Gather 'round for the inspiring tale of how I, a 60-something wannabe rap artist with about as much musical talent as a slug crawling across a piano keyboard, created my latest "masterpiece," "Debt is the Slavery of the Free." Spoiler alert: AI did all the heavy lifting, and I'm just here for the ride.
The "Spark" (or How I Stumbled Upon Genius)
Picture this: There I was, chatting with the missus about our blissful debt-free life, feeling all smug and financially responsible. Suddenly, my creaky old brain dredged up some ancient saying about debt being slavery. After fumbling through my dusty Latin phrasebook (because of course I have one of those lying around), I finally remembered it was by some Roman guy named Publilius Syrus. A quick Google translate later (because my Latin's a bit rusty after, oh, 60 years), and I had my golden ticket: "Alienum aes homini ingenuo acerba est servitus" or "Debt is bitter slavery to a free man." Mind. Blown. Clearly, this was destined to be my ticket to hip-hop stardom. Move over, Jay-Z, there's a new financially savvy rapper in town!
"Writing" Process (aka Chatting with AI)
Armed with my groundbreaking idea to change "bitter slavery" to just "slavery" (genius, I know), I approached the daunting task of writing lyrics. And by "writing," I mean I typed a prompt into Perplexity AI faster than you can say "ghostwriter." I said, "Yo AI, make me sound like I know East Coast hip-hop," and voila! Instant street cred.
The AI spat out lyrics about student loans and the 9-to-5 grind faster than I could have googled "what is a rhyme?" It even threw in a hook and call-and-response bits. I nodded sagely, pretending I knew what any of that meant.
"Production" (or How I Became a Beat Master in 5 Minutes)
Now, for the beat. Did I spend hours crafting the perfect boom bap rhythm? Ha! I just told Suno AI to make it sound "gritty" and "East Coast." Boom, instant beat. I'm basically Dr. Dre now, right?
"Recording" (The Easiest Part)
Recording was intense... intensely easy, that is. While real artists might spend days perfecting their delivery, I just clicked a button. One take wonder, baby! The AI nailed that "fed up with the system" vibe I've been perfecting since... well, since about 10 minutes ago when I decided to make this track.
Final Touches (There Were None)
Post-production? More like post-nap. I didn't touch a thing. The AI did it all, from ad-libs to echoes to that fancy gradual intensity increase. My contribution? I stayed awake long enough to hit the "Create" button.
Reflection (on My New-Found "Talent")
Looking back, this track really pushed me as an "artist." And by pushed, I mean it gently nudged me to click a few buttons while I sipped my prune juice. It's definitely one of my most meaningful rap pieces, mainly because it's my only rap piece.
You can check out the song here: "Debt is the Slavery of the Free", I'd love to hear your thoughts, especially if you can convince me that I'm the next Eminem.
Peace out, and remember - in the age of AI, even your musically challenged grandpa can be a rap sensation. Now, where did I put my reading glasses?
AI Prompts
To write the song, I used these prompts:
Plerplexity came up with:Publilius Syrus said, Alienum aes homini ingenuo acerba est servitus. Write me a song from this maxim, using the version: "Debt is the slavery of the free." I will set this to east coast hip hop rap
I then asked Perplexity:Here's a rap song based on the maxim "Debt is the slavery of the free," tailored for an East Coast hip-hop style:
Verse 1:
Yo, listen up, I got a story to tell
About a trap that's got us locked in a cell
It ain't bars or chains, but it's just as real
Debt's the new shackles, that's the deal
Hook:
Debt is the slavery of the free
Chains made of credit, can't you see?
Interest piling up, we can't break free
Debt is the slavery of the free
Verse 2:
Started with a dream, now we're drowning in bills
Student loans, credit cards, man, it kills
Working nine to five, still can't make ends meet
Trapped in a cycle, can't get off this street
(Hook)
Verse 3:
They say money talks, but debt screams louder
Got us chasing paper, feeling smaller and smaller
Freedom's just a word when you're owned by the bank
Gotta break these chains, before our spirits tank
(Hook)
Outro:
Debt is the slavery of the free
But knowledge is power, time to break free
Educate yourself, make a plan, take control
'Cause true freedom starts when you free your soul
This East Coast hip-hop style rap incorporates several key elements characteristic of the genre:
