the (rap) game in 2015

ketanketan Warmly booming riffs 3,170 Posts
edited March 2015 in Strut Central
so i went to see logic rap in toronto last night. he was really good. most of the crowd were 19 years old. i'm double that!

so then i go check out this new track - not bad. autotune stays losing, tho:



nice beat, i think. the credits say:
Sample - Frank Dukes (kingswaymusiclibrary.com)

About The Kingsway Music Library

The Kingsway Music Library is a collection of original musical compositions a.k.a samples (master clearance guaranteed) created by multi genre music producer and composer, Frank Dukes. Frank Dukes has been composing original samples & music for the industries top producers including Hit Boy, Don Canon, Jake One, Ryan Lewis, Illmind, Cardiak Flatline, and more.

With the Kingsway Music Library you will never have another record shelved due to sample clearance issues!

The Kingsway Music Library was created for the sample based producer, DJ, and beatmaker who wants original music to chop, flip, and arrange into headbanging beats without the hassle of digging through endless stacks of vinyl or worrying about sample clearance issues.

All Kingsway Music Library samples are recorded to 1 inch tape at 30 IPS, using an array of rare vintage gear and instruments that the average beatmaker, producer, & DJ does't have access to.

As a heavy collector of records and former sampling beat maker, Frank Dukes & his team of musicians and composers have an intimate knowledge of what makes a great sample, what makes a dope beat, and more importantly what makes a 'Hit Record'. These samples were created using extreme attention to detail specifically with the beatmaker and producer in mind.

The Kingsway Music Library was composed and created using top notch studio musicians recorded through NEVE or NEVE equivalent pre-amps and mic'd using vintage mics (some of which are worth upwards of $20k). The recording and equipment used to create this unique music library is also the same equipment used on classic 60's psych, prog rock, and soul library music people have been sampling since the inception of hip hop music.

Instruments featured in the Kingsway Music Libray Series:

Rare Vintage Synths: Yamaha CS80, Memorymoog, Korg Monopoly, Polymoog and more
Vintage Drums
Vintage Guitar Amps
Vintage Bass Amps
Vintage Basses
Vintage Guitars
Pianos
Brass
Strings, etc.

Here's one:


:next level:?

or is this just the same old library scene?

i'd definitely like to listen to those albums - has anyone here bought one?

  Comments


  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts


    The Kingsway Music Library is a collection of original musical compositions a.k.a samples (master clearance guaranteed) created by multi genre music producer and composer, Frank Dukes. Frank Dukes has been composing original samples & music for the [strong]industries[/strong] top producers including Hit Boy, Don Canon, Jake One, Ryan Lewis, Illmind, Cardiak Flatline, and more.

    I know nothing about it. Makes sense.

    What I am wondering is shouldn't it be industry's?

  • tech12ztech12z 56 Posts
    My first impression after reading this was that it was a neat idea that would never actually catch on. Guess I was wrong:


  • bsuwolfbsuwolf 83 Posts
    I may be wrong, but I think the team of musicians who created these songs for Frank Dukes are the members of BADBADNOTGOOD... someone might want to research that further

  • ketanketan Warmly booming riffs 3,170 Posts
    LaserWolf said:

    What I am wondering is shouldn't it be industry's?

    Mos def

  • ketanketan Warmly booming riffs 3,170 Posts
    tech12z said:
    My first impression after reading this was that it was a neat idea that would never actually catch on. Guess I was wrong:


    Haha!

    Ah, here's Jake Uno's line:

    http://hiphopdrumsamples.com/collections/jake-one-snare-jordan-series

    I don't produce, so this is all news to me. But it would be interesting to just listen through these for the vybez.

  • tech12ztech12z 56 Posts
    bsuwolf said:
    I may be wrong, but I think the team of musicians who created these songs for Frank Dukes are the members of BADBADNOTGOOD... someone might want to research that further

    This would make complete sense, since both Frank Dukes and BBNG are from Toronto.

  • BeatsoupBeatsoup 511 Posts
    tech12z said:
    bsuwolf said:
    I may be wrong, but I think the team of musicians who created these songs for Frank Dukes are the members of BADBADNOTGOOD... someone might want to research that further

    This would make complete sense, since both Frank Dukes and BBNG are from Toronto.

