When Kanye was talking about the stop signs design, he meant that he wanted to design something so universally useful and effective, like the stop sign, that no one remembers who designed it and it becomes apart of everyone’s day to day life
This reminds me of what a producer told me on reddit once. "Don't make music for other producers, make music for others, random people don't know the challenges of producing, they just care about liking the song." There was a lot of wisdom in that reddit post..
just make the music YOU wanna listen to. if you're music taste is any good, chances are the music you make for yourself will resonate with other people too
A little tip for producers who crate dig: If there are weird sounds or talking in your loop, don’t cut them out. They will make the beats more interesting
Thats why im not over hyped about stem removal tools,when you can carve a sample out of what it is and make it work its going to sound more unique than just having the luxury to remove the voice or remove everything and have the clean drum loop.But what do i know?lol
This reminded me of the fact when they were making Yeezus, every time there was an instrument you could barely hear in the mix they'd just flat out remove it
‘If you can’t turn it up, take it out’ is something Mike Dean said referring to Ye’s transition to a more minimal approach. Great quote and an insight into the mindset.
A great production trick is to add or take away something every 4 bars. It keeps the listener engaged and makes it feel like the song is constantly evolving. Works great on simple production.
Overtime, my beats have gotten simpler. I studied Metro Boomin, Dilla, Madlib and The Alchemist. The truth is you can have great beats without "overcooking" them. My area of experimentation these days is the mixing and sound design on the sounds while making sure it still feels accessible.
I been doing this a long time. And this is one of the best videos for a beginner artist to watch. SIMPLICITY is king. Simplicity sells. Simplicity resonates with the brain.
I love that you always show examples, my beats have vastly improved from your videos....Can I request a video on how to make Devin the Dude type beats, all his music immediately puts me in a good mood.
Another example is good automation. Adding nothing but learning when to cut out certain sounds letting the beat do different things. It makes it come alive.
This is something I've had to learn over the past few years of just making something until it sounds good and just stopping. Often get too involved in making it sound "big" by adding more, but the mix can fix it just that easily.
I just want to thank you for keeping me going on this music production path. These past few months I've been in a state where i would sit down to make a beat where i would just open up FL and start doing some random stuff and in the end i would feel frustrated because "this isn't what i was going for i don't like this..." when i didn't know what I was going for in the 1st place. My beats felt random and all over the place. I now realize that before i go and make a beat i need to know where i'm going with it what kind of feeling or emotion i want to make with this beat.
This video speaks to something i've really been struggling with in my own productions lately. I was calling it "overcooking the beat". Your video did a great job of breaking it down into 3 ways i can combat this 1.Go into making a beat knowing what kind of sound you want & choose interesting sounds to accomplish this 2. Simplify where possible & don't always try to improve a song by "adding more" sometimes a sound needs more layers or a section needs a little something, but a lot of time I end up liking my simpler ideas a lot more & letting what i've made speak for itself. 3. Be confident in the sound you sculpt & make intentional choices to build with the loops, patterns & arrangements you have, vs. just adding a new shiny thing. Really excited to apply this knowledge as I make beats this week. Thanks for a great video!
I agree for the most part but Travis Scott's Basement Freestyle from Days Before Rodeo is one of the best beats I ever heard and it's super complex. 3 years down the line and I would catch new things in the beat I didn't notice before
yea his video is a bit oriented tbh, it's just music, good music design will always be subjective because as artists who aim to make people feel something we don't focus a clear and definite purpose like the stop sign does. Some very simple piano tracks may tell different stories to different people, it's also the beauty of it. In the end, just make something you like and don't lose yourself in the process
Great video but regarding the third tip, Kanye's Bound 2 which is arguably one of his best beats takes the completely opposite approach and is effective because of that, rather than in spite of it.
Yeah, as you said, it is purposeful and done for a reason. Most often when producers do something like that, it's because they are not confident in their beat's main idea and use switchups as a way to keep your attention. It seems as though the Bound 2 example feels a bit different in that he seems to want to create a juxtaposition and build "meaning" in the beat through his switch up. Good comment though! What are your thoughts?
it’s shit like this which makes people think Kanye fans are just blind meatriders and glazers. how can you misunderstand the meanings of someone’s words so much and still make an almost 7 minute argument supporting a misunderstanding and still make it positive towards Ye. crazy.
