J Dilla, undoubtedly one of the best producers to ever live. His beats; Unique. Genious. Entrancing. Today, just posting up some Dilla beats I love.
R.I.P. J Dilla
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Industry Knowledge with Akil Esoon: How do YOU get Software, Instrument, and Musical Equipment Endorsement Deals?
This week: How do YOU get Software, Instrument, and Musical Equipment Endorsement Deals?
Q. How do you get an endorsement from an instrument or musical equipment manufacturer, and how do you contact them for that?
A. Endorsement deals typically go to signed touring artists with experienced artist management in place. The deals come about in many different ways:
1.The manufacturer’s rep contacts a famous /not so famous artist’s team.
2. the manager contacts the equipment manufacturer directly, or in some cases, an equipment manufacturer’s PR team works directly with a famous /not so famous artist’s PR team to create a mutual campaign.
Still other deals are created when,
3. An equipment manufacturer contacts a famous /not so famous artist and offers the opportunity to design a signature line (or the manager of a famous /not so famous artist contacts the manufacturer to propose such an offer).
4. Other deals come about because a famous /not so famous artist needs something specific that isn’t available from equipment that currently exists on the market, so he/she works with the manufacturer to create it.
5. Finally, What if you don't have a manger or publicist? Don't be afraid to reach out to the product manufacturer yourself! If your intelligent when speaking, product savvy, and focused on what it is you want, you just might get it!
The key to getting an equipment manufacturer interested in working with an artist is artist visibility. The more visible an artist is to more people, the better the chance of securing an endorsement deal. Because of this, the manufacturer (or its publicist) is often the one to initiate the offer.
Make sure you guys hit me up with any questions, comments, or concerns when it comes to endorsement deals. I will do whatever I can to help you live your dreams!
Be Inspired. -AE
Industry Knowledge with Akil Esoon: Mixtapes vs Albums: What do you think?
This week, I need Industry Knowledge From YOU!
Check it out,
So I sit back and observe the Music biz as a whole. I keep an eye on it's ever changing trends, styles, and sales and what not. I especially keep my eye on Hip Hop and The Local Pittsburgh scene (Say412!) and all I see is local artist putting out Mixtapes, Mixtapes, Mixtapes!!! So I'm curious about why independent artists incessantly put out Mixtapes. What is a Mixtape these days? I tried to answer that question myself and started to realize that there are so many definitions. There are Mixtapes where artists record over another national artist's or producer's beats. Then there are Mixtapes that DJ's distribute. Then there are Mixtapes where the music is original, and only one artist is featured, but isn't that an Album? If so, why call it a Mixtape? This list goes on...
My Questions:
1. What is YOUR definition of a Mixtape? And how do you decide whether you are putting out a Mixtape or an Album?
2. Why would an independent artist put out only a Mixtape, and never an Album? Is it more cost effective?
3. Has it become a prerequisite to release a Mixtape before putting out an album? (Almost as if you have to graduate to a spot of releasing albums)
4. Do Mixtape and Albums separate the "boys from the men?"
You tell me...
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Industry Knowledge with Akil Esoon: Cable Care: 101
This week: It's all about Cable Care: 101
I have to thank my good friend Dave Bjornson for showing me how properly care for my cables and why its important. I hope this info helps!
Connector Cleaning: Keeping your connectors (plugs and jacks) clean is very important. Dirty connectors can cause crackles and shorts in your system and can give you the apperance of you cable being back or broken. Follow these simple steps to give yourself the best, most reliable sound possible. These steps are detailed for guitar or bass set ups but are also true for your studio or rack gear.
On your pedal boards (and guitar or bass) it is a good idea to unplug and plug your cables every now and again. Monthly would be a good time interval more frequently won't hurt. This keeps the contact surfaces fresh and will break up any oxydation that may build up.
Depending on the weather in your area (dry areas less often, wet or salty area more often 1 year or less), unplug your cables and get some regular rubbing alcohol (or use electronic cleaner if you have some) and put some on a dry rag and wipe down your plug ends real good. While they are wet plug them into you jack on your pedal or guitar a couple of time and repeat until the cloth stays clean.
