Why bother writing songs? Fast forward to the "Don't Laugh Challenge"

Chapter 46 Earthquake in the Rap Circle, Collective Purple Clay Teapots?

We were just a hair's breadth away from breaking ten million!
When Xia Shen learned of this string of numbers, he felt like it was all a dream.

After all, this amount of money, although it seems insignificant online, especially on a certain red notebook app, where many people can easily earn pocket money by snapping their fingers, is clearly something he has never seen before in his life. Not long ago, he was still worrying about his life and future.

This amount of money was more than enough for him to settle down and establish himself in Shanghai, where land is incredibly expensive.

However, he does not intend to use the money for this purpose at this stage. Instead, he plans to use it for other more important purposes. He has other ideas and plans that will require a large amount of funding to realize in the future. At least for now, he does not have enough capital, so he needs to keep the money.

The most important thing now is to achieve victory in the next stage.

For him, the next album will be the first time he truly makes high-quality music under his own name.

This is a major shift, and whether or not it succeeds will have a crucial impact on his future trajectory.

So, after sharing this joy with his friends and experiencing a brief period of happiness, he immediately threw himself back into his work.

Youth is the time to strive.

The naming of the new album, just like the singles it includes, is a bold attempt with a wide range of styles. However, apart from "Nocturne", most of them share a common theme: localization.

Therefore, he directly titled the album: "Hip-Hop Belonging to China"

It's very simple and direct, even a little arrogant.

But if you're into rap, wouldn't you seem out of place if you didn't go wild?
At this moment, in the studio, Xia Shen is controlling the host software, completing the project files line by line.

What he's doing now is none other than the song "Great Ambitions" from the album.

This is actually a very interesting album. Not only does it cover a wide range of topics, but the content is also very new and interesting. For example, this song is a style that is very rare in China, called Memphis rap.

This style originated in Memphis, Tennessee, America at the end of the last century. It is a music style named after the city and region. Its characteristics are mainly broken drum beats and heavy 808 bass. It is good at using Lo-Fi sound sampling and using old songs to create a rough texture.

In layman's terms, it means the high-frequency sound quality is poor, and you can hear a strong sense of harshness.

The reason for these characteristics is that the lower-class Black people at that time did not have good conditions. They could only use the worst equipment to make beats, and they could not afford good instruments. They could only use other songs with adapted elements for sampling.

The sound quality of the old songs at that time was not good to begin with, and their equipment was also very poor, which resulted in an effect that was greater than the sum of its parts.

Then, coupled with heavy drumbeats and lyrics that depict Black people directly crushing each other's faces without any attempt to conceal it, it creates a sinister and terrifying feeling.

In fact, this kind of crudely made effect could be completely avoided in current music production, but on the contrary, it has been preserved as a unique feature of the Memphis style because of its good sound.

The same applies to the song "Great Ambitions". It is actually sampled from a song from another world that is similar to opera. In Xia Shen's understanding, it is roughly similar to Cantonese opera in the Guangdong region, and it is also sung in Cantonese.

Moreover, the arrangement and singing style of this opera are also very impressive and solid.

In their words, it can be summed up in one word: gorgeous!

As for the fact that this sampling doesn't exist in their world, it's easy to solve: just leave it unchanged.

Because the biggest characteristic of Memphis rap is not sampling, but the collision between the sense of nostalgia brought by old songs and the powerful, downpour-like drumbeats of modern music. Preserving this aspect is enough.

Xia Shen also felt that the moment the drum was inserted was perfect, and everything was just right.

Let's put it this way: 80% of the essence of this song lies in the beat. Although I don't know what kind of person the singer from the other world who created this song is, at least in terms of aesthetics regarding the beat, it's truly exceptional, a point Xia Shen acknowledged.

Of course, other aspects are also commendable. Although the lyrics are not very fancy, this is also a valuable point. They are simple and straightforward, without too much nonsense. In just a few words, they can portray the image of a nouveau riche through some characteristic elements. They still have a deep meaning. At least compared to the current state of Chinese rap, these lyrics are really better than many songs.

Then, with the addition of a design similar to 'talk flow,' the singer can tell the story to the audience in a relaxed and cheerful tone, just like telling a story, which can also bring a very magical feeling.

Yes, it really gets to my head and is so brainwashing, it's like I've been tricked.

Of course, this song is not without its flaws, and there are quite a few shortcomings and areas that need to be changed.

First and foremost, the second verse is sung from the perspective of another rapper.

How should I put it? How should I evaluate it?
Although Xia Shen felt that the rapper in the second verse performed quite well, even better technically than the main verse, with a very varied flow and a great fit to the beat, it was clearly a very strong part.

The problem is that this section is fine as a standalone piece, but it doesn't work when combined with other elements in a larger piece.

There's no particular reason; it's simply that the stylistic differences between the two are too great, and without sufficient build-up, it sounds chaotic and abrupt.

It's suitable as a standalone piece, but not suitable when placed together.

Therefore, Xia Shen's decision was simple and direct: to eliminate everything and keep nothing.

Even if the song were to be cut off at that point, it wouldn't have a significant impact on the overall song. For rap, especially a style like Memphis that's closely related to trap and leans towards new school, two minutes is more than enough, especially in today's fast-paced era.

In fact, many works can last for more than a minute.

The key is not the length of time, but whether it is refined and concise.

Otherwise, even if you ramble on for four or five minutes, it won't do any good. It won't enhance the listening experience; instead, it will give people the feeling that you're wasting your time.

Then the background audio 'back up' also needs to be changed, which is some rambling outside of the singing. The original watermark and some words need to be changed to fit their world.

Xia Shen continued working on the soundtrack, adding embellishments to the bass drum.

Meanwhile, the rap scene was in an uproar, a veritable earthquake.

Basically, all the major fan communities and professional rapper chat groups are talking about the big news that just broke.

That is, the Top Ten Golden Songs Awards are about to be held, and the biggest difference this year is that a separate Best Rap Award will be established!

For example, right now, this is being discussed in a highly valuable top-tier group chat.

"Holy crap, this is huge! How did we rappers ever end up like this?"

"I have to say, I really wanted to, but I don't think I have much hope. My new album is going to be a flop."

"Isn't Wolf Nash the one with the best chance this year? His mixtape is coming out soon, isn't it? How many people in the industry can get more attention than him right now?"

"He's bound to be a breakout star. There aren't many players in China who can pull off his style. If you factor in his performance, it's no wonder he's a prodigy. He's the best in the world."

"Didn't he say that when his mixtape comes out, all the Memphis rappers in China can commit suicide?"

(End of this chapter)