One of the best tips videos I've seen! It's not the same recycling everyone says every year. It's a unique takeaway that is very helpful to me because I tend to overdo my beats, too many instruments, too much chaos.
i liked this point of view, for real. one thing I would emphasyze is that not always the aproach of music is like to 'communicate' in order to "summaryze" an idea. there are lots of music that doesn't come up in that way. for LOOPS in pop music, that's a really good approach in my opinion, because that's kinda what looping is about. again, i think is a great advice, it really inspired me! but it is also important to remind that music isn't always built like an Ad for example. i mean it's useful to think this way, i would just say that it is something like a creative industry point of view important to consider with some context but not to the whole point of music making.
Great vid! The last point is always so hard for me, and change ups in a composition are hard for me in general, but I think you're right that they should try to preserve the original emotion and vibe.
He didn’t say the stop sign was the pinnacle of design He was asked what he wanted his legacy to be and he replied, “to be forgotten” because nobody remembers who created ubiquitous things such as the stop sign
Not a music guy but watch this video till the end. as fellow creator your writing skill amazing, using one statement from ye and you came up with this, wow
This reminds me of a short about the song Yonkers. Tyler the creator made the beat in like 8 minutes I think and then just went with the feeling it gave when freestyling. Insane to me
Without even watching this video I already have an idea as to what Kanye would mean when he says that he thinks about a stop signs design. I would assume it's because despite being simple, the stop sign gets it's job done by easily getting it's point across. And despite being a simple design, it's also complex enough to where it easily stands out from any of the other thousand signs that we use on our road ways. And the stop sign is also pretty simple and straight forward. Like a stop sign, you can't go wrong with music that follows this same logic. Make your music complex and unique enough to stand out from the rest, but at the same time.. KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID and make your music stand out among all the other music we have out there in this world. STAND OUT, BE UNIQUE, BUT KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID! Now I'll play the video and see if I'm even close to accurate.
You could simply add that on the comments as an interesting point yourself rather than expect someone else to mention it. The point of the video is to extract practical lessons for someone trying to produce music, the point you're making is neutral to that fact, it doesn't add or remove anything so Navie mentioning it or not has no actual effect to the video's purpose.
one of my favorite examples of this is the beat for mixed personalities by ynw melly, when u analize it its a simple beat with not much going on but the melody makes it feel like a complete track whatsoever
Maybe think about making another video on how Kanye uses the stop sign theory for marketing because its bigger than the music. Everything that he does is about positioning and marketing.
It depends on the genre; but I feel like many layers is dope for a beat; even automation lanes and evolved sounds. There is a cross over with edm/hiphop & rap beats these days. Look how complex Sicko Mode is.
@@yeahyeahyea7593 Yes, It's about knowing when to do and when to not do something. Also deciding if the project is an instrumental track or if someone is going to lay vocals on it later. Because you really don't want too much going on and then also have vocals on it. It can become to much for the ear to handle.
You’re the greatest teacher of all time I think. I just wanted to let you know that. I didn’t understand compressors until I found your video about them. Since then i’ve learned so much about producing in modern times from you. You have a way of simplifying things and getting to the point. Thanks 🙏🏼
The stop sign idea makes sense for why he sampled "21st Century Schizoid Man" in his song. That song back in its time was a stop sign, basically invented a new genre of music.
It depends what you are making, simple can be amazing and more often than not works. On the other hand there is so much amazing and complex music that would not have happened with this mentality. I often overcomplicate, but sometimes it produces great, interesting and unique music. Progressive music is great, what your stating is literally why music has become so formulaic. Your talking about a genre of music where the complexity comes from the lyrics. You wouldnt tell a rapper to repead the same 4 bars over and over changing one word at a time.
