Every music listener has a few favorite hits that can be listened to an infinite number of times. They carefully arrange them in order in their playlists and embark on a rhythmic journey through musical waves. Professional musicians went to meet their listeners and came up with such a phenomenon as a mixtape. What is it and who creates them?

Story

A mixtape is a type of sound recording that involves combining several musical compositions or skits (short prose stories) in one tape. In fact, this is a collection of songs, but having a specific purpose and principle of mixing tracks or their fragments and represented by a single composition.

The history of the mixtape dates back to the 60-80s of the last century, when 8-track tapes were created using a handicraft method. True, at that time the term itself did not yet exist. The pioneers of this method of sound recording are truckers who mixed their favorite music on audio cassettes. Later they began to appear in flea markets. The most popular mixtapes of that time can be called Super 73, Top Pop 1977, Country Chart, etc.

However, there is another point of view regarding the history of the “mixtape” phenomenon, that such a concept could have arisen in American “black” rappers. That is why audio mixing is common in hip-hop culture today.

in rap

A mixtape in rap is most often a mixture of tracks various artists. They are usually just musical favorites of the mix maker. There is another reason why compositions can be united by a common theme. In this case, the tracks belong to the same artist, or different artists read the beats of one specific beatmaker.

Mixtape and album

Mixtapes are created quickly and informally. There is no strict boss, producer who will evaluate and criticize music selection, adjust it for radio release and censorship. A mixtape is an absolute artist, musical accompaniment, instruments. Here you can take a singer-bard, dilute it with female lyrical vocals and put all this on the rhythmic music of a famous rap hit.

If everything is so clear and transparent with the concept of a mixtape, what is an album? The difference here is caught immediately. The album is a long and painstaking work of a professional musician, which is accompanied by certain advertising and the release of video clips. This is an official music release, all rights reserved and samples (sound bites for writing music) purchased. Naturally, all these components are reflected in the quality and accessibility that author's music possesses. The albums work primarily for the creation of a label, promotion of the artist's name.

Kinds

Today mixtapes are divided into two large groups: DJ and rapper. Their names themselves determine the creator. The first, of course, belong to DJs who mix different compositions, turning them into a single musical stream. Rappers in this version act as hosts, accompanying the recording by reading a certain text or placing emphasis on the transitions from one track to another.

However, there are also pure rap mixtapes. They are created without the participation of a DJ. Musicians combine their tracks or others, perform rap, use their own or others' texts. Here, the options are endless. Therefore, it is very difficult to answer unequivocally what a mixtape in rap is. But the determining factor is that the leading role belongs to the rap artist and his

There are also amateur mixtapes. They are created by ordinary music listeners at home. Such non-studio recordings are made using other people's musical creations. As a rule, they are slightly lower in quality and originality of the mix.

Mixtapes of any kind, whether professional or amateur, are usually built according to three principles: a random list of favorite songs, a conceptual mixture of compositions of general mood and theme, or they represent some kind of personal statement addressed to a specific addressee indicated at the beginning of the tape (intro) .

Notable mixtapers

Among the well-known rapper projects in this vein, one can single out American hip hop the Diplomats group with the Memorial Day Mixtape or the Ukrainian rapper Drago with "New Russian Rap" or the mixtape "There Was No Sadness".

Many DJs have also gained popularity by creating mixtapes. So, in 2008, the original White Owl Drop That 31 mix from the American DJ WhiteOwl was released. It was already the 31st sound recording of this type. According to certain principles and categories, such records turn into a series of mixtapes and already have a semi-official character.

Purpose of creation

It is not difficult to understand what a mixtape is in music, for this it is enough to listen to a couple of records that are widely available. From the hands of professionals and amateurs, they come out in large numbers and, having no official status, are easily distributed among amateurs. However, it is more difficult to answer the question of why mixtapes are created.

Today, many aspiring artists use them as a promotional presentation. They give their musical creations DJs, they mix them into a single tape and present creativity in the original frame to the general public. At the same time, fragments of compositions are used, that is, intrigue is created, interest in the performer increases.

