J Money (My Music)

[Andreas Tanis]

Okay, now, before I post links, I just know that a lot of people view a lot of threads so I want to say this: Whether you're a fan of rap or not, please don't hesitate to listen to songs. I'm not asking for anything other than opinions, & whether your feedback is good or bad, I am open to all criticism, because it can only help me sharpen up my weak points.

I have a few songs recorded, some of which I haven't uploaded yet, but I plan to do so soon. Right now, I have about five uploaded, & I'm very proud of all of them. I have a lot of songs that will be uploaded in this year alone. I've been recording a lot, & I feel that I can only get better.

Now I'm done with the monologue. Here are the links:

J Money & Da Boss TJ- Here We Go

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9q8ixgbM2yI

J Money & Da Boss TJ Ft. 2Pac - Gansta

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tLEZH6m3HQ

These are all of the songs uploaded, but I have about three to five more songs that haven't been completely finished that I hope to take care of soon.

By the way, here's a nugget for you comic book fans. The song "Here We Go" sampled the Joker from The Dark Knight, hence the title. I just told my friend we absolutely had to sample him because I loved TDK, he did too, & we ended up making a beat for it. My friend, who raps on some of the songs with me, is also the man behind the beats. He makes all of the beats I rap too, so if any of you want to give credit to anyone, it's him. The man is a genius.

But yeah, I'd appreciate it if you all could check out the songs. Like I said, I don't care if you're a fan of rap or not, your opinion will be heavily valued. And, if you do like the work I've put out so far, stay tuned because I have a lot of other songs coming, & I'm currently finishing up a song called "Deeper Than Rap" which I'm proud of. I'm basically delving into some of my problems which includes all the fighting I've had, problems with my mom, visions of my own death, etc.

[Andreas Tanis]

Come on people! Listen to the songs! I want to know what you have to say!

And here's the newest song:

Deeper Than Rap:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZYpkP7CA3w

[Andreas Tanis]

Here's the newest song everyone:

Beef:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfTEMHLrV7U

Everyone be sure to listen & give me your feedback.

And I'm highly disappointed I haven't gotten any feedback on this thread yet, people. I want to know what you all have to say. And I'm not just speaking to rap/hip-hop fans but all music fans. :wink: All of your feedback/opinions would be very much appreciated.

[TripleX]

Man I don't want to crush your dreams, but you gotta do better. Everything is derivative of something else, you lack originality. A good MC sounds good without beats or electronics. You should be able to command attention based on the strength of your delivery and wordplay. You're using that autotune shit as a crutch, work on your own tone, hooks and subject matter. Try to tell a story.

[Andreas Tanis]

What? There is no autotune in any of my songs, so I'm not sure what you're talking about. I never have, & never will use autotune. I'm not sure what you heard, but there is none of that in any of my songs at all. I've never seen the point of using autotune, & except for a few instances, I've always hated it, & never planned on using it, which is why I'm glad it died out quickly.

And I have been working on my own subject matter, everything I rap about is something that pertains to me. If you've noticed, I don't rap about selling drugs or shit like that, because I've never sold drugs.

Anyone who closely listens to "Deeper Than Rap" can see that I paint a picture, & touch on some of the problems I've had. The other songs are a way of expressing my aggression towards people I've had problems with.

All in all, I'm just starting out, & call it arrogant, but I think I'm doing pretty good so far. I appreciate the criticism, so thanks for that, & I am constantly working on lyrics as well as delivery. My main goal is to just master the art of flowing & riding with the beat. On some songs I do that better than others, but, all in all, it'll take time, & I have to pick up the experience. In order for me to get better, I have to constantly work at it, do more songs, & make sure the quality of the songs is good. Don't get me wrong, I don't think I'm great, but I think I have potential to be great if I can be consistent.

J Money Ft. 2Pac, Biggie Smalls, & Big L - Rough

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUDCHu7_Naw

[glue]

I only listened to "Rough", part of "Harder Than Ever" and the first couple minutes of "Rough Remix".

Your delivery is boring (and never changes) and you don't say anything clever. Do you write your shit before hearing the beats or what? I'd suggest getting some beats of songs you enjoy and practicing the delivery of the artists (but with your own lyrics, obviously).

The beats are pretty dull too, but that's your buddy's struggle and he's not here.

Also, recycling dead rapper verses is bad enough, but "Rough Remix" is just...man. Even for bedroom artists that shit is embarrassing. I didn't get to Biggie or L's verses but Pac's verse isn't even close to matching the beat. You should take that down. The other stuff is just boring, but that sucker is offensively terrible. I didn't listen to "Gansta" but if it's anything like "Rough Remix" I'd yank it too.

[Rob.H]

Tough crowd.

[Andreas Tanis]

Lol indeed, & the "Rough Remix" is staying. I'm not going to take it down because one person doesn't like it. Everything is on point, & it's just fine. No, fuck that, the "Rough Remix" is hot, that song is bonafide hot, & nothing anyone says can tell me different. I re-recorded my verse, & had a hell of a lot of energy behind it, & swagg, & the 2Pac, Biggie, & Big L verses are on point with the beat as well.