I mean thats an interesting take and youre correct its one reason the Stop sign works. But that is not at all the main point of what he meant when he said that..
i sampled the first chords u showed and made a sick beat, i think simplicity can be the very thing that helps something stand out, look at passionfruit
I'm a rapper singer sax player and producer! I have always had my own style but I can't lie some of your videos have helped me come up with some new good ideas! I wish I was better at recording myself that's probably my biggest weakness. I'm good making the beats but not so good with mixing my vocals onto it! Any advice for that by chance?
When Kanye was talking about the stop signs design, he meant that he wanted to design something so universally useful and effective, like the stop sign, that no one remembers who designed it and it becomes apart of everyone’s day to day life
THISSSSSS
That’s how I took it too
True, absolutely. The NEED is the missing factor, but the key parts here of why the STOP sign is a good design are valid
@@millachipmunk Kanye would say that everyone NEEDS clothes and therefore he’s fitting a need, but I def did not NEED socks w soles
that was probably how he meant it but it can definitely be interpreted in a lot of ways, this video is amazing
This reminds me of what a producer told me on reddit once.
"Don't make music for other producers, make music for others, random people don't know the challenges of producing, they just care about liking the song." There was a lot of wisdom in that reddit post..
Great ideas.
808s too low in this post your "challenges" word was too high in 7k khz hurts my ears remove all and try again :))))
well said I agree
just make the music YOU wanna listen to. if you're music taste is any good, chances are the music you make for yourself will resonate with other people too
@@arsipantsu This.
A little tip for producers who crate dig: If there are weird sounds or talking in your loop, don’t cut them out. They will make the beats more interesting
also knowing when to stop adding things is a great skill that has to be learned, always think of how it will sound to a listener not a producer
Unless u make music for other producers to enjoy over the average listener
Yeah, Alchemist actually adds talking to his beats and it does make them stand out.
🎯🎯
Thats why im not over hyped about stem removal tools,when you can carve a sample out of what it is and make it work its going to sound more unique than just having the luxury to remove the voice or remove everything and have the clean drum loop.But what do i know?lol
This reminded me of the fact when they were making Yeezus, every time there was an instrument you could barely hear in the mix they'd just flat out remove it
I remember reading/hearing that. I think Rick Rubin said that, right?
@@NavieD Yep!
‘If you can’t turn it up, take it out’ is something Mike Dean said referring to Ye’s transition to a more minimal approach.
Great quote and an insight into the mindset.
@@teigeoglad someone mentioned Mike he's quintessential to Ye's team
But if it’s got something to it I.e you resonate with it. maybe have it come in at another section of the song to bring dynamic where it shines.
A great production trick is to add or take away something every 4 bars. It keeps the listener engaged and makes it feel like the song is constantly evolving. Works great on simple production.
Fr i got that from pharrell williams. That 4 bar switch up always works.
I didn't know this was a trick I've just always done this without thinking but that makes a lotta sense.
Overtime, my beats have gotten simpler. I studied Metro Boomin, Dilla, Madlib and The Alchemist. The truth is you can have great beats without "overcooking" them. My area of experimentation these days is the mixing and sound design on the sounds while making sure it still feels accessible.
Overcooking is dope though if all components stand on their own
I can't believe you didn't use the paparazzi video of Kanye smashing his head into a STOP sign on the street in LA while walking with Kim lmao
damn its nfkrz
Can you make MLG kanye next
hi nfkrz
That's exactly why I clicked on this video. 😭 Sad to see it wasn't used.
Lmao yeah I thought this video was gonna be a theory how he lost his mind after he hit the stop sign 🛑 💥
I been doing this a long time. And this is one of the best videos for a beginner artist to watch. SIMPLICITY is king. Simplicity sells. Simplicity resonates with the brain.
I love that you always show examples, my beats have vastly improved from your videos....Can I request a video on how to make Devin the Dude type beats, all his music immediately puts me in a good mood.
Glad I can help! Oooh Devin the Dude is a name I haven't seen in a while!
