What Worked - What Didn't: Jazz-Influenced Hip Hop Beats

[macomposer]

Hi Everyone,

So I started to just post that I went 1 for 2 with this Jazz-Influenced Hip Hop Beats call, but I thought I might go a litter further with it. Since it was 1 for 2, I'm going to post both the forwarded tune (yay!) and the returned tune (booo).

No sour grapes on the return - I actually figured it would be returned, but sometimes you don't know... The long and short of it is that I wrote the forwarded one first, then had the idea for the second one at the last minute, did it up, and sent them both. I was well aware after I finished it that the second one (Club Hazy Smoke) didn't fit any of the main moods of the references, which was the main critique.

So here we go for educational purposes...

The Forward:
The Cool Cafe

The Return:
Club Hazy Smoke

The Call (with my actual notes):
Jazz Hip Hop Mentals
(Old school Blue Note meets Hip Hop plus current production techniques)

JAZZ-INFLUENCED INSTRUMENTALS with HIP-HOP BEATS are needed by the CEO of a well-established Music Licensing Company known for securing top-tier sync placements for TAXI members around the world!
This Company is hunting to find Mid-Tempo Instrumentals in the general stylistic ballpark of the following examples:

Before Chill - Yomoti (2018)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ou88dZb ... el=JazzHub
85; Bbm; (i, iv)
Words: Happy/Positive: Cool, Elegant, Groovy; Neutral: Laid Back, Live, Mellow, Old Fashioned, Organic, Relaxed, Retro, Sensual, Sexy, Smokey, Smooth, Sophisticated, Warm; Sad/Bad/Negative: Black, Blue
Instruments: Piano, E-Piano, E. Bass, Drums, Vibes (?)

Warm - Joey Pecoraro (2015)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A32Bx0d ... raro-Topic
90; a detuned Bm?...
Words: Happy/Positive: Cool, Groovy, Playful; Neutral: Clever, Esoteric, Floating, Leftfield, Lively, Mellow, Moody, Oragnic, Progress, Quirky, Relaxed, Retro, Smokey, Stimulating, Warm; Sad/Bad/Negative: Black, Blue
Instruments: Piano, Acoustic Bass, Drums

Orange - Siny (2018)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auQOZGc ... ilkoStudio
86; Cm (VI, VII, i)
Words: Happy/Positive: Blissful, Bright, Confident, Cool, Groovy; Neutral: Dreamy, Expansive, Mellow, Organic, Relaxed, Retro, Sexy, Smokey, Smooth, Soulful, Street Smart, Strong, Sultry, Warm; Sad/Bad/Negative: Black, Blue
Instruments: Synths, Trumpet, Bass, Drums

Please submit original Instrumentals that feature tasteful jazzy harmonies, smooth beats, and a warm, engaging vibe. Your submissions should be rich in feel and musicality, with live-sounding instruments that fall within the general stylistic ballpark of the references (upright or electric bass, beat style drum playing, piano, vibraphone, jazzy guitar, horns, etc.). While you can include light electronic production or subtle effects, the heart of these Instrumentals should feel organic, human, and groovy. Strong arrangements with a natural flow, dynamic shifts, and clear motifs that evolve throughout the piece could be a great fit for this opportunity. Please make sure that any virtual instruments or samples you use are high-quality, sound authentic, and are not dated-sounding. Original Compositions only, please!

Your submissions should be about 2 to 4 minutes long, give or take. Non-faded, buttoned endings will work best. Don't copy the referenced material in any way, shape, or form. Use it only as a general guide for tempo, tone, and overall vibe. Don't submit any material with unauthorized samples of any other artists’ music, vocals, sounds, or any other form of media. Broadcast Quality is needed.

AI ALERT: This company can't accept or sign music that has been composed using generative AI, nor will they accept backing tracks or full instrumental tracks created with AI.