    True, Franks dukes linked up BBNG with ghostface for the new Sour Soul album. Which is fantastic in my opinion, I like BBNG a lot more after hearing that record. I think Frank is a big vintage keyboard dude and might hire for the other instruments.

    I've been involved in the sample making game since 2008. Been consistently working for this company since then and have been a contributor to 1/3 or more of the samples in 15 products.
    http://www.patchbanks.com/category/libraries/urban/classic-urban/

    Kingsway music is in direct competition with our samples and we're both Toronto based. Our stuff is also royalty free upon purchase.

    I think none of this is new but as original samples dry up, clearance rates rise or producers need something quickly libraries are here for them.

    The biggest track my samples have made it to is this one on the intro and outro.


    You can hear the original here through the player
    http://www.patchbanks.com/soul-soup-samples-vol-2/

    All recorded in my bedroom stuidio, I went go to school for production/ engineering and have lots of gear though.

  • ketanketan Warmly booming riffs 3,170 Posts
    Beatsoup said:

    I've been involved in the sample making game since 2008. Been consistently working for this company since then and have been a contributor to 1/3 or more of the samples in 15 products.
    http://www.patchbanks.com/category/libraries/urban/classic-urban/

    The biggest track my samples have made it to is this one on the intro and outro.


    That was my JOINT (ayo!) earlier last year. Thank you for the music - you're talented!

    What proportion of music released in your industry are original compositions versus "covers"?

    I generally think it's a shame that there aren't more instrumental versions of tracks being released these days. Like, I like the rapping on this, but sometimes you just want to vibe out to the instro:



    But, because of how popular/mainstream some of the best rappers are these days, there are actually karaoke versions of some big tracks!

    https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/blessings-instrumental-karaoke/id970382266?i=970382271

    Compared to:

  • ThermosThermos 307 Posts
    This thread has completely changed my mind about sample libraries in about ten minutes. Every digital sample library I have ever played with was full of B-grade instrumental parts recorded with very little flavor. I thought that sample libraries were for mediocre producers who had shallow crate knowledge, meager musical talent, and limited production skills.

    But if you're paying for copyright free music recorded by expert musicians with expert audio engineers on dope studio gear, then we're talking about a whole other thing. If the music is on par with classic library music, that seems totally worth it. However, is Kingsway completely royalty free upon purchase? Their spiel says "master clearance guaranteed." What does that mean, exactly?

    Also, it's clear that these dudes are better at recording music than writing. "Instruments that the average beatmaker, producer, & DJ does't have access to." I dos't suggest that they get a copy editor.

  • BeatsoupBeatsoup 511 Posts
    ketan said:

    That was my JOINT (ayo!) earlier last year. Thank you for the music - you're talented!

    What proportion of music released in your industry are original compositions versus "covers"?

    Thanks man, I can't get through that track because of Young Thug. I like their beat and TI's verse but Young Thug.. Worst rapper ever?

    I can only speak for myself, I don't do covers or try to make altered versions of songs ect. I write the same way I would as an artist by jamming out ideas over a loop and hoping to land on a good groove I can work off of. Then have a short melodic idea and build arrangements around it ect. Writing samples is easier than songs as they are short and don't need song structure. I have intentionally duped arrangements or stylistic elements but I wouldn't sleep well to straight copy. No legal problems either.

    As for instrumentals, I'm not sure why. It would be very easy to release them digitally. I think rappers don't want to share the beat to have someone out shine them on a mix tape? Lots of unskilled MCs now.. Or no market.. Just speculation.

  • ketanketan Warmly booming riffs 3,170 Posts
    Beatsoup said:

    Thanks man, I can't get through that track because of Young Thug. I like their beat and TI's verse but Young Thug.. Worst rapper ever?

    A-ha... I actually love Thugga. I won't try to convince you on him, but to help you cram in understanding why - and this isn't a simple comparison - he's kinda like Das Efx 4.0... mad crazy style as a rappeur.

    There's also an official version with a nice Killer Mike verse.
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