1. Complex lyrics with multi-syllabic rhymes and wordplay[1][3].
2. A focus on storytelling and social commentary, addressing the serious issue of debt[1][3].
3. An aggressive and hard-hitting tone, emphasizing the struggle against financial bondage[4].
4. A structure featuring verses, a hook, and an outro, typical of hip-hop songs[3].
5. Use of vivid imagery and metaphors to convey the message[3].
The lyrics maintain the essence of the original maxim while expanding on its theme in a way that fits the East Coast hip-hop style. The song addresses the modern struggle with debt, comparing it to a form of slavery that affects free people, which aligns with the gritty, socially conscious themes often found in East Coast rap[1][4].
Citations:
[1] https://uhsswordandshield.com/27060/art ... coast-rap/
[2] https://www.reddit.com/r/hiphop101/comm ... rences_us/
[3] https://lyricassistant.com/how-to-write ... op-lyrics/
[4] https://blog.roughtrade.com/gb/rough-tr ... t-hip-hop/
[5] https://uvadoc.uva.es/bitstream/handle/ ... sequence=1
[6] https://www.reddit.com/r/hiphop101/comm ... ast_coast/
[7] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Coast_hip-hop
[8] https://www.kennedy-center.org/educatio ... and-voice/
[9] https://lyricassistant.com/how-to-write ... hop-songs/
[10] https://library.fiveable.me/history-of- ... HTIQSblONy
[11] https://whrw.fm/2020/08/03/east-and-west-coast-hip-hop/
[12] https://www.allmusic.com/style/east-coa ... 0000002563
[13] https://www.rollingstone.com/music/musi ... 234737704/
[14] https://indigomusic.com/feature/the-bir ... -evolution
[15] https://www.reddit.com/r/90sHipHop/comm ... coast_rap/
[16] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1fnw0bB45Y
[17] https://open.spotify.com/playlist/27zQd ... JWg4ejbumi
[18] https://www.aftersunsetmusic.com/resour ... t-hip-hop/
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Answer from Perplexity: pplx.ai/share
Perplexity replied:Let's annotate this for Suno, putting prompts in where required, and maybe a call and response
I gave the annotated lyrics to Sunu with the musical prompt:Certainly! I'll annotate the lyrics for Suno, adding prompts in brackets and incorporating a call and response element. Here's the revised version:
[East Coast hip-hop beat, heavy bass, boom bap style]
[Male rapper, aggressive tone]
Verse 1:
Yo, listen up, I got a story to tell
About a trap that's got us locked in a cell
It ain't bars or chains, but it's just as real
Debt's the new shackles, that's the deal
[Male rapper with backing vocals, emphasize the hook]
Hook:
Debt is the slavery of the free (Call: What's the slavery?)
Chains made of credit, can't you see? (Response: Can't you see?)
Interest piling up, we can't break free (Call: Can we break free?)
Debt is the slavery of the free (Response: Slavery of the free!)
[Male rapper, intense delivery]
Verse 2:
Started with a dream, now we're drowning in bills
Student loans, credit cards, man, it kills
Working nine to five, still can't make ends meet
Trapped in a cycle, can't get off this street
[Repeat hook with call and response]
[Male rapper, passionate and urgent]
Verse 3:
They say money talks, but debt screams louder
Got us chasing paper, feeling smaller and smaller
Freedom's just a word when you're owned by the bank
Gotta break these chains, before our spirits tank
[Repeat hook with call and response]
[Male rapper, determined tone]
Outro:
Debt is the slavery of the free (Call: What's the message?)
But knowledge is power, time to break free (Response: Break free!)
Educate yourself, make a plan, take control (Call: Take control!)
'Cause true freedom starts when you free your soul (Response: Free your soul!)
[Fade out with echoes of "Debt is the slavery of the free"]
[Additional notes for Suno]:
- Incorporate scratching sounds between verses for authentic East Coast hip-hop feel
- Use a sample of chains rattling or cash register sounds in the background
- Add ad-libs and echoes throughout to enhance the call and response elements
- Gradually increase intensity of the beat from start to finish
- End with a sudden stop after the last "free your soul" for dramatic effect
---
Answer from Perplexity: pplx.ai/share
Then I pressed the "Create" button, and the rest, as they say, is history.East Coast hip-hop beat, heavy bass, boom bap style