If your plug does not shine up real good or looks like it has cloudy spots on it you can polish it with 0.0000 steel whool to clean the plug and then use the alcohol to whipe it clean.
You will be amazed at how much junk collects on your connectors. You can get small brushes (they look a bit like eyeliner brushes) and these will reach the inside contacts on your effect pedals and guitar jack to clean them.
Also, don't forget your power sources!! Clean the connectors on your effect pedals and power cables. If those get dirty you can get funky crackling noises in your system that will drive you batty trying to find it.
Proper coil: Coiling elbow to hand may seem fast but if you remember back to when you first tried it you had to work a little to get the coordination of it. The same is true for properly coiling but the benefits are great! If properly coiled your cable will last a long time and when ready, will come uncoiled tangle free!
Start with an end in your preferred hand as if you are going to plug it in. Next, create a loop that when you look down on it will be a clockwise direction (counter clockwise for lefty’s). Next, take the cable in the opposite hand, palm up. The cable should be draped over your palm. Hold the cable then turn your hand over. Bring your hands together and place the reversed coil into the coil hand. The cable looks like it’s coming out behind the coil in front of it. Next, create another loop like the original (clockwise/counter for lefty’s). Then another reverse, and so on. Of course this will be perfected over time and you will eventually become used to how much cable you need to create the perfect coils. Now to uncoil, hold one end and lightly toss across the work space. It should unfurl, knot free! Invest in some Velcro strips or tie line to tie up your cables this will save damage and time.
here is a link to video showing this technique
http://stagecraft.theprices.net/gallery/
or
http://www.ehow.com/video_2268377_coil-e
Strain relief: Why coil the mic line around the mic stand? Why tie speaker cables to the handles of the speakers? If your cables are constantly taut or bent at a sharp angle they will fail. If you take the time to insure there is enough cable to drape around obstacles or to hang loosely from a connection you can prolong their life. Just remember the paper clip test as you bend and unbend cables, how many bends will it take before the fine wires inside the casing snap?
Stage or Studio Dressing: The fewer things that run over, trip over or land on top of your cables the better. Dressing your cables simply means placing them neatly out of the way so they are not damaged or a hazard to performers/audience. Placing a mat over them works great, but if you’re backstage place some white tape stripes on them so the performers will be able to see them after coming off the brightly lit stage. Remember to place any electrical cables at least 3” away from signal cable or cross these cables at a 90 degree angle to prevent any unwanted hum’s in your system.
More Info to come . . . Chairman of the boards, Akil Esoon
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Kanye and Timbo in the studio working on "Stronger"
A lot of work goes into making these tracks! Peep game
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Industry Knowledge with Akil Esoon | Beat Maker v.s. Producer
Music Industry 101: What Is A Beat Maker vs. Producer?
WHAT IS A BEAT MAKER
Usually this is the person who sells or leases the beat to an artist before ideas, lyrics, arrangements, etc. are done. This person has no influence on how the record turns out or the direction of the project. Once you get the beat, exclusivity not a lease, your pretty much done with this person until your album is released.
Industry Terminology Leased Beat Means that the beat maker is free to let other artist lease the beat until Exclusivity is bought. As soon as exclusivity is bought (make sure you have your paperwork straight) the lease is then that of the purchaser.
WHAT IS A PRODUCER?
A producer is the person who decides the direction of the project. They take the beat and help it to evolve into a song. They are there in the studio and have active voice in the arrangements, pitches, and tone. They are then given producer rights for their input and hard work. Sometimes a beat maker is involved in the production of the song depending on their level of involvement. This starts to get a little tricky depending on the situation. For example producers like Jazzy Pha, Jermain Dupri, and Timbaland have beat makers signed to them. This allows them to have a variation of different sounds to fit different artists. But because they have these beat makers signed to them, they are able to take the headline credit for the work even though they are just involved in the direction. Although the beat maker receives payment they often don’t receive the credit at the end of the day.