Also, me not switching my style up is a lie, just as it is that I'm not going with the beat. I always listen to a beat before I write, so I know that I'm not off beat, which I'm not. That's your opinion, & it's fine, but I'm not pulling any songs down because you don't like it. What I don't get is how some people complain about the new music...bullshit that's being pumped out, but when someone basically sticks to the old style of rapping & what not, the delivery is boring & all that. I fucking rode the beat on all of the songs that I have up, & the majority agrees with that sentiment, so I'm doing it right, I don't need to change anything. The people I've talked to have loved the songs, & think I have potential, so I'm heading in the right direction.

Like I said, I'm happy with the songs, I know we put a lot of thought & work into them, they'll be staying up, & if any songs are taken down, it will be at either my or TJ's discretion, & no one else's.

I'm also starting to think that for the people who say my delivery is weak/boring or that my lyrics aren't up to par, then you must not be a 2Pac fan or haven't listened closely to him, because I get my style from him. The point of my lyrics aren't to be overwhelming clever & have punch line after punch line, it's for me to be as direct as possible, instead of just adding bullshit over bullshit. That's what 'Pac did, & that's who I get my style from. My delivery in general is only getting better. I'm just starting, so if you really expected top notch delivery, then that's your problem. I just began rapping not even three months ago, so I have to pick up experience first before I get to a higher point. Even with that said, my work is mainly to please myself, since I speak from my own personal perspectives, & not anyone else's. I write lyrics that retain to me in the best way, while also relating to other people that may feel the same, so I'm doing just fine. I'm not rapping about what someone else is talking about, I rap about my views, & I rap to express my opinions & get it off my chest. The songs are meant to please me first, & then I'm pleased, then I pump it out & let people listen to it. The general consensus for the main songs (i.e Rough, Here We Go, Gansta, & Rough Remix) have all been great, I've barely heard anything negative. Considering that's your idea of what terrible is, I'd hate to see what you think is good, but then again, I don't really care, because it's just borderline hate, so I tend to ignore it & keep it moving. Come back once your real ear for music kicks in.

Btw, one thing I want to add is we'll be finishing up a song, which is our version of the "Hello Good Morning" song with P. Diddy. All I'll say is...I can't stand that dude, so I had to do my version to the song.

[40footwolf]

I don't dislike them as much as everyone else, but your delivery is somewhat...sedate. You've gotta really throw yourself into the lyrics when you talk about murdering people, or it's not really going to come off. Likewise, your beats could use some more dynamism, something that really sticks with people after they've heard the song.

I think there's potential, but I also think you've got to really, really go for it if you want to make songs that'll stick with people.

[Andreas Tanis]

I understand what you're saying, & I completely agree. I'm more laid back, which is why I think people expect more punchlines. But now I'm getting into the zone & throwing myself into it more. I know I really did that with this latest song:

J Money & Da Boss TJ - Hello Good Morning (P. DIDDY & BAD BOY DISS)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GndHJ4vIcIc

[glue]

haha

I want feedback and opinions to help me get better.

*negative feedback*

WAAAAHHH You're just hating and my stuff is all top notch and nobody hates it.

By the way, you have 44 views right now on that "Rough Remix" garbage you posted and no comments. I'm sure your friends are all eating that shit up, but that just shows their lack of objectivity. If they were really your friends they'd tell you when you putting out garbage to keep you from embarassing yourself.

Explain something to me, though. If I'm "borderline hating" by not liking your shit then what exactly are you doing when you admittedly "can't stand" Diddy? I mean at least I offered some (ignored) advice. You didn't even afford Diddy that much respect and he's actually accomplished something in his life.

[glue]

Ok so I listened to some of that Diddy thing. I'll give you credit for speeding up your flow a little. Still not feeling it, but at least it's different.

Oh and "niggas retaliate for my homie's Pac fate". You're really serious about riding on other people's names, huh. I mean you can't even be original when getting shine of other's folks' legacies. Just an all around shameful display.


ps Pac would slap the glasses of your face for associating him with this garbage. You shame hip-hop, Detroit, whatever town you actually live in and your family with this little hobby you've picked up since outgrowing Pokemon, "J Money".

[glue]

See now I'm hating.

[Rob.H]

Andreas, you wouldn't have gotten that beating from Josh if you had taken his criticism as constructive in the first place. I have to agree, I know next to nothing about modern hip-hop but your tunes do absolutely nothing for me. It sounds like you're reading from a sheet of paper.

Regardless, you show potential and it takes a while to find your own sound. Keep working on it.

[glue]

By the way, if you ever get your shit together and actually halfway make it in music just remember that you wouldn't have done it without me here to whip you in shape.

I made you.

[Andreas Tanis]

Haha, 'Pac would congratulate me for not feeding into hating ass people like you. I don't care what you say, I've gotten enough good criticism from people who ACTUALLY know music. Detroit is giving me some damn good support right now, as is people from different states & countries. I'm aware you may have been sarcastic with some of your statement, but really, I don't give a damn. I'm more concerned with the people who aren't haters. If you give REAL criticism, & you're not a dick about it, that's fine. Otherwise, keep it moving, because I really don't give a shit.

