Ghostwriting in Music: Do Hip Hop Artists Use Ghostwriters?
In today’s rock music world it isn’t unheard of for some of our biggest musical heroes to use unnamed writers to help pen their songs. Ghostwriters do the job behind the scenes to write the next giant hit to put your favorite pop music artist back on top of the musical pile. It’s not well recognized but there is a long history of ghostwriting inside the music world. Let’s take a look at a few of the music artists using ghostwriters and how ghostwriting has affected popular music throughout the years.
Did you know that Mozart became a ghostwriter? He used to ghostwrite music and songs for the well-off patrons of the arts. In 1939 Patrick Standford was a ghostwriter for various symphonies and motion pictures.
In the movie business, music ghostwriting is fairly secretive. It really is considered unethical by numerous folks however it is extremely widespread. Inside the really early days of movies, a composer called David Raskin previously worked as a music ghostwriter for Charlie Chaplin. Chaplin was credited as the score creator.
In pop songs, musical ghostwriting also is a component. Some times an expert songwriter is brought in to help with possibly novice composers, or somebody that may be encountering writer’s block. At times a freelancer will compose lyrics and songs in the style of a musician and still get little or no input from the individual credited on the song sheet.
Occasionally a ghostwriter is acknowledged as an associate or comparable innocuous term. Much more generally, they just do not appear anywhere-they are a genuine ghost. At times legal activity takes place whenever a musical ghostwriter tries to claim royalties- typically after song turns into a hit. Sarah McLachlan got into a challenge with a music performer who claimed that he had a substantial contribution to her very first album, “Touch.”
In hip-hop, ghostwriting is growing every year. Actually, it does lead to some controversy. Purists do not like it, and point to the usage of it as an example of “bad capitalism.” This is because of the perception of rapping as “expressing yourself” and that composing for somebody else isn’t pure “self-expression.” Some emcees like Chuck D of Public Enemy, Inc. think that is a mistaken view simply because not everyone can be a skilled lyricist and not every person is equipped to be a vocalist. He says a rap song may call for more talents than a solitary person has.
Nearly All ghostwriters have secrecy conditions, or they may well appear within the liner notes, and in some cases they are allowed to discuss their involvement out in the open. You may see a credit within the liner notes for “vocal arrangement,” which may well mean it was a ghostwriter. A couple of years ago there were hip-hop ghostwriting services which appeared on-line, and provided artists with rhymes for totally free.
Ghostwriting has a long tradition in popular music, from Mozart to today’s hottest rappers. As long as the song can be a hit, the individual that penned it will have a career. And in the current American Idol-centric music world where unknowns and celebrities alike are looking for the very best tunes, ghostwriters will continue to play a key role. The next time you’re singing along to your favorite records there is an excellent chance your favorite pop superstar did not write one note.