I bring these points up because, I have noticed recently that a lot of Independents are attributing album points, credit, and money, to beat makers when they have nothing to do with the actual project. Anyone who doesn’t tell you this, when you are working with them, definitely doesn’t have your best interest at heart. If you, as an Indie buy a beat and you go into the studio and decide your own direction for the song, its arrangements, and breakdowns than you ARE the PRODUCER
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Akil Esoon - Tools of the Trade: Sequencers and Rewire Devices
Tools of the Trade: Sequencers and Rewire Devices
Hip Hop Production
and Mixing Tips
Tools of the Trade: Sequencers and Rewire Devices
Production vs. Post-Production
The Production phase of a studio project is where the musicians are in the studio making tracks. That is, it is when music is being produced, created, and put in mix form. The Post-Production phase starts after the tracks are done and usually after the musicians are finished. During post production the final mix and possibly remixes are made. Post-production also includes mastering for the intended formats of distribution (web, CD, broadcast). These definitions are not rigid but a loose way of talking about where a project is at. "Project X is now in production at studio Z". "In post-pro they did some killer edits that changed the project". These terms refer to professional environments where different people in different studios are doing different tasks.
Any sequencer that combines MIDI and audio will work well for hip hop. That includes: Sonar, Cubase, Logic, Pro-Tools (and variants), Digital Performer, Acid, Ableton live, Tracktion. And there are more. FL Studio is a simple way to work and very easy on the budget. Naturally, the higher end applications have more features and offer more control. There is really not a sequencer that is best for hip hop. However, there is one that is best for you, your projects and your ability to learn.
You might hear to use Reason for Hip Hop. Be careful here. While Reason is excellent for beat making, it cant do total HH production as it can't record audio. You can make the beat in Reason and pipe it into your main sequencer with Rewire. Another rewire drum loop editor/step sequencer is FXPansion's Guru, which can dissect an audio loop and add processing to different slices.
You can do hip hop on a multi track recorder. Many of these today let you import audio loops and midifiles from your computer, and may even have an onboard synth.
Finally, you can do hip hop on a pad sampler like the MPC1000 series, or the Roland MV8800. You can also do it with a keyboard workstation, like the Motif or Fantom. All of these have sequencers onboard, and offer sampling. (You can record vocals as a sample). The MV8800 and Fantom G offer audio recording, the coming MPC5000 will have it too.
As you see there are many, many ways to record hip hop music. Perhaps I am biased, but I believe Logic on the Mac is the best. It does it all.
Basic Production Tips
1. Use mixer groups.
If your sequencer allows, create a separate group bus for both the Beat and the Vocals. All the instrumental tracks should feed into the Beat Group. All the Vocal tracks should feed into the Vocal Group. Doing this allows for a more accurate setting of the important balance between the vocal and the beat. In HH, the vocal must always stay clearly on top of the beat, unlike rock, where it often blends into the mix.
2. Track Isolation
If you isolate elements on their own track, things will sound better and allow you a more creative range of effects, For example, if all the drums are on one track, if you add an effect, all the drums will sound out the effect, often leaving you with junk. But if you put all the snares on one track you can apply a more lavish effect, tailored just to the snare. A slap back echo might sound good on a snare track but on the whole kit, its going to be too busy.
Apple Logic Studio Music Production Software (Macintosh)
Introducing Logic Studio, Apple's comprehensive suite of professional tools .
Steinberg Cubase 5 Recording Software (Macintosh and Windows)
Cubase 5 - Absolute cutting edge in digital audio workstations! Featuring fully integrated tools for working with loops, beats and vocals, such as LoopMash and VariAudio, Cubase 5 combines new composition features and the first VST3 convolution reverb to take musical creativity to new heights. Cubase 5 is an advanced music production system With stunning innovations and additional enhancements that boost productivity and performance.
