Travis Scott continues to be one of the biggest artists in all of hip-hop. Overall, his clout is about to increase significantly as Utopia is about to be released later this month. Although the release date has yet to be confirmed, he has noted that he will be performing the album at the pyramids in Egypt on July 28th. Consequently, people think that the album will be dropping on that day. No matter what, it is very clear that the project is about to be released, which is super exciting.
Moreover, it was revealed that the album will have five different album covers. Additionally, Travis Scott has already begun selling merch bundles on his website. This is due to the fact that Billboard is now counting these bundles toward album sales. When Astroworld came out, Scott sold so many bundles that his album sales were astronomical. With Utopia, it seems like we will be getting something very similar. As for social media, Scott has been showing some of the behind-the-scenes work on his album.
For instance, in the Instagram post above, we can see Travis Scott working with Rick Rubin out in Malibu. Throughout the video, Rubin is praising Travis for one of the beats he was working on. Although, he was also giving him some pointers on how to change up the song and continue working through it. Overall, it was a very constructive studio sesh. That said, we still didn’t get too many glimpses of the actual song, which is a huge tease. If anyone knows how to build mystery for an album, it would be Travis.
Hopefully, the album ends up living up to this wild rollout. There is a lot of hype surrounding the project, and fans are expecting him to deliver. Let us know what your expectations for the project are, in the comments section below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world.
There’s no denying that AI has become increasingly prevalent in our lives. Self-driving cars fill the streets, threatening the future livelihoods of truck drivers. Restaurants are beginning to automate their food service process, leaving food service workers wondering if they’ll be out of a job in five years. Even in the corporate world, AI may seem able to automatically perform the tasks of accountants or financial analysts. Of course, we all know about the auto-generated Bored Ape NFTs that took over the internet in 2021. AI has seeped into our daily lives more and more over the past decade.
However, most creatives assumed this trend wouldn’t apply to hip-hop. Why would they? Creation is founded on emotion rather than logic, which is inherently the opposite of how automated technology works. The creation of art derives from past experiences, whether those experiences were traumatic or cheerful. This sentiment has been challenged, though, over the past year. AI has begun to create automated art, produce or mix songs, and automatically generate stories.
AI Will Change Musical Process For Producers & Engineers
More recently, talk has been about the increasing quality of AI-generated music. This has left producers and sound engineers wondering whether their jobs could soon be threatened. There are already plenty of downloadable online services that will easily auto-generate music for users. It’s becoming increasingly apparent that AI is here to stay in the hip-hop space. The question has to be, is AI here to threaten the livelihoods of people who work in music?
Will the jobs of creatives change? Absolutely, but not in a directly negative manner. Creatives who adapt to the technology to enhance their process rather than push against it will thrive. Many producers are already using its capabilities to streamline their production process. By utilizing AI, they do not have to spend as much time on the redundant mixing or mastering tasks associated with music production. As a result, producers can spend more time experimenting with genre-bending ideas.
However, there have been concerns about using our artist’s voices. AI-generated music of fake verses from Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z, and Kanye West has surfaced online. The sound is almost indecipherable, as the tracks sonically seem like the Rap icons were behind the microphone. This has caused a wave of concern within hip-hop, as Young Guru recently came forward with complaints. Others echoed his sentiment and questioned what the future of the music industry would look like.
AI Will Likely Create Jobs in Hip-Hop, Not Destroy Them
A quick peek into the past proves that new inventions create new jobs rather than eliminate existing ones. For example, the rise of the internet had many worried about the future viability of their work. However, the technology created millions of jobs. The Internet now comprises over 10 percent of the US GDP. Some sources claim that AI will have an even more substantial impact on the world GDP. A study by PwC found that “any job losses from automation are likely to be broadly offset in the long run by new jobs created as a result of the larger and wealthier economy made possible by these new technologies.”
Of course, there’s not only the question of how AI will affect jobs in the music space but how it will affect the quality of the music. For the time being, music that’s solely had the input of AI still sounds soulless. Take Kanye West’s self-titled project, Ye. It’s undeniably his most messy record to date. However, that very messiness and vulnerability have contributed to its timeless quality. Another example is Tyler, the Creator’s Igor. Oddball pitching and distortion fill the record. Like Ye, its messiness adds to its notoriety and critical acclaim as one of the better records of the past decade.
AI Could Enable Hip-Hop Artists To Be More Creative
Various artists have expressed reservations over AI. In an interview with Converse, Tyler, the Creator, stated, “None of the examples that I’ve seen are beautiful art. I’m fully not into it because you can’t NFT me looking at you in real life right now.” Tyler brings up a valid point, as many argue that the rise of AI will have people even further out of touch with their inherent selves. Iconic music producer Rick Rubin discussed this trend on the Tim Ferriss podcast: “As an end, it doesn’t strike me as interesting. However, as a means, it could be helpful.”