Somebody had the nerve to take the herb up out my Doobie ashtray how could you do me that way..
u help me 2 son i allready sold like fifteen beats because of your plugin sellectioon@@NavieD
@@Thievishaurathat is in fact a preemo beat🔥
No lie that beat was fire dude, nice work! Sounds like classic underground hiphop.
Another example is good automation. Adding nothing but learning when to cut out certain sounds letting the beat do different things. It makes it come alive.
So true, I've really started to find that as I play more with high & low pass filters
This is something I've had to learn over the past few years of just making something until it sounds good and just stopping. Often get too involved in making it sound "big" by adding more, but the mix can fix it just that easily.
Agreed, it's so easy to fall into that trap!
I just want to thank you for keeping me going on this music production path. These past few months I've been in a state where i would sit down to make a beat where i would just open up FL and start doing some random stuff and in the end i would feel frustrated because "this isn't what i was going for i don't like this..." when i didn't know what I was going for in the 1st place. My beats felt random and all over the place. I now realize that before i go and make a beat i need to know where i'm going with it what kind of feeling or emotion i want to make with this beat.
I am glad I can help you, young man
You'll never be a music producer
broski a real hater@@Taylor-j8x
@@Taylor-j8x if he’s making beats, he’s a producer
@@Taylor-j8x lol your dad doesnt love you.
THERE ARE NO RULES. THERE IS NO RIGHT OR WRONG WAY TO MAKE YOUR ART. CREATE WHATEVER YOU FEEL. BE FREE WITHIN YOUR CREATIVITY.
Listening to Kanye is like finding diamonds & stones. The stones are massive but they’re diamonds that are worthy.
Loved the stop sign from Portugal, big up and thanks for one more amazing video
portugal caralho
@@joao3547 boooora boooora
This video speaks to something i've really been struggling with in my own productions lately.
I was calling it "overcooking the beat".
Your video did a great job of breaking it down into 3 ways i can combat this
1.Go into making a beat knowing what kind of sound you want & choose interesting sounds to accomplish this
2. Simplify where possible & don't always try to improve a song by "adding more" sometimes a sound needs more layers or a section needs a little something, but a lot of time I end up liking my simpler ideas a lot more & letting what i've made speak for itself.
3. Be confident in the sound you sculpt & make intentional choices to build with the loops, patterns & arrangements you have, vs. just adding a new shiny thing.
Really excited to apply this knowledge as I make beats this week. Thanks for a great video!
that's a great name and i'm gonna steal it lmao
@@archonicmakes haha sharing is caring, I'm happy to help put a name to it.
2024 is the year of no overcooked beats!
I agree for the most part but Travis Scott's Basement Freestyle from Days Before Rodeo is one of the best beats I ever heard and it's super complex. 3 years down the line and I would catch new things in the beat I didn't notice before
Fire track
yea his video is a bit oriented tbh, it's just music, good music design will always be subjective because as artists who aim to make people feel something we don't focus a clear and definite purpose like the stop sign does. Some very simple piano tracks may tell different stories to different people, it's also the beauty of it. In the end, just make something you like and don't lose yourself in the process
@@jeanpaulrouve6101 I agree
Fruitful dissection of this response by kanye. Reminds me how something small can be an inspiration for your next track or in this case a video.
This is legitimately and unironically the best beat I’ve heard from you. Respectfully of course. Thanks for the tips… I struggle with that myself.
Great video but regarding the third tip, Kanye's Bound 2 which is arguably one of his best beats takes the completely opposite approach and is effective because of that, rather than in spite of it.
formats are tools to be altered.
Yeah, as you said, it is purposeful and done for a reason. Most often when producers do something like that, it's because they are not confident in their beat's main idea and use switchups as a way to keep your attention. It seems as though the Bound 2 example feels a bit different in that he seems to want to create a juxtaposition and build "meaning" in the beat through his switch up.
Good comment though! What are your thoughts?
Did you just day bound 2 is one of Ye's best beats. 😅
@@krs-fltutorials4487The Loop is catchy but Large Professor flipped the same sample better.
@@krs-fltutorials4487 "uhmmm... did you just have a different opinion?? 😅😅"
This was so insightful and well-explained! Great job!