Author's music, albums require a lot of money and effort for mastering, mixing, creating clips. Whereas mixtapes are more accessible and have virtually no limits. If a musician has several songs, he a short time can mix them up and quickly distribute them on the web.

Amateur mixtapes are created by different reasons: for personal listening, statements about their musical tastes, creative talents, or to try out new equipment, software, creativity, etc.

Do it yourself

If a person feels creative potential, well versed in music, nothing prevents him from creating his own mixtape. It can be composed by favorite compositions of different artists or your own creations. The point is small - to understand how to make a mixtape so that listeners like it. The whole process can be summarized in five steps:

1. Concept. It is best that the future mixtape is not built randomly, but on a certain idea, direction, has a name and a cover. If the mixtape includes songs or skits of your own composition, then you need to select only new material which has not yet been published.
2. A selection of beats. When your own beats don't fit your idea of ​​how a mixtape should sound, you can turn to other people's creations. There are a lot of them on the web. You can take, for example, instrumental versions of your favorite tracks or buy unique material from an enterprising Internet producer.
3. A selection of samples. It is necessary to clearly understand when creating a mixtape that such a phenomenon is quite common in a professional environment, so you can use high-quality and popular samples with author's texts. But not everyone wants to listen to such an interpretation. And there are two ways out: create your own musical accompaniment or use the work of predecessors that were not allowed on the albums. Among these famous creations groups The beatles, Pink Floyd and SteelyDan.
4. Music recording. If the author of the mixtape cannot record his project on his own for some reason (no equipment or skills), you can turn to a professional DJ. He will select several suitable tracks, and the author will “rap” under them. If the rapper himself is still taken for the mix, then you need to be sure of the quality of the equipment, the microphone and the choice of the necessary programs. All this works for good sound quality.
5. Cover. If the author of the mixtape intends to distribute his creation not only on the Web, but also "on the hands" of his audience, then you should prepare a cover for the future CD. She must be catchy. You can use your own original edited photo or other image. It is better to avoid unnecessary details. Success in this case is based on three pillars: original name, the name of the mixtape and a catchy picture.

Can you sell mixtapes?

If there is demand, why not supply? After all, a lot of effort and talent has also been invested in the creation of the mixtape. But since this is an unofficial release, it is sold “from the tray”, that is, it is distributed among friends and admirers of the creator. In the DJ environment, this is happening more officially today. Mixtapes are released in large circulations, spinning in clubs and on the radio.

In our everyday life there are many words, the essence of which we seem to clearly understand, but if necessary we cannot explain correctly. Among them, of course, there are musical terms.

Such as, for example, the magic word podcast. One of the main network trends of the 2000s - today this term is regularly used by all of us. And in completely different meanings. Some write guest podcasts for someone else's radio show, others listen to them online, and still others produce a series of their own techno or trance podcasts. The fact that "podcast" means some kind of blog dictated by the author, and not typed by hand, does not bother anyone. The word has long taken root in the circles of DJs and musicians. They came up with a lot of variations from soulcast (something like “music for the soul”) to friendcast and are unlikely to stop there.

There are many such examples. Promo-promotion-promoter. Who is he? A boxing match organizer, a flyer guy in transit, or someone who can advertise your release? Or progressive! What is another animal? Progressive music, "more progressive trance or house" or still music with progressive melodies? And if so, which one? Certainly not geometric.

Even such hackneyed words as a producer can be interpreted by us in different ways. Agree, the difference between Iosif Prigogine and John Digweed is quite significant. These people should be called representatives different professions. But no, nominally they are both producers.

This can go on for quite some time, until we come to the word "mixtape" - the only one that interests us today.

With regard to the main product of DJ life, we all, of course, use the word mix more often. There is some kind of unspoken agreement that the mix is ​​at home or in the studio, and the set is at the console in the club. DJs record promotional mixes, author mixes, special mixes dedicated to something. They mix music, mix it, mix it, and everything, it would seem, is clear with this.

But with the advent of the music blogosphere in Russia, and later thematic music publics in in social networks, we have grown a whole caste of music reviewers, music lovers, DJs of a different type. Most of These guys are trying to express their own progressiveness, erudition, elitism through a fairly clear distinction: everything that was before us was a collective farm and profanation. All of them play and listen to “only high-quality and relevant intellectual sound”, as if this is not a matter of course for any conscious DJ, but an important competitive advantage.