M-Audio Pro Tools M-Powered Recording Software
Digidesign Pro Tools M-Powered software is an exciting new version of the award-winning Pro Tools software designed to work with select M-Audio hardware peripherals. An ideal way to professionally record, edit, and mix music, Pro Tools M-Powered software includes many of the same features that top studios rely on to produce Grammy award-winning
Cakewalk SONAR Producer Recording Software (Windows)
Sonar 8.5 Producer gives you what you need for recording, composing, editing, mixing, and mastering. Get innovations that matter, from exclusive features to ignite creativity and perfect your tracks, to groundbreaking technologies that always keep you in control, all backed by the industry's leading 64-bit audio quality. And Sonar 8.5 Producer delivers the go to production tools you want with the best collection of virtual instruments, mixing, and mastering effects found in any DAW.
Peace Love Productions Hip Hop: Samples Beats and Loops
PLP have compiled five separate download packs to build this collection for you. You'll find all of the latest and greatest Hip Hop loops and samples right here. Sounds like Dirty South, Southern Gangsta Beats, 50 Cent, Three 6 Mafia and on the lighter side, Missy Elliot, Tribe Called Quest, and Common. It's all there but it's up to you to put the pieces back together.
Cakewalk Software XMiX 1 Xtreme Dance and Hip Hop Acid Loops
X-Mix is known the world over as the leading producer of major-label club remixes. Now you can get the same samples they used to remix some of the most popular tracks ever available to dance clubs, with artists like Puff Daddy, Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston, Tori Amos, New Order and others.
3. Tempo Considerations
Hip Hop music is typically done at slow tempos. Of course there is often variation, but a good tempo as one begins to build tracks is around 80-90. Set the tempo according to your mood. One advantage to using MIDI samplers is that tempo is infinitely adjustable until you add the vocals. You could write the drum patterns at 50 BPM which is slow enough that anyone's hands can make beats of great intricacy. Once done, speed it up to the project tempo.
4. Groove considerations
Unless the elements of your song fit into a sonically pleasing groove, your stuff is not going to "hit" properly. Masters of hip hop beats are masters of groove, and can lay down a drum pattern with no correction. Most of us have not perfected this skill, so we use quantize templates to achieve the right amount of groove and apply it to our tracks. You might note that your sequencer already has built in grooves that can be applied to any midi track. Grooves that work well with hip hop are based on 16th notes with a swing value in the range of 57-83%. 50% is straight 16th notes. 100% pushes the 16th note to the next 8th note. 0% pushes the 16th note the the previous 8th note. As you pass 57% you will hear the groove start to relax and as you reach around 70% you are in classic hip hop/rap territory.
Another method of getting a hip hop groove: Quantize the kick drums on a 24th note quantize divisor and the rest on 4th, 8th and 16th notes. Why 24ths? There are 6 values between quarter notes on a 24th note grid. They all groove in a nice way when offset against claps on 2 and 4. Try to avoid putting a kick on 2 or 4.
Try this groovy tip.
1. Start a drum pattern with claps on 2 and 4 and a kick at 1 and 3. That is standard 4/4.
2. Now, set the grid to 24 and add 1 more kick on the grid, anywhere!
3. Press play and listen. Move it till you like what you hear.
4. Then add a 4th kick and move that around. In the process you will hear many different hip hop groove possibilities.
5. 5. Move to Microscopic editing (next)
5. Microscopic editing
a. MIDI. Your sequencer has an offset parameter. This moves all the notes you highlight by midi ticks, the smallest possible note division the sequencer is capable of. If you tried the above tip, now grab all the kick drums except the ones on 1 and 3 and offset them by a few ticks in either direction. Listen carefully for a head nodding groove. Copy the drum sequencer to a groove template (read the manual). Apply it to the bass. Mind over groove. You are there.
b. Audio If you put a common audio loop on an audio track in the sequencer and slice it into parts, you can apply destructive editing to each part in an audio editor. You can move these "regions" around, delete some, stutter others, and if the sequencer allows, re-groove the hits and save to a new audio file. For those who are into making esoteric beats, you can borrow elements from one audio loop and precisely place it in another with simple copy and paste commands.
