MAKE TRACKS, GET MONEY
Jun 1, 2005 12:00 PM
With every kid and his second and third cousins lining up to become a producer and take a piece of the billion-dollar hip-hop pie, it's about time someone stepped up and told it straight. Miami producer Sahpreem A. King (Beenie Man, Miami Sound Machine, Wyclef Jean) explains, in entry-level terms, what it takes to get into the game in Gotta Get Signed: How to Become a Hip-Hop Producer (Schirmer Trade) — and you won't have to endure any boring-ass legalese. The book features advice such as, “Don't let some slick-talking manager make you his bitch,” and some reality checks like, “If you have never spent at least three days locked up in a studio with no sleep and a shitload of Cuban coffee, you are probably not a producer.”
The book is a mere 128 pages and covers everything from detailing what a producer does to building a studio, sampling and sample clearance, hiring a manager, promoting, networking, getting paid, signing contracts, avoiding shysters, publishing and more. Although this isn't a technical piece on how to produce hip-hop (despite a couple of quick and easy tips, such as doubling a kick drum using an Akai MPC), there's plenty to cull from the book. A resources section includes a short list of recording software programs, an extensive recommended sample library, examples of contracts and suggested music-industry books. King also includes lists of contacts for A&R reps, record labels, college radio stations, artist-management firms and entertainment lawyers.
Gotta Get Signed attempts to cram so much in that it does gloss over a few things, perhaps making you stop and ask things like, “Wait, why do I really need a manager?” King is also casual with his advice about sample clearance: “Leave [sample clearance] up to the executives at the label that hires you to produce records,” he says. He also says that if you're a producer, you should “leave all the high-tech mixing and engineer crap to a professional.” However, King gives a good pep talk and plenty of sound advice. So if you're a newcomer, start here. This will help you figure out if you really want to pursue a career as a producer. For more info, head over to http://gottagetsigned.com.
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