Serious Rapper Question
- Thread starter Gemini
- Start date
Anybody can say they charge x amount of dollars for a verse but actually getting paid that amount is a whole other story. But to answer ur question. I would say is if artist a hires artist b to record a verse, artist a should pay artist b. Payment could be anything the artists agree on whether its free, an exchange of services, cash money, potatoes etc. Now for all those saying u would never pay for a verse, I think that if you ever wanna get paid for a verse you should change that way of thinking.
Locals kill me with what they 'charge' for their verses...I've had several nobodies try to tell me they charge $2500 a verse and I keep a straight face and listen...little do they know I know most of their paid features on a friend basis. I cannot begin to tell you how many nobodies pull that shit, it always makes me laugh...then I really get a laugh when they find out I know the real deal. Anyway, back to your discussion, I bring it up cuz I just had someone pull that the other day and it's funny as shit...also had one of the same dudes say he was San Quinn's real blood cousin...however the dude is fully hispanic. Good times.
^^^^ that's some funny shit man. I know people frontin down here too (Texas). To me it's all about the situation. If you went back to the 1990s when labels were major and rappers had budgets then it was nothing to pay even a homie for a feature, cuz guess what? That was the label's money and you got your homie paid too, but it's not that way anymore so you gotta play it by ear.
It ain't gotta be money, but you definitely have to get something in exchange for your services - otherwise your shit will be valued by how much you value it - if you give it away for nothing then it's worth nothing - simple as that.
Trade verses/features for verse features - beats for verses or hooks - etc. You gotta be on your hustle. You also gotta stay on top of your publishing, even if you don't have a publishing set up through any of the major publishers, you gotta retain rights to royalties and shit. You really wanna be the producer who hooked up the homie and see him get a million off of downloads if he blows? That ain't a good look. For rappers it's a bit harder though - usually you trade verses and each respective artist just keeps the royalties from their particular song.
But like I said, the important thing is to not give your shit away for free, even if you Mac Fruity Loop.
It ain't gotta be money, but you definitely have to get something in exchange for your services - otherwise your shit will be valued by how much you value it - if you give it away for nothing then it's worth nothing - simple as that.
Trade verses/features for verse features - beats for verses or hooks - etc. You gotta be on your hustle. You also gotta stay on top of your publishing, even if you don't have a publishing set up through any of the major publishers, you gotta retain rights to royalties and shit. You really wanna be the producer who hooked up the homie and see him get a million off of downloads if he blows? That ain't a good look. For rappers it's a bit harder though - usually you trade verses and each respective artist just keeps the royalties from their particular song.
But like I said, the important thing is to not give your shit away for free, even if you Mac Fruity Loop.
FINALLY!!!! People that see & tell it like it is. This is the prime example of how it should be ran in the underground. Thank you!!!!!!!
A lot of artist oppose the mainstream, but want to be paid like the mainstream artist. Your not signed to a major (real major), you have no gold or platinum plaque, I ask the regular Joe about you and he's never heard of you? You get no dough, period point blank!
Back in the day MTV and every major rap magazine etc. was a true sign of success. Now, rappers have lied to themselves and have given up halfway down the road. They lie and say that doesn't mean success, so it leads me to believe that everybody started out wanting to eat a nice juicy steak, but some have given up trying and have settled for beef jerky claiming it to be just as good :ermm:
Not to say that I'm "a rapper" and definitely not a rapper that people putting out big projects are getting at for verses but I personally always thought I would just get down for free on people's projects of artists or people I respect and would like to work with OR someone that was gonna get me big time exposure by being on their project. Everyone else, I'll keep my lyrics to my own projects.
I understand the hustle side of it but a lot of underground artists need todays dollar because tomorrow's money might never come. Not hatin on it but that's the reality of it.
I understand the hustle side of it but a lot of underground artists need todays dollar because tomorrow's money might never come. Not hatin on it but that's the reality of it.
If you cant get ANY compensation what's the use in spending your time writing a verse, laying a verse etc, etc. Please dont say exposure because a lot of ppl record all day but dont have a release to show for it. I've worked with ppl for free and most of the time I never see anything from it. I decided if I'm going to work with someone I have to get something (barter, cash, SOMETHING) otherwise I'll put that verse on one of my own projects and get whatever I can from my own effort. I've become a firm believer in nothing in life comes free. If you dont agree, cool, but I'm entitled to my opinion and entitled to decide how I want to spend my time.
SMH LOL!!!!! This is seriously cracking me up.
If some of you rappers are working a regular 9 to 5 to make money, no matter how you want to look at it, music is your hobby. Until you are seriously making a living off the music alone, it's just a hobby (sorry.)
Therefore, that would be like my friend inviting me to go fishing with him and I turn around and charge him x amount of dollars for me to go with him. Hey! that's a great idea! I'll charge my friend if he wants me to go fishing with him due to the fact that there is a chance that I might not catch anything. Can't waste my time on a hobby like that for free!