To emphasize their own superiority over the slow-moving crowd, these guys deliberately avoid basic terms, replacing them with new English synonyms. So the nickname suddenly became an alias or moniker, the label became an imprint, the broadcast became a stream, the warm-up became a “warmap”, the image became an identity, the preview became a snippet, the trailer became a teaser, and the mix became a mixtape.

Cool underground DJs only make mixtapes. It cannot be otherwise, because the mixes are recorded by Bazooka and Smash, and they are busy with anything but honest creativity.

And this, of course, is all very cool. Youth language must change, and it will now be a little easier for poor critics to wander between three pines from the same hackneyed words. But it was from here a few years ago that absolute confusion began, which in the minds of many people turned the mixtape into a consonant synonym for the word mix, depriving it of the right to its own long, rich and unique history, which began long before the first turntables or nightclubs appeared.

And everything is not so simple here. Even a detailed wiki-help in English will not help to quickly understand the issue. For more than 50 years of the existence of mixtapes, the term has gone through several periods of oblivion, moved across the ocean and back, and more than once adapted to new musical formats and media. This has created a number of deep contradictions in the correct understanding of the phenomenon of mixtapes, understanding which you can learn a lot of useful things.

The head of the Library Of America, writer and culturologist Jeffrey O'Brien, in one of his essays, called the mixtape the most widespread art form in America, and he was absolutely right in this statement.

It really is. The mixtape is the territory of freedom. Music links search form and internal meanings, free from the narrow framework of laws and rights. Since the first mixtapes were released on 8-track cassettes in the late 60s, supporters and opponents of this practice on long years forward divided into two opposing camps.

In a broad sense, a mixtape is a collection, compilation, selection of songs by one or more authors, united by some stylistic framework, idea or concept. Its key difference from the so-called VA, that is, Various Artists, is the illegal use of other people's compositions or samples in the release, as well as self-publishing in 90% of cases. Which is obvious. No adequate label will undertake to release a record, the author of which has violated all the basic norms of musical law.

Another thing is that until the mid-70s, mixtapes quite successfully competed in the market of musical products with cassettes and records of recording studios, without experiencing any special pressure from the copyright holders. If you dig deep into second-hand vinyl stores in Boston or Chicago, you'll likely find mixtapes from those years: artisanal compilations of country music, Christmas songs, live recordings from jazz concerts, or compilations of songs by artists from one particular state or even a city that for a long time were kept in the archives of local radio stations.

It was in those years with the advent of mixtapes that the term from the “roaring 20s” came to the music industry - the word bootleg or bootlegger, a slang term for smugglers who rapidly grew rich selling underground alcohol during Prohibition. Everyone who is familiar with the work of The Great Gatsby (and after the recent film by Baz Luhrmann most of them) are well versed in this topic.

The story, as you remember, ends rather sadly for the protagonist. The society treated bootleggers with censure and for years to come this word became a dirty word. In the pre-war years, bootleggers were simply called any rogues and deceivers who trade in fraud and theft. Therefore, one can only imagine what kind of shadow lay by the end of the 60s on records marked bootleg or (which in those years was the same) mixtape.

But years passed, and the format survived, and its idea only changed, becoming accessible to the masses over time. The real boom occurred in the early 80s, when almost every music lover had the opportunity to record their mixtapes at home. The emergence of two cassette recorders with the ability to record FM broadcasts and rewrite music from one cassette to another without critical loss quality, the rapid development of the market for blank cassettes - all this played a crucial role.

It is noteworthy that in the 80s, a real battle unfolded between a number of large companies like Sony or Philips. At the same time, in the neighboring offices, the managers of the assistant company of the super-label Sony Music mercilessly criticized the decision of the equipment manufacturers to make the recording available to ordinary listeners. They preferred a model in which they alone had bulky recording machines, and therefore the ability to completely control the tastes of millions of people, dictating what to listen to and whom to love.

