My initial changes are to the tracks themselves.

New instrumentation has been found for each and every song. Aiming to bring each track new life and to be more aligned with a stronger, more cohesive artistic brand vision.

In table 1. You will see the songs. Here's a breakdown of the colours you are seeing.

Purple is to indicate a track we have rights to, (red meaning recorded) but currently not released.

Pink is to indicate a freestyle I have shared through Instagram but not posted to SoundCloud or other streaming services.

Light pink means released on all platforms.

Green means new instrumentation. Ready to record.

Blue means new material, with instrumentation, ready to learn, rehearse and record.

Now each beat has been carefully selected after various tests and experiments. After about 3-4 weeks, I finally found a producer with enough variety but a distinctive enough style, and with beats that fit the pre-written lyrics.

I went through nearly his whole catalogue (along side other producers) to find beats which matched the lyrics, but eventually, I am very happy with what I have found for each track.

It's maybe poignant to point out, the above screenshot also contains a few more songs than initially put forward. Prior to the break, the plan was 4 singles to be released for my hand in. And the plan is still to release one single per month.

Now, with the re-working of previously disregarded material, I am positive that across this year, all green tracks will 100% be released the same way my debut track "same dude" was in January.

The new "blue" material is being considered as maybe a short EP, other singles, and I am not dead-set on releasing these at this current time.

Now changes have been made to the instrumentation for various reasons. First of all for a more cohesive sound. But it also helps our branding too. I'm from the UK, so using a more UK-scene production style makes sense with my identity. It should hopefully help build a local audience, and as an up-and-coming artist, give my music a sense of familiarity.

I think having a series of releases all with the same producer will help build that relationship, and give the audience safety in terms of knowing what they can expect from me as an artist, atleast in the short term.

In the video, you will see me performing live to my class in week one. The track is Like you did. A previously disregarded track which our new producer has given new life to.

During the class, I tested all the green material and got feedback from lecturers and peers.

Attend both lectures on Monday.

Work Tuesday and Wednesday, before my evening lecture Wednesday evening.

Write a track start to finish pen and pad to reconnect with my writing.

Record a track using freestyle punch in method.

Create a track based off a track I like, either using that beat, the flow, the rhyme scheme, subject matter...

Create 1 promotional video for Same Dude.

Create 1 Instagram reel (vlog style)

Create 1 Instagram reel (education style)

Complete Entries 1 and 2 for my evidence journal.

Initial Smart plans for hand in.

Lessons learned, of course. I didn't do any promo pre-release bar a story a day or so before. I only shared the news to my story, till a day later I followed up with a short reel. And fair to say, obviously, not many streamed. Almost like promotion is a key ingredient to audience engagement.

The reel did fairly well. *LINK

I tried to make it simple. Use some basic camera movement. Include subtitles on a blank background to make it easy to read.

It was short, sweet. But reflectively, boring. There's no different angles, the context (room) I am filming in isn't interesting, colourful or engaging.

I am not particularly emotive in the recording. And it's probably not the right part to promote the song either, as the verse is very strong and has good wordplay and funny moments which could share well.

We'll take these lessons for the next post promoting same dude and for the others moving forward.

Blue indicates the track has been released.

Green indicates "nearly" ready.

Three years away requires a master.

Headspace requires re-recording of the lyrical sections.

Rock Bottom has some minor re-recording.

Pretty Eyes requires a master.

These tracks are now the submissions for my FMP.

The freestyle in grey will then follow these up.

Pink indicates tracks for which I will be using multiple instrumentals. Initially, they will be released using classic hip-hop instrumentals to give the audience a sense of familiarity, and I may release alternative versions with the other instrumentation should there be a demand for it.

Yellow is tracks to consider release after recording. However, these will be the next set of tracks after the FMP.

Beats are now nearly finalised.

And a release order has slowly been revealed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee6H0ByGSxA&list=OLAK5uy_lTNEtPM7lOqMXuD8gUB4L1k9OSSgIwEdE&index=1

Same Dude marks the series start with a solid entry to set the tone. It's upbeat, and jovial and establishes a character within the story-telling. The flow is smooth and switches up nicely at moments. The rhymes are solid and there is some clever wordplay scattered throughout the long verse in between the hook. It certainly isn't a perfect song by any means. The vocals are in time and sound well engineered but the voice doesn't sound incredibly convincing upon reflection. I think the chorus lacked a real "stand out" element too. I like the added harmony at the end, and that serves as a nice entry.

Overall, I think this is a solid song 5/10. Happy I have released it and learned a lot about the recording process, mixing and engineering, and how to release tracks which will all be beneficial down the line.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SOpsH9lgk--iUfR3GAis-yVBvbZlnTUx/view?usp=sharing

The next track is a freestyle called Three Years Away. This beat has a very different feel and vibe from the prior entry and immediately switches up the energy. Initially, the stand out changes are clear- there is a change in flow and voice sound and it sounds a lot more professional, confident, and the delivery is a lot stronger in terms of pronunciation and enunciation.

You can tell this track was recorded differently. It was punched in bar for bar compared to Same Dude which was done entirely in 2 or 3 takes and this allowed me to deliver a much more solid overall performance when mixed together. As a freestyle it lacked a lot of clever wordplay which makes freestyles so enticing to listen to, but as a second release, I believe is further builds more onto the character I am trying to build for the audience. More clues are given to the nature of this person and their thoughts and feelings in a very reflective track.

