Rashid Kay Breaks Down The Difference In Songwriting And Ghostwriting

Rashid Kay Breaks Down The Difference In Songwriting And Ghostwriting. In music, artists either work on their craft alone in terms of the lyrics to their songs or they work with a collective of people to create lyrics that end up becoming widely loved by fans. However in Hip Hop music, there is a notion that rappers need to be the ones behind the pen when it comes to their music, but this is not always the case. Hip Hop artists are known to have big egos and do not easily admit that they had assistance with the raps. While the beat of a song may be what some fans latch on to but it’s the lyrics that remain unforgettable to listeners.

It is, however, worth noting that there is a difference between songwriting and ghostwriting. While the two do seem to be the same, especially considering both occupations write music. Radio DJ, producer and creative director Rashid Kay, who is known to be an expert on all things SA Hip Hop recently shared a breakdown of the differences between songwriting and ghostwriting. This is a subject, Rashid seems to be enjoying as this is not his first time, opening the lid on the subject that can get controversial. Rapper Kid X recently revealed his intention to get into a ghostwriting project. This announcement promoted Rashid to drop some knowledge on the subject.

Rashid explained that if a person is looking to get credited for their work, then songwriting is the way to go as in ghostwriting the author remains anonymous. “Songwriting, if you wanna be credited. Ghostwriting is when the author remains anonymous,” shared Rashid. Kid X is certainly looking to venture into ghostwriting as anonymity aligns with his brand. Anonymity is a huge element of ghostwriting and even at times Non- disclosure agreements are involved to ensure that identities remain concealed.

Musician Bozza ‘The Champ’ recalled to Kid X about having signed an NDA for the ghostwriting projects he did for Kwaito artists. Unfortunately, the artist could not name who he had written for because of the NDA. Bozza explained that artists were fussy about having a ghostwriter but also warned Kid X about the tricks that are also involved in the game. Bozza recalled how a person could be invited to a studio session and not know ideas were being recorded and only later find out when a song has been released that an idea of yours has been used.