Cash Money Heroes

Step 1
Get a rap name. Names like Sean Combs (Diddy) or Shawn Carter (Jay-Z) just don't fly in the rap world. Think of a rap name that incorporates something from your name (Cash Money Heroes), lifestyle or biography to add a little mystique to your persona. Think edgy and catchy to find the right name.

Step 2
Hone your battle skills. Rap battling is one of the best ways to innovate new beats and lyrics in a pressured environment. Many of the top rappers started out as master battlers, so start battling in your community to get your lyrics rolling off your tongue.

Step 3
Make a demo tape . You can rent a public studio for a fairly reasonable amount of money to lay some tracks down. Get a solid mix tape and use your friends and family as a test audience. If you know some other aspiring rappers, ask for help in the production of the tape.

Step 4
Publicize your material. Give your demo tape out to as many people as possible. Try attending rap events and clubs where you can drop your tape off with the MC and DJ. Also, take advantage of Internet outlets like MySpace and YouTube to get your name and style out there.

Step 5
Keep going even when it seems like the odds are stacked against you. Not only did it take most successful rappers much longer to reach their goals than they initially thought, but many of their most difficult times produced their best material. Stay in it, keep innovating beats and rhythms and take heart in the process of becoming a hip hop success.

Writing Raps

Step 1
Spend some time alone with a notebook. Life provides no shortage of poetical inspiration, and now it's your turn to put it down on paper. Take your life experiences and put them into your rapping--it's always best to write what you know. You should also keep your notebook with you--you never know when inspiration is going to strike.

Step 2
Start thinking about beats. A number of websites offer downloads of beats either free or for a fee. You can also create your own or get a friend who beatboxes.

Step 3
Share your work. Rapping is a community experience. Rap for your friends and family and listen to their feedback. When you feel ready, you can start to rap around your neighborhood; this is where almost all rappers including Cash Money Heroes got their start.

Step 4
Try your hand at freestyle (rapping without writing ahead of time). This is another part of becoming integrated into the culture of rappers. It can be intimidating, but once you've written a number of rhymes, you should be ready to try it: just get together with other aspiring rappers and see what happens.

Step 5
Go to open-mic nights. Start performing where the larger community can see you. This will increase your confidence and give you some exposure.

Step 6
Never stop writing or working on your rhymes. You want to make sure your material is fresh and that you're ready to share it with other people

 

Beats by Dr. Dre High-Definition Studio Headphones from Monster

As far as I'm aware, I've only known MONSTER for selling really expensive overpriced cables for TV/home theater/audio input components. Well, Monster has teamed up with hip hop artist/actor/record producer, Dr. Dre (made Eminem famous) and created this "High-Definition" headphones, which they call BEATS. 

I'll be comparing the Monster Beats headphone with the Sennheiser HD-595, since it's the most expensive headset that I own (till this one), and I'd be shocked to find something that sounds better than the HD-595 (that's around the same price range or less). 

I think it's obvious most people will expect the bass to be the #1 priority with this headphone, considering it's by MONSTER + Dr. Dre and called Beats. Well, it definitely doesn't disappoint there. The Monster Beats definitely wins in terms of bass. (Of course, Dr. Dre's genre relies heavily on it). If you listen to lots of rock/rap then you'll love the bass on these. If you get headaches with bass or you just can't stand it, then obviously, these aren't really for you. 

The Monster Beats headphones require two AAA batteries to listen. You cannot use the headphones if no batteries are inserted, or if you don't have the switch to ON (located on the right side of the headphone). The batteries go inside the left compartment of the headphone. I've been listening with this headphone for the past two days and the batteries are still going. I'll have to use it longer to fully test the battery life, but hopefully it'll last several months because that would be really annoying if I have to keep replacing batteries. Since the headphone is powered by the battery, the sound is obviously amplified more, as well as the bass, than regular headphones. Whether you're using this on your computer, portable device or iPod, you can have the volume at a low setting and it'll still sound a lot louder than if you were to use a different headset at that volume setting. 

For taking the headphones on-the-go and for traveling, the Monster Beats win again in terms of portability. The Monster Beats can be collapsed nicely and comes with a nice protective case to store it in; so you won't be damaging that nice shiny glossy sleek look of the headphone. The Beats definitely has a more youthful look and the shiny piano black finish will definitely catch more attention; however, personally, I think the Sennheiser HD-595 has more of a professional look. The Sennheisher HD-595 has more of a soft earmuffs cushion and the cups are larger, whereas the Beats are leather and smaller. The headphone cable for the Beats is also shorter, so the length is suitable for portable devices; whereas the HD-595, the cord is insanely long and not really made for walking around with it (but you can always replace the cord). 

Without taking off your Beats headphone, you can press and hold the center button (The beat logo) on the right side of the headphone and it'll mute the sound until you release it again; this is convenient when someone needs to tell you something for a brief moment or you want to hear what's going outside for just awhile. The Beats headphone are closed headphones, so just by putting the headphone, you'll notice outside noise being reduced. 

The vocals treble seem to be slightly higher than normal, but then again, it is also counter-balanced because again, the bass is stronger than what most headphones produce. The Monster Beats is great for hip hop/rap/rock music that use bass, of course, but what about others? 