I also engineered this track, which is a first really for me. At least since I started this a long time ago recording off a USB mic in 2018 or so.

This track takes inspiration from a track called Sad by glizz. Mostly in flow, cadnece in delivery, but also in beat selection too. It also contains the strong double syllable end rhymes used within same dude, which allows for some artistic cohesion between the two tracks, but overall, Three Years Away follows up Same Dude as the second release not because it is similar to Same Dude but because it is different. It allows me to expand my artistic field and show my diverse range to potential fans.

Headspace is again, a twist in style. This song is more in line with same dude in terms of sense of humour and subject matter.

I also return to the studio for the live recording of this track.

Read on for a thorough breakdown of how we came to this final product.

Context- This song was initially inspired by the beat Soli made. Lyrically, the chorus was inspired by the rhyme scheme in Migo's Song "Walk It Talk It".

"Take my shoes and walk a mile

Somethin' that you can't do (woo, hey)

Big talks of the town, big boy gang moves (gang moves)

I like to walk around with my chain loose (chain, chain)

She just bought a new ass but got the same boobs (same boobs)"

https://genius.com/Migos-walk-it-talk-it-lyrics

Because this song was written so long ago, I don't have a demo I recorded on my phone, as that process wasn't in place then. So the first version we have for Same Dude comes through the part demo Jack and I created last year, which can be heard here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/18uy-G_YH2mkD5NTEMh7iMFR0X0E3mnFm/view?usp=sharing

I think the takes for this one were solid. Overall, I think they lacked some enunciation and energy in some parts. So, when I went to the studio, I wanted to do a few things... re-record the chorus, add some energy and pitch changes to certain areas, we also got the idea to add the ending melody you can hear in the final version, which serves as an outro, and edit a few of the phrasings to allow for a more fluid flow throughout the verse.

Some minor changes include changing the word barbies to dolls and re-recording some of the intro lines for clarity. I also re-recorded the "anyway" to make it more jovial and upbeat.

I also placed more emphasis on the wordplay surrounding the "sleigh rides" line. Playing with timing to give it a more comedic feel to a pretty solid punch line.

We also re-did the ending leading up to the outro and had to re-record some lines for vocal consistency. So overall, the ending vocals used in the final product are a mix from the first set and the studio booked in December.

The vocals were remixed, taking some delay out and changing the reverb settings to give it a more professional and polished sound. The beat had also been touched up ever so slightly by Soli, altering the levels and tweaking some compression and EQ of the stems. Before finally the track was mixed in its final state by Jim Urquhart of MidiMadness. We had an initial demo which included doubles, but we decided the stripped-back version worked best so this was the version we sent for mastering through Distrokid.

In terms of evaluating the whole process. I think it would be best moving forward to record all the main take vocals in one sitting, rather than having to tone match from previous days. Getting two different microphones to sound the same was a bit of a challenge, too.

I think having the song learned was a time saver and will be something to take forward for each track too.

It also enables me to understand my timing so much better, which again aids recording processes.

I think the synergy of the beat and lyrics was very strong, and something I want to continue to maintain in future releases.

Having multiple people help with the beat-making, mixing and engineering side was beneficial for me, time management and workload-wise. This is something I will try to do more often, but not necessarily every time depending on finances etc. The studio and recording time with Jack cost time and money too, which are sparse resources sometimes.

Distrokids mastering seems effective and well-rounded, giving a cost-effective solution to that issue at just £8 a track, or £80 for a whole year of unlimited releases.

In terms of writing, this song was written a while ago but I do have some reflective thoughts. I think the song was written in its entirety in one sitting, and over the weeks and months, I chipped away parts that didn't work and did minor word changes in some lines, but for the most part, the core of the song stayed the same because I think I wrote it in a good "flow state".

I think the chorus is, okay, but it just isn't exactly catchy, memorable, or emotional or anything. It serves a purpose as an intro and outro to the song and does have good rhymes. It just isn't a commercial or function nearly close to a mainstream chorus, nor is it attempting too either.

The writing in this song is very unique I believe. It is not written as anything but a diary entry and does not attempt to be commercial or mainstream in any way. The flow is not something I have heard before and wasn't "borrowed" from anybody else either (like sometimes us rappers can do!) It feels genuine, natural and relaxed/unforced. It comes across like a fairly jovial conversation I like to think, and invites a friendly experience to the listener overall.

The beat and instrumentation are also unique. The drums of course come with the "Soya Beats Guarantee" of excellence, and the sample picked is catchy, memorable and has a nice melody to it. The 808's are smooth and sound good across multiple systems and overall the blend of the instrumentation, lyrics and the mix which ties it all together delivers a pretty strong final product to start my series of releases.

Overall, I think this is a very solid piece of work. For some, this would be enough, but as you will soon see, I haven't been patiently waiting to release all this material to just sit on one song. This is merely the start...

Around September last year, I was locked in writing. Writing probably around 250 verses in about a 3 or 4-month period.

One of these verses, in fact, two of these verses, happened to fit a beat a friend of Mark had made during one of our standard evening hang-out sessions.

I was hesitant to lay the verse, but considering Mark was a good friend of mine and Jono was a friend to Mark I figured "I may as well, it's not like it will ever come out anyway!"

