Do Rappers Use Ghostwriters?
In the current rock music environment it is not uncommon for a few of our number one music heroes to make use of unnamed writers to help pen their records. Ghostwriters function behind the scenes to craft another huge hit to place your favorite rock superstar back on top of the musical pile. It is not well recognized but there’s a long history of ghostwriting within the music world. Let’s take a look at some of the musicians utilizing ghostwriters and how ghostwriting has influenced popular music throughout the years.
Were you aware that Mozart was a ghostwriter? He used to ghostwrite popular music for the affluent patrons of the arts. In 1939 Patrick Standford was a ghostwriter for various symphonies and motion pictures.
Within the movie business, music ghostwriting is fairly secretive. It really is considered unethical by several individuals however it is extremely common. In the very early days of movies, a composer named David Raskin worked as a music writer working for Charlie Chaplin. Chaplin was acknowledged as the score creator.
In pop songs, musical ghostwriting also is a component. Some times a seasoned songwriter is introduced to assist with either unskilled lyricists, or somebody who may be struggling with writer’s block. Occasionally a freelancer definitely will produce words of the song and songs within the style of an artist nonetheless get little or no input from the person acknowledged on the song sheet.
Sometimes a freelancer is acknowledged as an affiliate or similar innocuous term. Much more frequently, they just don’t appear anywhere-they are a genuine ghost. Sometimes legal action takes place when a musical ghostwriter attempts to claim royalties- usually following song becomes a hit. Sarah McLachlan got into a challenge having a musician who claimed that he had a significant contribution to her debut album, “Touch.”
In hip-hop, ghostwriting is growing each year. In fact, it does result in some controversy. Purists do not like it, and point to the use of it as a good example of “bad capitalism.” This is due to the perception of rapping as “expressing yourself” and that writing for someone else is not pure “self-expression.” Some rappers like Chuck D of Public Enemy, Inc. think that is a mistaken view simply because not every person can be a skilled lyricist and not everybody is equipped to be a vocalist. He says a rap song may possibly need more talents than a single individual has.
The Majority ghostwriters have confidentiality conditions, or they may well appear inside the liner notes, and in some cases they’re allowed to discuss their participation out in the open. You might see a credit inside the liner notes for “vocal arrangement,” which might mean it was a ghostwriter. A few years ago there were hip-hop ghostwriting services which appeared on the web, and provided artists with rhymes for free.
Ghostwriting has a lengthy history in music, from Mozart to today’s coolest rappers. As long as the song can be a hit, the person that penned it will still have a job. And in the current American Idol-centric music world where unknowns and megastars alike are searching for the very best tunes, ghostwriters will continue to play a major role. The next time you’re singing along to your favorite music there’s a good chance your favorite rock superstar didn’t write one note.