Tools of the trade: Mixing and Processing
Mixing "in the box" is my preferred method for Hip Hop, due mainly to the extensive processing that has to happen, particularly if you make sounds from scratch. Waves makes a comprehensive bundle of plugins that can enhance any audio production, with excellent quality compressors and limiters, as well as EQ, reverb and delay. For those that take their processors seriously, its a great way to go. The UAD-1 collection is also fantastic. The Fairchild compressor is one particularly suitable (its a vintage model of a compressor that was often used when making recordings for vinyl. ) I also think the Pultec EQ helps vocals shine better than all the other EQs I have used (I have not used them all though).
The Basics of the Hip Hop Drum Kit
Drum sounds used in hip hop cover a huge spectrum. Hip Hop has a wider universe of drum sounds than any other genre of music, from squeaky clean studio quality kits to total train wrecks of effects. Drum sounds may be lifted from records, may be from your sample collection or may be synthesized. You can even record a real drum kit! Or any combination.
Waveform of a typical HH kik
Mark of the Unicorn (MOTU) BPM Beat Production Software
BPM unites drum machine-style operation with advanced virtual instrument technology to give you the ultimate rhythm programming experience. Combine drum kits, sequenced patterns, sliced loops and instrument sounds to realize your rhythmic vision, mixing and matching any playing style with any drum kit. Or plug in your pad controller or MIDI keyboard to capture your live, groove-quantized performance directly in BPM.
Sony SoundForge Stereo Editing Software (Windows)
The industry standard in digital audio editing is Sony's full-featured Sound Forge audio editor -- designed with the audio professional in mind.
Steinberg WaveLab Audio Editing and Mastering Software (Windows)
WaveLab 6 is the all-in-one solution for professional mastering, high resolution multi-channel audio editing, audio restoration, sample design and radio broadcast work right through to complete CD/DVD-A production. Already a standard application for digital audio editing and processing due to its outstanding flexibility and pristine audio quality, Wavelab is used worldwide by top professionals and audio enthusiasts alike.
Propellerhead ReCycle (Macintosh and Windows)
Loopists, groovists, samplists! A new world is about to open up before your very ears! New and improved ReCycle 2.0 solves all your groove related problems — and lets you get truly creative in the process.
Kick drum sounds. Probably most characteristic of Hip hop is a kick drum with strong sub bass qualities. There are many ways to create these, but perhaps the best way is through synthesis. Many classic hip hop "kits" are derived from the Roland 808 sand 909 drum machines, which used analog waveforms coupled with lo bit samples through filters to make most of the sounds.
The typical sub kick is constructed from scratch as follows: A low, short sine wave is put through a fast pitch envelope that rapidly drops the note of the sine wave by an octave or two. This happens so fast you don't really hear the pitch dropping, but an attack followed by a thud. Processing that helps get more lowness is to put a high pass filter (the opposite of what you might think) and set it to around 50-100 HZ and turn the resonance up high. This gives a massive boost right at the cutoff, but leaves enough definition in the upper frequencies to give a sense of a clean attack. It also helps remove some of the sub bass that is not musically useful under 50 Hz, but keeps the sub bass you feel and hear. If its too peaky, cut the resonance, but if it get wimpy when you do that, consider adding compression or limiting.
To get the kind of low sustained kicks that sound like a musical bass note you can put a long release time on the compressor or limiter and push the threshold way down, to the point of abuse. The Waves L1 is perfect for this task. This essentially squashes the volume against the ceiling. The release on the compressor or limiter can make the kick tight or flabby. Your artistic vision decides.
Digidesign Mbox 2 Pro FireWire Audio/MIDI Interface
The Mbox 2 Pro is a portable, high-definition audio/MIDI production system that delivers truly professional sound quality. Packing an impressive variety of connection options into a compact interface, Mbox 2 Pro puts powerful multitrack recording and mixing capabilities into your hands, so you can create wherever inspiration strikes. Mbox 2 Pro also includes award-winning, industry-standard Pro Tools LE software and a huge collection of pro effects and instrument plug-ins to get you started creating right away.
Tweak: The MBox2 Pro is well equipped for developing samples. It has phono inputs for an analog turntable, digital i/o and BNC word clock connectors which will allow it to sync word clocks with other digital gear. Firewire is a big step up from the USB 1.1 Mbox 2. All Mboxs come with Pro Tools LE software.