Of course, as in any other similar story, the opponents of inevitable progress were left out of work. In parallel with the boom in mixtapes, a new powerful street culture was emerging - hip-hop, originally built on disobedience to any general rules and orders. Later, these two phenomena merged into a close and long alliance that still exists.

Actually, the watershed between rave culture and hip-hop, like two huge layers dance music most clearly passes in the division into the terms "mix" and "mixtape". And if in the circles of house DJs, as mentioned above, the term "mixtape" is increasingly common, then among rap artists and beatmakers you will hardly hear the word "mix". But this is not only a form of speech and not just an attempt to isolate, identify through differences in the designation of similar phenomena. Mixtapes in their original sense of such raw demos, drafts, sketches for young hip-hop artists are a vital necessity, while for club DJs it's just a game and foppery.

The thing is that American (and all these processes originate and form there) hip-hop and rhythm and blues does not have as many intermediate levels as house or techno scene, where you can be an artist of the first, second, third and the 25th echelon and at the same time find a publisher, the opportunity to speak and be heard. The threshold for entry into this environment is much higher. Hip-hop stars most often come to the top musical Olympus literally from the street. While the audience for such music, its very inner aesthetics is arranged in such a way that the demand can only be for the best, winners, extremely cool dudes. You can't just be a good rapper who rides the subway and writes cool stuff for a friend's label. Gold, expensive cars, impressive clips and overproduction are often indispensable here.

Therefore, the process of musical production in hip-hop is insanely expensive. Aspiring artists do not and cannot have the opportunity to pay for the services of a really cool studio producer, arranger and session musicians (in hip-hop and new soul, all the best earn their bread and caviar today). jazz performers peace). Therefore, a mixtape as a demonstration of naked talent is the only way to express yourself, to get into the field of view of influential producers and major labels.

There really is something to this. To hear a future star, to risk investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in it, relying only on a disc with tracks recorded in four tracks - this is really difficult and cool. And this is worthy of respect. After all, Frank Ocean, The Weeknd, Tyler The Creator, A$AP Rocky, Kendrick Lamar and many other superstars of the new generation began their careers with mixtapes. And we wouldn't be talking about them now if their home recordings hadn't fallen into the hands of visionaries like Drake, Jay-Z or Kanye West.

Obviously, the success story of these guys provoked new wave popularity of the term mixtape. Now they are written even by those who are already at the zenith of fame. From now on, a mixtape is a whole aesthetic in which the author does not create a hit, but simply designates it, giving the listener a bare essence without a bright facade, which almost everyone has already learned to sculpt.

However, there is one more alternative version the origin of mixtapes, which confuses all the cards for adherents of the theories we have described. In Thursten Moore's book cult group Sonic Youth titled "Mix Tape: The Art Of Cassetee Culture" collected many fascinating facts from the life of famous musicians and producers different generations. Artists ranging from DJ Spooky to Ahmet Zappa (Frank's dad's third son) share their personal and, by the way, very different stories about mixtapes.

Among them, there is not only one, casually mentioned in the biography of the infamous, but no less outstanding music producer Phil Spector, author of the famous "wall of sound". There is an assumption that the term "mixtape" was popular in the early 60s of the last century exclusively in the circles of sound engineers. It meant material for the mix session recorded on tape (reel). So some specialists achieved a cooler sound quality, while most of them were written live right away and didn’t glue anything manually.

Is it so? History does not give an exact answer. Although perhaps not worth it. Words and phenomena live only as long as their meaning and color can change dynamically. Hundreds of mixtapes are being recorded by someone right now, which means it's too early for this term to be in the dictionary and on the shelf.