Even his T shirt is Red in this video Hats off
I planned this moment years in advance
it’s shit like this which makes people think Kanye fans are just blind meatriders and glazers.
how can you misunderstand the meanings of someone’s words so much and still make an almost 7 minute argument supporting a misunderstanding and still make it positive towards Ye. crazy.
One of the best tips videos I've seen!
It's not the same recycling everyone says every year. It's a unique takeaway that is very helpful to me because I tend to overdo my beats, too many instruments, too much chaos.
He’s back! Missed u navie
Youre the only music tutorial guy i watch in my whole free time 😂
Love this stuff
Amazingly well structured video!
i liked this point of view, for real. one thing I would emphasyze is that not always the aproach of music is like to 'communicate' in order to "summaryze" an idea. there are lots of music that doesn't come up in that way. for LOOPS in pop music, that's a really good approach in my opinion, because that's kinda what looping is about.
again, i think is a great advice, it really inspired me! but it is also important to remind that music isn't always built like an Ad for example. i mean it's useful to think this way, i would just say that it is something like a creative industry point of view important to consider with some context but not to the whole point of music making.
Great vid! The last point is always so hard for me, and change ups in a composition are hard for me in general, but I think you're right that they should try to preserve the original emotion and vibe.
He didn’t say the stop sign was the pinnacle of design
He was asked what he wanted his legacy to be and he replied, “to be forgotten” because nobody remembers who created ubiquitous things such as the stop sign
Not a music guy but watch this video till the end. as fellow creator your writing skill amazing, using one statement from ye and you came up with this, wow
Love so much the fact of using Portuguese road signs for this video!
This reminds me of a short about the song Yonkers. Tyler the creator made the beat in like 8 minutes I think and then just went with the feeling it gave when freestyling. Insane to me
I wanna know more of these little tricks that aren’t as much technical but more so philosophical
What is overthinking, anxiety. You don't need anxiety to create.
That beat nasty
Amazing beat!
The 2 main points of this video: 1. Stop overthinking 2. Stop being pretentious.
cook with no expectations
BRO this beat is nuts wow
These early morning drops make me want to cook up every time.
Hahah hopefully that doesn't get you in trouble with your job
but, but... being concise and not asking too much sounds almost the same to me! great video and analysis by the way
3:50 Let me rap over that beat!!! 😤 Srrssly 🔥
Without even watching this video I already have an idea as to what Kanye would mean when he says that he thinks about a stop signs design.
I would assume it's because despite being simple, the stop sign gets it's job done by easily getting it's point across. And despite being a simple
design, it's also complex enough to where it easily stands out from any of the other thousand signs that we use on our road ways. And the stop
sign is also pretty simple and straight forward. Like a stop sign, you can't go wrong with music that follows this same logic. Make your music
complex and unique enough to stand out from the rest, but at the same time.. KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID and make your music stand out among
all the other music we have out there in this world. STAND OUT, BE UNIQUE, BUT KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID!
Now I'll play the video and see if I'm even close to accurate.
2/3. Good job!
The beat at 4min is FIRE!
Yeah man I love your stop sign so detailed
Great video and idea. I will think of this more from now on.
that helped me not to get a creative block and to think differently thanks !!! :3
I was expecting the Kanye / STOP-sign metaphor to be a reach (and it kind of is lol) but it led you to easily explaining a lot of good ideas!
that hell of a life bass🔥🔥🔥
aint that just part of the sample?
I thought you would talk about what he actually said, that become so common in society that they forget you but use your ideas centuries later
I wanted to dig a level deeper and think about why they have lasted for so long
@@NavieD It's a super cool idea, just surprised me when you didn't talk about it at all.
You could simply add that on the comments as an interesting point yourself rather than expect someone else to mention it. The point of the video is to extract practical lessons for someone trying to produce music, the point you're making is neutral to that fact, it doesn't add or remove anything so Navie mentioning it or not has no actual effect to the video's purpose.
one of my favorite examples of this is the beat for mixed personalities by ynw melly, when u analize it its a simple beat with not much going on but the melody makes it feel like a complete track whatsoever
Who knew something as simple as a stop sign could be some of the most insightful advice for any artist
I’m new to beat making and production, this was so helpful thank u
Maybe think about making another video on how Kanye uses the stop sign theory for marketing because its bigger than the music. Everything that he does is about positioning and marketing.