Snare sounds. Choosing the snare is typically based on the metaphor of orchestration. Clean, distorted, full, or heavily filtered and compressed, all are fair game. Often enough, mid range frequencies are enhanced though and the "bright" frequencies around 4kHz are left alone. The high frequencies may be boosted to make the snare "fizzy". Electronic 808/909 snares are often modified with eq, or real snare drum hits are compressed to bring out more grit and nastiness then downsampled, eq'd and recompressed for a classic low-fi snare. The snare is often understated, though there are no real rules here, other than staying out of the way of the vocals. Unlike in pop music, the snare does not have to be centered. Nor does it have to be dominant.
Hats. Again the metaphor may determine the hats. From full bodied heavy sticked hits, to tinny electronic noise bursts with the high frequencies boosted and the lower frequencies rolled off. Hats are usually grooved on 16th notes, but not every 16th note, which would give it an electronica flavor
Claps. The original 808/909 handclaps never sounded like real handclaps and in most hip hop productions the handclaps are deliberately artificial. Samplists who make kits for electronica and club music have long been tweaking the claps and the Hip Hop artists were quick to steal their methods. You will often hear 3 or 4 handclap samples together. These make be compressed, equalized, reversed, use time stretching, raised or lowered in pitch and often have reverb and delay added in generous amounts. In Hip Hop the claps are staged much like a snare is in rock and pop music. It usually comes down on a quarter note and may flam up at the end of a 16 or 8 bar pattern.
Mark of the Unicorn (MOTU) BPM Beat Production Software
BPM unites drum machine-style operation with advanced virtual instrument technology to give you the ultimate rhythm programming experience. Combine drum kits, sequenced patterns, sliced loops and instrument sounds to realize your rhythmic vision, mixing and matching any playing style with any drum kit. Or plug in your pad controller or MIDI keyboard to capture your live, groove-quantized performance directly in BPM.
Tweak: BPM is fantastic for hip hop beatmaking. Build your own drum kits with any sample material you can find. Write your own patterns, tweak with onboard FX. By putting audio loops on the pads you can actually make the whole beat inside of BPM. If you want those Low kicks, they are here. You can also tweak up your own from raw waveforms inside this software.
Tweaking Tools of the Trade: audio editors
Slicers: Intakt by Native Instruments also can do wild things with audio loops, though it is now discontinued. It will quickly slice and map a loop and allows you to edit each slice. Recycle is also for dissecting audio loops into slices which can be mapped to a soft sampler's keyboard and effected as an individual sample. However, unless you have a specific reason for using Recycle, like importing samples Stylus RMX, etc., I suggest you try a newer solution. BPM, Guru, Kontakt, Logic will all slice beats.
Editors: Sony's Sound Forge and Steinberg's Wavelab works well with editing audio on PCs. On the Mac there is Bias Peak and Apple's Soundtrack pro.
Concluding for now
I hope I have given you some worthwhile information and insight into creating hip hop beats. I wish you the best in your artistic endeavors.
Producers - Akil Esoon
Akil Esoon
Pensoulzinakup (The Early Years):
Pittsburgh's native son, Akil Esoon has been involved with Hip Hop in a professional capacity for over 20 years. From his early days as a Hip Hop dancer he quickly became involved with emceeing, rapping and live performing on the local club and regional college scene. Soon after in 1988, he teamed up with Producer Emmai Alaquiva and Dee Jay Supa C to create the landmark Hip Hop group Pensoulzinakup (pen-souls-in-a-cup), and went on to release: Goin' Fishin' E.P. 1989 (Flagrant Underground Records), What are Pensoulzinakup L.P. 1991 (Fat Crayon Records/ T.V.T Records), Limited Windows L.P 1992 (Self-Release). In addition to his extensive performing with National Recording artists like A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Jungle Brothers, Masta Ace, Kool G Rap, Grand Daddy I.U., Biz Markie, Top Authority, Arrested Development, Dee Jay Cash Money and Marvelous Marv, Akil also went on to perform & record live with the legendary Roy Ayers to produce the first live Hip Hop / Jazz recording by a Pittsburgh artist "Tin Can" 1993 (Nappiehead Productions). Paired with his solid foundation in Hip Hop, working with such a wide array of talent has provided Esoon with the professional experience necessary to take his artistry to the next level.
