6th EDITION
The
BeatTips
Manual
Amir Said
THE ART OF BEATMAKING,
THE HIP HOP/RAP MUSIC TRADITION,
AND THE COMMON COMPOSER
e BeatTips Manual: e Art of Beatmaking, the Hip Hop/Rap Music Tradition,
and the Common Composer
By Amir Said
Copyright © 2013 by Amir Said.
A Superchamp Books Sixth Paperback Edition
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by any electronic or mechanical means, including
information storage and retrieval systems, without the expressed written permission of the publisher,
except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review. Published by Superchamp Books, a
Division of Superchamp, Inc. P.O. Box 20274, Brooklyn, New York 11202-0274; (347) 263-7865.
www.beattips.com; Twitter: @BeatTipsManual; Facebook: BeatTips
BeatTips™ is a product and trademark of Superchamp, Inc.
BeatTip™ is a trademark of Superchamp, Inc.
Assistant Editor: Amir Ali Said
Photographs:
Front Cover photo by Amir Said Copyright © 2009, 2013 Amir Said
Interviewees photos by Amir Said Copyright © 2006-2009 Amir Said
Back Cover photo of author by Amir Ali Said © 2009, 2013 Amir Ali Said
Cover, Design, and Layout by Amir Said Copyright © 2013 Amir Said
Print History:
June 2013: First printing.
July 2013: Second printing.
December 2013: ird Printing.
February 2015: Fourth Printing.
e BeatTips Manual: Beatmaking, the Hip Hop/Rap Music Tradition,
and the Common Composer / by Amir Said – Sixth Edition
1. Beatmaking 2. Hip Hop/Rap—Production 3. Hip Hop—Histroy 4. Rap Music—Performance
Practice 5. Rap Music—History 6. Hip Hop—Producers 7. Music—Technology 8. Music—Popular
9. Music—Social Aspects 10. African Americans—Music—History and Criticism 11. Popular
Culture—United States 12. Music History I. Title
Library of Congress Control Number: 2013943132
ISBN 978-0-9893986-0-2
For my son, Amir Ali Said.
Amir, nobody can be a better you than you.
(“When the door opens for opportunity, walk through.”)
Insha’Allah…Al-Humdullilah.
vii
DISCLAIMER: is book is designed to provide information on understanding, creating,
producing, marketing, promoting, distributing, and selling hip hop/rap beats and music.
It is understood that the publisher and the author are not engaged in rendering legal,
accounting, or other professional services of the like. If legal or other expert assistance
is required, the services of a competent and qualied professional should be sought. e
author and Superchamp Books shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person
or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused, or alleged to have been caused, directly
or indirectly, by the information contained in this book.
ix
Table of Contents
FOREWORD xvii
PREFACE
INTRODUCTION 1
PART 1: HISTORY 13
1 BACKDROP TO HIP HOP 15
e Story of the South Bronx Disaster
2 MOVE, ROCK, DANCE, SUCKA’ 30
e Coalescence of Hip Hop Culture
and the Birth of Hip Hop/Rap Music
3 LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT BEAT 60
e Birth and Rise of the Hip Hop/Rap Beatmaking Tradition:
Seven Periods of Distinct Development
PART 2: TECHNICAL BEATDOWN—INSTRUCTION 87
4 GEAR AND SOUND FUNDAMENTALS 89
Understanding Production Setups, EMPIs, “Sounds,”
and Other Prerequisite Factors
5 DRUM SOUNDS AND DRUM PROGRAMMING 115
e Nature of Drum Sounds and Drum Programming in Hip Hop/Rap
Music
6 HOOK A BEAT UP
AND CONVERT IT INTO HIP HOP FORM 144
Composition, Programming, and Arrangement—
Coming up with the Ingredients and Putting them
All Together
7 THE ART OF SAMPLING 193
x
8 PRACTICE MAKES BETTER 234
PART 3: MUSIC TRADITION, CULTURE,
AND THEORY
261
9 FLASH BATTLED MOZART AT THE FEVER,
AND MOZART GOT BURNED 264
e Hip Hop/Rap Music and Beatmaking Traditions,
Its eory, and How It Does and Doesn’t Jive
with the Western Classical Music Tradition and Its eory
PART 4: THE BUSINESS OF BEATS 311
10 KNOW WHERE YOU STAND 313
11 IT’S YOUR’S; NOTHIN’ TO IT BUT TO DO IT 335
Know the Angles, Because You Have the Control
12 THE “BUSINESS” OF BUSINESS 359
PART 5 : THE INTERVIEWS 385
Marley Marl 387
Buckwild 401
D.R. Period 417
DJ Toomp 423
DJ Premier 439
9th Wonder 447
AFTERWORD 457
EPILOGUE 467
APPENDIX 477
GLOSSARY 492
INDEX 496
xiii
Foreword
Twelve years ago, I published the rst edition of e BeatTips Manual. At the time,
I was going through some turbulent situations. During those uncertain moments in
2001, I found solace in spending time with my son, Amir, and in making beats. Soon
after the turbulence subsided, it became important to me to document everything
that I knew about beats. Moreover, I wanted to share my knowledge about the art of
beatmaking, hip hop/rap music, and the broader hip hop culture with my son, who at
the time was turning 5 years old.
From the onset of this highly personal endeavor, I promised myself that I would
meticulously record everything that I did relating to beatmaking, or saw, heard, and
generally learned about beatmaking. After more than 30 yellow legal size note pads, I
felt that I had created the ultimate beatmaking guide for my son. Shortly thereafter,
I poured over revisions, drafting all of my notes into one cohesive reference journal.
A reference journal that I hoped would one day nurture my son’s understanding of
beatmaking and its impact on modern music and popular culture. After reviewing
the rst several sections of this reference with my son, he and I both thought that it
would be a good idea to share what I had created for him with the rest of the world.
us, I decided to develop and transform my reference journal into a book for anyone
interested in learning about the beatmaking tradition. Hence, e BeatTips Manual
was born!
When I began writing e BeatTips Manual, I gave myself one goal: write and
publish a comprehensive, relevant, and accurate book on the beatmaking tradition. In
order to achieve this goal, I set out a few guidelines to follow. First, I pledged to learn
as much as I could (whenever and wherever I could, from whomever I could) about
beatmaking and all the aesthetics that surround it. Second, I followed what I called
the “rule of inclusion.” at is to say, I made a commitment to conduct extensive
research on everything associated with beats, i.e. the art, craft, and business. To that
end, I immersed myself in the study of as many relevant production methods, styles,
sounds, and/or techniques that I possibly could.
e third guideline that I followed dealt with my aim to break everything down
to a level where everyone could understand and appreciate. Unlike overly technical
music instructional guides, self-help, how-to books and the like, I set out to write a
book that was engaging, clear, and accessible, while at the same time challenging and
rewarding to many dierent mind sets, skill sets, musical orientations, and socio-
economic backgrounds.
Looking back on that rst edition of e BeatTips Manual, I can honestly say that
I’ve followed the same three core guidelines for this edition. And just as in my previous
eorts, in this present edition, it is my sincere hope that I educate, motivate, and
otherwise inform as many new, mid-level and/or advanced beatmakers as I possibly
can. Indeed, if I do so, I will have done what I originally set out to do — nothing
more, nothing less…
—Amir Said (Said), 2013, Brooklyn, NY
xv
Preface
e fundamental purpose of this book is to preserve the beatmaking tradition.
Moreover, I want to draw more attention to the fact that beatmaking, as a music
compositional method, has increasingly become signicant around the globe. us,
in every way possible, this study seeks to take the rich heritage and traditions of
beatmaking from out of the throws of obscurity, and to bring them front and center
into the world of acclaimed musical processes.
In addition to the fundamental purpose of this study, there are ve other auxiliary
goals that I hope to achieve with this book. First, I want to provide the most crucial,
most comprehensive, and most widely useful information on the beatmaking tradition.
Furthermore, I want to stem and/or neutralize the increasing tide of misleading and
false information about beatmaking and the most critical factors that surround it.
Here, the purpose is to also reconcile the history of beatmaking with the current state
of hip hop/rap music in general. Moreover, the purpose of this book is to provide a
more enhanced, more nuanced understanding of hip hop/rap music and the broader
hip hop culture.
Second, I want this book to establish some level of uniformity and consensus
regarding the core aesthetics, concepts, and terminology of the beatmaking tradition.
To that end, I hope to shed some clarity on both the well- and little-known terms,
methods, practices, and themes of beatmaking that are regularly passed around with
little consistency. ough there is no such thing as a “bad” or “wrong” way of making
beats, there are indeed a number of standards that have been recognized over the 36
year history of beatmaking. In this study I identify and examine such standards.
ird, I hope to help unify and expand the community of beatmakers. Beatmakers
are steadfastly committed to their art and craft, yet most do not recognize that
beatmaking (hip hop production) is also a powerful trade. Here, my purpose is to
raise attention to the artisanship of beatmaking, and to oer this book as perhaps a
catalyst towards the creation of a hip hop/rap beatmakers union.
Fourth, I want to provide a path of musical guidance for those (particularly the
youth) interested in making hip hop/rap music. I want e BeatTips Manual to serve
as an investment in the youth and the future of the hip hop/rap music and beatmaking
traditions. Furthermore, my aim is to ll the tremendous void, as best as I can, that
has been left by the dramatic decline in the tradition of orally passing on and handing
down beatmaking and general music education. Moreover, since it is my belief that
we all naturally want to create music (or other art), I want to provide a source for
the youth who would otherwise not be able to nd a means to nurture their natural
inclination for creating music. us, I want e BeatTips Manual to act as a gateway
book, a conduit that further leads to learning more about the art and processes of
music.
xvi
Why a book and Who Is It For?
Despite the tens of thousands of info videos and online tutorials, books are still
the best mechanism for learning extensive processes, concepts, and ideas. Books oer
the greatest opportunity for a more serious, objective individual dissemination. Also,
it’s worth noting that beatmaking is like crackin’ a not-so secret code. Although there
are many beatmakers who will have you believe that “you just gotta have it” to be a
quality beatmaker, the reality is that once you acquire and apply accurate information
about the key areas of beatmaking, things become much more natural, and you and
your ideas become more intuitive. From there, you practice and develop a greater
enjoyment for what you do.
is book is for anyone interested in the hip hop/rap and beatmaking traditions
and the encompassing hip hop culture. ough obviously this study is geared towards
beatmakers (beginners, intermediate, and advanced), it’s important to note, however,
that I am targeting this information also for students, professors, and other scholars as
well as music writers, hip hop/rap acionados, and casual hip hop supporters alike.
About The Slant of This Book
is book is meant to be used and enjoyed by beatmakers, hip hop/rap music
fans, regular readers, and academicians alike. Moreover, I should note that this book
is not a typical academic jaunt. Although I hope that e BeatTips Manual will be
embraced by the academic community, this book is not written to be understood
only by professional academicians and the like. Academic texts are usually written for
and by professional academicians; and as such, they carry the language, feel, motives,
priorities, and predilections of the members of that community. us, I’ve taken great
eort to construct this study with a language and feel that is equally appealing and
accessible to beatmakers, academicians, and everybody in between, while still keeping
my focus rst on the needs and interests of beatmakers of course. is book is not the
work of someone who spent time doing “eldwork” (admirable as that may be), but
instead, it is the product of someone who’s lived in the eld all of his life.
Also, I should add that e BeatTips Manual is not meant to be a standard
ethnographical look at beatmaking and/or hip hop culture. at being said, however,
I must concede that many elements of this study will certainly appeal to both
ethnomusicologists and musicologists alike. is book is also not an anthropological
study of a culture for which I only have a eeting interest in and or enthusiastic —
but shaky — understanding of. I have not simply “watched” beatmaking from the
sidelines. In fact, my studies in beatmaking began — I didn’t know it at the time —
when I was 11 years old, the exact same time I rst participated in the deeply intricate
hip hop/rap tradition (more than twenty years ago). I should also add that I did not
just recently become aware of sampling and other beatmaking processes as legitimate
music compositional methods. I knew they were legitimate back in 1986 (when I
rst heard Eric B. & Rakim’s seminal classic, “Paid In Full”). I’m also compelled to
point out that I do not consider the interviewees (whom all of which I personally
interviewed face to face for this book), as “clients” or “informants.” Instead, I feel
xvii
privileged to see them as my colleagues and fellow members of one of the most
amazing musical sub-cultures in the world.
Of equal importance is the fact that I have not merely attempted to make beats
simply to publish my ndings on the processes of beatmaking, nor have I attempted to
makes beats due to some residual provocation from writing this book. I didn’t decide
to acquire an Akai MPC drum machine/sampler at the end of my research for this
present study. I’ve made beats for more than fteen years now, and I’ve owned various
MPC models and other electronic music production instruments (EMPIs) since 1992.
I was making beats well before I even considered beatmaking a possible literary topic.
Moreover, any and all participation that I’ve had within the hip hop/rap tradition —
throughout the past 20 years — has not been done so expressly for the purpose of
gathering data for this study. at being said, I make no apologies for my penchant for
keeping a journal of notes, incredibly memorable photos, historical party yers, vinyl
records, and cassette tapes. ere are a number of my personal experiences within
hip hop that have contributed substantially to the production of this manuscript.
erefore, I think that there are several key facts about my background that I should
mention.
Since I was 9 years old, I have consistently collected vinyl records of all sorts. Both
of my parents were pseudo record collectors. I took my cue from them (along with my
uncle and grandmother), and I went to another orbit with it. I have listened attentively
(at times obsessively) to more than 1,500 hip hop/rap songs, ranging in release year
from 1979 to 2009. I have personally conducted, taped, and transcribed more than
75 interviews with beatmakers (critically acclaimed, well-known, and underground),
engineers, label execs, accountants, lawyers, and other music insiders. In the past 15
years, I have attended more than 50 live performances and showcases at local clubs,
as well as large-scale concert/tour series in New York City, and as many as 10 other
states in the U.S. I have made/produced and recorded music in more than 70 separate
recording studios of all varieties, sizes, and scopes — from high-end commercial labs
to mid-level professional outts, to the most bootleg, grungy bedroom setups one
could imagine. Finally, since 1994, I have made/produced, recorded, engineered, and
mixed more than 1,700 beats (well, at least 1700 that I care to admit to).
I also should point out that my aim has not been to be politically correct, but to
be fundamentally accurate. I deal with what was, what is, what may, and what will
most likely be. I do not, however, deal in what should have been, what it should be now,
or what it should be in the future.
Finally, so that there is no confusion, I must give readers more context. is book
is not concerned with the fringe musical developments of hip hop/rap music, such as
the hip hop-R&B hybrid or the alternative “rocker rap.” is study is unequivocally
concerned with and centered around hip hop/rap music in its truest, most fundamental
meaning: beats and rhymes. us, it should be clear that the beatmaking compositional
methods and concepts that are explored in this book are those that are utilized by
beatmakers for the purpose of creating music (instrumentals), rst and foremost, for
rappers to rap over. However, this does not mean that these methods can not be used
for the purpose of creating music for other performers (that is, non-rappers).
xviii
What’s In Here?
I have designed e BeatTips Manual to serve as both an examination of and
instructional guide to the beatmaking tradition of hip hop/rap music. us, this
book contains a wealth of information on the hip hop/rap and beatmaking traditions.
Further, along those lines, I have intended for this book to be a portal or a gateway into
the vast world of beatmaking. In this book, you will encounter methodical, technical,
and stylistic examinations of beatmaking as well as stories of my own experiences and
those of people like you. In fact, in this edition, I have again included interviews with
beatmakers who are well-known and rmly established in the hip hop/rap beatmaking
community.
is book is a practical tool that can be easily navigated. It is not a rigidly
fashioned, cold-numbers, point-by-point-style, tech-heavy text book. Although, I
should note that most of the compositional and recording “turorial style tips” — so
to speak — are to be found in the Instruction Part of this study. Still, this book is
not designed to overload you with fancy technological jargon or tricky algorithms, or
the like. Furthermore, the material in this book is arranged in such a way that even if
you know nothing about beatmaking, you can start on page 1 and progress through
the book, moving from basics to more advanced concepts. (If you’re familiar with
beatmaking, you can skip around, but I recommend reading all of the material in this
book at least once.) is book is easy to follow, comprehensive, straight-forward and
very intuitive.
How This Book Is Laid Out
e BeatTips Manual ambitiously approaches three broad areas: history,
instruction, and tradition. ese areas are further organized into ve parts: Part 1:
History; Part 2: Technical Beatdown (Instruction); Part 3: Music Tradition,
Culture, and eory; Part 4: e Business of Beats; Part 5: e Interviews.
is book opens with an introduction to what hip hop/rap beatmaking is, followed
by Part 1: History. e history part of this book takes an extensive, rather glaring look
at the historic origins of hip hop culture, rap music, and beatmaking. A thorough
examination of the origins of the beatmaking tradition has never been done before,
let alone even mentioned by prior publications that explore contemporary musical
processes. us, for this current edition, I wanted to further bolster the legitimacy of
beatmaking as a music compositional process, by focusing on the lesser known and
often misrepresented roots of beatmaking and the hip hop/rap tradition.
e history part of this book is followed by the instruction part. Here, I dive right
into all of the key aesthetics, nuances, methods, and performance practices of the
beatmaking tradition. Within the chapters of this part, you will nd actual instruction
on such topics as: drum programming, sequencing, sampling, arranging, music theory,
and more. Following the instruction part is the music tradition, culture, and theory
part. is part cross examines the core aesthetic priorities and esthetic standards of
beatmaking with that of those found in the Western classical music tradition. In
the business part, there’s an exploration of the unique business circumstances that
xix
surround beatmaking. Finally, the interviews part includes six uncut interviews with
critically acclaimed beatmakers.
Helpful Icons
In this book, there are two important icons to be aware of: rst, the BeatTip
icon. I have inserted this icon as an aide to help alert readers of an especially important
point and/or tip. Second, the √Check This Out icon. I have inserted this icon to
alert readers to either a personal story of mine or an extensive discussion that further
personies the particular theme and/or idea that is currently being examined.
Note on Nomenclature and the Use of Slang
The Use of Manual, Black, African American, Afro, Western, “Hip Hop/
Rap,” Hip Hop — no hyphen, Beatmaking, and EMPI
e “Manual” in the title of this study is a homage to a time when all a beatmaker
had was his beat machine and the equipment manufacturer’s manual that came along
with it. What I remember most about that time was how badly I just wanted some
tips to help me thru the maze.
Next, so that readers have an understanding as to why I use certain terminology
in specic areas within this study, I thought I should oer some brief explanations.
First, let’s look at the term “black.” During the 1960s, “black” displaced the word
“negro” and emerged in America as the chief designative word of ethnic identity for
African Americans. “Black” represented a changing point for African Americans, as it
gave many African Americans more pride and condence in their cultural and ethnic
identity. It should be further noted that “black” became even more powerful in the
late 1960s, due in great part to two events in American culture: (1) James Brown’s
song “Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud;” and (2) the black power movement.
From the latter half of the twentieth century, “black,” (depending on the context),
has served to represent a collective culture and world view associated with African
Americans and people of African descent. It is because of my deference to these
developments and events (in particular, James Brown’s “Say It Loud, I’m Black and
I’m Proud”), that I chose to use “black” — along with the term “African American —
throughout this book.
In this study I use “Afro” to refer to the common cultural rubric that all blacks
(descendents of Africa) around the globe fall under. at is to say, I use “Afro” and
“black” somewhat interchangeably to represent the common cultural connection
(musically and otherwise) among all peoples of African descent throughout West
Africa and the African diaspora — all New World cultures that owe their history to
the peculiar institution of slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Finally, I should
add that in this study I also sometimes use the term “Western” to describe European-
derived esthetics (and creative aesthetics) and sensibilities.
roughout the past 10 years, the terms “hip hop” and “rap” have been so
misused and misrepresented that without context, its very hard to determine what
xx
the average person actually means when they use them. For instance, there are some
who attempt to distinguish “rap” as something purely commercial and not indicative
of so-called real hip hop – this despite the fact that by 1983, all of the pivotal pioneers
regularly referred to the music as “rap” (as well as hip hop). In fact, between 1984
and 1995 “rap” was the most commonly used term to describe the music of hip hop
culture. However, after 1997 (around the time when beats rst began to be used more
prominently by other music genres that did not include rappers, i.e. the merger of hip
hop and “R&B”), the term “hip hop” became the primary name used to describe the
music of hip hop culture. is created a disconnect between the paramount role that
the art of rapping has played and continues to play in the music of hip hop culture.
Moreover, the misuse of “hip hop” not only minimizes the culture of hip hop down
to just its musical expression, it takes focus away from the fact that hip hop culture is
actually comprised of four distinct artistic expressions: grati, b-boying, DJ’ing, and
rapping.
Also, it should be pointed out that the word “rap” has always had several distinct
usages in the black community. In the 1960s and 1970s, “rap” was used to describe
“talk,” in particular, a heavy, intellectual (enlightening) form of speech. “Rap” could
also be used to describe the slang of the urban black community. Finally, “rap” was (is)
also commonly used as a word to describe the courtship language used by many black
American men in their social pursuit of a woman.
In this study, I use the term “hip hop/rap” as a means to reconcile the
misunderstanding of these terms and their subsequent use. “Rap” is embedded and
interlocked within hip hop — rap explicitly means hip hop music. So identiable is
rap to hip hop that it’s impossible to seriously discuss hip hop without recognizing the
interweaving connection of rap to the music of hip hop culture. us, I prefer to defer
to the original use and intent of these two phrases. “Hip hop,” in it’s original intent
and understanding, encompasses and covers the entire cultural expression. However, I
recognize, for better or worst, how contemporary lexicon employs both “hip hop” and
“rap.” at is to say, today, “hip hop” is often used synonymously with “rap.” us, in
an attempt to reconcile these two phrases, and to literally show their deferential link,
I use the term “hip hop/rap” when referring to the music of hip hop culture. Also, in
some areas of this study I only use the term “rap,” as it is sometimes necessary to be
distinguished from the hybrid of R&B and hip hop, which does not often include
rapping. Finally, I use “hip hop” — no hyphen — because that is the way the original
architects and pioneers of hip hop wrote it. Moreover, the rst print appearance of
the term “hip hop” was in Michael Holman’s interview of Afrika Bambaataa in the
January, 1982 edition of East Village Eye magazine. And in Steven Hager’s seminal
work, Hip Hop: e Illustrated History of Break Dancing, Rap Music, and Grati,
published in 1984 uses the same spelling. My deference is to the original architects
and pioneers of hip hop and the rst writers to formally document the culture.
e terms “beatmaking” and “production” are often used interchangeably to
describe the same thing, but depending on the context, they’re actually not. It’s
important to note that “producing” does not always involve actual beatmaking. Still,
that being said, most of those who make beats refer to themselves as “producers,”
perhaps because the term presumably holds more prestige. But the fact is, in the
annals of hip hop/rap music lore the “beatmaker” is more prestigious, even noble in
xxi
my opinion. Beatmakers literally make beats! Moreover, the term “beatmaker” itself
is a unique term for a dierent kind of music composer. Because of this, and the
fact that I defer to the essence and scope of the originators of beatmaking, I prefer to
describe those who actually make beats as “beatmakers,” rst and foremost. is is
also why in this book I primarily use the term “beatmaking” rather than “producing.”
However, throughout this book I may indeed link these terms and their variations,
e.g. “beatmakers (producers).” In those cases, I’m condent that given the topic and
context of discussion, readers will know which term applies more appropriately. Also,
it should be understood that wherever the terms “beatmaking,” “production,” and
the like appear, I am only referring to (unless otherwise noted) the compositional
methods of hip hop/rap music.
I should also note that within this study there is a signicant amount of slang.
Deliberate eort was made to preserve the authenticity of these expressions and their
actual or intended meanings. Finally, in this book, I use EMPI. It’s an acronym
that I created (pronounced: em-pee) that stands for Electronic Music Production
Instrument. roughout this study, all beatmaking or electronic music production
gear is routinely referred to as EMPI and/or EMPIs (plural).
Case Study Production Setup
Akai MPC 4000/Akai S950/Akai MPC 60 II/Roland Fantom S
88/Propellerhead Reason Setup with Digidesign Pro Tools
DAW
With a book such as this, there must be a primary beatmaking (music production)
setup through which the various technical and theoretical components and principles
of hip hop/rap beatmaking can be examined. For this purpose, I have chosen to use
my own production setup. Because my setup is a hybrid composed of hardware (both
classic/vintage and contemporary pro audio gear and equipment) and software, it is
particularly well suited for the task at hand. e individual EMPIs within my setup
include:
• Akai S950 Digital Sampler (maximum memory).
• Akai MPC 4000, Akai MPC 60 II
• Roland Fantom S Keyboard Workstation (88-note, standard memory)
• Mackie 32/8 Analog Mixing Console (32 inputs, 32 direct outputs, 8 bus)
• Apple Power Mac G4 Dual 933 MHz/1.25GBSDRam/80G
• Digidesign 002 Rack (not Control Surface)
• Pro Tools LE version 7.1
• Properllerhead Reason
• Numark DM 1200 DJ/Stereo Mixer
• Technics SL-1200 MK2 Direct Drive Turntable
• Mackie HR 824 self-powered Studio Monitors
• Tascam 302 Dual Cassetter Deck (with pitch controle)
Note: e setup that I use oers a variety of particular nuances that permit
xxii
me to apply many dierent methods and techniques. However, as you will learn,
the compositional and procedural aesthetics of beatmaking are nearly all universal.
at is to say, for the most part, they can be applied to any setup. For instance,
sampling can not be restricted to any particular hardware and/or software. But the
method and technique by which a beatmaker is able to sample can vary, depending
upon the setup. Furthermore, it’s important to note that the setup that I use oers
a number of sound and technical eects that are unique to this particular gear and
software combination. It should further be pointed out that no two digital samplers,
drum machines, sequencers, keyboard workstations, or even software applications are
identical. ere may be many similarities at their core, but each piece in any setup
performs consistent to its design and design potential. Dierent EMPIs combine to
produce various eects. What one beatmaker may be able to do on a particular setup,
other beatmakers may not be able to accomplish on yet another. Likewise, where one
beatmaker is limited by a particular setup, another beatmaker may discover unlimited
possibilities within that very same setup. e compositional possibilities within the
hip hop/rap beatmaking and production process seriously depends on how beatmakers
use their gear, equipment, and other production tools. Finally, I should point out that
in no way is this book about or an endorsement of a particular setup or EMPI. e
center of this book is grounded upon the study of the beatmaking tradition, not a
discussion of production setups.
How To Navigate Through This Book
is book is a practical tool that can be easily navigated. As I’ve stated before,
it’s not a rigidly fashioned, cold-numbers, point-by-point-style, tech-heavy text book.
It’s not designed to overload you with fancy technological jargon or tricky algorithms,
or the like. I’ve organized and broken down the parts, chapters, and sections of this
book into an order that is both logical and consistent with the time line of a typical
beatmaker’s progression and development. us, if you know nothing at all or fairly
little about beatmaking and/or hip hop/rap music, you can start with the rst chapter
and progress condently through this book, at your own pace. However, the more
advanced beatmakers and readers should know that as this study progresses, the
concepts and themes naturally become much more in-depth.
1
Introduction
Rap, rst and foremost, is, and will always be, about the beat. –Marley Marl
Mis-teaching…fouls up the roots of the neophytes’ resources and imprisons
their imagination. –Wole Soyinka
Roughly 30 years after the advent of hip hop/rap music, the pop culture
commodication and corporate co-option of hip hop/rap music is complete:
Hip hop/rap is no longer a small, but powerful, sub-culture; it is a major part of
popular American culture. On one hand, this development has clearly threatened
the creative and artistic values of hip hop/rap music. On the other hand, this
development has helped give hip hop/rap music a level of inuence OVER the
American musical psyche and, subsequently, American culture, that has not
been seen since the advent of the blues and rock ‘n’ roll.
Hip hop, once a little known Bronx sub-culture comprised of four
elements — grati writing, b-boying, DJ’ing, and rapping — stands today
as a mighty world culture. And while the signicance of b-boying and grati
have somewhat waned through the years, rap music still remains the most
powerful, and certainly the most visible, of the four original elements (artistic
expressions) of hip hop culture. us, one might wonder, What has given hip
hop/rap music its staying power? Further, What gives hip hop/rap music its
richness and unique energy? Is it the no holds barred street history of hip hop
culture that continues to underscore hip hop/rap music even to this day? Is it
the assortment of charismatic rappers and exceptional lyricists? Sure, you can
attribute it to both of those factors as well as countless others (far too many and
nuanced to adequately cover in this present study). But I believe that beatmaking
is one factor that stands out among the others. Moreover, just as with the
blues — and all of twentieth-century popular American music — it’s the beat
that drives hip hop/rap music. Accordingly, this book examines beatmaking,
the chief compositional process for making hip hop/rap music, in all of its glory.
Beatmaking is an art-craft that requires serious study and long hours of
practice. And despite recent attempts to make it merely just another marketable
idiom of hip hop culture, it’s not a consumable good. ough there has been a
plethora of beatmaking tools to come to market in recent years (making it easier
2
THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
than ever before for anyone to get into the hip hop producer phenomenon),
beatmaking is not some kind of pop item that can be bought. Sure, today a
production setup can be purchased for almost nothing, but a beatmaking skill-set
can not be bought. Knowledge must be learned and then developed, no matter
what set of music production tools one might have. In fact, I maintain that
throughout the history of beatmaking, the most successful beatmakers have
reached their station by engaging in the very meticulous and time consuming
educational process that quality beatmaking demands.
ough some of the basics of the beatmaking art form may be learned in a
relatively quick manner by the truest autodidactics, beatmaking is notoriously
dicult to learn and even more arduous to master. It is a tremendously deep (and
rather dense) art-craft that is marked by a rich history and a meticulously detailed
methodology. And even though there are no written “rules” in beatmaking, there
are, however, numerous universal norms and preferences and, more importantly,
fundamental aesthetic concepts, principles, and priorities. us, if learning how
to become a beatmaker is notoriously dicult, then you can be assured that
writing about it is equally (if not more) challenging.
e rst major challenge in writing about beatmaking deals with the question
of how to distinguish beatmaking as its own distinct art form and musical
discipline, without completely separating it from the broader cultural context of
hip hop itself. ere is a commonly held (but ill-informed) belief that hip hop/
rap music and hip hop culture are one in the same. Semantics aside, the truth
is, hip hop/rap music, which is just one component (albeit the most powerful)
of hip hop culture, has its own distinct identity — an identity, I should add,
that doesn’t always adhere to the sentiment of a so-called purist view of hip hop
culture. And even though hip hop is indeed a music-based culture, the music
did not necessarily beget the culture, the music was begotten by the culture.
en after the music was born, the other elements within the culture coalesced
around it. And thus hip hop culture as a whole can never be deferential to hip
hop/rap music. However, hip hop/rap music is always deferential to the broader
hip hop culture. Anyone can make/produce or manufacture hip hop/rap music
without even attempting to subscribe to any of the original tenets of hip hop
culture on the whole. Actually, there are some who believe that knowledge of
hip hop culture is not necessary for making beats. I strongly disagree with that
position. Not only do I believe that some understanding of hip hop culture
helps beatmakers, I think it’s critical to the overall creative hip hop experience.
e other major challenge in writing about beatmaking is guring out how to
accurately describe its unique compositional methods and its canon of aesthetic
3
INTRODUCTION
priorities, while at the same time present its similarities to, and in some cases
its reliance upon, various concepts and aspects of traditional Western music
composition and theory. Let’s remember that beatmaking is rst and foremost
an art-craft. And at its roots and its most fundamental and most popular forms,
the aesthetics of the beatmaking art form represent an unwavering preference
for (really a devotion to): (1) rhythm rather than tonal harmony or melody;
and (2) repetition rather than linear progression. Moreover, beatmaking can
be fundamentally characterized by its use of syncopated rhythms and strong
drum beats (i.e. back beats). Yet even with its most obvious dierences, the
art of beatmaking still conforms to some of the general practices of traditional
Western music compositional practices and theory.
Beatmaking Is a Teachable Music Process
e pursuit of knowledge (“know-how”) has always been an important theme
in hip hop culture. Likewise, the concept of teaching has always been critical to
the advancement of all hip hop art forms. In hip hop culture’s infant stages, the
earliest hip hop architects sought and secured knowledge when and wherever
they could. DJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, and Afrika Bambaataa (the three
earliest pioneers of hip hop/rap music) learned directly and indirectly from
each other as well as other inuential artists and gures of the time. Moreover,
they willfully took advantage of whatever educational resources were available
to them at the time. (For instance, Grandmaster Flash, an electronics major in
high school, read books on electronics and audio systems, this helped him go
beyond the boundaries of the DJ equipment of the time.)
us, to seek out knowledge — to read a book on beatmaking; to watch
beatmaking video tutorials; to read websites that oer beatmaking information;
to ask for help from other beatmakers — is not to go against the hip hop/rap
tradition. Seeking knowledge is not an anti-hip hop measure. On the contrary,
to seek sound knowledge — wherever it may be — rests at the very foundation
of hip hop culture. at said, beatmaking, an infant music process as far as
previous major music processes are concerned, is still establishing its main
metrics of uniformity. Which is to say that beatmaking knowledge, something
that was once acquired entirely through informal means, is formalizing just like
how other music processes have.
4
THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
The Democratization of Music Production Tools
and Its Effect on Ideas About Music Education
Once the tools of creative production are democratized, that is to say, made
more accessible, an interesting phenomenon takes place: More people create.
is phenomenon, although seemingly simple on the surface of it, is actually
more complex than one may gather. For instance, in the case of contemporary
popular music, the more people who create music, the more blurry the line gets
between what music consumers deem “good” or “bad” music. Likewise, the more
people who create music, the thinner the line gets between professional and
amateur musician. Further complicating this matter, especially when it comes
to beatmaking, are the various notions about music education, training, and
expertise. Specically, as more and more beatmakers enter into the beatmaking
community, what constitutes appropriate training and learning activities?
In the case of the beatmaking tradition, accessibility to a wide array of
electronic music production instruments (EMPIs) has taken the beatmaking
tradition from the obscure shadows of an otherwise underground art-world to
somewhere near the front of the global pop cultural psyche. Beatmaking is no
longer a secret; it’s no longer a tradition inherently reserved only for a select group
of individuals (like some of those beatmakers who happened to be around right
when the major recording labels rst began to recognize hip hop’s mainstream
appeal and subsequent commercial viability). Instead, beatmaking is an open
pathway to anyone who dares to embark on the journey. And as with all open
creative markets, this journey allows (naturally) for the inclusion of various
personal commitments. In other words, some will travel farther and deeper on
this journey than others; and some will commit more to the beatmaking tradition
than the processes of other music traditions. at is the great reward — and
risk — of a swollen number of beatmakers.
But an exponentially large increase of beatmakers aside, a bigger concern
of mine is where does beatmaking stand in terms of teaching and learning?
What are the educational possibilities that exist for the beatmaking tradition?
And more simply stated, can beatmaking be taught? In terms of teaching and
learning, beatmaking is ideal for teaching, as the educational possibilities for
beatmaking are immense. As to the question whether or not beatmaking can be
taught, of course it can. Beatmaking is a teachable music process; everything
from its DJ sensibility, to its history, to its most complex processes and methods
can be taught. erefore, in the fundamental matter of education, teaching, and
learning, beatmaking’s no dierent than any other music process. who disagree.
5
INTRODUCTION
Why Some Claim that Beatmaking Can’t Be Taught:
Self-Taught Beatmaker Ideology and the Cloak of
Secrecy as Competitive Coverage
Self-Taught Ideology
Many self-taught beatmakers tend to romanticize the factors that go into
developing a skill at beatmaking. ose who carry the self-taught beatmaker
ideology often tend to argue (sometimes with paranoia) that beatmaking is
not something that can be taught or that one can learn through books, video
tutorials, and the like. ese beatmakers seem to support the narrow notion that
beatmaking is only learnable through a self-imposed, “trial and error” journey in
one’s room. Of course, the implied idea also being that they are learning through
indirect means, such as the study of records and gear manuals, and other books.
en there are also some self-taught beatmakers (especially well-known vets) who
openly admit that they learned directly from other beatmakers, yet ironically,
they also often claim that beatmaking can’t be taught.
What is often lost on many self-taught beatmakers is the fact that for many
beatmakers prior to the early 1990s, beatmaking education resources where
scarce. ere simply weren’t any books that specically addressed beatmaking,
hip hop/rap’s chief compositional process; nor were there any beatmaking classes
or online tutorials available. But at the same time, there were such resources
available for other music forms, including the blues, jazz, rock, and, of course,
Western classical. erefore, beatmakers throughout the 1980s and early 1990s
learned through a combination of indirect means, direct teachers, and a great
deal of trial and error. But such learning paths, especially self-taught trial and
error, shouldn’t be inated with a sense of superiority. And as honorable as
being a self-taught beatmaker may be (I taught myself a number of things and
I’m proud of that fact, but I’m humbled by it as well), the self-taught ideology
itself should not hang over the heads of new beatmakers as the best or only
legitimate model for learning the beatmaking tradition.
Furthermore, the self-taught beatmaker ideology overshadows the
fundamental fact that as beatmakers, we are all students of the beatmaking
tradition, no matter how developed (or underdeveloped) our beatmaking skills
are. us, as students of the beatmaking tradition — and the broader hip hop
culture — shouldn’t we remain committed to studying, learning, and educating
ourselves whenever and however possible? And shouldn’t this commitment
be applauded rather than ridiculed or dismissed? Also, shouldn’t beatmakers
6
THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
be encouraged to follow any learning paths that recognize and authentically
represent the beatmaking tradition and hip hop culture?
Look at other music forms and processes, particularly the most highly
regarded tradition in Western culture: the Western classical tradition. As
musicians of the Western classical tradition advance, they study and train
in the areas of theory, advanced theory, form, structure, harmony, melody,
counterpoint, etc. And they do so utilizing teachers (directly and indirectly),
books, tutorials, and the like. It doesn’t matter if beatmaking lacks the global
prestige of the Western classical tradition, the fundamental point that I’m making
here is that a commitment to serious beatmaking studies is valid and no less
legitimate to similar commitments made in other music traditions.
The Cloak of Secrecy and Paranoia in Beatmaking
e issue of secrecy in beatmaking is complex. On one hand, secrecy in
beatmaking is valid. ere are some areas in beatmaking where I nd secrecy to
be useful, if not necessary. Along the lines of digging for records and sampling and
sample source material, there’s a deep rooted history in not disclosing the source
material that one samples. In this regard, I’m a very strong advocate for secrecy.
In this area, secrecy is appropriate not only because it helps shield samplers from
unnecessary copyright infringement suits, but also because it represents a link
to early DJ culture, wherein DJs notoriously hid the names of the records they
used to gain an advantage over rival DJs. But useful secrecy, i.e. a cloak of secrecy
about sample source material and the like, is one thing. A hard line position of
secrecy about the fundamental mechanics (method, process, aesthetics, etc.) as
well as styles and sounds and the history of beatmaking is quite another.
Notwithstanding the areas of beatmaking that I believe do require (and
benet from) secrecy, for the most part, I nd that the cloak of secrecy that many
in the beatmaking community (including notable vets) evoke is absurd and not
useful. Although there is a rite-of-passage dimension in beatmaking, particularly
associated with an understanding of the fundamentals of beatmaking and the
embracing of canonical works, the beatmaking tradition is not a secret music
society. But the simple truth is this: ere has always been a cloak a secrecy
surrounding beatmaking, mostly because of the lack of formal uniformity
within the beatmaking tradition — due in large part to the actual “newness”
of the beatmaking music process. But in no way has secrecy surrounding the
mechanics, nuance, and history of beatmaking been useful. I believe that such
useless secrecy has contributed to a great deal of beatmaking knowledge not
7
INTRODUCTION
being passed on, which has, in turn, also contributed to an increase of lower
quality hip hop/rap music in the past decade. Imagine if musicians from other
music traditions held similar positions of secrecy. Imagine if musicians from
other music traditions ridiculed and dismissed the validity and usefulness of
teaching their tradition.
Competitive Coverage
Looking past the conditions that merit useful secrecy in beatmaking, I
believe that a new stream of secrecy emerged as a means for competitive coverage
for certain beatmakers. Keeping personal methods and practices a secret are
certainly understandable. If a beatmaker develops a style and sound through the
ingenuity of his own device, then it’s reasonable for him to protect his formulas
by keeping them secret. (Some see nothing wrong with a beatmaker practicing
creative protectionism with other beatmakers, but I don’t practice it.) However,
cloaking the mechanics of beatmaking in the same veil of secrecy smacks of
something else. I think when beatmakers do this they are enacting a form of
coverage against new beatmakers, or rather new competition.
Nothing demysties the secrets (or in some cases, the talents) of beatmakers
like know-how and a solid understanding of beatmaking. erefore, given access
to the know-how and understanding of beatmaking, a new beatmaker can, in
time, potentially emerge as competition to existing beatmakers. But cut o the
knowledge base of beatmaking, or undermine access to it by discouraging others
from pursuing it, then one beatmaker — particularly one already in the beat
market exchange — can dull competition by another. Now, make no mistake,
I’m all for competition; it’s one of the hallmarks of hip hop. But I support
competition based on the merits of a beatmaker’s beats, no matter how many
competing beatmakers that may exist. I don’t, however, support competition
that’s based on a rigged talent pool that’s created in part by some experienced
beatmakers discouraging others from learning paths that may be dierent than
their own. Such activity is competitive coverage, plain and simple.
The Need for Beatmaking Education and Committed Training
Beatmaking is now recognized around the world. In other words, it has
made it to the global stage of music processes. As such, it deserves the same
treatment as any other music process. Namely, it can and should be taught
to anyone committed to learning the tradition. Fact is, the number of people
interested in beatmaking has gone up (and it will continue). So the need for
8
THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
beatmaking education and capable teachers has intensied, not just to account
for those newly interested in beatmaking, but to also preserve the beatmaking
tradition and culture.
Also, as the pioneers and lead architects of a tradition fade away, either by
means of new career pursuits, volatile market forces, or, unfortunately, death,
this task of preserving the knowledge and history of the tradition becomes
ever more daunting. Just think of the alternative to no beatmaking education.
Sure, one might be able to learn the functions and features of an EMPI, but
without a solid knowledge of the beatmaking tradition, one might simply
become well accustomed with an EMPI, not necessarily well-grounded in
hip hop/rap music, or more specically, beatmaking, its chief compositional
process. If EMPI based teaching is allowed to masquerade as beatmaking (hip
hop production) education, like it already is at some schools and institutions,
then the beatmaking tradition, in all of its essence and glory, runs the risk of
being lost to future generations. is is another vital reason why beatmaking
education and training is needed.
Plus, with more beatmakers, comes more competition; with a better quality
of competition, comes a better overall grade of beats. And since know-how
and understanding of the beatmaking tradition directly correlates to the ability
and talent of a beatmaker, then beatmakers should be encouraged to study the
tradition. is is yet another important reason why beatmaking education and
training is needed.
The Reality Exists
e argument that beatmaking can’t be taught, that it is a non-teachable
art form is not only misguided and unfounded, it’s counterproductive to the
advancement of the beatmaking tradition. For one thing, this argument
undermines beatmaking’s rich history and nuanced complexity. Further,
this argument ignores the fact that beatmaking, one of the newest musical
processes in Western civilization, is quickly becoming one of the most inuential
contemporary musical processes in the world.
Even more troubling than the non-teachable argument itself are those who
maintain it. ose who argue that beatmaking is a non-teachable music process
do so to the detriment of beatmaking’s status among other music processes. e
prosperity and/or survival of a music tradition is determined by the caliber of
its primary practitioners (and, of course, the general popularity of the music a
specic process produces). erefore, if beatmakers, the primary practitioners
9
INTRODUCTION
of the beatmaking tradition of hip hop/rap music, push the argument that
beatmaking is a non-teachable music process, they essentially reduce beatmaking
to nothing more than a hodgepodge, trial-and-error system of tinkering that
has little conscious music direction. us, such an argument goes against what
beatmaking truly is: A serious music process that contains clear and well-dened
compositional and aesthetic methods, preferences, and priorities. Furthermore,
by arguing that beatmaking is not teachable, then what those beatmakers (those
who presumably already have the knowledge, mind you) are essentially saying
is that beatmaking is something of a rightful (natural) privilege reserved for an
elite few, not something ultimately accessible for all interested in learning.
Beatmaking is in fact a teachable music process, but this does not discount
one’s natural anity for or connection to beatmaking. Instead, it’s a rm
acknowledgement that anyone, not just a select few, in a select city, region, state,
or country, can develop a skill for beatmaking through committed study and
training, be it formal or informal, direct or indirect. People can be taught the
mechanics and integral nuances of beatmaking; people can be taught a certain
level of prociency in beatmaking; and people can learn how to become better
beatmakers through beatmaking education and committed training.
Three Spheres of Beatmaking
One of the things that makes beatmaking such a unique musical tradition is
the fact that its compositional method can incorporate, integrate, and convert any
other music form into its own. In fact, hip hop/rap music, in its most historical
form, contains elements and direct inuences of an eclectic mix of various genres
and styles of music, including, most notably, funk, soul, early disco, jazz, and
the blues. is is why beatmaking can also be described as the chief procedural
means by which an eclectic mix of musical inuences and styles are converted
into hip hop/rap music.
Like all music traditions, beatmaking contains its own distinct procedure
and process. Simply put, beatmaking is the fundamental process by which
hip hop/rap (instrumental) music is made. As a musical process, beatmaking
can be broken down into three separate but equally important spheres. e
“three spheres of beatmaking” include: the technical, the logical, and the
creative spheres. e technical sphere of the beatmaking process describes the
mechanical procedures of making hip hop/rap music instrumentals. It involves
all of the steps associated with operating various Electronic Music Production
Instruments (EMPIs). e technical sphere is encompassed by procedures
10
THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
and methods like sampling, chopping, looping, sequencing, recording, mixing,
mastering, and the like. e logical sphere of the beatmaking describes the
structuring and arranging processes of making hip hop/rap instrumentals. It
involves the application of one’s own unique knowledge and understanding of
fundamental music structures, typical hip hop/rap music arrangement practices,
and traditional and non-traditional music theory. e creative sphere of the
beatmaking describes the creative processes of making hip hop/rap instrumentals.
It involves the application of one’s own imagination, musical knowledge, music
intuition, unique style and approach.
Taken together, the three spheres of beatmaking determine the quality of a
beatmaker’s instrumentals. e way in which each beatmaker can excel within
the three dierent spheres varies because each beatmaker is dierent. Likewise,
how each beatmaker handles their deciencies within these spheres also goes a
long way in determining the quality (and eectiveness) of their instrumentals.
The Accessibility of Beatmaking and the Skill Factor
During the inception of beatmaking in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the
very rst beatmakers were usually persons with strong DJ’ing and/or audio
engineering backgrounds. eir typical setup was comprised primarily of two
turntables, keyboards, and the early drum boxes and eects modules. But as
hip hop/rap music’s popularity grew throughout the late 1980s and exploded
in the 1990s, interest in beatmaking ballooned. Taking their cue from this
spotlight on beatmaking, EMPI manufacturers accelerated their development
of electronic music production tools that were almost exclusively targeted to the
beatmaking market. Collectively, these developments presented setup options
perhaps only imagined by the earliest beatmaking pioneers. Today, would-be
beatmakers are overloaded with setup choices, making the beatmaking art-craft
more accessible than ever. But although beatmaking is quite accessible, it’s an
art-craft in which a high level of prociency often proves allusive. Anyone can
acquire EMPIs, but this acquisition (by itself) does not guarantee that anyone
will develop a unique skill or great prociency in beatmaking. And one of the
biggest reasons that many people who enter into beatmaking rarely receive the
opportunity to earn a living from their music production services is because
they fail to master the art-craft of beatmaking.
In cases where beatmakers stop short of developing a solid prociency of the
art-craft, many simply resign themselves to being “for-the-love-of-it” hobbyists.
I’ve known quite a few beatmakers who were quick to point out that they didn’t
11
INTRODUCTION
measure success by money and paychecks; that it’s all about the love and passion
for hip hop/rap music. In part, I hope to always agree with this sentiment. On
one hand, I do believe that a beatmaker should enjoy creating beats. But on the
other hand, I believe that a beatmaker should have the opportunity to earn some
form of compensation for their talent, hard work, diligence, and creativity. Still, I
must acknowledge that success is something that is unmistakably relative to each
individual beatmaker. For me, success is determined by the development of a
beatmaker’s own unique, recognizable style and sound, as well as critical acclaim
and the appropriate nancial compensation for that beatmaker’s music-making
services. Creating music for the purpose of sharing it with other beatmakers,
family, friends and co-workers is any beatmaker’s prerogative. But one of the
main goals of this book is to help beatmakers develop their talent and skill, with
the ultimate goal being that of self employment and self reliance.
Beatmakers, like other skilled artisans, have the unique opportunity to earn
a living by simply doing something that they’re good at, and perhaps more
importantly, something that they enjoy and love. With this in mind, I designed
this book to help beatmakers develop and increase or hone their beatmaking
skills, while at the same time oer insight on how they can best manifest their
beatmaking (production) expertise into a successful career.
The Matter of Success or Failure
ere are a number of reasons that contribute to the commercial and/or
critical success (or failure) of beatmakers. Only a small number of beatmakers
ultimately reach a high level of commercial success; more have a chance at critical
acclaim than vast riches. In either case, a beatmaker’s development of their own
unique style and sound is paramount. For this to eectively take place, there
are many factors each beatmaker must honestly consider. For instance, what
kind of person are you? Are you organized, disciplined and forthright? Or are
you disorganized, undisciplined and prone to procrastination? Do you have
a decent knowledge base of music, one that spans multiple music genres and
moments in music history? Do you use a hardware or software setup? Do you
use a classic (vintage) setup or contemporary electronic instruments and pro
audio gear? Do you prefer sampling records or utilizing synthetic sounds found
in keyboards and soft synths? All of these questions are critical aspects of creating
beats. Hence, one of the aims of this book is to help beatmakers identify, then
manipulate, the various aesthetics that are critical to creating and developing
their own unique sounds and styles.
12
THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
Finally, the insight oered in this book covers the fundamental, intermediate,
and advanced principles of beatmaking. With regards to actually making
beats, I’m much more focused on simply revealing how and what is and what
works, eectively. is applies not only to the compositional and procedural
characteristics of beatmaking itself, but to everything in and around the hip hop/
rap music production process. Moreover, I should note that this study explores
the cultural factors that have shaped and continue to underscore the hip hop/rap
music and beatmaking traditions. It is my rm belief that an understanding of
the unique circumstances of hip hop/rap music and beatmaking is fundamental
to any beatmaker’s success.
Part 1
HISTORY
Many of those new to beatmaking either haven’t made enough eort to learn
the art form comprehensively, or they lack the resources to do so. erefore,
they are unfamiliar with the root structure and nuance of beatmaking and hip
hop culture in general. is is why a study of the history of beatmaking and hip
hop culture is critical. For it is through the unraveling of this history that we are
all taken towards a truer understanding of hip hop’s and beatmaking’s essence
and signicance, both then and now. Also, this part covering the history of hip
hop culture, hip hop/rap music, and beatmaking is especially crucial because
the best way to preserve the culture and art form is by learning about its origins
and its earliest developments; which makes learning from the earliest available
resources and/or devoted practitioners of the art form essential. e key to the
history and initial intentions of the art form can be found in the actions of its
principle architects. Regardless of other opinions, theories, or assumptions, the
principle architects remain the highest authorities.
I should further add that despite what some contemporaries may have
you believe, the newest thing, trend, or development is always, essentially, a
throwback or a homage to an earlier time within a given tradition. Hence, with
the knowledge of the historical context in which hip hop/rap music was created,
as well as with a historical account of the developments that occurred in the
beatmaking tradition, you will be more comfortable in your moves towards
innovation. Finally, as with any art form, it is necessary for beatmakers, being
the auteurs that we are, to have a solid foundation (i.e. a healthy knowledge base
and accurate historical understanding) in order to more eectively make beats.
Here, I should point out what kind of history exists in this part of the
book. First, while this book is fundamentally about the beatmaking tradition
as it exists within the hip hop/rap music tradition, no musical tradition can be
properly understood outside of the context from which it was born. erefore,
the history part of this book is primarily concerned with the formative years of
hip hop culture, hip hop/rap music, and, of course, the beatmaking tradition.
Second, my aim is to present an accurate, objective audit of hip hop, one that
is based on the historical evidence as it truly was, regardless of how favorable
that historical evidence may have been or is to one group or the other. Point is,
frank discussions based on the factual conditions that led to the formation (or
formulation) of hip hop are critical to any real understanding of hip hop culture,
hip hop/rap music, or beatmaking. Finally, it is not my purpose to romanticize
the early history of hip hop. I’m certainly not concerned with sanitizing hip hop’s
story, or presenting a neat and clean “version” of hip hop’s earliest beginnings in
an eort to make some readers more comfortable. If the details of the historical
backdrop of hip hop and its formation cause a level of discomfort for some
readers, particularly with regards to the South Bronx Disaster, then I consider
the history part of this study a success.
15
Chapter 1
Backdrop to Hip Hop:
The Story of the
South Bronx Disaster
e South Bronx…was the death trap. e most ugliest place on the face of the
earth was the South Bronx. –Benjy Melendez, founder of the Ghetto Brothers
e Bronx, where I grew up, has even become an international code word for
our epoch’s accumulated urban nightmares: drugs, gangs, arson, murder, terror,
thousands of buildings abandoned, neighborhoods transformed into garbage- and
brick-strewn wilderness. –Marshall Berman, ca. 1978
Patterns of Paragraphs Based on Ruin –Rakim
Like any culture, hip hop persuades its participants to adopt its style and
attitude in every aspect from language to fashion to dance to even how one
walks. Upon entering hip hop culture (or dare I say the hip hop way of life),
those not born into the culture and traditions of hip hop learn early on that they
must draft any number of unwritten rules. From street dress codes, to physical
posturings, to the adaptation of a uniquely enunciated vocabulary, and, of course,
an aggressive and competitive world view, hip hop culture is, in some ways, a
way of life. It has often (correctly) been said that hip hop started in the South
Bronx. Although this statement is true on the face of it, it’s incomplete. A more
accurate statement is that hip hop started in the streets of the South Bronx. It is
that very detail — “the streets” — that gives us the most appropriate insight into
the origins of hip hop and, subsequently, the longevity of it. However, for most,
the story of how the ubiquitous South Bronx “streets” were created is unknown.
In fact, the narrative of poverty, crime, and violence in the South Bronx is often
either taken for granted or worse, over simplied. Still, the cause and reality of
the backdrop to hip hop is far more sinister than one might imagine.
e principles, ideas, approaches, and traditions of hip hop culture are not
manufactured components of a conglomerate enterprise or the trickle down
16
THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
characteristics of an elite society. e hip hop ethos has its own backdrop, a
backdrop that is the result of a combination of many fascinating, inhumane, and
tragic factors. e backdrop of hip hop has been described before in dierent
texts by various scolars and historians. However, I should point out that much
of what this backdrop is comprised of has yet to really reach the consciousness
of those who are squarely outside of the upper echelon of academia. erefore,
in this chapter, I illuminate the backdrop, and the little-known backstory, of
hip hop, not only for those who might not otherwise be privy to it, but also
for those who may not be aware of the fundamental mitigating circumstances
behind hip hop’s origins. Also, I believe that in order for one to more accurately
understand the “soul” and fundamental life force of hip hop culture and rap
(its chief musical expression), it’s important to rst grasp some understanding
of the backdrop of hip hop.
Spectacular Ruin
At the end of the 1973 blaxploitation movie classic Black Caesar, Tommy
Gibbs, the lm’s protagonist, limps out of the subway into the post-industrial
South Bronx. e Harlem gangster, who having just escaped an assassination
attempt, sees the place of his youth as perhaps a temporary hideaway and safe
haven. But when he returns to the Bronx he nds that it has been burnt out
and abandoned. As he struggles to draw meaning from the hill of rubble and
stones that lie where the entrance to his boyhood home used to be, he is met
by a small gang of teens, who swarm on him like a pack of vultures. ey beat
him and take his belongings, then leave him for dead. At this point, the camera
pulls back to reveal a neighborhood of ruins...and the movie ends.
If you lived in the South Bronx in the 1970s, this scene from Black Caesar
would not have shocked you, you would have recognized it all too well. e
abandoned, post-war-like world that was so accurately depicted in the movie
would have been eerily familiar to you. But to the average resident of the South
Bronx (then and now) and the average hip hop/rap fan, the causes of the dreadful
South Bronx Disaster are little known. To truly understand the conditions of the
South Bronx in the 1970s, and to really have a complete grasp of the origins
of hip hop culture and rap music, you must rst look at how the South Bronx
of “ill repute” was actually created.
17
BACKDROP TO HIP HOP
Robert Moses’s People Removal
In the late 1930s and 1940s, cities across the United States enacted “urban
renewal policies” and began to create redevelopment programs. ese early
projects, which were said to be for the “greater good” of the community, were
generally focused on slum clearance and were implemented by local public
housing authorities, which were responsible for both clearing slums and building
new aordable housing. In some ways, urban renewal programs can be seen
as an outgrowth of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, the massive
legislative agenda which sought to help the United States recover from the
Great Depression that had began with the stock market crash of 1929. e
most notable and prominent example of urban renewal (that was ostensibly for
the greater good) took place in New York City between the 1930s and 1970s,
under the direction of one man, Robert Moses.
Robert Moses, who was not an elected ocial but an unelected bureaucrat
with immense political power and connections, gained his power through his
reputation for getting large construction projects done. In fact, he had gained
so much power over the years that the many elected ocials whom he was
supposedly accountable to instead became dependent on him. But if his power
made him one of the largest political gures in New York City, then his take on
modernism and urban renewal certainly made him one of the most controversial
gures as well.
Robert Moses harbored an astonishingly insensitive modernist view of public
structures and the public itself. Many of his most impressive and notable public
projects strongly suggest that he consistently favored automobile trac over
human and community needs. Moreover, Moses was obsessed with building new
projects, “I’m just going to keep on building. You do the best you can to stop
it,” he quipped when pressed in the 1950s about his brand and pace of building
in and around New York City. roughout the latter part of his career, Moses’s
public works were so immense and rampant that they displaced hundreds of
thousands of New York City residents, and destroyed thousands of traditional
neighborhoods along the way.
Robert Moses’s controversial career in public life stretched from the early
1920s to the late 1960s. But if it could be said that Moses’s earlier public works
(prior to 1950) were distinguished by design and beauty, then it must be said that
his projects of the 1950s and 60s were distinguished by brutality and insensitivity.
To be fair, in the late 1930s and 1940s, other cities across the United States
enacted urban renewal policies and began to create redevelopment programs.
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THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
However, the concept, objective, and directive of Moses’s Urban Renewal was
not entirely in line with that of the rest of the country at that time. rough
the programs of his “special agency,” the Committee on Slum Clearance, Moses
masterminded innumerable construction projects that consistently displaced
families, disorganized communities, and, ultimately, devastated the lives of
many New Yorkers. For this chapter’s purpose, it’s Moses’s New York City
projects of the 1950s and 1960s that are of major importance. It was some of
these projects — specically, the Cross Bronx Expressway — that collectively
shattered the South Bronx, and set in motion the disastrous conditions from
which hip hop emerged.
For more than 30 years, beginning in the 1930s and ending in the late 1960s,
Robert Moses oversaw a magnitude of immensely complex building projects that
were seemingly designed to make Manhattan Island an easy commute for rich
and upper middle-class whites, who had begun moving to New York suburbs and
upstate during the late 1940s. ere was the West Side Highway, an ambitious
project (as were all of Moses’s projects) that saw expressway miles stretch from
the lower West Side of Manhattan all the way upstate into Westchester. ere
was the Belt Parkway in Brooklyn, which ran from the edge of Long Island
and connected to Manhattan via the Battery Tunnel, another one of Moses’s
creations. ere was the Tri Boro Bridge project, a true triumph of modernism
that connected the Bronx, Queens, and Manhattan through a complex web of
highways, parkways, and bridges. ere were innumerable parks and housing
developments, and then there was the Cross Bronx Expressway, a colossal
expressway which carved a hole right through the center of the Bronx. Each
one of the aforementioned projects did their part in displacing millions of New
York City residents, and disrupting neighborhoods and communities throughout
Manhattan and the outerboroughs. But of all Moses’s famed construction
projects, none played a bigger role in the devastation and destruction of the
South Bronx than the Cross Bronx Expressway.
Construction on the Cross Bronx Expressway began in 1953. To make
room for the immense and unprecedented expressway, more than a dozen
solid, settled, and densely populated neighborhoods were literally blasted
and bulldozed, forcing an estimated 60,000 working- and lower middle-class
people — mostly Jews, but many Italians, blacks, and Irish as well — out of their
homes, eectively destroying solid and settled neighborhoods that had stood
for 30 years. Construction for the Cross Bronx Expressway ended in the early
1960s. But this ending was only the very beginning of the ruin and devastation
that the Bronx would be forced to endure.
19
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As more than one hundred thousand whites abruptly ed the Bronx during
the late 1950s and early 1960s, in what is commonly known as the “white ight
from the Bronx,” the apartments they left behind (some literally overnight) were
crammed with impoverished blacks and Latinos, who had been relocated under
the auspices of urban renewal and the Welfare Department. is wholesale
move-in spread panic among many whites who had stayed in the Bronx, and it
accelerated their ight to the suburbs of Long Island and upstate New York. It’s
further worth noting that tens of thousands of blacks and Latinos had already
been displaced before by Robert Moses’s “slum clearance” programs — programs
that were really nothing more than public cover for some of Moses’s immense
and overawing construction projects. In fact, nearly all of Moses’s construction
projects hurt poor non-whites the most. I note this not to imply that Moses
was a racist or that he did not like black or Latino people; on the contrary,
evidence suggests that Moses’s wasn’t particularly fond of people in general,
particularly those he deemed as being “in the way” of his building. Instead, I
want to draw attention to the fact that nearly all of Moses’s immense (often over
reaching) construction projects inevitably hurt and devastated poor non-whites
disproportionately more than any other group in New York.
Robert Moses’s slum clearance programs ended in 1965, but again, by
then, the South Bronx had literally been gutted and blasted by the Cross Bronx
Expressway. And as the apartments that previously housed those whites (who
took ight) were emptied out, they were reloaded with poor blacks and Latinos
(most of which who were evicted and displaced from long settled neighborhoods
in Greenwich Village and the West Side of Manhattan, again due to a number
of Moses’s vast projects), this white ight accelerated. And the landlords wasted
no time in raising the rents on their new “problem” tenants.
Housing Disruption
By the time Robert Moses’s slum clearance programs had ended, and after
his power and inuence had waned completely in 1970, housing overcrowding
and social disruption had just begun its path to epidemic proportions. Between
1970 and 1980, more than 1.3 million white people had left New York.