The example beat is crazy!
The question is...can we rap on it?
Didn't know what to expect. Great video. I'd body that beat too.
It depends on the genre; but I feel like many layers is dope for a beat; even automation lanes and evolved sounds. There is a cross over with edm/hiphop & rap beats these days. Look how complex Sicko Mode is.
for real. I think it’s more about knowing when to be complex and when not
@@yeahyeahyea7593 Yes, It's about knowing when to do and when to not do something. Also deciding if the project is an instrumental track or if someone is going to lay vocals on it later. Because you really don't want too much going on and then also have vocals on it. It can become to much for the ear to handle.
Sicko mode isn't that complex though? There's litterally a default instrument in logic that sounds just like the chords in it.
You’re the greatest teacher of all time I think. I just wanted to let you know that. I didn’t understand compressors until I found your video about them. Since then i’ve learned so much about producing in modern times from you. You have a way of simplifying things and getting to the point. Thanks 🙏🏼
The stop sign idea makes sense for why he sampled "21st Century Schizoid Man" in his song. That song back in its time was a stop sign, basically invented a new genre of music.
It depends what you are making, simple can be amazing and more often than not works. On the other hand there is so much amazing and complex music that would not have happened with this mentality. I often overcomplicate, but sometimes it produces great, interesting and unique music. Progressive music is great, what your stating is literally why music has become so formulaic. Your talking about a genre of music where the complexity comes from the lyrics. You wouldnt tell a rapper to repead the same 4 bars over and over changing one word at a time.
That beat is fire
great ideas and great examples, love the video, will try it myself
Sick video, great points and great explanation. Appreciate it!
The Stop sign is nearly perfect. I would add another sign under it that said ”HAMMERTIME”. Then it would be perfect- nothing left to take away.
Perspective changer 🎉
Another great video by Benzema
Navie D got bars fr💯
Your videos are beautiful man, really good job
Huge food for thought, sick!
u always got interesting videos bro
navie the man
First Navie D of the year? Smash that mf like button
I think the last point kind of depends, sometimes drastically different elements add up rather than dilute, again depending on the musical context
1:55 808s can be designed like a stop sign though, look at the spinz
The stop sign theory can also apply to knowing when to STOP essential 👌🏾
screw the stop sign, who made the netflix thunk sound or the hulu swoosh sound. or the marima iphone sound
great video and analyse of great design.
I wish creativity or originality was as marketable as you make it out to be
I call this sonic minimalism but having another term for it is always good
Here's my stop sign theory for producing: Stop producing.
mind-blowing
:)
I love the fart base❤❤❤
huh
Dang this video fresh
I mean thats an interesting take and youre correct its one reason the Stop sign works.
But that is not at all the main point of what he meant when he said that..
Been doing this I'm on the right track just gotta be more consistent
Navie, will you ever make a vid on Nujabes?
i sampled the first chords u showed and made a sick beat, i think simplicity can be the very thing that helps something stand out, look at passionfruit
Such a creative teacher. If you were in a high school students would probably love your class
Thanks!
the stop sign is even a global thing which is used in almost every country this tuff
this is genius
Great video man, super interesting for us
Let’s go, early on a naive d vid!
The best relation to this theory in music is the 4 on the floor rhythm imo lol
kanye really is a genius
Listening to Kanye is like finding diamonds & stones. The stones are massive but they’re diamonds that are worthy.
woow this beat is fire
Agree with most things said, but however this is does not apply in alot of cases outside off hip hop/rap
I'm a rapper singer sax player and producer! I have always had my own style but I can't lie some of your videos have helped me come up with some new good ideas! I wish I was better at recording myself that's probably my biggest weakness. I'm good making the beats but not so good with mixing my vocals onto it! Any advice for that by chance?
bro where is this beat? i need it real quick lol