This Company offers an EXCLUSIVE deal, so the material you submit for this request CANNOT be signed with other publishers or catalogs. Sync fees will be split 50/50. The Publisher will get 100% of the Publisher’s share, and you’ll keep 100% of the Writer’s share. You must own or control your Master and Copyright to submit for this opportunity, and you need to be affiliated with a Performing Rights Organization for this company to include your music in their catalog. Please submit as many Instrumentals as you’d like, online or per CD. Submissions must be received no later than 11:59 PM (PDT) on Sunday, June 29th, 2025. TAXI # S250629VJ

[eandersonmusic]

Hey Mark!
So first of all congrats on the forward
My thoughts on your two tracks-
I listened to both when you uploaded them and liked The Cool Cafe and felt it should be forwarded. Club Hazy Smoke didn't quite have the right vibe in my opinion. It feels more like a Cool Jazz type of tune rather than Jazzy Hiphop. I think it's mostly with the drums. The sounds are good, but the actual beat doesn't have that hiphop feel to it. The side stick/ride beat is definitely a jazz groove, I do like the hiphop production you applied to the beat, like the cutting and chopping of it, but the groove isn't a traditional hiphop beat. And I'm sure that was intentional, to bring more of the jazz side out of the track, but they wanted hiphop beats. And the main beat, which definitely has more of a hiphop groove to it, just doesn't have the right feel. But again I fully enjoyed the production and DJ like tricks you applied, I just feel it's a bit dated in the actual groove of the beat (kick and snare patterns), also the mix of those drums isn't quite right. They need to hit harder, it's a bit light, which makes it feel like a Cool Jazz tune.
I love the sax and the flute in the tracks, personally I feel the additional sounds on Cool Cafe are more appropriate than Club Hazy Smoke. Also love the production tricks on the drums (and sax) in Cool Cafe, that helps it feel more modern and gives it a certain rawness that gets the head nodding.
All in all, two really good tracks, one is just a bit better and/or more appropriate for the listing. Keep Club Hazy Smoke as is and submit it to a Modern Cool Jazz listing or change up the drums and use it for a similar listing as this one.
Just my thoughts, take it or leave it
Very nice work and again I'm glad you got one through!

[macomposer]

Thanks for your thoughts Erik. And I think you’re absolutely right. I’m learning that when you have one that comes up like Club Hazy Smoke (it just all came together in like an hour) to just roll with it. It’s a finished piece of music (which for me is important - I have a bunch that are not!) and it’s much easier to revise than conceptualize. So I’ll be return to it to see what tweaks I may need to make to it. But it did feel good to have one just roll out like that. And overall I do like it.

Thanks again,
Mark

[eandersonmusic]

I hear ya about when a track just comes together with ease! When I notice that happening I try and make another one quick. Or at least try the next day. Some of my own personal favorite tracks were made in a 2 or 3 day period.. sometimes everything's right, and it's best to just roll with it!
And yeah I submitted 3 tracks all of which were revised tracks, based on feedback and an update of plugins (drum sounds and effects) so I get you there. Nothing wrong with that, if you take the time to compose a track why not take the time to make it right, ya know? Like don't give up on it, sometimes it just takes a little time to pass and then you see how to "fix" it and make it better.
Again man, great tracks

[WSAO]

Mark,
I think both songs are great.
The only thing that stands out to me is the shaker in "Club Hazy" — I feel it's a bit too loud compared to the rest of the mix.
Like Erik said, the production is outstanding — the chops, effects, and transitions, solos are all top-notch.
Great job!

[RealPickle]

Hey Mark,

Thanks for posting both of these, it's always helpful to learn from both successes and "failures". I put that in quotes because I actually like Club Hazy Smoke better of the two. I agree that The Cool Cafe deserved a forward and it's a cool tune, but the sax playing and harmonies of Smoke make that a more compelling track for me (but the piano/sax interplay in Cool Cafe is pretty dope and memorable too). Having said that, it definitely skews much more smooth jazz/R&B so I see why it was returned. My guess is if you wanted to make it work for this listing, a rework of the drums would be all you need.

Either way, as others have said, the production is excellent on both and my guess is Smoke will find a home one day. Good luck with them both!

Geoff