1
But
there were a total of two million people who were uprooted, with more than
600,000 poor blacks and Latinos being shuttled into the South Bronx, which by
then was an area large enough to perhaps house little less than half that number.
1
Deborah and Rodrick Wallace, A Plague On Your Houses: How New York Was Burned Down and
National Public Health Crumbled (London and New York: Version, 1998), pxvi.
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THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
Before Moses’s reign was all over, he had eectively utilized TITLE I and
TITLE III of the HOUSING ACT OF 1949 to nance the construction of
non-residential public works as well as every Public Housing project in New
York City. Essentially, Title I enabled the worst of the so-called urban renewal. It
required a local public authority to choose the development sites in conformity
to a “master plan,” get approval from the local government for site plans and site
preparation plans (including relocation), condemn the property, and provide
the one-third local contribution. e local authority, which was controlled
by Robert Moses, would then clear the site, relocate the tenants, and auction
the site to private developers. Finally, all Title I and Title III projects could be
coordinated under one city master plan, which of course, was developed by
Moses. In actuality, however, Title I of the Housing Act of 1949 didn’t merely
provide Moses with two-thirds of the funding, it provided federal nancing
of more than 90% for his slum clearance programs — Moses’s reputation for
getting the federal government to pay for his projects (and ruin) was well-renown.
So, in eect, Robert Moses was also successful in getting the federal government
to pay for his modern vision of New York.
But if Robert Moses’s vision of New York was purchased for almost nothing,
the price paid by its poor non-white residents was tragically expensive. Many
of Moses’s slum clearance programs really worked as a “poor removal” program
for middle- and upper-class housing. In the book A Plague On Your Houses, the
seminal study on New York City’s re epidemic, Deborah and Rodrick Wallace
report that one regular feature of Moses’s slum clearance programs inevitably
“resulted in a vastly disproportionate targeting of communities of color for
relocation.” Many minority-heavy slums were destroyed and replaced with more
expensive housing or non-residential public works that were not accommodating
to the original inhabitants.
Another alarming feature of Moses’s slum clearance programs was its reliance
on re-housing residents in public-housing projects that concentrated distraught
families and individuals into smaller spaces — where they would soon be deemed
“problems.”
2
Hundreds of thousands poor and working-class blacks and Latinos
were uprooted and shued into public housing and ugly tenements all over New
York City, with the vast majority of the residents being relocated to the South
Bronx, where housing shortages were already severe. By 1970, there would be a
new epidemic that would further accelerate the housing shortage in the South
Bronx in a much more devastating way. It was an epidemic that would eventually
establish the South Bronx as America’s number one urban disaster area.
2
Wallace, 13-14.
21
BACKDROP TO HIP HOP
Fire Epidemic: The Bronx Is Burning
e South Bronx lay in ruins, and the res there were becoming larger, eroding away
what was left after the epidemic crest had blitzed a high proportion of the housing.
e New York City burnout disaster greatly exceeds this Indian disaster by any
measure: time frame, involved population, involved area, number of deaths, number
of disease cases, and number of lives derailed. —Deborah and Rodrick Wallace
As a result of Robert Moses’s slum clearance programs, large numbers of
people were crammed into woefully inadequate housing supplies throughout
New York City. But it was in the South Bronx were this theme took an even
more sinister and tragic turn. Between 1969 and 1978, the population density
in the South Bronx reached disastrous proportions. In its Master Plan for New
York City in 1969, the New York City Department of Planning described the
South Bronx as an area where most of the housing was grim, crowded tenements,
where the majority of residents were black and Puerto Rican.
3
But Robert Moses
had been only one contributing factor to the housing disruption and destruction
in the South Bronx, the other culprit was re.
e South Bronx re epidemic was one of the worst urban disasters in
American history. Certainly, Moses’s slum clearance program was so good at
disrupting housing and displacing communities that it created an even bigger
housing problem for poor non-whites (blacks and Latinos) as well as other
destitute and torn communities throughout New York City. And hundreds of
thousands of housing units were lost in those areas where poor non-whites had
been relocated to because of Moses’s modernism and slum clearance program.
But this paled in comparison to what the res did to housing in the South
Bronx. Many families were burnt out of there homes sometimes three and
four times. In fact, the res of the South Bronx literally created an entirely new
refugee class that trumped the movements of its predecessors, who themselves
were the refugees of Moses’s slum clearance programs. ese conditions led to
a dangerously high level of housing density, which in turn made non-burnt-out
housing structures susceptible to the surrounding re wave. Indeed, throughout
the South Bronx in the 1970s, seemingly whatever could burn did burn, leaving
blocks upon blocks of charred and abandoned building shells. Sometimes an
individual block would be destroyed in only a few months; a neighborhood
would be destroyed in 6-12 months, leaving communities torn within an urban
landscape that resembled the aftermath of a city bombed and blasted by war.
3
Ibid, 26.
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THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
“e South Bronx was a real disaster,” recalls Benjy “Yellow Benjy” Melendez,
social activist and founder and former member of the 1970s street gang, Ghetto
Brothers. “e burning buildings was widespread. Fires were happening
everywhere, and you had to be on alert all the time. It was a big problem! I
mean, the South Bronx looked like World War II, like Germany after World War
II. When you walked down the street — especially around Freeman, Tiany,
and Fox — and you looked up, the only thing you saw was a beautiful moon
on a summer night. Nothing but empty shells of empty buildings. If you didn’t
know, you’d think the Bronx was a war-torn area. at’s what it looked like, like
a bunch of tanks just blasted buildings up.”
4
What Caused the Fires in the Bronx?
The Arson Stigma of Poor Non-Whites
e res in the South Bronx leading up to 1969 could be described as the
inevitable result of dangerously high levels of population density. “Large numbers
of people per square mile mean that large numbers of people are crammed into
housing, with more cooking, more smoking, more trash generation, more use
of electricity are going on per unit area. When high population density also
results in a high proportion of the housing units being extremely overcrowded,
the maintenance and services of the buildings require greater eort and resources
to keep re hazards to a minimum.”
5
is is not to say that overcrowded poor
non-whites are naturally prone to make re hazards (though in the following
section, you will see that this was suggested by the Rand Corporation and Roger
Starr), but rather to show that given the set of the previously described mitigating
housing conditions and circumstances, the greater potential for re hazards in
the South Bronx was a reality. But if the res in the South Bronx between 1965
and 1969 were perhaps the inevitable result of the mitigating housing conditions
and circumstances that were created by Robert Moses’s slum clearance programs,
then the burnout that charred the South Bronx throughout the 1970s was the
result of something far more lethal.
In 1969, the New York City/Rand Institute Fire Project conducted a study
of and compiled data on re alarms and res in New York City. At best, the
ndings of the Rand Corporation Fire Project (which were heavily biased and
clearly racially motivated), were negligent, incomplete, one-sided, and woefully
inaccurate. At worst, the Rand ndings were racist, intellectually narrow, and
4
Interview with Benjy Melendez.
5
Ibid, 53.
23
BACKDROP TO HIP HOP
intentionally misguided and misleading. For one thing, the Rand Fire Project
centered most of its attention on the contrast of racial composition of high-
incidence and low-incidence areas. Next, Rand attributed nearly every re in
the South Bronx to arson. (Subsequent analysis of the data did not back this up.
Of the res in buildings, only a very small portion were arson and that portion
was not higher than the rate of proven arson found in wealthier neighborhoods.)
While the Rand Institute paid major attention to the neighborhoods that
were “heavily Negro and Puerto Rican and mostly poor,” it curiously avoided
addressing several key factors that helped to create the re epidemic in the South
Bronx. For instance, it did not address the concentrated reductions in re service
(re house closings and defunct re alarm boxes) that were disproportionately
carried out by the city in non-white and impoverished areas, most notably in
the South Bronx and the Brownsville section of Brooklyn. Also, it did not
account for, or even acknowledge, landlord (slumlord) and business-owner
arson. And it did not account for the fact that many of the res in the Bronx
weren’t even arson at all, but rather the expected result of devastatingly poor
housing conditions, community disruption, and an overall reduction in public
safety resources in the South Bronx. Furthermore, the Rand Fire Project not
only labeled nearly all res in the South Bronx as arson, it also, in eect, laid
the blame of this arson on poor non-whites — i.e. blacks and Puerto Ricans.
e unfortunate truth about the Rand data is that most major political gures
in New York City knew that the re service reductions between 1969 and 1976
further devastated poor neighborhoods (which had already been vastly disrupted
by Robert Moses’s slum clearance programs), and helped destroy huge numbers
of housing units much more rapidly than Moses ever could. Yet rebuilding and/
or repairing these disastrously torn communities was not the response of New
York City policy makers. Instead, the response was something even more sinister
and inhumane: benign neglect and planned shrinkage.
Benign Neglect & Planned Shrinkage
The 1-2 Punch that Knocked Out the South Bronx
Not an arsonist at rst glance, Daniel Patrick Moynihan burned down poor
neighborhoods in cities across the country as surely as if he had doused them in
kerosene and put a match to them. —Deborah and Rodrick Wallace
If Robert Moses’s slum clearance programs set the stage for a collapse of
the South Bronx, then the benign neglect policy — inspired by Daniel Patrick
Moynihan’s now-infamous memorandum to President Richard Nixon — opened
24
THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
the show with a number that inevitably assured the destruction of the South
Bronx. In January, 1970, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, then an Urban Aairs
Advisor within the Nixon Administration, wrote and sent a memo on race
relations to President Nixon. Drawing on national census and employment
data, as well as data on re alarms and res in New York City forwarded to him
from the 1969 New York City/Rand Fire Project, Moynihan’s memo advised
that the nation might “benet from a period of ‘benign neglect.’”
e now-infamous “benign neglect” memo, which was printed in its entirety
in the New York Times in March, 1970, was itself highly controversial and
absurd. e memo portrayed poor blacks (specically black males) in urban
America as “socially pathological,” “antisocial,” and racist — even going as far
as to blame these blacks, in part, for shaping white radical attitudes. What’s
more revealing about this portrayal of poor non-whites (blacks in particular)
is Moynihan’s underlying thesis that they were unredeemable and a “threat” to
the “socially stable elements of the black population.”
But there were two other features of the memo that were even more alarming,
and, subsequently, damaging to the people of the South Bronx. First, there’s
Moynihan’s thesis on res in New York City. Using the awed Rand data,
Moynihan asserted that the great majority of the res in New York City were
arson, and that poor black slum dwellers were the blame:
In New York, for example, between 1956 and 1969 the over-all re alarm rate
more than tripled, from 69,000 to 240,000. ese alarms are concentrated in slum
neighborhoods, primarily black…Many of these res are the result of population
density. But a great many are more or less deliberately set…Fires are in fact a “leading
indicator” of social pathology for a neighborhood. ey come rst. Crime, and the
rest, follows. e psychiatric interpretation of re-settings is complex, but it relates
to the types of personalities which slums produce.
6
e second damaging feature of the memo can be found in Moynihan’s one-
sentence suggestion to Nixon on how to solve his administration’s “ineptness”
for appropriately handling relations with the black population:
e time may have come when the issue [sic] of race could benet from a period
of “benign neglect.”
7
Hardly a direct national call for the abandonment of urban (black/Puerto
Rican) neighborhoods; nevertheless, New York City ocials took the “benign
neglect” tagline, combined it with all of Moynihan’s damaging assessments of
6
“Text of the Moynihan Memorandum on the Status Negroes,” New York Times, p.69, March 1, 1970.
7
Ibid.
25
BACKDROP TO HIP HOP
poor non-whites, and used it to formulate and justify a new, more dastardly
urban policy: “planned shrinkage.”
When Roger Starr rst articulated his theory of planned shrinkage in his
book Urban Choices: the City and Its Critics (1966), one might have known,
given the political and racial climate of the time, that he and his book would
eventually inuence New York City policy makers. As the Executive Director
of the Citizens’ Housing and Planning Council of New York (1959), Starr’s
directive should have been to facilitate the mandate of the Council, which was
to “educate New Yorkers about the housing problems, and to lead city and state
governments to programs for the alleviation of some of the accumulated housing
miseries”
8
of New York City. However, planned shrinkage, the program that
Starr lead city ocials to, was not only ill-conceived, it was better equipped for
extending rather than alleviating some of the accumulated housing miseries.
Moreover, it could not have been designed with any other intention, except to
kill o New York City’s poor non-white neighborhoods, in particular, its poorest
and biggest eyesore: the South Bronx.
Planned shrinkage (the de facto name for the New York City’s war on the
poor), was what ecologists Deborah and Roderick Wallace called “the New York
City expression of Moynihan’s benign neglect.” More sinister and inhumane than
Moynihan’s benign neglect might have ever intended to be, planned shrinkage
was truly an all out frontal assault on the poor. e policy (program) dictated
the direct withdrawal of essential services from so-called “sick” neighborhoods,
which were all poor and non-white, and seen as unable to survive or undeserving
of survival and, therefore, unworthy of the level and quality of services aorded
to white middle- and upper middle-class neighborhoods. e range of services
that planned shrinkage snatched from the South Bronx and other poor non-white
New York City neighborhoods left no doubt about the real intention and scope
of the policy. To Starr and other elites, the notion of community did not exist in
these poor neighborhoods, therefore, there were drastic reductions in everything
from libraries and public transportation service to social and health services
and, most alarmingly — but tting to the task at hand — re service. It was
the withdrawal of re service that “left burned out communities defenseless
and insecure and churned out wounded spirits as surely as the Viet-Nam War
did.”
9
It should be noted that as all of these services were “freed up” from the
“sick” neighborhoods, they were routinely shuttled into the ones deemed to be
“healthy,” which were all middle- to upper-class and mostly white.
8
Roger Starr, Urban Chronicles: The City and Its Critics,(New York: Coward–McCann, 1967), front matter.
9
Wallace, 113.
26
THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
Equally destructive of poor neighborhoods like the South Bronx was
Roger Starr’s use of the notion of non-community in poor neighborhoods as
the intellectual basis for the massive demolition of housing for the poor. And
rather than repair or rebuild the damaged housing within these neighborhoods,
Starr urged instead to let the land “lie vacant” until a new use, such as industry,
could arise.
10
us, in the nal analysis, if benign neglect was the call for
the intentional abandonment of urban poor non-white (particularly black)
neighborhoods, then planned shrinkage was the devastating blow used to
outright kill them o.
The Aftermath and Foreseen Fallout
Community Destruction
Prior to the re epidemic, which was the direct result of New York’s war on the
poor, which itself was made up of Robert Moses’s slum clearance program and the
benign neglect and planned shrinkage policies of Daniel Patrick Moynihan and
Roger Starr, respectively, poor and lower middle-class non-white neighborhoods
were stable. Communities in very poor and lower middle-class areas rely on
social and mutual-aid networks in ways dierent from the American majority.
Families and individuals depend on their communities for necessary resources,
emotional support, and news and information in direct proportion to their poverty,
lack of education, cultural sensibility, and ethnic dierence from the American
majority. Moreover, within the communities of the poor, social networks form
through intergenerational links, and may or may not be familial. In fact, in poor
communities, the extension of kin relations to non-kin is expected, because it helps
allow for the creation of mutual-aid networks — networks that fundamentally
reserve strategies of survival. Yet anyway you look at it, New York’s war on the
poor destroyed these communities and their vital networks, and made survival
within them harder than ever for its residents. Nowhere was this more apparent
than in the South
Bronx.
By 1975, the South Bronx was the most devastated urban landscape in
the United States. According to Demographia, the three community districts
that comprise the core of the South Bronx had fallen 57 percent in population
from 383,000 in 1970 to 166,000 in 1980, which has to rival the greatest short
term population loss in any urban setting with the possible exception of war’s
devastation. Furthermore, until around 1990, almost no housing replaced the
10
Ibid, 25.
27
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1970s destruction that was created by planned shrinkage. But by then, hundreds
of thousands of units had already been burnt out or abandoned. e war on
the poor had consequences which the previously planned and mitigated slum
clearance did not: Deterioration in public health, deterioration in public safety,
and serious decline in the life expectancy of both elderly and young blacks
citywide. e slum clearance programs that proceeded the benign neglect and
planned shrinkage policies and the re epidemic of the 1970s were of such a
magnitude that they constituted a disaster, a truly calamitous event, that caused
widespread destruction and great loss of life, damage, hardship, and “a situation
of massive collective stress.”
11
During the 1970s, the South Bronx was transformed into an isolated war
zone. Out of any other area in New York City, its neighborhoods had suered
the most intense social destabilization and destruction of community. As the
burnout, and the city policies that gave rise to it, rapidly continued to scuttle
their neighborhoods, the black and Latino populations were increasingly
fragmented and left for dead. And as the rewave reached an epidemic level, and
housing shortages rose to dangerously high proportions, and as unemployment
rose, residents were repeatedly burned out and/or evicted and relocated into
city-owned tenements that were worse slums than the ones from which they
came. Because families could not move far enough from the fangs of decay and
ruin, they were sometimes burned out (and/or evicted) two or three times in
a few years.
12
At at the same time that people in the community were being
assaulted by this, the community institutions — churches, political clubs, social
clubs, stores, and small factories, which normally would have buered the outfall
of displacement — weakened dramatically.
ough the burnout ebbed around 1977, after 1978, housing overcrowding
rose again. All of the families who were able to move out did so, soaking up
what little housing availability that existed in and around New York City, which
forced the majority of South Bronx residents to double and triple up inside
already cramped housing. And when there was a call for federal funding for
housing construction eorts for the poor in 1978, Daniel Patrick Moynihan
(who at that time was a U.S. Senator), opposed it, stating that: “People in the
South Bronx don’t want housing or they wouldn’t burn it down. It’s fairly clear
that housing is not the problem in the South Bronx.”
13
11
Ibid, 18, 60.
12
Interview with Benjy Melendez.
13
H. Raine, ‘US Housing Program in South Bronx Called a Waste by Moynihan.’ New York Daily News,
20 Dec. 1978, p. 3
28
THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
e combined factors that led to the disaster in the South Bronx destroyed
the community immeasurably, but perhaps the areas in which the aftermath of
the devastation manifested itself the most was along the lines of unemployment,
crime, and the social health of the youth. It has been well-known that stable
communities do a better job of maintaining law and order within their
community than the police. Such was the case in the South Bronx, that is, until
the disaster hit.
One can only imagine the various emotional and mental eects caused
by the wild swings of widespread housing disruption. Unfortunately, the
unemployment side-eect takes little imagination. Even before the citywide
slum clearance programs uprooted hundreds of thousands of Black and Latino
residents from solid and stable communities (communities wherein a majority
of these residents worked) and relocated them to decaying slum areas in the
South Bronx, the unemployment level in the South Bronx certainly wasn’t
admirable. But after the disaster, the unemployment level skyrocketed. row
in the dual deathknolls for the poor that the policies of benign neglect and
planned shrinkage were, and the result was ever-expanding incomless periods
for many of the South Bronx residents during the disaster period.
For certain, these long stretches of incomeless periods added to the strain
of an already distressed family nucleus. Many families in the South Bronx were
split up and permanently scarred. Fathers vanished, sometimes voluntarily
because of the anguish and humiliation the disaster placed upon them; other
times they were removed “involuntarily” due to prison stints, drug usage, and/
or violence — all signicant by-products of the South Bronx disaster. e
departure of many fathers was particularly hard because it left single mothers
to struggle alone as the single bread-winner. It also meant that grandmothers,
aunts, and other family members (including extended family) had to help pick
up the weight and take in those too young to provide for themselves, straining
an already distressed housing situation even further.
The Social Health of a Disconnected Youth: Fragmentation, the Code
of the Streets, Survival, and the Rise of South Bronx Street Gangs
In the South Bronx today, death is an ironic but frequent event among the youth
of this community. And the st of irony is clinched within the knowledge that
death — violent death — is often most heavy here among the poor, who seem to
have so little to lose. Here, perhaps because of its frequency, sorrow is never born of
any sense of form. To live in this community today may be to share in an inhuman
existence. One must learn, from implausible models, the speciality of survival. One
must be…relentless in the pursuit of this survival…with hands to steal and legs
29
BACKDROP TO HIP HOP
to run, eyes that view life and death, which unless one is stronger than the strong,
crush whatever human sensibilities left remaining. One might ask how does one
learn the specialities which separate man from what we consider the lower animals.
On these streets, the youth of the South Bronx is molded and educated in the rules
of the survival game… In this neighborhood one is lucky, only if one learns the
wisdom of the street, early. Here, to be lucky is to stay alive!
–Tony Batten, Ain’t Gonna Eat My Mind, 1971
Before the South Bronx Disaster, parents in stable communities were able
to rely on the extended networks and relationships within the community to
reinforce the socialization of their young. But now, with parents struggling
to survive and these networks and relationships weakened — if not outright
destroyed — a great number of children emptied out of broken homes into the
streets, where there was little to no adult supervision or responsible mentorship.
For the overwhelming majority of young blacks and Latinos in the South Bronx,
the peer groups that they found and created in the streets, not the traditional
familial nucleus, became their chief support system.
Because of the South Bronx Disaster, these fragmented groups were exiled
far outside of the mainstream, and as such, they where forced to establish
new modes and structures for living that were predicated upon daily survival.
And with little to no economic opportunity and weakened community social
networks, the youth of the South Bronx (and other similarly hard-hit areas) were
left without a structure to responsibly nourish them and their time. us, the
youth — who like all South Bronx residents at the time — became the target
of destruction; and they were highly susceptible to the kind of contagious,
destructive/self-destructive behavior that runs through the streets. Over time,
the “behavioral codes” transmitted between groups and coalesced into a more
aggressive street code (i.e. “code of the streets”), which inevitably informed the
youth on how to act and survive in the streets.
In order for each group to distinguish themselves (and in order to simply
survive), each group had to out-do the other. Aggressive competition became
one of the norms of the street, and each group found that not only did their
representation of the street code have to be solid, they had to be even more daring
and anti-social than the next group. In this context, all anti-social behavior was
amped up, because in the competition for distinction, groups became bolder,
more riskier, more brazen, and, subsequently, more violent. Eventually, for
the majority of the youth in the South Bronx, it was street gangs (and then
later crews) that would become their new family. And for many, it was street
gangs that would also serve to formulate their primary social and information
structures, and, in many cases, their chief means of survival.
30
THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
e slum clearance programs, the city’s ill-fated benign neglect and planned
shrinkage policies, and the burnout collectively helped to usher in a new and
rather severe New York City street gang culture. As it probably should have
been expected, the street gang culture of 1970s New York City was much more
extensive and alarming than that of the 1950s. For starters, during the 1970s, the
sheer number of gangs and gang members and aliates throughout all of New
York City dwarfed that of the 1950s. In 1971, there were more than 50 gangs,
with total membership in the South Bronx exceeding 60,000 members, by far the
most street gang activity in New York City.
14
Next, the gangs, which in many
cases grew from childhood friendships on neighborhood blocks and disbanded
social clubs, were much more aggressive and brazen. And while the street gangs
of the 1970s permeated throughout the ve boroughs of New York City, it was
quite extensive and more deafening in the South Bronx and Brooklyn. It is
further worth noting that all of the top three pioneers of hip hop — DJ Kool
Herc, Grandmaster Flash, and Afrika Bamabaata — at one point during this
era either belonged to or had an aliation with one of the major street gangs
of the South Bronx. In fact, Afrika Bamabaata was at one time a well-known
member of the Black Spades, one of the biggest, most infamous and inuential
street gangs in the South Bronx and Harlem.
15
Segregation
e aftermath of the slum clearance programs, the benign neglect and
planned shrinkage policies, the burnout (which had been set in motion by the
aforementioned programs and policies), the community destruction of the
South Bronx, and the high level of street-gang activity in the South Bronx, tells
many stories.
ere’s the tragic story of housing disruption and destruction, wherein the
impoverished or lower middle-class neighborhoods in New York City are made
up almost entirely of black and/or Latino families, with the bulk of the city’s
public housing projects mirroring this tragic ratio even more disproportionately.
By 1990, the number of extremely overcrowded housing units had reached about
double the epidemic 1970 number.
16
ere’s the story of crime and especially crime disproportion as it relates to
incarceration. Since 1980, over 75% of the prisoners within New York’s upstate
14
Estimate provided by Benjy Melendez.
15
The story of the 1970s South Bronx street gang culture is itself an explosively extensive topic which
I cover in my forthcoming book with Benjy Melendez Ghetto Brother: How I Found Peace in the South
Bronx Street Gang Wars.
16
Wallace, xvi.
31
BACKDROP TO HIP HOP
facilities have come from only seven New York City neighborhoods — three of
sections are located in the heart of the South Bronx; and 85% of the prisoners
are Black or Latino.
17
As the number of employment opportunities rapidly
declined, and as the housing crisis intensied, and the family nucleus broke
down and the gang era erupted, the level of crime ballooned. As should have
been expected, there was a dramatic increase in every type of crime associated
with poverty. e number of burglaries and armed robberies went up; the drug
trade (specically heroin) spiked out of control, as the disaster worsened and
drug usage/abuse became a means of escape for the poor minority, both young
and old. Ecologists Deborah and Roderick Wallace insist that planned shrinkage
“seems to have enabled drugs to be ooded all over the South Bronx, Upper
Manhattan, the Lower East Side and East Village, the poverty corridor and
transitional neighborhoods of Brooklyn, and the immigrant neighborhoods
of Queens. Even Staten Island did not escape; it grew a drug problem on its
north shore which received the spillover of refugees from Brooklyn and Lower
Manhattan.”
18
Finally, the murder rate skyrocketed, no doubt due to the result
of violent robberies, street gang wars and other street gang activity, drug usage
and distribution, and heightened, war-like induced stress.
But of all of the stories that the aftermath of the South Bronx disaster tells,
it’s the story of segregation that, here, for the purposes of this discussion, the hip
hop/rap and beatmaking traditions, warrants special attention. e increased
level of community segregation played a pivotal role in the origins of hip hop
culture. Prior to the disaster, the South Bronx was fairly integrated with a healthy
mix of Jewish, Irish, Italian, Black, and Latino residents. But after the disaster,
the South Bronx was mashed up and torn into such an isolated area that it
rivaled the level of segregation found in rural Jim Crow South.
For all of its diversity, New York City has in fact been made up of deeply
segregated populations, particularly in the outer boroughs like the Bronx and
Brooklyn. And as we have seen, the particular brand of segregation in New
York City wasn’t brought on by some obscure, radical sense of racism or white
supremacist ideology. No. e class and racial segregation of New York City
was caused, rst and foremost, by a war on the poor that was waged by New
York City’s elite class. e slum clearance programs and public policies of benign
neglect and planned shrinkage, which were orchestrated and enacted at the
behest of city ocials Robert Moses, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, and Roger Starr,
created a New York City disaster that was most devastating in the South Bronx.
17
Ibid, 212. See also, “Ex-Inmates Urge Return To Areas of Crime to Help,” Francis X. Clines, (New
York Times, December 23, 1992).
18
Ibid, 114.
32
THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
In the minor, these policies legally intensied already separate and unequal
social and economic spheres throughout New York City. In the major, these
policies created a re epidemic and a disaster in the South Bronx that resembled
a post-war bombing. And as this disaster and its eects became more apparent
throughout the 1970s and 1990s, there was no real eort to rescue those who
had essentially been left for dead in a segregated oasis of vast ruin.
e Black and Latino people of the South Bronx (and other similarly hit
areas throughout New York City, especially the Brownsville and East New York
sections of Brooklyn), were forced into segregation and further discriminated
against. e youth of the South Bronx understood very well that the “greater”
society had caused the South Bronx disaster; they that the South Bronx was
under siege. Perhaps they didn’t know the intellectual directive, that the twin
polices of benign neglect and planned shrinkage were an attempt to kill o and
quarantine New York City’s poor non-whites, especially those in the South Bronx.
And maybe they didn’t know that the reductions in re houses, health care and
transportation services in the South and West Bronx were a prescribed death
sentence for the Americans living there. But they knew something much more
practical: ey knew that the South Bronx was attacked and left for dead. ey
knew that the dominant culture had rejected them; so they further disconnected
themselves from it, rejecting and turning mainstream (elite-class dominated)
society, philosophy, and culture into a rival mode of living.
Things They Took from the Disaster
e South Bronx Disaster created a cemetery of hope that was bordered
by despair, destruction, re, drugs, violence, and tragic death. But even in a
land where the damned were intentionally oppressed and abandoned (in the
form of “benign neglect”), then outright attacked and left for dead (in the
form of “planned shrinkage),” the resilient pulse of humanity never completely
extinguished. It was this left-over pulse, this “beat,” that a large band of young
Black and Puerto Rican adults from the South Bronx rallied around. And in this
process of coming together around that beat, they formulated a new outlook on
life. It was an outlook on life that was dynamically infamous. It incorporated
the pain of neglect, the spirit of vengeance, the essence of street-knowledge, and
the pure focus of survival. It moved to a new rhythm, rhyme, and reason. And it
turned style, attitude, and the quest for respect into a powerful force. In time,
this new cultural movement became known as hip hop.
33
Chapter 2
Move, Rock, Dance, Sucka
The Coalescence of Hip Hop Culture
and the Birth of Hip Hop/Rap Music
Gospel, blues, jazz, no one person invented it. It was the social result of a painful
existence. –Quincy Jones
Unprecedented Cultural Autonomy
and the Seeds of an Invicible Culture
In Chapter 1, I discussed how the South Bronx Disaster destroyed a
community and in the process created a pool of disconnected youth. In this
chapter, I examine how the young of the damned — the so-called disconnected
youth — re-connected with one another, came together, and used an
unprecedented level of autonomy to not only forge a new community, but to
formulate one of the most powerful subcultures in modern history.
Of all of the preexisting conditions necessary for a new subculture to emerge
and thrive, autonomy is the most important. For a community to have true
control over the innovations, developments, and advancements of its culture,
its people must have the independence, the freedom, and the will to choose
and orchestrate its own actions. e more autonomy that a community has,
the more freedom its people will have to develop its culture. No doubt in the
case of the hip hop subculture, the autonomy factor played an pivotal role. And
what’s most important to note about the role that autonomy played in hip hop’s
origins is how and where exactly this autonomy was created: Nowhere was this
autonomy more visible than in the streets of the South Bronx.
“e streets” have long been one of the most durable institutions of urban
America, but inside of the 1970s South Bronx, this institution was further
emboldened by one of the worst cases of municipal malpractice in United
States history. e South Bronx Disaster destroyed a community, tore up
neighborhoods, and threw the lives of hundreds of thousands of people into a
post-war-like chaos. Because of their shared socio-economic backgrounds and
34
THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
environmental circumstances, the youth of the South Bronx made the streets
their home and a world within a world. It’s where they spent most of their
time, it’s were they learned how to navigate the disastrous conditions of their
community (conditions, we must remember, they themselves did not create),
and more importantly, it’s where they found their greatest level of communal
autonomy.
History has shown us many examples of the resilience and creativity of
mankind in the face of grave tragedy and disaster, but perhaps it’s those cases in
which malfeasance serves as the catalyst for disaster and abject poverty that reveals
the most about a given dominant culture and the victims of its assault. From
impoverished areas sprout practical, unique, and often ingenious subcultures that
grow in the face of on-going malfeasance. ese newly formulated subcultures
emerge with a number of unifying characteristics; most telling of these are the
practical ways in which the victims blend and use themes and elements of their
indigenous culture, along with fragments of the dominant culture (society at
large), to stake out a new life full of meaning and dignity. Such is the case with
the people of the South Bronx Disaster.
e people of the South Bronx knew they were under siege. Yet remarkably,
even though they were the victims of an urban renewal catastrophe and municipal
malfeasance, they never looked at themselves as such. In the face of hopelessness,
despair, and a dilapidated physical environment, most surviving victims of the
South Bronx Disaster still tried to carve out a life as best as they could. And as
the decade of the ‘70s stretched on, the forgotten and purposely neglected poor
black and Latino youth developed a new mind state and a new attitude, one
that allowed them to not only deal head-on with the low quality of life inside
the South Bronx disaster zone, but one that allowed them the wherewithal to
improve upon that quality of life.
Hip hop culture and, subsequently, rap music may not have been inevitable,
but because the disastrous 1970s South Bronx backdrop helped create an
unprecedented autonomous zone for the South Bronx youth, some sort of
subculture was inevitable. Afterall, when the pressure drops and the squeeze is
put on a group of people, it should be expected that a new culture will emerge.
And the squeeze, in this case, came in the form of an epidemic burnout, which
itself was spawned by ill-advised slum clearance programs and insensitive, ill-fated
public policies. us, in the process of being pressured into reconstructing a new
community, the youth of the South Bronx (and later other poor non-white areas
throughout New York City) amalgamated one of the most formidable, durable,
and resilient music-based cultures of the twentieth century.
35
MOVE, ROCK, DANCE, SUCKA
The “Culture of Sampling”
How do you master yourself after catastrophic circumstances — poverty, dilapidated
housing, dysfunctional educational system? –Cornell West
Before I move forward with an examination of the direct origins of hip hop
culture, it’s necessary to rst describe the culture of sampling that underscores
communities that are forced to undergo catastrophic circumstances. One
prominent result of an oppressed people and their isolated, fragmented
community is that its residents learn to incorporate (salvage) any element
within and outside of their environment that they see t to forge and fortify
their culture. e fragmentation caused by the South Bronx Disaster, in eect,
led to a “culture of sampling,” one in which residents of the South Bronx (and
other similarly hard-hit cities across the U.S.) learned to take pieces from the
mainstream American society then convert them in accordance to their own
needs and values. In a culture of sampling, everything is fair game — language,
fashion, automobiles, and the like. If it can be converted and ipped (according
to the predilections and priorities of a particular community), it will be. e
“culture of sampling” sensibility permeates throughout the entire hip hop
culture. For example, there’s the b-boy fashion, which featured sportswear and
casual attire for comfort and exibility; there’s hip hop terminology, which often
converts all sorts of words (even tragic ones) into terms of triumph — words
like “dope” and “sick” become impressive expressions of magnicent creativity
and authenticity. In fact, all of hip hop culture involves sampling and “ipping”
something.
Where They Jamming At? Street and Party Cultures Collide
Partying is one of the most vital cultural events that take place within
ghettos.
19
In ghettos, parties serve two very important functions. On one
hand, parties allow for a temporary relief or escape from the harsh realities of
an impoverished environment. On the other hand, parties form a celebration
of the resilience of the human spirit in the face of hopelessness and despair.
us, aside from the conditions of the South Bronx Disaster itself, the other
two primary sources of consistent familiarity for its residents were parties and
19
Hip hop culture did not grow out of the street gang era of 1970s New York City as some writers and
historians have insisted. The street gangs, in particular, the organization of the street gangs, served as
one conduit (there were others) for which hip hop was able to travel and mobilize into one formidable
force. They represented a street level organization of would-be party goers. Street gangs may have
committed crimes and acts of violence, but their favorite past time was partying.
36
THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
music. roughout the most dire times of the South Bronx Disaster (1969 to
1979), impromptu parties or “jams” and music provided much needed healing
and entertainment.
What’s particularly important and distinct about the 1970s South Bronx
party scene is how it was further bolstered and unied through the arts and
talents of its partygoers. To be sure, there were parties before that fateful day in
1973, where the rst unocial hip hop party (or coming together) took place.
ere were parties held at other community and recreational centers, ballrooms,
churches, school gymnasiums, and street blocks. Even by Kool Herc’s own
admission, he played nothing new — i.e. any music that wasn’t heard before at
parties ot he time — at that initial hip hop gathering. Kool Herc tells us that
he “gave the people what they liked,” and all of the partygoers took to the oor,
knowing exactly how to move to it. But it was this one party, and many others
like it (particularly the ones given by Grandmaster Flash and Afrika Bambaataa)
that soon followed, that served as the initial breeding ground or force that would
merge the individual art forms together into one mighty subculture: hip hop.
The Unication of the Four (Original) Elements
of Hip Hop Culture
e culture that would eventually be dubbed hip hop was actually brewing
before the famed Sedgewick Rec Party in 1973. But historians prefer clear
benchmarks. Moreover, historians favor the prospect of assigning denitive
historical developments to key gureheads. And so it would seem, the fewer
the number of key events and gureheads, the easier it is for historians to draw
a clean narrative. is is why the story of hip hop, for better or worse, always
conveniently begins with the Kool Herc/Sedgewick Rec Party storyline. e
story of Kool Herc DJ’ing at the Sedgwick Rec Room on August 11, 1973 has
been oered up by hip hop historians, prime hip hop architects, and common
fans with such reverence that it has risen to the level of romantic legend. But
even if one does just a surface read of the 1973 Sedgwick Rec party storyline, it’s
clear that the event didn’t emerge as if Kool Herc had said, “Hey, I’m going to
throw a ‘hip hop’ party.”
20
us, one of the biggest misconceptions about hip
hop culture is that it was the initial product of one lone force: hip hop music,
and one lone person: Kool Herc.
20
Why the famous Sedgwick party took place at all is based on two stories: (1) Cindy Campbell’s birthday
party; or (2) Cindy Campbell’s idea for money under the guise of a back-to-school party. Accounts given
in 1984 and then in 2005 by DJ Kool Herc and his sister, Cindy, differ. In 1984, Herc refers to it as a
“birthday party.” In a 2005 interview with Jeff Chang, Cindy describes it differently — as a back to school
party to raise money for new school clothes. I suspect the truth is somewhere in the middle.
37
MOVE, ROCK, DANCE, SUCKA
ough the music of hip hop did indeed drive the entire culture as it further
developed, hip hop/rap music did not spawn each element of hip hop culture.
ere were many simmering creative impulses leading up to the rst hip hop
party. e hip hop movement formulated with a wide range of expressions
that were moving parallel to one another in the South Bronx and other areas
throughout New York City (most notably Brooklyn) at the same time. So it
should be understood that hip hop culture is not the story of a single event
or invention of a single person, but rather it’s the story of the coalescence
(unication) and formalization of seed elements that were already present
within a community devastated by the South Bronx Disaster. B-boying (later
to be known as “break dancing” or “breakin’”), DJ’ing, rapping (MC’ing or
emceeing), and grati writing, all sprang up from the same cultural and social
conditions described in Chapter 1 of this study. What follows in this section
is a brief historical breakdown of each of the four original elements of hip hop
culture, along with an examination of the aesthetics, tenets, priorities, values,
and principles that underscore all of the elements of hip hop collectively.
ough each of the original elements — art forms — of hip hop culture
represented its own distinct tradition and subculture within the broader hip hop
tradition and culture, it must be noted that the development of each of these
elements overlapped and cross-fertilized throughout the 1970s and early 1980s.
All of the early hip hop pioneers participated in at least two (if not all) of the
four elements of hip hop. (For example, Kool Herc was rst a grati writer
before he became a DJ.) us, it’s necessary to spend some time exploring the
origins and development of each element and their role in the development of
hip hop overall. Also, the notion of cross fertilization is particularly important
in this scope. Since all of the earliest pioneers participated in more than one of
hip hop’s art forms, all of the pioneers had a keen awareness of each of the art
forms that came together to comprise the collective hip hop culture.
Grafti
In New York City between the 1950s and late 1960s, grati was mostly
used by street gangs to mark turf and some political activists to make
statements. But the underground art form that would take hold in NYC
actually had its roots in Philadelphia, PA in the late 1960s. e two writers
from Philly who are credited with the first “conscious bombing efforts”
are CORNBREAD and COOL EARL. It’s unclear exactly how the Philly
concept of grati made its way to New York City, but by 1971, it was apparent
38
THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
that the form was rising.
21
at year, the New York Times published an article
on TAKI 183, a teenage grati writer from Washington Heights. e article
was very inuential in that it not only made TAKI 183 (real name Demitrius)
the rst grati writer in New York City recognized outside of the newly formed
subculture, it also helped push forward an already growing underground NYC
grati movement. As the article noted, TAKI 183 worked as a foot messenger
who, being on the subway frequently, wrote motion “tags” in subway stations and
on subway cars as well as buildings all across NYC.
22
But TAKI 183 certainly
was not the rst gra writer in NYC, nor was he even considered to be one of
the grati “kings.” During this time, JULIO 204 was most widely credited as
being one of the rst writers of signicance. After noticing JULIO 204’s, TAKI
183 took up writing his name and street number (with a wide marker) wherever
he went. Other signicant writers who appeared in 1971 were LEE 163, SLY
II, and PHASE 2, LEE 163’s cousin.
23
Between 1971 and 1974, the rst pioneering period of grati, hundreds
of new grati writers emerged, and the art form continued to grow in both
volume and, more importantly, in style throughout the ve boroughs of NYC.
Tags were the norm for most writers, and competition was a major driving
force. Writers competed with each other all over the city, seeing who could get
the most tags up as possible. At rst, buses, handball courts, schoolyards, and
other locations were hit, but soon, as grati grew more competitive and writers
grew more daring, subway cars became a favorite target. Not long afterward,
the concept and method of “bombing” (painting subway cars as they sat parked
in train yards) was born.
During this period, writers experimented with script and calligraphic styles.
Flourishes, stars, crowns, and other similar designs also marked the earlier part
of this pioneering period. It was also during this period when writers began to
experiment with the size (scale) of tags. Using the creative commons of their
craft, writers began to create tags that were larger, with letters that were thicker
and outlines with additional colors. After writers began to use caps from other
aerosol products, they learned that the width of the spray could be increased.
is discovery, credited rst to SUPER KOOL 223, who used the cap from an
oven cleaner can, led directly to giant signatures known as “masterpieces” (or
21
For an extended history of grafti see: @149st (http://www.at149st.com/history.html). Also, see:
Subway Grafti: An Aesthetic Study of Grafti on the Subway System of New York City, 1970-1978, by
Jack Stewart; and the classic for the newer school, Subway Art by Henry Chalfant and Martha Cooper;
and “History of Graf,” daveyd.com.
22
New York Times, “’Taki 183’ Spawns Pen Pals,” July 21, 1971.
23
History of Grafti, Part I,” @149th Street (http://www.at149st.com/history.html). It must also be noted
that there was a burgeoning grafti movement growing on the streets of Brooklyn at this very same
time, with FRIENDLY FREDDIE being one of the most recognizable Brooklyn writers at the time. Also
see: Stephen Hager, Hip Hop: The Illustrated History of Break Dancing, Rap Music, and Grafti (New
York: St. Martin’s Press, 1984), 13.
39
MOVE, ROCK, DANCE, SUCKA
“pieces,” for short). ese were large-scale visual themes or statements, with
bigger letters and bolder styles and ideas. Credit for the development of the
rst masterpieces is commonly given to SUPER KOOL 223 (of the Bronx)
and WAP (of Brooklyn). Soon pieces began to appear on the entire height of
subway cars. ese pieces were known as “top-to-bottoms;” RIFF 170 is credited
for having revolutionized top-to-bottoms. During this period, style became
the most important aspect of grati, as it was more prestigious for writers
to create original lettering styles. Lesser writers who merely imitated others
became known as “toys,” and writers whose tags were just local and not “all city”
(scene in all ve boroughs) were described as DGAs: “Doesn’t Get Around.”
24
With competition steadily driving the movement, forcing less talented writers
out of the limelight, styles began to move away from the typical tag pieces. e
Broadway style, introduced by TOPCAT 126 (who had moved from Philly to
New York City), emerged. e Broadway style led to block letters and leaning
letters. en came the Bubble letters, a style rst developed and credited to
PHASE 2. It was the combination of PHASE 2’s work and competition from
other style masters that began what became known as the style wars. “Style
wars” was the term used to describe the period in which there was an explosion
of writers who took ideas from each other, improved upon them, and brought
them to another level. During this period, pieces became more complex in style,
especially in size, depth, and meaning. Finally, by 1974, works with scenery,
illustrations, and cartoon characters (popularized by TRACY 168, CLIFF 159,
BLADE ONE) started to appear.
It was also during this period when writers began gathering in loose-knit
groups that mirrored small artistic professional associations. “Meetings were held
at various ‘writers’ corners’ around the city, the two most prominent of which
were located at a subway station at 149th Street and the Grand Concourse in
the Bronx, and on the corner of 188th and Audubon Avenue in Manhattan.”
Wherever writers gathered, they shared sketch ideas from their personal art
books, compared notes on various lettering styles, and generally talked shop
about their craft. rough their various writers meetings and gatherings and
artistic protocols, grati writers, like b-boys, soon developed their own slang
and fashion styles.
It’s widely considered by all grati historians that by 1974, all of the grati
standards (foundation) had been established. at being said, the period between
1975-77 marks the time when the heaviest bombing in NYC took place (no
doubt due in some part to NYC’s mid-1970s scal crises). During this time,
24
Ibid, 19-24.
40
THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
“whole car” pieces became standard fair, and the “throw up” became the denitive
form of bombing. e throw up, a style based on Bubble lettering, is a piece
(hastily rendered, usually just two letters) that consists of just a simple outline
and a ll-in. Just like competition had driven writers in 1971 to put up as many
tags as they could, competition for the most throw ups exploded throughout the
city between 1975 and 77. Incidentally, during this time the number of grati
crews increased dramatically.
25
Between 1978 and 1981, there was a grati revival of sorts, brought on
by the new style wars between major writing crews like UA, CIA (founded by
style master DONDI), TDS, TCF, RTW, TMT, and more. But this period also
marked the nal wave of bombing before the New York City Transit Authority
ratcheted up their eorts to end grati on trains. ough grati writing would
continue on through the mid-1980s, by 1985 the NYC street grati culture
would deteriorate dramatically.
26
However, due in large part to the eorts of
grati writer (and sharp self-promoter) Fab 5 Freedy, grati would nd a new
audience in the downtown NYC art scene.
27
It should also be noted that the NYC
subway system played a tremendous role in the development of NYC’s grati
culture. Both in terms of being a de facto art canvas and, more importantly,
as a line of communication and a unifying element for all of the dierent
grati writers and separate grati developments (movements) throughout the
ve boroughs. Finally, it’s worth mentioning that grati culture is parallel to
beatmaking culture, in that it became quite racially and ethnically inclusive.
Although during the rst pioneering grati period (1971-1974) many writers
were Puerto Rican, it’s a little-known fact that most of the rst writers in the
South Bronx were black.
B-Boying (”Break Dancing”) and DJ’ing
Dance has always played an integral part in the development of the African
American (Black) music tradition. But the explosive new dance style that was
taking hold in New York City in the early 1970s was quite dierent. “Going
25
Ibid.
26
The Transit Authority tried two main solutions. First, they tried the “buff,” a giant subway car wash.
This didn’t work, as the buff rendered subway cars a “dirty” and “desolate” color. After the buff, came
the yard fence with barbwire, coupled with guard dogs. This second solution, along with more serious
penalties for grafti writers, became the chief deterrent for bombing. There are many reasons for the
decline of grafti culture in the mid-1980s, notably the stepped-up anti-grafti efforts of the Transit
Authority, stiffer penalties for grafti, drug usage, and the allure of hip hop/rap music as a “safer” and
more protable career path.
27
Fab 5 Freddy’s efforts in the downtown New York City art scene of the mid-1980s not only helped
popularize grafti, it also helped break rap music and hip hop to a wider (white) audience.
41
MOVE, ROCK, DANCE, SUCKA
o,” “burning,” or the “good foot” (named after the James Brown song of the
same name) were the names used to describe what would become “b-boying,”
and later on, widely known as “break dancing.” “Going o” was a dance style
that featured an erratic assortment of oor drops and spins and other James
Brown-inspired leg movements. Dancers who “got wild” would wait for the
“break” (the part in the record where the song is stripped down to just the high
energy of the rhythm section — the drums, guitar or bass licks, maybe some
additional syncopated percussive elements, no melody), then they would get
out on the dance oor and go wild.
At the same time dancers were getting wild, Kool Herc was building a name
as a DJ. After seeing these dancers go wild whenever he played the breaks,
Herc began calling them “break boys,” which he shortened to “b-boys.” And in
the dialogue between Kool Herc and the b-boys (and b-girls), it was the b-boys
who perhaps had the most inuence. B-boys pushed Herc just as much as he
pushed them. But in addition to helping the b-boys further develop their art
form, Herc also found that by using two turn tables, a DJ mixer, and two copies
of the same record, he could not only keep the b-boys engaged, he could also
keep the party going for everybody, without interruption.
Herc wasn’t the rst American DJ to use two turntables; club DJs, especially
New York disco (early disco) DJs, were already using two turntables before Herc.
But the club/disco DJs played one record at a time; that is, they let one record
play all the way through before playing the next one. It was Herc who rst came
up with the style of only playing the breaks (continuously) with two turntables.
And Herc was directly inuenced by a DJ named John Brown. While still in
high school, Herc (not yet Kool Herc) used to hang out at a small nightclub
called the Plaza Tunnel. By his own admission, he spent time at the Plaza Tunnel
soaking up the records (mostly early funk) that John Brown played and his style
of DJ’ing as well. It was this experience and interaction at the Plaza Tunnel that
led directly to the style of DJ’ing that Herc showcased at the infamous Sedgwick
party in 1973 and other subsequent parties.
As Herc, and other DJ’s like Grandmaster Flash and Afrika Bambaataa,
continued to pioneer the hip hop DJ style (Herc’s style), specically the
elongation of the break of early funk records (the “merry-go-round” technique),
the b-boy culture continued to solidify and become more denitive. B-boys
would create “ciphers,” dance rings (circles) in which b-boys would enter
one at a time and compete against each other. Now that the music had been
extended, the energy level had gone up, and more intense competition sparked
new moves. Early b-boys like the Nigger Twins (Kevin and Keith, who were
only 12 years old when they attended their rst Herc party), the Zulu Kings,
42
THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
and “Clark Kent” continuously borrowed moves from each other and used
the extended break to experiment and come up with new moves. During this
time, spins became more prominent and footwork grew more complex. Floor
drops, where b-boys dropped to the ground and popped back up again on beat,
became basic stu for all b-boys worth their weight. Arm- and hand-use for
body support developed quickly; freezes and leg shues became big; knee spins
and butt spins emerged. And around this same time, out in Brooklyn another
early funk-based dance style known as the “Brooklyn Uprock” or “Brooklyn
Rock” (soon it would come to be known as “uprocking” in the South Bronx)
was serving as the foundation for another pivotal dance movement. Each of
these moves, and others based upon them, eventually all became part of the
denitive architecture of the b-boy dance style.
And just as grati was developing into its own subculture with its own slang,
fashion, and crews, b-boying was quickly morphing into its own subculture,
complete with its own slang, fashion (at rst jeans and sneakers, then sportswear,
usually warm-up suits and sneakers), and crews. Moreover, b-boying was just
like grati, in that it “was all about battling…Breakin’ on somebody was the
attitude you had to have if you called yourself a b-boy. You had to be ready to
battle at the drop of a hat, whether you were on the street, in a park, or at a
jam, and you had to be on your shit if you dared compete.”
28
By 1977, many DJs had followed Kool Herc’s lead, but none were more
notable than the rst two who appeared directly after him: Grandmaster Flash
and Afrika Bambaataa, respectively. Although Herc was the rst DJ to use
turntables as instruments, it was Grandmaster Flash who took the art of hip
hop DJing to the next level. While Herc had developed the style of elongating
the break, he used the “needle-drop” technique. at is to say, he dropped the
needle of the turntable on the groove of the record where he thought the part
he wanted began. Flash moved past the needle-drop, and developed techniques
and methods for blending records, mixing them, and cutting the beats together
all on beat. Rather than simply keep records playing continuously, Flash wanted
to create a continuous groove, one that was made up of all the “reorganized
pieces of songs” he’d found. He wanted to “keep the beat.” at is, he wanted
to gure out a way to start and stop records on the left and right turntables,
without listeners knowing where one record stopped and the next one started.
29
Grandmaster Flash became the first DJ to actually physically put his
hands on the vinyl while the turntable’s platter was spinning, giving him a
level of control previously unrealized by other DJs. Using his hands to wind
the records back and forward, a technique he dubbed the “spin back,” and
28
Grandmaster Flash and David Ritz, The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash: My Life, My Beats (New
York: Broadway Books, 2008), 39.
29
Ibid, 54-84.
43
MOVE, ROCK, DANCE, SUCKA
keying in on the marks (pencil lines at rst) that he placed on the labels
of his records, Grandmaster Flash developed what he called the “clock theory.”
Soon, he took the clock theory further and developed the “quik mix theory,”
which was a collective of his own techniques for quickly cutting back and forth
between records on beat, making one musical passage ow seamlessly to the
next. Flash’s “quik mix theory” included a number of rsts, but it most notably
included the “spin back,” a method for quickly rewinding records, and the “punch
phase,” which was a method for punching a record forward, right on the break.
While Kool Herc was winding down his career, and while Grandmaster
Flash was pioneering the use of turntables as instruments, Afrika Bambaataa
was making a name for himself as a cultural unier and DJ whose stash of
records knew no bounds. e term “hip hop” is curiously credited to being
rst used by Lovebug Starski, but by most accounts, it was Afrika Bambaataa
(ca. 1975-76) who rst (consciously) used “hip hop” specically to describe
the type of jams (parties) he was throwing. And thus, it was perhaps because
of Lovebug Starski and Afrika Bambaataa that “hip hop” came to (informally
at rst) describe the collective culture (movement) that encompassed the four
separate NYC underground street elements — art forms: DJ’ing, grati writing,
b-boying, and rapping. While a Grandmaster Flash music set was characterized
by turntable wizardry and precision, an Afrika Bamabaataa set was personied
by an eclectic musical mix. Bambaataa experimented with other forms of
music, particularly late 1960s and early 1970s rock. Finally, even though Kool
Herc, Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, and other pivotal DJs of the time
ultimately developed distinct hip hop DJ performance styles (all based upon
Herc’s original innovation), it must be remembered that the parties that each
threw between 1973 and 1978 were really more like events, wherein all four of
the elements hip hop culture were well-represented.
The Late “Early” Years of B-Boying and the Birth of Break Dancing
After developing the b-boy style for more than ve years, many blacks
stopped by 1978. But it was at this time that Puerto Ricans had just started
getting into b-boying. By 1979, b-boying, which had once been a movement
almost exclusively practiced by blacks, had become a new movement that was
now lead by Puerto Ricans. New crews like Rockwell Association, TDK, TBB,
and the Rock Steady Crew (founded by Jimmy D and JoJo) emerged, taking over
where the earliest b-boys (like the Zulu Kings, Prole, and e Nigger Twins)
had left o. During this period, b-boying moved forward, then suddenly in
44
THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
1980, it begin to enter a new decline. at’s when 14-year old Richie Colon
stepped up and changed everything.
30
Having grown up in the Bronx most of his life, Richie Colon moved with
his family to Manhattan in 1980. Before he moved to Manhattan, he had
spent two years practicing the b-boy style in hopes of one day joining Rockwell
Association. He had changed his name to Crazy Legs, and he was now ready
to join the ranks of master b-boys. But Rockwell Association and Rock Steady
Crew were no longer dancing as much as they had been in the previous two years.
So Crazy Legs was forced to nd his own crew. After getting permission from
Jimmy D (co-founder of Rock Steady Crew), Crazy Legs started a Manhattan
branch of Rock Steady Crew. It was Crazy Legs and this branch of Rock Steady
Crew that would bring the most fame to the RSC name.
e early and mid-1980s brought the advent of “power moves,” dance
moves that emphasized more spinning action and gymnastics. From this
period, dances like the infamous “windmill” (credited to Crazy Legs), and
“1990s (one-hand-stand spins) emerged. The early and mid-1980s also
brought a level of media coverage of b-boying that had previously been
unimaginable. This is when the Rock Steady Crew, along with another
pivotal New York City b-boy crew, New York City Breakers, and movies like
Style Wars (1982), Wild Style (1982), Beat Street (1984), Breakin’ (1984), and
Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984), combined to spark a break dance explosion
all across America.
While b-boying was developing in the South Bronx and Brooklyn uprocking
was happening in Brooklyn (the latter dance form unifying into the b-boy
movement), there was a parallel dance movement — “locking” and “popping”
— happening on the West Coast. Like b-boying in the South Bronx, locking and
popping were inspired by funk music as well. However, early West Coast funk,
which too focused on the groove, was slightly dierent than East Coast funk.
Out of this separate early 1970s “funk movement” in Los Angeles, California
emerged Don Campbell, aka “Don Cambellock,” originator of “locking” (ca.
1970-73). Locking, a dance somewhat based on the “funky chicken,” another
popular dance at the time, featured a locking motion of the joints of one’s arms
and the bending of one’s elbows. Soon after introducing locking, Cambellock
formed a group called e Lockers. e Lockers were very inuential in that
they pioneered a number of new moves and other dances that made up the
locking repertoire, including “knee drops,” “butt drops,” the “stop n’ go,” “the
30
Hager, 86-89. Also, information extracted from interviews with various 1979s Bronx and Brooklyn
residents, specically my close family friendCanell Johnson.
45
MOVE, ROCK, DANCE, SUCKA
fancies,” “the lock,” and “scooby doos.” And as with some of the later b-boys of
New York City, some of the west coast lockers incorporated dives, drop downs,
and other gymnastic moves.
31
“Popping” was introduced in 1976. Originated by Sam “Boogaloo Sam”
Soloman, one of the three founders of e Electronic Boogaloo Lockers,
“popping” was a dance that featured the tick-like contraction movement of hands,
arms, neck, chest, and legs, which gave o a mechanical or smooth robotic eect.
ere are conicting stories as to how “locking” and “popping” made their way to
the Bronx and the rest of New York City, but it’s widely regarded that the dance
was picked up (and initially misnamed “electric boogie”) by dancers in NYC,
after groups like e Lockers and e Electronic Boogaloo Lockers appeared
on 1970s television shows like “Soul Train,” “Saturday Night Live,” “e Dick
Van Dyke Variety Show,” and the popular sitcom “What’s Happening.”
By the mid-1980s, mainstream media had grouped together most of these
dance forms — both from the East Coast and West Coast — and called it all
“break dancing.” Soon, break dancing became over-commercialized, and all of
the separate art forms that comprised hip hop dance lost emphasis on their root
structures and nuances. More specically, the essence and spirit of b-boying
culture faded and seemingly disappeared, until a resurgence in the late 1990s
and early 2000s.
Rapping (MC’ing or Emceeing)
To truly understand the force that is rapping, one must accept the conceptual
heritage and material artifacts and their authentic signications — in history,
origin and social intercourse, and orature.
32
e roots of the art of rapping go
back much farther than most people recognize. In fact, rapping, a clear example
of the broad black vernacular tradition, is a continuance of the African American
31
Information extracted from interviews with various b-boys and dancers, including King Uprock, Mariella
Gross, and Canell Johnson. Also see: Jorge “Popmaster Fabel” Pabon, “Physical Grafti: The History of
Hip Hop Dance,” DaveyD.com. Furthermore, see: episodes of television dance show “Soul Train” (ca.
1976), as well as other television shows of the same period, including: “Dick Van Dyke Variety Show;”
and “The Carol Burnett Show.”
32
For context and reference, see Wole Soyinka, “The Critic and Society: Barthes, Leftocracy and Other
Mythologies,” Black Literature & Literary Theory (New York and London: Methuen, 1984), 44. In his essay,
Soyinka illuminates the problem that arises in academia when critics of African literary theory attempt to
teach it. Specically, Soyinka points out that because these critics of the African literary tradition “refuse
to accept the conceptual heritage or even material artifacts and their authentic signications…as valid
dialectical quantities” for any literary theory, the “roots” of African literary are mis-taught, and students
are ultimately “imprisoned” by the subsequent mis-teachings. I nd the same parallel in the ways in
which the various elements of hip hop — specically rapping and beatmaking — are taught. Because
many contemporary teachers willfully refuse to accept the roots of rapping and beatmaking, new rappers
and beatmakers are often imprisoned by mis-teachings, and are, therefore, prone to misrepresenting
these two art forms.
46
THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
“toasting” tradition, an oral tradition of lively verbal art that stretches back from
the Reconstruction Era to the jazz age to the social movements of the late 1960s
and on through to the present. A uniquely urban phenomenon, the African
American toasting tradition — not to be confused with the Jamaican toasting
tradition of the late 1960s and early 1970s
33
— is a dynamic poetic performance
art, traditionally learned directly from or by studying other “toasters” and through
intense verbal training. African American forms of “toasts,” which often feature
boasts, “trickster” tales, adventures, and social commentary, are typically laced
with slang and profanity, and center around some form of heroics or uplift made
by a central black character, who beats the odds (a tragic event, a villain, etc.)
by using his wits and common skills. Often in toasts, the central character “top
talks” (out talks) a clear opponent, often a dangerous or tyrannical authority
gure. Also, within this toasting tradition, versioning, improvisation, and using
one’s individual style is highly valued. It’s also worth mentioning that while
some women have participated in the African American toasting tradition,
toasts were mostly performed by black males. Finally, I should point out that
before rapping emerged, the three most common forms of African American
toasts were: (1) “signifyin’ toasts;” (2) “radio DJ toasts;” and (3) “hustler toasts.”
“Signifyin’ toasts,” which appeared in both print and music stem from the
African American vernacular practice of “signifyin’(g). Signifyin’ describes a
verbal process of using the direct (denotative and gurative) meanings of words
to say something else indirectly, and it is typically used to parody or satirize
a character, theme, subject, or event. Signifyin’ emphasizes the connotative
(secondary), context-bound signicance of words or expressions in addition to
their explicit or primary meanings, which is accessible only to those who share
or well-understand the unique cultural values of a given speech community.
Signifyin’ involves the conscious use of “specic language” and slang and
concepts specically understood by a given speech community. In signifyin’
toasts, performers tell “trickster tales” in which central characters use the
aforementioned verbal strategy to cleverly tap the direct meanings of words, while
summoning indirect meanings, often for the purpose of obtaining “hidden,” but
intended outcomes.
34
33
The Jamaican toasting tradition of the 1970s has been widely considered to have played a major role
in the art of rapping in hip hop. This is inaccurate.
34
Two of the most popular African American signifyin’ toasts are “Shine and the Titanic,” and “The
Signifying Monkey.” In “Shine and the Titanic,” a black stoker named Shine uses his wit and common
abilities to both escape the sinking of the Titanic and the threat of a hungry whale. In “The Signifying
Monkey,” the Signifying Monkey in the jungle cleverly dupes a Lion. See: Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Black
Literature and Literary Theory (New York and London: Methuen, 1984), 288.
