[I originally wrote this as a guest-blogger on HipHopRuckus.com]
Last night, I heard a bit of a reggae remix of Alicia Keys’ No One, on Hot-97 in New York. Since unofficial remixes like my own seem to get played in nearly every city in the USA except here, I figured it was the real deal official remix. Plus, the vocals were different; it wasn’t simply a new-beat+acapella remix like the ones I do. So this morning, I checked the KrucialKeys blog, and there it was: Alicia Keys featuring Damian Marley – No One (Official Reggae Remix).
Let’s get this part out of the way. I thought I put out a cool version of No One, though hardly complex or spectacular. Some of my other works are definitely better. However, with the entire Alicia Keys machine behind them, including her singing new vocals, and the addition of Damien Marley, they put out a cool version too. Now, I am very humble, would be the first to admit being thoroughly outdone, and this is certainly not a contest, but the official remix isn’t really killing it to me. And this is not a competitive-producer-I-made-my-own-remix-so-I-am-biased answer, it’s my honest opinion. I thought, for instance, that the reggae remix to You Don’t Know My Name was GREAT, and I could not have done as good a job myself. So for the record, I am not particularly feeling the official remix. But that is not my point here.
My real interest piqued in reading some of the congratulatory and animated comments from the KrucialKeys blog readers. It is so nice to have people comment positively on your work, I myself get it very often through email, MySpace comments, etc. So I know that the KrucialKeys enterprise finds great enjoyment from their blog. What I found noteworthy however, is a couple of Krucial’s replies, such as: “Dont worry Marisol, I feel the same [Marisol didn't love the remix either, but she says she doesn't like remixes in general, saying 'why mess with a good thing?'], but theres a thousand fake remixes out there, so we had to put ours in the game.” Ah, so there were so many other versions, they decided, “we had better put out something official, to silence all these wannabes!” Well, not quite. Kruicial then states, somewhat contradictorily, “the reggae remix was always planned its just that everybody beat us to it, but we had it in the archieves. Thanks to technology everyone trys to benefit off your art without your blessing, sometimes out of love, sometimes just to get some of your shine. Its out of hand really, but what can you do?”
Well, these statements made me wonder about some things. And this is NOT to start a fight with the Keys camp, I ADORE Alicia Keys and greatly respect what they are accomplishing there. But, since I am one of those ‘fake’ remixers, I do have some thoughts.
Ever since acapellas have been released on vinyl, DJs have been ‘blending’ the vocals from one track alongside the instrumental of another. Nowadays, even when no acapella exists, DJs run songs simultaneously as mash-ups. The technology of today’s home studios does allow folks like me to actually create custom tracks to blend those acapellas with, and internet technology provides an outlet to be able to distribute them globally. But don’t these same technologies allow labels and artists to extend their reach the same way? Ads on highly viewed sites like MySpace or AOL, Electronic Media Kits, interactive websites, enhanced CDs, all have been used by countless artists, including the Keys camp. So to bemoan the benefits that technology brings to the bedroom producer or DJ, while ironically doing so on a blog, a component born directly from the technology spoken of, is somewhat hypocritical. If we took away the technology that allows all of this, DJs would go back to making blends or mashups that get heard only at parties or on radio, limiting the potential of distracting the general audience from the official version. But, then there would be no internet to promote to millions, no leaking of the video to YouTube, no sending of email blasts and no selling music through iTunes. No, those prehistoric days are gone forever and the technology is here to stay. But realistically, it is the overall state of music business affairs that is holding artists back from fully capitalizing on their musical works, not a bunch of C-list producers and unknown DJs.
More to my point, an unofficial remix doesn’t tend to do very well unless it’s very good, or the creator is very lucky. So, let’s analyze a few unofficial remixes of No One that are floating around. The one with Cassidy gets noticed because of his name, the Junior Reid one gets noticed because people will know it’s a reggae remix, know the name, and want to hear how it was flipped, since many people like the R&B/Reggae sound. My Manny Faces remix might get noticed, at least by radio DJs and bloggers and industry folk, who know that I am responsible for the T-Pain Bartender remix that has been all over US radio stations the last few months, including major markets like Atlanta.
Now, in reading Krucial’s comments, it appears as if he is suggesting that somehow, these unofficial producers are all trying to “benefit off of their art”, and that this practice is “out of hand”. But what, exactly, is out of hand? It is true that if I remix a well known song by a well known artist I might attract more listeners, but how does this really allow me benefit off of their art? Remember, the final product has to be good to be even taken seriously. I stand the same chance of using the recognition factor of a well-known song, attaching my own horrible beat to it, and instead completely destroying my chances to be taken seriously.
