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The Road to Success: What qualities can we learn from Kpop Idols?

January 28, 2023

What does it take to be a professional singer in South Korea? On stage, these Kpop idols capture our attention with catchy songs and amazing choreographies, but what about off-stage? Behind the ...

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Songwriter's Block: Inspiration Tuning in From Around the World

January 26, 2023

Writer’s block is real, and it’s not just authors, but also songwriters and composers. Thinking of top hit songs can be difficult, so how do the pros do it? Where do they get their inspiration from?

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Arcane: How A Video Game Adaptation Ended Up With A Banger Soundtrack

January 26, 2023

What does a TV show based on a video game and the music industry have in common? Near the end of 2021, Arcane took the world by storm after debuting on Netflix. Not only did it dazzle us with its...

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How Black Pink Should Negotiate Their New Contract with YG Entertainment

January 23, 2023

As the contract between Blackpink and YG Entertainment nears its end, fans of the popular South Korean girl group are wondering if the group will renew their contract with the agency...

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Writer's Block is Real, Even for J.Cole: Here are 8 Tips to Overcome

January 19, 2023

Rapper J. Cole has recently announced that he had been struggling with writer's block, but found a way to break free from it by using a type beat from Youtube music producer BVTMAN's YouTube...

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Hania Rani: A Virtuoso in the World of Classical and Electronic Music

January 19, 2023

Hania Rani is a Polish pianist and composer whose music has been described as "hauntingly beautiful" and "evocative." She is known for her unique blend of classical and electronic music, which she...

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Ryan Tedder’s Studio Review: Writing Three Songs From Scratch

January 16, 2023

Ryan Tedder is a highly accomplished and sought-after music producer and songwriter. He is known for his work with a wide range of artists including: Adele, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and OneRepublic...

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Quentin Miller only got paid $30,000 for writing 6 Drake songs.

January 6, 2022

Drake's ghostwriter controversy has been a topic of conversation since the rapper's feud with Meek Mill in 2015. Quentin Miller, a lesser-known rapper from Atlanta, was named as the ghostwriter....

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Timbaland’s Beatmaking Masterclass Review: A Class on Feeling the Flow

December 28, 2022

Many artists are using their personal brand and influence to educate artists, from beginners to fellow professionals. Timbaland has partnered with Masterclass to teach musicians how to make unique...

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Rina Sawyama -- The Voice of a Genre-Spanning Pop Star

December 7, 2022

Rina Sawayama has burst into the consciousness of queer music listeners in recent years. My first time listening to her work was Cherry, a track that is bubbly ...

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YouTube Announces New “Creator Music” Platform

October 4, 2022

In the wake of Tiktok’s rapid expansion and growing dominance in the short-form video market, YouTube has felt the pressure to adapt to keep up with the shifting demands of its audience...

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Deep Dive: How Conan Gray Writes His Songs

October 5, 2022

Conan Gray is an American YouTuber turned singer-songwriter, most well-known for his songs about heartbreak and unrequited love. Throughout his career, Conan has written songs like “Crush Culture”...

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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.