I laid a verse which I wasn't going to put anywhere else and left. I didn't think anything of it for the next 4 months. In fairness to myself, the verse is lyrically incredibly solid. It has a solid flow which fits the beat, the rhymes are incredibly complex and sophisticated and the wordplay scattered throughout is humorous and well-executed.

So when Jono sent Mark a demo, he asked him to ask me if I wanted my name on it. I heard it, having no idea I even wrote that verse as I didn't even keep a copy of it, and just sent back "Sure, why not".

Jono and Mark recorded the chorus which I had never heard at a studio separate from my day there. Jono handled everything and I had a release that I did like 20 minutes of work on.

I think, if anything, this track demonstrates my skills as a lyricist and rapper. Without much forethought or planning, I laid a technically excellent verse in a very short amount of time. If the heights of Wayne, Cole and Kendrick are what I am aspiring toward, I think this is a feature I am proud to have my name down on. Especially considering I would never make that kind of music, or release that kind of lyrical rap usually. Normally that kind of verse is for practice and personal enjoyment only and stored in the endless files of my phone's notesapp.

Not that I had anything to do with it, the beat is well made (even if out of my own personal taste), the track is well mixed and sounds mastered properly (not that I have tested it on a vast amount of systems..)

For the future Ed, it shows what can come out of going out of your comfort zone and saying "yes" to things that naturally I am resistant to. It makes me excited to maybe collaborate with other artists outside of my usual genre as it will be a place to test my MC skills and penmanship.

I think I will always only release the music I like, and I will probably use features to be more experimental

and demonstrate my lyrical abilities, much like my inspirations Cole, Wayne and Kendrick do.

I'm not super buzzed about this track, if I am honest, but I am glad my name is on it, and I think it sets a good bar for future feature verses; highlighting in different ways what kind of rapper I am, and the kind of level people can expect me to be going for with further releases.

The first thing of note is the very thorough rhyme scheme used throughout this song. This a key feature of my style of writing, and it immediately informs the listener it's my track, and that an experienced MC has written this song.

There is a consistent 2-syllable end rhyme used every 4-8 bars, demonstrating experienced writing. You will also see the occasional line which is non-rhyming, which helps break up the flow and cadence of the track. This is what I like to call an extended punch line, as the extra words in the line allows for more creative freedom with the wordplay.

There are plentiful internal rhymes used. I believe this is particularly effective as it demonstrates a control and thoughtful selection of each word choice. Internal rhymes and the use of alliteration are particularly effective at giving the flow a kind of "bounce" and natural rhythm and cadence when it comes to delivery.

There are several occasions where rap schemes are used. Such as in the wordplay surrounding "schools" and "lessons". Similes are used such as surrounding the double entendre "my past like ho ho ho, and I ain't talking about sleigh rides" which is a particularly effective comedic punch-line in this song.

The writing style feels both poetic and conversational, demonstrating good use of time and space to dictate the pace of the piece.

Overall the writing uses an array of techniques which create a poetic and authentic voice. Comedy is used to good effect and this creates a welcoming and upbeat vibe the listener is invited into.

About 8 or 9 months ago, I found a new artist I now enjoy listening too called Glizz. Glizz is a UK Hip-Hop artist who specialises in this laid-back type of track. He has conversation lyrics with clever bars where he mostly discusses his life.

I remember at this time particularly enjoying a track of his called "Sad" which is inspired by XXX Tentacian's track also of the name "Sad".

I liked Glizz's flow style and felt his delivery and pronunciation of words were satisfying to listen to, and wanted to emulate it. As such, I wrote a track taking inspiration from Glizz's style; talking openly about my life with only bars and including no chorus. This is sometimes referred to as a freestyle in rap.

Demo to Phone

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TQAwT3St2b6aUelF0BM5FRkK_nc_w7KY/view

I like how I've used space to structurally separate the song into bars/lines. It helps each line sink in and be fully understood before the listener is taken to the next. To avoid it sounding too formulaic I've used alternating internal rhymes to avert listener expectations.

Overall this leads to a very different and unique flow which draws the listener in with it's conversational style.

Version 1

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jZghHZ-dMGuIXN0F8FRIJKHqVpQz6v0g/view?usp=drive_link

This version is the core version we worked on. The vocals are aligned nicely and I liked the use of space in particular on this one.

The vocals are clear and enunciated very well, with clear progression demonstrated from the learnings with Same Dude.

Version 2

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1L53szXumEgmPAbJu1QHAZ39xUekYWsUb/view?usp=drive_link

Changes

*Tweaked the loudness of vocals to make it more front and centre.

*Reduced reverb and delay.

*Brought beat down in volume slightly

*Reduced and tweaked settings for send C (Mids Distort)

*Used Nector to level vocals

Alternative Soli Version

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jZghHZ-dMGuIXN0F8FRIJKHqVpQz6v0g/view?usp=drive_link

Final Form

https://drive.google.com/file/d/13Pi88YThUdNt5OMRTm29tn852zX6Gakb/view?usp=drive_link

This alternative version was created by sending Soli the vocal stems. From there he built a new beat around the lyrics. He opted for no intro starting the song straight off with the lyrics. The instrumentation has more space and different drum programming. Overall, it is a bit more "spacey" and is possibly more inline with Dirty Slag musically. But it was decided to store this version and go with the original. The vocals were tweaked once more and the final version was created.

Changes

*Beat brought back up slightly to hit -6db.