Rubin’s perspective seems to best describe the future of AI in music. It will streamline the creative process for artists, allowing them to formulate their baseline ideas for a piece of art more efficiently. This will allow creatives to spend more time throwing around ideas rather than revising and editing tracks in Ableton or Logic. In a genre that can be riddled with repetitive ideas, AI’s advancement should encourage hip-hop to be more boundary-pushing. However, the threat of how far AI will continue to progress looms for creatives.
Last week, legendary producer Rick Rubin’s interview with Anderson Cooper was released. The interview caught many people’s attention after the Def Jam co-founder and pioneers of hip-hop admitted to knowing nothing about music.
“No. I have no technical ability. I know nothing about music,” Rubin told said on 60 Minutes. “Well, I know what I like and what I don’t like. And I’m decisive about what I like and what I don’t like.”
When he was asked what he was being paid for, Rubin said: “The confidence I have in my taste and my ability to express what I feel has proven helpful for artists.”
Many were befuddled by Rick Rubin’s admission while some even said that Rick Rubin’s success was due to him just being a white man. Chuck D, founder of Public Enemy, came out to defend Rubin, saying that art is what someone feels.
Chuck D wrote in response on Twitter: “On Rick Rubin I will tell you this. Art is what you feel no one should tell you what Art should come out of you. He gets that. Many artists want things in exchange for their art from love to money. A whole other thing. Rick feels you out in a sea of others wanting the same thing.”
On Rick Rubin I will tell you this. Art is what you feel no one should tell you what Art should come out of you. He gets that. Many artists want things in exchange for their art from love to money. A whole other thing. Rick feels you out in a sea of others wanting the same thing.
Chuck D took to Twitter to defend the legendary music producer Rick Rubin after his recent appearance on 60 Minutes. During the interview, Rubin admitted to knowing “nothing about music.”
“No. I have no technical ability. I know nothing about music,” Rubin told Anderson Cooper on the program. “Well, I know what I like and what I don’t like. And I’m decisive about what I like and what I don’t like.”
WATER MILL, NY – JULY 15: Rapper Chuck D performs on stage during “Midnight At The Oasis” Annual Art For Life Benefit hosted by Russell Simmons’ Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation at Fairview Farms on July 15, 2017 in Water Mill, New York. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation)
When asked what he’s being paid for, Rubin added: “The confidence I have in my taste and my ability to express what I feel has proven helpful for artists.”
Chuck D wrote in response on Twitter: “On Rick Rubin I will tell you this. Art is what you feel no one should tell you what Art should come out of you. He gets that. Many artists want things in exchange for their art from love to money. A whole other thing. Rick feels you out in a sea of others wanting the same thing.”
Over the years, Rubin has helped produce for some of the most iconic artists in the music industry. He’s frequently credited with playing a crucial role in popularizing hip-hop, having produced hits for Beastie Boys, Geto Boys, Run-DMC, Public Enemy, and LL Cool J. TIME has also featured him on its list of the “100 Most Influential People in the World.”
Check out Chuck D’s tweet regarding Rick Rubin below as well as his comments to 60 Minutes.
On Rick Rubin I will tell you this. Art is what you feel no one should tell you what Art should come out of you. He gets that. Many artists want things in exchange for their art from love to money. A whole other thing. Rick feels you out in a sea of others wanting the same thing.
For example, I had an interview set with an important person at a prominent brand for a job. I planned to pitch investigating Ticketmaster and the problem of nepotism in society. The meeting was canceled and I shelved the ideas, only to see them become talkingpoints weeks later. Meanwhile, Rubin writes: “If you have an idea you’re excited about and you don’t bring it to life, it’s not uncommon for the idea to find its voice through another maker. This isn’t because the other artist stole your idea, but because the idea’s time has come.”
There are tips for how to connect with your subconscious. He cites artists who listen to instrumentals for the first time and just start blurting out gibberish with no thought or preparation, something I’ve heard artists like Snoop Dogg and Rico Nasty claim they do.
He makes the case for utter randomness. In one passage, he suggests opening a book to an arbitrary page. Recalling a time when his doctor told him he should have his appendix removed, he picked up a book by Dr. Andrew Weli, opened it to a random page that said, “if a doctor wants to remove a part of your body, and they tell you it has no function, don’t believe this.” He opted against the surgery. While I probably wouldn’t take his medical advice, he’s really just trying to convince you to be open and let the universe guide you when you’re unsure.