In the section on the question What is Mixtape (in rap) ??? given by the author pre-soviet the best answer is Mixtape (English mixtape) - special kind music release. The name comes from English words mix and tape (literally translated as a mixed record, see mix).
The very concept of "mixtape" was born in the United States, among black rappers, so mixtapes are most common in the hip-hop community. Most often, mixtapes are mixed collections of individual tracks from different artists, although there are also thematic ones (for example, a mixtape from the tracks of a specific artist or all artists read to the beats of a certain beatmaker). Often, mixtapes are released by their own authors - DJs on their own labels, and then distributed on the streets through their channels, bypassing official music stores and large retail chains. When hip-hop was in its infancy, DJs sold their mixtapes on the streets from the trunks of their own cars and in clubs.
Many aspiring artists consider mixtapes as a means for their own promotion, so they readily give their new tracks to famous DJs for mixtapes. Many DJs release whole series of mixtapes, for example DJ White Owl released WHITE OWL DROP THAT 31 mixtape in the beginning of September 2008, that is the thirty first of this series. At the same time, mixtapes have a semi-official status, small circulations (relative to official albums famous artists) and instantly leak to the Internet. IN currently There are a lot of mixtapes (no one even counted them), and people known in certain circles release another 5-20 pieces daily.
And there is something interesting here: and here:

Today we will talk about such a phenomenon as a mixtape. What it is, we will consider in detail in this material. Music lovers are able to listen to a hit dozens of times. Moreover, they must put all the melodies in their own playlists in order to play them in a certain order. To facilitate this task, professional musicians, especially for their listeners, came up with a new phenomenon, which will be discussed further.

A bit of history

So, our theme is a mixtape. What is it, you can answer very simply. This is a sound recording that combines several musical works. In other words, a collection of songs that have overall composition and a specific mixing style. This phenomenon appeared in the 70s of the twentieth century. At that time, there was no production of 8-track magnetic tapes. For the first time, this method of sound recording was discovered by long-distance drivers. They were the first to mix their favorite tunes on audio cassettes. A little later, such carriers began to be traded in the markets. And so the mixtape was born. What did this mean in those years for music lovers? To understand this, it is worth listening to the audio cassettes popular at that time: Top 1977, Super 73, Country Chart.

Musicians have a different opinion about the emergence of mixtapes. It is possible that this concept originated in America among professional "black" rappers. This is why audio mixing is currently the most widespread in the hip-hop direction.

Rap

We continue to discuss the mixtape. What does this mean for rap? The main thing is mixing tracks from completely different artists. In some cases, the compositions used are related to the same theme. All tracks are owned by the same artist. Sometimes a beat is read by different artists, although it belongs to a particular artist.

Album

I must say that the creation of a mixtape takes little time and does not require official confirmation of copyright. This job does not require a producer. There is no censorship here, the recording is simply adjusted to the radio release. The artist has the freedom to choose musical accompaniment, he chooses the right tools. You can, for example, use the composition of the bard, add to it female vocals, mix it all with the rhythmic melody of a popular rap hit.

Let's take a look at how a mixtape differs from an album. There is an obvious difference between these two concepts. To record an album professional musician you have to work long and hard. He produces commercials, records video clips.

In essence, the artist releases a music release, the rights of which are fully protected, all sound bites are purchased. Certainly this product has high quality which distinguishes the author's music. The difference is quite obvious. By creating an album, the artist aims to earn income and become famous.

Thus, there is a significant difference between the concepts of a mixtape and an album, but in both cases we are talking about music.

Varieties

DJs and rappers work in this direction. The former are engaged in mixing various musical compositions, creating one stream. The latter become leaders who read a certain text to a sounding melody. Sometimes they focus on the transition from one melody to another.

You don't need DJs to create rap mixtapes. In this case, the musicians combine their own tracks with others. They rap, which combines lyrics. There can be a huge number of such options.

Amateur mixtapes are also very popular. They are independently created by ordinary music listeners at home. How to record a mixtape, and what you need for this, we will tell you further. The process is not overly complicated. To create such an entry, you need to have several musical melodies. Usually their quality is lower than the original mix. To record both an amateur and a professional mixtape, you must have a list right songs, mixture of compositions, common themes.

Works of great renown

Several projects can be distinguished in this direction: Memorial Day Mixtape; "New Russian rap"; "There was no sadness." DJs after creating mixtapes became very popular, for example, the composition White Owl Drop That 31 is known to many. According to certain categories, such records become a series of mixtapes. They become semi-official.

What is the purpose of this work?