*Vocals reverb and delay send brought up slightly.

*Cut intro down by half to get to lyrics faster

Evaluation

The recording portion of this track is very solid. The takes are clear and easy to understand. It was punched in bar by bar or line by line, which is common industry practise.

The mix has been adjusted over time and heard to across multiple sound systems to ensure consistency in sound and so far I am happy with the balance and think the vocals being front and centre works very well on what is a very reflective and introspective piece.

The vocal tone sounds smooth and is easy to listen to. The deeper rap voice I experimented with worked well after some practice and overall I think my voice sounds appealing on this track. It is mixed well and for a further breakdown of how I mixed please take a look at this short video where I analyse the industry standard mixing techniques I have used within this track to achieve it's professional-level sound.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1e6RIn-qNuzvG0WXA-bcwM0iC01dJtXpX/view?usp=drive_link

In terms of promotion for this track, I did one post before release which had this to offer in terms of insights. (SEE NEXT POST)

From this, we can see I reached more non-followers than followers with this post. This is good as it means new people found my page from this. However, not so encouraging was every interaction (17 in total, which is good for a page with 150 odd followers) came from a pre-existing follower (someone following before this post with released).

Overall I reached 195 accounts and gained 359 views.

From Promotional Insights 2:

We can see the view rate past the first 3 seconds was slightly below the typical view rate my reels achieve on this page. I believe this could be down to the low resolution that Instagram uploaded the reel with. I have since found the setting and changed it to upload at the highest quality.

As such, it's prevalent practice for me to hold onto songs/verses I have written for quite a while; hoping that I may find something better than what I currently have.

What tends to happen is I then write new material and forget about the old stuff, as the new is (or tends to be) better material as a whole.

However, in the case of Rock Bottom, I remember from conception holding onto this idea a little more tightly than others. As stated before, my mindset with music up until this point was always about development. Proregression of the skills I use to make music. It was never about writing for anyone but me...

But with now a decade of writing under my belt, and a huge progression in material since starting my university course, at the start of 2025, I thought to myself "how long do I keep holding onto stuff for?"

I hold onto a lot from my past. And without knowing, I've also been holding onto this belief that my art was only ever meant for me. And this year, I decided to change that. And because the lyrics of this song really stood out to me at the time of writing, I really pursued the idea of releasing this track.

However, after I finished recording what was meant to be the final product with Jim at Midimadness, I was not excited as I thought I would be.

Jim even stated at the time this was the closest track I had to a "hit" from the sessions we did together. But something wasn't quite right...

Here's that version for reference. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dEZoqa8ot0v9cMwJobtLYuo7Hp5l426q/view?usp=drive_link

For context- at the time of writing this track I was going through quite an experience.

My girlfriend who I lived with at the time fell pregnant, I was finding faith, and I was struggling to make ends meet financially. The pressures of a baby on the way only made my headspace even more stressful.

As such, I explored various options to increase my income. I'm ashamed to admit, some of the considerations were not just illegal but also immoral.

I am glad to report, I didn't follow through with any of it. But at the time, it felt like a very real and scary possibility.

I was on the way to a meeting to discuss obtaining a large quantity of drugs for me to sell when I heard the original beat and started to write.

The lyrics tell the story very bluntly.

"Nothing in the bank but the time on my hands"

Is a technique called juxtaposition, which is two contrasting ideas next to each other, this start the song with a clever opening line; and even gives insights into the difficulty of employment market at the time of writing, as well as introduces us to the main theme of the song.

It continues very conversationally.

"Mark said that he'll front me the cash to go trap and I'm thinking bout trying that plan".

This immediately let's the listener know what kind of song this is, what it is about, and even introduces a character "Mark".

The line uses internal half-rhymes with "cash" and "trap" to give it a rhythmic bounce.

"Cause if we sold a box by the gram, we're talking like what, 9 grand?"

This technique is called a rhetoric question. Used to lead the audience to think about the line but using a question format.

"I don't wanna be no rapper turned trapper but I could do with that money my man".

This line again uses that internal rhyme, mirroring the earlier line which did the same. Adding some symmetry to the lyrics.

The next set of lyrics goes onto to paint a picture using some clever imagery about what this imagined life may look like.

"Selling prescriptions, feeding addictions, shipping off loud by the ounce."

This is what is sometimes referred to as a tripartite sequence. Or the power of threes. Listing things in 3's gives a sense of completion to the listener, emphasising the picture this list is creating.

It touches on some moral grounds, discussing how this new way of life would mean feeding addictions, continuing the cycle for the users I would be supplying.

The speaker then reflects on this very notion.

"It's funny cause where I done grew up, that shit weren't allowed in my house."

This contrasts the current circumstances with the prior time in the speaker's life. Highlighting the ironic situation of selling things that the family he grew up with was very against.

Using a casual tone "where I done grew up" keeps the formality out of the conversation. Indicating the piece is almost speaking to the listener as an old friend. Referencing a past memory in a shared experience.

The speaker very bluntly follows up "look ma, I know how it sounds, but with all of these bills I'm short a few pounds".

The speaker seemingly changes who he is addressing in this next line. Taking it from a conversation between friends, to inviting his mother (who may or may not also be listening) to the discussion. Defending his position saying "I know how it sounds", almost admitting the guilt the speaker is experiencing for even thinking about such things.