Penn Avenue Soul Center (Freestyle years):
In 1995, fresh out of high school, Esoon attended the Art Institute of Pittsburgh where he earned an Associate's Degree in A.I.P.'s Music / Video Business Program. However, in 1994 Esoon went on to be one of the top freestyle and performance Emcees in the steel city by battling for underground supremacy at the Source Magazine Van in Philadelphia defeating the late Too Poetic Emcee (Of the Gravegigga'z Prince Paul (The Undertaker), Frukwan (The Gatekeeper), Too Poetic (The Grym Reaper) and RZA (The Rzarector) for the top spot. The winnings included a feature in the Source, and a $2000 cash prize. Soon after that in 1995, he established Penn Avenue (the main transportation hub in Pittsburgh's African American community) as the new Hip Hop battleground and networking spot in the city. During his tenure there, he would go on to teach, mentor, and inspire the Pittsburgh Hip Hop community at a time when there were no Hip Hop venues, classes, or documentation of the art form. He also became the first call when it came to emceeing and hosting Hip Hop events in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, D.C., & New York, and sharing the stage with a who's who of recording artists such as: The late Notorious B.I.G. Diddy, Common, Outkast, O.C., Snoop Dogg, LL Cool J, Carlos Santana, D'angelo, Talib Kweli & Hi Tek, Jazz Saxophonist Gary Bartz, Musiq, Erykah Badu, Gang Starr, Cee-Lo Green, The Roots, Amel Larrieux, Slum Village, Pharoahe Monch, Doug E Fresh, Slick Rick, Dwele, Macy Grey, Dancehall Artist Bennie Man, G-Unit, and many more. On November 28, 1999 the community came together to award Esoon with a plaque naming him "Emcee of the Decade". This distinction and honor proved to be a turning point for Akil Esoon, an ever-changing artist fuelled by challenge and creativity.
The Akil Esoon Quintet (A Musician & Producer is born!)
By 1997, Esoon started to explore producing his own musical ideas, and began to incorporate live acoustic and electric instruments. Having played with jazz musicians in his early years, his extensive knowledge of jazz and soul records from sampling, production came natural. He first started playing right on the streets of Pittsburgh where he would rhyme, and make an attempt at playing the guitar. Then he picked up the bass as well as the Fender Rhodes electric piano and started to play for spoken word poets. By this time a poetry scene in the steel city had developed and Akil had become the musician who could musically accommodate the artists with which he collaborated with soul & jazz for the poets and Hip Hop beats for the emcees. This was also the period where he began to develop rhyming and playing keyboards at the same time. This concept was impressive to those who experienced it live, including a cast of fellow musicians who would eventually become the Akil Esoon Quintet. In 1999 The AEQ band was the top draw at a new, soulful Pittsburgh venue called the Shadow Lounge. There Esoon would Play Rhyme, Emcee, Direct, and Make Beats. In 2001, Akil Esoon was the first to do a live Hip Hop album recording at the spot which would eventually become an internationally known speakeasy for acts, kicking in the door for many artists to perform and record live at the Shadow Lounge.