My guess is that major artists and producers probably wouldn’t mind that so much. In fact, such wretched creations would not receive the viral treatment that good sounding remixes do, and would never reach these artists in the first place. Personally, I have done about 25 remixes, gotten placements on dozens of mixtapes, been played in clubs worldwide, probably had more radio spins than any unsigned producer anywhere, had 1.5 million remixes downloaded, received countless emails from the public as well as music business and radio entities, gotten kudos from artists who have heard my version of their songs (i.e., Akon personally called me and Mary J. Blige tried to find out who I was, T-Pain gave me props, etc.), and yet, I remain ‘undiscovered’, not making a dime doing any of this yet. So for me, despite these factors, there is no benefitting being done.
With this resume that I am building, I have to believe that I create remixes that are more consistently well regarded than the countless other ‘fake’ remixes out there, or else I wouldn’t receive the notice or kudos that I do. But even while gaining this recognition and reputation, one can’t possibly believe that I have in any way diminished the ability of T-Pain or Mary or Timbaland to sell records because I have done remixes of their music that some people like. I don’t view what I am doing as me trying to take anyone’s shine, at least no more than when a DJ blends the acapella of one song alongside the beat of another. Just because I record my own custom blend, and send it out in an email, doesn’t mean that people have to open it, listen to it, or like it. But either way, I’m certainly not trying to take anyone’s shine, I’m simply trying to establish my own.
So then, do I do it for the love? Well, no, not entirely. Now, personally, I do love what I do, and enjoy it without receiving any form of financial compensation, and while I hope for eventual opportunities to get paid for what I do, I will continue it regardless, as I enjoy pleasing those who enjoy what I do. Just because I’m not remixing a song by Alicia Keys specifically out of respect and admiration for Alicia Keys, doesn’t mean that I don’t HAVE respect and admiration for Alicia Keys or her producer.
So maybe then, I should have gotten their “blessing” first. I wonder if I had approached them, or found a way to contact them, or placed a comment in the blog, and said “Hey there, I’d like to remix Alicia’s song, is that ok with you?” what would they have said? “Sure, thank you for asking.”? Or more likely, “Unauthorized reproduction of copywritten material is prohibited and will be dealt with severe consequences (you fake remixer you)!” In fact, I suppose the chance exists that my writing about this could invite a cease and desist letter, blocking my remix from being downloaded anymore. Maybe even Issac Hayes himself will come after me!
Regardless, to say that I require an artist’s ‘blessing’ is absurd. Does the girl singing No One on YouTube require their blessing too? How about the karaoke singer in the bar? Or the cover band in the club? Should Danger Mouse have requested the blessings of the Beatles and Jay-Z before he created The Grey Album? I mean, that artistic effort is essentially what catapulted him to be able to bring us Gnarls Barkly, a universally enjoyed musical phenomenon; I don’t recall hearing Jay-Z or Paul McCartney complaining that he only made it big by trying to get some of their shine.
Look, maybe I’m just being overly defensive, like when I used to defend sampling to my old-school Jazz & Blues loving father. But to have someone like Krucial speak so flippantly of producers and DJs like myself who are just trying to experiment a little, or even to those who ARE trying to eat off of this music thing and are just looking for any way they can to stand out, I think is very unbecoming.
Besides, I believe he gave away his true feelings when he said, “the reggae remix was always planned its just that everybody beat us to it, but we had it in the archieves”. No, I don’t think that ‘everybody’ beat them to a reggae remix. Just Saalam Remi, who produced the one with Junior Reid and who is certainly no amateur.
It just maybe, possibly, potentially, hypothetically, almost seems like Krucial is pissed because Remi’s remix has been getting a lot of run, and just maybe, possibly, potentially, hypothetically, sounds better than his does.
But what do I know? I’m just a fake remixer.
6 responses so far ↓
1 krucial // Nov 5, 2007 at 6:35 pm
Seems like you took it personal. If you want to attack me for my statements, so be it. but don’t assume what I mean or feeling. Ask me? You were on the Krucialkeys blog you should have stated your assumptions there. You Made good points about remixes and blends I agree. I make blends and unofficial remixes as well.