The speaker then uses another rhetoric question. Keeping with this open, conversational tone "where does it all go now?"

This is an open question which invites the listener to reflect on the piece so far. Leading the audience nicely into the next section.

This is where the writer goes onto elaborate further on their current position. Describing, in vivid detail, using imagery what it looks like to be them at the moment.

"Awake late at night cause boy I can’t sleep. 

Knee deep in debt, and I’m stressed, can’t eat. 

There’s a price to live life and it don’t come cheap. 

I’ve tried to survive without running these streets."

The first line paints a picture of sleepless nights. Tossing and turning, restless. The next line uses a metaphor to describe how he is "knee deep" in the debt, painting a picture of large financial obstacles the writer must overcome.

The third line is very poignant. "there's a price to live life, and it don't come cheap"

This again juxtaposes two ideas "expensive/cheap", highlighting how the writer feels life is a costly experience. Emphasising how perhaps he feels hard done by at the "cost of living" that is so often talked about.

The last line is an almost plea "I've tried to survive without running these streets".

Running these streets is metaphorical language to describe the process of gang activity like selling drugs. Euphamistically describing the dark nature of the lifestyle the writer is considering.

The last two lines here use internal rhymes to give the delivery and flow a natural bounce and creates a staple of consistency in the piece.

The rhymes used through-out the verses tie ideas together well, and overall the conversational tone invites the listener into a moment of the speakers life excellently.,

The speaker continues to say

"But with all the pressure increasing, 

dealings become like way more appealing. 

I’ve traded my time for their money, 

I’m left feeling like they have stealing."

This continues the train of thought from the last line of the four prior bars, stating very clearly what it is (if it wasn't clear) what exactly the speaker is considering. Laying it in clear, undeniable words.

He continues saying how he feels the current system of employment he has been following has left him dissatisfied. Using a simile to describe the act of standard salaried work by the hour is "theft" of his time.

Demonstrating how the artist feels he is undervalued by society as a whole.

The last section of the song serves as somewhat of a summary.

"Sipping this lean, while hitting this weed, 

cause something in mes in deep need of healing. 

I thought that I had potential, 

but maybe I’ve reached that ceiling. 

I’m a well meaning being but the problem in that being, 

that not everyone you meet seems to share that deeper feeling 

Pray somebody has my back, when I lay awake with demons

I guess that’s the problem with believing"

It describes how the speaker themselves is a drug addict, using things like weed to numb the pain of their existence. He describes how it is difficult to believe you can change when you feel you have done so much already to no avail, and how the author of this piece feels unsupported. Praying, even, that someone can come to help while he spends his nights restlessly troubled by his thoughts he refers to as "demons".

The chorus for this piece is one of my favourite so far. The speaker speaks largely in question.

Addressing the listener directly as if they were the one going through all these issues.

The original versions went through a few iterations.

The first version was essentially me punching the lyrics and doing some basic mixing. This involved recording the lyrics bar by bar, a method prevalently used in the industry. I did some compression, EQ, minor reverb and delay effects to mix the vocals.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1--XG9mILYhNhmHAwM0C5lE1wLNL_fUbJ/view?usp=drive_link

The second version included using Nector, an AI tool which assists in mixing vocals.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FE5yCGhMKJS18WzErAUB-f1pVd_7yghO/view?usp=drive_link

This helped with some of the sibilance as well as overall levels.

Then after scrolling on Instagram I found a producer (Jack O'Hare) who has worked with a rapper I have also seen on my "explore page" called Vivid.

I wrote a new verse and combined this with the verse used in "mindgames", which gave the verse a whole new flow and delivery.

I recorded it in bar for bar and got this.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bhzw_1-YplQ_hslzFTH0UphZJ_wgR9sG/view?usp=drive_link

I then made some minor changes and recorded adlibs which gave the final version which can be heard here.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IoJV4mLJE7hKPouKnm2HWjQUAHWWSpKu/view?usp=drive_link

Overall I prefer the final version because it tells a more cohesive story and has multiple hooks which I think are quite catchy, which hopefully should create moments of memorability for the listener.

• Who are they targeting?

“Gen Z spends 39% more on music (including streaming subscription, live music, festivals, vinyl etc.) than the average UK music listener.”

“UK Gen Z audience’s top listened to genre is UK Rap², which includes Grime, Drill and Road Rap – a genre reflected in other BRIT award nominees up against Harry such as Dave, Stormzy and Central Cee.”

(Kosinski, 2023)

• What demographics do they appeal to?

Gen Z

1997 – 2012

13 – 28

(Beresford Research, 2025)

• What gaps in the market can you fill that your competitors aren’t?

Writing deep, meaningful and thought-provoking hip-hop lyrics with a high degree of lyricism  is something only a few in a small select crowd can claim to have done while achieving commercial success. The likes of  Kendrick Lamar, J.Cole, Dave and Lil Simz are the modern examples of such artists, and looking further back you have the likes of Lauren Hill and Tupac. This emphasises how pulling off such a unique blend of conscious lyricism is difficult while still making the songs enjoyable to consume. This leaves a large untapped market the likes of Lecrae and DC3 are looking to fill. 