[Andreas Tanis]

haha

I want feedback and opinions to help me get better.

*negative feedback*

WAAAAHHH You're just hating and my stuff is all top notch and nobody hates it.

Haha I'm not saying my shit is top notch, but it's better than a lot of shit that's out there, because it's real music that comes from the heart. The music I make is real, I'm not amping shit up to make myself look better. And another thing, I'm not riding off of anyone's name. I mentioned 'Pac's name in one line, as a fucking sign of respect, that's all. I'm not riding off anyone's name. It's not about milking off the next man, so if you think I'm doing that, then you really aren't paying attention. 'Pac has his place in history, & that's because he dared to make his own mark. I'm not out to make mine by riding his legacy. Do I respect him? Yes. Am I influenced by him with my style? Yes, but I'm not about to build my own career from a lie. You must really be desperate for things to throw at me, because I made one line about 'Pac in one song. I don't reference the dude in every song. As usual, you make little sense, & you need to get over it. Hahahahaha


By the way, you have 44 views right now on that "Rough Remix" garbage you posted and no comments. I'm sure your friends are all eating that shit up, but that just shows their lack of objectivity. If they were really your friends they'd tell you when you putting out garbage to keep you from embarassing yourself.

No, I've had maybe one or two friends listen to my songs. The majority are people I don't know. No, no, I'll keep it real. TJ, the man on the songs, is my one true friend. All of the other fuckers I hang out with are associates. I only hang around family, & TJ is included into that. My videos get views because I promote my shit, which most people don't do.

I'm not embarrassing myself at all, because if I was I wouldn't be getting so much positive feedback already. You're embarrassing yourself by posting all day on an internet forum & hating on someone with an array of projects going on in his life. But don't worry, you just made me feel that much more better about my life. :biggrin:


Explain something to me, though. If I'm "borderline hating" by not liking your shit then what exactly are you doing when you admittedly "can't stand" Diddy? I mean at least I offered some (ignored) advice. You didn't even afford Diddy that much respect and he's actually accomplished something in his life.

Borderline hating is going on & on about something. I made one song, which expressed my views. If you keep going & on about shit, then you're hating & jealous. I'm not jealous of Diddy, & he's a successful businessman, I won't deny him that, because it's true. It doesn't matter what anyone thinks, he is very successful, doesn't mean I have to like him. There's a fine line between being jealous/hating on someone, & just truly not liking them. Now, take you, for example, if you didn't like my music, you'd get on with your life (assuming you have one), but here you are still posting in my thread & calling my music garbage. I feel so honored. :smile: :wink:

[glue]

Haha, 'Pac would congratulate me for not feeding into hating ass people like you.

He wouldn't for two reasons. One, he'd agree with me. Two, you're feeding into haters such as myself by responding.



I don't care what you say, I've gotten enough good criticism from people who ACTUALLY know music. Detroit is giving me some damn good support right now, as is people from different states & countries.

Quit lying.


I'm aware you may have been sarcastic with some of your statement, but really, I don't give a damn. I'm more concerned with the people who aren't haters. If you give REAL criticism, & you're not a dick about it, that's fine. Otherwise, keep it moving, because I really don't give a shit.

Don't flatter yourself, I wasn't being sarcastic. I'm quite sincere in my dislike for the shit that you've decided to share with the world. It's embarrassing. And I did give real criticism, but you decided to get all upset and start babbling about me not knowing anything and just hating.

Then I started hating.


By the way, in order to show you don't feed into the hate you'll need to quit responding now. See? I'm even helping you with that.

Man, you are nothing with out me. :smile:

[glue]

"I use the word 'nigga' to help elaborate my point."

[Andreas Tanis]

I went back & re-did "Unthinkable" last night. For some reason, doing a double up just completely ruined my verse. As in, it sounded off-beat, too loud, etc. But I was able to work around it, & I went back & did a lot of editing to it after I re-recorded my verse. Here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drX4aTLmFFw

The song was actually written about someone, so I tried to write the verse as if I was talking to someone. I'm still working on my own version of "Cold Wind Blows" which is meant to talk about a lot of things that have been going on around me. People I know have been dying, my sister was nearly killed last night, & it just really hasn't been a good time for me at the moment. I'm just thankful that she's safe, as well as the baby. My heart just sank when she told me that her house got shot up, & I just broke down once I got by myself. Again, I'm glad she & everyone else is okay, & she's now away from that house (thank God), so hopefully everything calms down, because for it to happen like that was so pointless.

But, basically, the point I was getting at is that I'm getting into the feeling of writing songs that are more...deep, so to speak, so I feel like if I do that, I can reach a wider audience. I've done all of the songs I needed to do to express my rage towards certain people, but now it's time for me to speak on all of the things that has happened to me & my family, & it's a lot of crazy madness. The music is really one of my ways of dealing with it, but I trust in God, & I'm just praying that my family stays safe. It's too much shit going on out here.