47
MOVE, ROCK, DANCE, SUCKA
“Radio DJ toasts,” which were pioneered in the 1950s by Philadelphia, PA
radio disc jockey Douglas “Jocko” Henderson (“JOCKO” & e Rocket Ship
Show),
35
were quite dierent than signifyin’ toasts. Unlike signifyin’ toasts, radio
DJ toasts were typically not too narrative in nature, and they were most often
not characterized by a central character, but rather a “hip,” improvised telling of
the moment. at is to say, radio DJ toasts were rapid, quick-witted radio “raps”
(rhymes) or “skats,” usually simple one- and two-liners lled with “hip” urban
slang. Radio DJ toasts were impromptu and performed throughout radio shows,
but particularly before and after records were played. DJs like Jocko would use
toasts to help keep their shows moving or to boast about themselves, their radio
shows, and/or the hit records they played. Often, Jocko would say things like,
“Eee-tiddlee-dock, this is the Jock! Back on the scene with the record machine,”
or “Oo-papa-doo, how do you do?” “He ain’t mean, he just wanna be seen;”
“Mommy-Os and Daddy-Os;” “e Ace from outta space;” and similar toasts
all exemplify the kinds of toasts black radio DJs performed and their limitless
ability to improvise hip rhyming slang. Black radio DJs used these toasts to
build up their radio shows and to communicate in a more personal way with
their listeners.
By the early 1970s, there were a number of black radio DJs who performed
radio toasts, but the clear leader in 1970s New York City radio was Frankie
Crocker “the chief rocker.” Frankie Crocker, who was also the MC (Master of
Ceremonies) at the Apollo during the mid- and late 1970s, said toasts like, “More
dips in your hips, more glide in your stride;” and “If Frankie Crocker isn’t on
your radio, your radio isn’t really on.” Frankie Crocker, and later some NYC
disco radio DJs, would have some role in the development of rapping in hip hop.
“Hustler toasts,” which reached prominence in black street corner culture
and black prison culture between the mid-1960s and early 1970s, shares more
similarities with signifyin’ toasts than radio DJ toasts. Hustler toasts are mostly
narrative and carry a message; but that’s where the similarities stop. While
signifyin’ toasts often emphasize the connotative and are indirect, hustler toasts
usually emphasize the straight-forward (often confrontational) and are mostly
direct. While signifyin’ toasts are often versions of well-known toasts, hustler toasts
are often the true accounts — experienced or witnessed — of the individuals
who perform them. Finally, while signifyin’ toasts are generally humorous and
contain profanity in a passive context, humor (when it’s used) in hustler toasts
is often sinister, and profanity is used much more aggressively or matter-factly.
35
Other important pioneering black radio DJs of the time who performed radio DJ toasts include: Maurice
“Hot Rod” Hulbert, Jr. and Rufus Thomas. It should further be noted that the radio DJ toast tradition was
pioneered rst on rhythm and blues radio stations.
48
THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
Although all three common forms of African American toasts played a role in
the development of rapping in hip hop, no form had more direct inuence than
the hustler toast. And the most important hustler toasts to hit the streets of the
South Bronx was James Brown’s version of “King Heroin” and the infamous
Lightnin’ Rod album Hustler’s Convention.
Released in 1973 and performed by Jalal Nuriddin, under the pseudonym,
“Lightnin’ Rod,” Hustler’s Convention became the single biggest inspiration for
the early formulation of rapping in hip hop. Set to the music of Kool and e
Gang, Bernard Purdie, Billy Preston, and Colonel Dupree, Hustler’s Convention
masterfully demonstrates the African American toasting and rapping traditions.
e album contains a series of “rap songs” (prison-style toasts) that tell the story
of two hustlers, Sport and Spoon, as they hustle their way through the ghetto one
summer. Each rap spares know punches, as stories of drug use, dice and pool
games, sexual episodes with random women, drug sales, and shoot-outs color
the balance of the album. Told through the rst-hand account of Sport, the story
begins with Spoon coming home from jail, and ends with Sport going back to
jail, where after “twelve years of time,” he realizes that he was just a “nickel and
dime hustler,” and that the “real hustlers are those rippin’ o billions from those
millions who are programmed to think they can win.”
36
ere can be no doubt
that James Brown and, more importantly, the album Hustler’s Convention were
the two biggest and most direct inuences on the development of early rapping
in hip hop. All of the earliest hip hop/rap pioneers who have spoken on record
maintain this. In fact, the rst hip hop/rap music architect and pioneer, Kool
DJ Herc, directly said as much more than 25 years ago: “e inspiration for rap
is James Brown and the album Hustler’s Convention.”
37
Rapping in Hip Hop
Early on in the development of hip hop, rapping was very simple and
rappers (MCs/emcees) were primarily a sideshow to the DJ. e rst hip hop
toasts (raps) ever performed were by Kool Herc, who, inspired by James Brown
and the album Hustler’s Convention, would say impromptu toasts while DJ’ing.
36
Hustler’s Convention, (United Artists, 1973). At the time of the release of Hustler’s Convention, Jalal
Nuriddin was the leader of The Last Poets, a group of Harlem poets and musicians who earned acclaim
through their searing social commentary and oft-described black nationalist sympathies. It’s perhaps
worth noting that prior to becoming the leader of The Last Poets, Nuriddin was, in fact, incarcerated.
37
Hager, 45-49. Famed early rapping pioneer Grandmaster Caz of the Cold Crush Brothers makes a
similar unwavering claim: “I knew the entire Hustler’s Convention by heart. That was rap…” See also,
Toop, 53-58: “James Brown was the most direct connection between soulful testifying and Bronx poetry…
His position as spokesman for black consciousness and minister of super-heavy funk might have been
on the wane by the ‘70s, but for the b boys he was still Soul Brother Number One.”
49
MOVE, ROCK, DANCE, SUCKA
e toasts that Herc performed were not long or particularly narrative, they
were nothing more than simple expressions designed to keep the energy of the
party going. He would say things like, “Yes, yes, y’all, it’s the serious, serio-so
jointski,” or “YES-YES, Y’ALL! TO-THE BEAT, Y’ALL.” He would also say
expressions that singled out the names of some of the party-goers, combining
these shout-out-like expressions with rhymes and some of the well-known slang
of the day: “As I scan the place, I see the very familiar face…of my mellow;” or
“Wallace Dee in the house. Wallace Dee, freak for me.” Soon, Herc added Jay
Cee and Clark Kent (e Herculords) to the show, and the Herculords would
rap the same type of toasts rst performed by Herc.
38
Interestingly enough, it was another DJ who pushed rapping in the direction
that eventually lead to modern rapping. In an eort to keep pace with Kool
Herc, Grandmaster Flash wrote a rhyme (sometime between 1974 and 75) that
would prove even more inuential than Herc’s initial toasts. e rhyme went
like this: “You dip, dive and socialize. We’re trying to make you realize. at we
are qualied to rectify that burning…desire…to boogie.” Hardly the sort of
lyrical dexterity that we associate with modern rap, but what Flash’s rhyme did
was open up the possibilities for how rhymes could be written and performed.
Grandmaster Flash was not consciously trying to advance the art of rapping,
he was simply acting out of necessity. According to Flash, “vocal entertainment
became necessary to keep the crowd under control.”
39
Flash soon put together
a group of rappers to be part of his DJ show. e group, e Furious Five,
composed of rappers Cowboy (Keith Wiggins), Kid Creole (Nathaniel Glover),
Eddie “Mr. Ness/Scorpio” Morris, Guy “Rahiem” Williams, and last but not least,
Creole’s younger brother, Melle Mel (Melvin Glover), would quickly become one
of the most pivotal rap groups of all time, almost immediately sparking similar
groups like the Cold Crush Brothers and e Treacherous ree.
40
Between 1975 and 1979, rap styles were an assortment of party rhymes,
nursery rhymes, boasts, and comic book inspired joke rhymes. Rap routines, like
the ones rst performed by e Furious Five, became more elaborate and more
entertaining in the late 1970s. e quintessential “rap routine” was perhaps
most personied (and perfected) by e Cold Crush Brothers and e Fantastic
38
Hager, 47. Also, Flash and Ritz, 102.
39
Ibid, 47.
40
There were a countless number of rappers who helped advance the art of rapping, but some of the
most notable rappers of the period include: The Furious Five (Melle Mel, Cowboy, Raheim, Mr. Ness,
and Kid Creole), The Cold Crush Brothers (Grandmaster Caz, Whipper Whip, Dot-A-Rock, Easy A.D.,
DJ Charlie Chase, Kay Gee, DJ Tony Tone, J.D.L., and Mr. Tee), Double Trouble (Lil Rodney Cee and
KK Rockwell), The Treacherous Three (Kool Moe Dee, Special K, and LA Sunshine), Funky Four Plus
One More (Lil Rodney Cee, KK Rockwell, Sha Rock, Keith Keith, and Jazzy Jeff with DJ Breakout),
and Spoonie Gee.
50
THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
Five. Just as with grati, b-boying, and DJ’ing, rapping became increasingly
more competitive. Rap “battles” became a dening event of the time. It was
also during this time that personal styles, like those from Grandmaster Caz, Kool
Moe Dee (e Treacherous ree), and Spoonie Gee, were rapidly developing.
By 1980, the art of rapping had begun to shift towards the style and structure
we recognize today. Most paramount to this broad directional shift in rapping
was Kurtis Blow and Melle Mel. Kurtis Blow’s big hit — in terms of sales, critical
acclaim, and inuence — was “e Breaks.” Neither a party rhyme, a boast,
or a joke rhyme, “e Breaks” was the rst attempt at serious subject matter,
albeit to a party-style backing track. Using an updated, hard-hittiing version of
the studio-band sound of the time (inspired by the approach used for the Sugar
Hill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight), Kurtis Blow articulated a much more direct and
consistent ow, one that was more rhythmically balanced than any other rap
previously recorded.
In 1982, barely two years after “e Breaks,” and just months after the release
of “Planet Rock” (the breakaway hit by Afrika Bambaataa), Melle Mel — a
former b-boy — pushed the art of rapping into another stratosphere when he
and e Furious Five released “e Message.”
41
Building o of Kurtis Blow’s
pioneering eorts of serious subject matter, Melle Mel and producer Duke
Bootee (leader of Sugar Hill Record’s in-house studio band), created what was,
in eect, the very rst “reality rap” song. “e Message,” which featured a grim,
down-tempo rhythm track created by Duke Bootee, was a stark departure from
the club rhymes and light (party) subject matter of the period. Reminiscent,
both in tone and performance, to Lightnin’ Rods’ Hustler’s Convention, “e
Message” tells the stories of many typical gures living in the ghetto, and it ends
with a youth going to jail, where, after being raped, he commits suicide. Equally
impressive to the straight-forward subject matter of the song, was the structure
of the rhyme itself. e meter that Melle Mel used was much more rhythmic
in nature, and the bars that made up each stanza were quite conversational,
moreso than any rap that had previously been recorded. “e Message” marks
the beginning of the rhyme style in which a rapper seemingly talks directly to
individual listeners, rather than addresses an audience.
In 1983, just one year after Melle Mel laid down the foundation of modern
rapping, Run-DMC released their rst single, “It’s Like at.” Similar to “e
Breaks,” and “e Message,” “It’s Like at” was a rap retelling of “the way it is”
41
Although “The Message” is attributed to Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five, the truth of
the matter is that Grandmaster Flash fought against the record and had no real involvement with it.
Furthermore, Melle Mel wrote every verse of the song, except for one, which was co-written by Duke
Bootee (Ed Fletcher).
51
MOVE, ROCK, DANCE, SUCKA
in the hood. However, what set “It’s Like at” apart from those other earlier
eorts is the fact that the rhymes were set to a sparse, drum programmed beat,
something that seemingly inspired rappers Run and DMC to merge the rhyme
styles of Kurtis Blow and Melle Mel, respectively.
In 1984, T La Rock broke on the rap scene and introduced the “complex
lyrical rhyme style” with the single, “It’s Yours,” produced by a then unknown
producer named Rick Rubin. Unlike the message-driven and crowd-moving
rhymes of Kurtis Blow, Melle Mel, and Run-DMC, T La Rock’s “It’s Yours” was
a celebration of lyricism. Backed by a sparse drum track (a sound that would
come to personify the period), T La Rock put forth a lyrical arsenal that clearly
separated his style from the less complex rhyme structures that preceded him.
Rather than use the typical “A B A B” structure, T La Rock instituted a rhyme
style that completely abandoned conventional rhyme structure, oering up
stanzas in “A A A B” and “A A A B B” form. Eschewing simple rhyme patterns
and easy metaphors, T La Rock introduced an entirely new rhyme structure, one
that was much more dense and layered than anything before. Until T La Rock,
words were mostly used to set up the rhyme that came at the end of each line.
T La Rock pioneered the rhyme style in which any word in the meter could be
rhymed. (In addition, the use of more multisyllabic words emerge at this point.)
Finally, between 1985 and 1988, there were six new rappers who emerged
and solidied (cemented) the modern style of rapping: LL Cool J, KRS-One,
Rakim, Slick Rick, Kool G Rap, and Big Daddy Kane. (Rapper Silver Fox, who
unfortunately recorded very little, must be credited for his inuence over the lyrical
style and technique of LL Cool J and Kool G Rap).
42
With his debut album, Radio
(1985), LL Cool J summoned the collective lyrical energies that proceeded him
and furthered the tradition of aggressive rapping, an approach that was perhaps
rst pioneered by Grandmaster Caz. Incorporating the blastmaster skills of the
Cold Crush Brothers, Kurtis Blow, Melle Mel, and Run-DMC, and utilizing
the dexterity of T La Rock’s rhyme structure, LL Cool J (only 15 or 16 years
old at the time), put together a lyrical force that married the complex rhyme
style with the blastmaster approach.
With his rst two singles in 1986, “Eric B. Is President” and “My Melody,”
Rakim (of Eric B. and Rakim fame) immediately secured his position among
the most inuential rappers (lyricists) of all time. Using a rhyme style perhaps
inspired by T La Rock, Rakim pushed the boundaries and dimensions of the
poetics of rap in a way in which new structures could be explored. Coupling
42
After 1987, most “new” rhyme styles were really stylistic innovations that were based upon the canon
of lyrical work produced prior to 1988.
52
THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
both complex and easy riddles with a dead serious rhyme ow and an uncanny
knack for using breath control and delivery to accentuate each word in a rhyme,
Rakim established a dense, multilayered rhyme scheme approach that helped
revolutionize the complex lyrical rhyme style.
Not to be outdone, in that very same year, Kool G Rap met Marley Marl (DJ,
rst modern beatmaker/producer) and made the single “It’s a Demo.” Although
he was also most likely inspired by T La Rock, Kool G Rap shattered the previous
complex lyrical rhyme style. With “It’s A Demo,” Kool G Rap further pushed the
complex lyrical rhyme style. He aggressively attacked the basic poetic structure
and exhausted simple meter; he doubled-, tripled-, and even quadrupled-up
hyperactive rhyme couplets, judiciously stretching and chopping words and
using slant rhymes more as a means for tempo control and stylistic intonation
than for their explicit value. And like Rakim (perhaps even more so), Kool G
Rap demonstrated an extensive understanding of breath control and its eect
on delivery and ow. Together, Rakim and Kool G Rap helped establish the
complex lyrical rhyme style architecture that later inuenced many lyricists of
the same cloth like Nas, O.C., AZ, and Black ought.
In 1987, the South Bronx crew Boogie Down Productions (BDP) dropped
the seminal album Criminal Minded. An album distinguishable for many
reasons, not the least of which for containing a song that sparked one of the
most infamous “beefs” in hip hop/rap history,
43
Criminal Minded featured
KRS-One using yet another new rhyme style. Drawing on his true experiences
in the streets of the South Bronx, KRS-One introduced a new style of “reality
rap,” one that was deant, in your face, conversational, pulled back in pace,
and educational — that is to say, educational in the same vein as Lightin Rod’s
Hustler’s Convention. One year after Criminal Minded, KRS-One and BDP
dropped By Any Means Necessary.
44
Although the album still featured KRS-One’s
own brand of reality rap, it also presented a much more educational minded
KRS-One. It’s woth pointing out that while KRS-One and Chuck D of Public
Enemy laid down the foundation for so-called “conscious rap,” both rappers were
not considered as such at the time; they were merely thought of as dope rappers
with unique rhyme styles that were well-grounded in hip hop’s rap tradition.
43
The album Criminal Minded (1987) included the songs “The Bridge Is Over” and “South
Bronx,” both diss records aimed at Marley Marl and M.C. Shan and the Queensbridge
Housing Project (Long Island City, Queens, New York), where KRS-One apparently believed
that Marley Marl said hip hop started. Truth is, Marley Marly never made such a claim.
Instead, KRS-One lobbied the rst strike over what he felt was a slight. As the story goes KRS-One tried
to give his demo to Marley Marl, but Marl didn’t accept). Whatever the actual causes were, the songs
personify the classic BDP/Queensbridge battle.
44
Months after the release of Criminal Minded, BDP member Scott La Rock was murdered. Some
attribute this tragedy to KRS-One’s “educational” approach.
53
MOVE, ROCK, DANCE, SUCKA
As far back as 1975, the storyteller rhyme style was, in eect, in hip hop’s
rap form. But prior to 1988, the form was used rather sparingly. at changed,
however, after the release of e Great Adventures of Slick Rick (1988), an album
that was completely dominated by the storyteller rhyme style. Unlike the
storyteller rhyme style of the 1970s, Slick Rick’s style, which was modeled o
of the South Bronx reality rap style, featured a narrative approach that was both
broad and meticulously detailed. Moreover, Slick Rick’s rhyme ow was easy
and not overbearing, something entirely unassuming yet incredibly engaging.
e modern standard for the storyteller rhyme style was established with Slick
Rick and his album e Great Adventures of Slick Rick.
Finally, in the same year that Slick Rick made his debut, Brooklyn rapper
and Juice Crew member Big Daddy Kane dropped his debut album, Long
Live the Kane. As far as rhyme styles go, Big Daddy Kane falls somewhere in
between Rakim and Kool G Rap. However, Big Daddy Kane introduced a
consciously “smooth” element to the art of rapping. Before Kane, rappers were
not particularly concerned with the “polish” of their rhyme style, but instead the
rawness of it. Kane, who could just as easily rip the complex lyrical rhyme style
as he could the more straight-forward rhyme styles, introduced an entirely new
component to rhyme styles, something that I call the “showmanship delivery.”
e showmanship delivery refers to the delivery style in which a rapper delivers
lines in such a way that they resonate much more clearly and come o more
profoundly (perhaps even more than they really are). Using the showmanship
delivery and his mastery of rhythm and tempo, Big Daddy Kane carved out
a rhyme style that on the one hand, mirrored the condence of Grandmaster
Caz and the mid-1970s MCs, and on the other hand, personied the structural
dexterity of the newly created modern rhyme style.
To sum it all up, rapping itself was certainly nothing new. In fact, it was
a continuum of the Black American oral tradition, specically the vernacular
tradition of toasting in the United States. Rapping was a blend of the signifyin’,
radio DJ, and hustler toasts of the African American toasting tradition. However,
that being said, the art of rapping in hip hop did distinguish itself and present a
new development in the black vernacular tradition. From simple toasts, nursery
rhymes, boastful and light subject matter, to complex lyrical structures and
serious content (reality rap) and concepts, rapping developed into the newest
and one of the most powerful vocal strategies of the twentieth century.
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THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
The Hip Hop Sensibility and the Hip Hop Attitude
Having looked at the development of the four original elements (art forms)
of hip hop, we can conclude that hip hop clearly has its own esthetic standards
as well as its own aesthetic priorities. More importantly, I believe that together,
these standards and priorities form what I call the “hip hop sensibility.”
To understand what the hip hop sensibility is and how it drives and informs
creativity in hip hop, you must look at the ve fundamental properties (traits
and attributes) that personify it.
First, there was the importance of style; more specically, there was a sharp
focus and emphasis on individual style. Style identity was an important factor
in the development of the four original elements of hip hop. e early hip hop
pioneers were completely consumed with forming and representing their own
style. In fact, to the pioneers, originality was not based so much on arbitrary
“newness,” but instead on the stylistic innovations of the creative commons that
one was able to make.
Next, there was the transgressive philosophical approach to creativity. As
is often the case in ghettos, and their subsequent street cultures, there exists a
“culture of sampling.” at is, a culture which enabled its residents (in this
case, the South Bronx and other similarly hard-hit sections in New York City)
to take and make use of pieces of culture from both within and outside of their
own settings, particularly from the mainstream American society. Immersed
in this culture of sampling, hip hop pioneers learned how to convert those
pieces of mainstream American culture in accordance to their own needs,
principles, priorities, and values. us, the hip hop pioneers openly relied
on their ability to convert traditional forms and elements of music, art, and
fashion into a distinctly hip hop aesthetic. In this way, hip hop has always been
a transformative, transgressive culture. For example, b-boys reconceptualizing
karate moves and gymnastics, and converting popular black American dance
moves like the “bus stop” or James Brown’s “good foot” into an entirely new
dance form, simultaneously turning sportswear into a new fashion — casual
streetwear.
45
And consider how hip hop DJs use turntables as instruments, that
is to say, in a way that transgressed their traditional use and designed bounds.
en there’s the case of grati writers — painters — who used aerosol paint
cans to create a fresh new art form, which they applied on non-traditional
45
It should be recognized that b-boys (and the b-boy culture) are most responsible for why sneakers are
fashionable (a legitimate daily fashion) today. Prior to b-boys, sneakers were something mostly worn
for sporting events and children’s play.
55
MOVE, ROCK, DANCE, SUCKA
canvases. And nally, we see this culture of sampling at work when we look at
how rappers (MCs) break up and extend the implicit and indirect meanings of
words (even inventing some words), formalize slang, and reconstruct traditional
poetic (rhyme) forms and meter.
Hip hop’s transgressive nature is governed by what I like to call its “rules/
freedom duality.” e “rules/freedom duality” describes the sensibility that
hip hop practitioners consider (consciously or subconsciously) before they use
something — a form, expression, element, etc. — outside of hip hop. is
simply means that hip hop practitioners work with a sense of freedom to use
tropes and elements from other traditions or cultures, provided they can convert
these tropes and elements into the hip hop form.
Communal creativity is another important attribute of the hip hop sensibility.
All of the early hip hop pioneers participated in and mastered their art forms
through the process of communal creativity. In other words, whenever a new style
and method emerged, it entered directly into a well-known creative commons.
From this creative commons, wherein canonical works, styles, methods, and
techniques were developed, the architects of hip hop openly drew (as they were
expected to) ideas and knowledge. And in turn, they further created new styles,
methods, and techniques that also went directly into the creative commons,
further codifying the hip hop tradition.
is communal creative pipeline was perhaps best personied by the practice
of “versioning.” Versioning can best be described as the stylistic reworking of
established (popular) styles and/or works. Versioning was critical to the overall
creative process of all of hip hop’s earliest pioneers. When PHASE 2 introduced
Bubble letters, every grati writer thereafter developed their own version of the
new style. Incidentally, it’s important to point out that although PHASE 2 is
credited with having introduced the style, it was not considered his style; it was
well-understood to be one established style that, once created, entered directly
into the creative commons, and therefore, it belonged to all grati writers.
Similarly, when Kool Herc began using two turntables and two copies of the
same record, focusing exclusively on the break, his style, method, and technique
entered directly into the creative commons, which other DJs used to develop
new styles, methods, and techniques.
Within hip hop’s early communal creativity, syncretism played a major role.
Syncretism, as I use it here, refers to the combination or fusion of the inectional
forms (slang), practices, principles, presuppositions, or ideologies (not necessarily
opposing) of each of the original four elements (art forms) of hip hop. Cross-
fertilization of the four elements of hip hop culture and cross-participation
56
THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
by the architects of hip hop in the four elements was not only very common,
but expected. (Again, most of the pioneers participated in at least two of the
four elements, while many participated in all four of the elements.)
46
In this
way, each element inuenced the other in a uniquely reciprocal manner. us,
the incredibly high level of syncretism that occurred between the four distinct
(separate) elements of hip hop led to their unication and, ultimately, to the
formulation of one common hip hop ideology and philosophy.
Finally, because of hip hop’s early communal creativity, many of the architects
of hip hop willfully entered into short and long-term apprenticeships. In hip hop’s
developmental years, there was an objective reverence for the “masters” of the art
forms. As such, most (if not all) style masters took on apprentices — often as an
obligation to the development of the art forms. And because they understood
the importance of training and having the proper foundation (knowledge), many
budding style masters actively (and unshamefully) sought to be apprentices.
After the transgressive attribute, the next important trait of the hip hop
sensibility is competition. e competitive consciousness of the architects of hip
hop was second only to style consciousness. at is to say, the earliest hip hop
pioneers saw competition not only as a necessary component of creativity, but
also as a critical means to individual recognition. rough their commitment
to regular, intense competition, the architects of hip hop were successfully able
to police the overall level of originality and quality of each art form. It is also
worth mentioning that the hip hop pioneers competed based on their knowledge
and mastery of established styles as well as the styles and innovations that they
were able to bring to the table. In other words, although competitors were
revered for their ability to introduce something new and innovative, they were
also judged by their knowledge and manifestation of the core tenets of the art
forms that they represented. Finally, it’s important to understand that through
such vehement, quality-based competition, the architects of hip hop were able to
maintain a strong sense of artistic integrity and pride. Moreover, they consciously
established the process of intense individual practice as a critical rite of passage.
e last, but certainly not least, attribute of the hip hop sensibility is the “hip
hop attitude.” e hip hop attitude is best be described as an anti-establishment,
me-against-the-world sentiment that grew out of the harsh socio-economic
backdrop of hip hop’s beginnings. e architects of hip hop took to heart the
46
This means that the pioneers and original architects of hip hop were embedded with a deep
overall understanding of the culture, in particular, how and why it coalesced into a movement. Today,
this understanding is basically mute. More and more people enter into beatmaking with little to no
understanding of hip hop culture. This disadvantage threatens the preservation of hip hop culture and
rap music, as a widespread lack of knowledge leads to a misrepresentation of hip hop.
57
MOVE, ROCK, DANCE, SUCKA
notion that “is is a tough world,” one in which, “Nobody gives you anything;”
and therefore, “You gotta take chances, because you can’t sit back and wait for
things to happen — you gotta make it happen!” Within the DNA of the hip
hop attitude is the ever important idea of survival, which means that there’s
no room for weakness. us, the hip hop attitude is in-your-face and often
confrontational.
Here, it’s worth remembering how this hip hop attitude was created. Hip
hop culture represented a cultural and social change from the bottom-up. And
among the many emotional and philosophical conditions that the South Bronx
Disaster bred, a heightened level of urgency and uncertainty about the future
were two conditions that profoundly and disproportionately aected the South
Bronx youth — hip hop’s most earliest architects and pioneers. is urgency and
uncertainty was predicated primarily upon one thing: daily survival. erefore, it
should really come as no surprise that hip hop/rap music, and the encompassing
hip hop culture, has a distinct sense of urgency and chaotic certainty (controlled
chaos) that is governed by a proactive, “Get Yours!” attitude. Perhaps a fair
analysis would deem this attitude pragmatic, given the socio-economic climate
and urban renewal circumstances that anked hip hop’s earliest pioneers from
every angle.
The Evolution from Hip Hop to Rap Music
By 1978, a noticeable change had emerged in hip hop culture. ough DJs,
for the most part, were still the central gures, rappers were now almost at par
with them. Between 1976 and 1978, rappers had developed their performance
showmanship and lyrical content so signicantly that crowds were steadily
coming to parties to see them almost as much as they were coming to see (hear)
DJs. Cassette tapes of “rap music” (then the only means through which hip
hop/rap was documented and distributed) were becoming ever more popular,
delivering even more notoriety to rappers. en, in 1979, one single event
instituted a seismic shift in hip hop that would never be reversed.
“Rapper’s Delight,” released in 1979 by Sugar Hill Records — six years after
hip hop music had been brewing in the South Bronx, was the rst bonade
58
THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
hit rap record on radio airwaves.
47
e story surrounding the song itself is as
much legend as the milestones that it set and the doors it opened up. Sugar
Hill Records owner, Sylvia Robinson, who lived in and operated her label (with
her husband, Joe Robinson) out of Englewood, New Jersey, became interested
in the commercial prospects of hip hop music, purportedly after noticing her
children’s aection for rap music. (By 1979, rap tapes were traveling throughout
New York City and in some parts of New Jersey, where people there had family
in NYC, thus this story appears to be the most accurate). e Sugar Hill Gang,
the performers of “Rapper’s Delight,” were actually not an original Bronx hip
hop group of rappers at all; they were a manufactured, make-shift hip hop/rap
concoction that assembled by Sugar Hill Records label-head Sylvia Robinson.
48
Despite the Bronx-style unauthenticity of “Rapper’s Delight,” the record
went on to popularize rap music nationally, setting the stage for rappers to
become as iconic as soloists and lead singers from other music forms. us,
of the four original elements that comprised early hip hop culture, rap music
would become the most far reaching, most visible, most commercially viable
one of them all. Rap music stepped out of the park jam and o of cassette tapes
directly into the recording studio and, subsequently, the music business. It went
from a mainly live performance medium to a more ne-tuned recorded medium.
Once this happened, rap music garnered a widespread acceptance from both
the music industry and the mainstream media. In no time at all, the term “rap
music” — the music of hip hop — was shortened to rap.
Soon, hip hop culture in general and rap music in specic, was co-opted
and commercialized by corporate America. After this, many self-described hip
hop purists and traditionalists began arbitrarily rejecting the “rap” classication,
ignoring the fact that it was the architects of hip hop who rst described the
music as rap, and instead began referring to the music synonymously with and
exclusively as hip hop. Perhaps this was a means to both reclaim the music as
well as distinguish and signify a more truer, supposedly more traditional form of
hip hop — a brand of hip hop that was seemingly more inuenced by the love
for the art-craft, and less inuenced by the spoils of commercialism. Whatever
the real cause, this conscious move to not use the rap designation has opened up
47
“Rapper’s Delight” was not the rst rap song ever commercially recorded and released. That distinction
belongs to Brooklyn’s The Fatback Band, which released the single “You’re My Candy Sweet,” which
had on the B side a rap called “King Tim III (Personality Jock).” Neither the Fatback Band’s song or the
Sugar Hill Gang’s song was considered to be the authentic hip hop of the time, primarily because each
song’s musical track was performed by a band rather than a DJ.
48
David Toop, Rap Attack: African Jive To New York Hip Hop (New York: Pluto Press, 1984), 71-81.
Information also extracted from my interviews with Marley Marl and Minnesota. Although “Rapper’s
Delight” is the rst rap record on the radio and rst rap hit, it’s widely considered to be one of the most
non-authentic renditions of rap music ever offered.
59
MOVE, ROCK, DANCE, SUCKA
hip hop music to much more broader interpretations than it can fundamentally
hold. Finally, it should be pointed out that inevitably, as rap music grew, the
signicance of the rapper increased, while the role of the DJ decreased. But it
was also inevitable that the beatmaker would become paramount as well.
Refuting the Jamaican-Origins Narrative of Hip Hop
For a proper perspective of the roots of the hip hop DJ style and the sampling
tradition of hip hop/rap music’s true lineage, as well as the birth of rap music
(rhyming in hip hop culture), the popular legend that hip hop was directly
shaped by reggae and dub music deserves some attention here.
e historical accuracy of a given event or movement or moment in time
is inevitably doomed to be misrepresented in the future whenever the most
critical variables of that event or movement are inaccurately recorded or
misinterpreted. Such is the case with the mythical Jamaican-origins narrative
of hip hop’s beginnings. To be certain, Kool Herc did not take Jamaican reggae
or dub music or the Jamaican toasting tradition to the South Bronx and use it
to invent hip hop. at narrative, either explicitly or implicitly, is wrong! Yet
today, the Jamaican-origins narrative of hip hop’s beginnings continues to be
advanced by key historians, musicologists, and other scholar, as well as countless
music critics, pop culturists, and hip hop acionados alike. us, in this section,
I soundly refute the Jamaican-origins narrative of hip hop’s beginnings and show
how (and perhaps why) this narrative was able to advance in the rst place.
No matter how accurately an author examines and present facts outside
of the direct nucleus of hip hop culture’s origins, those ndings can never
supplant the actual framework from which hip hop culture emerged. And
although Jamaican music culture is signicant in its own right and for its own
merits, in nearly all recent historical accounts of hip hop’s beginnings, writers
have (at some point or another) overzealously played up the Jamaican-origins
narrative of hip hop’s beginnings. Even in the face of evidence that directly and
unequivocally contradicts such a narrative, these writers have forged ahead with
the story; and in doing so, they have (some knowingly) completely advanced
nothing more than a myth.
So how did the Jamaican-origins myth begin? Essentially, what happened
is that at some point, probably around 1987, the story surrounding the
migration of Clive Campbell (DJ Kool Herc) to the South Bronx was greatly
misinterpreted. e facts — conrmed by Kool Herc himself — are that he
arrived in the South Bronx in 1967 at the age 12. More importantly for the
60
THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
purposes here, it should be clear that when he came to New York he was not a
DJ, nor did he have any experience with DJ’ing. In fact, it wasn’t until six years
after he arrived in the South Bronx that he began to DJ. But the myth, most
likely rst set in motion by author Dick Hebdige, is that Clive Campbell came
to New York as “DJ Kool Herc” and brought along with him key tenets of the
Jamaican music culture, which he used to formulate hip hop music. In the
section rather curiously titled, “e beginning of hip hop,” from his 1987 book,
Cut ‘N’ Mix,
49
Dick Hebdige writes:
In 1967 a dj called Kool Herc emigrated to the States [United States] from
Jamaica and came to live in the West Bronx. Herc knew the Jamaican sound
system scene, and had heard the early talk overs of the new djs like U Roy. By
1973 Herc owned his own system.” [emphasis mine]
50
ere are several points that must be made clear about this misleading
account. First, Hebdige either misread the facts concerning Clive Campbell’s
migration to the United States or he intentionally played loose with them. In
1984, three years before Hebdiges’ Cut ‘N’ Mix was rst published, two dierent
and rather pivotal Kool Herc interviews appeared in two separate books: Hip Hop
by Steven Hager and e Rap Attack by David Toop — Hebdige lists the latter
book by Toop in two separate end notes of his own study. What’s important
about both of these 1984 interviews is that each are consistent and clear and
about the details surrounding Clive Campbell’s (Kool Herc) migration to the
Bronx. In each interview, Herc reveals that in 1967, Clive Campbell — not yet
Kool Herc — was only 12 years old and certainly not a DJ when he migrated to
the Bronx. Each interview plainly makes it clear that it wasn’t until high school
in the Bronx that he got the nickname “Herc,” which was short for “Hercules.”
51
Moreover, both interviews also revealed that Herc didn’t even begin DJ’ing until
1971, and that at that time, his biggest inuence was John Brown, an American
DJ from the Bronx who played breaks of funk records, not Jamaican music.
52
en there’s the issue of Herc “knowing” the “sound system scene.” By Herc’s
49
Published in 1987, Cut N’ Mix was a seminal work on the study of Caribbean music and culture. The book
is ground breaking for its ndings; however, the connection that author Dick Hebdige draws between the
Jamaican music culture of the early 1970s and hip hop’s beginnings during the same period is inaccurate.
50
Dick Hebdige, Cut ‘N’ Mix (New York: Methuen, 1987), 137.
51
Herc was given his nickname by an American friend in high school.
52
For some of the clearest and earliest evidence that refutes the Jamaican-origins narrative of hip
hop’s beginnings, see Hager, 31-33, and especially 45: “’Jamaican toasting?’ said Herc. ‘Naw, naw. No
connection there. I couldn’t play reggae in the Bronx. People wouldn’t accept it. The inspiration for rap
is James Brown and the album Hustler’s Convention.’”
It’s also worth seeing: Toop, 18-19, 39, 60-63. Note, Hager’s interview with Kool Herc is more extensive
and detailed, and therefore, more revealing and reliable. In Toop’s Rap Attack, it’s Afrika Bambaataa,
not Kool Herc, who suggests that Herc took “Jamaican toasting” and brought it to the Bronx. But that
statement is inconsistent with what Herc himself adamantly says in Hager’s Hip Hop.
61
MOVE, ROCK, DANCE, SUCKA
own admission, he was “too young” to get into the legendary Jamaican sound
system parties.
53
erefore, he could not have “known” the Jamaican sound
system scene in the way that Hebdige says that he did. Finally, the third point
that must be made clear is the fact that Clive Campbell (“Kool Herc) was already
in the Bronx when Jamaican DJs like U-Roy pioneered the Jamaican dub and
toast sound. In other words, he wasn’t a DJ in Jamaica listening to U-Roy or
the other “Jamaican toast masters.” In fact, a Brian Lehrer Show interview with
Kool Herc in 2009 reveals much about this:
Brian Lehrer: “So you must remember toasts like that from Kingston in the 60s,
before you moved to New York. Do you think you were inuenced by that for your
early composing in the Bronx?”
Kool Herc: “No, it wasn’t all about that! I was a kid. All I know is the Skatalites,
Don Drummond, Barry Reed, and the Dragonaire, you know, Toots and the
Maytals. And U-Roy and Big Youth and I-Roy was doing things like that. I didn’t
— we didn’t try to come and play reggae music; American people wasn’t feelin’
reggae music… I used other records that had a beat to it more than a reggae
beat to it. I never hide the fact that I was Jamaican, [but] I wasn’t here reppin’
Jamaica. I was just a kid. You know, I was born in Jamaica; I knew what time it
was, far as me leaving from a country coming to another country. I was there when
Jamaica got its independence. I remember historic things like that. You know, I
admit the fact that when I migrated to the United States, I don’t remember those art
forms, but I would never try and take nothing away as far as, but it [Hip Hop]
didn’t have nothin’ to do with Jamaica…. And as far as Jamaican toasting and
DJ’ing, it wasn’t two turntables they used. ey used one turntable. It wasn’t
two turntables, it was one!” [emphasis mine]
54
If Dick Hebdige is most responsible for putting in motion the Jamaican-
origins narrative of hip hop’s beginnings, there is no commentator more
responsible for prolonging this myth and, subsequently, the misrepresentation
of hip hop’s earliest roots, than Je Chang. In his book, Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: A
History of e Hip Hop Generation, author Je Chang constructs a narrative that
is at times so at odds with the evidence of hip hop’s early origins that it includes
a chapter on the rise of Jamaica’s “roots generation” and the turmoil of Jamaica’s
two warring political parties in the 1970s. Despite the fact that neither the
Jamaica Labor Party (JLP) or the People’s National Party (PNP) had nothing to
do with the South Bronx Disaster, its causes, or the South Bronx street culture in
the 1970s, Chang still incorporates such material into his study. Although it’s
engaging information, the Jamaican political climate has no connection to the
birth of hip hop. At best, Chang’s curious choice to include this chapter misleads
53
Chang, 68, Kool Herc: “I was too young to go in. All we could do is sneak out and see the preparation
of the dance throughout the day.”
54
The Brian Lehrer Show, WNYC Radio, February 26, 2009.
62
THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
readers to believe that the political climate of Jamaica had some connection to
the origins of hip hop culture — it didn’t. At worst, Chang’s inclusion of this
chapter misleads readers to believe that the political climate of Jamaica somehow
had a direct impact and inuence on the origins of hip hop culture — it didn’t.
As I pointed out in Chapter 1, among all of the travesties that the residents
of the South Bronx were forced to endure, benign neglect was front and center.
In other words, the South Bronx youth did not participate in New York City
politics. ey did not enter into any political squabble between New York’s
Democratic and Republican parties. Furthermore, during the 1970s, New York
City was infamously under the death grip of scal malfunction — the city was
teetering on bankruptcy and sinking fast. ere was no intense “power grab”
situation in play for two opposing political parties. And even if there was one,
there certainly wasn’t a place for the disconnected South Bronx youth to join
in the fray and aid one side or the other.
In his book, Chang also surveys the history of Jamaican dub music and the
musical developments that grew out of Lee “Scratch” Perry’s Black Ark recording
studio. Chang maintains that “Dub’s birth was accidental…” and the goes so
far as to say that “it would become a diagram for hip-hop music. A space had
been pried open for the break, for possibility.”
55
Dub as “a diagram for hip-hop
music” is more than an overreach, it’s at-out wrong. But while Chang is
occupied with trying to connect dub music to hip hop/rap’s origins, specically
trying to demonstrate how dub music was the precursor to break-beat music
(b-boy music) and, subsequently, hip hop/rap music, he fails to include critical
details, which of course completely undermine his theory.
First, let’s look at the year 1967, a crucial year to many of those who push
the Jamaican-origins narrative of hip hop. On the surface, the way the story
goes is that Kool Herc came to New York in 1973 as a Jamaican (dub) DJ. From
the start, the trouble with this narrative is the fact that Clive Campbell (“Kool
Herc”) came to New York in 1967, at the age of 12 — and as noted earlier in this
section, he certainly wasn’t yet a DJ either. Also, as it so happens, 1967 is widely
considered by Jamaican music historians to be the rst year in which dub music
emerged in Jamaica. And according to even the most basic historical reading of
dub’s development, dub music isn’t fully realized and developed until around
December, 1973 — the date associated with the start of Jamaican producer and
dub pioneer Lee Perry’s Black Ark studio. Chang, too, no doubt is aware of this
date, as he mentions it in his study. So this raises a couple of questions. First,
if by December, 1973, Kool Herc had already given the notorious Sedgwick
55
Chang, 30, emphasis mine.
63
MOVE, ROCK, DANCE, SUCKA
party, the party that is widely recognized for having kicked o the hip hop
movement, how could he have been using the underdeveloped Jamaican dub style
as “a diagram for hip-hop music?” Second, if funk — a music tradition which
is widely considered by most soul music historians to have begun in 1964/1965
with the James Brown releases “Out of Sight” in 1964 and “Papa’s Got a Brand
New Bag” in 1965 — was indeed the music from which hip hop was spawned,
why does Chang claim that Jamaican dub was “a diagram for hip-hop music?”
56
Now, let’s look at what Kool Herc — the most important link in the
Jamaican-origins narrative — has repeatedly and quite clearly said about this
issue. In 1970, while still in high school, Herc (then not yet “DJ Kool Herc”)
started hanging out at a disco called the Plaza Tunnel, formerly located on 161ST
St. and the Grand Concourse, in the South Bronx. By Herc’s own admission,
the deejay at the Plaza Tunnel, John Brown, was the rst to play records like
“Give It Up or Turn It Loose” by James Brown, and “Get Ready” by Rare
Earth, and “Soul Power” by James Brown. Herc has long conceded that it was
John Brown who inuenced him to spin funk records and the like, and that it
was what John Brown, not Lee “Scratch” Perry, who was doing the style that
led him to kick o what would become the formulation of the break-beat DJ
phenomenon and subsequent hip hop DJ tradition. Herc has never said that
Jamaican dub music, Jamaican toasts, or any part of the Jamaican music culture
was the inspiration for what he and the other earliest hip hop DJs were doing.
Again, from Kool Herc:
Jamaican toasting? Naw, Naw. No connection there. I couldn’t play reggae in the
Bronx. People wouldn’t accept it. e inspiration for rap is James Brown and the
album Hustler’s Convention.
57
Further, it was a well-known fact of the time that “while most other deejays
played disco…Herc played hard-core funk…”
58
So if Kool Herc himself has
noted quite clearly — on numerous occasions since 1983 — that the inspiration
for what he and, subsequently, the others that immediately followed him did
was not Jamaican dub music, Jamaican “toasters,” or Jamaican DJs, but rather
black American funk and a 1970 funk-based DJ named John Brown, how can
Chang’s claim possibly be accurate? Moreover, if in two separate interviews,
appearing in Hip Hop (1983) and e Rap Attack (1984), two books that Chang
cites (multiple times) in the end notes of his own study, Kool Herc makes it
very clear that he was inuenced by a South Bronx funk DJ (John Brown), and
56
Ibid, 30.
57
Hager, 45.
58
Hager, 45.
64
THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
that the inspiration for rap (what he and others were doing) was James Brown
and the album Hustler’s Convention, how can Chang project that Jamaican dub
music was the “diagram” for hip hop/rap music?
But while Chang curiously plays-up hip hop’s alleged indebtedness to
Jamaican music culture, author Tricia Rose does not attempt to draw out (or
dwell) on the same. Instead, she seems to actually play it down. In the end
notes of Chapter 3 of Black Noise, her seminal cultural study of hip hop and
rap music, she maintains (in just one brief sentence) that “Rap music is heavily
indebted to Jamaican musical practices.” Aside from this, she oers no further
examination of the overread connection between the Jamaican music culture of
the 1970s and that of the South Bronx during the same period.
Here, it’s also worth examining three other areas of contention: (1) e
importance of audio/sonic quality in hip hop/rap music; (2) e history of
park jams, block parties and the like; and (3) e Jamaican toasting tradition
of the 1970s. To be certain, Kool Herc’s understanding of sound systems was
primarily inuenced in America. In fact, it was in America where Kool Herc
made the discovery that allowed him to make his sound system more powerful
(amplied) than most. Prior to Herc’s discovery in America, neither Herc or
his father knew how to increase the peak level sound in their family’s system.
59
e importance of Audio/sonic quality and bass tones was already a preference
of black Americans before Clive Campbell (“Kool Herc”) came to the Bronx.
For example, in 1975, in both Chicago and New York City, at least three of my
uncles had hi- sound systems. (My father had a hi- system as early as 1971.)
It’s probably worth mentioning that neither my uncles or my father were from
Jamaica, they were all born and raised in America. Furthermore, one of my
uncles played bass guitar in a band throughout the 1970s and early 1980s. In
his band, as with other black American bands, the bass tone was always highly
valued. Finally, in my interview with DJ Toomp, Tomp shared a story about
a time in Atlanta (throughout the 1970s), wherein he checked out what kind
of speakers DJs were using at house parties. is indicates that speakers and
sonic quality were not only valued, they were both expected at parties and black
American homes during the 1970s and early 1980s. Also, Toomp recalls how
people were often remembered by the sound systems they had and how much
bass each system kicked out.
60
As for park jams, block parties and the like, my mother attended multiple
59
Chang, 68-69.
60
Information extracted in my interview with DJ Toomp.
65
MOVE, ROCK, DANCE, SUCKA
live shows. Also, some close family friends, like Canell Johnson, as well as Ghetto
Brother founder Benjy Melendez, have shared many stories about partying in
parks and “on the block” as early as 1965. Hence, recorded or live music and
parties at parks or on the block were certainly nothing particularly new when
Clive Campbell (“Kool Herc”) arrived in the Bronx. And it’s worth mentioning
that Herc’s decision to move his “rec room jams” over to Cedar Park (right up
the corner) was not inspired by, nor had anything to do with, the yard parties
of Trench Town, Jamaica. On the contrary, the decision was a practical one:
Herc simply needed a bigger space to accommodate the growing number of
party-goers, who had typically ranged in age from as young as 8 to as old as
50 — the late night yard parties of Trenchtown, that many researchers have tried
to link to Kool Herc, were for adults only. Finally, what about the Jamaican
toasting tradition? Again, in Kool Herc’s own words:
Jamaican toasting? Naw, Naw. No connection there. I couldn’t play reggae in the
Bronx. People wouldn’t accept it. e inspiration for rap is James Brown and the
album Hustler’s Convention.
61
Final Analysis of the Jamaican-Origins Narrative
Overall, for their tireless research and work and invaluable contribution
to hip hop studies, I respect Jeff Chang and similar authors; some of
their other findings were and are still in-line with the realities of hip
hop/rap music, then and now. But with regards to their advancement
of the Jamaican-origins narrative of the creation of hip hop/rap
music, they are wrong. To equate Kingston, Jamaica as the cradle of hip hop/rap
music, in a similar way to how one equates Mississippi and Chicago with the
blues, or the way one equates New Orleans, Chicago, or Kansas City with jazz is,
at worst, a conscious attempt to overstate Jamaica’s non-existent inuence over
the origins of hip hop/rap music. At best it’s a woefully misleading exaggeration.
Hip hop was not directly shaped by Jamaican dub and reggae; moreover,
Jamaican music did not provide the “diagram” for hip hop. Parallels existed,
mainly in terms of (1) sonic priorities — bass and volume; (2) a focus on rhythm
and groove — tropes important to all popular black musics of the period; and
(3) DJs as gureheads (in the Bronx, a descendent link to disco DJs is more
appropriate for understanding the early development of hip hop/rap music).
But these are parallels between two burgeoning music traditions — one in the
United States and the other in Jamaica — that were functioning at roughly the
same time. It’s not however an instance of one music tradition giving rise to or
61
Hager, 45.
66
THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
guiding the other. Did Clive Campbell bring some Jamaican musical customs
with him when he migrated to the South Bronx as a child? Perhaps. About as
much as any 12-year old kid could have when he migrated to the United States
at the close of the 1960s.
Kool Herc’s role in the development of hip hop/rap music and hip hop
culture in general is unquestioned. His contributions are absolutely central to the
birth of hip hop/rap music and the formulation of the collective hip hop cultural
movement of the time. For that, he should always be remembered and revered,
and his eorts should never be tarnished. However, in the interest of historical
accuracy, Kool Herc’s contributions should never be misrepresented or overstated,
or air brushed into a awed historical narrative of the beginnings of hip hop/
rap music — a narrative that even Herc rejects. Likewise, the contributions
of DJ Grandmaster Flash and Afrika Bambaataa, respectively, should not be
understated or conveniently neglected to support such an inaccurate historical
narrative.
Finally, In lieu of the features and developments of the Jamaican music
culture — ca. 1968 to 1973 — we must look at those features and developments
for what they are: e ingredients of an absolutely amazing musical culture that
made a major contribution to twentieth-century popular music, but a musical
culture and tradition that did not have a direct connection to or major inuence
on the origins of hip hop/rap music in the specic, and certainly not on hip hop
culture in general.
62
Although my ndings contradict earlier research on this
matter, it should really come as no surprise to the authors that I’ve mentioned in
this section. After all, in their bibliographies, they’ve cited some of the very same
books that I do. And two books in particular that appear in the bibliographies
of some other hip hop historians, Stephen Hager’s Hip Hop (1984) and David
Toop’s Rap Attack (1984), leave little room for misinterpretation; and both
books oer evidence that debunk the Jamaican-origins narrative of hip hop/
rap music’s beginnings.
Whatever parallels that existed between Jamaican music culture of the early
1970s and hip hop/rap music of the same period are merely examples of the type
of similarities (and perhaps coincidences) that can often be found throughout all
musics of the Afro-diasporic. To misread these parallels, or worse, to misinterpret
them as having had a pivotal role in the creation of hip hop/rap music is not
only detrimental to accurately understanding the roots of hip hip hop/rap music
and the art of sampling in the hip hop/rap music tradition, it’s detrimental to
comprehending the unique origins and scope of hip hop culture itself. What
was happening in the Bronx, ca. 1970-1973, was developing irrespective of what
62
The fact that there were no b-boys and/or grafti writers in Jamaica in 1973 can not be ignored. And
as it has been noted earlier in Chapter 2, Kool Herc was inuenced by the “b-boys” just as much (if not
more) as they were inuenced by him.
67
MOVE, ROCK, DANCE, SUCKA
was going on in Jamaica during the very same period.
Move, Rock, Dance, Sucka: The Summary
Although hip hop is indeed a music-based culture, it should be understood
that it grew from the coalescence and informal unication of four distinct art
forms (grati writing, b-boying, DJ’ing, and rapping) that were brewed rst
in the streets of the South Bronx, then soon after in other areas throughout
NYC. And prior to Afrika Bambaataa dubbing his parties “hip hop parties” (ca.
1975-76), each artistic expression represented its own subculture, complete with
its own creative aesthetics and priorities, its own slang, and even its own fashion.
And it’s important to remember that most early hip hop pioneers participated in
at least two of the four elements. Because of the heavy cross-participation in each
of the four elements, there was much creative (especially stylistic), ideological,
and philosophical overlap. And the hip hop sensibility was the common thread
that underscored and linked the four original elements. us, by the time that
the 1970s had drawn to a close, hip hop had been established as a New York
City subculture, one complete with its own music, dance, graphic art, fashion,
slang, and underlining philosophy. It would not be long, however, before this
little known NYC (mostly Bronx-based) subculture would explode around the
rest of America, and then the globe. But the catalyst of this explosion would
not be hip hop DJs, who up until 1979 were the central gures in hip hop; it
would be rappers.
Finally, I’m compelled to point out that there were countless grati writers,
b-boys (and b-girls), DJs, and rappers that never quite made it to the “top.”
But this does not erase the critical roles that these unsung architects played in
the development of hip hop. In history, it’s those names that rise to or near the
top that are the ones most often remembered. But it’s the ooded ranks of the
unknowns, who no doubt contributed immensely to the purpose, that we must
never forget to also honor. erefore, I honor the less-known contributors and
shapers of hip hop. And I oer this chapter as a humble re-payment for a debt
of gratitude that I’ve carried for them all.
“Move, rock, dance, sucka!” at says it all.
68
Chapter 3
Looking for the Perfect Beat
The Birth and Unique Rise
of the Hip Hop/Rap Beatmaking Tradition:
Eight Periods of Distinct Development
DISCLAIMER:
e purpose of detailing the developments of the eight periods of the beatmaking
tradition is to document (objectively) each period as it occurred in the past 40
years. I’ve made no attempt to present one period as superior to another; eort
has only been made to show the actual developments (or lack there of) within
each period of beatmaking, and how these developments have aected hip hop/
rap music overall. I encourage you to draw any additional conclusions that can be
reached about each period. Likewise, it’s my hope that the information presented
in this chapter further informs and helps beatmakers make those compositional
choices that are right for them individually.
69
Kool DJ Herc
DJ Grandmaster Flash
AFRICAN AMERICAN (BLACK) MUSIC TRADITION
(blues + gospel + rhythm and blues soul•)
Arthur Baker
MAP OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF
THE HIP HOP/RAP BEATMAKING TRADITION
Miami bass
(bass music)
Marley Marl
DJ Charlie Chase
Prince Paul
Buckwild
electro-hop
electro funk
The Beatnuts
Hank Shocklee
and the Bomb Squad
“label bands”
(in-house session musicians
Ed Fletcher, et. al)
Just Blaze
Kanye West
Scott Storch
Timbaland
The Neptunes
J-Dilla
(aka “Jay-Dee”)
Havoc
(of Mobb Deep)
Trackmasters
9th Wonder
Dame Grease
Rick Rubin
Dr. Dre
(earliest years)
DJ Red Alert
DJ Jazzy Jay
Easy Mo Bee
Erick Sermon
....
Madlib
No I.D.
John Brown
Pete DJ Jones
Grand Wizard Theodore
Grand Mixer DXT
Kurtis Blow
DJ Breakout
DJ A.J.
HIP HOP DJ ERA BEGINS
Time
Line
1965
1971
1973
1974
1975
1979
1982
1983
1984
1986
1988
1990
1993
1995
1996
1997
2001
2005
2009
2015
funk
early disco
late disco
DJ Afrika Bambaataa
early
sampling
BREAK-BEAT PERIOD • 1973-1978 (1ST PERIOD, FIRST GOLDEN ERA)
STUDIO-BAND PERIOD • 1979-1982 (2ND PERIOD, FIRST RADIO/NATIONAL EXPOSURE)
SAMPLING
ERA BEGINS
ELECTRONIC DRUM MACHINE PERIOD • 1983-1987 (3RD PERIOD)
pPIONEERS/AVANT-GARDE PERIOD • 1988-1994 (4TH PERIOD, SECOND GOLDEN ERA)
DJ Lonzo Williams
Paul C.
pPOST-PIONEERS PERIOD • 1995-2000 (5TH PERIOD)
Dr. Dre
Large Professor
DJ Premier Pete Rock RZA
Showbiz
pSOUTHERN-BOUNCE PERIOD • 2001-2004 (6TH PERIOD)
late funk
SAMPLING-MAJOR
ERA BEGINS
DJ Toomp
(early years)
DJ Toomp
Lil Jon
(earliest years)
Mannie Fresh
(earliest years)
Mannie Fresh
pRETRO-ECLECTIC PERIOD • 2005-2009 (7TH PERIOD)
Larry Smith
DJ Jam Master Jay
G-funk
DJ Toomp
(earliest years)
The Hitmen
Ali Shaheed Muhammad
& Q-Tip
The
Ummah
....
.....
Domino
DJ Pooh
Jake One
crunk
Danjahandz
(aka “Danja”)
Mel-Man
Don Cannon
Black Milk
Nottz
Hip Hop/Rap Beatmaking Tradition Map, Copyright © 2009-2015 Amir Said
hyphy
Droop-E
Keak Da Sneak
Jazze Pha
DJ Shadow
DJ Jazzy Jeff
Steinski
trap music
Lil Jon
snap music
Modern
hip hop/Rap
ERA BEGINS
sampling declines dramatically
DJ Quik
Mr. Mixx
Amos Larkins
(AKA Peter Rocker)
DXJ
(AKA Maggotron)
Swizz Beatz
Rockwilder
Ski Beatz
DJ Clark Kent
Modern
Beatmaking
Blueprint
The Heatmakerz
Ced Gee
Bink
DJ Muggs
The Alchemist
Statik Selektah
J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League
Marco Polo
Kev Brown
sampling Revival Begins
TRAP BASED/PERFORMANCE-EXPERIMENTAL PERIOD • 2009-2015 (8TH PERIOD)
Shawty Redd
Dibiase
Flying Lotus
Boi-1-da
slump
Harry Fraud
DJ Khalil
Noah “40” Shebib
Mike Will Made-It
Lex Luger
Bangladesh
T-Minus
Jahlil Beats
Cardiak
Young Chop
Vinylz
DJ Mustard
Metro Boomin
Knxwledge
Frank Dukes
Figure 1 Map of the Development of the Beatmaking Tradition
70
THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
To Herc, a DJ set was one continuous piece of music. My man was composing
something. And if he was a composer, that went for me too. –Grandmaster Flash
Fuck the melody, forget the chorus, and leave the verses alone; we’re talking about
the pure rhythmic groove. –Grandmaster Flash
Beatmaking, the chief compositional process of hip hop/rap music, has
been a part of the hip hop/rap music tradition right from the start. In addition
to rockin’ the crowd or providing music to party to, early DJs like Kool Herc,
Grandmaster Flash, and Afrika Bambaataa considered what they were doing (the
DJ element of hip hop) as a form of music composition, not just as a process
of spinning records. e DJs of hip hop’s rst era used the breaks and other
fragments from records (mostly funk, some disco, and other genres that t the
hip hop style) to make completely new musical statements. But in the earliest
years, beatmaking, as a stand alone element of hip hop, had yet to formulate into
what we commonly know it as today. us, what follows is an examination of the
eight developmental periods of the beatmaking tradition, from 1973 to 2015.
Break-Beat Period, 1973-1978
Between 1973 and 1978, the rst ve years of what can be described as the
“hip hop movement,” the job of making beats through the use of turntables was
something done only by qualied DJs. All of the pivotal developments of this
period were actually discussed in detail in Chapter 2, but here’s a brief recap of
what must be noted. A use of a particular brand of funk records — that became
the foundation for hip hop/rap music — was rst performed in 1970 by a lesser
known South Bronx DJ named John Brown. John Brown was the DJ at a place
called the Plaza Tunnel, a local South Bronx spot. It was at the Plaza Tunnel
where what would become known as the “hip hop style” of DJ’ing was rst born
in the mind of a young Kool Herc.
Herc’s style of DJ’ing, which he rst showcased in 1973, was inuenced as
much by dancers (“b-boys”) as it was by John Brown, centered around the use
of a mixer, two turntables, and two copies of the same record on two separate
turntables. Herc would go back and forth between each record (mostly funk),
only playing the “breaks” — the raw rhythm section, stripped of melody and
underscored by the pulse and groove of the drums, bass guitar, and rhythm guitars.
He would extend these breaks continuously, pumping up the action by b-boys
on the dance oor. Herc was the rst person to use turntables as instruments,
thereby setting the tone for a new group of non-traditional musicians.
As Herc’s
71
LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT BEAT
new DJ style took the South Bronx by storm, other DJs soon followed; most
notably Grandmaster Flash and Afrika Bambaataa. Between 1973 and 1978, DJs
emerged as the most powerful and revered gures of the hip hop movement.
63
It was also during the Break-Beat Period that the break-beat style or hip
hop style of DJ’ing began to lay the foundation for the modern beatmaking
tradition. First, Herc developed the “merry-go-round” technique, a process of
using two copies of the same record — one to play and one to cue up while the
other was playing. Next, Grandmaster built upon the merry-go-round technique
and invented new techniques, including: the spin back, a method for winding
records back and forth; the clock theory, a method for quickly spotting where
sections where on a record; and the quik mix theory, a collective of his own
techniques for quickly cutting back and forth between records on beat, making
one musical passage ow seamlessly to the next; and the punch phase, a method
for punching a record forward, right on the break.
64
To create a continuous
groove, Flash began blending records, mixing them, and cutting the beats together
in exact syncopation and meticulously planning out his DJ sets. In his pursuit
to develop his own unique DJ style and to outdo and surpass Kool Herc once
and for all, Grandmaster Flash became the rst DJ to actually physically put his
hands on the vinyl while the turntable’s platter was spinning, giving him a level
of control previously unrealized by other DJs. In eect, Flash had developed a
method for looping the breaks and other segments of the same record. us, it
was the pioneering developments of Grandmaster Flash that rst hinted at the
looping, cutting, and chopping techniques of the modern beatmaking tradition.
Grandmaster Flash must also be recognized for other innovations that laid
the groundwork for the modern beatmaking tradition. In addition to being
the rst DJ to “rig” his mixer, specically for the purpose of creating his own
headphone input jack (yes, he was a techie), Flash was also the rst DJ to use
an electronic beat box, incorporating additional percussion sounds and eects
with his regular DJ setup. And nally, it should be recognized that while Herc
was the originator of the “break-beat” style and Grandmaster Flash the rst true
technician and the closest link to the modern beatmaker, it was Afrika Bambaataa
63
Of equal importance, it was during the Break-Beat Period wherein the rst DJ/rapper (MC) crews were
born. Groups like Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five and the Cold Crush Brothers were among
the many DJ/rapper (MC) collectives that typied the Break-Beat Period. Within the DJ/rapper (MC)
crews, the DJ was the one solely responsible for providing the music that the rappers (MCs) rhymed to.
64
Ibid, 34. Also, see Flash and Ritz, 54-84. During this same period, other DJ techniques emerged like
the “scratch” (widely credited to Grand Wizard Theodore, once an apprentice to Grandmaster Flash),
and the rst form of “pause tape” sampling, done rst by Afrika Bambaataa. The pause tape was a
technique of using a cassette tape to record a segment of audio (from a record, the radio, etc.). Utilizing
the pause button on a tape recorder, one would record the breaks (or desired segments) press pause,
then record the same section again in effort to create what could best be described as a crude loop.
72
THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
who was the undisputed record collection king and the one who also hinted at
the future of sampling.
