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Michael shook his head slowly, shocked at what Eric did. Michael tried not to get angry, but it was simply beyond him. “That ungrateful runt,” he whispered harshly. The night was cold but he wasn’t feeling it; the anger burning in him made sure of that.
He walked faster, hoping to reach home before anyone recognized him. Michael was an up-and-coming artist who dropped his second album only weeks ago. It became an instant hit, the songs shooting to the top of the charts and his legion of fans steadily growing; at least, that was until Eric messed everything up.
He will regret what he did,Michael thoughtto himself. The honest truth was, most of Michael’s songs had not been written by him. Eric had ghostwritten almost all the songs in the album that went platinum, but for some unbeknownst reason, Eric decided to breach the trust between them and tell the world all the songs should be credited to the man who wrote them.
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Michael sought out the services of a ghostwriter because he accepted the fact he lacked the talent to write great songs. The poor sales and mediocre performance of his first album affirmed that, but he also knew he was incredible when he picked up the mic to rap. Eric was just as incredible when it came to writing songs, but why did he have to go and do something that stupid and childish?
The answer mattered very little because the damage had already been done. Michael had been defamed and his fans left shocked and undecided. How this would affect his career from thence forth was unknown. All Michael could do was watch and see what would come next.
When Ghosts Speak
Let me ask you a question: Michael and Eric are fictional characters, but what do they have in common with the real world of hip-hop?
One is an artist and one is a ghostwriter for that artist, and if recent occurrences are things to go by, then we can rightly say no few artists owe their best songs to faceless ‘ghosts’ that only come to the limelight by way of controversy.
Drake and Meek Mill; Cardi B and Azealia Banks; Nicki Minaj and Cardi B; Remy and Cardi B; the list goes on. These are men and women who carry hip-hop on their shoulders, but the controversy stirred between them is making them even more famous than their music.
Drake has been accused of taking credit for songs ghostwritten by Quentin Miller, and Cardi B has been accused of living off the success of songs ghostwritten by Thorpe Jordan Kylelanier.
Listen, we can all agree rivalry is an innate part of modern hip-hop. That much is fact. This may not have been so during its inception but it certainly is now.Healthy rivalry is a good thing but when it stops artists from earning what they rightly deserve; when it stops them from being paid their dues; when it gives bad name to the genre and makes it less significant, then we have a big problem.
Ghostwriters are named that way because their meant to be ‘ghosts’; you’re not supposed to know they even exist, but such is not the case anymore. Artists call out each other for taking credit for something they did not do. My question is this: Why is this such a big deal when ghostwriting exists as a profession and entity on its own?
Ghostwriting is neither illegal nor immoral, so why should it be something to cause headlines and make waves over the internet when one artist accuses another of using ghostwritten songs? This is a matter of opinion. Some people don’t find fault in it while many do. Why? Even more baffling, why is it peculiar to hip-hop? You rarely see this kind of conflict in other genres, that’s for sure. Let’s find out why.
Why is Ghostwriting So Taboo in Hip-Hop?
It’s quite simple. Ghostwriting isn’t stigmatized in other genres as it is in hip-hop because in genres like pop or R&B, it’s less about the words and more about the rest of the components that make up the songs.
It’s all about hitting the right notes; the right angle and octaves. The artists could also be playing some kind of instrument or dancing. If you’re a pop or R&B artist, then it’s imperative you know how to sing; writing is not the most important component, but for hip-hop, the reverse is the case.
In hip-hop, it’s all about the writing and lyrics; the contents of the words and what they entail. There is little need for you to be able to play any instruments or be conversant with nice dance moves because it’s all about how well you can rap; it’s literally about the words coming out of your mouth and how well you speak-or rap.
I’ll say it again: In other genres, its more about the voices of the artists. People listen to R&B for that first and foremost. They could care less who wrote the songs because the amazing voice alone makes up for anything else (think R. Jelly and Alicia Keys).
In hip-hop, it’s more about the words. People listen to rappers simply to hear them rap. Cadence and flow of the voice matter but in the end, it’d all about the artists’ words and how much of an impact they have on their listeners.
This explains why fans of rap feel so betrayed when they realize they favorite hip-hop artist is not the one writing his raps. Since rap is the most important thing these artists offer, what’s the point of listening to them if they are not even the ones who conceive the words?
Does Hard Work Mean Nothing in Hip Hop These Days?
This is an odd question, isn’t it? I mean, of course with hard work, discipline, determination and diligence, you’re bound to make it in hip hop, yeah? Perhaps, but there are considerably more important factors that determine just how successful you can be in the music industry.
In the end, the final say lies with mainstream labels. All your hard work and hustle will be for naught if they don’t deem you competent enough to be sighed up by them, and competency here doesn’t equal talent.
What’s sad about these labels is they forego aspiring artists with raw talent and instead focus on the artists buffered by ghostwriters. Why though? Won’t it make more sense to sign up people with the talent and potential to do big things than those who can only deliver with people from the shadows supporting their efforts?
Again, the answer lies in the fact that being a hip-hop artist is all about ‘components or moving parts’. In such an industry, talent is just one-tenth of what is required.
A hip-hop artist must have the look, the charisma, diction, image and brand. Many artists don’t have these ‘parts’ that are necessary for success. It’s a painful truth but it’s still the truth. Labels take cognizance of these parts and rather sign up artist that have them, because that’s what goes a long way in selling the artist-even if ghostwriters are the ones to be responsible for his songs.
Take Danielle Bregoli, AKA Bhad Bhabie, for instance. She wasthe artist who sang ‘These Heaux’ but is more known for ‘Catch Me Outside’. Her rise to fame and a music career was predicated simply on a catch phrase she uttered during a talk show. Labels saw the mass following she was garnering, they saw the potential to use that to their advantage and saw an opportunity to make cash out of it. That’s the world we live in, folks.
Does Ghostwriting Really Block the Bag for Real Artists?
I think the answer should be obvious. Yes, it does. The true artist with talents out there are neglected because they lack certain qualities that make them ‘complete’; at least that’s how the mainstream industry views it.
These real artists are denied the opportunity to show what they’re capable of. They have the words, the drive, passion and fire to electrify and entertain music lovers, but they are denied that one opportunity to make their dreams and aspirations a reality.
Even though ghostwriting is not new to hip-hop, it had not always been seen as something to be shamed about. Back in the day, it was quite normal. It certainly didn’t stop aspirants from making their own music for the world to hear. Many ghostwriters ended up being artists themselves, regardless whether they had the ‘look’ or not.
Big Daddy Kane is known to have written for Biz Markie; Jay Z did the same for Foxy Brown and Nas had ghostwritten songs for Will Smith too. Modern hip-hop artists still use ghostwriters, but the game has changed.
The fate of true hip-hop is now unknown, because it’s now a matter of guesswork when deciding which artist truly deserves credit for his efforts. And mainstream industries are not helping because there are infinite artists out there who just need that one shot to prove their worth, most of them end up as brilliant ghostwriters who never get reap the rewards of their efforts as is proper.