And Josh, please just drop it. If you've read this post, then you should be mature enough to just stop, because it's really not appropriate, & this is not a good time for me to be arguing with anyone back & forth, be it on the internet or elsewhere. I'm not going to continue arguing to try to prove something to anyone, because it's pointless. If you don't like the music, that's fine, but it doesn't make any sense to waste time & fill the thread with a bunch of useless posts, & that goes both ways. I'm done with it because, like I said, this is a difficult time for me as well as my family, so please just show me some respect & drop the whole thing.

EDIT: Just a heads up to everyone, I removed this song. Not because I didn't like it, but because of the whole copyright stigma attached to it since I kept Alicia Key's vocals on it.

[glue]

Dropped.

Good luck.

[Andreas Tanis]

Thanks, I appreciate it.

[Andreas Tanis]

Cold Wind Blows

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DxMSo2GjWE

Finally finished this tonight, & I'm really happy with the final product. It's probably one of my most lyrical & heartfelt songs to date. Again, I'm really happy with the outcome of this song. I put a lot of work into it, especially my verses. I think the first verse is the only one that I got down perfectly, in that I didn't do any re-writes or anything like that. Looking back, I'm glad that things got changed up, because it worked out for the better.

With that said, check it out, & see if you'll like it. My main goal was to come off as being me, & not trying to be like Eminem. It's hard to do songs like this when you've had someone like Eminem on it beforehand, but I think I succeeded in creating a song that people may look at as being it's own, & not being too much like Em's, because we're talking about two totally different topics.

I have some more songs planned down the road, but I'm not in a rush to record. I figure that after I drop a few more songs, I'll take a break from recording, & focus more on the promotional side of things. I don't want to get to a point where my songs sound forced, & like I'm doing them for the hell of it, which is why I took down three songs that I had up previously. They sounded tired, & neither of us had put our effort into it. It was like we were sitting there & were just like "okay, yeah, we're gonna do this song even though we're not feeling it all that much right now" so I think we're past that. Me & TJ are just focused on doing our best, & being as consistent as possible.

[glue]

Never mind, not looking to derail again. I'll PM you.

[Esoteric J]

I doubt there will be too many rap/hip-hop fans on this forum.

In my opinion your flow is too slow. And you dont put any emotion into what you say. If you listen to people like Immortal Technique or Pac you'd know they put alot into what they do.

But I only listened to the first song and skimmed through some arguing. Thats about it.

[Rob.H]

I doubt there will be too many rap/hip-hop fans on this forum.

There are plenty...

http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?t=310465&highlight=music

[Andreas Tanis]

I have somewhat of a little update. Now, as everyone saw, me & Josh got into a little argument, which I'll say was just as much my fault as it was his. But, we've straightened everything out, & I can see he's a cool dude. But, I don't want what happened with him to happen with anyone else. What does this mean? Just like I want people to respect my opinion when I'm rapping, I'll respect their's if they genuinely dislike my music, but can respectfully say so without trying to verbally smash me or anything like that. Like I told Josh, I'd rather have supporters than enemies, & I can tell he was an intelligent guy, which is why I wanted to be mature about it, & now I feel as if we can discuss anything & not bump heads. Maybe debate, but not try to kill each other.

With that being said, I apologize for the argument because I was out of line, & here's my newest song:

Ice Cream Paint Job

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwA0THiE2tQ

Now, for anyone who listens to this song, yes, it is a diss song, but this is the last for the time being. I don't want ANYONE to think this is being done simply for attention, because it's not. I really dislike Soulja Boy. You may ask why, & I shall tell. In the beginning, I only disliked his music, but I despise him as a person. There are a lot of reasons why. For one, it was revealed a while back that one of his boys was hungry, had no money, & so he couldn't buy food. While at a hotel, this jackass orders food, doesn't eat it, & when his friend asks for it, he spits on it, & throws it away. What kind of person does that? Plus, on Youtube he blew his nose with a hundred dollar bill, balled it up, & threw it in the trash. There are fucking homeless people out here, & personally, I'd never do some shit like that.

Moving on to P. Diddy, I've never liked him because he's a shady character. I personally believe he was involved with 'Pac's shooting in '94. I don't think Biggie had anything to do with it, but I believe Diddy did, & I also think he may be involved with Biggie's murder. All in all, he's always annoyed me, & something about him irks me.

With Rick Ross, I dislike the fact that everything he's speaking is a lie. If he had been truthful from the start, I'd like him now. Originally, I did like his music, until I found out it was all a lie. He's trying to make himself look hard & he's not being himself. He's claiming he sold drugs & all that, but it's false. It'd be like me saying I sold drugs. I've never sold drugs a day in my life, so it'd be a lie.

Besides these three, there's really no one in the industry I dislike enough to diss, so I felt I should explain my behalf on this before anyone sees it as simply attention grabbing because if that were the case, I'd be trying to diss everyone. I try to focus more on making music from the soul, but I just got to a point where I was tired of hearing about P. Diddy, Soulja Boy, & Rick Ross because of how fake they are, which is why those two diss songs came about. I'm not jealous by any means, I just hate when people can't be themselves.