3. Customer Profile

• Age Range - 11-30

• Profession/job title - Student or just entering Full-Time Work

• Education level - Drop out and Above 

• Income level - Low to Mid

• Marital status - Single

• Goals - Find new lyrical rappers 

• Pain points (problems that need solving) - Lack of lyrical conscious rap to listen to

• Media consumption - Hip-Hop interest, music adjacent genres, and fairly high screen time

• Hobbies - Gigs, Shows/Festivals, Make music 

By using these questions I can orientate myself toward my target market through my branding. Using tools such as story-telling, specifically visual story-telling, and colour-theory to invite that target audience to become consumers of my products, which right now primarily is my music. Later down the line, this fan base of listeners can be capitalised on with tours, gigs, shows, merchandise, album sales, meet and greets and even book sales. Turning consumers into customers. 

The recording session was paid for and the invoice evidences this fact. By using this set up with the added bonus of a paid engineer, I was able to capture high quality vocals which are a vital part of producing high quality hip-hop. As the artist, it is my job to organise and arrange the mixing of my own work as well as arrange the studio time with the engineer.

By utilising Jim's skillset, I demonstrate my pursuit of professionalism by opting for an experienced veteran of the industry.

This demonstrates my willingness to pay people their fair rates for their specialist skills.

The lease clearly states the licence I have acquired and specifically mentions how much I can make and utalise this instrumental before upgrading leases.

I believe I struck a balanced tone of friendly but also clear in terms of instruction. I was reasonable in my requests and even suggested he do whatever is more time-efficient for him.

Settings - Switch to Professional Account

Business tools and Controls

Settings - data usage - upload highest quality

Edit profile - category - set to closest

Opt out of meta AI - settings - about - privacy policy - ‘right to object’

Aesthetic and Consistency in style and layout

Using pay to promote the future

Stick to schedule and commitment to time frame

What content and media formats will you be using to promote your project

4 unique algorithms

Main feed, stories, explore, reels

Main is curated posts on interests, engagement likelihood and missed content

Stories curated on predicative algorithms that analyse viewing frequency, interaction level, connection depth with creators - stuff you’ll engage with for

Explore highlights liked, saved, and shared content

Reels promote engaging short videos, leveraging popular sounds, user interactions

SEO

Handle @instagram

Name on Instagram

Bio your intro

Captions

Keywords vs hashtags

Keep it natural, don’t overuse them

Rap, hiphop, conscious hiphop, Brighton

Strategy - goals - plan - actionable steps

Merch, Events

Collection of Hip-Hop open mic nights

Links to socials

Download links for music and stems

Contact Information

Booking Slip

Coaching/Mentoring Programme

Songwriting Services

Instagram

Show the Visuals of the Brand

Moments from Live Gigs

Educational Content

YouTube

Live Performances

Vlogs

Writing Tips

Lyric Videos

TikTok

Performance Videos

Three years away and Rock bottom are no longer going to be released for various reasons.

The first is quality wise, I believe pretty eyes to be a much stronger overall finished product. The writing is good for both Three Years Away and Rock Bottom- but I feel three years away is best kept as a freestyle option for improv settings due the lack of the a chorus. And rock bottom may also be used in lyrical sense in another track, “secrets”. When getting feedback mainly from Ben (see spreadsheet) we noted rock bottom also needed more work (vocals overlapping effecting clarity) and wasn’t going to be able to be released on time. Pretty eyes I believe also has a stronger structure and is more complete compared and contrasted with both three years away and rock bottom. Meaning altering the order seems like a sensible suggestion based on the availability of release.

Releasing pretty eyes first also more strongly emphasises my development and growth and an artist. Demonstrating how each track is a major improvement on the last. Where the growth between the original four was more subtle, and less obvious. This shows my building audience that each track is a marked improvement showing my development, growth and commitment to my craft as an artist.

This will also save me money on leases per release, as each track needs to be leased in order to be released. Because this is a costly investment (£50-£250 per track minimum), limiting this cost assists my long term stability as an artist.

You can see the rhymes being highlighted, and things like similies being illustrated with italics and alliteration being pointed out in bold. This displays various literary writing techniques, demonstrating the wordplay and structural integrity of the writing. Anchor rhymes (the lines ending rhymes) tend to be 2 or 3 (and sometimes 4) syllables. The internal rhymes and alliteration give a natural bounce to the cadence, too which adds variety and depth to the rhyme scheme.

Now, this is a fantastic development from what most beginner artists would be releasing. However, when we compare mine to the level of who I believe to be the best. We can see, there is still so much progress to be made.

This is the level I want to aim for in my eventual long-term career. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7OZmce8FIg

It's humbling to see the true levels of the greats, but I think if we do not assess these things logically we cannot aspire to the heights others have achieved. By seeing the level of the likes of J. Cole, I can better understand the depth of my lyrical complexities. The next step could be to start analysing unique word usage, like how the video ends with saying "clouds" contains 58% unique words. So more words are different than the same, which is impressive when you consider the amount of rhyming syllables contained per line.

Combining this with the plentiful amount of rhymes J. Cole includes per line, as well as switching up my rhyme scheme more frequently as Cole has, I can emulate the level of rapping Cole has achieved on what is one of his most lyrically complex and technical releases.

This is an ongoing process, that takes a lot of time, and it's only been in the last few years I have truly started to understand the "formula" of writing lyrics. But this, combined with my ability to rap live (as demonstrated by the various YouTube releases) as well as my ability to record and release singles as shown by the release of "same dude" and "Pretty Eyes" all go to emphasise my technical abilities as a rapper. I can write my material to a professional standard, I can perform that material well and proficiently in a multitude of settings, and I can document the journey while I am doing it. Justifying changes and developments, illustrating my ability to adapt and think creatively.