Summary of the Break-Beat Period
e Break-Beat Period of the beatmaking tradition represented the rst
group of beatmakers in hip hop/rap music. ese DJs were all conscious of
the fact that what they were doing was certainly not the norm, but something
non-traditional and anti-establishment. In fact, in many ways what the rst
beatmakers were doing was a rebuttal to a lot of the popular, slick and polished
disco that was on the radio in the mid- and late 1970s. Furthermore, that all of
the rst beatmakers were DJs is not a fact that can be taken lightly. For six solid
years, the DJ was the sole controller of the music of hip hop. More importantly,
in this period, hip hop DJs became the rst musicians to use turntables as
instruments. In doing so, they became the most non-traditional musicians in
America. Finally, as a self-contained music-maker who used non-traditional or
non-conventional compositional practices, the hip hop DJ sketched the rst
outline for the model of the modern beatmaker.
Studio-Band Period, 1979-1982
Prior to the late 1970s and early 1980s, DJs were the main draw. ey were
the most powerful, most revered, and most imitated gures in hip hop. However,
at the same time, rappers were a secondary thought; their main purpose being
to introduce the DJ and to provide a level of crowd control. But as lyrical
content (subject matter) expanded and the mechanics and language of the art
of rapping grew more complex, rappers moved to the forefront, replacing DJs
as the center of attention in hip hop. Also during this period, hip hop was going
through its rst experience with the music industry. Before 1979, there were no
studio recorded hip hop/rap songs and/or hip hop/rap acts signed to a record
label. Until then, hip hop/rap songs were mostly live DJ/rapper performances
that were recorded on cassette tape and distributed (hand-to-hand) throughout
New York City. But after the rst two ocial studio hip hop/rap recordings in
1979, “King Tim III (Personality Jock)” by Brooklyn’s e Fatback Band and
the monster hit “Rapper’s Delight” by the Sugarhill Gang, studio recorded hip
hop/rap music became a more regular occurrence.
Beginning in 1979, DJs saw their power decrease, as the lane of fame and
opportunities further widened for rappers, who were now becoming more
eager to cut a record in the studio. And having seen the break away success of
73
LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT BEAT
the Sugar Hill Records release, “Rapper’s Delight,” upstart self-described “rap”
labels where bent on capturing the same lightining in the bottle that Sugar Hill
Records had.
e most noticeable feature of the Studio-Band Period was the replacement
of the hip hop DJ (as the sole music provider for rappers) by the studio band
(recording studio session musicians). During this period, indie rap labels actively
sought out rappers and brought them into the recording studio, where the label’s
in-house studio bands (who were not part of the hip hop movement of the time)
worked up cover versions of the breaks and grooves from the very records that
were most popular among hip hop DJs of the time.
65
In eect, the indie rap
labels had come up with a way to cheaply manufacture rap records. Moreover,
the indie rap labels, most notably Sugar Hill Records and Enjoy Records, gured
out how to use the wisdom and inuence of the hip hop DJ without having to
actually use or pay the hip hop DJ. Subsequently, it was during the Studio-Band
Period that the DJ/rapper connection began to fall apart; and for the rst time
in hip hop’s history, the DJ and rapper, once a unied force, were separated. It
was also during the Studio-Band Period wherein rappers, who had by the late
1970s and early 1980s displaced the DJ as the most visible gures in hip hop,
rst began to realize that the DJ could not adequately serve as the sole music
provider for studio recorded records, which were based on the recording studio
environment and model, not the live party one.
Around the same time that hip hop/rap music was nding its way into
the studio, there were advancements rapidly occurring in audio and recording
technology. Drum machines and more aordable digital samplers were just
beginning to hit the market, giving access to an enhanced music-making process
not only to DJs, but also to a larger pool of would-be musicians who had missed
out (or couldn’t cut it) in the rst DJ era. us, realizing that (A) they no longer
had to be attached to one specic DJ, that they were now basically self-contained,
independent contractors, and (B) the art of rapping was moving into new levels
of complexity and reaching new artistic heights, rappers began to see themselves
as any other recording artist in the music industry. erefore, the need for hip
hop/rap DJ-inspired music — without necessarily the DJ — soon developed.
By 1981, the studio-band method of music production had all but died out.
After getting over the initial novelty of hearing rap on the radio for the rst time,
there was a huge pushback from those who recognized that the studio band hip
65
It has often been reported that “Rapper’s Delight,” the rst hit rap record, used a sample of the song
“Good Times” by the group Chic. The truth is that the Sugar Hill Records in-house band played a cover
version of the main riff (a break so to speak) of Chic’s “Good Times.” That was the rhythm track that the
Sugar Hill Gang rapped to, not an actual digital sample of Chic’s song.
74
THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
hop was certainly not authentic hip hop/rap music many had previously enjoyed
and observed. In fact, many participants of the hip hop movement began to
outright reject the studio-band sound, as it did not represent the essence of hip
hop as they’d known it.
66
It was around this time that Kurtis Blow, Grandmaster
Flash, and Afrika Bamabaataa (the latter two being among the rst architects
of hip hop/rap music), emerged as the new leaders and pioneers of the studio
recorded rap song.
In 1980, Kurtis Blow, a former b-boy and DJ who went by the name Kool
DJ Kurt, tapped into his DJ roots and a lesser-used rap style and form, the
“message rap” (yet another development in hip hop that had been overlooked
by the recent emergence of the rap music sub-industry), and came up with the
seminal hit “e Breaks.”
67
ough Kurtis Blow and co-producer Larry Smith
used a number of musicians for the making of “e Breaks,” they did not merely
do cover versions of the breaks of funk records that were popular with hip hop
DJs. Instead, they used an original rhythm track that was inspired by both funk
and Kurtis Blow’s block party DJ’ing days. e other pioneering achievement of
“e Breaks” could be heard in both the lyrics and rhyme style that Kurtis Blow
employed. Before “e Breaks,” most raps were of the bragging and boasting
style and form; Kurtis Blow changed all of that. Two years before “e Message”
(Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five) would shake up the standard lyrical
form and style in the art of rap, Kurtis Blow had already perfected the message
rap form and style.
In 1981, for the making of the landmark song, “The Adventures of
Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel,” Grandmaster Flash made a
triumphant return to his DJ roots. Opting not for any assistance of a studio
band, Flash instead chose to do what he had always done best: Serve as the
sole controller of the music. Using three separate turntables and all of his best
techniques, cutting, scratching, blending, punch phasing, and back spinning,
Flash weaved together various records into one cohesive tapestry, demonstrating
for the rst time how, given the chance, the hip hop DJ could translate to the
studio recording environment. “e Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the
Wheels of Steel” was pivotal to the advent of the beatmaking tradition for
66
It’s worth pointing out that the initial success of “Rapper’s Delight,” Sylvia Robinson’s Sugar Hill
Records, and the like was due more to the novelty of rap being heard on the radio for the rst time.
But the studio band-lead hip hop inevitably died within two years of its inception, as young hip hoppers
who had grown up with the real article reclaimed the movement, and brought back the hip hop DJ.
This sentiment has been widely expressed and shared by many hip hop/rap pioneers of the time. The
rejection of the studio band “hip hop” sound is directly mentioned by Marley Marl in my interview with
him, included in its entirety in this study.
67
Though “Rapper’s Delight” was the rst big rap hit record, it’s worth noting that “The Breaks” by Kurtis
Blow was the rst big rap hit record on a major label (Mercury Records).
75
LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT BEAT
two reasons. First, it established a model for how the hip hop DJ could in fact
make it in the studio recording environment. Remember, by 1981, when Flash
made “e Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel,” the hip
hop DJ had been written o as a hip hop element that could not translate
well to the studio recording environment. Moreover, it was thought at the
time (by the indie culture vultures and exploiters of rap) that the hip hop DJ
was naturally a causality of the progression of hip hop into the music industry
and, subsequently, the mainstream. In fact, when Sugar Hills Records owner
Sylvia signed Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five to her label, she did so
to capitalize o of and use Flash’s name, not any of Flash’s ideas about music-
making. “e Message,” the biggest hit song credited to Grandmaster Flash
and the Furious Five, wasn’t even written by the members of the group, save
for Melle Mel (Melvin Glover). In truth, “e Message” was the brainchild of
Duke Bootee (Ed Fletcher), the leader of Sugar Hill Record’s in-house studio
band, and Melle Mel.
Second, the making of “e Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the
Wheels of Steel” established the model of the principle (lone) beatmaker in a
studio setting. When Sylvia Robinson nally permitted Flash to go into the
studio alone and record a hip hop/rap album in the vein of the original (real)
essence of hip hop, he took full advantage of the opportunity. Inside the studio,
Flash combined his hip hop sensibility and unique DJ style with the recording
technology of the time. It was his unique use of both his DJ skill-set and the
recording studio tools that paved the way for the beatmaking tradition, as it
would come to be known ve years later.
68
Much in the same way that Grandmaster Flash had returned to his roots,
Afrika Bambaataa reached back to his DJ and king-of-the-record-collection
roots to make a series of critical hit singles between 1981 and 1983. “Jazzy
Sensation” (1981), “Planet Rock” (1982), “Looking For e Perfect Beat”
(1982), and “Renegades of Funk” (1983), all featured Afrika Bambaataa’s hip
hop DJ sensibility and examples of his forward-thinking usage of recording studio
technology. Bambaataa used his understanding of cutting, mixing, and the use
of rupture, and combined it with the recording technology of the time. He used
synthesizers and other gear, but in perhaps one of his truest pioneering acts, he
reached into his extensive record collection and with the help of co-producer/
engineer Arthur Baker, he digitally sampled some of the most unlikely sound
sources. Bambaataa called his new sound “electro funk,” a homage to both the
68
It’s also worth noting that Grandmaster Flash and his “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the
Wheels of Steel” is also credited for being the catalyst of the art of turntablism.
76
THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
funk music that had originally inspired hip hop and to the level of creativity
that electronic instruments and equipment was able to uncork.
Summary of the Studio-Band Period
e Studio-Band Period of the beatmaking tradition represented a number
of critical developments in the art of beatmaking. First, it’s in this period that
the DJ is rst separated from the rapper. Second, it is within this period that
hip hop/rap music gets on the radio for the rst time, and, subsequently, gains
a national audience outside of New York. Moreover, the Studio-Band Period
marks the rst time the distribution of hip hop/rap music rst began to move
from street-sold cassette tapes, to store-sold records. e Studio-Band Period
represents the rst time that hip hop/rap was snatched from its creators (rightful
owners) and exploited commercially. ird, within this period there was a
decisive move away from the actual use of breaks from records as the primary
(basic) material for making new music compositions. Although most of the
in-house studio bands continued to draw inspiration from what hip hop DJs
were playing, they never sought the hip hop DJ’s input when creating rhythm
tracks for rappers. Fourth, it’s in this period that we rst see the emergence of
the lone, self-contained beatmaker (producer). Fifth, it’s in this period where
we rst hear how a limited use of melody can be used in the rhythm and
groove-orientated form of music that hip hop/rap is. Finally, it is also within
the Studio-Band Period that many hip hop/rap practitioners are increasingly
becoming aware of hip hop/rap’s ability to distinguish itself as a popular genre
in the music industry — in this period, Kurtis Blow becomes the rst hip hop/
rap artist to ever sign with a major record label.
It’s important to remember that the Studio-Band Period did not represent
the original hip hop movement. Many people wrongly consider this period to be
the original or “real” roots of hip hop/rap music and the beatmaking tradition.
is is inaccurate. e roots of hip hop/rap music took shape rst in 1973,
and consistently developed for six years before the Studio-Band Period began in
1979. Furthermore, aside from the isolated developments of Kurtis Blow, Larry
Smith, Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, and Duke Bootee, for the most
part, the beatmaking of the Studio-Band Period was simply a knock-o of the
original hip hop sound. In fact, most of the music put forth by the rst indie rap
labels in this period was nothing more than poor, ill-conceived, mass-produced
and mass-manufactured, supercial renditions of the compositions that the hip
hop DJs had been doing in the South Bronx since 1973. Moreover, it was a
77
LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT BEAT
music that was not in deference to the hip hop sensibility or the underlying hip
hop style and sound. Instead, it was a ash-in-the-pan form of music that was
designed more for making a splash on national radio than representing authentic
hip hop/rap music or hip hop culture.
“Rapper’s Delight” was the rst single to take hip hop/rap to the mainstream,
there is no disputing that; it was also the rst single to popularize hip hop/
rap music nationally. But it must never be forgotten that the Sylvia Robinson
invention
69
(or experiment) was not considered real hip hop/rap by any of
the hip hop/rap pioneers and architects of the time. is is why by 1982, the
Studio-Band Period, which was really more the result of a business strategy
than a musical development, was all washed out. Having no real pipeline to
the streets, where hip hop was still emanating from, or to the new rap groups
and crews that were rapidly emerging, the Sugar Hill-inspired acts were all
displaced, paving the way for a new development in the hip hop/rap music and
beatmaking traditions.
Electronic Drum Machine Period, 1983-1987
In 1983, a number of events occurred within the increasingly solidifying
beatmaking tradition. Taking a cue from Afrika Bambaataa and his electro funk
sound as well as other elements of the Bronx (New York) style and sound, DJ
Lonzo Williams (Alonzo Williams) formulated a sound he dubbed “electro
hop.” Williams is signicant for two reasons. First, he is widely recognized as the
rst person to perform and create any form of hip hop on the West Coast (Los
Angeles). Until Williams came on the scene, there was no hip hop in California.
And though California had its own funk and dance movements (most notably
locking), these artistic expressions, which had some parallels to the funk inspired
b-boying, were not quite the same thing. us, it was Williams who developed
the rst hip hop-based music style on the West Coast. Second, Williams served
as an early mentor to and group mate of a young Dr. Dre.
70
By the end of 1983, studio-band hip hop was dead, and in the Bronx as well
as all the other boroughs in New York City, there was a widespread resurgence of
hip hop/rap DJs and park jams — “nobody wanted to see the bands anymore.”
71
In
69
Despite the Studio-Band Period’s penchant for a less-than-true approach to the South Bronx-born
hip hop, Sylvia Robinson and Sugar Hill Records helped crack open the music industry’s doors to hip
hop/rap music.
70
It’s worth noting that the group, World Class Wreckin’ Cru, which DJ Lonzo Williams headed, also
included DJ Yella. In 1986; DJ Yella would go on to make beats and produce with Dr. Dre in the seminal
hip hop/rap group N.W.A..
71
See my interview with Marley Marl, located in the Interviews Part of this study.
78
THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
fact, during this period there was a hip hop renaissance. B-boying (break dancing
or breakin’) moved to the forefront like never before, due in large part to Crazy
Legs (Richie Colón) and the Rock Steady Crew. Also, grati writing, which
had previously lost its turf battle with NYC subway administrators, began to see
a new surge of expression across the city, especially in the Bronx and Brooklyn.
is larger hip hop renaissance coincided with further developments in audio
and recording technology, specically in the area of electronic music production
instruments (EMPIs). But it was the new focus on rhyme form and style (within
the hip hop renaissance, ca. 1983-1985) that was the most pivotal factor in the
further development of the beatmaking tradition.
Standing on the shoulders of Melle Mel, Grandmaster Caz, and Kurtis Blow,
rappers began experimenting with more complex rhyme schemes. ey were
now increasingly pushing the boundaries of the rap form and style, oering up
rhymes that were more poetically dense and more rhythmically charged. Rising
to the challenge of the more extensively developed rhyme form, DJs, who were
now becoming more aware of their role as beatmakers (producers) and other
recording professionals (typically studio engineers) began creating sparse, drum
track-based compositions that were intended to highlight the lyricism and
rhythm of the rappers. And the key to this new beatmaking sound was the
electronic drum machine.
Among those at the forefront of the electronic drum beat sound were Larry
Smith, DJ Jam Master Jay, and Rick Rubin. In 1983, Larry Smith crafted the
two beats that would serve as the instrumental tracks for Run-D.M.C.’s rst
two records, “It’s Like at” and “Sucker M.C.s.” Following the success of
Run-D.M.C.’s debut single, Larry Smith, joined by Jam Master Jay’s assistance
on occasion, would continue to drum up hit tracks for Run-D.M.C.
Rick Rubin’s rst ocially acclaimed beat was the instrumental he provided
for T La Rock’s “It’s Yours.” But it was with Run-D.M.C. (and later LL Cool J,
and then later still e Beastie Boys) that Rick Rubin would distinguish himself
as a pioneer in the beatmaking tradition. Here, it should be noted that Rick
Rubin was clearly inuenced by Larry Smith’s earlier work with Run-D.M.C.
When Smith produced Run-D.M.C.’s song “Rock Box” (1984), he became
the rst to fuse hip hop/rap and rock, not Rubin as many wrongly insist. Still,
Rick Rubin must be recognized for the individuality that he introduced into the
beatmaking lexicon. Drawing on his rock music background, Rubin was perhaps
most responsible for popularizing the fusion of rock and hip hop/rap music, a
feat that not only hinted at the potential range of the beatmaking tradition, but
also at the potential appeal of hip hop/rap music in the mainstream.
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LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT BEAT
In 1985, a seminal event occurred that would establish the core model of
modern beatmaking. One day, while in Unique Recording Studio sampling
sounds with engineer Arthur Baker, Marley Marl, an intern at Unique at
the time, made the revelation that changed the hip hop/rap and beatmaking
traditions forever:
My rst step was I got my break-beats up. All the songs I used to hear them cuttin’
up…I got my break-beats up. And then after that, I would go out into the park and
have my crew rhyme over it. After that…I kind of discovered sampling by accident.
at’s how I got into looping… I was getting another part of the record, and we
didn’t truncate it yet. e snare was there and the vocal. I was playing a beat that
I made on the drum machine, and I heard the sampled snare playing with it.
en I realized… I was like, “Yo, I can take any kick and snare from ANY of my
break-beat records on how rap should sound…
I don’t know if I would call it hunting for a new sound. I was trying to make rap
sound accurate to what I was brought up on. at’s basically it. I wasn’t looking
for a new sound… Maybe you could call it looking for a new sound. But I know
the representation of what I was hearing [on the radio at that time] was NOT
what I grew up on… hearing on these cassettes…and I just wanted to make it
more like the rap that I heard before it hit records. at was my whole premise
of everything. [emphasis mine]
72
Soon after his initial sampling revelation, Marley Marl single-handedly took
the beatmaking tradition to another level. Before Marley, there was very little
examples of actual sample-based compositions. Although DJs of the Break-Beat
Period were, for all intents and purposes, sampling, their use of breaks from
records was more of a virtual form of sampling. Marley was not only the rst
to realize the full potential of sampling technology, he was also the rst to grasp
the complete picture of beatmaking. at is to say, he was the rst person to
recognize beatmaking as a distinct art form and collective musical process that
drew on the foundation and understanding of DJ’ing, sampling skills, and
traditional instrumentation.
With the combination of his DJ background and his recording studio
knowledge, Marley Marl started diggin through his crates of records for drum
sounds and all sorts of musical fragments and phrases; and in the process, he
developed a number of fundamental standards in the beatmaking tradition.
First, he developed the modern practice of using unique drum sounds. Until
Marley, the drum sounds in beats were always of the generic, unmodied stock
electronic drum machine variety. In pursuit of a more accurate sound, a more
realistic sound and tailor-made sound, Marley sampled actual drum sounds
72
Quote from my interview with Marley Marl.
80
THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
from the records he learned as both a kid and DJ. He followed this up by using
his engineering knowledge to further color and customize these sounds, giving
him a sound that was (at rst) not easily duplicated.
Second, Marley Marl established the modern method for all sample-based
compositions. Marley was the rst beatmaker to recognize that any piece on
a record — not just the break near the middle or end — could be converted
to hip hop/rap form. Also, it was Marley who rst developed the techniques
that would come to be commonly known as “chopping” and “layering.” e
truncation of sounds had been practiced before, but only with the stock sounds
of electronic drum machines. Marley took the concepts of truncation and tuning
to a new level, instituting the practice of carving up any sound so that it worked
correctly in the loop and t into a desired rhythmic and sonic pattern.
It was also Marley Marl who rst instituted the use of whole drum breaks as
the primary drum track to a beat. Marley was the rst beatmaker to sample entire
drum breaks and match them or “lock them up” (without any quantizing — the
technology had not yet become common place in EMPIs) with a variety of
dierent types of musical phrases and sound stabs.
Finally, Marley Marl perhaps even had both an indirect and direct role
in the birth of the “Miami Bass” sound (or “bass music”), one of the biggests
sub-developments to emerge during the Electronic Drum Machine Period:
I brought the bass to Miami… I was with my [TR] 808 drum machine… I used to
be on tour with Shanté; this before Miami had bass! Me and Shanté was doing a
show for Luke and Ghetto Style DJs, before he even had 2 Live Crew.… is before
they even started their sound! ere was no 808s out there; there was not. What I
did, I brought my 808 to a show, cuz I used to play live beats while she rhymed. I
went up there with my 808, and was [imitates sounds] BOOM… Everybody ran
over to the booth like, “What is THAT?” Right away, people was like, “What is
that?” I was like, “it’s the 808.” I brought the bass to Miami… is before these
niggas even had the bass. At a Ghetto Style DJs show… Even do the research…
bass didn’t start hitting them until ’85… In ’84/’83, I brought the bass to Miami.
73
It was during this same period that DJ Toomp (of trap music and T.I. fame)
rst came on the scene. Toomp, who admittedly was very much inuenced
by Marley Marl (see my interview with him included in this study), worked
directly with Luke (of 2 Live Crew fame) right out of high school. After
spending some time in Miami, Toomp returned to Atlanta, where by 1994/95,
he had already played a role in the development of the “Atlanta-Miami Sound”
or more appropriately the “Southern bounce” sound. It would be this sound,
73
Ibid.
81
LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT BEAT
along with the New Orleans version of bass music, that would go on to serve
as the foundation for all of the sounds that collectively dened the “Southern
rap sound.”
Finally, the Bomb Squad (Hank Shocklee, Eric “Vietnam” Sadler, Keith
Shocklee, and Chuck D) must also be recognized for their contributions in
the areas of sampling. e Bomb Squad were the rst beatmakers to approach
sampling not merely as a collage of sound, but instead, an almost indiscriminate
wall of sound. e Bomb Squad also helped solidify the “booming” sonic
impression that had been brewing in New York production, but had yet to
completely materialize prior to 1987.
Summary of the Electronic Drum Machine Period
e Electronic Drum Machine Period can be characterized by several key
developments. First, this is the period in which individual drum sounds came
alive. e drum sounds of this period were characterized (for the most part) by
the preset (generic) drum sounds that where stock in the earliest drum machines.
But Marley Marl’s use of drum samples from various records would change that.
e Electronic Drum Machine Period can also be characterized as the period
in which the matching of drum breaks to other supplied musical components
occurs. Mechanic-like drum patterns and sparse sample-stabs typied the kinds
of beats (rhythm tracks) that were made throughout this period. is is also
the period in which the 808 sounds are prominently used for the rst time.
Finally, the Electronic Drum Machine Period represents the period in which
the foundation for the modern art of sampling is established.
74
Pioneers/Avant-Garde Period, 1988-1994
e Pioneers/Avant-Garde Period brought an explosion of new developments
in the beatmaking tradition. First, this is the period in which the quintessential self-
contained lone beatmaker is typied; and it’s during this period that beatmakers
begin to gain recognition similar to that of rappers. Next, this is the period in
which the beatmaker virtually resurrects the role of the DJ as the sole controller
of music for the rapper. In fact, not only is DJ’ing seen as a rite of passage for
74
Key/notable beatmakers and other gures who emerge in this period include: Larry Smith, Rick
Rubin, DJ Lonzo Williams, Marley Marl, The Bomb Squad (Hank Shocklee, Eric “Vietnam” Sadler,
Keith Shocklee, and Chuck D), DJ Toomp, Grand Mixer DXT, Prince Paul, EZ Mo Bee, Steinski, and
Mannie Fresh. Key sub-traditons of hip hop/rap to emerge during this period include: Electro-hop and
Miami bass or bass music. (Note. Miami bass stems directly from electro funk, electro-hop, and other
elements of early/mid-1980s New York hip hop/rap music.) Key gear of the period: Roland TR 808,
E-Mu SP, Technics Turntables.
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THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
many of the beatmakers (producers) of this period,
75
the notion of “diggin’ in
the crates” and having a thorough record collection, the original essence and
foundation of the rst hip hop/rap DJs, becomes paramount.
It’s also during this period that there is a celebration of hip hop/rap’s
underground heritage and subculture roots. More importantly, there’s a return
to and rearmation of the importance of the use of the break and ris as
source material. Also, this is the period where rhythm and groove once again
stand out as the guiding compositional principle in beatmaking. And along
with the experimentation of ltered bass lines, drum frameworks become more
pronounced and designed to create distinct rhythmic grooves, more often
resembling the core drum arrangements of early funk records.
In this period, electronic music production instruments (EMPIs) become
critical to a beatmaker’s methods and techniques. In fact, there are three key
EMPIs that stand out during this period: the Akai S950, the Akai MPC 60 (II),
and the E-Mu SP 1200. Further in this vein, updated sampling technology
points to the potential for a new direction in hip hop/rap music. During
the Pioneers/Avant-Garde Period, pivotal strides in sample and arrangement
strategies are made. Furthermore, the use of rare and obscure records for source
material characterize the middle of this period.
Also, during the Pioneers/Avant-Garde Period, hip hop/rap music experiences
a second art-based renaissance. By 1988, the modern hip hop/rap era was two
years old, and hip hop/rap had shifted from a mostly dance-based music to an
art-based music that celebrated beats as works of art rather than mere rhythm
tracks for rappers to rhyme over. is created the new art/dance duality that
continues to underscore hip hop/rap music to this day. Further, it was during
the Pioneers/Avant-Garde Period that beatmaking began to distinguish itself as
an art form of equal weight to DJ’ing and rapping; in other words, during this
period, the beat starts drawing even with the rhyme.
is new development in beatmaking was best personied in 15 noteworthy
albums that were released between 1988 and 1994: It Takes a Nation of Millions
to Hold Us Back; In Control; Critical Beatdown; 3 Feet High and Rising; Peoples
Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm; Step In the Arena; e Low End eory;
Mecca and the Soul Brother; Breaking Atoms; Daily Operation; e Chronic; Enter
e Wu-Tang (36 Chambers); Midnight Marauders; Illmatic; and Ready to Die.
Public Enemy’s It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988) featured
the Bomb Squad’s signature poly-sample, collage sound. Dense and staunchly
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Marley Marl, DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Buckwild, Showbiz, DJ Pooh, DJ Quik, and many others all have
DJ backgrounds.
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rhythmic, sonically aggressive and fresh, the beats on It Takes a Nation…
amounted to what could best be describe as harmonic chaos. Cuts, ruptures,
screeches, voices, breakbeats, and sound-stabs were all intricately blended
together into lively, often unpredictable, sound walls.
With In Control (1988), the rst producer album that featured rappers,
Marley Marl surpassed his own innovations and created trends that would
become hip hop/rap standards, thereby raising the bar for all beatmakers
thereafter. One of the album’s songs, “e Symphony,” stands out for a number
of reasons. It was the rst beat to feature all of Marley Marl’s innovations: It
included his talent for beat juggling, mixing/blending, and cutting; it included
both individual drum samples layered over a whole drum break; it included
a chop of the front end measure of a soul classic; and it included a haunting
808 drum sound that created a powerful sonic impression. Together, “e
Symphony” (now perhaps considered by some to be a simple arrangement)
was innovative for its arrangement strategy and its overall sonic composite.
“e Symphony” also stands out because it was essentially the rst posse cut
that included multiple rappers — Masta Ace, Craig G., Kool G Rap, and Big
Daddy Kane — who were not all in the same rap group but in the same crew.
1988 also gave us the Ultramagnetic M.C.’s album Critical Beatdown,
which marked the rst notable appearance of lesser known but inuential
beatmaker Paul C. Although not credited for the bulk of Critical Beatdown,
it’s widely understood that Paul C. was responsible for the sound of that album.
Paul C. would go on to make beats for Eric B. & Rakim, and he was poised
to do work for Biz Markie, Main Source, and others. However, in 1989, he
was murdered. He was only 24 years old. Even though Paul C.’s production
career was tragically cut short, he left an indelible legacy on the beatmaking
tradition through his apprentice, Large Professor.
In 1989, De La Soul dropped 3 Feet High and Rising, one of the most original,
enigmatic, and experimental albums in hip hop/rap history. Largely regarded
as one of the most important hip hop/rap albums ever (it helped developed the
alternative hip hop/rap subgenre; it introduced the proverbial “rap skit”; and
it oered a serious crossover hit), the beatwork on this LP was outstanding.
e production, which was decadently sample-based, featured a number of
sample-based motifs: More deliberate uses of longer musical fragments; a more
streamlined arrangement approach; an emphasis on one primary sample and
two or three secondary fragments; more original drum machine programming
and less reliance on break-beat frameworks as the main drum pattern. All of
these sampling motifs would go on to become common stock among sample-
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based beatmakers. And in particular, Prince Paul’s drum programming work
(e.g. “Potholes in My Lawn”) and deliberate use of longer musical fragments
foreshadowed the direction that the art of sampling would go in during this
beatmaking period as well as the major sampling era in general.
In 1990, A Tribe Called Quest released its debut album, Peoples Instinctive
Travels and the Paths of Rhythm. If Marley Marl hadn’t yet made it clear how
pivotal individual stylized sampled drum sounds could be to a beat’s overall
sound, A Tribe Called Quest, lead by Q-Tip’s production, emphatically
hammered this point home. (NOTE: Production credit on A Tribe Called
Quest albums never singled out Q-Tip, but instead cited the entire group. at
said, it’s largely understood that Q-Tip made most of the beats for the group
with additional production input from Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Phife
Dawg. Further, some people will note that J Dilla produced for A Tribe Called
Quest. is is true. However, it must be pointed out that Dilla’s involvement
with Tribe appears to have taken place after Tribe’s rst three, and perhaps most
distinguishable, albums were already released.) It’s on Tribe’s debut that we
rst hear their signature crushing and smacking snare drum. And though this
album did not have the musical dexterity of their next two albums, it was clear
from the start that A Tribe Called Quest would prove to be very inuential in
the burgeoning beatmaking tradition.
1991 would prove to be a power year in the beatmaking tradition. First up,
Gang Starr released its second album, Step In e Arena. is is the album that
rst hinted that DJ Premier would be a mainstay in the top tier of beatmakers.
Drawing from a wealth of knowledge shared by other beatmakers (Large
Professor’s knowledge of ltering and the importance of deep crates; Showbiz’s
knowledge of sampling, especially chopping; and Marley Marl’s use of the break
and distinct drums), DJ Premier crafted one of the most inuential art-based,
beat driven albums in the history of hip hop/rap music. From the chop patterns
and arrangements that he developed, to the pioneering of the “scratch-hook”
(still to this day a signature of songs that he produces), DJ Premier pushed the
art of beatmaking into another stratosphere. And in 1992, Gang Starr released
Daily Operation, an album in which DJ Premier, seemingly not content with his
accomplishments a year earlier, further laid down the drumwork foundations
that would soon lead to his distinct signature sound.
One year after their 1991 debut EP, All Souled Out, Pete Rock and CL
Smooth dropped their rst full length LP, Mecca and the Soul Brother. With
this album, Pete Rock both demonstrated his dedication to soul source material
and established himself as a master drum programmer. Furthermore, just
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like DJ Premier, A Tribe Called Quest, Large Professor, and e RZA, Pete
Rock demonstrated his commitment to a signature drum arrangement and a
compositional strategy that sought to balance out the original essence of the
hip hop DJ with the commercial (mainstream) and technological realities of
the mid-1990s. Finally, Pete Rock set the bar for the “art/dance” duality of
beatmaking with the song “ey Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.),” one the best
hip hop/rap songs ever recorded.
Just one month after Mecca and the Soul Brother was released and several
months after Gang Starr released Step In e Arena, Main Source — Large
Professor’s former group — released its rst and only album, the classic Breaking
Atoms. Large Professor, who produced every beat, save for one Pete Rock-assisted
track (“Vamos a Rapiar”), helped further propel the art-rst trend that began
to underscore the beatmaking tradition sometime between 1988 and 1990.
Large Professor’s beatwork on Breaking Atoms was an explosive demonstration
of “diggin’ in the crates” (a phrase that would reemerge during this period) and
carefully crafted sampling arrangements.
Two months after Main Source released the Large Professor-anchored
Breaking Atoms, A Tribe Called Quest put out e Low End eory. On this,
their second go-round, Tribe was intent on maintaining their smooth, but
hard-hitting drum-driven sound. e song “Check the Rhyme” was clearly built
o the momentum that they had developed with “Can I Kick It” and “Bonita
Applebum” from their debut. But it should further be noted that Tribe were also
obviously bent on showing a much rougher production sound. With cuts like
“Scenario” (one of the best posse cuts of all time), “Buggin’ Out,” and “Verses
From the Abstract,” Tribe created a formula that blended their colorful bounce
sound with an edgier (sometimes more funkier) drum arrangement strategy.
At the end of 1992, Dr. Dre released e Chronic. With e Chronic,
Dre, who by this time had already made a name for himself with N.W.A.,
introduced a new (some might say ambitious) style and sound, one that sought
to use distinct melody lines to compliment fundamental hip hop/rap grooves.
Admittedly inspired by P-funk (a sound developed by George Clinton and
Parliament, who used late 1970s West Coast funk as their basis), Dre created a
unique sound that represented the sum of his various musical experiences and
ideas. Using a combination of hard-hitting drums, altered funk rhythms, replays
of funk samples, and high-pitched portamento — pitch sliding — sine/saw
wave synthesizer lines, Dre became the chief pioneer of the budding southern
California G-funk sound. While there’s some small dispute about who was rst
to come up with the G-funk sound, there’s no debate as to who was the rst to
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popularize it and take it to new heights — that was Dr. Dre. He in eect made
G-funk his sound, and in the process he helped lay down the foundation for
what is now commonly understood to be the West Coast sound. Because e
Chronic was released in December of 1992, it had a strong shelf life that lasted
well throughout the balance of 1993; a fact that further established the West
Coast sound as the new national hip hop/rap sound of the time.
In 1993, A Tribe Called Quest released their third album, Midnight
Marauders. In their third installment, Tribe delivered their most comprehensive
album and ground-breaking beatmaking oering to date. With two albums and
four years under their belt, Tribe put together an album that summoned both
the best of their prior innovations and their obvious recording studio experience.
Cuts like “Sucka Nigga,” “Oh My God” (ft. Busta Rhymes), and “Steve Biko
(Stir It Up)” display both Tribe’s commitment to deeper crate diggin’ and the
new multi-layer chop strategy that they were using to compose their “gut-tough”
rhythm tracks. en with tracks like “Electric Relaxation, “Award Tour,” and
“Lyrics to Go,” Tribe showed o a new artistic polish of the beatmaking craft,
much in the same way that Dr. Dre had demonstrated on e Chronic. What’s
more, on Midnight Marauders, Tribe profoundly delivered the new “listening
pleasure” component to beats and rhymes that had come to personify the
Pioneers/Avant-Garde Period.
Near the end of 1993, the force known as Wu-Tang Clan crashed the hip
hop/rap scene with the release of their debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36
Chambers). On an album recognized as much (if not more) for the individual
Clan rappers who appeared on it as the beats it contained, e RZA orchestrated
a designed chaos of soul source material, 1970s karate-ick nuances, and
perhaps the darkest, rawest underground sonic composite ever heard at that
time, and perhaps thus far. As was the case with his beat pioneering peers, e
RZA constructed his own signature drum programming style and sound. At
the heart of RZA’s drum sound was his time-correctless approach to drum
programming. RZA pioneered the technique of capturing the natural feel of
drum programming and arrangement, without relying heavily (if at all) on the
time correct function. RZA must also be specically recognized for his drums
because he is the originator of the o-beat drums swing style. But RZA didn’t
just do o-beat drums for the sake of it (unlike many beatmakers today who
seem to force the style to the detriment of the beat). RZA’s o-beat swing (and
shue) never lost sight of the pocket. at is to say, they held the groove together,
which was never a stuck-sounding or mechanical concoction. It’s worth noting
that J Dilla often gets praise for his o-beat drums. Some go so far as to say that
he was the rst to use the o-beat drum style. But songs like Wu-Tang Clan’s
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“Clan in Da Front” (which uses a break-beat phrase) and “Tearz” demonstrate
that RZA was already making beats with dragging and o-beat drum rhythms
as early as 1992. e RZA’s experimentation in the area of drum programming,
arrangement, and sampling allowed him to explore ideas that took full advantage
of the concepts of rupture, rhythm, and groove; and all of this played a role in
his creation of what has appropriately been described as the “Wu-Tang Sound”
or simply the “Wu Sound.” Finally, it’s also worth mentioning that it was
both DJ Clark Kent and e RZA who rst pioneered the use of sped-up soul
samples, not Kanye West. Further, RZA’s use of sped-up soul samples was more
in a complimentary or “sound wall” role rather than a featured role, as was the
case for Kanye West and many of those who followed.
By the middle of 1993, most of the nation’s attention had been driven to the
popularity of the West Coast sound, spearheaded by Dr. Dre and e Chronic.
But in 1994, with the release of two more classic hip hop/rap albums, Illmatic
and Ready To Die, the overall focus in both the beatmaking and greater hip hop/
rap communities abruptly shifted back to New York. For Illmatic (1994), Nas
assembled what has been commonly dubbed the rst all-star team of producers.
e beatwork on Illmatic was served up by Large Professor, DJ Premier, Pete
Rock, Q-Tip, and DJ L.E.S — all were either approaching or at the beginning
of their prime. Taken alone, the lyricism of Illmatic was a seminal event. But
it was the beats on this album that both appropriately helped illuminate Nas’
lyrics and make Illmatic not just one of the most memorable hip hop/rap
albums of all time, but one of the most creative and intensely poetic albums of
twentieth-century popular American music. Illmatic would have no doubt been
the album of 1994 for most (it was for many), had another icon not released his
debut album that very same year.
Taking a page from Nas (in more ways than one), several months after the
release of Illmatic, e Notorious B.I.G., AKA “Biggie Smalls,” released his
debut album, Ready To Die. Ready To Die also featured somewhat of an all-star
line up of beatmakers: Easy Mo Bee, Chucky ompson, Poke, DJ Premier,
and Lord Finesse. ough not as artistically far-reaching as the beatwork that
permeated throughout Illmatic, Ready To Die did feature a sound strategy that
was well-designed for radio and national appeal; even the lone DJ Premier
produced track, “Unbelievable,” featured an R Kelly assist, albeit via Premier’s
signature scratch-hook. But in no way was Ready To Die completely a jaunt for
radio. e meat of the album did feature the sharp East Coast drum style that
had recently been established; and the sonic composite of Ready To Die was
dark, hard hitting, and menacing.
Finally, it’s important to mention that during the early/mid- 1990s,
beatmaking and hip hop/rap music began (necessarily) to fragment in a way
similar to how jazz fragmented into big band, bebop, cool jazz, and later fusion.
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is fragmentation laid down the foundations for new styles of hip hop/rap
music (styles that were based fundamentally o of the East Coast or West Coast
sounds). It’s also worth noting that during this period, beats were driven — in
large part — by “the listening pleasure” aspect. In other words, much how
Western classical music was a music meant for listening to and not dancing to,
beatmaking and hip hop/rap became something that was lauded as much for
its listening pleasure as it was for its dancing and partying function.
Summary of the Pioneers/Avant-Garde Period
e Pioneers/Avant-Garde Period is best summarized, rst and foremost, as
the period in which beatmaking (production) rst became a nationally recognized
art form, sub-culture, and distinct tradition within the broader hip hop/rap art
form, culture, and tradition. In fact, it’s during this period that the beatmaking
tradition essentially explodes and becomes more codied, particularly in terms
of styles, methods, terminology, and gear usage. is is also the period wherein
beatmakers rst become more recognized gures in their own right. Also, in
many ways, the Pioneers/Avant-Garde Period represents the manifestation
of the DJ within the beatmaker. During this period, there’s a fundamental
return to and rearmation of the importance of the use of the break and the
rhythm and groove as the guiding principle in beatmaking. Furthermore, this
period is also characterized by the extensive development of the techniques rst
established by Marley Marl. Finally, it should be recognized that the beatwork
of the Pioneers/Avant-Garde Period (specically the 15 noteworthy albums
singled out in this section) provided the blueprint for modern beatmaking and
hip hop/rap production.
Among all the various developments that took place throughout the Pioneers/
Avant-Garde Period, there are six critical developments worth pointing out.
First, the art of sampling is explored and expanded way beyond marks previously
imagined. In this period, sound-stabs and horn phrases become common
place, and there is an extensive use of bass ltering. Second, the scratch-hook
becomes a major staple of hip hop/rap songs. ird, Dr. Dre, introduces the
rst “orchestral-like,” broad-based sound to hip hop music production. Fourth,
the emphasis on the mix as an equally important production process is realized
during this period — A Tribe Called Quest, DJ Premier, e RZA, and Dr. Dre
stand out in this regard. Fifth, the modern New York sound or East Coast sound
reaches its zenith, drawing even with the West Coast sound, which had reached
its own plateau earlier during the same period. Finally, it’s during the Pioneers/
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Avant-Garde Period that beatmaking drum frameworks begin to emulate those
of soul and funk records; this move would further increase hip hop/rap music’s
use of common song structure.
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Post-Pioneers Period, 1995-2000
Fresh o all of the strides that were made in the Pioneers/Avant-Garde Period,
the Post-Pioneers Period begins in 1995 with the new well-codied New York
sound poised to reign supreme. Barely two short years into the period, Mobb
Deep, Raekwon, and Jay-Z all release classic albums — each album strongly
reinforcing the New York sound and feel. However, by the second half of this
period, things would begin to change.
e latter half of the Post-Pioneers Period really represents a period of
inevitable change in both the hip hop/rap and beatmaking traditions. e rst
noticeable change was the dramatic new interest in beatmaking. In 1997, the
beatmaking tradition got its rst big surge of new interest, due in no small part
to EMPI maker Akai. 1997 was the year Akai introduced the MPC 2000, a
monster of an EMPI that Akai aggressively marketed to the burgeoning hip hop/
rap production world, making beatmaking instantly accessible to more people at
one time than ever before. us, the new interest in beatmaking, coupled with
the advent of the Akai MPC 2000 (an EMPI soon to become an important stable
in late-90s hip hop/rap production), the sheer number of beatmakers increased
dramatically. By the last quarter of the 1990s, the beatmaking tradition is no
longer a small, little-known about subculture, it’s a phenomenon that’s gaining
new steam in the United States and around the world.
e second noticeable change of the second half of the Post-Pioneers
Period was that most of the new beatmakers in the late ‘90s went straight into
beatmaking, bypassing the DJ stage, which was once considered a rite of passage
in the previous two beatmaking periods. is was a signicant change because it
assured that for the rst time in hip hop/rap’s history, there would be a generation
of beatmakers that was dominated by those without DJ backgrounds, a critical
link to the foundation of hip hop/rap music.
e third signicant change that takes hold during this period is the
beginning of the end of the sampling-major era. After the criminalization of
the art of sampling, brought on in large part by the landmark Grand Upright
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Key/notable beatmakers and other gures who emerge or appear in this period include: Marley Marl,
DJ Toomp, DJ Premier, Erick Sermon, Prince Paul, Dr. Dre, Buckwild, The Beatnuts, No I.D., Havoc,
D.R. Period, DJ Quik, and The Hitmen. Key sub-traditons or styles of hip hop/rap to emerge during this
period: G-funk and “hardcore” hip hop/rap. Key gear of the period: Akai S950, Akai MPC 60 II, E-Mu
SP1200, Ensoniq ASR-10, Akai MPC 3000.
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v. Warner case, the use of sampling as a primary compositional method in
beatmaking begins to decline. Furthermore, because many new beatmakers
have a lack of interest in or access to DJ’ing, the art of sampling slowly begins
to lose ground as a core compositional method. At the same time, there are
increasing commercial (pop) inuences that are pushing even some of the veteran
beatmakers (producers) away from sampling and into other compositional
methods.
e move away from sampling led to the fourth signicant change of this
period: e increased usage of keyboard or synth-based beats that feature little
to no sampling. At this time, hip hop/rap music is beginning to become more
national than regional, and although it’s not as national as it would become by
the late 2000s, many new beatmakers are not necessarily deferring to the art
of sampling, but rather being drawn to the appeal of two new creative sounds
emanating from beatmakers like Timbaland and e Neptunes. Seemingly
overnight, this very noticeable shift away from the art of sampling opens up an
entirely new beatmaking lane.
Around this same time, hip hop/rap music is beginning to return to its
party roots. With the appearance of the Puy “shiny suits” and the “Jiggy” era,
the party trend appears to rise at the expense of the art. However, it should be
noted that even though sampling is on the decline and the party scene is on
the rise, beatmakers (producers) such as Timbaland, e Neptunes, and Dame
Grease all keep the notion of art at the forefront of their production sounds.
Finally, by the end of the Post-Pioneers Period, there appears to be a pushback
against the tone and mood of the national sound of hip hop/rap music. is
pushback sparks a new sampling renaissance that’s led by J Dilla, Kanye West,
Madlib, and Just Blaze.
Summary of the Post-Pioneers Period
Beatmakers of the Post-Pioneers Period were the rst group of beatmakers
to directly benet from the massive blueprint that was constructed by those
of the Pioneers-Avant-Garde Period. us, it’s no surprise that during the
Post-Pioneers Period, there were a number of important strides made in the
beatmaking tradition. It’s during this period that the synthetic-sounds-based
style (more commonly known as “keyboard beats”) is born. is is important,
as it represents the rst sound in beatmaking that primarily uses synthetic or
so-called “live” sounds, as oppose to traditional samples, while still attempting to
remain true to some of the fundamental tenets of the overall hip hop/rap form
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and style. Production duos and teams become an important new development
during this period, no doubt inspired by the success of e Neptunes. Finally,
it’s during this period wherein the beatmaking culture begins to become one of
the most racially/ethnically integrated subcultures in hip hop.
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The Southern Bounce Period, 2001-2004
e Southern Bounce Period marks the beginning of the dominance of
the Southern rap sound in the United States. During this period, sampling is
marginalized more than any other time in the history of beatmaking.
78
Also,
although the basic form of rhythm and repetition are left in tact, it’s during
this period that the hip hop/rap compositional ethic and form undergo their
most obviously pop/traditional music-inuenced changes yet. During this
period, the number of changes or “switch-ups” and “sweeps” in a typical beat
increase within arrangements, and bridges, intros, and choruses become more
pronounced and elaborate.
During this period there is also somewhat of a diminishing interest in
customized or signature drum sounds and drum frameworks. Actually, during
the Southern Bounce Period, the use of stock/preset drum sounds become
commonplace; and drum patterns, based on the use of claps instead of snares,
become rather prevalent. Furthermore, extra heavy syncopation, particularly
of the stutter hi-hat, kick drum, and snare variety, coupled with the 808 boom
and kick, become somewhat of a standard.
Next, while the Southern bounce sound was clearly on its way to becoming
the national hip hop/rap sound, another renaissance, one based on the New
York sound of the mid-90s, begins to take shape. Beginning with Jay-Z’s album
e Blueprint (2001), Kanye West and Just Blaze established themselves as both
sampling acionados and commercial realists. Balancing the dierences of artistic
integrity and commercial viability, the pair go about developing sample-based
sounds that are respectfully obscure, but not too terribly arcane or intricate
that it pushes away non-fans of sampling. is new sound of theirs is even
more conducive to additional live instrumentation. And around the same time
77
Key/notable beatmakers and other gures who emerge or appear in this period include: DJ Premier,
Timbaland, Just Blaze, Kanye West, Dame Grease, The Alchemist, The Neptunes, J Dilla, Swizz
Beatz, Lil’ Jon, Mel-Man, Dr. Dre, Focus, Madlib, Mannie Fresh, DJ Shadow, Megahertz, Erick Sermon,
Rockwilder, and DJ Toomp. Key gear of the period: Akai MPC 2000XL, Korg Triton, Korg Trinity, Roland
Fantom, and Akai MPC 3000.
78
This period marks the rst time in the history of beatmaking that a number of hip hop/rap beatmakers
began to make accusations that sampling isn’t creative or original — this is a direct assault on the
fundamental roots of hip hop/rap music and the beatmaking tradition. Moreover, it demonstrates a lack
of respect for and understanding of the richness of the beatmaking tradition in its entirety.
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that Just Blaze (inuenced in some ways by Bink) and Kanye West latch on
to their new sounds, Swizz Beatz nds his own sound — after perhaps having
seen the advantages of the “middle ground” and, more importantly, studying
Dame Grease’s style and sound and seeing the successful direction of Just Blaze
and Kanye West. But unlike Just Blaze and Kanye West, Swizz Beatz’s sound is
not based upon sampling, but instead ynthetic-based (live) sounds. Still, this
push from Just Blaze, Kanye West, and Swizz Beatz can’t stop the force that is
the Southern bounce at this time. And when it comes to the best of Southern
bounce or trap music sound, there is no one beatmaker (producer) more
responsible for popularizing it than DJ Toomp. A long-established veteran DJ
and beatmaker (producer), DJ Toomp is one of the chief architects and pioneers
of the trap music sound, a sound that would come to personify much of what
could be described as “the Sound of Atlanta.” It should also be noted that this
is the period in which Lil Jon comes to major prominence through the use of
a three-chord signature synth sound.
Interestingly enough, the Southern Bounce Period also marks the beginning
of the all software-based production setups. Even though the mighty Akai MPC
4000 is introduced during this period (2002) and the Roland Fantom series
is still in its prime, new software applications like Proellerhead’s Reason, and
Image-Lines Fruity Loops (now FL Studio) become the chosen production tools
of many beatmakers.
Summary of the Southern Bounce Period
The Southern Bounce Period signals the start of three important
developments in the beatmaking tradition. First, it is during this period that a
noticeably “synth-heavy” sound is established. As sampling is marginalized as a
compositional method, many beatmakers take to using groups of synthetic (live)
sounds as the basis for their beats. ere is debate as to why the synth-heavy
sound gains ground during this period. On one hand, the sample clearance issue
certainly pushed many veteran beatmakers away from sampling and dissuaded
some newcomers from even considering the method. On the other hand, one
could argue that the trends of the time inuenced many beatmakers to move
towards the synth-heavy sound. Still, it might be argued that as a disconnect
from veteran beatmakers to new beatmakers broke down, so went the relationship
of veterans sharing important knowledge with rookies; subsequently, rookie
beatmakers made do with the EMPIs and information that was available at the
time. No doubt all three factors (and several more, including the advent of
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ringtones as a new major source of revenue for music-makers) contributed to
the rise of the synth-heavy sound.
Second, during the Southern Bounce Period there are some noticeable
changes in composition methods and arrangement strategies. During this period,
the increased use of melody begins to stand out. Furthermore, while rhythm and
repetition still remain in tact (for the most part), the concept of linear progression
starts to gain importance in the work of some noteable beatmakers.
79
Again,
it is during this period that the number of “changes” within an arrangement
increase; and in many cases, other arrangements constructions (e.g., bridges and
the like) become more pronounced and elaborate.
Finally, the Southern Bounce Period marks the start (perhaps not ironically)
of a somewhat populist return to sampling. In the beginning of 2004, at the
end of the Post-Pioneers Period, Kanye West releases his debut album, College
Dropout. Both a critic’s choice and a commercial success, College Dropout, which
features very pronounced and straight forward sample-based beats (perhaps
Kanye’s deliberate alternative to Southern bounce), helped spark a new popular
interest in sampling.
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Retro-Eclectic Period, 2005-2009
e Retro-Eclectic Period is a period marked by an eclectic mix of both
a return to some of the elements of beatmaking’s earlier periods and the
incorporation of a number of non-hip hop/rap compositional inuences. O the
success of Kanye West in 2004, sampling gains a new audience, and a number
of key sample-based beatmakers capitalize o of the seemingly sudden interest
and appreciation for sampling. But whatever strides sampling has been able to
gain (or regain) in the Retro-Eclectic Period, the other big development during
the same time is that the use of melody has gained a new foothold.
e Retro-Eclectic Period also marks a heightened use of non-hip hop/rap
compositional inuences. In the past, if and when melody was used in hip hop/
rap, it was always used in a subordinate role. But during the Retro-Eclectic
Period, melody takes on a more prominent role. Furthermore, in this period, the
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A lot of the new interest in melody and progession can be attributed to the commercial success of
beatmakers like Scott Storch (ex-keyboardist for The Roots), and to an increasing number of new
beatmakers who enter into beatmaking with Western classical-trained music backgrounds.
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Key/notable beatmakers and other gures who emerge or appear in this period include: DJ Toomp,
Lil Jon, Scott Storch, Jazze Pha, Just Blaze, Kanye West, Swizz Beatz, Timbaland, The Neptunes, J
Dilla, Mel-Man, Dr. Dre, Madlib, Alchemist, DJ Premier, Mannie Fresh.
Key gear of the period: Akai MPC 4000, Roland Fantom, Akai MPC 3000, Reason (by Propellerhead),
Recycle (by Propellerhead), and Fruity Loops (by Image-Lines).
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concept of linear progression or material growth is increasingly gaining interest
among various beatmakers. is trend is particularly curious (if not alarming),
as such concepts are actually counterintuitive to the hip hop/rap form and the
fundamental tenets of its tradition.
e Retro-Eclectic Period also represents the rst beatmaking period where
the majority of new beatmakers start o with software-based production setups.
Prior to this period, the majority of new beatmakers entered into the tradition
using hardware-based production setups. is trend began to change during the
Southern Bounce Period, and it’s reversed in the Retro-Eclectic Period. After
beatmaker (producer) 9th Wonder garnered critical acclaim and commercial
success working from a software-based production setup (Fruity Loops),
many new beatmakers followed his path. (It’s worth noting that 9th Wonder
switched to hardware, rst an Akai MPC and the Native Instruments Maschine).
Moreover, software beatmaking tools became even more inexpensive, which made
them more accessible to the average person interested in beatmaking. row in
the fact that software EMPIs are much more mobile, and in some cases more
exible than hardware EMPIs, and it was inevitable that software-based setups
would increase in popularity.
Finally, one development that continued on into the Retro-Eclectic Period is
the general inclusiveness of the beatmaking tradition. Of all of the sub-elements
and subcultures of hip hop, beatmaking, like grati, continues to be the most
ethnically and racially inclusive. In fact, more ethnic groups and races are now
involved in beatmaking (both professionals and hobbyists) more than any of
the four original elements of hip hop combined.
Summary of the Retro-Eclectic Period
What makes the Retro-Eclectic Period particularly unique is the amount
of cross-fertilzation of styles from the dierent previous beatmaking periods.
During this period, there has been as much of a noticeable return to some of the
compositional trends of the Electronic Drum Machine Period as there has been
to some of the developments made during the Pioneers/Avant-Garde Period.
But things have not all been nostalgic. In fact, in many ways, the Retro-Eclectic
Period further conrms the Southern bounce sound (and its peripheral styles), as
the national beatmaking sound. And while there’s been a return to minimalism,
there’s also been more development in the area of arrangement, particularly when
it comes to the concept of linear progression or material growth. In this period,
there was a widespread attempt by many beatmakers to conform the hip hop/rap
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compositional approach — style and form — to the styles and compositional
approaches of other forms of popular music, instead of rearming hip hop/rap’s
own tradition. Finally, as these high levels of cross-fertilization persist during a
time where audio and recording technology is all but making the beats for some
beatmakers, the question remains: What role will beatmakers allow technology
to play in their fundamental compositional processes?
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Trap Based/Performance-Experimental Period, 2009-
2015
In many ways, the Trap Based/Performance-Experimental Period Period, the
beatmaking period currently in play at the time of this publication, is a broad
continuation of the Southern Bounce Period. In this period, trap based beats
— that mostly build o of the trap music tropes and themes rst popularized by
DJ Toomp and later Shawty Redd — become the dominant sound. And within
this trap based continuum, two approaches emerge: e minimalist approach
and the broad orchestral approach. e minimalist approach features sparsely
made beats that mostly rely on 808 sounds and bare-bones drum frameworks.
e broad orchestral approach features the familiar trap sound — i.e. 808 drums
and percussion, Synth tubas and other synth brass — along with some sampled
elements and additional instrumentation, usually elements found in urban dance
or mainstream pop trends that run parallel to this period.
Besides the utter dominance of trap, performance-experimentalism also
marks this period. A growing number of beatmakers, notably Araab Muzik and
Flying Lotus, take to live performance, demonstrating their beatmaking skills
in front of audiences in real time. At the same time, there’s a growing number
of beat battles and producer showcases, wherein a new type of focus is given to
beat instrumentals. Within this climate, an increasing number of beatmakers
create beats that are intended for battles and showcases rather than for use in
traditional rap songs. In other words, a number of beatmakers in this period
take to making beats that have little to no room for vocals.
While the concept of linear progression or material growth continued to be
a feature of this period, it should be noted that this concept takes on a deeper
hip hop connection. In this regard, traditional sampling approaches remain, but
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Key/notable beatmakers who stood out or emerged during this period include: Danjahandz, Don Cannon,
Jake One, Black Milk, Keak Da Sneak, Droop-E, Alchemist, Marco Polo, Statk Selektah. Sub-traditions
to emerge during this period: hyphy. Key gear of the period: Reason (by Propellerhead), Recycle (by
Propellerhead), FL Studio (formerly Fruity Loops by Image-Lines), Akai MPC 1000, Akai MPC 4000,
Akai MPC 3000, Akai MPC 2000XL.
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increasingly beatmakers are using their sampling skills to repurpose stock sounds
in software and hardware EMPIs, rather than relying on pre-recorded songs as
primary source material. is has created a new kind of diggin in the crates
experience for many beatmakers, where one is mining the vast sound libraries of
EMPIs and sound packs, which include a number of ever-growing sounds and
vintage plug-ins. Right now, Marco Polo is the leading beatmaker (producer)
in this vein. But I expect more beatmakers to take up the same charge in future
beatmaking periods, especially given the sampling capabilities and sound libraries
found in the likes of Native Instrument’s Kontakt and Komplete series.
Software EMPIs like Ableton Live, Reason, and FL Studio, and Kontakt and
Komplete maintain a high prole in the Trap Based/Performance-Experimental
Period, but hardware EMPIs still remain as stalwarts; and hardware/software
hybrid EMPIs like the Maschine by Native Instruments and the Akai MPC
Renaissance emerge as popular go-to production units for many beatmakers
in this period.
Finally, while trap dominates this period and performance-experimentalism
carves out its own small niche, what appears on the horizon is yet another
sampling revival. With the emergence and popularity of millenial rappers like
Joey Bada$$, who conjures memories of ‘90s style sample-based music, and
Mac Miller’s early success with ‘90s style sample-based beats, a number of new,
teenage beatmakers have taken to the art of sampling and, for the most part,
have rejected the trap based style and sound.
Summary of the Trap Based/Performance-Experimental Period
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is period does not stand out for its uniqueness. On the contrary, with so
much trap parity and little distinction from one trap based hit song to the next,
the Trap Based/Performance-Experimental Period stands out because of how
much of this dominant sound mimicks itself. Compare this to the Pioneers/
Avant-Garde Period, a period that featured a collective sampling aesthetic as a
whole, but nonetheless a period that held for a broader space of interpretation
of the aesthetic itself. I believe that one important reason for this is due to
the nature of a beatmaker working with dierent pre-recorded songs as source
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Key/notable beatmakers who stood out or emerged during this period include: Shawty Redd, Lex
Luger, Bangladesh, Harry Fraud, S1 (Symbolic One), Flying Lotus, Boi-1da, Noah “40” Shebib, Mike
Will Made-It, Jahlil Beats, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, T-Minus, Knxwledge, Metro Boomin. Sub-traditions to
emerge during this period: slump, boom trap. Key gear of the period: Maschine (by Native Instruments),
Reason (by Propellerhead), Recycle (by Propellerhead), Kontakt and Komplete (by Native Instruments)
FL Studio (by Image-Lines, Akai MPC 2500, Akai MPC 1000, Akai MPC 4000, Akai MPC 3000, Akai
MPC 2000XL, Akai MPC Renaissance.
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material. On the other hand, the core component (the engine really) of the
trap sound is the 808 aesthetic, which because of its limited number of sounds
and familiar programming, it naturally lends itself to duplication, including
everything from arrangement scopes, drum frameworks, percussion structures,
and general style and sound. us, trap based music benets from and relies
on familiarity — one knows the style, sound, and aesthetic; it’s unmistakable.
But the very thing that makes trap popular and easy to emulate right now is
also the same thing that makes it susceptible to duplication and a surplus of
beats that fail to stand out.
As for the performance-experimental component of this period, I believe
some conceptual strides have been made. But I don’t believe that the live
performance of beats alone will be a sustainable model for beatmakers in future
beatmaking periods. Finally, as with the Retro-Eclectic Period before it, within
the Trap Based/Performance-Experimental Period, there continues to be high
levels of cross-fertilization. Yet, there has also been a renewed focus on sampiling
and minimalism in various pockets of the beatmaking tradition of hip hop/rap
music.
Conclusion of the Eight Periods (or Eras) of the
Beatmaking Tradition: Three Modern Production
Sounds
ere are three modern production sounds that have emanated from the
rst eight beatmaking periods: (1) e East Coast rap sound, also known as the
New York rap sound; (2) e West Coast rap sound; and (3) e Southern rap
sound (Southern bounce sound).
e traditional East Coast/New York rap sound is best characterized by the
art of the dig and the chop. at is to say, the East Coast/New York rap sound
features the unique truncation of record samples (usually from arcane records),
obscure sounds, and heavy (often dark) drum sounds and heavy-hitting drum
patterns. e East Coast/New York rap sound is also characterized by thick
ltered bass lines, and straight-forward 2-bar loops. Finally, it’s worth mentioning
that of the three main production sounds, the traditional East Coast or New
York rap sound remains the one sound most dedicated (or conducive) to the
use of extensive or complex lyricism.
e West Coast rap sound is an amalgamation of late 1970s West Coast
funk and some elements of the East Coast/New York rap sound. e West
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Coast rap sound is perhaps best characterized by a collage of heavy moog-like
bass lines, live instrumentation, and record samples. Also, in contrast to the
heavy chop-and-loop sound of New York, the West Coast Sound is much more
orchestral and laid back; it’s more open ended than the New York Sound, as it
also features melody in a more prominent role than the East Coast/New York
rap sound.
Finally, the Southern rap sound, which is based fundamentally on a
Miami bass-“Atlanta sound” hybrid with early 1980s New York undertones, is
characterized by stutter drums and heavy bass lines. e Southern rap sound
actually carries two opposing styles: One style that is sparse with simple keyboard
melodies, and another style that is rather dense — conceptually, structurally,
and texturally. e latter style includes more extensive melody motives and
chromatic harmony accompaniment. Both of these styles, however, still feature
the 808 drum aesthetic and heavily syncopated snare, hi-hat, and kick patterns.