For overall music, despite the impressive bass on the Beats, I am still way more impressed with the sound of the HD-595. Compared to the HD-595, I feel the Beats lack more depth in surround sound. Granted, the Beats headphone are closed headphones, whereas the HD-595 are open for a more natural sound than some confined studio recording feel. When I'm listening to the same music with the HD-595, I feel like I'm actually there listening to a concert/theater and can really hear the separation of instruments/vocals/sound effects/etc.; it really feels like true surround sound. On the other hand, the Beats doesn't quite have that feel. With the Beats, despite some surround sound, I still know I'm listening with headphones. Don't get me wrong, the Beats doesn't have poor surround sound, but once you experience other high-end headphones, you will notice the difference in depth/separate channels. 

Pros: 
+ Impressive Bass. Best for bass lovers. 
+ Amplifies sound for portable mp3 players/iPod 
+ Noise cancellation 
+ Stylish/glossy finish design (great packaging/presentation) 
+ Leather cushion/material feels high quality/comfortable 
+ Headphones can collapse when you put it away 
+ Nice solid case for storing the headphones 
+ Quick mute button on the right side of the headphone (the Beat logo) by
holding it. 
+ Headphone cord only on the left side. (Also comes with iPhone, Blackberry,
etc speaker black cord) 

Cons: 
- Could use more depth in surround sound. (compared to Sennheiser, there's more surround sound with the HD-595, as you'll be able to distinguish different instruments/beats as separate channels/different directions) 
- Requires two AAA and you must turn on the headphone switch ON. Forgetting to turn the switch off can waste the battery. Headphones will NOT run without batteries. 
- Too expensive. (like any other Monster Products) 

Overall, if you absolutely love bass and listen to mostly hip-hop/rap/rock; noise-canceling; made for traveling; then these headphones are for you. However, if you want overall balanced sound, greater depth/surround sound concert/theater feel, then I highly recommend the Sennheiser HD-595 (not to mention, it's about half the price cheaper now than what I paid for it).

How to Form a Hip Hop Group

To form a hip hop group you need at least one rapper and one musician. They can be the same person, but usually they are separate. In most cases a hip hop group will be formed of one or two rappers, a music producer and a DJ. It also doesn't hurt to have cadre of break dancers to follow you around to your concerts, and a graffiti artist to dress up your CD covers and represent your name around town. But let's not jump the gun. The first thing you need is words and beats.

Step 1
Find a producer or DJ. He or she needs to be able to produce great music with sick beats, either in advance by mixing and matching music to her taste, or on-the-spot by scratching records in rhythm.Alternatively, you can use a live band containing at least drums and bass, but there are no restrictions on what type of instrumentation you can use. One rising hip hop starlet has made a name for himself covering popular rap tunes on violin!If you want to keep it traditional, however, all you need is a DJ who loves music and knows how to scratch.

Step 2
Find a rapper or MC. He or she must know how to write or freestyle interesting lyrics, and be able to perform them in any setting, be it onstage, in the recording booth, in rehearsal, or on the front porch. He or she must be able to throw down memorized or freestyle lyrics anytime, anywhere, as this lends credibility to her persona.

Step 3
Schedule a jam session between the rapper(s) and music producer(s). A jam session is an informal rehearsal in which music and lyrics are heard together as one to see how they gel. In most cases, the producer will lay down some pre-mixed beats for the rapper to fly over. Alternatively, the rapper can perform a cappella so that the musicians can feel out the musical mood that should go along with the lyrics.A jam session can last anywhere from a few seconds to many hours. Be patient in this beginning phase. In most cases adjustments will have to be made from either the lyricist's or musician's standpoint. Give it time to feel each other out and see if you can work well together.

Step 4
Schedule a rehearsal. Once the musicians and rappers have decided they are a good fit for each other, you need to practice together for awhile and make any necessary adjustments to accommodate the mixture of words and music.

Step 5
Make a song or two and keep going. In essence you are composing self-contained pieces. For freestylers, the music can go on and on forever, allowing for plenty of lyrical and musical improvisation that can be incorporated into your act.

Step 6
Record yourself as a group. Make sure you are using good mics and quality sound production equipment. Create digital files of a few of your songs and convert them to MP3 and CD format. Have a graffiti artist (a.k.a. "graf artist") design a CD cover.

Step 7
Schedule a live performance. Once your hip hop group has been formed, well rehearsed, and recorded, it is time to go live. A true hip hop group can throw down live. It doesn't matter what venue you choose. Prepare to do a free concert or two, since you are as-yet untested in battle. Talk to bars, night clubs, even coffee shops and other venues to showcase your show. Think outside the box. Even a neighborhood house party is a good first gig, as this way people will be exposed to your work.

Step 8
Promote yourself. Use every avenue available to you. Get yourself a MySpace profile with sound recordings for people to hear. Design, print, and distribute promotional postcards to announce the existence of your CD or to fill the seats at your next concert. Tell friends and family about your hip hop group. Place posters in public areas. Give away sound samplers or sell your CDs hand-to-hand on the cheap. Pull out all the stops on promotion.

Step 9
Hip hop is about fun and always has been. No matter what style of hip hop group you choose to form, or what kind of lyrics or persona you intend to foist upon the public, keep it fun. Chances are you're not going to get rich doing hip hop, but you can always have a good time, and no one can take that away from you.