All in all, I'm working on a few more projects, & after that I'll step back from rapping for just a little bit to focus on some other non-music related things, but I'll still be focusing on promoting the music I have done as well. I have a lot on my plate right now, & some projects I haven't even had a chance to fully invest myself in because of my immense love for music, so I have to get ready to buckle down & focus on them for a while.

At the end of the day, I'd just appreciate it if everyone could take some time out to listen to my music, because I feel as if all of my music comes from the soul. I don't sit down & just write anything that sounds good, I write about what I know, & what I've experienced, so I think that a lot of people could relate to it. I feel like I'm doing all of this for the young people like myself who are trying to be a success. I live in Detroit, which is, pound for pound, one of the worst places to grow up. I want to show people that you can be a big success if that's what you want, & that you can make it if you have determination. My story is one of ambition, hustling, hardships, & hopefully one day soon....success. That's why I strive so hard for EVERYONE to listen to my music. I don't feel it's mainstream, I know in my heart that what I'm speaking is real, & comes from my heart & soul.

So, check out the music, & please recommend it to other's. The more ears that are listening, the better. It's not about money for me right now, it's about doing what I love, & getting other's to listen to it, critique it, & come back for more.

EDIT: Removed "Ice Cream Paint Job" as well. Quality was just atrocious compared to other songs. I may or may not re-record it later down the road.

[glue]

Lotta prison guards get down. Ross being a CO doesn't invalidate his claims of being hard at all. I mean it's not like dude studied ballet. :wink:


I'll give the song a listen later.

[Andreas Tanis]

I'm not saying that particular thing does, but it's the fact that he lied about it, as well as all of the lies about how much money he had & all that shit. I just believe he's a liar, & lies about mostly everything, so he's not as real as he claims to be. Had he came right off the bat & said he was a correctional officer, I'd have little to no qualms with him.

[glue]

Right off the bat when? When he first started rapping or when it was discovered?

And I have no idea what the lies about money is related to, but that kind of shit isn't exactly unique to Ross.

[Andreas Tanis]

Right off the bat when? When he first started rapping or when it was discovered?

When he first started rapping, he's been lying from the get go.


And I have no idea what the lies about money is related to, but that kind of shit isn't exactly unique to Ross.

50 Cent exposed him, I've seen the papers & what not showing that Rick Ross was in debt.

[glue]

So if he'd come out and said he was a CO before "Hustlin" you'd be fine with his career or do you feel his time as a CO should preclude him from making coke rap? Both seem pretty silly, honestly.

And how about this, what if it's discovered that Ross was actually using his position as a CO to make connections with criminals?

The debt thing is a big bag of whogivesafuck. Rappers are, for the most part, broke. I don't really see why that matters.


Were you upset that Pac didn't explicitly announce in 93 that he would be performing the role of Bishop for the rest of his career? How about the fact that he was constantly rapping about killing people but didn't even hold heat until Juice?

[Andreas Tanis]

So if he'd come out and said he was a CO before "Hustlin" you'd be fine with his career or do you feel his time as a CO should preclude him from making coke rap? Both seem pretty silly, honestly.

It's essentially the first one, because I think to be a successful rapper you should tell the truth, & be upfront & honest about anything. I'll reiterate that I've never sold drugs before in my life. I've seen it happen, & I know people who have, but I didn't, so it'd be moot & rather fake for me to paint a portrait of myself as being a drug dealer.


And how about this, what if it's discovered that Ross was actually using his position as a CO to make connections with criminals?

I'm not really sure how to answer that, honestly.


The debt thing is a big bag of whogivesafuck. Rappers are, for the most part, broke. I don't really see why that matters.

I'll give you that, but at the same time, it's pointless to say how much money you have if, behind the scenes, you're broke. And then going on to beef with someone as powerful as 50 Cent is just plain stupid.


Were you upset that Pac didn't explicitly announce in 93 that he would be performing the role of Bishop for the rest of his career? How about the fact that he was constantly rapping about killing people but didn't even hold heat until Juice?

Actually, 'Pac was holding heat before Juice. As far as I know 'Pac always had guns, even before the fame so that's something he never lied about. And I don't see it as he was performing the role of Bishop for the remainder of his career. Think about it like this; Bishop was a psychopath that didn't give a fuck about anyone, not even himself, he had no compassion, 'Pac had compassion. There were things that 'Pac did that Bishop never would have. Truthfully, I view 'Pac as being THE epitome of what real is. He lived the lifestyle he rapped about, & he had an immense love for his people.

I'll cut Rick Ross a little slack simply based on the fact he didn't do some of the asshole-ish things Soulja Boy did to his people.

[glue]

You're right he had compassion. That's because he was just pretending to be Bishop, he wasn't actually him. He wanted to get a certain message across and realized after 2Pacalypse that people just weren't interested, so he added Bishop to the mix. He says as much, although not in those words, in Tupac: Resurrection.