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Part 2
TECHNICAL BEATDOWN
(INSTRUCTION)
DISCLAIMER: About e Matter of Success or Failure in Beatmaking
ere are a number of reasons that contribute to the success or failure of beatmakers. Truth
is, only a small number of beatmakers ultimately reach a high level of commercial success;
most have a more real chance at critical acclaim than vast riches. In either case, a beatmaker’s
development of their own unique style and sound is important. And for this to eectively
take place, there are many factors each beatmaker must consider. For instance, what kind of
person are you? Are you very organized, disciplined, and forthright? Or are you disorganized,
undisciplined, and prone to procrastination? Do you have a good base knowledge of music?
Does this knowledge span over multiple music genres and moments in music history? Do
you use a hardware- or software-based production setup or? Do you use a classic (vintage)
setup or contemporary electronic instruments and pro audio equipment? Do you prefer
sampling or utilizing traditional live instrumentation processes? All of these questions are
critical aspects of making beats. To that end, this Part of e BeatTips Manual examines all
of the essential (and not-so obvious) aspects of beatmaking. Finally, it should be noted that
the primary aim of this Part of the book is to help beatmakers identify and manipulate the
various aesthetics that are critical to creating and developing their own unique production
styles and sounds.
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Chapter 4
Gear and Sound Fundamentals
Understanding Production Setups, EMPIs,
Sounds, and Other Prerequisite Factors
Production Setup Choices and Why They’re Made
A Production Setup Dened
A “production setup” or “setup” is simply a wholesale term used to describe all
of the gear and equipment that producers use to make their beats; it’s where the
drums, bass, piano/keyboards, strings, brass, and eects come from. Setups are
characterized as hardware, software, or hybrid. ey can further be distinguished
by all-in-one types of setups, i.e. workstations, production centers, etc. Setups
are made up of their base (primary pieces) and their support (secondary pieces).
Because beatmakers are self-contained composers who generally create, arrange,
and perform all of their music by themselves, we all use a setup of some sort.
The Hardware/Software Debate
ough beatmakers choose hardware- or software-based production setups
for generally the same reason: functionality, they often choose a particular
EMPI — hardware or software — because of the advantages that each piece
potentially presents. us, in this section, I’ll discuss the commonly expressed
fundamental pros and cons of either hardware- or software-based production
setups.
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But before getting into a comparative analysis of hardware- and
software-based setups, it’s important to point out that the hardware vs. software
debate is actually very misleading.
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There is a timbrel quality associated with hardware units. That is, each unit produces a certain sound
(color) that is only characteristic to itself. It’s further worth noting that though hardware actually relies
on software (i.e., it’s internal operating system), it gives the feel and perception of using a traditional
instrument. Therefore, hardware EMPIs are non-traditional instruments that give a link to traditional
instruments, much like synthesizers and electronic keyboards give a link to the piano.
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Regardless of the production setup, no two setups can ever be the exact
same for any two people, nor can any EMPI be the exact same to another. But
are there some comparable functions in let’s say an Akai MPC and FL Studio?
Sure. But the functions of a hardware or software EMPI is an entirely dierent
notion than how an individual beatmaker works with hardware or software. To
be certain, each of our individual musical expressions is pragmatic in nature.
And although we often nd ways to challenge ourselves, we are still essentially
working o of set, subjective ideas about making music. erefore, musical
expression is much more about one’s individual feeling about music and the role
technology plays in the compositional process; it’s less about any allegiance to
a piece of hardware or software application. So the more attention we invest in
additional (perhaps unnecessary) processes, the less attention we actually pay to
infusing the feeling that we ultimately want to express musically.
Another reason why the hardware vs. software debate is misleading is because
the decision to use hardware or software should never be about what hardware or
software can do (arbitrarily); it should be about how the hardware and software
enables you to react to and work with it. For example, some beatmakers choose
a hardware EMPI because it provides them with a link back to a music-making
tradition — a tradition, it must be added, that gures heavily in the psyche of
their beatmaking process. On the other hand, some beatmakers choose a software
EMPI because it simply makes their musical process more exible. In either case,
the hardware/software debate is mute. e real point is about how eectively
hardware and/or software enables you to make the musical expressions that
you intend to create. at being said, below is a brief outline of the commonly
expressed advantages and disadvantages of hardware and software EMPIs.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Hardware
ere are three fundamental advantages that are typically associated with
hardware EMPIs: (1) hands-on feel; (2) quick workow/immediacy;
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and (3)
a link to tradition. Of all the reasons that beatmakers cite as their preference
for using hardware EMPIs, the hands-on factor is the one beatmakers raise
the most. “Hands-on,” an often ambiguous and misunderstood term, simply
describes the traditional physicality that hardware EMPIs oer beatmakers.
Hardware EMPIs physically give beatmakers the sense that they are not simply
programming music, but playing it as well.
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Workow is the pace, mood, speed, and overall level of efciency of how a piece of gear and/or
production setup enables you to operate. Certain pieces of gear or setups can constrain workow, just
as certain pieces of gear or setups can expedite and ease up workow.
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THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
e quick workow or immediacy factor of hardware EMPIs refers to how
relatively fast hardware allows beatmakers to work out their musical ideas. For
many hardware users, the prep-time — the amount of time needed for even
the most basic procedures — often associated with software is too much of a
hassle. Because of the rather quick workow associated with hardware, many
beatmakers are able to work on (create) multiple beats at just one sitting. But
speed of workow can be subjective, as ome beatmakers are more comfortable
working within a software environment.
Finally, for many beatmakers, hardware EMPIs provide a much sought after
link to the past, specically, the classic periods of the beatmaking tradition.
ough Software-based setups are no longer relatively new, they don’t oer
the same sense of connection to earlier beatmaking periods. us, for many
beatmakers, hardware EMPIs oer a connection to the techniques, methods,
and processes of an earlier time; and when it really comes down to it, this
connection (real or perceived) plays a signicant role in the musical psyche of
many hardware users.
As for the disadvantages commonly associated with hardware EMPIs,
there are three: (1) cost; (2) less exibility; and (3) lack of mobility. Hardware
EMPIs are often considerably more expensive than software applications that
purport to do the same thing. Hardware EMPIs cost gear makers much more
to manufacture than their software counterparts, and therefore, they’re usually
more expensive. Another commonly associated disadvantage of hardware is its
supposed lack of exibility. Although all EMPIs are made compatible through
MIDI, Software EMPIs usually have more exibility, as they tend to include
more functions, more sounds, and access to more sounds. Finally, hardware
EMPIs are less mobile than software alternatives.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Software
ere are three fundamental advantages that are typically associated with
software EMPIs: (1) accessibility; (2) exibility; and (3) mobility. If beatmaking
is indeed the most accessible gateway to music composition for the ordinary
man, then software EMPIs represent the most accessible means to this gateway.
Software EMPIs are much more accessible to people for various reasons. First,
software programs are usually less expensive than hardware EMPIs. In fact,
most software programs oer free downloadable demo versions. Second, the
availability of software EMPIs overshadows the often limited availability of
hardware EMPIs. Software EMPIs are also quite exible, and they outshine
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hardware alternatives in the area of the sheer number of available stock sounds;
but hybrid EMPIs like the MPC Renaissance and Native Instrument’s Maschine
have leveled the playing eld. Finally, software EMPIs are more mobile than
hardware alternatives; and they can be operated on any laptop computer. is
allows beatmakers to make music on the go.
But for all of the advantages that software seems to promise, there are some
disadvantages or hazards that are commonly associated with software EMPIs.
First, software EMPIs can, for some, present a disconnect from the culture and
historical force of the hip hop/rap and beatmaking traditions. Such a disconnect
can lead to an overly synthetic sound. Moreover, here, it should be pointed out
that software EMPIs are fundamentally designed to simply facilitate (simulate)
the mechanical steps of beatmaking. ey are not designed to stand alone, or to
give the physical instrument dimension that hardware oers. ough beats can
be made using software and a computer keyboard alone, most beatmakers who
use software-based setups often use hardware gear, such as keyboard controllers
and/or drum pad controllers. Perhaps this is because without additional hardware
components like keyboard controllers or drum pad controllers, which, in eect,
convert software EMPIs to hardware EMPIs, the traditional physical sense of
playing an instrument is lost.
ere is also another type of disconnect that can occur with software EMPIs:
Software EMPIs can induce a click-x approach to making beats. is means
that software EMPIs can foster a persona of clicking a beat rather than creating
one. In this way, a software “click-x” approach can be far too formulaic, placing
much emphasis on seeing the digital numeration of music rather than feeling
(seeing) the visual imagination of music. Never under estimate the dierence
between looking at the music on a screen in front of you, as opposed to seeing
the music in the wide open space of your mind. It should always be remembered
that the musical process is commanded, in large part, by emotion and mood.
Sometimes, by the nature of the process of making beats exclusively through
software, there can be a disconnect from this fundamental understanding.
at said, all gear is nothing more than a vessel that serves at the mercy of your
creativity and will to express your ideas.
Another hazard (not necessarily a disadvantage) of software EMPIs is the
fact that their sound architecture is typically bright, clean, and extremely clear.
Most software EMPIs are not designed to account for hip hop/rap’s fundamental
preference of lower frequencies and vintage sound. However, some software
EMPIs have addressed this issue by including sound packs that simulate these
types of prioritized sounds. Also, software EMPIs don’t “color” the sounds that
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are input within them; unlike hardware EMPIs, software programs don’t carry
unique timbrel signatures. e sounds of software EMPIs are primarily stereo
quality at 24bit sampling rate. So in other words, the sounds are characterless
and at. But this problem is often addressed through the use of software plug-ins
and/or external hardware sound processors.
Hardware/Software Debate Summary
In the nal analysis, the hardware/software question is not about which
is better, but which is better for you. Each beatmaker has dierent aesthetic
priorities and, more importantly, dierent technological and musical sensibilities.
ese dierences are what ultimately determine whether or not a hardware- or
software-based setup is right for any us. Plus, the reality is that hardware EMPIs
are very reliant upon internal software; likewise most software-based setups
actually work best with hardware EMPIs.
Musicians don’t deal in innite realms of creativity. By that I mean, we
ALL develop our own fundamental likes and dislikes; from these we establish
our own compositional platforms that we use to express ourselves musically.
Hence, no beatmaker typically attempts to tap into 100% of the capabilities of
any given EMPI. Why? Because it’s impractical and counterproductive to our
rather straight-forward musical goals.
Finally, it’s worth noting that in moving from hardware to software EMPIs,
there is the reference-point factor. at is, those beatmakers who go from
hardware to software have an entirely dierent reference point than those
beatmakers who go from software to hardware. Take DJ Toomp, For example; a
veteran well-known beatmaker (producer) who can create dope sample-based and
non-sampled based beats. What Toomp can do with a software EMPI is dierent
than someone who’s only used software EMPIs before. is is because Toomp
is referencing his own techniques and sound that he’s developed over the years
through his use of hardware EMPIs (in particular the Akai MPC 60 II, E-Mu SP
1200, and the Roland Fantom). us, starting o with a software EMPI rather
than a hardware EMPI, means you’ll lack the same sort of reference to draw
upon. is might explain some of the initial distance between some beatmakers
who begin with hardware EMPIs and those who begin with software EMPIs.
But in either case, eventually experience and knowledge of the beatmaking
tradition proves to be the equalizer. erefore, make no mistake: Quality beats
can be made using either a hardware or software setup. Whichever you choose
ultimately comes down to the type of beatmaker you are or want to be.
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BeatTip — Feel, Nuance, Individual Needs, and
Approach Holds the Answer
When it comes to the musical instruments or gear that you use, you have to
feel good about the instruments that you’re using to make your music. Regardless
of what anyone might try to convince you of, the way you feel about your gear
translates directly (and indirectly) into the music that you make. Remember,
creating music is more psychological than it is physical.
As for software gear options, certainly software programs are capable of
achieving the technical steps. But achieving the nuances, in this case, a boom
bap feel and such, is another dimension. Can the nuances of boom bap be
achieved with software-based setups? I believe so. But how are these nuances
captured using software as opposed to hardware? at’s the critical question.
Someone with a background on a storied hardware piece of equipment like an
Akai MPC, an E-Mu SP 1200, or an Ensoniq ASR-10 is more likely to capture
that nuance dierently when they switch to let’s say Reason or Ableton Live or
Pro Tools (and perhaps even the Maschine) than someone without a background
with those standalone hardware instruments.
I have experience with Reason and I understand its exibility and its appeal.
I also think that Ableton Live is a terric software EMPI that my workow would
translate well to. But I still prefer my MPC 4000 because I like the feeling that
it gives me. My production setup makes me feel more like a musician; it also
makes me feel connected to history, the present, and teh future. Software, on
the other hand, also makes me feel like a musician to a degree, but I can’t deny
that it sometimes makes me feel more computer programmer than musician
(even though my MPC relies on an internal computer and operating system).
ing is, I just turn on my MPC and I just start playing. at’s native to
me. I don’t get the same feeling with software. But I know that there are many
people who do connect with software-based setups in the same manner that I
connect with hardware; for them, software is native. Incidentally, that’s one
reason why the Akai MPC Renaissance and Native Instrument’s Maschine is
quite popular. Both oer a bridge between a hardware instrument and a software
environment. ere are tremendous advantages to that setup if you feel you
need them for your style and sound. Bottom line: Always go in the direction
that you feel, never convince yourself of anything based on exibility specs alone.
Instead, go for the capability/functionality that matches exactly what you need
(and will likely use) for your particular beatmaking approach and the style and
sound of music you want to make.
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Choosing and Getting Your Gear
e production tools of each beatmaker is not only a highly personal choice,
it’s a major part of their overall technique, style, and sound. e equation goes
like this: “e person, plus the device, equals the sum.” Translation: “beatmaker,
plus production tools, equals sound.” No two beatmakers are the same. ere
are many key elements that distinguish beatmakers from one another. e level
of desire or drive to develop skills is a major factor for every beatmaker. Similarly,
the practice habits of a beatmaker are particularly important. A beatmaker’s
base region, that is, where a producer is from or based at (where they live) also
gures big into this determination. A beatmaker’s historical perspective of music
and their overall understanding of hip hop/rap and other genres contributes a
great deal to their production identity. And nally, the production setup that
a beatmaker chooses is certainly a fundamental determining factor.
Some beatmakers have more desire and professional discipline; thus, they
practice their craft on a more consistent, self-disciplined basis. Some are well-
schooled in many dierent music genres, which gives them an added advantage
for creating hip hop/rap music. Some prefer production setups that have more
limitations, while others prefer setups that appear to have no limits at all. en
there are those who are extremely tech-savvy and steadfastly biased towards
technological advancements in the latest gear and equipment. On the other
hand, there are those who aren’t heavy into the tech-side of things; they are
the if-it-ain’t-broke, don’t-x-it breed of beatmakers. Some beatmakers favor
radio-inspired party-tracks, yet some favor production inuenced by the second
Golden Era of hip hop/rap production. Point is, who you are as a beatmaker
is the most signicant part in the equation of creating hip hop/rap beats. e
second most critical part in the equation is the gear and software that you use.
e question of which gear to choose is not just one for beginners. All
beatmakers (whether beginners or pros) at some point deal with this question.
As individual skill-sets emerge and musical ideas change and develop, beatmakers
tend to choose (or switch) to the gear that they feel better accommodates their
current situation (there are certain advantages and disadvantages with whatever
setup solution you go with). But ultimately, the decision should come down to
which solution gives you the most comfort, and which solution most eciently
enables you to do what you want and need to do. A xation on a production
solution simply because it’s easily accessible is ill-fated because other factors
like skill, prociency, and most importantly, creativity, are things that are not
so easily accessible.
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Finally, within the beatmaking tradition, there are certain basic formulas for
creating particular styles and sounds. For example, dark jazz samples; ltered
bass lines; chopped up drum-breaks; horns or strings for hooks; synth-heavy
compositions; etc. erefore, when considering which setup solution is right
for you, it’s a good idea to identify the sort of style and sound formulas that
you will likely employ.
Top 9 Factors to Consider When Choosing Your Gear
#1: Type of Style and Sound
When you know and understand the primary production sounds and
specic styles of the beatmaking tradition, it’s much easier to determine what
kinds of beats and music you want to make. For instance, do you want to make
club/party music? Do you want make “art music,” the kind indicative of the
Pioneers/Avant-Garde Period of beatmaking? Do you want to make West Coast
or G-funk-inspired beats, or crunk and trap music? Maybe you want to pioneer
any combination of the prominent hip hop/rap sounds. In any case, taking
honest stock of the musical sounds that you favor and what you’d like to make
is essential in choosing the gear that’s right for you. Virtually any sound can be
achieved with the right know-how and tools within any production setup. But
certain setup combinations are more likely to render certain styles and sounds.
Specic setups can make certain methods, styles, and sounds more plausible.
Also, each individual piece of gear is only capable of producing the sound that
is native to its design. Because of this, certain pieces of gear require additional
tweaks for certain style and sound types. Finally, keep in mind, your setup is
only as good as you feel about it. If you’re not having success achieving the style
and sound that you’re looking for, it’s usually not you, but the setup you’re using.
#2: Functionality: Interface, Operating System and Performance
Functionality deals with the performance and capability of an EMPI. An
EMPI’s functionality is determined by its operating architecture. is includes a
unit’s operating system, page or menu layout, and the means for accessing each
function within the unit, i.e. knobs, sliders, buttons, menu screens, menu dials,
jog (scroll) wheel, etc. When making beats, there are ve primary operations that
you will nd yourself performing and repeating with your EMPIs: chopping,
triggering, ltering, sequencing, and looping.
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#3: Features: Audio “Ins” and “Outs,” Ports, Exclusive Technology,
Effects, Computer Compatibility, and Cosmetics
Each EMPI performs according to the class it belongs to. at is, samplers
sample, sequencers sequence, keyboards allow you to play keys, etc. But what
often distinguishes one model (brand) of gear from another in the same category
is the features that it oers. e features of an EMPI are just as important
as its functionality; moreover, the features and functionality of an EMPI are
interrelated. e range of things that can be considered features often vary, but
the standard types of features are: the number audio “ins” and “outs,” ports,
exclusive technology, eects, options, computer compatibility, cosmetics, and
stock sounds (where applicable).
When it comes to features, it’s a good idea to focus rst on what you need.
It’s easy to be taken in by all the various bells and whistles of the latest EMPIs.
But it’s important for you to maintain focus on the style(s) and sound(s) that
you want to make and the setups that are most suitable for making it (them).
Remember, in beatmaking, the primary operational steps that you will nd
yourself repeating over and over are: chopping, ltering, looping, triggering,
and/or sequencing. So no matter how advanced or sophisticated a setup might
be, as long as it can perform the ve primary operations associated with making
hip hop/rap music, then it’s ne.
Audio “Ins” and “Outs”
“Ins” and “outs” (inputs and outputs), determine how an EMPI will receive
and send audio and MIDI signals. When it comes to audio, all EMPIs will have
either an RCA, a ¼” (pronounced “quarter-inch”), or XLR cable connection
option. Some EMPIs have two out of the three of these options, some EMPIs
have all three options. It depends on the category of the unit. DJ mixers, for
instance, will most likely have all three audio options because they are used as
a hub for multiple audio sources. Keyboard workstations almost exclusively
carry the ¼” option; while Akai MPC-styled all-in-one drum machines often
have an RCA and ¼” option (some units, like the Akai MPC 4000, have all
three options). Each EMPI carries a standard number of these options, but the
higher the number of ins and outs (regardless of the type) that an EMPI carries
can be very advantageous, because it determines the limits or possibilities of an
EMPI in receiving and sending audio signals.
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Ports
e number and types of available ports can range, but essentially ports
refer to MIDI connectivity, digital connectivity (or light pipe), and computer
connectivity. ere’s only one type of port for MIDI. However, for computer
connectivity, there are usually two main options: USB or rewire. A standard
EMPI with MIDI capabilities will have at least one MIDI in and one MIDI
out (two MIDI ins and four MIDI outs are ideal). Just like with audio ins
and outs, a variety of ports can be very advantageous. With regards to digital
connectivity, one port will do. Likewise, with computer connectivity, at least
one USB or rewire port will suce.
Exclusive Technology
Exclusive technology refers to a unique feature or a “rst-of-its-kind” sort
of option; for example, something like Roland’s skip-back sampling technology
— featured on their Fantom keyboard workstations.
Cosmetics
You’re setup (and the EMPIs that comprise it) is only as good as you feel
about it. And after consideration of functionality and standard features are
observed, the cosmetics — the look and feel — of an EMPI can make or break
how you feel about it (of course, if you’re using software, physical cosmetics is
not applicable). A clean design with practical knobs and buttons, ones that feel
good to the touch, are a great choice because it makes the production process
more comfortable. Beatmaking is a very meticulous endeavor, so it bodes well
to use EMPIs that are physically comfortable and easy to manage. As for the
color, shape, and size of an EMPI, well, that’s kind of hard for end users to
decide, as we typically have no say in the color scheme and shape that a gear
manufacturer decides to go with. And even though some manufacturers are
increasingly oering new color casing options, black, chrome-platinum, blue,
and red seem to rival the vintage putty color.
Effects
Eects refers to sound manipulation, things like reverb, delay, chorus,
limiting, etc. are typical eects that are oered with most EMPIs.
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#4: Ease of Use
Every piece of gear has what I call a “User Degree of Diculty” (UDD).
UDD is the level at which an average or new user could operate an EMPI
with the least amount of diculty. A low UDD describes an EMPI that can
be operated by an average or new user without a serious degree of diculty or
without any previous experience with production gear and equipment; a high
UDD describes an EMPI that likely requires previous experience with gear and
equipment. Choosing gear with a low UDD has its advantages. Beatmaking is
not about conquering an EMPI, it’s about using eective compositional methods
to create quality music — and creating quality music has more to do with
beatmaking skills than it does with gear mastery. Most beatmakers can make
music using only 25% (or less) of their gear’s capability. is is why it’s better
to focus on how manageable a piece of gear is for you. As your skills develop,
your gear will become more manageable and easier to use. In some cases, you
might even nd that you’ve outgrown a piece of gear or the whole setup. Either
way, when it comes to choosing your gear, try to build your setup with EMPIs
that t the UDD level that you’re comfortable with.
What Qualies As Ease-of-Use?
Ease-of-use refers to the overall straight-forward, intuitive manner that an
EMPI operates. Ease-of-use is determined by how an EMPI’s menu screen,
function dials, buttons, and/or knobs, etc. appear and work together. With any
given EMPI, if the manner in which each of these components operates (when
you attempt to perform a function) is easy and less-involved, then that EMPI
would commonly be considered to have an ease-of-use. e menu screen of an
EMPI is perhaps the most important factor that determines whether or not an
EMPI is easy to use or not. Menu screens with a low number of function pages
and straight forward function terminology go a long way in making a unit easy
to manage. Unnecessary, over-burdened menu screens with too much tech-heavy
jargon can often be too intricate and time consuming. A low number of function
steps is another thing that makes a unit easy to use. When you press or depress
a button, turn a dial, or open a new page to perform a function, generally, the
fewer the number of chronological steps that must be taken to actually perform
the desired function, the easier a unit is to use. A unit that requires too many
button presses (or depresses), dial spins, page openings, or mouse clicks can kill
your ideas and momentum.
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What Qualies As a High Learning Curve?
A learning curve refers to the typical amount of time it takes and degree of
experience required before one grasps a concept, idea, technology, or the like.
ere are learning curves for every piece of gear and equipment or software. A
low learning curve is characterized by a requirement of a minimum amount of
time and degree of experience. Gear that has a low learning curve isn’t terribly
dicult for an average or new user to operate eectively. By contrast, a high
learning curve describes the requirement of a very signicant amount of time and
degree of experience. Gear that has a high learning curve is usually quite dicult
for an average or new user (and in some cases even an advanced practitioner)
to operate eectively. Take for instance MIDI. ere’s a relatively low learning
curve associated with basic MIDI. at is to say, it isn’t particularly dicult
to learn the fundamentals of MIDI; for example, using a master sequencer (be
it hardware or software) to trigger (control) another piece of gear, let’s say a
sampler, is somewhat simple. But using a master sequencer to control multiple
pieces of gear all at once, like a sampler, keyboard, sound module, and a software
program requires a more advanced understanding of how MIDI works. In the
latter case, the learning curve is higher.
BeatTip — Taking on High Learning Curves
When choosing gear, it may be ill-advised to take on gear that’s associated
with a high learning curve, unless you really feel that you’re a very quick learner.
Just like there’s gear for every budget, there’s gear for every level of experience and
understanding. I certainly believe that it’s important to challenge yourself; but
it’s also important to be realistic about your patience level for learning something
with a particularly high learning curve. While a high learning curve can pose a
challenge, it can also increase the down–time
away from actually making beats.
An overwhelming amount of down-time, due to an EMPI or setup with a high
learning curve, can dramatically slow down your development as a beatmaker.
EMPIs with high learning curves can bog down new, less-experienced beatmakers
to the point where they’re not even getting an opportunity to regularly make
beats. And riing hopelessly back-and-forth through a manufacturer’s manual,
trying to gure out how to pull o even the most remedial production tasks,
can also drain a lot of better-used energy. erefore, when choosing your gear,
try to familiarize yourself with the learning curve that is associated with the gear
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and equipment that you’re interested in. Generally, it’s not a good idea to jump
ahead, before jumping in. Building up your experience with and understanding
of EMPIs, setups, and basic concepts before you tackle more complex gear and
equipment can increase your ability to take on gear and equipment that carries
a higher learning curve.
#5: User Community
All of the major production pieces of gear, equipment or software have user
communities associated with them. When you’re deciding on which EMPI(s) to
go with, it’s very helpful to be able to tap into the user community associated
with the EMPI(s) that you’re interested in. If there’s a high level of common
use, like in the case of the MPC series, the Maschine, and FL Studio, then
there will be an extraordinary amount of useful information available for you
to access. On the other hand, a low level of common use might mean less access
to useful information and support; and this can also mean a more centralized,
narrow form of available information. In either case, you want to be able to
access the user community that is associated with the gear and setup that you’re
considering. With this access, you’ll be able to get an accurate consensus about
the gear’s ability, which is very important because until you’ve actually used the
gear yourself, it’s not a bad idea to reference the experience, knowledge, advice,
and viewpoints of others who have experience with it.
When I began making beats, I didn’t know about the at-large user community
that was associated with my setup. As I developed as a beatmaker, I met more
beatmakers who used the same setup and/or main piece of gear that I did. What
stood out the most about these random encounters were the revelations that hit
me. Repeatedly, it was clear that if I had known a few things here and there, it
would have led me in the direction of an arsenal of advanced function trends.
But back when I rst began making beats, the user community surrounding
my setup might as well have been non-existent. It wasn’t organized, and there
weren’t any internet production forums to turn to for help or reference. Still, I
was able to gain some pointers and indicators that ultimately helped me solidify
my style and method of beatmaking.
Also, by tapping into a vast user community, you’ll be able to assess a number
of key factors about the gear that you’re interested in. ings like reliability and
compatibility can be ascertained before you actually get the gear. For example,
let’s say you’re focusing on one of the big three drum machine all-in-ones and a
stand-alone (separate) digital sampler. Technically, since all of these units have
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MIDI,
85
they should get along, right? Well, yes, MIDI is MIDI, it’s a standard
language. However, for various reasons, some EMPIs have more of a compatible
nuance to one another — they just tend to t and work better together. And
what about reliability? A music store salesperson can tell you that a EMPI is
guaranteed to perform in a certain way. But a reliable user community will let
you know if something is built like a tank or not. Moreover, they’ll let you in on
common malfunctions, hiccups, or glitches associated with the gear; and they’ll
also inform you about features and available options. Furthermore, they’ll tip
you o to replacement parts that you might need in the future. Usually, you will
not get this sort of detailed information from a music store salesman. Hence, a
major strength of commonly used gear and setups is the very formidable user
communities that surround them. rough a large user community, you will be
able to learn some of the important trends, dos, and don’ts, before you acquire
the EMPI that you’re interested in. And it’s not to say that you have to follow
whatever a particular user community has to say. Once you get your setup, it’s
entirely up to you what direction you will go in.
#6: Design Intentions
Most EMPIs oer relatively the same functionality. All samplers include
functions for sampling and editing those samples; all sequencers include
functions for creating and editing sequences; all keyboards include keys to play
notes, etc. But all EMPIs are certainly not the same. For instance, let’s look at
the E-Mu SP 1200, one of hip hop/rap production’s most notorious all-in-one
units. is powerful sampler, drum machine, and sequencer is known for it’s
raw, rough, rugged, basement sound — attributes that made it ideal for the
early/mid ‘90s hip hop/rap production scene. However, the SP 1200 is not as
warm-sounding as the Akai S950 (another mainstay of the ‘90s that still nds
its place in some of today’s beatmaker’s setups), and it’s certainly not as bright as
a Yamaha Motif keyboard workstation. On the other hand, both the Akai MPC
60 II and the Akai S950 are very warm-sounding units. Even still, in the hands
of a crafty and knowledgeable beatmaker, the SP 1200 can be manipulated in
such a way that it produces a warmer sound. Likewise, the Akai MPC 60 II
and the S950 can both be manipulated in a way that produces a raw, rough,
and rugged sound. But alone, neither of these two classic EMPIs can replicate
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MIDI: Musical Instrument Digital Interface. MIDI is the standard language by which all MIDI devices
(EMPIs) communicate and send data (instructions) to each other. There is no audio involved with MIDI.
MIDI is simply the instructional data for audio. MIDI is also what permits one EMPI to trigger another.
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the brightness and clear sound of the aforementioned Motif.
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So of course
all professional production gear has the potential to be manipulated in ways
that could produce reverse (adverse) eects. But keep in mind, in many cases
this might mean going against the nature of the unit’s overall design. ink of
it like driving a car in reverse, up a one-way street: You can do it, but imagine
how much harder you’ll have to work just to reach the end of the block; driving
against your car’s natural design may not always create an eect that you desire.
Hence, for every EMPI that you’re considering acquiring, try to determine
what each is designed to do. For example, it should go without saying that most
keyboards are designed rst and foremost for playing keys. As such, keyboards
(with their robust assortment of stock sounds)
87
are usually great for creating
and playing out melody and harmonic lines. Likewise, drum machines, which are
designed for playing drums, sound stabs and phrases, are great for creating solid
percussive rhythms.
88
Finally, samplers are used for sampling and customizing
newly sampled sounds. Yet there are some keyboard workstations (for example,
the Roland Fantom S or X series, the Korg Triton, and the Yamaha Motif) that
are designed to permit users to sample, play keys and play drums. Similarly,
some drum machines, such as the infamous Akai MPC series, the E-Mu SP
1200, the Roland MV series, and Native Instrument’s Maschine are designed
to permit users to sample and play drums and other sounds. In the case of these
three all-in-one EMPIs, keyboard samples can actually be chromatically mapped
out across the drum pads, and thereby played out as if it were a keyboard. (For
more on sample-mapping and playing techniques, see chapter 6).
#7: Sound Identity: Signature Sound Output/Sound Signature
The development of sampling and sound reproduction technology
throughout the 1970s and the late 1990s has led to a countless number of new
beat machines, most of
which are (overly) capable of performing the core functions
required for making beats. Also, in recent years, beatmakers have become
86
In either case, however, the music produced using the SP 1200, MPC 60 II, S950, or the Motif can be
further manipulated with software plug-ins and/or external effects processors. But bear in mind, it’s no
guarantee that the actual feel and sound of one setup can always be completely replicated with another.
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Stock Sounds: Pre-edited sounds that are supplied by the production instrument’s manufacturer.
Keyboards and/or synthesizers come equipped with a library of sounds (pre-sets, patches, etc.) already
installed and stored. These base sounds are the default sounds that every user gets when they acquire
the units. Drum machines and samplers also carry stock sounds. However, these sounds are not
typically pre-installed or stored. Instead, they’re usually available in the form of oppy disks, CD Roms,
downloadable WAV les, etc.
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This doesn’t mean that melody and harmony can’t be played using a drum machine, or that percussive
rhythms can’t be established using a keyboard. It’s just helpful to know that the design of drum machines
and keyboards make certain compositional steps more easier than others.
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increasingly recognizable and beatmaking/production itself more popular around
the globe. e key manufacturers of the most popular EMPIs have certainly taken
notice of this new emergence. ey have increased their focus on developing
beatmaking tools, rightfully seeing the hip hop/rap crowd as a viable market.
BeatTip — A Note About the Digital Sound Takeover
Although analog sound once ruled in music, digital sound dominates today’s
recording industry. So one can see why EMPI manufacturers shifted their
focus away from enhancing the characteristics (in particular warmth) of their
discontinued signature pieces, and opted for more clarity and loudness. Hip
hop/rap, a music genre regularly played at high peaking volume levels, had an
unexpected adverse eect on professional mixing and mastering. As hip hop/
rap began its nal climb from its sub-genre status into the mainstream, a parallel
trend began to emerge: A demand for a louder overall sound. Mix engineers
obliged their clients, and the volume peak level was seemingly irreversibly
corrupted, making artful dynamic range a relic from the past.
By 2001, hip hop/rap music had completed its charge towards becoming one
of the world’s most dominant cultures, and as it could have been expected, other
music genres (most noticeably rock) began borrowing some of the recording and
production techniques associated with the hip hop/rap music tradition. And
as the signals got hotter in the mix rooms, the EMPI manufacturers followed
the trend, focusing more of their attention on what I call the “squash-sound,” a
sound that can best be described as a loud stereo sound with poor dynamic range.
e vintage EMPIs of Akai, E-Mu, Ensoniq, Roland, and Yamaha (the big
ve beat machine manufacturers) will probably always possess a warmer sound
than their current gear oerings; those units were designed and created for a
dierent time and a dierent breed of beatmaker. roughout the late 1980s to
the mid 1990s, it was more about creating a warm sound collage. And although
building a sound collage is still a signicant recording practice, in the current
music scene, there’s more preference given to the maximum loudness rather
than the warmth that a sound collage can oer.
ough the vintage EMPIs were (are) great for their warmer sound, it does
not mean that they’re the only solution for creating a warm sound dynamic.
Today, there are loads of plug-ins and external processors that can help you
manipulate your sound in ways that may come very close to the sound signatures
of the vintage EMPIs. And coming very close is all you need to do sometimes,
because the average music listener won’t be able to tell the dierence. e
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average music listener could care less about what gear a beatmaker used to make
their favorite song. eir only concern is whether the music sounds good to
them or not. Furthermore, the average music listener isn’t listening to music in
acoustically treated recording studios; yet the trend towards louder music prevails.
To satisfy the hunger and demand for louder music, EMPI manufacturers
shifted their concentration from designing units that had superior sound
signatures to units that had superior sound quality, as in sample-rate clarity
and stronger volume output. Because of this, the “stereo sound” became the
norm rather than the option. But EMPI manufacturers didn’t want to alienate
traditionalists, so they made sure that their newer models contained adjustable
sample bit rates and other eects options that could help simulate the sound
character of vintage gear. Although these EMPIs were tted with adjustable
sample bit rates, presumably to oer sound-era exibility, the truth is this: A
simple switch of a button or lever to a 12 or 16 bit sample rate will not always
be able to match the warmth of original 12 or 16 bit samplers, such as the Akai
S950 or the E-Mu SP 1200. Likewise, you can’t raise (or upgrade) the sample
bit rate on units that lack the sound clarity and overall technology of today’s
EMPIs. Using contemporary EMPIs, you can always match the current volume
trends of today, but you will never be able to completely match the unique sound
signatures of those early classics. Either way, remember this fact: e average
music listener can’t always hear the dierence in sound, but they can usually feel
the dierence. erefore, it comes down to how you ip (modify) the sound.
So What Should You Look For When It Comes To Sound Quality?
(Got Filters?)
Filters are the electronic components within a sampler, keyboard, or the like
that are used for emphasizing, deemphasizing, or accentuating a specic range of
frequencies. Filters are one of the main determinants of a unit’s sound identity.
Filter options vary from EMPI to EMPI, but most contemporary EMPIs with
lter technologies contain high-, mid-, and low-pass lters (some EMPIs have
even more lter capabilities and options than these). When choosing your gear,
examine the information about the lters that a unit has. EMPIs equipped with
a variety of lter capabilities can be more advantageous, because they oer more
sound manipulation exibility. (Generally, in hip hop/rap production, lters
are used to beef up bass sounds, color the mids, and cut down high sounds, or
to cut bass sounds and beef up high sounds.)
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#8: Price and Availability
Above all, choosing gear should be about you knowing your options. If
you place a cap on your research by sticking to a price range, your research will
most likely be defective. It doesn’t matter how much money you actually have.
Money’s not complex. With a relatively small budget, you can obtain a setup
that’s perfect for you. And even with a major lump sum of money you could
still buy a setup that’s completely wrong for you. It depends more on your
knowledge of the options than it does on how much money you have. Also,
when money’s the concern, your chief consideration should be how much bang
you can get for your buck. at is to say, how much quality, how many features,
and overall performance you can get for the budget that you have. ere are
cases in which shelling out additional cash isn’t really worth it at all, but there
are also cases in which spending a little more money is your best option. After
having done your research, you’ll know pretty much which features you need.
us, when given the choice, you’ll be able to properly decide whether paying
extra for the “extras” is actually worth it or not.
Smart Money is Always Better Than More Money:
High-End vs. Low-End Gear
High-end gear is considered as such for three primary reasons: excellent
quality, excellent performance, and most notably, an expensive price tag.
Subsequently, low-end gear is usually characterized by good to poor quality,
average to below average performance, and an inexpensive price tag. On the
surface, high-end gear appears to be the way to go when money is no option.
But be careful, there are some cases where the only thing about high-end
gear is the high-end price. In fact, though you might expect high-end gear to
crush low-end gear in a head-to-head comparison, it’s not always the case. It
depends on a number of factors, such as the category of gear, that is, what type
of gear is being compared. Are we comparing drum machine all-in-ones? Are
we comparing keyboard workstations or synthesizers? Are we comparing mic
preamps? Are we comparing turntables, headphones, audio interfaces, tracking
(recording) software? With some categories of gear, equipment, or software,
there’s a dramatic dierence between high-end and low-end. Still there are
other categories in which there’s really no dierence at all. (See Figure 2 for a
comparison.) If you properly research these dierences and then make your
buying decisions based upon them, then you’ll be spending “smart money.” On
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the other hand, if you ignore these dierences and simply opt for high-end gear,
simply because it’s high-end, then you’re just spending more money.
EMPIs are not immune to overzealous marketing and promotion tactics.
Like all for-prot industries, gear, equipment, or software manufacturers must
successfully market their product lines to targeted consumers, in order for them
to make a signicant prot. So it should come as no surprise that there are pieces
of gear, both high-end and low-end, who’s popularity can be attributed more
to a successful marketing and promotion strategy than to a positive user track
record of quality and performance. Hence, more money won’t always get you
the best setup.
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High-End and Low-End Gear:
Where Does It Make A Difference?
When and Where Should You Spend Less or More?
Gear Major Difference Minor Difference Recommendation
Drum Machine
All-In-Ones
√
Definitely go high-end, don’t
mess around.
Keyboard Workstations
N/A N/A
Personal favorite: Roland
Fantom. But the Yamaha Motif
is a close second. Price range
on keyboard workstations are
pretty much locked.
Keyboards
√
So Many options!
Sound Modules
√
Again, so many options.
Stand Alone Hardware
Samplers
√
Sound Quality, amount of
memory is key here!
Software Samplers
N/A N/A
Recycle Rules! Combined with
Reason it’s a beast.
Software Sequencers
√
Cubase
Tracking (recording)
Software
√
Pro Tools is the industry
standard, but Logic will
denitely do the trick.
Monitors
√
Depends on your needs and
what you’re doing. With
monitors, you have LOTS
of options. For mixing, go as
high-end as you can aord. If
it’s just for playback, you can get
by with some low-end monitors,
even stereo speakers.
Turntables
√
Technics MK II 1200 are
classic. But Numark TT 1600 is
top bang for buck.
DJ Mixers
√
Go for one with a graphic
equalizer with at least 4 line
channels.
Mixing Consoles
√
Just like monitors, it depends
on what you’re doing. If you
plan on mixing, then go as
high-end as you can aord.
If you’re just using it to route
multiple audio sources, then
you can get by with a low-end,
4 – 16 channel model.
Microphones
√
Try for as high-end as you can
aord, but a great mic preamp
can do wonders for a low-end
mic!
Microphone Preamps
√
As high-end as you can aord!
Headphones
√
e best way to go:
Sony MDR 7506, only $99.
Figure 2 High-End/Low-End Comparison Chart
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#9: Well-known Beatmaker (Producer) Usage
e notion of getting any music instrument or piece of gear because of a
famous user of that instrument or gear is nothing new. Jazz legend Charlie Parker
picked up the tenor saxophone because Lester Young, used it (Parker eventually
switched to the alto saxophone). Likewise, the music industry is littered with
countless stories of musicians, producers, singers, and songwriters who took
their professional cues from the well-known music recording artisans of their
time. Beatmaking is no dierent in this regard.
BeatTip — Know The Style of Music You Want to
Create
Be clear about what kind(s) of music you want to create. Compare and
contrast that with the beatmakers that you admire. With the knowledge of
what gear they actually use, you’re at least armed with a starting point. Knowing
how and where to proceed shaves time o of your production development.
e well-known beatmakers who have pioneered the most commonly used
production gear and equipment have, in essence, created short-cuts for anyone
who’s trying to get a grasp of the plethora of EMPI options. ese beatmakers
have demonstrated how to extract the potential out of even the most limited
production setups. By at least examining the road maps that they left behind,
you’ll undoubtedly have a better understanding of which EMPIs are right for you.
From all of the beatmakers that you listen to, you already have your core
favorites. e kind of music production that you favor can be attributed to
many dierent factors. For instance, you may be drawn to the smooth, G-funk
sound of classic Dr. Dre; or the synth-soul sound of e Neptunes; or you
may like the rugged and rough sampled sound of DJ Premier; or the smooth
sample sound of J Dilla; or still you might like the crunk and trap music sounds
popularized by DJ Paul and Juicy J and DJ Toomp, respectively; or the modern
trap-based sound of Metro Boomin. Maybe you like any combination of the
dierent production sounds and styles that currently exist in today’s hip hop/
rap music. No matter what style and sound you favor, it’s always a good idea
to study those beatmakers who make it. By doing so, you give yourself a good
starting point, especially if you’re unfamiliar with or overwhelmed by all the
gear and equipment options that are available.
I don’t endorse the idea that the only criteria for choosing your gear should
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be based on which well-known beatmaker uses or used it. On the contrary, I
suggest that it should be one of the criterions for choosing your gear. When it
comes to choosing which production setup to get, it’s a good idea to at least
strongly consider which production setups are commonly used among well-
known beatmakers, because can you aord to ignore the gear options that these
beatmakers have proven to be eective? Keep in mind, there are no guarantees
that what works for someone else will work for you, but at least in this case, you
know what style and sound that a particular production setup is certied and
proven to have produced. Having knowledge of proven possibilities is important
because it gives you insight on which production setups and individual pieces
of gear have been tried, certied, tested, and proven to get the results that you
admire most.
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Check this out — A Recording Engineer Helped Me
Choose
I once asked a recording engineer: “Why do you need a mixing board?”
After he paused on the phone, he explained to me that a mixing board allows
you to isolate and thereby “mix and EQ” individual tracks and channels. He
further went on to explain how and why a mixing board was absolutely critical
to the recording process.
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He then asked me when I would be coming in for
a session; he even oered to work the session for a discounted rate; I booked
a session while we were still on the phone. Mind you, at the time I didn’t have
any money for a session. So I spent the next eight days raising money, not for
gear and equipment, but for the upcoming recording session that I had booked.
It was my rst session in a professional recording studio, and I had no idea
what to expect, but I had a plan. rough the studio, I had rented an Akai S950
and an E-Mu SP 1200 (because at the time, this was the setup that I had heard
DJ Premier and Large Professor used). I brought with me some vinyl records
that I wanted to sample and a couple of dummy oppy disks; I say “dummy”
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Surprisingly, there are some people who disagree with this view. Some argue that you shouldn’t
be concerned with what a famous well-known beatmaker uses. My response: Every beatmaker that I
have interviewed has explicitly said that they chose to get a particular production setup based, rst and
foremost, on the fact that a well-known beatmaker of their time used it. It’s also worth noting that in the
beginning of your production career, it’s important to acquire a lot of introductory information. The proper
introductory information will prepare you for the specic questions that you will inevitably develop with
the more beatmaking experience you gain.
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This event happened before software and Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) emerged. So at the time,
mixing on a mixing console was the industry standard way to do it. But because of recent technological
developments in the software and the DAW realm, it’s no longer absolutely necessary to have or use a
mixing console. Today, you can mix inside “the box,” i.e. Pro Tools, and the like.
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because I knowingly brought oppy disks that contained no data. When the
session began, I asked the assistant engineer to load the disks for me, while I
organized the records that I wanted to use. e truth was, I didn’t know how to
load the disks. After the assistant engineer struggled to load the disks (wonder
why), the engineer came over to troubleshoot. He quickly realized that the
disks where empty or bad, and he asked me if I had any backups. Of course, I
didn’t. But I told him that I had a few new ideas anyway. So we proceeded to
use the studio’s Technics 1200 turntable to sample some of the records that I had
brought with me; actually, he did all of the sampling, I just watched, learned,
and took mental notes.
roughout my rst recording session — still to this day one of the most
pivotal recording sessions that I’ve ever attended — I was introduced to the basics
of digital samplers, drum machines, and sequencers. I got an introduction to
what each machine was designed to do and how the designs could be manipulated
to achieve other results. After the session was over, the engineer wrote a page-
long list of gear and equipment that I should investigate. From that point on,
determining what gear and pro audio equipment to get became a little easier
for me. I had received a good introduction of gear-capability, but, I still didn’t
know what gear and equipment was right for me. In fact, it took me nearly ve
years before I nally found the production setup that was right for me. Had I
known even just 10% of what I know now about gear, its capabilities, and its
best or rather most common uses, my beatmaking skills would have developed
more rapidly. I can only imagine what I could have achieved, given what I know
now and those ve years of my production life.
When It’s Time to Actually Get Everything, Where
and How Should You Get Your Gear?
When you’re ready to go and get your gear, take some time to plan out your
production space. Clear an area in your home, oce, studio or wherever you
plan to make your music, and rmly reserve that space as your future production
area. Sitting somewhere within that reserved space, write a list of all of the gear,
equipment, or software that you are interested in getting. Write down every piece
that you want. At this point, don’t focus on the cost or whether you can get
it immediately or not. Where possible, write down both high-end and quality
low-end alternatives. e idea is to generate a clear idea on what you want vs.
what you actually need. After you’ve drafted your list, check o each piece in the
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order of importance to you. Next, mark o a realistic acquisition date for each
piece on your list. For most people just starting o, building a setup can be a
slow grind. Yet for others, who are fortunate enough to have extensive nancial
resources, getting a setup can be a one or two-day conquest. Whether your
approach to getting gear is going to be a slow or a fast grind, I strongly suggest
that you plan and visualize your production setup before you try to acquire it.
Music Chain Stores
Before you make that move to your nearby pro audio megastore, consider a
typical transaction that goes down in there. Customer goes in, tells the salesperson
he has a budget. Usually, what’s the rst thing on that salesperson’s mind? To
get that customer to drop their whole budget, and maybe a little more. Most
music store salespeople work on commission, plus big sales often means free
gear for themselves. So if this is how the sales game goes in most cases, how is
the salesperson going to achieve their goal? By pitching you on the high-end
gear, that’s how. ey’re not going to bother showing you bare-minimum, low-
end gear. ey’re going to pitch the high-end stu; and they’re going to try to
impress you with their knowledge of “the gear the pros use.” Only the savviest
of salespeople are going to even dare mention a low-end product; and even then,
they’re going to do so only to tear down the low-end gear while making the
high-end gear appear awless. So you can see how fast a big budget can easily
be blown in your local music chain store when you don’t know your options.
So how should you go about buying your gear from the big music chain
stores? Very carefully, that’s how! You have to be crafty in the chain stores. Never
show your full hand. If you’ve come to the store ready to buy your whole setup
and you’re holding $5,000, tell the salesperson helping you that you only have
$1,500 or less. Don’t let them know that you’re actually trying to buy your
whole setup. Instead, see how much bang they can put together for your buck.
For example, if you know the centerpiece of your setup is going to be a drum
machine all-in-one, ask them to show you their top drum machine production
centers. is is a no-brainer for them, because when it comes to drum machine
all-in-one production centers, there’s really only two games in town: the MPC
series or the Maschine. (e E-Mu SP 1200 used to be a mainstay of hip hop/
rap production, but nding a new one can be rather dicult).
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Now having
done your research, you’ll already know which unit you want to purchase. this
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Even though it’s relatively hard to buy a brand new E-Mu SP 1200 from one of the big music chain
stores, you can still nd mint or near-mint ones in used music gear stores and at various online retail
stores and auction sites.
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is where you want to secure your rst deal (discount).
Music chain stores are in the business of moving big volume (mass quantities).
erefore, they can’t aord to just let inventory sit in the stock room. Hence,
they’re always prepared to take 10-15% right o the top anyway, especially on
gear going for $1,500 or more. After you’ve secured a sizable discount on the
drum machine production center (or some other major centerpiece EMPI) of
your choice, or the most expensive piece of gear you’ve come to buy, that’s when
you inquire about add-ons. For instance, what can you get if you add on a pair
of monitors, or headphones, or software, etc.? At that point, you’ll probably save
20% to 60% o of what you were actually prepared to pay for your entire setup.
What About A Low Budget?
If you’re only holding $500, tell them you’re prepared to spend $5,000!
Remember the big tipper equation: the bigger the tip, the better the service. If
a salesperson believes that there’s a big tip (in the form of a nice commission)
waiting for them after helping you, they’ll be more attentive, more patient, and
a great deal more informative. You know exactly what you came into the store
for, and you know exactly how much money you have to spend. ey don’t.
So here again, you want to get the biggest bang for your buck. But be realistic,
you’re not going to get a brand new major production center for $500. You
can, however, get other critical components of your setup at a great discount.
Is New Gear The Best Way To Go?
New doesn’t necessarily mean better. e latest gear, loaded with features
galore, won’t guarantee you superior beatmaking skills. Further, the vast majority
of hip hop/rap music that you’ve heard in recent years — or that you’re currently
listening to now, for that matter — has been created and produced using gear and
equipment models that are likely ve years old at least. e biggest well-known
beatmakers do not forfeit or abandon their setups every time a new piece of gear
comes out. at’s crazy. ey’re cooking with the cookware that helped them
make their most famous dishes. is is one reason that vintage gear will always
be available; the other reason: Manufacturers will continue to revise, improve,
and update their product lines, usally every 6 to 18 months. For these reasons,
and many more, you can always nd a good deal on the used gear circuit.
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Getting the Most Out of Your Production Setup
Understanding The Fundamentals Of Beatmaking,
the Drawbacks of Technology, and the Importance Of
Mastering Your Routine — Not Gear Mastery
The Fundamentals
e core fundamentals of creating beats and music are pretty simple and
straight-forward. e sum of a beat is a series of sustainable loops, with some
sort of rhythmic backing, typically drums. ese loops can be simply duplicates
(copies) of the initial 1- to 4-bar loop created, or they can be modied copies of
the initial 1- to 4-bar loop created, as is usually the case. Because this formula is
so clear cut and consistent, it makes the mechanics and other key components
of beatmaking that much easier to identify and understand. Simply put, the
mechanics, both the functional and the technical aspects of beatmaking, revolve
around the same aim of creating rhythmic loops. Since beatmaking generally
relies on the use of various programmable electronic machines, these loops
are designed and created to initiate, duplicate, or change, then repeat (loop)
automatically, usually with the press of a button or space bar.
All forms of contemporary music employ some variant of repetition
or looping. However, there are key similarities and distinctions between
beatmaking (traditional hip hop/rap production), which relies on specic
kinds of electronic tools (beat machines, software, etc.) and other forms of
non-electronic music. e only real dierence between the two is procedure
and playback. Further, music that is created electronically — using
EMPIs — is played and programmed to replay automatically. In this process,
rhythmic music patterns are designed, re-designed, duplicated, then nally
deployed over a pre-determined number of bars, which are then programmed
to loop on command. On the other hand, traditional instruments (i.e.
guitar, piano, drums) must always be played. ere is no automation when it
comes to live instruments, unless of course they are recorded and sequenced
into the electronic realm — every hi-hat, every snare, every drum kick
has to be played by someone every time the patterns (sequences) of a song calls
for it, loop after loop until the song is nished.
With beatmaking, after you’ve crafted out and recorded the core loop, you
need only to program it to your liking. You can program changes, bridges, intros,
etc., as well as extend the length of the beat. You can even program (automatically)
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the timing and swing of a song. Naturally, these sort of changes can’t be made
automatically when you’re dealing with traditional music instruments. Instead,
these changes must be accommodated by skilled musicians, all working in
tandem (i.e. a group or band setting). So in many ways a beatmakaer is really
a one-person band.
The Drawbacks of Technology in Beatmaking:
How an Over Reliance on and Over Use of Technology
in Beatmaking Might Affect the Beatmaking Tradition
Long-Term
For beatmakers there’s really no way around technology. It demands our
attention because it’s the mechanical conduit through which we make our music;
it’s the vessel that we use to explore and export the junction of our creativity and
imagination as well as our music interests and cultural sensitivities. Moreover,
technology dictates the means through which we are able to share our music with
others. But considering what the beatmaking and hip hop/rap music traditions
are, have been, and may one day be, are there any clear good or bad uses of
technology in beatmaking? More importantly, what are some of the drawbacks
of an over reliance on and over use of technology in beatmaking?
I’m not sure if there are any obvious good or bad uses of technology in
beatmaking, but I do have my ideas about when technology in beatmaking
is at it’s best and when it is at its worst. I believe technology is at it’s best in
beatmaking when beatmakers use it thoughtfully, i.e. as a practical tool and as an
enabler of creativity, imagination, and originality. I believe technology is at it’s
worst in beatmaking when beatmakers use it as a crutch, i.e. with little thought
for practicality, creativity, or originality, or as an excuse to abandon some of the
fundamental aesthetics of the beatmaking and hip hop/rap music traditions.
I embrace technology in beatmaking. I think it’s good because it levels
the playing eld in beatmaking. On one hand, it erases the myths about some
beatmaking methods and techniques, and it demysties the “genius” of some
often lauded beatmakers. On the other hand, it illuminates the actual skill and
musical sense required to make certain beatmaking methods and techniques
soar. is is why I believe that technology should be embraced whenever and
wherever beatmakers feel that that they need it and whenever and wherever they
believe it can be most helpful to their style, sound, and workow.
at being said, the idea of keeping up with technology (important as it
is) should never trump the creative goals of a musician; nor should the use of
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technology take precedent over a beatmaker’s imagination and skill. Technology
should be at the disposal of the beatmaker; the beatmaker should not be at the
disposal of the technology. In other words, beatmakers shouldn’t use technology
to the detriment of their style and sound; they should use technology in the
service of their styles and sounds as well as their primary modes for creating beats.
Furthermore, I’m convinced that emerging technologies, particularly in
the electronic music production and recording elds, are prompting some
beatmakers to expand and explore their creativity and imagination as well as
repurpose and refresh some of the fundamentals of the beatmaking tradition.
Well-known beatmakers (producers) like DJ Premier, DJ Toomp, Marco Polo,
and !llmind (all of whom I’ve discussed beatmaking with in meticulous detail)
have embraced technology — due both to necessity and preference — to degrees
that have allowed each of them to expand the scopes of their styles and sounds
while retaining the ability to capture the core sensibilities of their music. But
while some beatmakers are using technology to climb towards new creative
plateaus, there are some who are outsourcing their imagination and creative
energy to technology’s automation.
Specically, my concern is that an over reliance on and over use of technology
in beatmaking may be creating a disconnect between many beatmakers and
the art of beatmaking itself. As many of us migrate further “into the box” for
making beats, some doing so out of necessity, others genuinely for convenience,
and others solely for the purpose of technology for technology’s sake, I wonder
what sort of eects this is having on our approach to even the most fundamental
processes of beatmaking, like chopping, sequencing, and looping. Are we losing
sight of where our tradition comes from — DJ’ing and the use of pre-recorded
music or other pre-recorded sounds? And if so, is this leading many of us to
ignore hip hop’s/rap’s canon of music — music largely inuenced by soul, funk,
disco, jazz, and any other music DJs could get their hands on? Moreover, is
this prompting many of us to rethink our views about music elements like ris,
groove, rhythm, harmony, and melody and their role in beatmaking?
And let’s not forget that as one becomes more accustomed to relying on
technology, the work of remembering how to actually create music gradually
falls into disuse. And as beatmaking (and really all music-making) becomes
more mechanical and formulaic (than it already is) and less organic or more
out-of-the-moment and devoid of feeling, quality standards plunge, rendering
the notion of a dope beat obsolete or an afterthought at best.
So, I wonder how many beatmakers are short-changing their creativity
because of their use of technology. More importantly, just as technology is
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allowing for some old traditions to be discovered and on some levels experienced
(for example, through new contexts like “e-diggin” for source material and music
history), I also believe that an over reliance on and over use of technology may
be causing some beatmakers to abandon key stylistic (and sound) aesthetics of
hip hop/rap music in favor of those from other music traditions.
And consider the other drawbacks to an over reliance on and overuse
of technology in beatmaking. e most obvious drawback being that it’s
transforming what should largely be a musical process — one steep with reection
and a sense of tradition — into a manufacturing process that avoids tradition in
favor of technological brevity. Because of this, some beatmakers are in danger
of becoming eectively much more technician than musician. Because of this,
there are some beatmakers who think more about technology than they do
about music. (Please remember, having a sustained focus on music — its forms,
its histories, its common characteristics — plays a large role in the success of
any musician.) And also because of the focus on technological brevity, there
are some beatmakers who are more enthusiastic about acquiring and mastering
new technology than they are about making new beats and further developing
their music skills.
us when you consider all of the drawbacks of an over reliance on and
overuse of technology in beatmaking, it makes you wonder about the future
of the beatmaking tradition. If this trend persists, doesn’t the beatmaking
tradition run the risk of becoming a devalued art form? After all, beatmaking is
a sub-tradition of a music tradition that has long been plagued by accusations
of illegitimacy or faux originality. In any event, when it comes to technology, in
particular the technology that you choose, be sure to think about its advantages,
sure; but also be mindful of the ways that a given technology can eect you as a
musician. As long as you think music rst, technology second, you’ll be ne.
Mastering Your Gear vs. Gear Mastery
When it comes to mastering your gear, it’s not about mastering every tool in
the shed. It’s about mastering those critical steps that you regularly use within
the fundamental routine of your beatmaking methods. Far too often, so-called
gear-masters advise newcomers to “master their gear.” is advice is incomplete
at best and woefully misleading at worse. To be successful at beatmaking, you
don’t have to master every capability within the EMPIs that you use. You just
have to master what you need out of the EMPIs that you use. What I mean by
mastering what you need is this. Learn the key functions that are critical to your
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beatmaking aspirations. By doing so, you’ll save yourself some valuable time.
When the need arises to perform a new function that you’ve never tried before,
it’s no big deal to just investigate your gear further. You’ll pick up whatever you
need quickly, because as you build your skills, your technological intuition will
develop right along with it. By getting what you need from your gear, you get
the most out of it. erefore, it’s not necessary to break your head trying to
know every intricate detail about your equipment.
Truth is, to make quality beats, you’ll most likely only need to learn about
25% of what your gear is capable of. Having a considerably high understanding
of any particular setup or individual piece of gear will not necessarily translate
to a successful understanding of beatmaking. No matter how much you master
any piece of gear, the creation of a quality beat still comes down to how well you
can craft sustainable, interesting rhythmic backing loops. Too much attention
on so-called gear mastery, and not enough attention on mastering the routine
functions that help facilitate your imagination, can be detrimental to your
beatmaking development.
NOTE: When someone says that they’ve “mastered their gear,” does this
typically mean that they know everything about their gear? In the experience
of all of the beatmakers that I interviewed (as well as my own experience), this
is not the norm. Instead, when someone says that they’ve mastered their gear,
what they usually mean is that they’ve mastered the key functions that they
regularly use. Fact is, as your needs grow, and as your level of creativity expands,
you will naturally nd yourself exploring and employing gear functions that
you never used before. In turn, you’ll learn more about the capability of your
particular setup.
Remember, your setup is only part of the equation. It’s the rst major
technological aspect of the mechanics of beatmaking. at is to say, it’s the initial
technological means that you use to create the audio results that you’re interested
in. us, the prospect of gear mastery does not, in and of itself, automatically
translate into a higher degree of creativity. You can know everything there is to
know about the EMPIs within your setup, but that still won’t guarantee you
a high level of creativity, or even a deeper insight into creating beats for that
matter. Consider this hypothetical: If you take away the stable piece of any
well-known and respected beatmaker (producer), for instance, DJ Toomp,
Pharell, DJ Premier, or Just Blaze, and then supply them with an EMPI which
they’ve never used before, I guarantee you that after they gure out three things:
how to sample, chop and record sequences, they will still create quality beats.
Most beatmakers routinely use only about 10% - 50% of their EMPIs’
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capabilities. When I used my Akai MPC 60II, I only used it for triggering sounds
from my Akai S950 sampler and programming drums. I never sampled with
my MPC 60II (even though it contains a notoriously powerful sampler). Why?
Because I didn’t need to. I use my MPC 60II in the way that worked best for me,
the way that was right for me. I used my MPC 60II only in the manner that I
needed to, not in the exact manner that it could have been used. On the other
hand, when I use my Akai MPC 4000, I do use it’s internal sampler; however,
I do not always use the plethora of eects that it has to oer.
Consider the analogy of driving a car vs. knowing how a car works. Once
you learn how to drive a car, you know, get the basics down, like going, stopping,
accelerating, de-accelerating, parking, and just overall maneuvering, you don’t
spend time trying to gure out how and why the car does what it’s doing. ough
the instrument gauges and gear shifters may look stylistically dierent from car
manufacturer to car manufacturer, the reality is that all cars still perform the
same standard functions. No matter what car you step into, regardless which
automaker actually manufactured it, you don’t have to learn a whole new driving
language in order to drive — the fundamentals remain the same: Park, Neutral,
Drive, Reverse. As you drive more, as you spend more time behind the wheel,
you spend more of your time actually becoming a better driver, not a better
auto mechanic, right? Learning everything about how cars work in general, and
how your car works in particular, is not critical to your development as a better
driver. However, because of scheduled car maintenance and routine repairs,
you’ll learn more about how your car works. But this is a by-product of your
driving experience, not a necessity for driving.
