GHOSTWRITING IN THE BAY?

[Sydal]

contrary to popular belief, ghostwriting is a process between the writer and the artist, where the writer and the artist get to know each other and then create something from the artist's point of view. it's not just a situation where the ghostwriter rips a random page out of his rhymebook and gets a check.

THIS IS ANOTHER WAY IT GOES DOWN:
"Insert established rappers name here" will invite the young spitters to his studio. Then said established rapper will steal ideas, slang, concepts, etc from the younger rappers. Happens all the time.

EXACTLY! I was going to say this same shit.

Ghostwriters don't just donate pre-written 16's. Usually, a cat who uses a ghostwriter, knows EXACTLY what he wants to say, but he doesn't know how to put it together. I've done some ghostwriting for some folks, and both parties have to work equally hard. There's nothing wrong with it, 'cause some folks aren't writers...they aren't good putting words together on paper...but they can spit.

I was chosen to do some writing for cats back in the day because of my background with writing. I'm not talkin' just lyrics, but stories, letters, editorials I wrote in H.S., etc. etc. If I didn't know how to word shit, I would get somebody to help me too.

 

[Sydal]

The D.O.C. still flows and his voice is sicc ass fuck cause he got shot in the throat. Talent is talent

He got in a car accident and crushed his voice box...permanently fucked his vocal cords up.

 

[J-Deez Da Sav]

@Defy


not liking them and not liking the tactic they used 2 do it is different situations.....IMO ghostwriting 4 sum1 is like shitting on the persons craft like "oh we dont like ur version so were gonna bring sum1 in 2 re-write the whole song and you use whut they wrote" thats a spit in the face, at least i think so

 

[MRTHECOSE]

fuck sydal i was gonna type what u posted in those 2 fuckin post up there.(with the exception of me ghostwriting raps for other folks) i was bascilly gonna say all that.damn..

 

[Sydal]

I mean, you may not hold the rapper in that high regard as a tupac or something, but if the shit comes out clean what does it matter?

Alot of these cats probably don't pay attention to album credits, but even 2Pac had people helping him write his shit. It may be just hooks, or help writing any given part of a song...but he still had help...even though it's not "ghostwriting" because they were listed in the credits.

There's nothing wrong with help. Sometimes I can't think of a hook, so I get the producer to shoot me the hook he wrote for that specific beat and have him lay it down. Sometimes I can't come up with a concept for certain beats, so I ask the producer what he had in mind when he made it...and go from there. When people work together, the product usually comes out a lot better.

 

[Sydal]

fuck sydal i was gonna type what u posted in those 2 fuckin post up there.(with the exception of me ghostwriting raps for other folks) i was bascilly gonna say all that.damn..

Great minds think alike, fam! HAHA!

Disclaimer: If it ever got to the point where somebody had to write my shit, I would quit rapping. However, I support everybody's hustle and respect what they do if they do it right. So, if somebody has trouble writing, let 'em get some help if they have the rest of the talent...

 

[Sav Scorcese]

I also think if you need a ghostwriter you shouldn't be rapping.

Not true, some of the greats such as DJ Quik, Jay Z, Eazy E, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg have all had ghostwriters. Ghostwriters are able to give you a different delivery than you usually have and can bring something different to the table.

 

[MIIthasav]

Its a diff between a co-writer and a ghostwriter. Most of the examples given were examples of a co-writer. A ghostwriter gets paid to write some material, and get no credit for it, just the cash. The credit goes to the artist.

Using that definition, ghostwriting is weak as fuck. If I found that any rapper that I liked had a ghostwriter, I wouldn't respect him as a rapper anymore. Maybe cause I started listening to rap back in the day and I respect the art of being a MC.

I would be hurt if one of my favs from out here did that shit, cause I always thought that one trait of bay music, is that it is authentic. Bay rap at its finest touches your soul, and how the fuck I'm gonna feel somebody who is perpin.

 

[Defy]

@Defy


not liking them and not liking the tactic they used 2 do it is different situations.....IMO ghostwriting 4 sum1 is like shitting on the persons craft like "oh we dont like ur version so were gonna bring sum1 in 2 re-write the whole song and you use whut they wrote" thats a spit in the face, at least i think so

yeah, but what if its I don't like MY version so I wanna bring in someone else to spit it? its kinda different, they're not shitting on their version.

do artists like lil wayne leave you feeling less sure about their work because they had help?

 

[Defy]

EXACTLY! I was going to say this same shit.

Ghostwriters don't just donate pre-written 16's. Usually, a cat who uses a ghostwriter, knows EXACTLY what he wants to say, but he doesn't know how to put it together. I've done some ghostwriting for some folks, and both parties have to work equally hard. There's nothing wrong with it, 'cause some folks aren't writers...they aren't good putting words together on paper...but they can spit.

I was chosen to do some writing for cats back in the day because of my background with writing. I'm not talkin' just lyrics, but stories, letters, editorials I wrote in H.S., etc. etc. If I didn't know how to word shit, I would get somebody to help me too.

yeah, I'm one of those kind of people that are good at putting words together on paper but always stumble over my words when I speak.