He encourages experimentation and holding on to childlike wonder. He’s against competition and comparison, assuring artists that their competition is only themselves while they’re on the path of evolution. This is unlikely to ring true with the audience at large who love to compare, but it’s something any artist in the creative mode would benefit from hearing. “Putting your best effort in at each moment, in each chapter, is all we can ever hope to accomplish,” writes Rubin.
One of the most relatable sections is a bullet-pointed list of “Thoughts and habits not conducive to the work” which include, “Believing you’re not good enough,” “Abandoning a project as soon as it gets difficult,” and “Thinking you can only do your best work in certain conditions.” I’ve had every single thought on the list at one point or another, and I’m sure every artist I know can attest they’ve had them as well.
[Rubin] grapples with the tension of art vs. commerce that every professional artist must confront. What he cares about is very clear, as he succinctly writes, “The business thinks in terms of quarterly earnings and production schedules. The artist thinks in terms of timeless excellence.”
Many of the sections where Rubin reflects on his personal experiences of crafting an album sound like the story of an album I know but not one Rubin had a hand in. He describes situations where an artist is no longer interested in the completion process (DONDA 2 anyone?), and another one where an artist suddenly wants to start over because they spent too much time in one phase of crafting, citing things like “demo-itis.” He describes the difference between what he calls “experimenters” and “finishers.” He describes experimenters as people who find it difficult to complete and release work—it made me think of Dr. Dre. He describes finishers as people who move quickly to the endpoint with immediate clarity. It makes me think of prolific rappers like Lil Wayne, Future, and YoungBoy NeverBrokeAgain.
He grapples with the tension of art vs. commerce that every professional artist must confront. What he cares about is very clear, as he succinctly writes, “The business thinks in terms of quarterly earnings and production schedules. The artist thinks in terms of timeless excellence.” He also is frank about what often happens to artists who do finally blow up: “Most aspects of popularity are not as advertised. And the artist is often just as empty as they were before, probably more so.”
Ultimately, he isn’t trying to make the case for being permanently inspired in a zen-like state of boundless creativity. Instead, he advises us to continuously work towards a goal, be okay without everything being perfect, and not let the voices in our heads dissuade us from making it to the finish line. When you finally do get to the end, the world’s greatest reducer explains how to strip it down to its bare essentials.
Reading the book I was reminded of one of my favorite quotes that Roger Ebert often cited though he did not originate: “The muse visits during, and never before, the act of composition.” People often think they need some grand idea before they can start working when in fact, you need to sit down, start working, and while you’re working a grand idea will come to you.
Most of Rubin’s advice is so practical it’ll seem obvious if you actually follow through. At one point, I put the book down and started using voice dictation on my Notes app and came up with the first drafts of several ideas I’ve been thinking about. I would often press the dictation button by mistake and panic trying to figure out how to get back to a keyboard. Now I look at it as a tool that I’m going to use for every first draft. Perhaps every time I clicked it by mistake, the universe was giving me that signal like Rubin says.
There’s a great anecdote where he recounts working with a woman coming off a successful album who had lost the will to keep working. When he told her she can stop making music if it wasn’t making her happy, her face lit up because she realized she would be happier putting her work out in the world. I thought of SZA, who seemed disenchanted with the music business after CTRL and took five years to craft SOS, an even better album.
Like the anonymous artist Rubin refers to, even as I find myself ready to give up, I can’t stop. I started writing on SubStack. I don’t really know why. Maybe I am an artist, after all, compelled by some unknown force. “You’re the only one with your voice,” assures Rubin.
I’ve only had two jobs in media, I may never get a third. Maybe that’s okay, I’m going to keep writing anyway. I’ve been to Shangri-La. I know the way back.
Since the ’80s, Rick Rubin has been consistently praised and hailed as one of the most important producers in music. One of his most frequent collaborators is Red Hot Chili Peppers, as he’s produced all of their albums since their 1991 breakthrough Blood Sugar Sex Magik (except for 2016’s The Getaway, which Danger Mouse produced). That said, Josh Klinghoffer, RHCP’s guitarist for The Getaway and 2011’s I’m With You, didn’t see Rubin as an asset.
In a recent interview with VWMusic, Klinghoffer was asked about his takeaway from his time as a Chili Pepper. He teased some strong feelings, saying he’s “incredibly conflicted” about his output with the band because with both albums he was a part of, “producers got in the way of us truly making great music or a great record.”
He didn’t mention Danger Mouse by name but he did call out Rubin directly, saying, “I like almost all of the songs that we wrote together, but seldom did we capture them in the best way. I will say that in the case of I’m With You, I feel Rick Rubin was way more a hindrance than a help. He told me once, ‘I just want to help the songs be the best they can be.’ I should’ve said, ‘Well, then get your driver to come and get you.’”