“we had better put out something official, to silence all these wannabes!” is note a quote. That want you’re saying I said,putting words in my mouth. if you see yourself as a fake remixer that’s unfortunate. For i wasn’t even thinking about anyone in particular,no one is attacking you. Im glad your bartending remix got recognition,Great! I dont believe remixes dimishing anyone sells or money. Remixes promote the record, the original writers still get the publishing.My statement was not that deep. The word Official bothers me, because it misleads the public, this is what i’m referring to . Also Saalem Remi is My peoples and AK’s A&R asked him to do a remix, they are similiar, because great minds think alike. Piss at that never.
But that would be too good to be true, me being a Hypocritical, Pissed of producer sounds better.
Kerry ‘Krucial” Brothers
2 Manny Faces // Nov 5, 2007 at 7:08 pm
As posted in a later entry here, and on your blog as well: “Krucial – Fair enough. No disrepect was really ever intended (believe me, I’d like few things more than to be at the level you all are at, and again, I am a huge fan of Alicia and you and the entire camp and your achievements). I personally have never added “official” to any of my reworkings, and I guess it was also the reaction by some of the blog supporters to your comments that caused me to take notice. Because there are surely those who do perpetrate to be more official than others, but I don’t want the public to look down on what I do, which I pretty much do simply because people tend to like it, just because there are those who are less than honorable. Your comments seemed to diminish all of us who do this sort of thing, and I thought you were unfairly casting a pretty wide net. I’m sure that many in the industry frown upon those of us who do this sort of thing, but haven’t ‘made it’ yet, like myself, so I felt it important to state my view. I appreciate the clarification. No disrepect Krucial, I appreciate the clarification as well as the response, albeit indirect, and I continue to tip my hat to you and your crew. Again, though I wasn’t feeling this particular remix (and again, I even feel that my own was not my best work), I am a huge fan of the majority of the Krucial/Keys catalog, and continue to wish you all nothing but the best.”
3 Manny Faces // Nov 5, 2007 at 10:16 pm
And later:
K: “Its All Good, Manny , Just a Miscommunication, The Best to you too”
Hm. Kool kat. I know I came off a lil.. harsh.. but I was being defensive because of how his statements could have been taken. Good of him to clarify though. I’ve agreed to try to better get my point across in the future without sounding so… aggressive. Definitely not trying to be the 50 Cent of producers, and try to come up in the game by beefing with folks.. Those who know me know that’s definitely not my style. So, on to other things. This was interesting though.
4 Shoga // Dec 29, 2007 at 1:17 am
No disrespect to anyone, but most agree that “my own original” hip-hop/reggae remix of “No One” sounds more versatile and innovative than any of those tired regular shallow hip-hop remixes that’s out. And it makes so much more sense than most of what’s on the radio today that it actually adds an entirely new dimension that no-one has even or could even consider that literally re-invents the song.
Plus since it’s me (born yardie raised in Miami) voicing both the hip-hop -and-dancehall lyrics the combination sounds wickeder what anyone else can even come up with. The way I look at it, if people just want to do music for money then it’s not art it’s just a hustle and their not artist just talented con-artists. Alicia seems to be on a life time mission to save the music and help heal the world.
I support real people and real artists including Damien Marley, Jr Reid etc. otherwise I hate the embarrassment that the black music industry has become. Hip-Hop culture as well as reggae culture etc is proof that music evolves a cultural following and if we listen and accept shit then we’ll be living in a culture of bullshit that don’t do shit but keep us in the same shit we always been in. B.S. artist need to shut the f*@k and retire before they get retired.
Aight I said my peace now I’m done with this shit. ANYWAY BIG BLESS UPS TO ALICIA KEYS JUST DON’T LET KANYE WEST THINK HE CAN SING, HE STILL GOT MY EARS RIINGIN. THAT WAS RUFF “WHEW”
5 SHOGA // Nov 18, 2008 at 12:55 pm
SHOGA 007 Remix response to Alicia Keys No One..
I ain’t coming to America I’m already here, not
even saviors can save them if they can’t come near, while they been praying and waiting for their worst nightmare I hope their prepared because it’s finally here.
I hate to say it again like I been saying it for
years
The God that blessed the slave masters didn’t hear the slaves tears or needs so here’s the Keys,
I just want you close,
Where you can stay forever,
You can be sure,
That it will only get better,
You and me together,
Through the days and nights,
I don’t worry cause everythings going to be ARITE.
People keep talking, they can say what they like, but all I know is every thing’s going to be ARITE.
No one, No one, No one,
Can get in the way of what I’m feeling.
No one, No one, No one,
Can get in the way of what I feel for you..