What does a mixtape mean in the music world? To understand this, just listen to a few records. Professionals release them in large quantities, but since they have no official status, the recordings are distributed only in the amateur music environment. It is much more difficult to give an exact answer for what mixtapes are for. Aspiring artists include them in their promotional presentations. To do this, they give their melodies to DJs. After mixing, a single tape is obtained, having original design which is shown to the general public.

To create an album of author's music, a large financial investment is required. You need to make video clips, mix melodies and mastering. You can make a mixtape without the costs described above and without restrictions. An artist can easily mix several of his songs and quickly distribute them on the Internet. Amateurs create mixtapes for a variety of reasons: for their own listening, to talk about their musical tastes, to demonstrate their talent, to try out an unfamiliar program, out of interest.

How to record a mixtape yourself

It is very easy for a musician to do this kind of work. For this there are many various programs. Next, we'll talk about how to make a mixtape in FL Studio. The manufacturing technology consists of several steps.

Concept

It is desirable to have a specific direction. Come up with a title, draw a cover. To a mixtape from own compositions only new, unpublished creations should be included.

Compilation of beats

If your own beats are not enough, you can borrow other people's melodies. On the Internet you can find the necessary instrumental versions of the necessary tracks.

Sample selection

When creating a mixtape, you should always remember that this method has become very popular among professionals. Therefore, you need to use only high-quality author's texts.

True, not everyone may like this interpretation. There are two ways to get out of this situation. Create your own musical accompaniment or use previous works that did not appear in the albums. For example, songs of famous world performers.

How to record music

In case of difficulties when recording music, you can use the services of a professional DJ. It makes it easier to find the right tracks. The author will only have to perform rap under them.

Cover

To distribute your creation among rap lovers, not only on the Internet, you need to think carefully about the picture that will decorate the future CD. Its appearance should attract attention with its originality and bright colors. The cover should not contain unnecessary details. For complete success, it must have original picture and title.

So we discussed such a thing as a mixtape. What it is, you already know.

FL Studio: how to make a mixtape

First of all, let's start the program. Next, we download from open sources all the necessary components, vocals, the main melody, effects. At the first stage, we set the rhythm. Next, using the function of the same name, we determine the tempo. You can use a metronome for accuracy. Next, we move on to working with chords. The Newton 2 plugin available in FL Studio will help us with this. Thanks to him, you can get a sample located in accordance with the notes. Then you can diversify the melody with the help of piano and other instruments.

Battle (battle, battle, battle) - a competition between rap artists, usually accompanied by humiliation of the enemy. A battle track is often nothing more than a diss on an opponent.

Beef (beef - meat (beef)

Beef (beef - meat (beef), in figurative meaning complaint, dissatisfaction) - enmity between representatives of hip-hop culture. Beefs, their features and unspoken rules of conduct are an important part of hip-hop culture. The most famous beefs are between rappers, but such conflicts are also possible between other representatives of hip-hop culture: DJs, b-boys or graffiti artists.

The reasons for beefs are usually allegations of plagiarism, claims of leadership in the genre (unfounded in the opinion of the opponent), irreconcilable creative differences, affiliation with competing record labels, and even occasional insults.

In practice, conflicts are expressed in specially recorded songs (traditionally called disses) and interviews, less often in fights and skirmishes, in some cases ending in murders.

Beat (English beat)

Beat - measure in music, used in the expression English. beat per minute, bpm - beats per minute. The larger the value, the faster the tempo of the music.

Diss (diss, disrespect - disrespect)

Diss (diss, disrespect - disrespect) is a direction in hip-hop. In practice, diss is disrespectful in the text of one rapper (or group) to another rapper (s). In such tracks, obscene speech is practiced, swearing towards the enemy, sometimes threats. Often disses come in pairs, that is - “diss - reciprocal diss”, or in chains of disses. Often disses are ignored. Disses are used in beefs.

Mix

Mix (mix) - several pieces of music (tracks), lined up in a continuous sequence. As a rule, mixes are compiled by DJs for various purposes (for example, for inclusion on the radio in thematic programs). Usually mixes consist of tracks that are similar in genre, mood and other features. On average, the duration of a mix ranges from 25 to 74 minutes (fits on an Audio CD), but can be much longer.