When we also asses the fact I can engineer and mix my own vocals to a high standard (evidenced by my work on "pretty eyes"), the technical songwriting is met with key systems and technologies like Ableton, the DAW I use to record. I can then take these recordings and utilise them across YouTube and Instagram, which are also key technologies in the music industry. I have shown on my Instagram page how I submitted my music through Distrokid, a key system which allows me to self-release my music. I have utilised forward-thinking tech like AI mastering through that same distribution service.

This all goes to show I have deployed a range of appropriate and justifiable systems (like the organisation of my material, todo lists and schedules) skills (my technical skills as a rapper and artist) technologies (like ableton, recording hardware, distrokid, social media platforms) and methods (like the punch in technique, and my songwriting method inspired by Rick Rubins idea of "diary entries"). This shows my advance knowledge and creative innovative practise to find my own unique style and sound.

I have engineered most of my vocals, and entirely completed Pretty Eye's mix on my own.

I have innovated stylistically, by utilising American rhyme schemes within British Hip-Hop all while rapping those dense rhymes over diverse and eclectic instrumentals. Including cinematic, classical and experimental types of beats. All while maintaining an authentic poetic style which is both raw and poignant, full of wordplay and literary techniques like similies, metaphors, and imagery as well as a healthy dose of things like alliteration and narrative devices in my more story-driven pieces.

By utilising YouTube as a platform to release music, I enabled my output (and therefore my feedback loop) to be exponentially increased. Allowing myself to improve my craft at an even faster rate while building an authentic and unique fan experience based on real connection and honest communication.

By having such a diverse stream of income attached to this musical project, I allow myself to compensate financially in a variety of means. Through teaching, coaching and mentoring. But also through songwriting, sound engineering and summer camps. Eventually, as my, brand grows, the opportunities to earn money from my artistry will surely open up. Options with sync, live performance, tours, and collaboration (feature verses) give me great means to earn once my following is substantial enough.

This means I will be able to keep artistic integrity long-term by financially supporting my musical outputs. This shows and demonstrates my ability to be creative in art while maintaining a business mindset across a range of professional contexts.

As such, I have separated it into sections to make it easier to understand and comprehend. Each section has a header which describes the content of the pillar. Each post will also have learning objectives, indicating which part of the mark scheme the work is in relation to.

The diary does (for the most part) go in chronological order. Meaning you have something of a development timeline.

It has various sources of media attached, like Google Docs, spreadsheets, YouTube and Spotify links, and Google Drives with videos and pictures. So, although it will be submitted in a PDF format, it is best experienced through the website link provided for accessibility and flow of information.

The process starts with SMART CHARTS and SWOT analysis and goes on to explain the changes to the content, and how the tracks I have written across my time at university are forming and developing.

It then goes into some research, before evaluating the releases and full products I am presenting and releasing to the world.

In this diary, you will also find the "IV" section of the submission requirement, which is the evaluation section. Detailing, evidencing and evaluating professionalism, technology, business, innovation etc, as well as the final reflective commentary.

This is to make accessing the evidence easier and to streamline the marking/viewing experience of this large project I am submitting.

My first goal is to build the platforms which I will be able to release my music through. To make this more specific; specifically the platforms of YouTube, Instagram and Spotify (through distrokid). My goal will be to have at least two releases spanning across each of these platforms. So, two YouTube videos, at least two Instagram posts and two Spotify releases. This now ensures this goal is measurable, by having a quantifiable outcome which is also attainable; ticking off the next requirement. This is relevant to my degree, as it fits the requirements of the submission, and also relevant to my long-term career goals of finding ways to release music independently. The goal will be to have all of this achieved by the university deadline of April 14th. Giving this goal a time-bound target.

The goal will help me build a diverse portfolio demonstrating my skills as an artist and giving prospective fans multiple channels to discover my music.

By using multimedia platforms, like YouTube and Instagram, I can visually demonstrate my brand. While the likes of Spotify creates a more auditory-centric experience, which allows my music to speak for itself. This all goes to demonstrate the high degree of relevancy this goal has to my long-term strategy as an artist.

This goal, by having multiple facets, also enables me to work on several different skills at once. Combining the musical skills of writing, recording, and performing alongside elements of film-making and academia.

The next smart goal is my deliverables for the Final Major Project.

I wish to submit at least 2 finished Spotify releases and 3 YouTube live performance videos. This will be accompanied by a website with multiple offers including show booking, mentoring, coaching, and songwriting services as well as links to all my musical outputs. This website will serve as a hub for my post-graduate plans, allowing me to share further creative efforts.

This of course is a very specific goal, and all of this can be measured by determining whether these targets have been achieved or not by the time-bound target of the University deadline of April 14th.

I believe with the adequate time provided, and through my ability to manage multiple projects at once, this goal is very attainable and also highly relevant to my degree and long-term future ambitions both in and outside of the music industry.

STATUS? ON TRACK (23.05)

Strengths

My biggest strength lies in my ability to generate new material. I can be a very productive writer, and as such, this allows me to have a wealth of options when it comes to considering what content to release.