Likewise, when it comes to beatmaking, it’s more benecial to spend more
of your time actually developing and creating new beats and music than it is
deciphering how (or why) new production/recording technology works. I
certainly urge you to learn as much as you can (when you can) about the gear
in your setup. But I don’t recommend that you over-burden yourself with the
notion that you have to master everything about every piece of gear within your
setup. In the time spent trying to learn and master all of the ins and outs and
functions and obscure tricks of a piece of gear, you can become void of developing
or translating feeling into your music. Perhaps one of the most common and
damaging eects of arbitrary gear mastery is the production of cold beats, i.e.
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Chapter 5
Drum Sounds and Drum
Programming
The Nature of Drum Sounds and Drum
Programming in Hip Hop/Rap Music
Drums are the most important part of a beat. –DJ Premier
Without dope drums, you can’t have a dope beat. –Marley Marl
I spend a lot of time making sure that my drums are right. –DJ Toomp
Drums are the cornerstone of a beat. Regardless of whatever non-drum
arrangement a beatmaker creates, it’s always the drums that serve as the
foundation, the glue by which all other elements within a beat stick together.
erefore, it’s typically the drums that garner the most attention and time from
beatmakers. In this chapter, I examine drums in all of their beatmaking glory.
From the basics of drum sounds to the various structures that drum programs
formulate, I explore both the aesthetic and functional roles that drums play
within the beatmaking process.
The Basics: Drum Sound Categories
In beatmaking, drum sounds are divided into four primary categories: kicks,
snares, hats, and cymbals. For each category (type) of drum sound there are
multiple variants. For example, from among the kick variety there are standard
bass kicks, “booms,” and 808s. A standard bass kick is your garden variety
bass drum, a boom is a more amped-up bass kick sound, and an 808 (name
comes from the famed Roland TR 808 drum machine) can be described as a
super-powered boom with an additional sustain and broader resonance.
Within the snare drum variety there are standard snares, snare toms,
woodblocks, and rim shots. It’s important to note that in beatmaking, snare
sounds (and kicks and hi-hats) can be anything that represents the role of a snare,
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not necessarily a typical snare sound (more on that later, when I discuss the role
of drum sounds and programming).
Among the “hat” variety of drum sounds there are hi-, open-, and closed-hats
(or mid-hats). Hi-hat refers to the sound of standard hi-hat cymbals in their
default position, not tightly closed but resting close to one another. ink of
a drum set in which one hi-hat cymbal rests on top of the other, held loosely
together by the hi-hat foot pedal. In beatmaking, the sound made when these
two cymbals are held loosely together and struck is what is meant by a typical
hi-hat. Likewise, open-hat refers to the sound of standard hi-hat cymbals in the
their maximum open position, and closed-hats refers to the sound of standard
hi-hat cymbals in their closed position, i.e. held tightly together.
Within the cymbals variety there are “rides” and “crashes.” Rides refer to the
ride cymbal sound of a standard drum set, crashes refer to the gong-like cymbal
sound that’s created when two cymbals are crashed into each other. ere are
also a number of secondary percussive sounds that beatmakers use as and/or to
compliment primary drum sounds. ese secondary percussive sounds include
shekeres, triangles, blocks, tympanies, sleigh bells, tambourines, and castanets.
Drum Sound Representation, Not Always Actual
In beatmaking, drum sounds do not always necessarily correspond with the
actual category of sound that it represents. For instance, snares are not always
actual snare-drum sounds. Instead, the term “snare” is used loosely in beatmaking
to describe any sound that is used, played, and programmed where the snare
drum sound typically would land within a drum pattern. In other words, the
term “snare” in beatmaking serves to represent any sound that acts like or
carries the purpose and associated dynamics of a snare drum. Hence, snares in
beatmaking can be anything from the captured sounds of a hammer hitting a
chair to a drum stick smacking the top of a shoe box. It should be noted that
this same representational/actual dual understanding in beatmaking applies to
all drum sounds as well as bass sounds. For instance, a kick can be any sound
that represents the sound and impact that simulates any variation of the sound
that a bass drum typically makes. So for example, a kick can be something as
creative as a sample of a boot kicking a shoe box stued with t-shirts (I’ve made
a kick from that very sound). Likewise, a bass sound doesn’t necessarily have to
come from a bass guitar or the bass patch of a keyboard/synthesizer; a bass sound
can be made from the low-end ltering of an organ patch or something similar.
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How Many Drum Sounds Are Enough?
Core Set (limited) Drum Sounds vs. Unlimited Set of
Drum Sounds
Customizing and Sampling Your Own Drums
e number of drum sounds that a beatmaker should have is debatable.
ere are some who believe that you can never have enough sounds; on the
other hand, there are those who believe that you should have simply a core set
of drum sounds. So what is the right amount of drum sounds? Truth is, that’s
up to each individual beatmaker. However, when deciding upon how many
drum sounds to carry, either a core (limited) set or an unlimited set, there are a
number of things worth considering. To begin with, you must understand how
the sound of drums are perceived and valued in the rst place. In beatmaking as
well as in traditional drumming, the value of drums is predicated more upon
tonal possibilities than simply quantitative possibilities. It’s not really the sheer
number of available drum sounds that are really important, it’s the various kinds
of tones (unique sounds) that drum sounds can produce.
Traditional drummers can employ several dierent techniques to produce
dierent tones. For example, they can tighten or loosen the skin heads on
their drums, or they can modify their playing style to manipulate the velocity,
attack, and sustain of a drum strike; each technique has the potential to render
a unique tone. Likewise, through eects processors and the like, beatmakers
can also modify their drum sounds; and just as with traditional drummers,
beatmakers in their playing can also manipulate the velocity, attack, and
sustain of the drum sounds that they deploy. You should also keep in mind
that traditional drummers often do more with less. Celebrated drummers like
Bernard Perry, Clyde Stubbleeld, and J’abo Starks (the latter two famous for
playing with James Brown) did not have an arsenal of snare sounds, yet they
were able to carve out very distinct sound signatures. is is because the style,
approach, and modication that a particular drummer uses is paramount to
their ability to tap the various tonal possibilities of a given drum sound. Because
beatmaking is a form of electronic music production, there will inevitably be
a larger selection of drum sounds to chose from. at being said, this does not
change the fundamental value of drum sounds; the tonal possibilities of drum
sounds still trumps the sheer number of drum sounds.
But those who advocate for having an unlimited set of drum sounds have
their arguments as well. Some maintain that an unlimited amount of drum
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sounds leads to a better drum sound library, which in turn makes for more
creativity. But if the purpose of a drum sound library is for amassing both a set
of standard and customized drum sounds so that one can create and develop their
own unique sound, then an innite number of drum sounds actually undermines
this purpose and contradicts the creation of one’s own unique sound. After all, a
unique overall drum sound requires familiarity, and familiarity depends upon a
beatmaker’s ability to repeatedly use a core set of drums in new (creative) ways.
ere are some beatmakers who purport to use entirely new drum sounds
every time that they make a new beat. So it would seem that an unlimited amount
of drum sounds presents a beatmaker with an unlimited amount of drum sound
options. But is such an approach practical or worth it in the long run? I mean,
an innite number of drum sounds doesn’t necessarily translate into an innite
amount of quality. For instance, let’s say you have a set of 500 separate snares.
If you were to critically survey each snare, how many of those snares would truly
sound distinct and unique? In fact, how many times would a certain tone be
replicated? Furthermore, how many would actually be usable? What I’m getting
at is that out of a given set of 500 snares, it’s not at all unreasonable for one to
expect to nd many that are similar, rendering a vast majority of them useless.
Finally, there’s also the management and real-time use issue of deferring to an
unlimited set of drum sounds. Scrolling through thousands of drums sounds
just takes something away from the creative process. For one thing, it’s rather
time consuming. More importantly, it disrupts a beatmaker’s workow, which
in turn hampers the creative process.
Check This Out — Core Drum Sounds and Unique
Style
Another point I want to make is that a core (limited) set of drum sounds
tends to breed a sort of familiarity and personal style and sound, whereas an
unlimited set of drum sounds tends to breed an over-reliance on variety for
variety’s sake as well as a degree of uncertainty and indecision, which typically
leads to bad choices. At one point in time, I probably had more than 5,000
drum sounds. I had nearly all of the MIDI Mark drum kits, the Kid Nepro
drum kits, Sample Kings drum kits, various drum sound CDs, the E-Mu SP
1200 full drum sound library, the Akai S950 full drum sound library, and, of
course, sampled drum sounds from over 14 volumes of the Ultimate Breakbeat
Records series. I even had drum sound libraries that were comprised of sounds
that I recorded and mixed at Unique Recording Studios and D&D Studios.
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Needless to say, I had a major drum sound collection. en I got real with what
I was doing and what I wanted to do. All I really wanted to do was make dope
beats, but paying too much attention on building up an innite drum sound
library was actually detracting me from this ultimate goal. Once I made that
revelation, I vigorously started purging my drum sound library. I tossed out every
drum sound that I wasn’t really using. After that, I did another purge, but this
time I tossed out all drum sounds that I considered to be just O.K. I went on
to do even more purges, separating the nice drum sounds from the good drum
sounds, followed by a separation of the dope drum sounds from the nice ones.
When I was done purging, all I was left with were those drum sounds that I
thought were dope, and those that worked best within the style and sound of
beats that I wanted to create.
I understand that some beatmakers thrive on having an unlimited set of
options at their disposal. Some beatmakers simply like the notion of having
unlimited choices. But what often happens in these cases is that you nd
beatmakers “force-feeding” their beats, using new drum sounds simply because
they have them, not for their distinct tonal value or unique character or because
they actually work well within their style of beats. For many beatmakers like
myself, it’s not about spending unnecessary time searching for an arbitrary perfect
snare; it’s about locating a snare from your library and making that snare sound
t with the theme of the beat at hand.
As I’ve already discussed, drum sounds can really be divided into four main
categories, with additional sub-categories. Of all the aforementioned kinds of
drum sounds, I carry about three to ve drum sounds of each variety. And if
and when I nd that I can’t make any of those sounds work with a new beat that
I’m making, then that means that the new beat is wack, simple and plain. Here’s
the bottom line: I know my personal drum sound library very well. In fact, I
know my drum sounds far better than I know my gear, and almost as well as
my favorite records. But when I had 5,000 plus sounds, there was no way that
I could realistically ever know all of those sounds. erefore, I prefer the feeling
of knowing that my drum kit is set and ready to go whenever I have a new idea.
Drum Sound Customization and Building a Drum Sound Library
Because the drums are such a prominent feature of the hip hop/rap music
tradition, and because beatmaking is set in a pre-recorded-based medium as
well as live performance-based medium, beatmaking relies, to a great extent,
on extensive sound modication of individual drum sounds (hits). But when
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it comes to drum sounds, there are only but so many standard sounds that
you can have — a typical bass kick, 808 kick, boom kick, mid-pitch snare,
truncated snare, shekere, hi-hat, open-hat, closed-hat, ride, and crash. us an
appropriate number of standard drum sounds (within your choice of sound)
should comprise of your base set of drum sounds. And once you’ve added the
appropriate standards (within your choice of sound) to your drum sound library,
the balance of a unique drum sound library is usually made up of customized
drum sounds. For many beatmakers, the most eective drum customization
comes from the manipulation and modication of drum sounds that are already
in their base drum sound library. Hence, it’s worth examining some of the
methods for customizing drum sounds.
ere are several somewhat simple ways to eectively customize drum
sounds. e easiest way to customize a drum sound is through truncation or
the chopping and shortening of sound. Next, you can manipulate the velocity
(volume and release) of a drum sound, and you can also manipulate the pitch of
drum sounds. ere are also a number of complex methods for customizing drum
sounds. ere are those processes that involve the EQ’ing (sound coloring and
leveling) of drum sounds. EQ’ing drum sounds essentially involves turning up
or down the low, mid, or high frequencies of a given drum sound. en there are
those methods that incorporate the use of external or software eects processors;
these methods include things like adding compression, chorus, or reverb to a
drum sound. Methods such as these are considered to be more complex, because
they demand a greater amount of experience and understanding of sound
frequencies and eects processors, and, of course, beatmaking itself.
BeatTip — Methods for Customizing Drum Sounds
Here are my primary methods for customizing drum sounds. First, it begins
with a beat. After I track (record) a new beat into Pro Tools (my tracking/
recording software of choice), I pick a drum sound, usually a kick or snare,
then I sample it and rename it as a variation of the original. Because Pro Tools
allows me to solo (isolate) individual tracks, I solo the drum sound that I want
to modify, next I play the track, then I sample (duplicate) the drum sound and
rename it as a variation of the original sound. For example, if the original drum
sound was “snare 1,” I name the variation “snare 1 x.” If I want to thicken up a
drum sound, I duplicate it a couple of times, then I play the track and sample
all three sounds together as if they were one drum sound. For added eect, I
EQ each of the sounds separately or modify their pitch before I sample them.
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Another way that I customize drum sounds is similar, but it involves rst
using my Akai MPC 4000. First, I create a basic drum track, or I use a drum
track from a previous beat that I made. Next, I take the drum hit or stab that I
want to customize, and I layer it on top of itself, by programming the event in
the sequence of the beat. But instead of layering the same hits exactly on top
of each other, that is, at the exact same step (event) in the sequence, I oset each
hit about one or two events in the front and/or behind the original hit. It is then
this new “fattened,” more resonant sounding hit that I record into Pro Tools. I
should note that all of my EMPIs are routed through a Mackie multi-channel
analog board (mixing console). So the signal that is ultimately recorded is further
“beefed” up (amplied) before it lands in Pro Tools. Once inside Pro Tools, the
process can get more complex, as I might do additional EQ’ing or slap some
reverb or other eect on the drum hit. Finally, when I’m cool with the result,
I sample that sound back into my Akai MPC 4000 — again, it’s important to
point out that the signal routes through my analog mixing console before it
hits my sampler. Once this is done, I end up with a new drum sound that is
unique and modied to my desired tonal and sonic spec.
e establishment of one’s own sound is mostly about sonic preferences
(preferred frequencies), arrangement scopes, types of sounds and tonal preference,
individual approach and technique, and an underlying style. erefore, in this
overall scope, drum sounds can, and I feel should, be routinely interchanged
and reused. at’s one of the fundamental things that beatmaking is about:
just ippin’ familiar sounds, techniques, and styles in ways that yield a unique
style and sound.
BeatTip — Think Outside the Box for Custom Snare
Sounds: Presets Get the Job Done, But Customized
Sounds Help You Create Your Own Style and Sound
Whether you’ve made your 10th or 1,000th beat this week, you’ve learned
the importance of dope drum sounds. And when it comes to drum sounds, you
can get away with a limited number of non-descript kicks. But without a distinct
group of snare sounds, your beats might suer. Why? Because since the advent
of the MPC 2000, widespread sample packs, and software programs galore,
many beatmakers have taken to using the exact same stock snares. And, in the
process, they’ve decreased the chance of giving their beats a distinctive sound.
Don’t get me wrong, there have been some beatmakers who have been able
to get away with using only one or two snares. But in those cases (most of the
time), the snares have been cultivated to an ultimate level of distinction, a level
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in which they work almost with any non-drum arrangement. However, in order
to arrive at such snare sounds, some level of customization had to have gone
on previously. So in this BeatTip, I want to discuss some dierent methods
for customizing snares. Some of which were taught to me and some of which
I developed on my own.
e rst set of snare sounds that I ever customized were part of a classic rock
kit (on oppy disk) that came with the E-Mu SP 1200, the rst drum machine/
sampler I ever used. Some of the snares on the kit were OK, but they didn’t t
what I was trying to do sonically. So after nally recognizing that none of the
snare sounds t with the feel and style of music that I was going for, I went
about customizing them. At the time, I didn’t have an analog mixing console
to run my sounds through, so I couldn’t easily boost up the bass (the low end)
of the sounds I wanted to modify. But I did have a dual cassette recorder and
a lot of imagination. So here’s what I did the rst time I customized snare
sounds. I recorded every snare sound that I had to cassette tape. Next, I dubbed
(duplicated) them. After dubbing the sounds, I sampled them into my Akai
S950. Once inside of the Akai S950, I was really able to get creative. It wasn’t
that I couldn’t have chopped or ltered the sounds inside of my old SP 1200, I
could have. It was just that the S950 gave me a dierent sound, plus I felt more
comfortable working with its sampling functions than those in the SP-1200.
Next, I went around my room with a Shure SM-58 live microphone sampling
all sorts of sounds. I took a hammer and hit the bottom of a metal folding chair.
I took a drum stick and rapped back and forth on a Nike sneaker box stued
with socks (I sampled the sneaker box with and without the lid on; there was
indeed a noticeable dierence). Switching up between the hammer, the drum
stick, and a wooden hanger, I hit the inside of a window pane. Needless to say,
I sampled every sound that I could imagine, anything that I thought might be
interesting. All of this sampling probably took me 10 minutes. By the way, I
would also like to think that this process taught me more about acoustics.
Having sampled this wide assortment of sounds, all in the same room, mind
you, I went about “matching” the sounds with the cassette versions of E-Mu’s
classic rock kit as well as several other snare sounds that I had. Incidentally, this
was around the time that I rst began to understand the process of layering
sounds. Particularly, I was discovering the potential for layering, both as a means
for customizing drum sounds as well as other sounds. I was also learning how
layering could aect the overall texture and tenor of a beat. Not too long after
that, I began applying these techniques to all of the drum sounds that I used.
And after while, I stopped buying other peoples’ drum kits altogether and I
started sampling drums from records and literally making my own drum sounds.
Special Note: Since I rst began customizing my snare sounds, I have
never used a pre-set drum sound as-is again. Although pre-set drum sounds
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undoubtedly serve a purpose (I have heard some pretty nice pre-set drums), I’ve
always found that customizing your own sounds goes a long way in helping you
carve out your own unique style and sound. Still, if I come across a pre-set drum
sound that I like, I’ll use it. Of course, I modify it to make my own.
Short list of items great for customizing snares:
• Live microphone with an extended chord to allow you to move freely
around your space.
• A tambourine. Any percussion instrument you can pick up from a music
store will help you customize your snare sounds as well create sound
composites that are unique.
• A wood block, mallet, hammer, and a shaker.
• At least one drum stick. You can use two in rapid succession on any hard
surface. You’ll be surprised at what you can come up with after you lter and
adjust the pitch on a sound created by two drum sticks.
• A real set of bongos are ideal but not absolutely necessary.
• A cassette tape player. Yes. ey’re dirt cheap now, and they allow for
connection back to the analog age (if that matters to you). Also, nobody
will ever be able to duplicate your sounds if you’ve used some combination
involving a cassette tape.
• Some sort of wooden board, maybe a chef’s cutting board, something
that you can strike with anything, like a bottom of a shoe, a mallet, a set of
keys, a hockey puck, and, of course, a drum stick.
• Some studio foam.
Check This Out — Creating Your Own Customized
Drum Signature: Matching Up Certain Sounds and
Keeping Them Together
ere is perhaps no better way to add continuity to your beats — while at
the same time distinguish your sound — than having your on custom drum
signature. Just like a typical overall signature sound, a custom drum signature
is your own personal drum sound. Various beatmakers have custom drum
signatures. ink of DJ Premier, Pete Rock, RZA, J Dilla, Just Blaze, Nottz,
9th Wonder, e Neptunes, Jake One, Metro Boomin, and so on. But how do
you create your own custom drum signature?
Building your own custom drum signature starts with a core set of drum
sounds. So how do you get a core set of sounds, you ask? Well, the best way
(perhaps the only way) that you can develop a core set of drum sounds is through
an audition process of the drum sounds that you already have. Whenever you
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select any drum sound for one beat, you’re essentially auditioning it for future
beats. Each beat that you make acts as a reference for another. Using this
understanding as the foundation for auditioning drum sounds, let me break
down how I developed my core drum sounds and my own drum signature.
Strip the Beat
First thing, I stripped down five of my favorite beats to their drum
framework, no non-drum sounds. Each beat I had a mid-range tempo of 94 to
97 bpm. Next, I listened to each beat to determine if there were any discernible
patterns. Having noticed speci c sonic and texture consistencies between the
sounds in each drum framework, I then examined the “value settings” for each
drum sound (one by one) that I’ve used. Although I use an Akai MPC 4000,
the majority (60%) of my core drum sounds were sampled and modi ed in my
Akai S950 sampler. erefore, I must spend a brief moment discussing the main
“page” in the Akai S950 in which I modify sounds. In “PAGE 08” inside of
the Akai S950, each sound — once assigned to a program — can be modi ed
in four ways: (1) Loudness; (2) Filter; (3) Transpose (pitch); and (4) Fine Pitch.
(Note: Most contemporary samplers — both hardware and software — have
multiple lter options and e ects.) For each drum sound that I use, I wrote
down the values of “PAGE 08” on a yellow posted note or a yellow legal pad.
For example, take a look at Figure 3.
BeatTips
Figure 3 Drum Sounds and Values on Yellow Pad
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is allowed me to objectively examine the settings for each sound, which
in turn helped me determine the typical settings that I tended to use for each
type of sound, e.g. kick, snare, and hi-hat. By writing down my tendencies, I
was better able to modify those drum sounds that I was drawn to.
Having found a clear scope of the characteristics that drew me to a particular
drum sound, I then auditioned those sounds with each other — pattern after
pattern — to see which sounds t together and which sounds t with everything.
It’s worth remembering that for the most part, drum sounds do not play alone;
therefore, the true test of a drum sound is how well it plays with and o of other
sounds in the drum framework (and the entire beat for that matter). erefore,
auditioning drums sounds together (rather than alone) better helps you identify
those drums in your collection that are sure-shot and those that are better used
as featured players.
After many drum sound audition practice sessions, I was able to identify
roughly 15 sure shot (go-to, dependable) drum sounds and about another 20
feature players (great auxiliary drum sounds) that could be used for special
beats and mitigating circumstances, i.e. matching beat styles. As of today, my
15 sure-shot sounds are composed of 4 kicks; 4 snares; 4 hi-hats; 1 crash; 1
tambourine, and 1 ride cymbal. From just these 15 drum sounds, I create the
drum frameworks for the bulk of my beats. I should note however that although I
always use at least one of my core drum sounds, I routinely use slightly modied
versions (e.g. slower pitch) of my core drum sounds. I should also point out that
I have another set of 15 “2nd-tier” drum sounds that I use for specic types of
beats or for certain layering eects.
When it comes to customizing drum sounds that I sampled and modied
in my Akai MPC 4000, the process is similar in terms of writing down my
tendencies on a yellow posted note. However, the Akai MPC 4000 has a more
extensive ltering editing section than the Akai S950, which leaves room for an
expanded area of exploration. at being said, I often work to match the sounds
from my MPC 4000 to those made in my S950, the only dierence being the
level of brightness and perhaps reverb.
Assigning Your Main (Primary) Drum Sounds
Assigning drum sounds to pads (or keys) is every beatmaker’s personal choice.
Each person’s musical inclination and eye/hand coordination directly inuences
the ways in which they assign sounds to a drum machine’s pads. And though
there are no wrong or right ways for assigning drum sounds to pads, I do believe
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that some pad assignments are more practical than others. In the following
section, I will describe one of the most simple and practical ways that you can
assign your main drum sounds over a standard 16-pad bank of a drum machine.
Figure 4 Front 16 Drum Pads—Sa’ids Primary and Secondary Drum Sound Assignment
For your main drums (kick, snare, hat), I recommend that you assign them
to the top rst-three pads or the bottom rst-three pads. ere are two practical
reasons for this. First, drums are the backbone of a beat, and therefore, they get
used more than any other element within a beat. Hence, it helps to have your
drums mapped out and assigned in a position that compliments their overall
importance. Another reason why it’s practical to assign your primary drums
to the top rst-three pads or the bottom rst-three pads is because drums are
generally tracked (recorded) into DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations, e.g. Pro
Tools, Logic, and other recording software applications) in the same kick, snare,
hat order.
After you’ve assigned your main (bass) kick, move over one pad and assign
your main snare. e logic behind this? Well, when you’re trying to bang out
drum patterns from scratch, it helps to have the snare pad as close to the kick
pad as possible. Is this a rule? No. I’ve seen some beatmakers who have their
snares assigned directly underneath their main kicks. When I began creating
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beats, I tried each of these ways and what I found was that it was easier and
more eective for me to slide horizontally from kick to snare than vertically from
kick to snare. Moreover, I found that I could make faster pattern progressions.
at is to say, with the snare placed one pad over (horizontally) from the kick, I
was able to jab my middle nger to the snare pad faster. is in turn improved
my drum timing and, subsequently, my overall timing and arranging abilities.
Having assigned your main snare, I recommend assigning the main hat (or
ride) to the next pad over from the snare. Hats are funny because at their best,
they’re actually very subtle, but at their worst, aw, man, they can stab you in the
ear. Hence, the importance of hats and their role will vary from beat to beat.
Even still, you should give hats (and cymbals) the same positional respect as the
kick and snare. Again here, pattern development plays a key role. Here’s why
hats deserve the same positional respect. Most beatmakers build the main drum
framework by starting with the kick and the snare; having successfully created a
pattern, they then add the hat in over the top of the drum and snare, creating a
basic drum sequence (track). After the individual kick, snare, and hat patterns are
programmed and looped, the overall collective pattern becomes the main drum
framework. And when a beatmaker plays back the drum framework (sequence),
it’s the hat that often gives you the most accurate indication of whether or not
the pitch of the framework is right for the beat at hand.
I also like to keep the hat within the rst three pads for another reason:
timing. at is to say, I often use a hat in the same way that most beatmakers
use the metronome tone. When I create beats, most of the time I actually don’t
even use the metronome tone; I pretty much know the tempos I like to work
within (usually 84-99 BPM
93
), and therefore, I have a pretty good indication
of where things are supposed to land in the measure of the sequence. When
the metronome tone is audible, it disrupts my ow and concentration. So if I
ever have a timing issue, I simply make a quick 1-bar loop of hi-hat hits; since
I know that a standard hi-hat pattern (1, 2, 3, 4, on up to 8) lands on basically
every 6th step or event within a 4/4 measure, a simple 1-bar loop of hi-hats
helps me get the timing right. After that, I adjust that bar to the desired tempo,
using the hat pattern as a guide. From there, I play the kick drum and snare in
real time, over the top of the hi-hat.
For the next pad over from your main hi-hat, I recommend that you reserve
this pad for your open-hat or even a second hat sound. In fact, the additional
93
BPM stands for Beats Per Minute. It’s the common terminology used to describe the measurement
of tempo in music. It’s used to calculate the timing of a piece of music. For example, 60 BPM means
60 counts per minute, 1 beat per second. Hip hop/rap music usually uses a tempo of 85-120 BPM, but
there are some hip hop/rap songs that carry a tempo as low as 70 BPM.
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“hat” on this pad can really be anything from an open-hat, to a ride, to sleigh
bells, or a tambourine. ese second hats can be either used as layers, or they
can be used more sparingly, like every other bar, or every fourth bar, etc., for
accentuation and emphasis.
e point I hope to make clear about drum sound assignments is that it’s
practical to assign your main drum sounds on neighboring pads (or keys). Having
your main kick on the third pad, top row; your main snare on the fourth pad
of a middle row; and your main hat on the rst pad, bottom row doesn’t seem
very practical for programming your main drum sequences. Such an assignment,
which would require your hand position and ngers to move much faster than
perhaps necessary. And this factor can increase the probability that your timing
will be o, or at least it will make it dicult for you to achieve the timing that you
want. On the other hand, if you assign your sounds in relative, pre-determined
mapped out groups, especially your main drums, you undoubtedly will gain a
number of advantages.
Group Map Assignments (GMA)
e most obvious advantages of Group Map Assignments, hereafter referred
to as GMA, is the proximity that it allows and, ultimately, how practical it is.
e closer the pads (sounds) that you want to trigger — in conjunction — are
to one another, the easier it will be for you to go from one pad (sound) to
another. Instead of making distant pad-strikes that force you to go from row
4, then back to row 1, you can simply assign the sounds of an entire group to
either row 1 or row 4. e idea here is to narrow down your GMAs to three or
four pads per group. For example, for drums, this is easy. Kick, snare, hat are
already a natural group, so it’s practical to keep them that way. And you can add
any other drum-related sound to this group to make it a 4-pad group, thereby
taking up one entire row of pads — simple, plain, easy, organized, and, above
all, practical.
Perhaps the biggest advantage of a GMA is rhythm organization. at is,
by mapping your sounds out into groups, you are in essence, turning your
sequencer/drum machine into a de-facto rhythm section: the drummer, or
rather the drum GMA is on one row; the guitar GMA is on another row; and
the piano/strings GMA is on another row.
Finally, here it’s important to note that the kind of music production we’ve
been discussing is fundamentally electronic. However, my perspective is that
as the beatmaker (composer/programmer/producer) you alone actually make
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up the rhythm section. A beatmaker’s musical understanding is just as relevant
as a traditional instrumentalist’s understanding. e only dierence between
beatmakers and traditional instrumentalists is that most beatmakers do not
necessarily choose to play traditional musical instruments. Instead, we most
often use EMPIs to play, program, and sequence sounds, both in traditional
and non-traditional manners.
The Signicance of Timing Correct
To beatmakers, timing correct is simply a steady hand and a mistake-proof
measure for programming sequences. Timing correct automatically corrects time
to the preset value that you choose. Here’s how it works. Let’s say you want to
record a musical sequence. First, you set a time correct value, most beatmakers
typically set this value to 1/16
th
Note or 1/16
th
TRPLT. Next, you put your
sequencer into record mode and compose a pattern. While in your sequencer’s
record mode, you play sounds (either internally or triggered from an external
EMPI) in a pattern of your liking. Each “event-strike”
94
that you program lands
anywhere within the measure that you choose. Now what happens with timing
correct is that it corrects the placement of the event-strikes that you program.
at is, it automatically shifts (moves) your actual event-strike performance
(placement) to the nearest step in the measure that your timing correct value is
set to. is means that a timing correct value of 1/16
th
will shift your event-strike
over to the nearest 1/16
th
step in the measure. So for example, within a 1-bar
measure in 4/4 time, if you play (program) a snare on the standard 2, then play
it again on the 4, timing correct automatically places the hit two beats later, on
the exact same 1/16
th
step of where you programmed the rst snare. In other
words, timing correct not only corrects your timing, for all intents and purposes,
it essentially perfects your timing. is is why I refer to it as a mistake-proof
measure for programming sequences.
Even though timing correct perfects the timing of the events in a sequence
that you program, timing correct doesn’t always help; in fact, in many cases it
actually makes your timing too perfect and unnatural. For example, have you
ever tapped in (played) a drum pattern on your drum machine or sequencer and
it didn’t play back exactly how you played it? Well, that’s because the timing
correct value corrected your timing. Remember, timing correct is a “big-brother”
style function that automatically corrects your playing within a sequence.
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Every event that you program within a sequence is what I call an event-strike. For example, tapping
a drum pad is an event strike, playing a key on a keyboard is also an event-strike.
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THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
But timing correct is very helpful when it comes to creating a standard
repetitive event-strike, such as a typical hi-hat pattern, which lands on every 6th
event (step) within a measure. In a case such as this, you can set the timing correct
value to 1/8
th
, then casually tap out a standard hi-hat pattern, without worrying if
your timing is right, because the timing correct function will automatically move
each hi-hat event-strike to the nearest 1/8th. But as helpful as this may be, it’s
important to remember that timing correct does not distinguish between what
events that you do or do not want to apply corrective measures to. While you
may want to employ timing correct to ensure that your hi-hat strikes are landing
exactly 6 events apart, remember that whatever timing correct value you have
set will also correct every event-strike that you initiate, which means that you
can use multiple timing correct values for dierent parts of the same sequence.
Choosing the Right Timing Correct Setting (Value):
Depends on the Goal of the Drum Pattern
Timing correct is just that: It’s a corrective measure for your timing.
erefore, how you set your timing correct values should be determined by
how good (or bad) your general sense of timing is. If your timing is excellent,
that is, your drum event-strikes are comparable to the playing of a traditional
drummer — meaning you strike on time, with little to no mistakes, then you
really don’t even need to have the timing correct function on. But if your timing
is fairly decent and you want to put in some swing, then you’re probably better
o setting the timing correct note value to either the default 1/16
th
NOTE or
perhaps even 1/32 TRPLT. (If you’re using an Akai MPC, you also want to make
sure that the shue % is set to: 50, and set the Shift timing to: LATER.) If your
timing is poor, then you almost certainly want to use the timing correct note value
of 1/16
th
Note or 1/16
th
TRPLT. e reason many well-known beatmakers set
the timing correct to 1/16th and/or 1/16th TRPLT is not because their timing is
poor, but instead because their timing is so good, they know how to manipulate
the corrective nuances of the timing correct function to their advantage. But
when using the standard 1/16
th
NOTE value, you should be aware that if your
timing isn’t all that great, and if you’re not particularly skilled at note correction
and the like, you run the risk of recording drum pattern sequences that sound
“stuck” or “robotic” and slow-dragging with an o-beat feel.
Generally speaking though, I recommend setting the timing correct to
either 1/32 TRPLT (especially for vintage hardware sequencers like the Akai
MPC 60 II or the E-Mu SP 1200), 1/16, or 1/16TRPLT, and leaving it as your
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DRUM SOUNDS AND DRUM PROGRAMMING
default for all of your basic drum patterns. For instance, let’s say that you have
an arrangement of non-drum sounds looping nicely and you’ve just added the
main kick and snare to the sequence, and everything’s really starting to come
together. All you need now to complete the drum pattern is the main hi-hat.
Why stop the loop, change the timing correct, restart the loop, then play the
hi-hat with the corrective protection? Forget that, if you’ve got the loop cooking,
and the main kick and snare are already in place, then just play the hi-hat right
over the top of the existing pattern, in real-time; in this way, you’re forced to
trust your own timing rather than merely rely on the time correct function. I
also recommended that you get accustomed to programming your event-strikes
exactly how your ngers play them in the sequence, mistakes and all; this way,
you’ll build up your timing strengths and neutralize your timing weaknesses.
Finally, though it may be a good idea to keep a default timing correct value for
your main drum sounds and patterns, there are occasions where changing the
timing correct value makes a lot of sense. For instance, depending upon the
rhythmic nature of the event that you want to initiate and drum pattern that
you want to achieve (especially additional syncopation like stutter hi-hat, kick,
or snare patterns), choosing the most eective timing correct value is essential.
BeatTip — Timing Correct with the Note Repeat
Function
Timing correct is a steady hand, but when used creatively with a sequencer’s
note repeat function, it becomes a stutter and roll sound maker. One of the most
popular sound aesthetics in beatmaking is the stutter-drum hit sound (rapid,
successive syncopation). is sound aesthetic rst appeared in New York in the
early/mid-1980s, around the time the Roland TR 808 drum machine started
to get its rst heavy use in hip hop/rap music. Since then, the stutter-drum
hit sound aesthetic has become a major cornerstone of the modern trap sound.
ere are many methods and techniques for achieving this aesthetic, but if
you use an MPC or something similar like the Maschine, the easiest method
involves simply adjusting the timing correct value and turning on the note repeat
function, and recording the drum-hit (kick, snare, or hat) to spec. For example,
in order to achieve the stutter-hat eect, simply set the timing correct value to
1/8
th
or 1/16
th
or 1/16
th
TRPLT, depending on the space and dynamics of the
syncopation that you want to achieve.
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Drum Programming (Composing)
The Two Basic Forms of Drum Programming:
Break-Beat Blend and Hit-Stab Drum Programming
In beatmaking, there are two basic forms of drum programming: break-beat
blend drum programming and hit-stab drum programming. Break-beat blend
programming, which is characterized by the use of wholesale sampled sections of
the break from records, was rst popularized by Grandmaster Flash in the early
1980s; it was then further extended by the likes of Marley Marl, DJ Premier, and
others in the late 1980s and early/mid-1990s.
95
Hit-stab drum programming,
which is characterized by the use of unique, individual one-hit drum stabs and
hits (particularly kicks, snares, and hi-hats) that are played (programmed) in
traditional drummer-like fashion, was initiated and rst popularized by Marley
Marl in the mid-1980s. Today, some beatmakers still employ the break-beat
blend drum programming form. However, since the mid-1990s, the hit-stab
form has served as the unocial default drum programming for beatmakers.
Basic Concepts of Traditional Drum Programming and
Arrangement
e most basic drum structure and arrangement within 4/4 time (the
default time signature of most hip hop/rap beats) breaks down like this: kick
(bass drum) lands on the “1” and “3” (1st and 3rd beats); snare lands on the
“2” and the “4;” and the hi-hat on every half beat. Regarding the placement
of the hi-hat, it’s worth noting that unlike electronic drum machines and
sequencers, live drummers can not play the hi-hat 100% throughout any given
drum pattern while they’re playing other pieces in a given drum set (e.g. snare,
toms, and cymbals), so there are times within any given pattern where the
steady hi-hat sound naturally drops out. A live drummer has human limitations,
while an electronic drum machine or sequencer does not — drum machines
play whatever arrangement they’re programmed to play, for as long as they’re
programmed to play it.
95
See my interview of DJ Marley Marl, located in the Interviews Part of this study, for details on how
he came up with this form of drum programming. Although Marley Marl is rightfully credited with laying
down the foundation for hit-stab drum programming, the form was further developed and extended
during the Pioneers/Avant-Garde Period (1988-1994) by the likes of DJ Premier, Large Professor, Dr.
Dre, Pete Rock, and RZA. It’s also worth noting that the hit-stab drum programming form was again
further developed and extended during the Post-Pioneers Period (1995-2000) by the likes of J Dilla, DJ
Toomp, Just Blaze, Kanye West, Timbaland, and The Neptunes.
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DRUM SOUNDS AND DRUM PROGRAMMING
Drum Patterns and How Drums Land in a Pattern/
Program
How the main kick, snare, and hi-hat lands
Generally speaking, kicks can either hit ush or o. A ush-kick, hereafter
represented by the symbol fK on the drum pattern diagrams presented in this
section, is the main kick sound. “Flush” refers to a prominent kick sound that
lands on a whole or half-beat within a measure (a bar of music). e ush-kick
is one of the most pronounced and sonic elements within any sequence and,
subsequently, any beat. In fact, it’s the lone kick sound that anchors the beat. e
o-kick, hereafter represented by the symbol oK on the drum pattern diagrams
in this section, is the kick sound that is the least prominent kick sound. “O”
refers to the less prominent kick sound that lands on quarter and eighth beats
within a measure (a bar of music). e o-kick’s main purpose is to set up or
accentuate the ush-kick.
e ush-kick can be doubled (paired), stranded, stretched, and/or
stuttered. e o-kick can be pinched-in before and/or wrapped around the
ush-kick. e terms doubled (paired), stranded, stretched, pinched-in, and
wrapped all refer to specic event placements — the how and where the events
take place. More often than not, the o-kick is pinched-in 2 events (steps)
before a ush-kick. When pinching-in the o-kick, it’s sometimes a good idea
to decrease its velocity. Ordinarily, when you’re creating new drum patterns and
programs, the velocity level is at its full value for all of the drum sounds. So one
way to make your drums sound more real and more natural, and perhaps more
like a live drummer and such, is to manipulate the velocity levels of some of
the specic drum events within a beat’s sequences. Since the ush-kick is more
prominent than the o-kick, usually you don’t want to tweak it’s velocity levels
too much. However, decreasing the velocity level (volume and impact of the
hit) of the o-kick often proves to be more eective. Remember, the role of the
o-kick is to set up, accentuate, and generally, play o of the lead role of the
ush-kick. erefore, decreasing the velocity of o-kicks helps you establish a
more real drum texture.
Like kicks, snares either hit ush or o. A ush-snare, hereafter represented
by the symbol fS on the drum pattern diagrams in this section, is the main snare
sound. It’s the sound that is commonly known to land on the 2 and the 4 — the
second and fourth beats of a bar. e ush-snare is the snare sound that is the
most prominent and audible within any sequence and, subsequently, any beat.
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It’s the snare sound that, in eect, times the beat — imagine if the metronome
played throughout a beat, on every second and fourth metronome tone the ush
snare would hit, hence, the meaning of the 2 and the 4. e o-snare, hereafter
represented by the symbol oS on the drum diagrams in this section, is the snare
sound that is the least prominent snare sound within any sequence. Like the
o-kick, the o-snare’s main purpose is to set up, accentuate, and generally play
o the lead role of the ush snare.
Hi-hats, hereafter represented by the symbol H on the drum pattern diagrams
below, are generally all ush. About 10 years ago, hi-hats played a more primary,
default-like role in drum patterns. However, since around 2002 they have
increasingly been used in a more secondary percussive or featured role. In some
beats, beatmakers are even experimenting with leaving out hi-hats altogether
(I sometimes make beats with no hi-hat hits at all). Still, basic 4/4 time seems
to beg for some sort of hi-hat construction. us it’s important to know when
and where hi-hats land in a typical drum pattern.
96
BeatTip — Shared Fundamental Foundations of Drum
Patterns
No matter what new drum pattern you create from scratch, the reality is
that the new pattern will most likely not be that dierent from any other drum
pattern or program that you’ve already created or will ever create, because all
drum patterns share some kind of fundamental foundation. Moreover, there are
a number of standard drum pattern clichés in beatmaking; and it is from these
standard drum clichés that all new drum patterns emerge. In the diagrams that
I’ve included in this section, I have catalogued what I nd to be the four most
commonly used drum patterns in beatmaking. And I demonstrate how these
patterns break down within a sequence, specically the ways in which drum
sounds land in most beatmaking drum patterns.
96
For an easy understanding of the relationship between drum sounds and where they land in a measure,
consider a simple marching band drum pattern. In a typical marching band drum pattern, the kick lands
ush on the 1, 2, 3, and 4, and so on, while the hi-hat lands on the 1, 2, 3, and 4; snare on the 2 and
4. Using this basic backbeat of the ush kick, the off-kick, snare, and hi-hat can be syncopated in ways
that allow for the creation of an entirely different drum pattern.
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DRUM SOUNDS AND DRUM PROGRAMMING
fK fSfK fS
One-Two Drum Pattern
H H H HHHHH
1 2 3 4 1
The The The The The
Figure 5 One-Two Drum Pattern
fK fK fSfK fK fS
Doubled (paired) Kick, Snare
Drum Pattern
H H HHHHHH
1 2 3 4 1
The The The The The
Figure 6 Doubled (paired) Kick, Snare Drum Pattern
oK fK fSfK fK fS
Doubled Kick, Snare,
Next Kick Up
Drum Pattern
H
H
H H H H H H
1 2 3 4 1
The The The The The
Figure 7 Doubled Kick, Snare, Next Kick Up Drum Pattern
fK fK fSfK fK fS
Pinched Double Kick Snare
Drum Pattern
oK
H H H H H H HH
The The The The The
1 2 3 4 1
Figure 8 Pinched Double Kick Snare Drum Pattern
From these diagrams, you can make numerous observations about drum
patterns and the ways in which drum sounds tend to land in drum patterns
(created in 4/4). First, you can see that a sequence is actually a chronological
time line of events — a grid of programmed action. e sequencer grid of
each of the diagrams contains measured parameters for which all events must
be programmed, played in real time or placed in with the sequence stopped.
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Second, we can see how each drum hit (event) plays o of the other. Looking
at Figure 4, One-Two Drum Pattern, we can see how the ush-snare (fS) plays
o of the ush-kick (fK). e ush-kick within the bar occurs on the 001.01.00
step and the 001.03.00 step, twenty-four steps apart from itself. e ush-snare
falls between each kick, exactly twelve steps apart from each kick, and twenty-four
steps apart from itself. is is what I describe as a “long spatial distance,” as
opposed to Figure 7, where the ush-kick and ush-snare carry a “short spatial
distance.” Understanding the spatial distance between the kick and the snare
helps determine how the drum pattern can be further built up or stripped down.
Furthermore, knowing the spatial distances between ush-kicks and ush-snares
within typical drum patterns also allows you to identify whether you’re working
with a simple or complex drum pattern. One of the biggest mistakes that many
beatmakers often make is that they mismatch or try to force simple or complex
drum patterns to work with the wrong non-drum sounds and arrangements.
But the reality is, most drum patterns should never be all that complex to begin
with. Here, you must remember that the drums are critical to holding the rhythm
together and the time steady. erefore, they can’t aord to be too haywire or
too active, as this disrupts and undermines the entire ow and feel of the beat.
Determining Simple and Complex Drum Patterns
So how can you determine a simple drum pattern from a complex one? For
instance, how do you know that the “One-Two Drum Pattern” is a simple pattern
and not a complex one? Simply put, you can identify the “One-Two Drum
Pattern” as a simple drum pattern because there are only six total drum-hit events
(not including the eight hi-hat events) that occur within one bar. Likewise, how
do you know that Figure 7, the “Pinched Double Kick, Snare Drum Pattern” is
a complex drum pattern? You can identify the “Pinched Double Kick, Snare”
as a complex drum pattern because it contains eight total drum-hit events (not
including the eight standard hi-hat events) within one bar. Generally speaking,
the higher the number of drum-hit events within a measure, in this case one bar,
the more complex the drum pattern will be. Finally, the recognition of simple
and complex drum patterns is essential, because not only does it save you time
when creating drum patterns, it also broadens your understanding of the ways
in which drum sounds can work together as well as the multiple directions drum
patterns can potentially take. Moreover, this understanding increases your ability
to program in rhythmic samples, melody lines, and other non-drum sounds in
a much more creative and ecient manner.
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DRUM SOUNDS AND DRUM PROGRAMMING
Spacial Differences Between Flush- and Off-Drum Sounds
Knowing the spatial dierences between the ush-snares and ush-kicks
of typical drum patterns is also key. Knowledge of spatial dierence yields a
better understanding for where the main drum hit events should occur within a
sequence; this undoubtedly increases your sense of timing and feeling for rhythm,
and thus decreases your reliance on quantizing, time stretching, and other
timing correction measures. Finally, although knowledge of spatial dierence
is important for all beatmakers, it’s particularly important for those beatmakers
who primarily use software-based production setups, especially those software
practitioners who prefer to “draw” in their hits.
Knowing Drum-Hit Event Placements
Another reason why it’s helpful to know the event placements of basic drum
patterns is because it helps cue in your loop methods. By understanding the
most fundamental drum patterns, you increase your looping skills considerably.
Furthermore, there is a practical reason for learning the basic drum patterns:
corrective editing. When you’re building sequences, you tend to quickly get
caught up in the creative moment. Good ideas grow in your mind rather quickly,
right? So what happens when a drum sound seems to be o-beat and awkward?
Well, by knowing where the hits should occur, you can isolate the section in the
sequence in which the event is in question, then check it out and then quickly
correct (or remove) it if necessary. For instance, let’s use the “Doubled Kick,
Snare Drum.” If the event, in this case the ush-kick, starts on the rst step of
the sequence, then any ush-kick placement not exactly on (or very near to) the
6
th
, 24
th
, and/or the 30
th
step will sound awkward. However, if your isolation
of the events reveals that all the ush-kicks are landing where they’re supposed
to, then you know that it’s something else that’s generating the awkward sound.
is is key because it helps you to troubleshoot your sequences and loops much
more eciently.
97
Understanding Drum Syncopation
In my examination of how drum hits land in a drum pattern, specically
the concept of ush and o drum-hits, I focused primarily on ush-hits. Here,
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This usually means that the non-drums music must be further modied. A good example of this would
be a sample that needs more precise chopping or a total re-working.
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THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
I want to focus on “o” drum-hits, in particular, the meaning of syncopation. In
all components of music, not just drumming, syncopation refers to the way in
which musical events deviate (unexpectedly) from the established succession of
regularly spaced strong and weak beats in a measure. In other words, syncopation
could be the result of stress (action, a drum-hit event) on a normally unstressed
beat or unstress (no action, no drum-hit event) on a normally stressed beat. So
if a part of the measure that is normally stressed is unstressed, then rhythm
is syncopated; likewise, if a part of the measure that is normally unstressed is
stressed, then the rhythm is syncopated. By looking at any of the four drum
pattern diagrams discussed earlier in this chapter, you can imagine how and
where syncopation might occur within any given drum pattern.
98
Extended Drum Sound and Programming
Techniques, Notes, and Tips
How Drum Sounds Are Often Used in Drum Frameworks and
Sequences: Kicks, Snares, Hats, and Cymbals Work Together
Drum sounds work together in various ways, so understanding the ways in
which the dierent categories of drum sounds work together in drum frameworks
(programs, sequences) is paramount to a beatmaker’s ability to insert quality
and eectiveness to the overall arrangement of a beat. Below I have outlined a
set of parameters for how each sound category can most eectively be used in
drum frameworks (programs, sequences).
Kicks
Kicks are the sonic glue that hold both the drum framework together and
the pulse of the entire beat itself. erefore, knowing which types of kicks
cause which eects within a drum framework and overall beat is critical. For
instance, hard kicks (heavier frequence and sonic impact) are best used with
low bass-ltered driven or
synthetic-sounds-based beats that aren’t too active.
Harder kicks are also very eective with beats that feature simple melodies and
minimal changes. On the other hand, soft or medium kicks work best with more
extensive compositional arrangements and sample-based beats that feature highly
98
Syncopation is used in many different musical styles and pretty much all contemporary music, but
syncopation is a fundamental component of the African American (Black) music tradition and the styles
that stem from it.
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DRUM SOUNDS AND DRUM PROGRAMMING
creative uses of samples. Softer kicks are also very eective for beats in which
the frequency levels range from mostly mid to high.
Snares and Claps
Pitch-Shifts
In the beatmaking tradition, there is a great deal more experimentation
with drum phrasing than in other twentieth-century American popular music
traditions. One key way that unique phrasing is achieved in beatmaking is
through the use of what I like to call snare “pitch-shifts.” Pitch-shifts simply refer
to alternating pitch values of the same or multiple drum-hits. In the case of snare
pitch-shifts, the process of alternating the pitch value of the main snare within a
drum sequence not only adds in a subtle but very eective change, it also gives
a push and pull eect to the various sections within the song structure. is is
why snare pitch-shifts work very well within the verse section of a song: they add
change without unnecessary distraction — something subtle that true lyricists can
use as an additional timing mechanism for their rhyme ow. Snare pitch-shifts
also work well in the hook (chorus) section because they oer the level of variety
that can further set a hook (chorus) apart from the other
sections of a beat/song.
The Genius of the “2” and the “4”
Understanding the “2 and the 4” means realizing that once the kick and
the hi-hat are laid down, rhythm actually already exists. is is why snares do
not necessarily have to be loud or mega-compressed to be eective. With 4/4
time, our minds are already pre-conditioned to hearing something land on the
“2 and the 4.” is is precisely why low velocity claps often work well with high
powered kicks. Incidentally, this is why the Atlanta snap sound works. At rst
glance, the snap sound seems redundantly simple; I mean, musically, the sound
appears to be devoid of any real feeling. But the snap sound does actually take
advantage of the genius of the “2 and the 4.” Rather than emphasizing a heavy
or unique snare, the snap sound focuses on building the track with a standard
snap on the “2 and the 4.” By restricting the feature component of the snare,
and stripping down other musical elements, beatmakers who create the snap
sound can then build the track with more percussive collages, 808s, and other
bass sounds. And although the snap sound is something primarily meant for
the clubs, its philosophy does have its roots in the process of intuitive chopping.
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THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
Alternating Snares, Clap-Hits, Chopped Chimes, Velocity
Modication, and Delayed-Snares
Another eective programming technique for snares involves alternating the
main snare drum-hit with clap-hits, chopped chimes, or other percussive-stabs or
-hits. Instead of using the same snare-hit throughout the song, you can program
in a clap-hit and alternate it with the main snare-hit. You can let the clap-hit
play through for the rst 8 bars, then come in with the main snare or any other
alternating pattern you can come up with. Also, you can cut up some chimes
and layer them over the top of the snare- or clap-hit. And whether you apply
this technique throughout the entire beat/song or just in certain sections, it’s
quite eective because it helps to build ambiance, and it oers a lot of personal
nuance to your drum frameworks and overall style and sound.
Modifying the velocity, the attack and volume level or impact-level of
each snare- or clap-hit, is a great way to naturally create swing. If you listen to
traditional live drummers, you will notice that because of the “human factor,”
it’s impossible for them to ever hit the same drum with the exact same velocity
twice. is means that everytime they strike a drum, there is a slightly dierent
attack, sometimes harder, sometimes lighter. To achieve, or rather retain this
nuance and naturalness in beatmaking, you can simply turn o the velocity
function within the EMPI(s) that you use to craft your drum frameworks, or
you can record your drum programs with the velocity level at its full value,
then afterwards go in and manually adjust (program) the velocity changes on
specic drum-hits.
Finally, the use of “delayed-snares” is also another eective snare technique.
Delayed-snares describes specic snare-hits that are purposely placed o-time
within a drum pattern. Delayed-snares can be used to mask awkward pauses
and gaps or minor glitches and other unwanted, but otherwise unremovable,
blemishes within a beat. Also, delayed-snares can be used to create unique eects
in the drum framework. For example, delaying the lead snare-hit for a bridge
or a break-down. Furthermore, used correctly, delayed-snares can also conceal
the short-comings of a less-than-perfect loop.
Hats
e use of dierent types of hi-hats can also serve multiple roles within the
drum framework and the overall beat. Standard hi-hats (semi-closed), which are
high in pitch, work to “push” the ow of the beat. Generally, standard hi-hats
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DRUM SOUNDS AND DRUM PROGRAMMING
have a high pitch. Open-hi-hats are much slower pitched than standard hi-hats,
so they can work to drag the pace or rather temper the rhythm of the beat.
Closed-hi-hats, which are typically faster in pitch than both standard hi-hats
and open hi-hats, work like a clear-cut metronome. Sometimes their tightness
can make a beat sound too mechanically clean and unnatural. Further, keep in
mind that each type of hi-hat can add shue and swing to a drum framework;
however, that being said, achieving this eect does depend on the actual pitch and
tone of the hat being used. Finally, here are some general “rules” regarding hats:
• Standard closed hi-hats help with a tighter sense of time, while
semi-closed hi-hats are best for shuing the time along.
• Hats and rides are also great for achieving additional warmth and
clarity through unique arrangement and pronouncement techniques
rather than using external processors, e.g. reverb, etc.
• e use of alternating hi-hats and hi-hat patterns is a good thing when
you want to change the ow of the hook (chorus) section in a song.
• Hats give tracks extra depth; and hats work like the second hand on
a clock.
• Unique hat arrangements can shade the loop points in a beat.
Cymbals and Bells
Cymbals play an important role in certain drum frameworks. For example,
rides bode well for ambiance; they also help balance out the impact of rumbling
(bass heavy, muddy, or distorted) kicks. Bells work well as “treble managers,”
that is, they’re good at meshing with (or rather handling) the high peaks of
samples or synthetic-sounds phrases; they’re also useful at osetting the atness of
low-ltered bass-driven beats. Cymbals can also substitute for the role of hi-hat
patterns. is substitution carries an array of eects. For certain drum patterns,
it can make a drum framework sound jazzier. en again, with other drum
patterns it can make the drum framework sound aggressive and very hungry,
even haunting. Finally, cymbals can be very eective when they’re layered on
kicks at specic moments within each section of the beat/song.
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Extended Drum Framework Techniques, Notes, and
Tips
Uncovering and Taking Advantage of the Open and Hidden
Spaces
Every drum pattern has open or hidden spaces. e “open spaces” of a
drum pattern refer to those spots in the pattern where you can imagine (hear)
a non-drum sound being placed (recorded) over the top. For example, take a
look at the diagram of the “One-Two Drum Pattern” below:
fK fSfK fS
One-Two Drum Pattern
H H H HHHHH
1 2 3 4 1
The The The The The
Figure 9 One-Two Drum Pattern
Imagine your favorite kick and snare in this pattern. Because of the spacing
dynamics of this pattern, you will notice the pause that naturally stands out after
each kick and before each snare. ese spaces are open because they’re empty,
and therefore, they naturally stand out, and seemingly invite a non-drum sound
to be inserted.
On the other hand, “hidden spaces” are camouaged by the drum pattern
itself. at is, the “hidden spaces” are ush with the drum sounds. Look at
the same diagram, imagine adding in a sample or bass line beginning on top
of the kick, as opposed to between the kick and the snare. e results will be
dramatically dierent for two reasons. First, keep in mind that the way in which
a sequence loops is primarily determined by the particular placement of events
within that given sequence. So for instance, if you insert a sample or bass line
in the open space of the drum pattern, it will overlap in a way that might not
coincide with how the sequence loops. However, if you insert a sample or bass
line in the hidden space, that is, on top of one of the ush kicks or ush snares, it
will more than likely mesh better with how the sequence loops, even if it overlaps.
e second reason the result of the beat will be dierent when you insert
non-drum music in hidden as opposed to open spaces is because these spaces
determine the degree to which the drums ultimately stand out or fade back.
Remember, though drums indeed play a central role in a beat, they can serve this
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role in two dierent capacities: either in a featured capacity or as accompaniment
capacity. Take for instance, Jay-Z’s “Girls, Girls, Girls,” produced by Just Blaze.
In that song, Just Blaze uses the drums to accompany the samples; that is to say,
the drum framework just works to keep the song steady. Now consider Amerie’s
“One ing,” produced by Rich Harrison. In the latter song, Rich Harrison
uses the drums in a featured capacity, that is to say, the drum framework is really
the main component that drives the song.
Drum Fills Require a Different Focus in Beatmaking:
Understanding the Fundamentals of Drum Fills in the
Beatmaking Process
In beatmaking, there is perhaps no articial sound event that can be made to
sound more natural or more ridiculous than the ubiquitous drum ll (commonly
but incorrectly known in beatmaking as a drum roll). Part of the reason drum
lls can have such a range in quality is because some beatmakers recognize that
drum lls come in an assorted variety, while others inaccurately assume that all
drum lls are pretty much the same.
But all drum lls are not the same. For instance, there’s the standard classic
rock drum ll, where there is a straight-forward progression from snare to
tom-toms to oor tom. ere’s the Southern Bounce drum ll, where the snare
ll is augmented by heavy syncopation. ere’s also the “sweep” drum ll (a
type of drum ll native to beatmaking) which is more of a section change than
drum ll. Most beatmakers develop their style of drum lls based on some sort
of combination of the drum ll types I just described. However, if you listen
closely to how dierent beatmakers use drum lls, you will notice an interesting
variation there as well.
Drum lls can be used for a number of reasons. ey can be used to setup
impending changes in a beat. ey can be used to highlight specic events in
a beat. ey can be used to temper the pace (tempo) of a beat. ey can be
used to resolve and/or add tension to your music. ey can be used simply as a
“ller element” when you’ve exhausted ideas for a dope groove that could stand
just something a little extra. Drum lls can even be used to shield or cover up
unwanted sounds and loop glitches.
Since drum lls come in a variety of styles and can be used in so many ways,
it’s important to know several things about creating drum lls in the beatmaking
process. First, although some may swear by the time correct, whenever you
want to create the most basic, standard, garden-variety drum ll, for example,
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something like the classic rock style, I recommend turning o the timing correct
(if applicable to your gear) or any quantizing value (if applicable to your gear)
before you begin. Since it’s a simple drum ll style, you can really make it sound
more natural without the note correction of your sequencer.
Second, whenever you go for the modern trap drum ll sound, it’s best to
keep the timing correct on. Moreover, it’s a good idea to adjust the value to
between 1/8, 1/16 (TRPLT), and 1/32, depending on your use of this style of
drum ll. e thing to keep in mind here is, the more stutter syncopation and
movement that you want to create within the ll, the more adjustments you
may want to make with varying time correction values as well as the note repeat
function (if applicable to your gear).
Finally, it’s important to remember that when creating drum lls in the
beatmaking process, mismatched drum ll timbres (sounds) almost always
undermine the overall sound and texture of your music. erefore, when
creating drum lls, be careful of the velocity nuance (tonal feeling generated
by velocity) that is created when you play snares and toms in progression and
in a rapid succession. When making drum lls, I recommend turning o the
default velocity level (if applicable to your gear) and playing the drum ll with
velocity levels that match the pressure of your pad hits. If you’re not using drum
pads, but instead, drawing in your drum hits in a software program, a good
thing to do is to alternate the velocity levels of the beginning, middle, and end
of the drum ll hits by a level that looks like an arc, that is to say, from low to
highest, back to low.
Important note about the terms drum lls and drum rolls. Many beatmakers
use the term drum “roll” incorrectly. A regular BeatTips.com commenter, i
the t, (Ivan Turner) points out that, “From a drummers perspective…a ‘ll’”
is a “feature normally lasting from a half to two bars that serves as a transition
between sections or simply highlights the quadratic structure of a song.” And
that “‘rolls’ are typically where one drum is repeatedly hit (eg. paradiddles) in
fast succession to sustain the sound of a drum with a short decay, (like when a
magician is building up to the climax of his trick you will often hear a drum roll).”
The Human Touch: A Note About Playing
EMPIs Like Various Traditional Musical Instruments
I see the drum pads on my Akai MPC 4000 drum machine/sampler/
sequencer the same way a guitarist sees the strings on his guitar; or the same way
a keyboardist sees the keys on his keyboard; or the same way a drummer sees the
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skinheads on his drums. I don’t merely program my MPC — I play it. Beatmakers
are not simply a bunch of clever electronic music production programmers.
Nearly all of us are performance artists, much in the same vein of traditional
musicians (instrumentalists). However, what distinguishes beatmakers from
traditional musicians is the fact that, by and large, we are not limited to just one
instrument in the same way that one-instrument-capable traditional musicians
are. On the contrary. On every beat, nearly all beatmakers are responsible for
playing (or providing) the drums, the string, or wind instruments. So EMPIs
represent for us a multi-instrument — an instrument that, in eect, allows us
to truly play and tap into the essence of any instrument that we want.
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One
moment a beatmaker can be crafting the drums, the very next moment he
(can be laying down bass lines, and still the next moment he can be ipping a
sample; or banging out a melodic keyboard phrase. EMPIs are musical devices
that virtually give beatmakers endless instrumental and musical possibilities.
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Different Ways to Humanize Your Drums in
Beatmaking: Maintaining a “Real Drummer” Feel in a
Programming Environment
Drums in hip hop/rap music are, more often than not, out in front. at
is to say, they are typically arranged and recorded as a feature of the song and
placed prominently in the mix. But while most beatmakers grasp this common
theme in beatmaking, many execute the practice in a way that makes their drums
sound less human and more articial.
Because most beats are a blend of various drum sounds from any number
of sound sources (vinyl records, drum sound packs, .wav les, etc.), I’ve always
believed that much of the value and weight of a beat depends on the “human
touch” of the drums. Even though we operate in a programming environment
using a palette of sampled and synthetic drum sounds, we can still humanize
our drums and maintain some level of a “real drummer” feel. Below are two
methods that you can use to humanize your drums and give them that real feel.
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This is one of the most liberating aspects of the beatmaking tradition. In fact, beatmakers have the
potential to be much more versatile music producers than the average traditional musician.