LMAO!!!!!!!!
If some of you rappers are working a regular 9 to 5 to make money, no matter how you want to look at it, music is your hobby. Until you are seriously making a living off the music alone, it's just a hobby (sorry.)
Therefore, that would be like my friend inviting me to go fishing with him and I turn around and charge him x amount of dollars for me to go with him. Hey! that's a great idea! I'll charge my friend if he wants me to go fishing with him due to the fact that there is a chance that I might not catch anything. Can't waste my time on a hobby like that for free!
LMAO!!!!!!!!
I JUST heard of Bruno Mars like 2 weeks ago. Just because somebody hasn't heard of a dude doesn't mean he isn't worth $ or doing something. For example, my boy and I just worked out a deal with a filmmaker for an upcoming feature film (not going to spill it yet, but it's 100% legit). My boy hasn't even dropped his first album yet, but he's about to get caked up for doing some shit most folks out here can only hope for.
So if he hasn't released a record, but he has this gig...does he have the right to charge for a verse?
So if he hasn't released a record, but he has this gig...does he have the right to charge for a verse?
My cousin works for Sony Pictures and I've been invited to be an extra on the new Spiderman 4. And I haven't released my new album. Should I charge for a verse?
Bruno Mars? 2 weeks ago? Seriously, Breh?
You must of been living under a rock when this song was hard in rotation and being performed on every t.v. show for a long time...
I'm not talking about being an extra in a movie, I'm talking about doing music work for a movie. I'm talking about making the theme song for a movie...
And yes, 2 weeks ago. I don't listen to new shit when I'm in the process of making music because I don't want my sound to be influenced by it...and because I've been working on new shit for folks for over a year, I haven't been in any kind of loop lately. I also rarely watch t.v. (unless it's a movie or documentary) because I really can't stand the shit on t.v. anymore. I never heard of this dude until my boy said he couldn't stand him...
And yes, 2 weeks ago. I don't listen to new shit when I'm in the process of making music because I don't want my sound to be influenced by it...and because I've been working on new shit for folks for over a year, I haven't been in any kind of loop lately. I also rarely watch t.v. (unless it's a movie or documentary) because I really can't stand the shit on t.v. anymore. I never heard of this dude until my boy said he couldn't stand him...
I know the movie business all too well & in no disrespect (I state this in good demeanor) sometimes the producers will wrap up the movie and shoot it straight to DVD / BluRay, so it means nothing at this point unless your Homie makes a hit like Three 6 Mafia did on Hustle & Flow. Or the movie is a blockbuster. Still, it is a good look on his resume' though I won't lie.
About not listening to other music while working on projects, to each his own, I can respect that, but I think as an artist we should be on top of the latest music regardless of genre. Then again, I'm the type of guy who truly listens to everything. I feel it expands my mind and makes a better artist. That's just me though.
About watching t.v. again, I watch it just to keep my mind open and in tune as to what's going on around the world and what's the next craze. I don't follow, nor agree with it all, but it's just good to know about it IMO. Again, to each his / her own.
About not listening to other music while working on projects, to each his own, I can respect that, but I think as an artist we should be on top of the latest music regardless of genre. Then again, I'm the type of guy who truly listens to everything. I feel it expands my mind and makes a better artist. That's just me though.
About watching t.v. again, I watch it just to keep my mind open and in tune as to what's going on around the world and what's the next craze. I don't follow, nor agree with it all, but it's just good to know about it IMO. Again, to each his / her own.
Some producers do that, yes. As of last night, the movie is supposed to hit theaters. We will see. I'm not the one to get all excited about shit until it actually goes down. I was just asking how some might view that.
About listening to music...I draw a lot of inspiration from old shit. So when I'm working on projects, I tend to listen to a lot of Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, Billie Holiday, Jimi Hendrix, etc. etc. Of course I want to know what's super hot NOW, because I don't want to follow that. For example, Lady GaGa. She's huge, but I don't want to go in that direction.
About T.V., eh. lol. I read a lot...that's my thing. I'll jump online when I have some spare time and read whatever. Only time I really have the T.V. on is when I'm taking a nap with my son, kickin' it with wifey before bed, or watching the news in the A.M. I miss T.V., but I got tired of all the reality shit.
About listening to music...I draw a lot of inspiration from old shit. So when I'm working on projects, I tend to listen to a lot of Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, Billie Holiday, Jimi Hendrix, etc. etc. Of course I want to know what's super hot NOW, because I don't want to follow that. For example, Lady GaGa. She's huge, but I don't want to go in that direction.
About T.V., eh. lol. I read a lot...that's my thing. I'll jump online when I have some spare time and read whatever. Only time I really have the T.V. on is when I'm taking a nap with my son, kickin' it with wifey before bed, or watching the news in the A.M. I miss T.V., but I got tired of all the reality shit.