I'm not knocking him, he wrote some terrific stuff and knew how to present it to people. Unfortunately, a lot of his fans completely miss what made him so special and what he was really about (not including you in this).

Also, the government killed Pac. Biggie could possibly have been to add to the Bad Boy/Death Row rivalry being the cause, but my guess is that was all Suge.

And with that, I'm done discussing the realness of rappers (because it's a silly thing to care about). If you add anything else I'll read it, though.

[glue]

Ok, finally listened to "Ice Cream Paint Job". I'm not up on Detroit slang, but I'm assuming "tuba player" is slang for gun toter. Is that right? Ahhhhhh I kid.

Seriously though:

Got a big glock.
Get your ass popped.
I'm a black-hearted killer, my only purpose is to kill.
Stay banging on these streets.
I keep dumping.

And you wanna give Ross shit for not telling everybody he was a CO?

That being said, 1:20~2:00 is easily the best stuff I've heard from you, I actually enjoyed it. The mix is pretty awful but that can be fixed with time. Glad to see you jacking beats.

[Andreas Tanis]

I'll admit the mixing could have been better, & I did the mixing myself. I won't kid myself, I am a novice at it, but with "Cold Wind Blows" & "Unthinkable" I did a damn good job mixing & mastering it. And that's not to sound arrogant, I just love the way those two came out, & I put a lot of work into both. I did put a lot of work into "Ice Cream Paint Job" & to be honest, I don't think it's terrible, but at the same time it could've been better.

As for me rapping on other beats, I'll be doing a lot of that. Right now, I'm working on my own version of "Beamer, Benz, or Bentley" which will be like "Ice Cream Paint Job" where I spit throughout the song's entirety, but it's not a diss. I'm also doing my version of "Over" which I sat down & wrote tonight in a quick timespan, & I finished recording my first verse about 20 minutes ago. I like where it's going as well as the former, so I'm happy to say that I've got some good shit coming. Right now I'm focusing on developing myself as an artist, & I see music as a way of releasing any anger I have or whatever emotion I have, so I have a lot of things planned. I feel like I'm finally stepping into my zone, & I'm being more lyrical. I got some warm up songs out the way, & now I'm ready to hit harder.

As for 2Pac, I can safely say I understand what he was all about. I'm not completely denouncing that maybe he took on some of the characteristics of Bishop, but at the same time, based on what I know of the man, I also believe it was latent in him, & just came out after doing the role & after experiencing some of the things he endured. I can tell he was still trying to get a message out, which he did, but just in a different way than he previously planned. When all the chips fall, though, I still can say that 'Pac is probably the realist rapper to ever grab a mic, & in my own opinion, the best to do so as well. That's why I've studied his music so heavily. I'm not trying to emulate him, per se, but learn from him, because truthfully, I think I share more similarities to 'Pac than any other rapper.

Basically, what I'm getting at, is that, like 'Pac, I don't want to rap about anything that isn't me. If it isn't coming from the heart, then I'm not going to do it. That's a pivotal reason I believe my music has potential to go far, & not just me, but TJ as well. We've both been through a lot, & we both have a lot of views on a lot of things, so there's so much ground to cover right now. I don't think I've even scratched the surface as to how far I can go musically. I never even knew I had a music side to me, but TJ brought it to the surface, & now I want to elevate myself to the fullest.

This may sound hard to believe, but because of everything I've done already, I have a lot of people backing me that support me & think I can change the world in some way. That's not to say I necessarily believe it, but like I said, I do want to at least get the message across that no dream is too big. I want all of the youth that are either my age or younger to see that anything can be accomplished, especially if you have people supporting you. This may sound odd coming from me, but I'd rather we all come together in some way. Like I was telling TJ, you're always going to have your differences with people, & I've had a lot of beef with certain people, but on a whole, I think we should unify ourselves, & not necessarily with the people we dispute with, but everyone else.

I guess that's how I'm most like 'Pac. I have a violent & angry side that tends to get released more than I'd like, but at the same time I have a more compassionate side that wants to be unified & peaceful, but those sides of me conflict, & that's where I have a problem, & that's where my music may sometimes be contradicatory, but I think that's okay, because we all struggle with something. My struggle is an inner one, & I'm trying to balance out the different sides of myself without struggling too much with the complexities that are within my being.

If you listen to "Deeper Than Rap" closely, I kind of touched on that. I touched on a few of my problems in that song. I have really had visions of my death on more than one occasion, I've had problems within my household, I've been a fighter for as long as I can remember, & there's just a lot of drama surrounding me. That's why I've tried to draw more attention to songs like that, & do more songs like that, because there's a lot on my chest that I've never released, so I want to do more songs like that down the road.

I guess that's all I have to say at the moment. I just thought I'd get a few things off my mind.

[Andreas Tanis]

Here's the newest song:

For My Town

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yerR2s4XNyQ

[Andreas Tanis]

Throw It In The Bag

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YEKp429-ys

[glue]

Man that beat is atrocious. Is that an Alicia Keys song?