BEAM
In 2001, some of the members of the AEQ had formed another group called "BEAM". Lead by drummer Dave Throckmorton, BEAM was a live band that integrated the components of a traditional a Hip Hop group with a jazz band and Electronic Drum & Bass D.J. Everything in the bands' early years was all improvisation, everything! At their first gig, Throckmorton asked a number of Hip Hop Emcees to sit in, but once Akil Esoon rhymed it was official: he was the new front man of BEAM. Akil was the only one who could improvise like a jazz musician lyrically but could perform on stage like a rapper. The group travelled up and down the eastern seaboard and made international noise with the critical acclaimed independent release of their first album "Inception" L.P 2003 (Beam Records / Funk house) and again with "Chemistry" L.P. 2006. (Beam Records) All this time in between shows and studio dates with BEAM, Esoon was hard at work honing his production and songwriting skills. He was awarded The ASCAP Underground Producer of the Year award in 2005 and had started producing and re-mixing some national acts as well such as: Glenn Lewis, Mc Eiht, SWV, A Tribe Called Quest, Toni Braxton, & Nas just to name a few. At this point, Akil got opportunities to meet and build relationships with similar artists / producer types like Wyclef Jean, Kayne West, Pharrell Williams, & Teddy Riley.
Formula412 (The Hot Metal Music Movement):
In 2007 in the spirit of change, Akil Esoon made the difficult decision to walk away from BEAM as the front man to assume the role of keyboardist & backup vocalist in the powerhouse supergroup "Formula412". As a keyboard player in Formula412, Esoon would join forces with Pittsburgh's best and brightest musicians to collaborate and produce hot music videos, a top-drawing concert / stage show, and rapid selling album "The Difference" 2008 L.P. (Craft & Forbes). As a member of Formula412, Akil Esoon has toured and played with artists such as: N.E.R.D., 50Cent, Busta Rhymes, the Black Keys, the Wailers. In 2008 and 2009, Formula412 won Album of the year, Best duo or group, and Best band to see live at the Pittsburgh Hip Hop Awards, as well as Best Hip Hop group by the Pittsburgh City Paper's Readers Poll. This award-winning band continues to push the envelope artistically and solidify a loyal fan base world-wide.
Recently in 2011 The city of Pittsburgh awarded Formula a proclamation stating April 12 is officially Formula412 day in the city of steal! In 2010, Esoon earned a product endorsement deal with Open Labs Keyboard Company and has founded the artistic enrichment and production company Hot Metal Music Movement to feature Esoon's original production which has already been dubbed "The New Sound of Pittsburgh" by the Soul Pitt Quarterly Magazine. Akil Esoon is also dedicated to empowering the youth in the community by being a strong advocate for music education. Teaching Hip Hop Production at the Afro-American Music Institute and Community Empowerment Association renders Akil Esoon one of the most well-rounded and most respected artists in America.
Industry Knowledge with Akil Esoon of Formula 412
"What is the difference between ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, Music Reports?"
ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC are United States Performing Rights Organizations (PROs). Effectively, they all do the same thing. PROs issue blanket licenses to music broadcasters, such as television and radio stations, auditoriums, larger restaurants and clubs, hotels, or theme parks. Basically, they are issued to anyone who plays music in a public manner. By paying the blanket license fees to the PROs, these broadcasters are able to use whatever music they want without having to account to each individual songwriter. The blanket license fee’s amount is based on broadcast reach; a large commercial radio station pays a higher blanket license fee than a small bookstore, but both pay.
The PROs keep track of the music that is being used through playlists at radio stations, cue sheets on television, and by sampling, for other types of users—such as polling restaurants and bars to determine what music they are playing. They pay royalties to writers based on the number of times an affiliated songwriter’s music is used.
You affiliate with one (and only one) of the PROs so that they will be able to find you and send you performance royalty checks. The affiliation process is easy. There may be an inexpensive, one-time affiliation fee, but once you’re affiliated, there is no cost to register as many songs as you write at no further cost. Check out each PRO, choose one, and affiliate. They all do the same thing, as far as getting you paid goes, and neither is better than the other two, though their additional benefits and services vary.
Please note that PROs are not publishers. Registering your songs with them does not mean you have a publishing deal. PROs simply monitor the public use of copyrights and facilitate royalty payment for these uses.
Here is the info for the PROs:
ASCAP
One Lincoln Plaza
New York, NY 10023
212-621-6000
www.ascap.com
BMI
320 West 57th Street
New York, NY 10019-3790
212-586-2000
www.bmi.com
SESAC
55 Music Square East
Nashville, TN 37203
615-320-0055
www.sesac.com
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