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Because EMPIs are indeed instruments, beatmakers who use software-based setups should be
careful to remember the “human touch” so that they don’t become more programmer than musician. One
area to safeguard against this is to perhaps use an EMPI with pads (for example a MIDI controller with
pads) for triggering their sounds; this gives the feeling of playing something rather than programming
something. Note: One major characteristic of the African American (Black) music tradition and all of the
music traditions that stem from it — most notably rhythm and blues, rock ‘n’ roll, soul, and funk — was
that all instruments, particularly the bass guitar, were played in a percussive manner. Thus, playing
samples and other sounds on drum pads harkens back and pays homage to that tradition.
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Use Simple Drum Frameworks and Build from There
e easiest and perhaps most eective way to humanize your drums and
maintain a more “real drummer” feel is to use more simplied, straight-forward
drum frameworks. Overly complex or busy drum patterns not only undermine
the feel, texture, and scope of a beat, they also tend to create distractions for
rappers (which tend to be especially troublesome for the more skillful lyricists).
Simplied drum frameworks and solid, non-distracting drum patterns are in
league with a “real drummer” feel because such frameworks and patterns correlate
with the physical limitations of a human drummer.
Still, I never overlook the fact that beatmaking, despite some of its live
characteristics, is a programmable medium. As such, there are drum frameworks,
specically sub-patterns, that can be created in beatmaking that can not be
matched by a human drummer in a traditional setting. But even those drum
patterns that go beyond human limitations can still be made to have a more
humanized touch and a real drummer feel. In fact, my most complex drum
schemes are really just combinations of smaller, simplied drum patterns
combined together and arranged in a straight-forward scheme.
Velocity
I rarely make a beat without manipulating the velocity level of my drum
sounds. Although I may initially program/record my drums at the full velocity
level, I tend to go back and randomly decrease the levels of each drum sound
(kick, snare, hat). Note: I typically keep variation of the velocity level of my
kicks to a minimum, but for my snares and especially my hats, I tend to explore
variation of the velocity level. Sometimes after I’ve created a drum pattern, I’ll
replay the snare and hat parts with the velocity “full level” function turned
o. is assures that the velocity levels will be random and, therefore, more
humanized.
Default Workow Systems: Default Drum Programs
and Sequence Templates
To streamline your creative output, I recommend creating what I call “default
workow systems.” A default workow system can be any stored beatmaking
template, like a default drum sequence/pattern. It can also be a default method,
style, or technique that you utilize in your personal beatmaking process, like a
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set approach to sampling, or a set approach to sequencing, etc. e theme of a
default workow system is recycling. You want to consistently reuse and infuse
those components and characteristics of your beatmaking that are successful.
e ultimate purpose of this being that it will help you create new beats much
more eciently, and it will help you customize your own unique style and sound.
A default drum sequence template (pattern) is any pre-made/pre-used/
previously programmed drum sequence that you use to create new drum patterns.
Default drum sequence templates can be extracted from beats that you’ve already
made, attempted to make, or are currently making. Once you’ve created a beat,
you can always scrap the non-drum music material and keep the drums. is
left over drum pattern, what I call a “drum shell,” can then be saved and used
again. is is extremely helpful to your beatmaking process because it provides
you with an arsenal of drum sequences that you can tap for ideas everytime
you begin to create a new beat. By using default workow systems you will not
only improve your overall beatmaking eciency, you will also streamline your
entire beatmaking output. Hence, every new beat that you make is potentially
a template for future beats.
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Finally, when it comes to drum shells, I recommend that you
always keep at least fteen drum shells (default drum patterns/sequence
templates/programs) stored and on hand. The more drum shells that
you have, the more quickly you’ll learn to process your ideas. Also, to
help increase workow eciency, I recommend that you create default sequence
templates that include alternating hi-hat patterns.
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Check This Out — Use Your Drum Sounds to Improve
Your Compositional Workow: Knowing Your Drum
Sounds Makes for a More Efcient Compositional
Workow
Compositional workow — the collective processes, methods, and time it
takes a beatmaker to create a beat — can be improved in a number of dierent
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This doesn’t mean that you never make any new drum sequences, etc. from scratch. On the contrary,
the idea of a default drum sequence (pattern) is to help you generate new ideas, by incorporating some
of your most successful old ones.
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I maintain 25 default drum sequences, ranging from 1-bar, 2-bar, 4-bar, 8-bar, and 16-bar sequences.
This permits me to work much more efciently; also, it allows me to extract my ideas much more quickly.
Consider this: When a live drummer in a band creates a drum scheme for a new song, he recalls
on patterns that he’s played before in the past, then he makes alterations as the song changes and
develops. There’s no big deal about making a new drum pattern from scratch, because 70%-90% of it
will be something that you’ve already programmed before.
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ways. Depending on the individual EMPI, the steps within most beatmaking
processes can be condensed. Likewise, the various methods of achieving particular
production goals can be realized, retooled, or retranslated in ways that bring
about desired results faster and more eciently. Even the reshuing of one’s
production environment can improve workow. (Do not underestimate the
power of a comfortable chair or a good view.) But among the countless ways to
improve compositional workow, often the most overlooked way can be found
in the area of drum sounds and drum sound modication.
Many beatmakers — myself included — take pride in crafting their drum
sounds, despite the fact that there are also lots of beatmakers who depend
(heavily) on pre-set drum sounds with little to no customization at all. For
those beatmakers who see their drums as a major component of their overall
production identity, individualized drum sound customization is key. But that
being said, the processes of drum sound customization can impede workow
whenever it’s overly applied during the making of a beat. is is why knowing
your drum sounds is a great way to improve compositional workow.
Whenever I’m making a beat, I choose my drum sounds quickly because
I know them. I know their texture, I know their color, I know what types of
sounds they’ll go well with, I know how they’ll sit and sound in the nal mix.
So for me, selecting the right drums for the right style and sound of beat that
I’m working on at the moment doesn’t involve a prolonged scroll through my
drum library.
And although I may make a couple of modications to a drum sound
during the process of making a beat, those tweaks are minimum and on the y,
nothing too tedious or vibe busting. Again: I know my sounds, so I reach for
the sounds that I think may t with the current arrangement that I’m working
on. I do not, however, embark upon some sort of drum-tweaking journey that
can shift my focus from the beat — the entire arrangement — to just drum
sounds. Moreover, I don’t allow my workow to be disrupted by a prolonged
search of a drum sound folder. is is yet another reason why I like to keep
my drum sound library tight, i.e. limited to a reasonable number of sounds. In
other words, when I’m composing a beat, I’m leery of shifting too far away from
composer to drum sound technician, or anything else for that matter.
Compositional workow determines your ability to harness your creative
moments in real time. erefore, the longer your compositional workow is
disrupted, that is to say, the longer the act of composing is left on hold — in
this case, by drum craft or “tech” work — the more you defeat your ability to
harness your creative moments. is is why it’s just as important to look for ways
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that improve your compositional workow as it is to guard against anything
that can inhibit it.
Technically speaking, any tweak of a drum sound during the creation of
a beat makes you a “drum sound technician,” which, in eect, disrupts your
compositional workow. But to what degree? During the live vibe/feel of making
a beat, should the arrangement and scope of the beat be placed on hold until you
tweak drum sounds to perfection? Or should drum sounds defer to the overall
arrangement — with little to no consideration of their t within the arrangement?
What I mean here is, it’s easier to nd what ts from a well-known personal
arsenal of drum sounds than it is from a big box of endless unknown sounds.
Further, isn’t it better to spend time making major tweaks to a drum sound
in a stand-alone context outside of the beat arrangement at hand? I certainly
believe there is a time for major tweaks — customization — of drum sounds in
a stand-alone context. Hence, I strongly believe that it’s important to set aside
time for beatmaking sessions that are solely for the purpose of going through
new drum sounds, modifying them to specic taste, and creating a trusted core
set of drum sounds. But implementing extensive drum sound modications
or a prolonged drum sound selection process during the composition phase
of making a beat can disrupt your ow of ideas and severely limit your ability
to bring about the beat you envisioned. Simply knowing your drum sounds,
particularly a core set of sounds, can improve your compositional workow
and cut down considerably the amount of time it takes you to complete a beat
from start to nish.
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Chapter 6
Hook A Beat Up, and Convert It Into
Hip Hop Form
Composition, Programming, and Arrangement —
Getting the Ingredients and Putting them All
Together
Unlike in more traditional music compositional practices, where multiple musicians
perform as a group, either under the direction of one arranger and/or bandleader,
in beatmaking, the beatmaker is the composer, the arranger, the bandleader, and
the musician(s). –Sa’id
Programming, Conducting, Performing, and Playing
(In Beatmaking, It’s All Interrelated)
Even though beatmaking is not a traditional live music medium, it’s core
compositional processes are programmed (conducted) and performed (played)
in real time. In beatmaking, every musical element is programmed/played
exactly as it is designed by the individual beatmaker (or beatmaking collective).
Every pattern, every event-strike of a sound within every sequence requires
both programming and performance to be handled by the lone beatmaker (or
a beatmaking collective). By contrast, in the more traditional music forms, the
musical arrangements (either written or verbal musical instructions) are given to
separate musicians. Having been giving their instructions, each musician fullls
the instructions that were assigned to them and their particular instrument.
Within this traditional setting, the expectation of the conductor or bandleader
is that each musician will play (to the best of their ability) each prescribed note,
on time and in complete accordance to the proscribed arrangement, all the way
through to the end of the song. In the traditional live music medium setting,
there is a lot of room left for chance; everything from unique improvision to
poor musical timing to shaky musicianship can occur.
On the other hand, in the compositional processes of beatmaking, not much
(if anything) is ever left to chance. Every component of a beat is programmed
and sequenced exactly as each beatmaker intends it to be. Once the beat is
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conceived, composed, structured, and programmed, it’s locked in as is. If a
beatmaker programs the beat to have changes occur on the16th bar, there will be
no concerns about whether or not the changes on the 16th bar are going to come
in correctly and on time. In beatmaking, all of the musical elements have already
been programmed, so the changes will occur exactly in accordance with whatever
the beatmaker programmed. is does not mean that improvisation does not
occur at anytime during the beatmaking process. Even though composition
in beatmaking relies on the programming process, the compositional process is
still very much a matter of capturing the creative moment.
Improvisation in beatmaking typically occurs at two primary moments:
Once during the structural conception of the beat, and then once again after
the beat has been created and additional changes are added. But in either case,
the nal result will still be an electronic program. In this way, beatmakers give
musical instructions to their EMPIs, not live instrumentalists.
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And unlike live
instrumentalists, EMPIs play their instructions exactly as they were programmed.
Composition, Programming, and Arrangement
In its simplest understanding, composition, as it is in the beatmaking tradition,
refers to the process of creating and coming up with sounds (ingredients) and the
ideas for using them. e compositional process in beatmaking has no need for,
is not predicated upon, nor does it necessarily rely on a written composition (as is
the case in the classical music tradition).
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Instead, composition in beatmaking
involves the process of developing components and pieces of music that are then
combined, arranged, and built into separate blocks of music that are then joined
together to form one whole musical work. It is through this creation of separate
music blocks, sequenced together using hardware or software sequencers, that
the character of composition in beatmaking is most realized. Further, in the
beatmaking tradition, the overall aim and essence of the compositional process
is to come up with a break — the musical anomaly that the earliest hip hop
DJ pioneers found on records, and then cut, mixed, and blended together into
new compositions. In this vein, not only are beatmakers doing the job of the
earliest hip hop DJ pioneers, they are also doing the job previously reserved for
traditional musicians.
Finally, in beatmaking, this aforementioned break is usually made up of
2- or 4-bars. is is particularly important to know, as it helps in determining
how and where changes (motifs) can be applied in a beat. For instance, a 2-bar
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A number of beatmakers often bring in live instrumentalists to play over their beats. Even still, this
instrumentation will only occur where the beatmaker instructs or allows it to occur.
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For a detailed comparison of some of the fundamental characteristics of the beatmaking and hip hop/
rap music traditions and the Western classicical music tradition, see chapter 10.
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break doubled up is 4-bars. us the typical spot that an eective change can be
inserted is somewhere near the middle or end of the 4th bar. Likewise, 4-bars
doubled up is 8 total bars, and therefore, the typical spot that an eective change
can be inserted is somewhere near the middle or end of the 8th bar. (ese are
not rules, but rather guides for common arrangement changes.)
Programming
In the beatmaking tradition, the compositional process is closely linked
to the programming process. In fact, in beatmaking, the term “programming”
can at times refer to several dierent processes all at once, it depends on
the context. Programming can refer to the technical organization of the
compositional components; it can refer to the technical organization of the
arrangement components; or it can simply refer to the process of inputting
technical instructions to EMPIs, like the values for certain functions and the
like. Drum programming, which is actually drum composing, specically refers
to the program (compositional) approaches that beatmakers take to create their
drum frameworks (drum patterns and overall designs). I like to divide drum
programming (composing) into three dierent categories: simple, steady, or
complex drum programming. “Simple” drum programming describes the
composing approach that renders a bare minimum drum framework — drum
patterns and designs that essentially stay the same throughout all sequences of
a song. “Steady” drum programming describes the composing approach that
renders a drum framework that contains slight changes on alternating bars,
perhaps an extra kick here or there, maybe an open hi-hat. “Complex” drum
programming is a bit more involved; it describes the composing approach that
renders a drum framework that contains more deliberate pattern changes on
alternating bars. Complex drum programming may include two or more kicks,
snares, and hats, and “double” or “triple” drums. Break downs, custom drum
rolls, drum lls, and “stutters” are also common characteristics of complex drum
programming. Likewise, a more involved percussion scheme, like the inclusion
of a timpani, chimes, bongos, and such are also great examples of complex drum
programming.
Finally, if composition is the process of developing components and pieces
that form music blocks, and if programming is best described as either the
technical organization of the compositional components or the process of
inputting technical instructions to EMPIs, then arrangement is the process of
creatively organizing the components, pieces, and subsequent music blocks into
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a conscious thematic order. In simpler terms, arrangement in beatmaking refers
to the approach that beatmakers take when arranging the elements of their beats.
is involves the use of dierent techniques in basic structure, for example,
2-bar, 4-bar, 8-bar, and 16-bar schemes. It also involves the use of dierent
techniques within arrangement themes and within the sectional structures that
make up songs, i.e., simple, steady, or complex transitional developments, and
the schemes that make up the verse, intro, hook (chorus), and the build-up
(bridge) sections. In the following section, I examine just how the composition,
programming, and arrangement processes manifest themselves in the three main
approaches (compositional styles) of beatmaking.
The Three Compositional Styles of Beatmaking
Sample-Based Beatmaking (Samples Featured), Synthetic-
Sounds-Based Beatmaking (No Samples Featured), and
Hybrid Beatmaking (Samples Featured with Synthetic
Sounds)
Before examining the three main compositional styles of beatmaking, there
are two factors that must be addressed. First, it’s important to remember that the
beatmaking process stems from two general approaches to making hip hop/rap
music: (1) DJ’ing; and (2) live instrumentation “covers” of the main ris and
rhythms of popular funk, soul, and disco songs that were preferred and played
by hip hop DJs. e second factor that must be addressed is the fundamental
recipe for beatmaking, and how it inuences one’s own personal style and sound
identity. ere are many dierent ways to make a beat, but all beatmakers
essentially do the same thing: Combine non-drum sound arrangements
with drum arrangements that serve as the backing beat. Together, these two
arrangements of core music blocks formulate a solid rhythm and the beat is
born. All beatmakers, regardless of style, work from this fundamental recipe.
And it is the way in which each beatmaker works from or expands upon this
fundamental recipe that determines their own personal style and sound identity.
Sample-Based (Samples-Featured) Beatmaking
The High Art of Sampling
Sample-based beatmaking relies primarily on the use of samples of recorded
sound. In its most common and fundamental case, these samples (snippets and
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segments) of ris, melodies, or sound-stabs are sampled from vinyl records,
but today, samples are also egularly accessed from CDs, .mp3 and .wav les,
YouTube, and internet streams. Usually, beatmakers who employ the sample-
based compositional style try to remain close to the tradition of the second
Golden Era of hip hop/rap music (1988-1994). Actually, the most noticeable
characteristic of this compositional style is its timeless sound. Practitioners of
this approach typically frown upon the mis-perceived laziness and the sometimes
lack of commitment to the art of beatmaking that is often associated with the
synthetic-sound compositional style, which in its most primitive form involves a
low level of creative programming and arrangement. at said, the sample-based
(samples-featured) approach certainly does allow room for useful melody phrases,
additional percussion lls, and the like.
Another important characteristic of the sample-based (samples featured)
approach is that it trains most beatmakers in many of the methods that were
initiated and mastered by beatmakers of the rst two Golden Eras of hip hop/
rap music. Beatmakers who rely on the sample-based compositional style are
often masters at complex and unique sound customization techniques as well
as the advanced tier of other processes like chopping and looping. Because of
this, many sample-based beatmakers have the advantage of being able to create
a sound that is on the one hand, reminiscent to a past era, and on the other
hand, inline with contemporary trends.
Advantages and Benets of the Sample-Based Compositional Style
e sample-based compositional style oers numerous benets, but there
are three areas in which it gives beatmakers a clear advantage. First, this
compositional style oers the fastest opportunity for setup mastery. Because the
sampling process requires you to develop advanced chopping and arranging skills,
you stand a better chance at really learning how to ip (creatively manipulate)
sample source material, sampling methods and techniques, and the EMPIs
within your setup.
Second, the sampling process teaches you an understanding of sounds
and their relationship to each other — an understanding, I should add, that
is not interdependent upon the abstract knowledge of music theory. Whether
the possession of a sound understanding of music theory is an advantage to a
beatmaker or not isn’t the point here, because frankly you don’t have to have
a theoretical knowledge of notes in order to be a successful sample-based
beatmaker. Sampling involves searching through pre-recorded source material
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for musical fragments that appeal to you. It does not however involve the process
of fashioning stagnated preset sounds and tones (notes) into an eective musical
arrangement. On the contrary, within the sampling process, you are given the
challenge of having to choose brief sections of sound-stabs and collages, based
on no criteria other than: Does it sound good to you, and does it t within the hip
hop/rap aesthetic.
The third and perhaps most profound benefit of the sample-based
compositional style is the fact that this approach helps you to actually teach
yourself about note and pitch variations, tonal progressions, and sound frequency
characteristics. Incidentally, this is why sample-based beatmakers are often very
adept and creative whenever they move to the synthetic-sounds-based style.
When most sample-based beatmakers study the basics of the music theory,
they usually pick it up quickly, precisely because they’ve trained themselves to
edit and arrange multiple notes and pitches prior to switching to the synthetic-
sounds-based style.
Synthetic-Sounds-Based (No-Sample-Featured) Beatmaking
The Art of Synthetic Sound Beatmaking
is new term “original beats,” as it is associated with non-sample-based beats, is
not only a grave misrepresentation, it’s oensive to all beatmakers who strive to
make original beats — no matter the style or methods used. –Sa’id
e synthetic-sounds-based (no-samples-featured) compositional style of
beatmaking relies primarily upon the use of keyboards or hardware or software
sound modules (and the like) for coming up with sounds, rather than the
use of samples (in the traditional sense). Unlike the sample-based (samples-
featured) style, the synthetic sound style features non-samples — usually stock
sounds from EMPIs — as the main sound-ingredients for a beat. Within the
synthetic-sounds-based style of beatmaking, there are three separate forms: the
non-orchestral, the semi-orchestral, and the orchestral or epic form.
e non-orchestral form of the synthetic-sounds-based compositional
style is characterized by a very basic music theme (or lack there of), a simple
or underdeveloped chord progression, sparse percussion, and a general focus
on a simple but often strong backing beat that prominently features 808 kick
and hi-hat sounds. Examples of this form can be heard in Soulja Boy Tellem’s
song “Superman,” and in many snap music selections.
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e semi-orchestral
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Many of the popular minimalist trends between 2007 and 2010 helped masquerade many beatmakers’
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form is characterized by a moderately developed (but eective and often catchy)
musical theme, one or two pivotal changes, some level of sound-stacking, and
usually one primary chord progression pattern. Examples of this form can be
heard in most Southern bounce beats, which feature typical chord progressions,
oft-copied steady chromatic harmony patterns, staccato string patterns, and
heavily syncopated drum hits, especially often copied hi-hat patterns, snare
and kick lls. e orchestral or epic form of the synthetic sound (no-samples-
featured) is characterized by a well-developed musical theme, multiple chord
progressions and melody patterns, multiple changes and “build-ups,” an often
very distinctive C section (chorus), and heavy “stacking” of sounds. Examples
of this form can usually be heard in the more “crossover” hip hop/rap-pop type
of oerings.
ere are various techniques and approaches to the synthetic-sounds-based
compositional style. For the non-orchestral form (the simplest form of the
synthetic-sounds-based compositional style), there aren’t many techniques to
focus on other than the sort of techniques that can be learned from playing
(programming) percussive elements and simple sound-stab strikes over a solid
backing beat. However, for the semi-orchestral form, beatmakers would be
well-advised to focus on chromatic harmony and melodic structures that do
not override the theme and impact of the established backing beat. Because the
semi-orchestral form is really the closest to the sample-based approach than
the other synthetic-sounds-based forms, it almost always includes an advanced
level of syncopated arrangements that are designed to accentuate a strong back
beat. Finally, for the orchestral form, beatmakers should take a close look at
the ways in which chromatic harmony is established alongside the development
of more complex melodies and countermelodies and additional (separate)
motives. It’s worth noting that both the semi-orchestral and orchestral forms
often utilize “build-ups” (specic structural changes, e.g. bridges) within their
arrangements. Furthermore, the semi-orchestral and orchestral forms of the
synthetic-sounds-based style are the beatmaking styles most commonly linked
to the use of traditional “live instrumentation.”
BeatTip — Anchor Technique: Melody
Although there are a number of beatmakers who have been traditionally
trained in music theory, most beatmakers — being the ultra autodidacts that
we are— devise their own techniques and methods for creating melodies. For
me, such a technique was based on what I call the anchor melody.
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I use the term “anchor melody” to refer to the main melody phrase or ri of
a beat. Before I understood the basics of music theory or how melody worked
in traditional Western music forms, I created anchor melodies by arranging a
group of three or more successive tones into a pattern of my liking (usually more
rhythmic than melodic), and in a manner that made my drum arrangements
shine. Unable to actually play piano, I simply used two or three ngers to nd a
possible ri or melody. Having found that ri or melody, I established the rst
note within the phrase as the “anchor point” (or root) to which I returned to,
once I played the sequence of keys and/or pads correctly (as desired).
My process of the anchor melody technique was done mostly by sight rather
than memorization. Simply put, I looked at the keys or pads that contained the
sounds that I was working with and I played out the sequence of arrangements
to the best of my untrained ability. In time, I got better, and my memorization
and nger positioning improved and I found that in order to make the anchor
melody sound more complex, or to add an eective change, I could stack the
anchor melody with additional phrases. Usually, I simply stacked the anchor
melody with the same melodic phrase, in the same key of course, but with a
dierent sound. For example, I would use the timbre of the violin sound stacked
over the timbre of a piano or guitar sound.
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BeatTip — “Play-‘n’-Sample” Technique: Approaching
Synthetic-Sounds-Based Beatmaking Through the
Prism of Sampling
Another unique technique for eectively manifesting the synthetic-sounds-
based compositional style is what I call the “play-‘n’-sample” technique. is
technique simply describes the process of playing out melodic or rhythmic
phrases via a guitar, keyboard, MIDI controller, or a drum machine’s pads, then
sampling those phrases and assigning them to keys or drum pads and playing
them as a sample, as opposed to playing them out as is, i.e. “live” — non-
recorded — notes. If you’re going to employ this technique, it might be more
advantageous to use vintage analog keyboards or sound modules, as they oer
unique sound color qualities not present in contemporary EMPIs. But if this is
not an option for you, then I recommend utilizing the vintage expansion cards
or classic sound packs that are available for your hardware and software EMPIs.
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To hear an example of the sound achievable using this method, check out Ice Cube’s “Why You
Wanna Murder Me” featuring Soulchild.
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Some Key Advantages and Benets of the Synthetic-Sounds-Based
Compositional Style
e synthetic-sounds-based compositional style certainly does have its
advantages. First, it’s the most accessible style for a beatmaker; it oers a quick
entry point into the world of beatmaking. Any person (without even an
inclination of soul, funk, or heavy rhythm-based musics) interested in beatmaking
can immediately begin using the synthetic-sounds-based compositional style,
especially the non-orchestral form.
Second, because the synthetic-sounds-based style doesn’t (1) require a
beatmaker to spend countless hours digging for and studying source music
material to sample, and (2) doesn’t require a beatmaker to further spend more
countless hours meticulously learning the most advanced chopping and looping
techniques,
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it allows (perhaps) a beatmaker a broader range of musical
directions to choose from. But then again, some sample-based beatmakers could
easily argue that sampling opens a broad range of musical possibilities as well.
I’d argue that possessing the ability to work eeciently in both styles is means
to the broadest range of musical possibilities.
ird, software setups, which are very conducive to the synthetic-sounds-
based style, are much less expensive than hardware setups. In recent years, the
pro-consumer recording and audio market has seen an explosion of reasonably
priced software programs designed for electronic music production. is alone
has accounted for a sizeable increase in the sheer number of beatmakers over the
past ve years. Finally, the synthetic-sounds-based style oers more opportunity
for additional changes, bridges, switch-ups, and build-ups all on the y.
Check This Out — A Note About the Recent Popularity
of the Synthetic-Sounds-Based Style
e synthetic-sounds-based style hasn’t emerged from a new found fervor of
creative intensity. e popularity of the synthetic-sounds-based style is actually
due to two key factors. First, for many former sample-based beatmakers, shifting
to the synthetic-sounds-based style was a reaction to the increased scrutiny on
the use of samples, sample clearance issues, and the “misperceived” processes of
sampling itself. Second, in recent years, the pro-consumer recording and audio
market has seen an explosion of reasonably priced software programs designed
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Sample-based beatmakers consider this to be in line with the most fundamental processes of the
beatmaking and hip hop/rap traditions.
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for electronic music production, a fact that has signicantly accounted for a
sizeable increase in the sheer number of beatmakers over the past ve years.
Because of this recent development, the entry point of the synthetic-sounds-based
style is the most accessible (easily learned) compositional style for beatmakers,
especially new beatmakers.
e increased use of the synthetic-sounds-based compositional style does not
represent “evolution” within the beatmaking or hip hop/rap music traditions,
as some commentators maintain. ere is absolutely nothing evolutionary
about the use of keyboards, synthesizers, or sound modules in hip hop/rap
music. Moreover, there is nothing evolutionary about composing R&B or rock
arrangements with some rap lyrics over the top. Prior to 1979, there were no
professional (commercial) recordings of hip hop/rap music. Up until that time,
hip hop/rap music was only available on cassette tapes that were sold and shared
in the streets of the South Bronx and other areas throughout the ve boroughs of
New York City. So before 1979, the use of live instrumentation — a precursor
to the synthetic-sounds-based compositional style — was not a compositional
component used by the rst architects of hip hop/rap music. e use of live
instrumentation in hip hop/rap music, which didn’t began until 1979, was
the chief style used by the imitators of hip hop/rap. e imitators — who
were immediately recognized as such at the time — were not considered to be
authentic by the early architects of hip hop. One great example: the studio
session musicians like the Sugar Hill Records house band, who did re-plays of
the breaks of songs that hip hop/rap DJs cut and blended together.
In 1979, the year that “Rapper’s Delight” was released, the people who
created the instrumentals for hip hop/rap music were actually not DJs or even
people in the hip hop/rap community. ey were all session musicians and
members of the house bands of the rst labels to exploit hip hop/rap music as
a commercial product. ese traditional musicians, who, again, were not DJs,
had little to no real contact with the authentic hip hop movement and culture
of the South Bronx, let alone any real inclination of what hip hop/rap music
really was, or what hip hop culture represented. Instead, under the guise and
mass-market inspired direction of the likes of label-head Sylvia Robinson, these
musicians created their own rendition or interpretation of hip hop/rap music by
replaying, mimicking, and altering, the most well-known breaks and rhythms
of the records that were made popular by hip hop’s earliest DJ pioneers.
In time, those house-band instrumentalists began creating compositions
without taking a cue from what the era’s DJs were spinning — a development
that, right or wrong, helped to broaden the beatmaking tradition. By 1982
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(‘83), this development had helped to usher in a new party-synth sound that was
not only a departure from the authentic essence of hip hop/rap music, it was a
stretch from the hip hop/rap knock-os that the house band instrumentalists
had previously created.
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The Differences Between Creating Beats Using the Sample-
Based and Synthetic-Sounds-Based Compositional Styles
When it comes to the sample-based compositional style, originality depends
on how well a beatmaker can reference, reconstruct, and more importantly,
rearrange and reapply, the source material that they sample. Whereas with the
synthetic-sounds-based style, it’s more about how well a beatmaker can rearrange
a set of manageable, more isolated sound tones. With the synthetic-sounds-based
style, the recreation factor that’s associated with the sample-based style is mostly
non-existent because beatmakers choose separate notes, rather than samples
to be used as notes. And the samples that most sample-based beatmakers use
often contain multiple notes and sounds that can’t be removed — whatever’s
in the source material, stays in the source material. erefore, like a sculptor,
a sample-based beatmaker can only chop and add to a sample, they can not,
however, extract the locked-in elements that comprise the sample as is. is is
a factor that further distinguishes the sample-based and synthetic-sounds-based
compositional styles from each other.
Plus, the underscoring fact is that notes are always the same: Middle C is always
Middle C; A Minor is always A Minor. Beatmakers who employ the synthetic-
sounds-based approach know beforehand what each note (key) sounds like, or at
least they have some inclination of the basic characteristics of tone and pitch and
how these characteristics manifest themselves across a keyboard or set of chromatic
drum pads. is choice gives synthetic-sounds-based beatmakers a considerable
amount of control. On the other hand, however, no record sample is ever really
the exact same. For instance, most beatmakers, like other composers, “hear”
arrangements in their head. So, in the case of the sample-based compositional
style, the main challenge then becomes translating those arrangements into an
eective, quality sounding program and ultimately a dope beat.
With sampled material, a beatmaker has to bend and re-shape and reorganize
an original recording in a manner that matches up with the arrangement that they
envision. On the other hand, a synthetic-sounds-based beatmaker is presented
with a dierent — but not necessarily more dicult — challenge. Instead
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of re-shaping and reorganizing sampled source material, their challenge is to
organize (not re-organize) a preset group of sounds (notes) into an arrangement
that they too have envisioned. But despite the fundamental dierences in
the sample-based and synthetic-sounds-styles, within each form there are less
dicult, minimal or non-creative approaches as well as more dicult, extensive
or highly creative approaches.
Hybrid Approach: The Sample-Based and Synthetic-
Sounds-Based Styles Combined
e hybrid compositional style is a cross between the sample-based and
synthetic-sounds-based styles. Beatmakers who employ the hybrid approach
are not stubbornly focused on using record samples exclusively, nor are
they completely interdependent upon the use of synthetic-sounds (and the
accompanying methods) as well. e hybrid approach is the most ambitious and
often the most rewarding of the three main compositional styles of beatmaking.
e central aim of the hybrid approach is to create musical arrangements
that utilize the most eective blend of both record samples and synthetic-
sounds. In some cases, practitioners of this approach will create beats that only
feature samples; then again, in some cases they’ll create beats that only feature
synthetic-sounds. But in most cases, they tend to create beats using a unique
combination of both record samples and synthetic-sounds.
e hybrid approach is the most prominently used compositional style of
beatmaking. On one hand, it clearly oers the most composition possibilities
of the three main compositional styles. On the other hand, because it combines
sampling — whose roots trace back directly to hip hop DJ’ing — with synthetic-
sounds, which is a contemporary force that can not be ignored, the hybrid
approach presents itself as the most inclusive compositional style of beatmaking.
Plus, the hybrid approach allows for much more experimentation, which often
leads to new pioneering ideas and trends.
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While the hybrid approach is the most widely used of the three compositional
styles, it’s also the one approach that carries the greatest risk of the “over-gear
syndrome.”
110
e “over-gear syndrome” describes the phenomenon of
beatmakers who after having acquired far too much gear, feel the need to
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One unique thing about the hybrid approach is that it allows for the combination of opposing music-
making methods that still t the hip hop/rap form. One such case are beats that are both sparse and
developed at the same time. A good example of this type of beat can be heard in 50 Cent’s “If I Cant,”
produced by Dr. Dre and Mike Elizondo.
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Over-doing it with gear usually results in the least interesting, least real-feel-sounding beats.
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incorporate every piece of it into every beat that they create. Generally speaking,
the more gear that you have does not automatically mean the better your
beatmaking will be. It’s about beatmaking quality, not gear quantity. But far too
often, beatmakers (especially newer beatmakers) add something to a beat that
simply isn’t needed. In some rare cases, this can be the result of maintaining
an impractical perfection level, but in most cases it’s because these beatmakers
want to ex their setup muscle; that is to say, they want to use every piece of gear
in their arsenal, just because they have it to use. When this occurs, the hybrid
approach is always undermined.
Which Compositional Style Should You Choose?
e kind of beats and hip hop/rap music that you want to make will
determine the methods that you use. at said, the compositional method that
you choose should be the one that gives you the best opportunity to create the
kind of beats and overall sound that you like. Still, as I pointed out earlier in
this chapter, each compositional style does oer its own unique advantages and
disadvantages. erefore, before you choose or switch from one compositional
style to another, consider both the benets and disadvantages of that style.
The Nuts and Bolts of Composition, Programming,
and Arrangement
Group Map Assignments Extended: Triggering Non-Drum
Sounds Through Drum Machines, Keyboards, and MIDI
Controllers
“Triggering” sounds is simply the process of playing a pre-programmed
sound, via a drum machine’s pads or the keys from a keyboard or MIDI
controller or computer keyboard keys. Whether you sample your own sounds,
use preset sounds or a combination of both samples and preset sounds, the way
in which you trigger those sounds is paramount to your workow and personal
beatmaking style. In order to successfully trigger your sounds, they must rst
be placed in an eective position; and by eective position I mean that your
sounds have to be assigned to the pads or keys that work best for you and your
compositional style. With regards to drum machine pads, it’s important to
note that the manufacturers of these machines (most notably Akai, E-Mu, and
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Roland) issue each individual pad a name, e.g. PERC, HIHAT, etc. However,
it should be understood that you don’t have to assign the drum sound to the
pad name that denotes the sound that you want to assign. For instance, you
don’t have to assign a percussion sound to a pad marked PERC; you can assign
any sound to any drum pad — you should ultimately develop your own preference
for which pads you want to use to trigger your sounds. But no matter how you do
decide to assign your individual sounds, I strongly recommend that you assign
your sounds into Group Map Assignments.
A Group Map Assignment, hereafter referred to as GMA, is a way of
organizing sound categories into groups and then assigning sounds to drum pads
and/or keyboard/MIDI controller keys, according to those groups. For example,
“main drums” can be a group, “bass sounds” can be a group, “main samples”
can be a group, “percussion” can be a group, etc. Organizing your triggering
method into a series of GMAs will streamline how and where your sounds are
placed and triggered, and it will improve the eciency of your workow.
Determining Where to Assign Your Sounds
If you use an MPC of some sort or the Maschine, or any other Drum
Machine/Sequencer that uses a similar 16-drum pad design, to sequence your
music and gear, take a look at the image in Figure 10. Here’s an example of how I
map out particular sounds across the 16 pads of a given drum bank. I should note
that all of my GMAs are also organized according to the dierent banks within
my Akai MPC 4000. For example, the image in Figure 10 is a screenshot of my
GMA for bank A, my “main composition bank.” My main composition bank
contains an assortment of separate sound categories. However, I use subsequent
banks for GMAs of the same sound category; for example, I use bank C as my
“percussion bank,” it’s where I assign my most used percussion sounds.
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Figure 10 16-Pads of Main Composition Bank
Assigning Bass Sounds, Samples, and Other Non-Drum Music
If it could be said that hip hop/rap music gets its identity from the drums,
then it perhaps might be said that it gets its character from the bass. erefore,
when it comes to assigning drum sounds, I recommend that you assign them
one row below your main drums. Keeping your bass sounds close to your main
drums, in this case one row below, is very helpful for when you’re trying out
new drum ideas (and beat ideas in general) because it helps you facilitate the
arrangement of those ideas quite eectively. Also, although playing the bass on
drum pads is certainly a lot dierent from playing your typical electronic bass
guitar, the idea essentially comes down to the same thing: pitch progression. For
samples, the notion of the rhythm section should be considered. And in keeping
with the scope of the rhythm section in a band, I recommend assigning primary
samples to the top row of four pads, just right above the drums. Finally, having
assigned your main drums, bass sounds, and samples to the rst top three of
four rows or drum pads, I recommend assigning synth stabs and/or percussion
to the bottom row of pads.
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Special Note About Sequencing
Before I go on with a more detailed discussion of the composing,
programming, and arrangement processes in beatmaking, it’s important to
discuss the nomenclature that is associated with the term “sequencing.” In
beatmaking, the term “sequencing” actually refers to two separate things. One
meaning of sequencing deals with the obvious: the sequencing (linking) of
multiple EMPIs; it’s the linking up of equipment through MIDI. Once linked
up, sound generators (samplers, modules, etc.) redistribute their sounds through
the main linking device, or better yet, the “master sequencer” within one’s setup.
In this meaning of the word, sequencing refers to the way that the pieces of your
gear communicate with each other; each piece has its own say, but it’s the master
sequencer that has the nal say. erefore, the goal is to use a master sequencer
that talks well with all of the gear in your setup. EMPIs use the same language to
communicate with each other, via MIDI, but getting multiple pieces of gear to
link in the manner that suits your workow best is an entirely dierent dialect.
For instance, the Akai S950 can be triggered by any Akai MPC as well as any
keyboard workstation or controller; however, how each unit links with the Akai
S950 (or any other stand alone sampler for that matter) will vary.
e other (perhaps more prominent) meaning of sequencing deals with
beat structure; that is to say, the actual process of programming the structure
and arrangement of a beat. Under this denition of sequencing, a “sequence” is
the arranged and recorded program data within any measure. And simply put,
a beat is composed of multiple sequences linked together.
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Finally, though
beatmakers vary in the amount of equipment that they utilize to create beats,
nearly all beatmakers strive to sequence everything through one sequencer. is
is one of the reasons MIDI is so important. It allows the sequences created
in other EMPIs to be streamlined and sequenced (recorded) into one master
sequencer. is is yet another example that demonstrates how a beatmaker is,
in eect, the composer, the arranger, and the musician.
Beat Structure: The Basic Components — the Sequence
and the Loop
A beat is composed of a series of sequences. A sequence is a program of
chronologically arranged events (steps) within a measure of at least one bar. A
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The use of the term “sequencing” in this manner was popularized primarily by beatmakers of the
Pioneers/Avant-Garde Period of beatmaking, ca. 1988-1995.
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“loop,” the cornerstone time structure of beatmaking, is the perpetual repetition
of the same sequence or series of sequences. For instance, a 1-bar loop means
that the sequence plays for one bar, having reached its end, it returns (loops) to
the beginning of the sequence and plays again. Likewise, a 2-bar loop means
that the sequence and/or series of sequences plays for two bars, having reached
its end, it returns to the beginning of the rst sequence and plays again.
The Main Ingredients of a Successful Loop
e success of a loop depends on four things: the chop (truncation) of
the sound; the pitch of the sound; the tempo of the sequence; and the drum
framework (pattern and design of the drum arrangement). e “chop” or
truncation refers to how the main sound phrase(s), whether samples or synthetic
sounds, are chopped. is is to say, how precise the chops (cuts and truncation)
are or how purposefully o they are; another way of seeing it is how long or short
the main sound phrases are.
e “pitch,” in this case, refers to the pitch (speed) of the main sound
phrases. Often the dierence between a dope beat and a wack beat is the pitch
of the primary sound phrase. Should you speed the sound up, slow it down,
or leave it at the default pitch that you captured it in? e tendency for most
beatmakers these days is to speed the sound up. But remember, for every pitch
value you go up or down, you aect how the sound will loop in a sequence, as
well as how the sound will sound over the drum framework and, ultimately,
how the entire beat will sound.
e “tempo” of the sequence is just that, it refers to the tempo, the BPM
(Beats Per Minute) value of a sequence, series of sequences, or song. Tempo
determines the speed of the sequence and, subsequently, the beat. A deeper
examination of tempo reveals that it does more than just determine the speed of
the beat; the tempo also determines what I call “the turnover rate” of the loop.
e turnover rate is the interval, the time and space, between the ending and
beginning again of a sequence. e interval determines what I refer to as the
“loop point,” the audibly dead point right before the loop turns over to the next
sequence. e slower the interval, the easier it is to hear the dead space — the
loop point. Likewise, the faster the interval (and, subsequently, the faster the
tempo), the harder it is to hear or recognize the dead space, which means the
loop point is seamless, no glitches. Unless you want to feature the dead point
or a space-glitch as a component of the beat that you’re making, you should
increase or decrease the tempo until the loop point is seamless and indiscernible.
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Finally, whenever you’re deciding on which tempo to use, always remember: e
right tempo can snap or slide the beat into place; the wrong tempo can drag
the beat or crack it out of place, making the drum framework sound awkward.
Here, it’s important to point out that “drum framework” refers to the pattern
and design of the drum arrangement. When designing a drum framework, keep
in mind that drum designs that are too active always disrupt the loop, if not the
entire beat for that matter; and on the other hand, drums that lack the right
kind/level of activity (accents and overall structure) can really drag or drain the
ow of the loop. e right drum framework is critical in beatmaking because
the role of the drums is paramount in within a beat. is is because in the hip
hop/rap music tradition, the drums are often called upon to maintain various
responsibilities simultaneously. In all cases, the drums have to steady the beat,
ie. keep it running smoothly. And in most cases, the drums also have to knock
without overpowering the other musical elements within the beat. Still, in some
other cases, the drums have to be balanced and subtle; that is, instead of taking
a leading role, they take a supporting role.
BeatTip — A Note About Using Timestretch
At rst glance, timestretch is really just BPM matching — matching the
tempo of the drum framework with the non-drum music. But a closer look at
timestretch reveals the genius of it. Timestretch changes the length of a sound
(sample) without changing its pitch. Hence, it permits you to mesh together
multiple pieces of music that contain slightly o-setting beat patterns; it smooths
out the kinks and awkward “clicks.” Moreover, it connects music phrases, and it
makes audio patterns and textures that otherwise would clash sound as if they’re
one tight musical composition.
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Beat Structure: Creating and Programming Sequences
Sequence
Time Signature
(Typically 4/4 in Hip Hop-Rap production,
generally no need to ever change this value)
Represents sequence #
In this case, this is sequence 66
(Usually most hardware sequencers
give you up to 99 possible sequences)
Sequence Name
Indicates Track #
(Usually up to 99 possibles tracks)
"Scale of Events", that is, Step measure of events.
This translates to bar 1, step .01.88.
(Each possible step (event) every 1/8th within the measure
Tempo
(Typically 88 to 110 BPMs in Hip Hop-Rap production)
Loop to instructions.
Tells the sequence what bar to loop to.
(Usually BAR 1)
Numbers of bars
Figure 11 LCD of Main Screen, Akai MPC 60 II
As described earlier, a beat is composed of a series of sequences. A sequence
is a program of chronological musical events (steps) within a measure of at
least one bar. An “event” or “step” within a sequence is the point at which any
programmed action takes place. e event serves to represent when and where
a piece of speci c musical action (instruction) takes place within a sequence. An
event can be anything. It can be as simple as a kick-stab, it can be a sample of any
length. A “track” is an individual channel ( le) in which an event(s) is recorded
in/on. Most sequencers allow at least 99 separate tracks per sequence. Hence,
all of your sounds (events) can be tracked within the same sequence on separate
tracks. Which means that you can have your kick on track 1, your snare on track
2, your hi-hat on track 3, your bass on track 4, and so on and so forth.
112
ere
112
I understand the reasons why you should assign each of your sounds to a separate track: it makes it
easier to modify each track individually or to solo a track within a sequence; it makes it easier to correct
mistakes, etc. But if you’re using any EMPI with 8 direct outs of audio, along with a mixing console,
then assigning sounds to separate tracks is not the only way to go. You can track every sound on the
same track, then route the audio to separate inputs on your mixing console or the interface of whatever
recording software that you use (that’s what I often do). But if you only have access to the main L/R
outs, and not 8 direct outs, then yeah, you’re better off tracking each sound within the sequencer on
separate tracks. In this case, after you’ve recorded the events into your sequencer on separate tracks
and you’re ready to track into your DAW, simply pan two tracks at a time, one to the left, the other to
the right. Recording two tracks at a time into your DAW takes more time to track an entire beat or song
(sometimes 45 minutes to an 1 hour, depending on how many tracks and sounds you’re using).
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are two basic ways to create a brand new sequence and, subsequently, create and
build a brand new beat. You can either start with the drums, or you can start
with the non-drum music material. What I mean by the non-drum music material
is samples, bass lines, melodic lines of synthetic-sounds, etc. Many beatmakers
can start a beat either way, so it’s really not an issue of which way is better or
worse; how each beatmaker begins a new beat ultimately depends on him (or
her), their mood, their resources, and their level of commitment to creativity.
You can start beats o by creating drums from scratch (that is, an entirely
new drum design and pattern), or you can use your own default (preset) patterns
that you’ve created previously and stored away. But if you’re going to create a
new drum pattern from scratch, be aware that the new pattern will most likely
not be too dierent from any other drum pattern you’ve created and/or will ever
create. is is because (1) Many drum patterns share the same fundamental
foundations; and (2) there are standard drum pattern clichés in beatmaking that all
beatmakers consciously and subconsciously know. us, it is from these standard
drum clichés that all beatmakers pretty much create new drum patterns.
e other option for starting new beats is to go with the non-drum music
material, i.e. samples, bass lines, melodic synth lines, and the like. e idea
here is to get the music into a sequence as soon as possible. Take for example
a simple sample, one bar in length. After I’ve assigned the sample to the pad
that I will be triggering it from, I use the sample to create a new sequence in
the sequencer of my Akai MPC 4000. e simplest way to do this is to record
(place) the sample on the rst step of bar 1 within the sequence. I can just go
to step edit, then place — record — the sample in. Next, I set a generic tempo,
something like 93 BPM, then I play the sequence. As the sequence plays, I pay
attention to how it loops. If there is a long pause (interval) between the ending
of the sample and when the sequence loops over, then I know that the tempo
is too slow. Likewise, if the sequence loops before the sample plays out to the
predetermined length that I’ve chosen, then I know that the tempo is too fast.
(Remember, when you’re looping something, you want to make the loop point
seamless, and unnoticeable). Once the sample is looping (turning over) to my
liking, without any glitches, then I can go in and add drums, percussion, bass
lines, keys, and whatever else. And once I know the tempo of how the sample
should loop, I can also go to some of my preset (premade) drum patterns and
throw the sample in over the top of one of them.
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THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
Beat Structure: Song Form
All beatmakers are commissioned with the same seemingly impossible task:
make a loop not sound like it’s looped! Huh? Crazy, right? But the truth is,
that’s what it is. In this light, beatmakers are masters of the misdirect. We have
to know how to misdirect the listener away from the otherwise or seemingly
mundane boringness of the loop. But let’s not forget that within the hip hop/
rap music tradition, progression is based on and advanced by the concept of
the loop — repetition. Even though a typical hip hop/rap song may have any
number of progressions, the power of the loop is what dominates the song.
Other music traditions like jazz and rock ‘n’ roll are not as emboldened to the
loop concept as much as the hip hop/rap tradition.
113
Even though repetition
plays an important role overall in those music traditions, there is a premium on
adding and advancing as many new changes in the arrangement as eectively
possible — so as to progress towards some sort of thematic climax. In the
rock ‘n’ roll tradition, songs return to the core melody (or loop, if you will),
but the changes are often so varied that it can not be considered loop-based
in the same manner that hip hop/rap music is.
114
Hip hop/rap music is more
about returning, that is to say, returning to the core ri(s)/core grove and rhythm,
returning to the main loop(s). And because the hip hop/rap music tradition is
based on cyclical progression (repetition) rather than linear progression (material
growth), the arrangement of the musical elements is much more clear cut, but
deceptively simple.
The So-Called “Rules” of Song Form
115
As with all twentieth-century American popular music, the song structure
of hip hop/rap music subscribes to a general system of well-dened musical
sections. In beatmaking, a typical song is composed of two to ve dierent
types of well-dened (arranged) sections. Each section is comprised of a series
of sequences that are linked together through a program; once all sequences
are linked together they are converted into song mode. e two most important
113
The Western classical music tradition isn’t emboldened to the concept of the loop at all.
114
There are certain forms of rock music that denitely lend favor to the loop-based medium of hip hop/
rap music. For a more thorough understanding of what I mean, check out the following: 1970s power
rock, especially Led Zeppelin; 1970s punk, especially The Clash; 1980s Ska, especially The English
Beat and The Police.
115
I used to have lots of difculty arranging my music. I got past this difculty by improving my skill for
creating and modifying sequences into songs.
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sections are the verse and the hook (or the chorus in other popular music forms).
e verse section refers to the primary section of the song; it’s the instrumental
section where the main rap verses (vocals) will ride over; as such it is the section
that has the longest duration in a beat. e main purpose of the verse section
is to establish and work the point of the song. It’s like the starting picture in
baseball, it’s job is to keep the winning momentum going just long enough for
the hook — the closer — to come in and puncuate the main point of the song.
e hook (chorus) is the secondary section of the song; it’s the instrumental
section where the hook (chorus) vocals will ride over. Even though the hook
is secondary in terms of the real-time duration of a song, the hook (chorus) is
actually the marquee section — it’s the section of the song that carries the most
exclamation. is is why I like to call the hook (chorus) section the “pay-o
section.” Even though it doesn’t play nearly as long as the verse section, it’s often
the section that stands out the most because it carries the hook vocals, the most
memorable part of any song. e main purpose of the hook (chorus) section is
to reinforce and punctuate the main theme, the main point of the song.
e other three types of musical sections that make up a song in beatmaking
are the intro, the build-up or the bridge and the outro. e intro, or what I
sometimes like to call the “teaser section,” is the lead-in section of a song. It’s role
is to establish the mood and to engage listeners by giving a sneak preview of the
caliber of music that’s about to proceed; thus, naturally, in an arrangement, the
intro is placed before the rst verse section. e purpose of the intro is to draw
listeners in, entice them and make them want to hear what’s about to come next.
An intro is also used for the initial ad lib vocals. I like to separate intros into
two categories: either straight-ahead or counter. A straight-ahead intro is one
that is made up of some of the same musical components (sequences/sounds)
within the rest of the song. is can be the drum framework by itself, it can be
the melody and the hi-hat riding, etc. On the other hand, a counter intro doesn’t
contain any of the components from the other sections of the song, it contains
components (sequences/sounds) that won’t be heard again in the rest of the song.
e build-up/bridge is a catalyst change. It’s the section that plays between
the verse and the hook (chorus). It’s like the setup man in baseball, it relieves the
starting pitcher, and at the same time, it sets up the hook (chorus). e bridge
is unique, in that it can do two things to a beat: (1) It can serve as an interesting
intermission or break within the song; and (2) It can serve as a crescendo or the
last rising instrumental statement, signaling a climax or nale of a verse. e
build-up (bridge) is often just an octave or pitch change of the verse melody
or rhythm. And just like the intro, it can be counter; it can be an independent
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THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
section that contains entirely new components (i.e. sequences, sounds).
e outro section (which isn’t necessary) ties up the entire song. It’s the
section that advances the nal thoughts of a beatmaker, the nal touch, the
nishing signature of a beatmaker. It also serves as that extra instrumental
time, without lyrics, that DJs appreciate for mix blends. e outro, just like
the intro and bridge, can be straight-ahead or counter. Typically, the outro is
an understated (stripped-down) version of the main verse section, but it can
also be completely independent, containing components that are entirely new.
When you’re arranging and organizing sequences, remember to be exible
with the nal structure because until the beat is actually complete, every created
sequence, and subsequent section, can be rearranged. is is why it’s critical
to know the dierent types of arranged sections, how they work, and their
fundamental purposes. When you’re creating a new beat, the entire arrangement
is subject to change: the verse section can be reorganized to become the hook
(chorus) section, and vice versa; the intro section can become the verse; so on
and so forth. Embracing this reality gives you more freedom to take intuitive
chances when you’re building those sequences that will ultimately be linked
together into the sections of the song.
From Sequence to Section
By default, the rst sequence that you begin is your core sequence. From
this sequence, you will most likely build the sequences that become the verse
section. Most beatmakers do not start o making the hook (chorus) rst. e
hook (chorus) is usually just the verse section, sprinkled with just enough minor
changes to distinguish it as the hook (chorus). is is why it’s those changes and
modications that you’re able to make to that initial core sequence that enables
you to really get ill with the beat.
Earlier in this section, I broke down how sequences are often created, starting
with either drums or non-drum music material. Here, I’ll discuss more in-depth
how beats are made, more technically speaking, that is. e technical aspect of
how beats are made can be described as: the composition of rhythm-based
musical elements, followed by the process of recording these musical
elements into sequences, followed by the process of linking these sequences
together in preprogrammed arrangements.
And how are sequences “linked” together? e most common way that
sequences are linked together is through the process of duplication, copying
one complete sequence and attaching to itself or to another. You can copy and
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link as many sequences as you want to. In fact, you can even make a beat from
just a 1-bar sequence. All you have to do is convert that 1-bar loop into a song;
just copy the sequence to itself until you have the appropriate number of bars,
equal to the length that you want the song to be. is is the exact concept of
duplication. Once you’ve established a core sequence, the idea is to copy the
sequence to itself so that you can increase the length. A 1-bar core sequence
copied to itself becomes a 2-bar core sequence; a 2-bar core sequence copied to
itself becomes a 4-bar core sequence.
116
e advantage of duplication is that all
events, especially the drum framework, remain in tact even though the length
of the measure has been increased. e more bars within your core sequence
means the more opportunities to program in changes. Conversely, the shorter
the number of bars within your core sequence, the less opportunities you have
to insert changes. One bar turns over faster than two, and so on. erefore, keep
in mind that 1-bar loops also have the potential to restrict your programming
and increase the probability of a simple loop; subsequently, it can increase the
chance of the entire beat sounding stale or mundane.
Here, I should raise again the point that hip hop/rap music is not dependent
upon linear progression, but upon repetition and cyclical progression. Still, some
beats that include a number of changes often come o more pleasing to a listening
public conditioned to favor a more pop sound. On the other hand, rappers with
major lyrical skills know how to incorporate their own verbal changes. ey
can get busy o of any track. But all skillful lyricists favor tracks with stability.
at is to say, they tend to favor less noticeable changes, because the loop and
repetition allows them to take advantage of a solid, continuous groove. Beats
with too many changes often restrict a skillful rapper’s verbal talents, forcing
them to “dumb-down” their lyrical ow and subject matter.
117
erefore, one
general guide you might want to consider for yourself is this: For more lyrical
rappers, keep the changes to a minimum; for all other rappers, it’s O.K. to add
more changes; actually, the more changes in beat, the more easily their lyrical
deciencies are masked.
BeatTip — The Genius Of 1-Bar Core Sequences
Even though 1-bar sequences can be restrictive, as beats in and of themselves,
establishing a 1-bar core sequence is one of the most fundamental ways to start
116
Most hip hop/rap songs are based on root 2-, 4-, and 8-bar loops.
117
A great example of how a “steady beat” can inspire (provoke) complex lyricism can be heard in
Fabolous’ “Pachanga.” Fabolous, a true lyricist, can “dumb down” his lyrics when he wants to; likewise,
he can turn it up when given the right beat to do so.
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a new beat. Point is, when I strike up a new core sequence, I already know
beforehand that I will be duplicating the sequence either way it goes. So it’s
important for me to establish a basic core sequence that has a tight drum
framework. Once I have a 1-bar sequence looping nicely, I copy it to itself, giving
me two bars of a real tight drum framework. From out of these two bars, now
I can take the beat anywhere. I can further build the verse section (the primary
2-bar sequences that I initially created from the 1-bar core sequence). I can
build the hook (chorus), intro, the build-up (bridge), or outro sections; from this
point I can do whatever. After I’ve auditioned several changes, I make another
copy of that 2-bar sequence, then I leave the initial 2-bar sequence o to the
side as my default idea to return to if I go too far from the feeling and idea that’s
driving the beat. Next, I move on, using the copy to sketch out any new ideas.
Song Structure
e bar structure of a typical hip hop/rap song breaks down like this:
• 8-bar intro
• 16-bar verse
• 8-bar hook (chorus)
• 16-bar verse
• 8-bar hook (chorus)
• 16-bar verse
• 8-bar hook (chorus)
Notice how the basis of this song structure is comprised of 8-bar increments.
Looking at the above song structure, you can’t tell how dierent one section is
from the next, but by seeing the mathematical relationship of the exact number
of bars used for each section, you can infer that some sequences were duplicated
to create others. Here’s another example of a possible song structure:
• 8-bar intro
• 16-bar verse
• 8-bar chorus
• 8-bar verse
• 8-bar bridge
• 8-bar chorus
• 12-bar verse
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• 8-bar outro
By making some common modications to the above song structure, you’re
able to add more variety to the basic beat. In the second song structure example,
notice the changes that I inserted. One of the most dicult concepts for both
new and advanced beatmakers to understand is the relationship between the
measure of a sequence and timing. ink of the measure of a sequence as being
a time-line of clearly dened, highly detailed events that, once programmed,
automatically repeat when the end of the time line (i.e. the total number of
bars) is reached.
BeatTip — Section Contrast
A “section contrast” is the term that I use to describe an arrangement scheme
in which two or more sections in a beat that are not predicated upon one another
(based on most of the same elements) are moving in a similar direction and feel.
One of the best things about a section contrast is the fact that, when done right,
they appropriately add the value of variety as well as a strong sense of tension
and release. is in turn makes both the chorus (hook) and verse sections of
the song much more climatic, which ultimately keeps the interest of the listener.
BeatTip — Knowing the Right Tempo and Bar
Structure for Samples
Most twentieth-century American popular music is predicated upon on 4/4
time, which means it has 4 beats per measure (four “beats” per bar). It doesn’t
matter if there is any percussion to be heard, because any four-count will give
you one complete bar in this time signature. Moreover, most beatmakers tend
to build beats using either 2-bar, 4-bar, 8-bar, 12-bar, or 16-bar sequences
(basically, some multiple of 2); but which numbered bar structure depends on
the length of the sample(s) being used. One way to determine the right tempo
and bar-count for a sample(s) is to simply determine the length (duration) of
the sample(s). What you do is, listen to the sample and run o a 4-bar count
by snapping your ngers as if they were a metronome. If the sample(s) is a short
phrase or ri, snap faster, if it’s a longer complete phrase, snap slower.
An easier way to determine the right tempo and bar-count for a sample(s) is
to record the sample(s) into a sequence and set the tempo to something like 89
or 92 BPM. Next, press play and let the sequence progress all the way through.
Adjust the tempo as needed so that you can hear the complete sample(s) from
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THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
beginning to end without the end of it being cut o before it loops. After having
played it completely through, when it loops back, without any exaggerated
interval, then you’ve got the right tempo.
BeatTip — Note About Building the Hook (Chorus)
Section
Many beatmakers often neutralize the bang (overall quality impact) in their
beats by adding elements that simply do not belong in them. is typically
happens when beatmakers make the hook (chorus) section of a track. When
I’m working on a beat using the synthetic-sounds-based compositional style,
I try to build out everything in the beginning. However, when I’m using the
samples-based style, my main concern is to establish the rhythm that bangs the
most. In this case, nding a change for the hook is a second thought, depending
on how tight the primary sample sounds with the drum framework.
For me, the idea is always to create a musical platform that best allows
a lyricist to get busy on and catch wreck (i.e. have a great performance). Rap
lyrics and rhyme form are unlike any other style of lyrics and rhyme form in
contemporary popular music. By their nature, there is a lot of rhythm and
percussive poetic movement in rap lyrics. Because of this, rap lyrics add another
musical element to a composition in a way that often minimizes the need for
extensive changes. is is one reason why some beatmakers wait until after the
rapper has layed down their vocals to the original core ris/core groove (base
rhythm) of the beat before they consider adding hook elements to the beat.
Check This Out — Overall Note About Beat Structure
Beatmakers used to make beats specically to be used by rappers only.
Today, many recording artists from separate music traditions borrow from the
hip hop/rap music tradition. Because of this, many beatmakers have taken to
making beats from the vantage point of what is most likely to get them a buyer
from a range artists from dierent genres, rather than what is more likely to be
a dope beat. Inevitably, this trend leads to a growing number of beatmakers
who try to structure their beats more and more like pop songs. If this is your
approach, keep this in mind: e more you try to structure a beat like a pop
song, the more you actually move away from the hip-hop/rap music tradition.
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Chapter 7
Extended Composition and
Arrangement Notes
Composition, Programming, and Arrangement —
Getting the Ingredients and Putting them All
Together
Extended Composing and Sequencing Notes,
Techniques, and Tips
Composing Bass Lines Using the Same “Anchor” Bass
Sound
When it comes to creating bass lines in the beatmaking tradition, it’s rst
important to recognize that you don’t need actual bass guitar sounds to create
great bass lines. Bass lines can be created using any sound that represents (i.e.
sounds like) a bass sound. You can make bass lines out of anything, just lter
out the mid and high frequencies of whatever sounds you’re trying to transform
into a bass line.
118
Moving forward with this understanding of how bass sounds can be created
in the beatmaking tradition, you next have to examine the dynamics of the bass
guitar itself. For example, consider that a typical bass guitar only has ve strings.
is means you can never really go up higher than four whole pitch levels (whole
tones). erefore, when assigning your actual bass sounds to drum pads or keys
on a keyboard, synthesizer, or MIDI controller, there isn’t a need to account for
more than four or ve assignments. at is to say, it’s not necessary to assign
a bass sound to 16 dierent pads or 48 dierent keys and use more than ve
of those assignments. You can if you want to, but I’m not sure if there’s any
noticeable advantage, as too much variance in the corresponding pitch values
can undermine whatever bass line you create. is is why I simply assign the
118
This sound technique was advanced most prominently by DJ Premier, Large Professor, Pete Rock,
RZA, and Kev Brown, who’s skill in this area is quite superb. (Application of this same method on horns
has a really ill effect.)
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THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
same bass sound to four or ve pads on my MPC, then I pitch up each pad by
one whole tone, then I “walk” (play) up or down to the drum framework I’ve
created, or I match the rhythm or melody that I have going. However, if you
use an MPC (or any EMPI with a polynote function), you can also use the
16-note function to automatically slice an individual bass sound into multiple
bass tones, which are then mapped out across the 16 drum pads of the MPC.