[Andreas Tanis]

Nah, if it were I'd have kept her vocals on there somewhere. Funny you say that, because I chose that beat because I really liked it, so I wrote my verses & recorded it all in one night. I'm happy with the way it came out. Not the best beat out there, but not the worst, & I liked it enough to do a song so there it is.

[Andreas Tanis]

No Love

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pumKXY1c-O8

[Andreas Tanis]

EDIT: Removed song (long story that involves copyright issues & such)

[Andreas Tanis]

Here We Go (Remix)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SoBt88Alyk

Still sampled the Joker in this one, & I even added something in at the end. :wink:

[Andreas Tanis]

Two new songs:

J Lethal - First 2 Bomb: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXo0srWRQdM

J Lethal - Thug N**** Swag: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OolipNZKZbE

My Hip-Hop heads here should know that the first of the two is a remix of 2Pac's song, & that the latter is a remix of Soulja Boy's song. I just definitely had to remix the latter, because he's such a horrible rapper. I initially thought the song would come off as silly because I couldn't think of a good concept, but I love the way it came out. It was a spur of the moment kind of thing.

It wasn't planned....I listened to Jeezy's version, sat down, wrote my lyrics in about 15-20 minutes, recorded it with very few bad takes, mixed it & mastered it & there it was. I'm really, really proud of the song, & I hope the people that check it out are happy with it as well.

Also, anyone here following my music will notice I'm using a new name, & that's mainly because I got tired of people thinking I "stole" the name, but truthfully, it's been my nickname for half a decade, & I was completely unaware of this other guy, but I changed it anyway. I'll be using the "J Money" moniker very little now.

[Andreas Tanis]

J Lethal - I Don't Like The Look Of It

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmAFBP2m8Rs

Recorded this earlier in the week, & I was really battling getting it to come out as clear as possible. I think I won that battle, & I'm extremely happy with the results of this song.

[Andreas Tanis]

J Lethal - Still Ballin'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUgibmBx4go

J Lethal - I Get Crazy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTHD_r0SDY0

I don't know why, but before I did First 2 Bomb, I had kind of lost any inspiration to do anymore tracks anytime soon. But, after I did that song I've just had a lot of energy towards doing songs. It's all flowing from the heart now, & it's still like I'm projecting my anger into my music to get years worth of pent up aggression out. My main complaint starting out was my flow, & I've improved a hell of a lot since I first started. Knowing that just gives me the energy I really need to go into a track with the best state of mind possible.

[Andreas Tanis]

Where The Cash At

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3xu2ALjGHY

Been looking forward to doing this song for a very, very long time, & I love the way it came out. Good shit.

[andthegunslinger]

Nah you just don't bar hard though man.

Fair play and big up for getting out there and I only did listen to a few tunes but just... it sounds harsh but just TRUST ME on this one:

I've been spitting for a long time. My advice and I swear hard on this: get better influences. Your style has been done so many times before.

Stretch your legs, too many brothers are sitting listening to the same music and making the same tunes over and over again.

What's your identity? If you wanna spit and you wanna be a pro you gotta ask who you are and what you wanna put across. You're on a comic book forum so why are you denying who you are and writing songs about bitches? Why am I not hearing deep mets involving Spiderman? If you're a street dude there's some beautiful potential with "Mary Jane". That's surely who you are. Fuck everybody else, you're you. Be yourself. Write what you wanna say, not what Tupac wanted to say.

Too many mans write like everybody else and this is just another example. Get out there, get better influences, portray who you wanna be. Why are you singing songs about girls being bitches and them wanting ya dick? I write rhymes cos I wanna be a poet and express how I feel through hip hop. What are you actually trying to say? Does the music world NEED another brother talking about guns bitches and bling? We have SO many already.

I get you're starting out, fair play, all gotta start somewhere. But be different, be the individual you are. Can you honestly say you've done something the world has NEVER heard before?

[Andreas Tanis]

My main influences are 2Pac & Eminem, because when I think of rap, I immediately think of those two. You're entitled to your opinion, but I disagree entirely. I've listened to a lot of artists even before I started rapping myself & I don't think there are a hell of a lot out there as lyrical as me or Taevon. I'm not trying to sound overly arrogant, but that's the conclusion I've come to after hearing music from so many other artists

Also, I always write what I want to say. Yes, Eminem & 2Pac are my main influences, but when I sit down & write a song, I'm writing what's on my brain, which correlates to being what I really want to say. Admittedly, back in '07, '08, & '09 when I tried to write raps, I completely ripped off 2Pac, but when 2010 hit, I stepped out of that mindstate of wanting to be like my "teacher" & I started being myself. I will never put out a song that says I've done things I've never done, or saying I'll do something I know I won't, which is why I've never rapped about selling drugs. I've never in my life even tried to sell drugs, so unless I'm telling a story from the perspective of someone fictional to make a point, I won't rap about certain things.

Now, a lot of people tell me I'm really intelligent & my songs are good, & like you, they'll ask me why I haven't done a lot of songs with deeper meaning. Why? Because I feel like it'd be a waste to go as deep as I can on a song. Those are tracks that will be reserved for my albums.

