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Behind the Music: The Audio Engineer

February 14, 2023

The music industry is a place full of musicians, producers, and creators who have the magical ability to make those perfect sounds we hear everyday through our digital devices. We want to listen close

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Koji Kondo: Nintendo’s Melody Maestro

February 14, 2023

What do popular video games franchises Super Mario, Legend of Zelda, and Star Fox all have in common? They were all produced and published by Nintendo, and the iconic music themes that you hear in...

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Taylor Swift on Industry Sexism and Music Rights

February 8, 2023

Being a successful woman in the music industry is no easy feat. Not only do they deal with the typical trials and tribulations of being a musician, but there are also gender-specific challenges.

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What’s the Ideal Length for a Single— Are Songs Getting Shorter?

February 8, 2023

“Is it just me, or are songs getting shorter these days?” This is a question I have often pondered, especially in the last few years. It appears that in the era of social media, attention spans are

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SG Lewis: Who Is He - and What’s Next For This Rising Star?

February 6, 2023

SG Lewis (Samuel George Lewis) is a rising star in the dance/electronic music realm. He is a DJ/producer turned singer-songwriter, and is known for his disco-inspired, transcendent sound. He routinely

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Lessons to Learn From the Launch Of Sam Smith’s “Unholy”

February 4, 2023

Sam Smith just released their new album “Gloria” on the 27th of January. As described by Pitchfork, “Gloria flips between hyperpop, country, dancehall, disco, 2-step, and intimate, Kehlani-esque R&B”.

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Are Virtual Idols the Future of Music?

February 5, 2023

Virtual reality and the metaverse have become popular topics in the music industry where more and more technology and music have been combined, creating something that could revolutionize the entire

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Grammy Awards Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical: The Category Songwriters Deserve

February 5, 2023

The 65th annual GRAMMY Awards are here, and there's a long-awaited addition to the awards. This year marks the introduction of a new category: the Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical Award. For all

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How Zach Bryan’s Authenticity Makes His Music So Appealing, Even to Non-Country Fans

January 31, 2023

Zach Bryan released his first album in 2019, and in the short time since he has become one of the biggest names in country. His biggest album, “American Heartbreak”, broke single-day album streaming

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Miley Cyrus is Going to Take Over Pop in 2023

January 31, 2023

Miley Cyrus was born into the music industry, and has spent her career channelling her Nashville and Hollywood roots into a diverse discography stacked with hits. Add to that countless covers that are

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Why This Pop-Rock Band Got Hate For Starting On YouTube

January 31, 2023

Before the invention of TikTok, many music artists gained popularity through YouTube. However, similar to the TikTok stars of today, people in the music industry saw ‘YouTube bands’ as lesser because

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Will Google End Work for Music Creators with their New Music AI?

February 1, 2023

Google has done it. They have created an AI that can generate music from text descriptions. The announcement of this is timely because recently Chat GPT, (a language learning model created by OpenAI

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The Role of Vory in Drake's "Mob Ties" Controversy

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The hip-hop community is abuzz with renewed allegations that Drake uses ghostwriters, spurred by the recent leak of a reference track for his song "Mob Ties." This time, the spotlight has turned to Vory, a rising artist and songwriter, whose involvement in the creation of "Mob Ties" has ignited debates about authorship and authenticity in hip-hop.

The leak of the "Mob Ties" reference track has raised questions about the extent of Vory's contributions to the song. In the world of hip-hop, the use of reference tracks is not uncommon; they serve as a blueprint for the final recording, often including contributions from other writers to help shape the song’s final form. The revelation that Vory may have provided significant input to "Mob Ties" challenges the traditional understanding of sole authorship in rap music and complicates Drake’s artistic persona.

For Drake, allegations of using ghostwriters are not new, but the involvement of Vory in this specific instance highlights the collaborative nature of music production. While some fans express disappointment or feel misled, others accept collaboration as a part of the creative process in modern music production. For Vory, the controversy might serve as a double-edged sword—raising his profile as a talented writer while also thrusting him into a contentious debate about credibility in hip-hop.

This incident has sparked a broader conversation within the industry about the transparency of creative contributions. Critics and fans are discussing the necessity of clearer credits in music production to appropriately acknowledge the roles of various contributors. This could lead to more explicit acknowledgment of the collaborative efforts that go into crafting hits in the music industry.

Emerging artists can learn from this controversy the importance of clear communication and transparency in songwriting and production credits. Understanding the industry’s expectations and the value of openly acknowledging contributions can help navigate potential pitfalls related to copyright and creative recognition.

The ongoing discussions surrounding Drake, Vory, and the use of ghostwriters in hip-hop are likely to influence how upcoming artists and producers approach collaboration. It underscores the importance of maintaining integrity while fostering creativity through partnerships and could lead to shifts in how contributions are credited in the music business.

The controversy over the ghostwriting allegations in Drake's "Mob Ties" featuring Vory’s contributions serves as a reminder of the complexities of music production in the hip-hop industry. It highlights the evolving nature of artistic creation and the importance of acknowledging collaborative efforts in the creation of music. As the industry continues to grapple with these issues, the outcome will likely have lasting effects on how artists, producers, and labels handle transparency and credit sharing in the future.