Find Ten Faces of The Universe and check the last chapter first and comprehend and overstand the curse
Their Old World Order failed on 9-11 but devils
never take a day off from evil,
Yo all the uncivilized know is attacking people so
2012 will be the last 9-11 until then..
When the rain is pouring down, and my heart is
hurting. You will always be around, this I know
for certain, You and me together through the days and nights, I don’t worry cause every things going to be ARITE.
People keep talking, they can say what they like, but all I know is every things going to be ARITE.
My Garveyite Grand pops sold his shop and bought stock in an escape route called the Black Star Liner,
In preparation for the slaves last dwindeling
days, he knew the half century cycle is on it’s way,
For forty years they knew the countries falling in a dark age, economic demographics make it simple and plain, if your in school you got five years to use your brain cause I may not be around to tell you again.
I know some people search the world, to find
something like what we have, I know, people will try, try to divide something so real, so till the end of time,
I’m telling you that no one,
No one, No one, can get in the way of what
I’m feeling.
No one, No one, No one can get in the way of what I feel for you.
Nothing persecutes you cause your religion you
failed, unless it’s racist missionaries trying to get
you to change, but when freedom comes along you got slaves who stay but before I’ll be on my way I have to say,
I just want you close, where you can stay forever,
You can be sure, that it will only get better.
You and me together through the days and nights, I don’t worry cause everythings going to be ARITE..
No one, No one, No one, can get in the way of what I’m feeling.
No one, No one, No one, can get in the way of what I feel for you..
Armaggeddon, Jihad, or whatever you say, rejecting any ancient wisdom get you taken out the game,
Didn’t listen before better listen today and
check 9-11 in Revelation one eight before their site and thier shelter get taken away and thier building becomes thier grave are they saved,
Uh uh uh uh oh,
Uh uh uh uh oh,
Uh uh uh uh oh,
Oh oh oh oh oh,
Is everyting everyting or everyting jussa dream,
Is it really reality or is it just a game,
Or the drums and keys to feelings that we
naturally communicate,
If it’s on a higher level mek wi call it
High Grade,
Respect to di Rases that protects whats
from the palace gates.
And Respect to di DJ’s, artists and selectors just the same,
My girl never ever worry
you know it will be okay
Cause no devil or even flood, or even
storms and hurricane,
Can stop di ting wi know
put more than band-aid pon
di pain
Because the Keys fit the Kingdom
things will never be the same
And when the talking stops is when we hafi lift it up again cause
No one, No one, No one, can get in the way of what I feel for you..
Uh uh uh uh oh,
Uh uh uh uh oh,
Uh uh uh uh oh,
Oh oh oh oh oh,
6 SHOGA // Nov 18, 2008 at 1:15 pm
No disrespect just respect.
009 NEW STYLE
Shoga Prince Crown Master
I need to get this letter to Alicia Keys for any other name it wouldn’t sound as sweet.
I never meant to make her sad or make her feel blue but at first I didn’t know it was me she was singing to.
If the lyrics in the songs she was singing were really true then I know she still want me and I need her too so..
Baby, baby, baby
What’s it gonna be
Baby, baby, baby
Is it him or is it me?
Don’t make me waste my time
Don’t make me lose my mind.
I never sold out friends or sell out my clientele, never done nobody wrong or sold my soul to the feds,
I wrote her this letter while trapped in my cell. Last two years I been a god walking through hell,
That’s just one of 8 million stories to tell to the only female that makes it feel like a fairytale..
Baby, baby, baby
What’s it gonna be
Baby, baby, baby
Is it him or is it me?
Don’t make me waste my time
Don’t make me lose my mind baby.
I’m not a god from the 5% Nation of Islam, but original god, from original Alkebulan. I’ll coronate her with the earth, sun, moon and stars and make her feel secure when she’s tight in my arms, She knows my word is bond so nothing can go wrong, my divinty’s strong and my lineage extra long so..
If I told u baby
That I was in love with u
Oh baby, baby, baby
If we got married
Would that be cool?
Baby, baby,
Baby, baby,
Baby, baby,
Baby,
What’s it gonna be baby?
Do u want him?
Or do u want me?
Cause I want u
Tell me, babe
Do u want me?
I gotta know, I gotta know
Do u want me?
Baby, baby, baby
Listen 2 me
I may not know where I’m going (babe)
I said I may not know what I need
One thing, one thing’s 4 certain baby
I know what I want, yeah
and if it please u baby
please u, baby
I’m begging down on my knees
I want u
Yes I do
Baby, baby, baby, baby
I WANT YOU
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