The whole point (at least for me) in doing mixtape songs or rapping about money, women, etc. is because it's a way for me & Taevon to show the world we can rap. All of my songs were going to be deep when I originally started, but, once I thought about it, I stopped recording songs like that. I will definitely go down that route, but for now, I want to make music that's fun. Music people can dance to, or listen to over & over if they're partying or something, & there's nothing wrong with that in my eyes.

All in all, whether I'm making party music, hood music, or poetic music, it's all me, & it's all coming from who I really am. There's nothing fake, there's no made up persona, it's just me on the track being me.

But, if you do want a song where I rapped about real life & my experiences, listen to our remix of "No Love" because I rapped about some of the things that transpire inside my head, my past experiences with women, being betrayed by "friends" & a lot of other topics. I discussed all of that in one verse where I spit out nearly half a thousand words. I'm not bragging, but that's impressive, considering Eminem rapped at about the same pace & we had the exact same time to rap, but I managed to say more than he did. Am I saying I'm better? Of course not, but I am still impressed I was able to pull it off & it was totally unintentional, because I didn't go into the making of the song thinking "I wonder if I can spit more words than Em did?"

And at this point, no, I can't say I've done something the world has never heard of before, because that's not my prerogative at this point. Like I said, I want to show the world that I can rap, & then when I feel the time is right, I will start making music that will strike a nerve & make you think. When that time comes, I will fully explain my views on the world, government, growing up in the hood, love, etc. But, right now, I want to have a little fun.

And on that note, here's another new song:

Taevon Shevy & J Lethal - I'm Paid

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dbcuWjjy7A

Now, ever since we've been putting our music up online, people have alternated back & forth as to who had the better verse on each track. Some say me, & some say Taevon, but for this track, he completely owned it with his second verse, just like with "Where The Cash At" & it's funny because he made both beats.

It's great to work with someone who is not only a producer, but a rapper with great potential, even if he doesn't necessarily believe it himself. All in all, we have a few great tracks we're sitting on & waiting to release once the New Year kicks in.

All in all, I'm really glad to see that people are enjoying our music, & it just gives us the encouragement & support we need to continue doing what we do best.
It's gonna be one hell of a ride.

[Andreas Tanis]

Being that it's the New Year, me & Taevon are kicking off 2011 with a bang. Everybody check this out:

J Lethal & Taevon Shevy - I'm Phresh

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCymZ0kin1k

[Andreas Tanis]

Lethal's Revenge

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuV_Qi40m40

Make It Rain

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9q2i-Xv4Y0

Fire Flame

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyMooXLSqJA

I feel like lately I've been honing my skills by doing more mixtape tracks. I still have more songs on the way, & the new releases later on this year are going to be mostly original tracks with beats produced by Taevon, of course. Some of them aren't completely done yet, though, & I'm hoping to get them done soon.

I think one of my favorites out of the unreleased tracks we have is our remix of "Monster" because it shows more versatality on my part.

[Andreas Tanis]

Wow, haven't updated this thread in a while but here goes:

Ballin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4X4fmarKj_o

Heard Jeezy's version of the song & I loved the beat. Plus, Wayne inspired me to want to do a remix.

Hustler 'Til I Die

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBgPNDoPYKI

This is a song we did a little while back, & it's definitely one of my favorites.

[Andreas Tanis]

Here are some new tracks I made that I'd like you guys to check out:

J Lethal - John

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCKX3WvH_Ls

J Lethal - Hustle Hard

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSDMJIP3kZQ

J Lethal - Rollin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuKARQTohtw

J Lethal - Gucci Gucci

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkntLXeKw2M

They're all mixtape tracks, by the way (for anyone wondering).

[Andreas Tanis]

Last month, I went ahead & made my first actual mixtape (titled "Total Dedication") which consists of 11 tracks, 10 of which are produced by TJ/Taevon, in which he's also featured on 4 of them. Here they are (I'd appreciate it if everyone could check them out):

Still Hustlin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl0JkitgEJ0

Demolition: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrid6VpS00g

Monster: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eydwa_B6XY0

Come On!: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgDLKKA8Zm0

Quickdraw: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEZ94WArMMw

Ball Hard (Interlude): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIMZY2SQ9nY

Unlucky 13th/Friday the 13th: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkT-7GnQ5mA

Beat The Block: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fs5a528tIcY

Get It How We Live: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs2topLVNcE

Where The Cash At: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XjSAHL7pWo

One More Time (Outro): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU_ReQKYyAg

[Andreas Tanis]

Here's the latest mixtape I released on the 27th, it's called "Infamous"

Can't C Me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nMOJOUsXhE

You The Boss: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVQheGxAaYU

I'm Goin' In: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyAOtX-EuOo

Supafreak: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXVmOJLOBlI

Outta Control: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LN2kEsEoqOQ

Slight Work: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3chPgboiiU

Chain Music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aga9akamnzQ

Same Damn Time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWso02oMQgU

Arnold (Terminator): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boq3xpy13no

Do It On 'Em: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avmz2sgT92I

Iron Man: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KLpuyijkhM