past year. Now the super-producer is finally ready to seize the moment with his long-awaited solo album.

Opera Noir, which stands for black opera, will serve as his fourth album, he announced to REVOLT.

Beat Construction with DJ Dahi, Producer Talks Creating Drake's Worst Behaviour

The producer is one of the most crucial yet anonymous figures in all of music. Every now and again we aim to illuminate these under-heralded artists with Beat Construction. For today we spoke to Dacoury “DJ Dahi” Natche, the 30-year-old Los Angeles producer who most recently contributed the show-stealing “Worst Behaviour” to Drake’s Nothing Was the Same. 

VIDEO: HHS1987 Presents Behind The Beats with Young Chop

It’s safe to say that Chicago-born super producer Young Chop is the Dr. Frankenstein of Chicago rap’s drill movement. His work with Chief Keef, Lil Durk, Lil Reese and Fredo Santana, among others, has given birth to a collective run of supremacy the likes of which Windy City Hip-Hop has never seen before.

The A to Z of computer music: A

Part one of the ultimate guide to computer production lingo, jargon and terminology.

Computer Music magazine has begun a quest to collate all the essential digital music production terms - and they'll keep going forever (or until they run out of letters.)

Improve Your Creative Process On A Budget

Bruce Aisher breaks down some of the most cost-effective ways to improve your creative process, from optimising your monitoring system to adding affordable new tools to your set-up.

It’s all too easy to fall into the trap of thinking you need to spend a lot of money to make good music. The truth, as Thomas Cox explained in his recent Attack column, is that expensive gear doesn't matter so much as good ideas and creativity. 

10 Studio Tips You Probably Haven't Tried Before

Let’s face it: There really are no rules when it comes to making music. It’s very easy these days for modern music makers to get caught up in the technical expectations of what they perceive as the “correct” way to do things, but following those guidelines can really compromise originality and the creative process in general. Additionally, for those who went to audio engineering school, it can be an extreme challenge to suddenly ignore all the fundamentals. 

The Music Production Central's Facebook Page is Up!

The Music Production Central Just Launched It's Facebook Page. Yet Another Way to Keep You All Inspired and Entertained With the World of Music Production. Please Like Us and Invite Other Music Production Enthusiasts to the Page. Thanks.

Bringing Michael Jackson Back: The Inside Story of 'Xscape' (Billboard Cover Story)

A little less than a year ago, L.A. Reid met John Branca for dinner at Cecconi’s in West Hollywood. Reid had been the chairman and CEO of Epic Records (“the house that Thriller built,” as Reid calls it) since July 2011, and he’d inherited a cold label that so far hadn't gotten much hotter. 

Branca had resumed his role as Michael Jackson’s adviser and lawyer shortly before Jackson’s death in 2009, and during his time as co-executor of the Jackson estate had erased the estate’s $500 million debt, thanks to the This Is It concert film (which grossed $261 million worldwide), and lucrative Jackson performance properties with Cirque du Soleil.

VIDEO: Pyro Board: 2D Rubens' Tube!

Rubens' Tube is an awesome demo and here we take it to the next level with a two-dimensional 'Pyro Board'. This shows unique standing wave patters of sound in the box.

The pressure variations due to the sound waves affect the flow rate of flammable gas from the holes in the Pyro Board and therefore affect the height and colour of flames.

VIDEO: Jake One Behind the Beat (Wiz Khalifa "The Grinder")

Here's Another Episode of Jake One's "Behind the Beat". Here He Discusses Creating the Beat for Wiz Khalifa's "The Grinder", How They Met and Much More. Enjoy.

Acclaimed Producers & Engineers to co-host Pensado Awards

Three co-hosts have been announced for the inaugural Pensado Awards, an award show acknowledging today’s emerging brand of music professional and “recognising the faces behind the sound.” Created by the producers of the acclaimed online video series Pensado’s Place, the Pensado Awards are set to take place 28 June, 2014, at the Fairmont Miramar in Santa Monica, California, and broadcast online globally one week later.

Behind The Beats with DJ Mustard

Here is HHS1987's exclusive with DJ Mustard for Behind The Beats: the series where we go in-depth with the hottest producers in Hip-Hop today. Mustard is the official DJ on YG's 'My Krazy Life Tour' in support of the Compton rapper's highly-touted debut album and before taking the stage at the TLA on the night of the show's Philly stop, 

The Producers of Michael Jackson's New Posthumous Album "XSCAPE" Discuss The Project Part 2 & 3

XSCAPE is an album of previously unreleased Michael Jackson songs. The album is produced and curated by Epic Records Chairman and CEO L.A. Reid, who retooled the production to add a fresh, contemporary sound that retains Jackson's essence and integrity. It's a process Reid calls "contemporizing." The list of producers include global hitmakers Timbaland, Rodney Jerkins, Stargate, and John McClain.

Making the Beat: DJ Pain "Last Supper" The Game Feat. Jadakiss, Styles P & AR 16

DJ Pain 1 breaks down the "Last Supper" beat he produced for The Game featuring Jadakiss, Styles P and AR 16.

DJ Mustard: "I Gave Kanye West Over 100 Beats"

DJ Mustard who's been all around the news in Hip-hop and music production circles chopped it up with VladTV about working with Kanye West and hitting the studio with Jennifer Lopez.

The Making of "Sauna" by Cassey Veggies (Prod. by Chuck Inglish) at Truth Studios

Casey Veggies in the studio with Chuck Inglish making "Sauna" the single released on Fools Gold in 2012. 

The 5 Types Of Studio Time

Many first-time music producers are unaware that there’s many more responsibilities required to complete a project that go beyond the music. One of those responsibilities is often booking studio time, but there’s usually a bit more to it than that. Here’s an excerpt from my Music Producer’s Handbook that describes the 5 types of studio time required on most projects.