Making a copy-cat track?

[El_Mero_Mero]

So, any of the rhymers in here ever done a mixtape song to someone else's beat, and said, "hey this is pretty good, I'm just gonna keep this as my own".

Like I would want people to know that I'm paying homage to the old song, so the hook will be extremely similar, and the concept will be the same, but all of the lyrics will be different.

As opposed to asking the producer to let me get that beat for my album, would I just ask another producer to make me a beat that sounds like it, but puts me out of the realm of any legal ramifications?

Do you guys often get told to make someone a beat that sounds like DMX disc 2, track 3 (random), or any requests like that?

[Choc City]

All the time... actually like 99% of the time really. When I sit down with a new artist I usually ask them to compare what kind of sound they are looking to go for in relation to something thats out now. That way I can get a basline for what the artist wants. I dont want to give dirty south beats to a mobb deep style rapper or vica versa

[El_Mero_Mero]

I wouldn't look to make a career out of it. Just thinking for 1 song in particular.

And it's a little hard to state exactly what I'm saying (like most rappers I use my hands alot when I speak), but I mean, in one respect I may even want the beat to sound a little similar, Because the hook will be sounding similar. I don't want the listener to think that I'm straight up lifting the concept and playing it off as my own. I want them to know the original too (it doesn't benefit me in any way, but I guess it's a principal of mine...for now), but see that I'm flipping it, and making it my own.

On second thought, I'm kind of rambling, maybe the hook on it's own would be good enough as long as the beat has the same patterns with just some extra or "different" sounds added in.

For ex. Necro (google if you don't know him) made his "I Need Drugs", based off L.L.'s "I Need Love", but it was actually a whole different song.

I usually have some beats in my head, as I try to come up with hooks first before bars, but I'm usually the type that might prefer to say to a producer here's a hook, here's what I'll be rapping about pretty much, throw some beats my way and we'll see what fits. Maybe because I've been writing lyrics a long time before actually listening to beats.

[DJ TEKNIK]

Necro is dope

[P.U.R.E.]

Necro is dope
:smh:

[Turbulent]

one way to do it would be to some how give a shout out to the original artist. it could even be a subliminal shout out in your lyrics (kinda like a line that indirectly acknowledges the artist and gives him a wink). people will be able to tell what your intentions are if you do it in a respectful manner while staying true to yourself. Pimp C sorta did it on the last UGK album for the song Heaven (was sort of a shout out to TUPAC and it was pretty clear).

as far as the legal aspect, it really depends. usually if the beat is different, lyrics are different...not much they can do. you might need to clear your chorus for interlopation. it also depends if they took it from someone else too. bottom line is everyone gets inspired, alot of artists in rap as well as in other genres have done covers and some have changed the lyrics, some haven't. it's really case by case.

[DJ TEKNIK]

:smh:


:laugh:

beats not lyrics.