The sequence of tracks in the form of a mix is ​​specific in that the tracks smoothly replace each other. There is no "gap" in the form of silence at the junction between the tracks, and the tracks themselves in the process of transition coincide in tempo, dimension and other features, thus merging together. The process of creating a mix by a DJ is called mixing.

Skills / skills (from English skills)

Briefly - rap "skills". More details - reading, diction, text, chips, presentation, flow, interesting phrases, phrases, original rhyming, etc. In general, the whole list of skills and criteria by which MS can be assessed.

Flow (from the English Flow - "fluidity")

Rhythm, speed of rap reading. How a rap artist gets into the beat or creates additional swing and dynamics with his reading (sometimes even listening to an acapella, you can start swinging to the rhythm). It is worth noting that a good flow is not the maximum reading speed, but the correct speed.

The flow also includes changes to the speed of the recitation to express great emotions and show off his cool technique.

The rapper makes the rap sound more in tune with the instrumental than regular music. IN fashion songs from a simple recitative, a melody of words, a motive, clearly emerges.

For good rap flow you need good diction / pronunciation and breathing (so that there are no terrible breaks with sighs in reading), some performers still add artistic or comical features to their voice, but this is already a matter of style.

square flow

When the words in a line either do not reach the bit, or there are more of them and the reading has to be accelerated, or they simply do not fit into the bit. That is, the music flows and the recitative flows, and someone constantly has some kind of stones jumping out of the river, and this is a square flow.

Innings

The emotions that the rap artist puts into the track, during performance, as well as the game of intonations. (Can also be used as a synonym for flow)

Punch, punchline (from English punch - to beat with a fist)

The concept appeared in battle rap. This is a laconic phrase / line (line) that should hook the opponent very strongly. As in heavy boxing, opponents shift and occasionally deliver crushing blows, so in battle rap reading, your main blow will be the punch line, where you will "hook" the enemy as much as possible with a short line.

Stuff (stuff - things, trash)

Usually rap artists name their works (tracks).
In principle, even a literal translation is suitable, "rappers do things," which means "appreciate my thing" - "appreciate my staff."

Sharp-X: The fact is that word Stuff V English language almost always (among rappers) is used with the prefix New. So it turns out New Stuff. That is, most often "staf" is the new work of rappers.

Rhyme with squares

Rhyming method ("square on square"). Rhyme in the text is added mainly at the end of the line, and lines of the same length - if you write such text on a sheet, then the written text forms a square or rectangle, hence the name itself. It is believed that this is the easiest way to rhyme, and if you can’t find fault with the above rap skills, then rate your opponent for “square”.

true

Tru (truth, truth, real) - the opposite of fake. "True rapper" is a rapper who reads the truth, a real rapper whose words do not differ from deeds.

fake

Fakes, fakers (fake - lie) - liars, performers in whose tracks there are a lot of lies, and reality diverges from the lyrics (To fake MC "s).

Mixtape

Mixtape (mixtape) - a special kind of music release. The name comes from the English words mix and tape (literally translated as a mixed record).

Many aspiring artists consider mixtapes as a means for their own promotion, so they readily give their new tracks to famous DJs for mixtapes.

At the same time, mixtapes have a semi-official status, small circulations (relative to the official albums of famous artists) and instantly leak to the Internet. At the moment, there are a great many mixtapes (no one even counted them), and well-known people in certain circles release another 5-20 pieces daily.

Fit (English feat.)

Fit - from English featuring. What does it mean to participate! i.e. feat is a joint song!

Freestyle

Freestyle - improvisation in rap; recitation of a rhyming rhythmic recitative composed by the performer on the go. It's not a pre-written, rehearsed, "raw" form of hip-hop. It is performed to beatbox, or to instrumental versions of previously recorded hip-hop songs. (wiki)).

Hustle

The word is used precisely in the concept of "spinning" through life (from the phrase "if you want to live, know how to spin").

Production

In translation, production, products.
In rap, it is usually used as music production, that is, "creating music", most often it means the production of music (in rap), but in principle, the production of a track includes recording, mixing, and mastering.

Respect

Respect (respect) - good location to a person, respect for his creativity.