My next biggest strength is my ability to adapt material, changing the lyrics to better fit the beat, or even changing the instrumentation to better fit the lyrics. I do not hold tightly onto my ideas, and am very open to constructive criticism, allowing my material the best opportunities to grow and develop.

I am naturally quite organised, I quite enjoy keeping my to-do lists and planning my days and weeks and as such I often manage to keep most aspects of my life well-managed. The problem is, I will only plan to do the things I enjoy doing.. not the things I don't want to. Leading to some weaknesses I will explain below.

Weaknesses

For, what comes as a strength, will also bring your weakness. My ability to write so much often leads me to abandon ideas. Or even just forgetting or losing them. I often cannot finish things to the best of my ability. Opting to start anew and then complete a project. This can lead to an overwhelming sense of "too many options" but few solid finished products to run with and promote.

And the fact I do not hold tightly onto my ideas means I often lack the passion and drive to market my material because I always feel like "I can do better". This perfectionism can hold me back and prevent me from just doing the work and completing the cycle of musician, which includes releasing and sharing your work with the world.

Opportunities

I have the world at my fingertips with the technology I have access to. I can find pretty much any instrumental I want. I have access to recording equipment and spaces. I can utilise AI in songwriting, production, mixing or mastering. I have plenty of musicians in my circle I can collaborate with. Most notably Soli, Mark, Jack and Ziggy. I have access to people like Keiron Pepper in artist development. A host of musical students and mentors through the university who can give thoughtful and valuable feedback on my music and process. I have people like George who ask me to play live shows and make beats for me. I also have a very comfortable living space where I can practise, record and write at pretty much any time I please due to my very supportive and understanding roommates. My family like my other and eldest brother Will can financially support me as I can only work part-time on the course. On top of all of this, I have a fantastic opportunity every day to pray or read the bible and tap into the eternal peace and love our heavenly Father has offered us. All in all, I have a lot going for me in terms of completing this work and maintaining a clear mental space while doing so.

Threats

The biggest threats often come from our internal struggles. As mentioned before my perfectionism can hold me back and lead me to procrastination or incomplete states of projects. My confidence can sour and turn into arrogance and pride leading me to overestimate the work I am doing, or how productive I am truly being. I may not ask for help due to this pride and try to do everything on my own for fear of losing control. I often can get distracted. I am very anti-social and this can lead to burnout due to a lack of social interaction.

Here are the final outputs so it is clear upon marking what it is that is being developed.

Spotify Releases

-Same Dude

-Pretty Eyes

-Instagram account

Re-record end section. Lower volume on breathes. Edit mix slightly to lower reverb and delay. More "dry" vocal.

Youtube

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/edsearlemusic/

The aim in that first session is one or two solid run-throughs.

Then the next session would be 5-6 solid run-throughs.

Then, slowly use the words less, and so on.

My main plan was initially to set up 5 main income streams as I am leaving university. This has since expanded as I have realised the vast array of options artists have to capitalise financially from their skillset.

This allows me to support myself with extra stability as it means I am not reliant on one source of income, but multiple. This also has the added benefit of if one area or practise is unsuccessful or less popular, the others can be increased or made a more primary focus.

Supply Work - With my classroom management skills, high adaptability and teaching and leadership qualities supply work offers me flexible work on a sustainable basis. Currently there is a UK teacher shortage meaning most days I offer myself as available I have the option to work. Where I get paid £95 a day, this means I have a stable basis of income to cover necessities like rent, food and travel.

Tutoring - Helping people learn and grow is one of my main goals, and offering the skills I have learnt to younger or aspiring artists with similar talents allows me to capitalise financially off my hard work and communication skills.

Songwriting - By utilising my songwriting skills for other artists, I can offer ghost writing, co-writing and sync placements.

Sync - Sync is licensing music you create out to TV, Film and various marketing services. This can be a well-paid opportunity and offer substantial financial rewards.

Radio Plays - If somehow I am capable of writing even just one charting song which gets plentiful radio plays, this can financially set me up for life.

Engineering - By recording and mixing for other artist, I can use the skills I learn within my own trade and apply it to others.

Summer Camps - Where teaching has so many holidays, summer camps and holiday retreats would be good seasonal work (even at minimum or low wage) to do during queit periods for music like Christmas, or queit periods of teaching like the summer holidays.

DIVERSIFYING AS AN ARTIST

As my career grows, I can expect to be financially compensated.

SOCIAL MEDIA

As social media reach grows, ad revenue becomes an option for sites like YouTube, donations and VIP/Exclusive content become an option for member sites, and brand deals/sponsorships may also become possibilities. Streaming numbers through sites like Spotify for official releases will also offer an opportunity to earn if I can get high enough numbers.

George who knows Joe and Felix

Josh and Oli, who knoweachother and work together

Waterbear Staff who include;

Greg Walton 

Keiron Pepper 

Sam Clynes 

Hannah Boulton 

The family

Mum 

Dad 

Ben

Will

Jude 

(Who knows his band, HOTJUICE listed below

Shay 

Harry 

Alex)

Then my team

Chris 

Soli 

Mark 

Jack (who knows) Jack Keane 

Ziggy 

Zanotti  Who knows Harvey

For each release you will find dates of completion of the task.

TEMPLATE

Write song

Find beat

Record vocals

Mix vocals and stems

Get feedback from circle

Enact changes - Edit and Rework, potentially change instrumentation etc.

Re-record

Repeat til happy

Master through distrokid