 

[Defy]

Alot of these cats probably don't pay attention to album credits, but even 2Pac had people helping him write his shit. It may be just hooks, or help writing any given part of a song...but he still had help...even though it's not "ghostwriting" because they were listed in the credits.

There's nothing wrong with help. Sometimes I can't think of a hook, so I get the producer to shoot me the hook he wrote for that specific beat and have him lay it down. Sometimes I can't come up with a concept for certain beats, so I ask the producer what he had in mind when he made it...and go from there. When people work together, the product usually comes out a lot better.

thats not really ghostwriting tho, thats producing. what you mean is the person who made the beat is producing your work by giving you a concept and/or hook and guiding it into a song, as opposed to throwing you a beat to rap over.

 

[Tas n Doe 4da05]

sum of these bay niggaz need sumbody 2 write they shit cuz 90% of these niggaz suck .. industry niggaz rap 10x's better then bay niggaz... ghostwrite
n r not.. bay niggaz need 2 step they shit up

 

[Mr G]

u think industry catz are better cuz there more famous or have more bread ? itz all corprate ran wit hardly any creative control by tha artist. if cant make ur own beatz or write you own raps u aint shit!! ur just a puppet.look at tha creditz of 2OO1 dre made like 2 beatz, had jay z, eminem and a few other write all his shit. a rich and famous dude: yes, a respectable rapper: fuck No, producer:barely! tha only real talent is behnd tha scenes not on magazines

 

[J-Deez Da Sav]

yeah, but what if its I don't like MY version so I wanna bring in someone else to spit it? its kinda different, they're not shitting on their version.

do artists like lil wayne leave you feeling less sure about their work because they had help?

yea thats an interesting point i kinda dig that....as far me feelin less sure about an artist about their work, yea i kinda do as far as rappers go like if a nigga threw a clean ass punchline on a song i shouldnt have 2 wonder if he/she wrote it or Joe Shmoe wrote it....i see whut u sayin tho

 

[tecman]

you can take this as an example. you know jay-z wrote the first verse on still d-r-e and i did not think less of dre for that hey a hot song is a hot song. and there's more money in writing anyway.

 

[Tas n Doe 4da05]

u think industry catz are better cuz there more famous or have more bread ? itz all corprate ran wit hardly any creative control by tha artist. if cant make ur own beatz or write you own raps u aint shit!! ur just a puppet.look at tha creditz of 2OO1 dre made like 2 beatz, had jay z, eminem and a few other write all his shit. a rich and famous dude: yes, a respectable rapper: fuck No, producer:barely! tha only real talent is behnd tha scenes not on magazines

naw bra i i think industry niggaz better cuz they rap better.. spit more heat not more famous or mo bread.. they rap better..lyrics way betta then the average bay nigga.. me myself, i dont thinks its 10 clean spittn bay rappers out here rite now

 

[Sydal]

sum of these bay niggaz need sumbody 2 write they shit cuz 90% of these niggaz suck .. industry niggaz rap 10x's better then bay niggaz... ghostwrite
n r not.. bay niggaz need 2 step they shit up

Those industry cats have a lot of money to invest in studio time, and they have a whole team of people working on each and every song. If ONE WORD is said incorrectly, it's back into the booth until that ONE WORD is right...cause they have higher-ups telling them how the record is going to sound.

Now, I do the same shit...but cats in general don't want to take the time to MAKE A RECORD! A lot of folks want to one-take each verse, and it shows because the final product lacks. I personally take pride in my work, and won't come out of the booth until everything sounds how I want it to sound.

 

[Sydal]

thats not really ghostwriting tho, thats producing. what you mean is the person who made the beat is producing your work by giving you a concept and/or hook and guiding it into a song, as opposed to throwing you a beat to rap over.

Yea, you're right...I got off topic a bit there, lol.

 

[Chinese Mike]

Its a diff between a co-writer and a ghostwriter. Most of the examples given were examples of a co-writer. A ghostwriter gets paid to write some material, and get no credit for it, just the cash. The credit goes to the artist.

Using that definition, ghostwriting is weak as fuck. If I found that any rapper that I liked had a ghostwriter, I wouldn't respect him as a rapper anymore. Maybe cause I started listening to rap back in the day and I respect the art of being a MC.

I would be hurt if one of my favs from out here did that shit, cause I always thought that one trait of bay music, is that it is authentic. Bay rap at its finest touches your soul, and how the fuck I'm gonna feel somebody who is perpin.

so you would respect somebody with a co-writer but not a ghostwriter? whats the difference, except a first initial and a last name in the credits? shit, most bay area albums dont got that, so you'd never know anyways.

 

[Chinese Mike]

Those industry cats have a lot of money to invest in studio time, and they have a whole team of people working on each and every song. If ONE WORD is said incorrectly, it's back into the booth until that ONE WORD is right...cause they have higher-ups telling them how the record is going to sound.

Now, I do the same shit...but cats in general don't want to take the time to MAKE A RECORD! A lot of folks want to one-take each verse, and it shows because the final product lacks. I personally take pride in my work, and won't come out of the booth until everything sounds how I want it to sound.

i don't think it has anything to do with studio time/access but everything toi do with the rest of your argument