Still, you can also compose bass lines using the stock bass sounds of a keyboard/
synthesizer or sound module. Although this might be the least creative way, it’s
just as eective, provided you apply some additional sonic modication to the
sounds. is helps customize the otherwise generic-ness of the sounds.
Finally, whichever method you use to create your bass sounds (specically
the various pitch levels/tones), the important thing to remember is that it’s
typically more eective to play out your bass lines in real time with either a
drum framework or the established rhythm of the beat.
Composing Bass Lines — An Extended Look at My Process
of Composing Bass Lines Using the Anchor Technique
When making eective bass lines in beatmaking, what matters most is how
you plan to use the bass line. Let’s say you’re developing a bass line simply for
accentuation or emphasis of some other musical element within a beat. In that
case, it’s not too dicult to come up with an eective bass line. For example,
using the pads of a drum machine or the keys on a keyboard or MIDI controller,
you can load up a bass-stab over four separate pads or four keys. Next, you just
play out an order of notes (some sort of bass line theme), using just those four
sounds; it’s almost like mapping a rhyme scheme because each sound represents
its own pitch: A B C D — here, everything left of the “D” drum pad or keyboard
key is lower in pitch chromatically by one level. So in essence, creating bass lines
in the beatmaking tradition is really more about matching the pitch and dynamics
of the non-drum elements and the feel and impact of the backing beat.
119
Composing Bass Lines Using the Anchor Technique
Bass lines are typically three to four steps up or down a scale. (A scale is seven
119
Here, the description of pitch and tones is a very crude and simplistic snapshot of the basic pitch
characteristics of traditional music theory. But this is exactly how I was able to work it out and make bass
lines with no knowledge of music theory at all. Also note: Although possessing a sound knowledge of
music theory may give you some advantage when composing bass lines, as with some other musical
processes, the possession of even the most advanced knowledge of music theory does not mean that
you will automatically make more effective bass lines.
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EXTENDED COMPOSITION AND ARRANGEMENT NOTES
notes all in a row). When creating bass lines using the anchor technique, the
idea is to nd your “high” and “low points.” ese are the highest and lowest
pitch levels of the bass sound that you’re trying to play. Since a typical bass
line (sequence) is composed of three to four pitch levels, just nd your anchor.
What I mean is, pick the pitch level that you want to start and end with. Let’s
say you’ve already auditioned some bass sounds from your EMPI of choice
(keyboard, sound module, MPC, etc.). Start with your anchor, and walk up or
down the keyboard using the three to four phrases that you’ve scoped out. From
here, you can experiment with dierent phrases (lines). e thing to notice is
what happens every time you return to your anchor sound.
Here, I should note that when it comes to the sample-based style, as opposed
to the synthetic-sounds-based style, it’s not necessarily about trying to match
the exact key of a sample, which in the rst place, is very dicult to try and
determine with multi-sound/multi-instrument samples.
120
It’s much more about
trying to match — blend — the bass tones with the overall tonal mood, feeling,
and sonic texture of the beat. Like a lot of notable beatmakers, when I create
bass lines to be used with samples, more often than not I try to extract a bass
frequency from somewhere within the primary sample that I’m using. I use the
ltered framework of the main sample, i.e. a duplicate of the sample, but only
its low frequency. From here, I use this ltered duplicate at the exact pitch and
length of the main sample, or I chop it up into pieces and arrange it over four
to eight dierent MPC pads. After that, I match (play) the chopped bass tones
to the feel of the beat, using the ow and feel of the main sample as my guide
and inspiration. Furthermore, if and when these bass-tone chops lack sonic
presence (that certain “umph”), I layer rst generation sounds (i.e. synthetic
sounds — live keyboard/synthesizer) at strategic points within the arrangement.
is adds depth to the initial bass arrangement that I’ve composed.
When I’m creating beats using the synthetic-sounds-based compositional
style, I focus on the anchor point or anchor sound. Again, before I knew anything
about music theory (I’m always learning more), I knew that the creation and
development of bass lines, melody lines, and the like depended upon an anchor
point, or rather some anchor sound. I further understood that my ability to
play progressions up or down from that anchor sound/point, in accordance to
the drum framework and rhythmic pattern, was essential to whatever beat I was
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Again, you don’t necessarily have to set the pitch of the bass at the exact same pitch of your primary
sample. The bass sound is its own thing, it can go off pitch (what I like to call “wildcat”) if it works. That’s
why you can short the measure of a bass melody, while having it at a lower pitch than your primary
sample. This is exactly why an 808 can work with nearly anything, without ever having to really be
pitched up or down.
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THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
working on. I now know that this process is actually akin to using scales (in
music theory). Even though I’m armed with this “new” knowledge, I still keep
in mind that a standard bass guitar has 5 strings, which leads me to work only
with two to ve notes. When I trigger bass sounds (either samples or synthetic-
sounds), I arrange one bass tone over 16 pads. Next, I pick out what I call a
“scale area” to work with. A scale area is just any two to ve tones/notes (pads),
not necessarily directly ascending/descending but agreeable to the theme of the
beat that I’m working on. From here, I kind of give each tone (pad) a mental
number, like 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. en I play out some simple progressive phrases
like, 1-2-3...3-2-1... and so on. After I get a good feel for the possibilities, for
what I might want to work on, I get a little more advanced with it. e phrases
then begin to look something like this: 1-2-3 3-3 2-3-3-3-4, 1. After I’m happy
with the phrase, I loop it, then after I’ve recorded and looped that, I lay down
another simple phrase based on (playing o of) the rst simple pattern that I
laid down. Finally, once I’ve composed a complete phrase that I’m happy with,
I let the sequence play out, then I solo and sample it. is allows me to then
assign the entire bass phrase to just one drum pad; and thus I’m right back to
working from the sample-based compositional style. Another advantage of this
nal process is that it allows me to store that bass phrase as a default bass phrase,
which can be used as part of the musical building blocks for a new beat later on.
BeatTip — Bass Framework Not Predicated on Concept
of Bass Line
To be sure, Hip hop/rap music is bottom-heavy. In most hip hop/rap beats,
bass tones and colors play a fundamental role. But does this mean that most beats
contain bass lines, per se? Actually, no. ing is, in beatmaking, the concept of
using bass passages or phrases is more about bass frameworks than traditional
notions of bass lines. And in beatmaking, bass frameworks are more often than
not constructed through the use of individual bass sound-stabs.
Bass sound-stabs — individual bass sounds/tones — typically come from two
main sources: (1) synthetic bass sounds, i.e. sound modules, keyboard patches,
or VSTs; and (2) samples of recorded source material, i.e. vinyl records, CDs,
etc. (A very small minority of beatmakers also play bass sounds from a traditional
electric bass guitar.) Regardless of each beatmaker’s sonic preference and overall
beat style, bass sound-stabs are generally what we use as the building blocks
for the bass frameworks of the beats that we create. As such, when it comes to
bass, we are not always focused on creating a bass line, per se, but a bass part
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that ts the scope and slant of the beat that we’re working on.
In beatmaking, coming up with bass frameworks is mostly about accompany-
ing the overall feel and direction of the beat. In some cases, bass frameworks are
made up of traditional bass line schemes. But in most cases, bass frameworks
are composed through the use of strategically placed bass parts. us, in many
ways, beatmaking’s bass framework concept is about balancing bass tones with
the high and mid textures of a beat. Moreover, bass frameworks are often
simply the product of lling “holes” in the arrangement structure of a beat. A
great example of beatmaking’s bass framework concept could be heard in the
song “Keep It oro,” by Prodigy (of Mobb Deep), produced by Alchemist.
Looping Your Samples or Sounds Through the Sequencer
(Using the Tempo As an Additional Chopping Function)
Looping your sounds or sound phrases through the sequencer of an EMPI
is often more eective than looping your sounds or sound phrases before you
sequence them. By looping your samples (and other sounds) using the sequencer,
in real-time, you gain more control over the structure of the beat. Whenever
you loop your sounds or sound phrases (especially samples of two bars or more
in measure) before you sequence them, you forfeit the sample’s full potential.
What I mean is when you begin to try things out, by having the sample looped
already, you can’t really hear what it sounds like looped from dierent end points.
e initial chopping of your samples is simply setting the start and end
points. So once you commit to looping the sample before you sequence it, you’re
pretty much stuck with the same end point — the point where the sample
ends before it loops back to itself. On the other hand, by sequencing or what I
like to call “tempo-ing your loop,” you can hear how the sample sounds with
unintended end points, that is to say, the end points that you did not intentionally
set when you initially chopped the sample. erefore, as you increase and/or
decrease the tempo of the sequence, you can clearly hear the changes.
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BeatTip — Spacing is Fundamental: The Right Element
Spacing In Your Beats Is Critical
Sonically, hip hop/rap beats have a “knock” (hard-hitting) factor to them.
But Despite the overall sonic characteristics of hip hop/rap beats, the use of
space (and often silence) within a beat’s given compositional framework can
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This is an example of the fact that many excellent beats will often be created through a beatmaker’s
knack and ability for capturing and redirecting unintended accidents.
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often make or break the beat.
In my interview with mix engineer Steve Sola, one of the main points that
arose was the nature of sound individuality. In particular, Sola stressed to me
the importance of each sound being able to stand on its own in the mix. e
same sentiment was echoed by mix engineer Rich Keller. ese discussions
reminded me of my long-held approach to beatmaking. Much like how each
sound (track) in a mix has to be able to stand on its own, each element in a
beat must also be able to do the same as well as be able to eectively represent
its own nuance. And nothing enables an element in a beat to stand on its own
and to project its nuance more than the proper spacing of a beat’s elements.
Here’s the context. All of the elements of a given beat can be broadly divided
into two main areas or grouped elements: (1) the drum elements — the drums;
and (2) the non-drum elements – the non-drums. Inside of these broadly
described grouped elements, there are sub-divisional elements. For instance, a
drum framework is fundamentally made up of a kick, snare, and hi-hat (or some
reection thereof). In order for one single element (from any group of elements)
to play an eective role in a beat, the element’s role must be well-dened, more
importantly, the element must have its own space.
One thing that all great beatmakers tend to have in common is the spacing
of their beats. Inexperienced beatmakers and those who tend to over-produce
typically do not share this characteristic. Inexperienced beatmakers are often still
working out how to create and merge solid drum frameworks with non-drums,
thus their spacing is typically either too wide, too sparse, too full of distance
between elements, too shallow, too overlapping, and void of virtually no spacing
or room for individual elements to breathe. With regards to those beatmakers
who over-produce, their common problem is extremely shallow spacing, which
comes from constant overcrowding — which often comes from routinely
composing beats with multiple unnecessary elements. ose beatmakers who
tend to over-produce often create good core rhythms, but then they proceed to
bury those rhythms with layers of unneeded elements, seemingly rejecting the
fundamental role that tighter core rhythms play in hip hop/rap music.
On the other hand, great beatmakers never create spacing between their
beat’s elements that are too wide or too shallow. Instead, their beats tend to
have the spacing that always ts the style and sound of the beat they’re creating.
Whether working from the sample-based style or the synthetic-sounds-based
style, great beatmakers establish a core rhythm, isolate it, then add in only
those elements that enhance it, which ultimately leaves the entire structure of
the beat well-spaced.
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3 Safeguards Against Poor Spacing
Silence is golden. Allow for some silence in your beats. Every fraction of
every measure does not have to have a denite sound or event. e eective
use of silence within a beat’s given compositional framework is incredibly
important. is doesn’t mean create any unnecessary gaps, but it also doesn’t
mean covering up gaps (especially smaller ones) just because they exist. Certain
gaps of silence at specic points in a beat’s arrangement adds nuances that can’t
be easily duplicated by other beatmakers.
Avoid crowding your elements. Don’t overcrowd the elements within
your beats. Typically, overcrowding occurs when there’s too many elements
playing at once, rather than taking turns and meshing together in a cohesive
cycle. Make sure that each element has its own space and adds its own nuance
to the overall structure and texture of the beat. For instance, kicks need space
to knock and anchor the pace of the drumwork. But if they’re smothered with
useless elements, they’ll lack depth and purpose. With the proper spacing, kicks
are able to breath and play their role.
Avoid unnecessary elements. If an element in a beat doesn’t hold its own
space and nuance, then it’s merely an incidental sound. In other words, if it’s
an incidental sound, not consequential (i.e. not causing any notable nuance
that enhances the quality of a beat), then it’s not necessary to the beat. Many
beatmakers fall into the trap of adding unnecessary elements to beats because
they take a quantitative approach to arrangement. But the arrangement of a beat
is determined by its quality, not the sheer quantity of elements that it contains.
Study Examples for Element Spacing: “Fish” by Ghostface f/ Raekwon
& Cappadonna (produced by True Master); and “If I Can’t” by 50
Cent (produced Dr. Dre & Mike Elizondo).
With “Fish,” listen carefully to where the elements of the sampled breaks
(primary and secondary samples) fall. In each case, the samples ease through
each measure in its own space and at its own pace. And even though the drums
are obviously moving at the same time, notice how each element is taking their
turn, so to speak. is turn-taking, if you will, is the beat’s spacing (it’s use
of space). Specically, pay attention to the nuance of the hushed and brushed
hi-hat that True Master uses, and how he utilizes a very simple and straight
forward kick and snare pattern, which he osets with various sampled breaks
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and sound-stabs.
Check This Out — Escaping The Tempo Trap: Exploring
Different Tempo Ranges, and How to Avoid Getting
Stuck with the Same BPM for All of Your Beats
When it comes to making beats, setting the right tempo (BPM) isn’t as easy
as it might seem. Some beatmakers prefer to “tap out” the tempo of a beat in
real time, while others opt to go for pre-set tempos. Both scenarios are ne, but
one problem that tends to plague many beatmakers is the inability to expand
the tempo range of their beats. I like to refer to this issue as the “tempo trap.”
For most of us, the beats that we make fall within the same general range.
And this fact is guided by the style of beats that we like as well as the base
compositional style that we work from. Each beatmaking compositional style
— sample-based, synthetic-sounds-based, or hybrid-based — oers its own set
of possibilities and challenges; therefore, each compositional style, along with
the style and sound of beats that you like, plays a big role in the tempo ranges
you will ultimately work within.
For instance, with regards to sample-based beats, up-tempo is usually not the
norm for most sample-based beatmakers. One reason for this has to do with the
pitch limits of sampling. Although sample-based beatmakers (myself included)
enjoy utilizing the exibility of being able to pitch a sample up or down, we’re
mindful of the fact that drastic pitch moves— up or down — away from the
original pitch of the sample can encumber the sample’s true potential, and
thereby torpedo the chance of a dope beat. For example, if you speed the sample
up too much, do you then also speed up the overall BPM of your beat’s sequence?
And if you increase the BPM rate, do you then have to decrease or increase the
number of steps (events) in your drumwork? Sometimes, speeding a sample up
(specically, the primary sample) can be properly reconciled (depending on your
style and taste) by slowing down the overall BPM of a beat, and by increasing
the number of steps (events) in your drumwork. But of course, that all depends
on the type and tone of the sample that you’re working with.
With the synthetic-sounds-based compositional style (the so-called “keyboard
beats”/synth rap style), there is perhaps more exibility with tempo ranges. After
all, once free of the sometimes inexibility of samples, synthetic-sounds-based
beatmakers can presumably work from a much broader tempo range. Well,
in theory that’s correct. But in practice, this isn’t always the case. Here, the
important thing to remember is that contemporary hip hop/rap music is pretty
much underscored by a median tempo range. Still, there are certainly slower
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and faster tempos being used in hip hop/rap. But anything slower than 70 BPM
is typically used for today’s “R&B” ballads. Likewise, anything faster than 120
BPM is typically used for urban pop dance tunes rather than core hip hop/rap
styles and sounds. Hence, even most synthetic-sounds-based beats ascribe to
similar tempo ranges that are found among sample-based beats.
Although the three main beatmaking compositional styles defer to the same
tempo ranges, the reality still remains that some beatmakers get stuck in a tempo
trap, making beats that are consistently too slow or too fast. So how do you
break from this? For me, the key to escaping the tempo trap has always been
my insistence on practicing making beats within four distinct tempo ranges
(BPM ranges): 83 - 87; 88 - 93; 94 - 98; and 99 - 103 BPM (ne tune +/- 5%).
Typically, most of my beats fall within the 86 - 98 BPM range. However, I
still practice (experiment) with much slower and faster tempos, because doing
so helps me to better understand the subtle vibe and nuance dierences between
smaller tempo ranges. For example, on the surface, the dierence between let’s
say 96 and 97 BPM is minimal. But depending on all of the elements of the
beat — samples, synthetic sounds, arrangement scheme, drumwork, etc. — the
slight incremental BPM dierence can either push, pull, or shue the movement
(pace) of the entire beat.
As a rhymer, I can not stress enough the importance of feeling the right pace
of a beat. If I feel (know) the beat is pushing, then I know to be quick with my
rhyme ow and to truncate more words at certain spots in each measure. If I
feel (know) the beat is pulling, then I know to lag with my rhyme ow. And
if I feel (know) the beat is shuing, then I know to increase my word count
in each bar, which requires me to be very careful with my breath control. In
each case, when I’m creating a new beat, knowing the subtle dierences that
occur between incremental BPM changes helps me to quickly identify what
tempo the beat should be at (especially for me to appropriately rhyme to it).
Because of this, I never get trapped in either a slow or fast BPM zone. Instead,
I’m always prepared to set the right tempo for the style and sound of beat that
I’m working on.
Finally, I should also point out that while I rarely use beats that are north
of 99 BPM, there are several reasons that I like to still practice making beats
at faster tempos. Using my own tempo and loop exercises, in which I use
higher tempo ranges (usually 103 - 125 BPM) with the same primary sample
over dierent drumwork sequences, allows me to work on ideas that I have for
new drum structures. It also helps me to audition new snare sounds. Further,
practicing with faster tempos also helps me to better understand the dierent
ways that loops can work at faster and slower tempos.
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BeatTip — Real-Time Programming and Recording
After you’ve programmed your main sample and/or collage of sound phrases
into a sequence and you have it looping at the right tempo, scrap the drums,
especially if they’re not clicking with everything else. Next, put the sequence
back into record mode and play the drums live, right in over the top, in real time.
e result of everything together, moving correctly and at the desired tempo, is
what I call the “primary theme loop.” In most cases, the primary loop is where
the entire beat stems from. is description is also a more detailed explanation
of how to create the core sequence that I described earlier in this section.
Check This Out — Programming Improvisation
Since the typical beat is programmed before-hand, improvisation in
beatmaking must be accounted for either at the beginning of the composition
phrase or in the mixing or re-programming phase of the beatmaking process.
After the completion of a beat, any changes that you add or any parts that you
subtract is considered as the re-programming of the beat. is is one of the
reasons that well-known beatmakers often like to get the track back, after the
vocals have been laid to the initial beat. is way, they can further embellish
the beat, and thereby accent the entire song.
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Parts, Components, and Elements, and Progressive or
Repetitive Arrangement Schemes
All beats are made up of separate music parts; each part contains a variety of
music components; and each component is comprised of a number of dierent
music “elements.” For example, a drum framework is a music part; the particular
patterns of each drum sound within a part is a music component; the individual
drum-hits (sounds) within a music component would then refer to the music
elements. is formula can be used for phrases of strings, keys, and the like. In
other words, arrangement is literally the creative organization of the separate
music parts, components, and elements.
In beatmaking, arrangement can also be split into two broad schemes or
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In the same vein, once you’ve completed the initial beat, go back and survey the overall sound of the
beat and locate zones where you can throw in changes.
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structured varieties: repetitive and progressive. Repetitive arrangement is
essentially the organization of music parts in a manner that consistently repeats
a primary musical theme.
123
In the repetitive arrangement scheme, the onus is
placed on remaining close (in some way) to the essence of the hip hop/rap DJ’s
musical processes — the earliest compositional roots of the hip hop/rap music
tradition. is is to say, the repetitive arrangement scheme is a structure that seeks
to represent the processes in which DJs cut or blended the breaks from records
together into new compositions. Examples of repetitive arrangement schemes
include sample-based beats like those that rely on one lengthy sampled music
phrase, or those beats that have multiple chopped samples that are weaved into
one cohesive music part. Further examples of the repetitive arrangement scheme
include synthetic-sounds-based beats that are based on the use of prominent
and oft repeated phrases. A sample-based song that demonstrates the repetitive
arrangement scheme quite well is Nas’ “Nas Is Like,” produced by DJ Premier.
A synthetic-sounds-based song that demonstrates the repetitive arrangement
scheme nicely is Red Café’s (feat. Fabolous) “Bling Blaow,” produced by Reefa.
Progressive arrangement is essentially the organization of music parts
into several (or more) progressively dierent musical themes. In progressive
arrangement, the onus is placed on structuring a succession of music parts
that unravel through a song in linear, rather than cyclical, progression. Unlike
the repetitive arrangement scheme, the progressive arrangement scheme is not
necessarily predicated upon the repeating of (or consistent returning) to one or
two specic themes. Instead, the emphasis is placed on developing multiple
themes and, at times, more complex music components.
e progressive arrangement scheme can often be eective, especially
when it’s used in deference to the hip hop/rap music tradition. For one thing,
a progressive arrangement scheme can shake up any monotony that may exist
from generic drumwork or a typical loop of a lengthy sample. Also, because
progressive arrangement can go a long way in establishing a unique contrast
in a beat, it’s very useful when you’re trying to convey a sense of urgency or
seriousness within a song. Furthermore, a progressive arrangement can also be an
excellent structural scheme for story-themed songs because the changes within
the music components and parts work like chapter accompaniments; plus the
changes can provide more acute depth and distinguished meaning for each of
the rapper’s verses. A very good example of a progressive arrangement scheme
(albeit a simple one) is demonstrated in 50 Cent’s “If I Can’t,” produced by Dr.
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It’s worth noting that virtually all forms of mid/late-twentieth-century American popular music features
some sort of a repetitive arrangement scheme.
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Dre and Mike Elizondo.
In recent years, there’s been an increase in the number of beatmakers who have
moved towards the progressive arrangement scheme as their base arrangement
method. ere are several reasons for this development. e rst reason deals
with the hip hop/rap music and beatmaking traditions in their own right. Fact
is, some beatmakers are simply unfamiliar with the roots and fundamentals
of the hip hop/rap music tradition. And they are particularly unaware of the
fundamental aesthetics, tropes, nuances, principles, and priorities of hip hop
culture itself and both the hip hop/rap music and beatmaking traditions. But
more alarming than that is the fact that there are some beatmakers (mostly new)
who do not care at all about the roots and the recent history of the beatmaking
and hip hop/rap music traditions (some even show a total disregard for it).
In both cases, these beatmakers are prompted to incorporate the aesthetics,
tropes, nuances, principles, and priorities of other music traditions that are not
in-line or consistent with the beatmaking and hip hop/rap music traditions.
Incidentally, this is one reason why there’s been a recent uptick in the number
of beatmakers who have deliberately tried to fuse the “trained musician” nuance
into beatmaking. Specically, there’s been a more concentrated (i.e forced) eort
to apply advanced concepts of music theory to beatmaking.
e second reason that a sizeable number of beatmakers have turned to the
progressive arrangement scheme deals with the lure of the pop music scene.
At the time of the publication of this edition, pop music seemingly presents
itself as the “safe” music genre for the edgling music industry to back. And
many beatmakers are uprooting their styles and sounds to t this larger music
industry philosophy, hoping that it will increase their chances of a placement.
Professional beatmakers have to deal with both the artistic and business realities
of beatmaking, so I’m not quick to cast judgement on any beatmaker who has
made or is considering making this change in style and sound. But even though
trends can oer short runs of opportunity, it is individuality and distinguishable
creativity that consistently oer the best opportunities and longevity.
Finally, the third reason that a sizeable number of beatmakers have moved
to the progressive arrangement scheme deals with what I can only describe as
an identity crises — perhaps caused by either a deep inferiority complex or
music traditional self-hate. For years, the hip hop/rap music tradition operated
in the shadows of mainstream neglect. But as the American mainstream made
room for and, subsequently, co-opted key areas of the hip hop/rap music scene,
many beatmakers found themselves in cultural and nancial spaces that had
been previously inaccessible to beatmakers, DJs, and rappers who had came
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before them. us for the rst time in hip hop/rap’s history, many beatmakers
are forfeiting the pursuit of dope beats and are instead becoming much more
preoccupied with how they measure up as music producers against those from
other mainstream (more traditional) music forms. Hence, these beatmakers have
come to view more elaborate arrangement schemes as a sort of conduit out of
and away from the beatmaking tradition. Many of the beatmakers within this
group seemingly despise being labeled as “beatmakers” or “hip hop producers.”
ey instead think of themselves — and want to be known — only as “music
producers.” is despite the fact that beatmaking and hip hop/rap music has
been and is paramount to their ability to even compete in a narrow-minded
and otherwise non-inclusive music industry.
Creating Arrangement “Changes” in Beatmaking
Making the Task of Coming Up with Changes Less Daunting:
Three Things That Can Help You Create “Changes” in Your Beats
Ever make a beat that seems like it’s missing something? I mean, the core
track is dope; everything is tight and looping correctly, but after 4- to 8- bars,
it just seems, well, too redundant? Although redundancy is a good thing in
some cases and for certain styles of beats; and although the crux of all hip hop/
rap beats is repetition, i.e. frameworks based upon continuously looped ris/
grooves), some beats just work better with eective changes.
In beatmaking, “changes” — embellishments, breakdowns, switch-ups,
sweeps, etc. — vary in sound and complexity. ey can be as simple as added
percussion, something like a mini-phrase of bongo-hits over vocals, or they can
be as complex as an entirely new arrangement of sounds and textures, something
like dual lines of melody and countermelody played out with a synthesizer.
For many beatmakers, coming up with eective changes (changes that
actually t well) isn’t necessarily an easy part of the beatmaking process. On
one hand, you have to consider the style and sound of beat that you’re making.
For instance, to make changes in sample-based beats, many beatmakers simply
sample, chop, and insert dierent parts/pieces of the same source material or even
the primary sample. In many cases, this approach is all that it takes to come up
with an eective change or two. Still, there are those times when the same source
material doesn’t have any more pieces that t with the beat at hand. erefore,
in cases like these, it can be a bit of a task coming up with changes that work.
And while there are some who believe that creating changes for non-sampled
based beats is a much easier challenge, the truth is, even with non-sampled based
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beats, creating eective changes can be rather dicult.
But diculty aside, there are three things that can help you — a great
deal or at least make the task less daunting — with your approach to creating
(adding) changes to your beats: (1) Knowing if a change or changes are actually
needed; (2) Knowing which types of changes typically work well with which
types of beats; and (3) Having a good understanding of mood, i.e. the moods
that specic sounds and certain categories of sounds invoke and tend to convey.
First, it should always be remembered that some beats simply do not need
a change. For example, if a beat is made up of a 4-bar pattern, chances are that
complete pattern — from start to nish — is not monotonous; and therefore, it
may be able to do without any signicant change. Perhaps a few drops (mutes)
and solos at various points of the beat can be all the change that’s needed.
Second, it’s important to gauge which type of changes usually work well
with which types of beats. For instance, does the beat need a breakdown or
a bridge, an intro or a stacked synth phrase, or just a simple ri pitched up
or down? In either case, a change should relate to the basic style, scope, and
structure of the beat at hand. Which means everything from style, sound, form,
and tempo must be considered before incorporating changes. For example, when
working with a sample-based beat, particularly a mid-tempo one (93-96 BPM),
I prefer to incorporate changes that feature samples, not synths. If I can help
it, I avoid blending samples and synths. But when I do add synth sounds to a
sample-based beat, I sample the actual synth sounds/phrases, then I match their
sound and feel to style and sound of the beat. However, when I’m working on
a synthetic-sounds based (non-sample-based) beat, I take more leisure with the
samples that I incorporate because non-sampled based beats tend to absorb — or
perhaps feature — samples more eectively than sample-based beats absorb synth
sounds. Most of the time, I nd that synths either stick out like an obnoxious
blemish or they betray the sample style and feel of a beat.
Finally, having a good understanding of mood, i.e. the moods that specic
sounds and certain categories of sounds tend to invoke and convey, is the third
thing that can help you with your approach to creating (adding) changes to your
beats. A big part of coming up with an eective change is being in tune with
the core mood and feel of a beat. When you know the moods that particular
sounds invoke and convey, you’re better equipped to create those changes that
work well within the framework of the core structure, form, style, and sound
of your beat.
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BeatTip — Five Guidelines for Making Changes in
Your Beats
e prospect of adding in changes and transitions in beatmaking can be
challenging. However, with a number of basic guidelines for adding in changes to
your arrangements, you’ll likely nd that it’s not as dicult as you might think.
So to help you with making changes in your beats, below I have included ve
basic (but key) guidelines that I follow when I add in changes to an arrangement.
(1) What kind of rhyme and rhyme voice will go with the beat?
After you’ve established the main groove of a beat, let it play for a while. Do
this for one main reason: You want to really think about what kind of rhyme
and rhyme “voice” would go well with the beat. Figuring out what sort of rhyme
and rhyme voice would match up well with the beat helps you determine if the
beat needs any changes. Remember, even track solos and sound mutes can serve
as eective changes. And sometimes, once you’ve established a great groove, you
might not need to add any changes.
(2) Is the arrangement of the beat sample-based or non-sampled-
based?
Sample-based beats often allow for fewer and less-complex changes because
of their more strict adherence to the groove. Overly complex changes in sample-
based beats tend to cause too much distraction throughout the beat. On the
other hand, non-sample-based beats typically allow more room for changes. But
that doesn’t necessarily mean that this room must always be lled up. Changes
need not simply occupy space, they should exist to serve some purpose in the
beat, for example, to show contrast or to create tension or release. So whether
sample-based or non-sample-based, consider the usefulness of a change and its
overall eect on the beat’s sound composite.
(3) What sort of changes can the beat handle? Minor changes, for
example, an slight embellishment, or major changes, for example, a
main transition or a broad “switch-up”? And how long should they be?
Having determined that the beat could use a change(s), the next thing you
want to assess is what kind of change would work best with the beat. Dierent
types of changes can be added to a beat, but just like with other popular forms of
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music, the most common change is an embellishment. Embellishment typically
refers to the embellishing (decorating) of an existing melody. is applies in
beatmaking and hip hop/rap music as well. However, because of the “looped
groove” nature of hip hop/rap music, it is the groove — ris and melodies
locked in a rhythm — that is most often decorated. us in beatmaking, think
of an embellishment as just any musical component(s) that decorates the main
groove or any aspect of the rhythm of the beat.
A “switch-up” in beatmaking can be a much more elaborate aair. Unlike an
embellishment, which more often than not is simply a musical element based
on something already present in the beat, a switch-up is often an independent
musical phrase, one that isn’t based on something already in the beat, like the
main groove. As for how long a change or switch-up should be, well, each
beatmaker is dierent. at being said, a length of 1-4 bars will be quite eective
in most beats. If you need to extend the length of an existing change, just
duplicate it and take out or add an additional element to the added bars; you
can even program drops (track solos and sound mutes) here as well.
(4) Where should you add the changes in at?
Typically, for embellishments it’s a good to work them in the hook and near
the beginning of the second verse — the second pass (the second installment of
8-, 12-, or 16-bars) of the main groove. But there aren’t any hard rules, you can
work in changes wherever you like. Just be mindful of a couple of things. First,
wherever you place a change, make sure that it doesn’t disrupt the feel and scope
of what the main groove has established. Even a change that runs counter to the
groove can still t the feel and scope of a beat. Second, when determing where
to add in a change, always consider whether or not a rapper would be able to
eectively rhyme over the changes. If the core groove of a beat is going in one
solid direction for 8 bars, any change(s) worked in on the 9th- 10th-, 11th-, or
12th-bar should not be so disruptive as to hender or break up the rapper’s ow.
(5) How many times should you add these changes?
Generally, if you add your changes in too much, that is to say, on every pass
(8-, 12-, 16-bars), the beat may sound cluttered, overworked, or too complicated.
But again, this is a guide. And even though there aren’t any hard rules that
you have to subscribe to, do bear in mind that too many changes can disrupt
continuity and undermine the feel of a beat.
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Sample-Based Compositional Style and Arrangement:
Making Beats Using Primary Samples (or Songs) and
Derivative Samples
A sample and/or song that serves as the source material for which other
samples are then derived from is the primary sample or the primary song. A
sample that is derived (chopped) from a primary sample and/or a primary song is
a derivative sample. One common purpose of derivative samples is to provide
a change or progression to the sample from which it was derived. When most
beatmakers successfully sample something from a record, and thereby build a
new beat around it, they tend to return to that very same record for the changes
that they want to incorporate into the same beat. Likewise, when you have a
sizable complete-phrase, spare-part phrase, or a section-piece, it’s somewhat
intuitive to chop up the phrase even more, especially for the purpose of nding
suitable changes.
Building Arrangements Using Primary Samples Along with Derivative
Samples
Whether you build your sample-based beat around your drums or build
your drums around your samples, a very eective way of carving out tight
compositions is by using arrangements that incorporate the use of primary
samples and derivative samples. As I discussed earlier, you can make some
quality beats with just one sample by itself. But one-sample beats are typically
non-progressive in nature because they rely more upon a central, repetitive loop
theme. So, if you’re going to use samples and you would like to make more
progressive arrangements, then you essentially have two choices: (1) Incorporate
several or more dierent samples from a number of dierent records; or (2)
Incorporate multiple samples from the same record. (is involves the process
described above.) My recommendation is to shoot for the derivative approach.
After the drums are created and you have the primary sample laid down,
here’s a couple of ways that you can work in the derivative samples. First, allow
the primary sample to play for 4 bars, then program in one of your derivative
samples, beginning on the 5th bar. Since the newly added derivative sample
changes the sequence (program), it is considered a change; I call this “sample-
change 1.” When you only have one change, one very eective way to arrange
your beats is on the “4” or the “8;” that is, for every 4 or 8 bars, you work in
“sample-change 1.” If your “sample-change 1” is only 1 bar, double it up to 2
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bars before you loop back to the primary sample. If your “sample-change 1” is
2 bars, you can either loop back to the primary sample, or you can double it up
to 4 bars before you loop back to the primary sample.
If you intend to make an even more progressive arrangement, using only
samples and very minimal synthetic-sounds, then you can add other derivative
samples. Naturally, I call the next derivative sample added “sample-change 2,”
and the next, “sample-change 3,” and so on. Multiple sample changes gives you
a great deal of exibility when you’re building arrangements. For instance, you
can bring one of them in right after the rst sample change ends, landing the
new change on every 7th and 9th bar that proceeds the primary sample. is
technique enables you to build out the texture of the beat, using samples in a
carefully crafted arrangement pattern. Furthermore, it allows you to build better
sound collages for your drum programs.
Here’s what the formula could look like, using primary samples and derivative
samples. When you apply this formula to the bar structure of a typical hip hop/
rap song, it breaks down like this:
• 8-bar intro = 4 bars of “sample-change 1” + 4 bars of “sample-change
2.”
• 16-bar verse = 4 bars of primary sample + 2 bars of “sample-change
1” + 8 bars of primary sample + 2 bars of “sample-change 3.”
• 8-bar hook (chorus) = (this is where you can get really out there.
Mix up the drum program, rotate in two changes while keeping the
primary sample moving steady. Or you can drop the primary sample
all together and play the changes o of the new drum program).
• 16-bar verse = 4 bars of primary sample + 4 bars of “sample-change
3” (or “sample-change 4 if you have it) + 6 bars of primary sample +
2 bars of “sample-change 1.” (is is the middle of the song, so you
can really push the envelope more here.)
• 8-bar hook (chorus) = Keep steady.
• 16-bar verse = 4 bars of primary sample + 2 bars of “sample-change
2” + 2 bars of “sample-change 1” + 8 bars of primary sample.
• 8-bar hook (chorus) = Keep steady.
• 8-bar outro = 4 bars of “sample-change 1” + 4 bars of “sample-change 3.”
BeatTip — Bumpin’ the Sample
ere are times when you come up against a sample that has something but
you can’t gure out exactly what that is. en there are times you come across
samples that you know are very recognizable. Situations like these may call for
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what I’ call “bumpin’ the sample.” Bumpin’-the-sample describes the process
of neutralizing the main sonic elements of a sample, then using the newly
modied sample together with your own enhancement: your own “bump.” To
bump a sample, rst, lter out the bass frequency of the sample. Technically,
you can’t really remove the bass if it’s actually within the sample; however, you
can neutralize it — make it inaudible — by burying its sonic quality to a level
of no distinction. To do this, you have to lter down, or rather atten the
bass. Once you’ve, removed the bass, add in your own bass line (bass parts/
framework), either from a set of sampled bass tones or synthetic bass sounds
from a synthesizer or sound module or software VST. is bass line (bass part)
can be any pattern — when you bump the sample, I recommend taking your
bass line (bass part) in a new direction. After you’ve added your own bass line
(bass part), decrease the treble in the sample. Again, here, you want to employ
some ltering techniques, but you don’t want to kill the treble, you just want
to pull it back just enough to let it breathe so that you keep some of the color
and character of the sample that you’re bumpin’. is is also eective because it
enables you to beef up the sample further with your own treble sounds, accents,
or percussion parts. Moreover, you can play new high-pitched keyboard parts
or high-pitched sample chops right of over the top.
Synthetic-Sounds-Based Compositional Style and Arrangement,
and The Use of Melody in the Beatmaking Tradition
Rhythm is king in the beatmaking and hip hop/rap music traditions, and
harmony, in the structural sense of the word, is the king’s noble servant; melody
is the king’s ambassador, capable of readily bringing nuances and tropes of other
traditions to beatmaking and hip hop/rap wherever eectively possible. Also,
melody in beatmaking is characterized more by short, percussive, ri-like phrases
than elaborate melodic passages that are further anked by an extended use of
counter-melody or a series of multiple motifs. Because of the unique ways
that melody can be used in hip hop/rap music, beatmakers create brief melodic
passages in many dierent ways with a number of dierent sounds that those
outside of the hip hop/rap and beatmaking traditions can’t always understand.
Combining Samples and Synths
Samples (sampled breaks, various tones, and sounds) are typically made up
of a collage of sounds. As such, the concept of matching synth sounds to the
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same “key” (pitch) of samples isn’t as denite as some would like to believe.
In fact, it’s a bit misleading. Combining synth sounds with samples is not
particularly necessary, but it’s certainly useful in some situations. Either way,
if you do decide to do a synth-sample blend, remember this: When blending
a synth sound with a sample, keep in mind that you are trying to match the
synth to the sample, not the other way around. at being said, here are some
other important factors to consider when matching, blending, or combining
samples and synths.
The Matter of Atonality and Sampling
ere are many reasons why the art of sampling is not, nor ever could be,
understood entirely under the auspices of traditional music-making practices.
But perhaps the most outstanding (and often ignored) reason is the fact that
sampling has no partiality to traditional musical tonality. at is, in the sampling
process, samples of recorded source material (usually records) are modied and
arranged with impartiality to the tones of the chromatic scale. at is to say,
in sampling, there is no deference (or reference) to key or a tonal center; on the
contrary, sample-based beatmakers are primarily concerned with three things:
(1) Whether or not a sample sounds and feels good; (2) Does the sample t with
the drum framework (program); and (3) Does the sample and drum framework
together ascribe to the aesthetics, priorities, and principles of hip hop/rap music.
Sample-based beatmakers are not necessarily concerned with adhering to music
theory or concepts and principles of traditional musical tonality.
In fact, it’s worth noting that many traditionally trained musician-beatmakers
often fail (miserably) at sampling precisely because they attempt to approach
sampling through the guise of traditional music practices and the prism of
music theory. As such, they attempt to apply the rules of music theory to a
compositional process that has no deferential regard for music theory at all.
If there is anything that must be understood about sampling it’s the fact that
sampling seeks, technically and theoretically speaking, to simply use whatever
works. If it uses any principles or concepts of music theory, it’s not out of
deference, but out of prudence.
What Does Tone, Matching, Blending, and Combining Mean?
In beatmkaing, there are a lot of terms that may carry several meanings and,
without individual clarication, use of these terms can create some confusion.
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Hence, here, it’s important to discuss the terms “tone,” “match (matching)”
“combine (combining),” and “blend (blending).”
When beatmakers speak of “tone,” there’s two meanings or concepts that
we can actually be describing. ere’s “tone,” as in sound; and then there’s
“tone” as in feel. Sound and feel are two dierent concepts. “Tone,” in regards
to sound, refers to things like notes, timbre, sustain, etc. “Tone,” in regards to
feel, refers to variations of mood, like soulful, happy, sad, etc. When beatmakers
speak of “matching” something, there’s two meanings or concepts that we can
actually be employing. ere’s “matching,” as in matching the sound, and there’s
“matching,” as in matching the feel or mood. Matching sound and matching
feel are two dierent concepts, and as such, each usually requires a dierent
approach. In beatmaking, “matching” is most commonly used to describe the
process of working with sounds in the same pitch (key). However, as I’ve just
made clear, it’s not the only description, nor is it any more or less important
than the other description of “matching.” It all depends on the beatmaker and
beatwork in question.
When beatmakers speak of “blending” something, there’s two meanings or
concepts that we can actually be employing. ere’s “blending,” as in mixing
or layering two or more sounds of the same pitch (key) together, and there’s
“blending,” as in complimenting or accentuating two or more sounds that are
not necessarily in the same pitch (key). Blending sounds of the same pitch (key)
is a dierent concept than the notion of blending sounds that are not of the
same pitch (key), as such, each usually requires a dierent approach.
Finally, when beatmakers speak of “combining” something, we’re not
necessarily speaking about blending something. In fact, we’re usually talking about
adding two or more things (sounds and/or feelings) together, which is dierent
from blending something together into one new sound. For instance, you can
combine or add a 808 kick drum and basic kick drum to a drum pattern, that
doesn’t mean that you’re blending those two sounds together.
Arrangement Scope
e arrangement scope of your beat/song is another important factor to
consider when you’re combining synths with samples. What’s the scope of
your verse and hook (chorus) sections? How dierent is your verse section
from your hook section? What about the framework of your sequences? at
is, what bar-framework is your verse section based on? Is it a 2-bar, 4-bar, or
8-bar loop? What about the sample scheme that you’re using? Are you using
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just one main sample that is heavily chopped? Are you using multiple samples
that are woven together? Are you using a relatively unmodied break of one or
more bars? Each one of these factors will better determine what sort of synth
combination is likely to work with your samples.
When I use a combo of synths and samples, there’s a catch: I never try to
play a synth in the same key as the sample(s) I’m using. To understand why, you
need to know why I use synth sounds in sample-based beats. Whenever I add
in synth sounds to a sample-based beat, I usually do so for one or two reasons:
(1) To boost or “beef ” up the sample, sort of like stacking synth sounds; or (2)
To accentuate or emphasize a moment or element of the sample(s) I’m using.
erefore, when I’m making a sample-based beat, I’m not concerned with
simply reinterpreting a sampled break with synth sounds of the same pitch.
Why? Because then the focus would be more on the synth sounds, and that
would essentially make it more of a synthetic-sounds-based beat. (I like to stay
consistent to the style of beat that I’m making at the time.)
Also, I should point out that in most cases of a sample-based beat, the sample
itself contains multiple instruments; therefore, if you want to match the sound
of the synth to the sound of the sample, then sure, you can try to play the synth
in the same overall pitch (key) of the sample. However, for me, if I’m aiming to
match the sound of the sample, it becomes an issue of manipulating the pitch
(higher or lower) of the particular synth sounds that I’m using. More specically,
it’s an issue of manipulating the pitch of the synth sounds higher or lower than
the pitch of the primary sample and the sample scheme that I’m using.
On the other hand, if it’s a matter of matching the feel of a sample, then I
take a dierent approach. For instance, if I’m working with a low-pitched sample
(something with a bass tone), I usually try to oset its sound with some level of
brightness. In cases like these, I’ll add in some synth sounds. is contrast makes
for a unique, unforced change or accent. Here, one thing I want to point out
is that matching the synth closely to the “feel” (not necessarily the key) of the
sample typically works better for the overall impact of the sample-based beat.
Keep in mind that synth sounds have a completely dierent sonic quality than
samples from recorded songs. So typically, whenever the synth sound is made
to match the key of the sample, what happens is that the synth sound winds
up competing with — if not outright dominating — the sample. In turn, this
transforms a sample-based beat into a synthetic-sounds-based beat.
Here’s how I combine samples and synths. Either I play a phrase(s) straight
up (from my Roland Fantom Keyboard) and record it through MIDI into a
sequence on my Akai MPC 4000, or I play a phrase(s), sample it, then assign
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the phrase(s) to one drum pad or more. More often than not, I do the latter,
because sampling the synth phrase(s) allows me more exibility over the tone
and timbre of the synth sound; and once the synth sound is sampled, I can
lter it, compress it, add reverb, do whatever it takes to match the feeling (not
the pitch) of the sample and the overall beat. For those times where I sample
the synth sound, I run my Fantom through my MPC 4000. One more thing.
In cases where I’m using synth sounds for slight emphasis or slight accents and
changes, I focus on the softest (deadest) part of the sample, then I add in the
synth sounds. And sometimes when I have a sample cut o right at the loop
point of a sequence, I’ll throw some “light” (soft) stacked synth sounds right at
the point of where the end of the sample drops out.
Check This Out — Playing Synths in Same Key of
Sample?
A member of e BeatTips Community (TBC forums) once asked me the
following:
“I’m kind of confused. You’re supposed to make everything in the same key and in
tune. If you don’t play in the same key as the sample, your beat is going to sound
out of tune. So you’re saying you play whatever notes on top of the sample?”
Answer: Whoever said that you have to play synth/keys in the same key as
the sample? First and foremost, when attempting to combine synths/keys with
samples, always remember the subtle nuances that samples have (and that synths/
keys do not). Samples are “second generational” sounds, meaning that they are
pre-recorded composites of music (sound). On the other hand, synths/keys are
mostly “rst generational” sounds, meaning that they are generated from sound
generators, etc. ey are not pre-recorded composites of sound. is fact alone
should indicate to you that matching up synths/keys with samples most likely
will never be achieved using the “exact same key.” Sure, in some cases it might
get the job done. But if you really want to match synths/keys with samples more
eectively, and by match I mean timbre, color, weight, and feel, then more than
likely o-tuning the synths/keys from the sample will be your best plan of action.
e thing is, samples present a sonic quality that can simply never be matched
by rst generational sounds (this is also why replays of samples may come close,
but they’re almost never a good substitute). And more often than not, when
beatmakers attempt to force an “exact-key” synth-match with a sample, where
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the exact pitch (in the context of sampling) is actually indiscernible, the sonic
dynamics change; this in turn prompts a raise of the volume level of either the
original sample or the synth. In such a case, the original feel and nuance of the
overall beat changes dramatically.
Whether you combine synths with samples or not, always remember: Each
beat is a slave to the style that you made it in. If it’s a sample-based beat, the synths
that you add in should support the sample-based framework, not dominate it. If
it’s a synthetic-sounds-based beat, then the samples that you add in should serve
to support or accentuate the synthetic sounds. So before you make additions
and subtractions to the beat, always give deference to the style and scope of the
beat you’re making. Also, consider the rhythm quality and structure before you
modify the major sonic (sound dynamics) qualities of the beat.
Having considered the “style-deference aspect,” as I call it, whenever I use
keys/synths I don’t view it as playing any notes over the top. If I play keys over
the top of the sample, I essentially drown out the sample. Instead, I view it as
supporting the sample. In beatmaking, since keys/synths are often better used
for developing melody as opposed to rhythm, and since samples are mostly used
for establishing rhythm and groove, you have to be careful how and when you
combine them with samples. Plus, it should be noted that combining synths
with samples is not merely a matter of playing notes over the top. However, many
beatmakers confuse “playing synths over the top” with simply making a sample
fuller or thicker. But the fullness and thickness of a sample is not a melody or
rhythm issue, it’s a sonic issue. Yet many beatmakers make the assumption that
playing synths over the top will make the sample sound better. Wrong! At
best, it will neutralize the sample’s true impact, nuance, and sonic quality. At
worst, it will drown out the sample, both in terms of feel and sound. So there’s
two things I want to make clear about this. First, if you want to increase the
fullness or thickness of a sample, particularly through the use of synths, then I
recommend that you sample the synths, chop them down into tones, then use
the chopped synth tones to beef up the weaker points of the sample. Second,
consider the length of the primary sample that you’re using. For instance, if
you’re working with a 4-bar sequence, how long does the primary sample play
for? If it doesn’t play for the full 4 bars, you can add in synths on the “free”
bars or “free” spots — the bars and spots where the sample is silent. In cases
like these, you can play in (add in) synth patterns in whatever key/tune that you
like, as long as it sounds good to you. Actually, playing in a dierent key often
works best here because it will give your beat more balance and an increased
dynamic quality.
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BeatTip — Getting Valuable Clues from Slow Jams
Some of my deepest musical understanding has come from what I’ve been
able to extract from slow jams, ie. slower tempo, ballad-like soul songs of the
‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s. Although slow jams carry tempos that are much slower
than even the slowest beats, I would argue that it is precisely because of this
“slowness” that you can more closely examine all of the elements of a song
and get a better idea for how each element is woven into a musical structure.
Moreover, not only do slow jams typically give o an obvious “good feeling,”
they also often yield much information about music creation. Slow jams have
had a rather profound eect on my musical process. So below, I want to share
a number areas in which I’ve learned a great deal from studying slow jams.
Regarding Arrangement, Tempo, and Movement
Soulful slow jams oer great instruction on what eective, engaging core
grooves sound like. e concept of arrangement used to be dicult for me.
But slow jams helped me develop a stronger understanding for how to create
independent musical sections and then blend them into one cohesive audio
composite. Also, slow jams gave me cues on when, where, and how to add
secondary musical events to the core groove. For instance, it was through my
study of slow jams that I learned how subtle strokes of sound could make a huge
dierence in the feel and movement of a beat.
So in addition to helping me to better identify the ways in which beats
can be arranged (programmed), slow jams have taught me a great deal about
the movement of musical parts. For instance, many beatmakers think that the
programmed tempo is exact and precise. Well, that’s technically true. Fact
is though: Two songs of the same tempo never move the exact same way. In
other words, songs of the same tempo can actually move and feel slower than
one another, depending upon the specic elements of the song. Because of this
understanding, whenever I make a beat, I go with the tempo that feels right
rather than the one that simply sounds right.
Regarding Individual Sound Design
Among soulful slow jams you will nd some of the most beautifully rich tones
and audio colors in recorded music. Slow jams, which are delicate audio aairs,
require great care to pull o. Because the vocalist is called upon to do more
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carrying of the song than in the case of faster tempo tunes, the instrumental pallet
of slow jams usually calls for softer sonic impressions, which each instrumentalist
obliges, being ever careful to stay out of the way of the vocalist. is is one of
the main reasons that slow jams sound so incredibly smooth. But remember,
these are soulful slow jams; and thus, the instrumentalists who play on these
songs typically render some slight embellishments, and it is these boldly-soft,
impromptu embellishments that make for some of the most magnicent sound
colors. (One of my favorite slow jams to study is “I Miss You” by Harold Melvin
and the Blue Notes featuring eodore Pendergrass. “I Miss You” is a lush,
magnetic slow jam that oers a great lesson in studying individual sound design.)
Because most musical parts in slow jams are less deliberate and much
more subtle, it’s easier to make out the individual sounds. rough my study
of soulful slow jams, I learned how to create short harp phrases and unique
organ-sound-stabs (truncated and sustained). Furthermore, I developed ways
for dissolving horn-stabs into an array of dierent sounds, making brand new
sound textures from otherwise opposing sounds. Finally, with regards to sound
design, the harmonizing of backup singers on most soulful slow jams has also
improved my musical understanding. e harmonizing of backup singers on
slow jams is always warm; it glides and fades in and out, often cradling the song
with even more emotional feeling, a nuance I strive to add — in some way — to
every beat that I make.
Regarding Drum Frameworks
As for the drums, soulful slow jams have taught me to commit to the core
drum framework and to avoid trying to get too fancy or complex with the
drumwork. I’ve learned to just anchor the groove and make sure the drum
framework keeps the rhythm steady, no matter the tempo. Even when I add
in heavier syncopation to my drum frameworks, I never get caught up in the
trend of adding useless snare repeats. Instead, I only use the snare as it ts with
the general scheme of the kick and the movement of the other musical elements
of the beat.
BeatTip — Quality Parameters: Use the Right
Ingredients, But Don’t Overcook the Beat
Beatmaking is not only a rich art, it’s also a musical science. at being said,
some beatmakers get too carried away with the “science” part. (You wouldn’t
believe all of the dierent stories that I’ve heard that describe incredible levels
over-production.) e science of beatmaking is a robust one; as mentioned in
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the Introduction, it contains technical, logical, and creative spheres. is section
is about the creative science of beatmaking — more specically the science of
arrangement and how it eects the quality of a beat.
No matter how we all dier with our initial approach to getting a new beat
started, we all set out trying to nd relatively the same thing: A base (primary)
rhythm framework, one that has just the right drums and the right overall
sound. Having achieved this framework, through a number of creatively applied
musical sciences that are mostly unique to beatmaking, a familiar dilemma sets
in: What to add next?
Again within the beatmaking lexicon, these “add-ons” are commonly
known as “changes” or “switch-ups.” (For those familiar with music theory, a
change or switch-up is actually most comparable to a motif or motive, and an
embellishment and/or ornament.) Typically in beatmaking, changes are worked
in somewhere on 4th, 8th, 12th, or 16th bar, with a signicant switch-up
thrown in somewhere at the mid-length of the beat. But again, every beat does
not requires a signicant change (and certainly not a major switch-up) in order
for it to sound dope and be of high quality.
Consider this, let’s say that you sample a 4-bar measure of any given record
from the 1970s — the era of choice of nearly all sample-based beatmakers. Now,
depending on where on the record that you sample the measure from, you want
to remember that contained in just that one sample, there can actually be a wide
assortment of individual sounds, each combining to form a wall-of-sound. ink
about it: ere could be the bass drum, the snare drum, a ride, a cymbal, a hi-hat,
an open hi-hat, bass guitar, rhythm guitar, lead guitar, electronic keyboard/
piano, tambourine, timbales, horns — it could go on, but that’s pretty much
the basic sound-wall that you can expect to hear. And since drums are the most
fundamental component of standard hip hop/rap beat structure, beatmakers
are naturally drawn to those parts of the record that have the least amount of
collective sounds. Traditionally, this part in the record is known as the break.
However, though I recognize what a traditional break is — the section where all
of the music drops out, save the rhythm section, namely the drums and bass, I
consider any fragmented musical phrase to be a break. Fundamentally speaking,
I believe that the quest for the perfect beat is really the quest for the perfect
break. at said, after this ultimate break is created, many of us do something
very detrimental to the beat itself: We over-do it, by adding in unnecessary or
counter-productive changes and switch-ups.
Creating beats is meticulous and very cathartic. And a lot of the time, the
way we feel about a beat we’ve just made has a lot to do with what actually
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went into the making of it. For beatmakers, process matters a great deal. We
value the unique processes, practices, and methodologies of our craft in a way
that sometimes borders on obsession. And as I mentioned earlier, we take great
pride in our particular brand of musical science. Because of this, we’re always
surveying a beat, thinking about how we can make it better. is (sometimes
unhealthy) preoccupation with perfection can sabotage many of the beats that
we make. Somewhere in between a beatmaker carving out that ultimate break
and ocially calling a beat complete is where this preoccupation with perfection
tends to go way out of whack.
In much of the beatwork of the past decade, I’ve noticed that this problem
of under- or over-producing is increasingly getting worse. And I think the reason
has a lot to do with the shifting concepts of what makes a beat dope, as well as
today’s loose standards that excludes some beats from being considered wack.
In the current hip hop/rap climate, it seems as if there’s some questionable rules
board that renders any criticism as merely “opinion,” which, in eect, reduces
any negative criticism of one beatmaker to another (after all, nobody wants to
be labled a hater). Because the current standards of quality in hip hop/rap and
beatmaking have loosened up, what we now have is more uninteresting rhymes
and a level of beatwork that either sounds alarmingly incomplete and woefully
under-produced, or perhaps worse, too manufactured and over-produced. It’s
because of this that somewhere between arriving at that ultimate break — the
heart of a beat — and completion of the beat, many of us are electing to either
stop short or to throw in questionable changes and switch-ups that distract and
undermine the main theme or heart of the beat.
I believe that this laxity or lack of concern for quality beatmaking and this
over-concern for quantity on the other has been caused by some sort of hip hop
amnesia. roughout every signicant beatmaking era from hip hop’s inception
(ca. 1973) up until the mid to late 1990s, the fundamental principle for when
a beat was complete depended on how tight the rhythm was — how dope the
ultimate break was. From Grandmaster Flash and Afrika Bambaataa to Large
Professor, DJ Premier, and Dr. Dre, on up to J Dilla, Kanye West, Just Blaze,
e Neptunes, DJ Mustard, and Metro Boomin, one principle of quality that
directly linked all of them was the existence of a complete, solid core rhythm
structure — an ultimate break that contained no distracting or unnecessary
changes or switch-ups. In fact, in the case of Dr. Dre (who’s not primarily a
sample-based beatmaker), his base rhythm structures were so tight, and his
peripheral changes and switch-ups so well-balanced and matched, that one
could easily mistake most of his non-sampled structures for samples. However,
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in the current musical climate, where creativity and non-contrived originality
is seemingly less valued, this fundamental approach to beatmaking is routinely
being ignored.
As beats are increasingly made much more in a cold, mechanical, assembly-
line manner rather than a simple, straight forward feeling-based manner, beatwork
is moving further away from the base principle of quality that I’ve outlined
above. In order to combat against this unfortunate development and to safeguard
against under- or over-producing, I believe that beatmakers should consistently
assess the parameters of quality that exist not just seemingly at the moment, but
over the last 30 years at best, or the last 15 years at least.
Creating A Signature Sound: One of the Best Way’s to
Distinguish Yourself as a Beatmaker
Regardless of what approach you ultimately take to make your beats, I can
not stress enough the importance of establishing your own sound and style
identity. e main reason that so many beatmakers eventually stop and give
it all up is because they never develop their own sound and style identity and,
subsequently, never establish their own brand of music. ough there are a
number of factors that contribute to this, I believe that this phenomenon is
mainly attributed to three factors: (1) e lack of thorough practice; (2) e
lack of a concrete understanding and appreciation and/or respect for music
history in general; and (3) e fact that many beatmakers never really learn how
to translate their internal creativity through their production setups. And these
days, with so many beatmakers transitioning to a ubiquitous pop radio sound,
there’s one overlooked option that can oer just as much success or critical
acclaim: A signature sound.
Despite what some in the beatmaking community purport, a signature
sound is not necessarily a limited sound. On the contrary, it’s the independent
and unique sonic force that is consciously created by an individual beatmaker or
beatmaking team. Also, more often than not, the signature sounds of beatmakers
reect their commitment to the principle of originality and uniqueness. And
whether a signature sound is simple or complex doesn’t really matter. A signature
sound is a good thing because it allows a beatmaker to distinguish his (or her)
music from others within the beatmaking community.
Signature sounds are also a proven phenomenon within the beatmaking and
hip hop/rap traditions. From the earliest b-boy inspired DJs of the ‘70s to the
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sample wizards of the early/mid-‘90s to the synth/synthetic-sounds-based beat
crafters of the late-‘90s/early 2000s, signature sounds have been more prevalent
than some beatmakers may like to acknowledge. Unfortunately, along with
the increasing boom of interest in beatmaking, there also came a new level of
seemingly acceptable biting, i.e. intentional, shameful duplication. In the past
ve years or so, biting (sucker style) and blatant style rip-os have become so
widespread that it’s proving to be more dicult to tell one beatmaker apart
from another. And with the apparent tightening up of placement opportunities
within the recording industry, many beatmakers, who once would have never
considered openly biting another beatmaker’s style and sound, have gone over
to the darkside. In this light, a signature sound is not only a way for beatmakers
to distinguish their beats, it’s also an eective means for protecting against
wide-scale biting.
The Six Areas of Beatmaking That are Ideal for Creating a
Signature Sound: Sound Frequencies, Drum Sounds, Drum
Programming, Composing, Arranging, and Mixing
Note: Generating your own unique approach in the six areas that I outline
below will inevitably lead to your own signature sound. But keep in mind, the
process of creating a signature sound involves the deliberate repetition of many
of the unique approaches and methods that you employ. at said, here are
some guidelines you might want to follow.
Sound Frequencies
Sound frequency refers to the sound frequencies (color, tone, and character) of
the type of sounds — samples, synthetic-sounds, synths, and sound eects — that
a beatmaker chooses. is can be further broken down, for example, what kind
of samples? Chops, long breaks (2-bar, 4-bar, 8-bar)? What kind of keyboard
sounds? Strings, horns, bass sounds? What kind of synth sounds and patches?
Mid, high, low frequencies? Each one of these sub-factors can oer a dierent
path to a great signature sound.
More than any other elements of your beats, the sound frequencies that
you choose play the biggest role in determining the overall mood and feel of
your music. So it’s imperative that you identify and develop a range of sound
frequencies that you truly favor; that is, a range of sound frequencies that best
allows you to make the musical expressions that you seek. After you identify the
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range of sound frequencies that you like to work with, be true to them. at
is to say, try to be consistent to the sound themes, strategies, and ideas that you
value, and try to avoid falling headrst into trends or directions that don’t t
your style and sound objectives and goals.
Drumwork: Drum Sounds and Drum Programming
Crafting custom drum sounds are a surere way for beatmakers to create a
signature sound. Remember, it has often been said that a beatmaker is only as
good (or as bad) as his collection of drum sounds. erefore, in order for you to
create a signature sound, you must know your drum sounds. us it’s important
to learn what each one of your drum sounds can do individually and in tandem.
So develop drum combinations and patterns that t your overall approach to
beatmaking. Also, identify what sounds and frequencies interest you. Finally,
try limiting the number and types of kicks that you utilize. Re-using the same
three to ve kicks can go a long way in establishing a signature sound.
e drum framework is the most recognized hallmark of a beat. erefore,
if you want to create a signature sound, your drum programming has to be
distinct on some level. Drum programming at its best gets the job done; drum
programming at its worst distracts and over compensates. So designing drum
programs that defer to eciency, rather than an obscene level of showmanship,
is not only the best path for creating a signature sound, it’s also good practice to
observe with your beatmaking in general. A distinctive drum sound can be as
little as adding percussive elements like elongated rides or bongo stabs, or it can
be more, like making your entire drum structure o beat or in a subtle shue.
Composing and Arranging
As I note throughout this study, when arranging your elements, make sure
that each component makes the overall rhythm tighter and sonically stronger.
Also, when considering changes, think in terms of function before form; ie.
consider the function of the change — if it’s needed and why. After you decide
that changes are needed within a given beat, create changes that compliment
the main rhythm of the beat.
Mixing: Customize a Sonic Wall in the Mix
Mixing refers to the approach that beatmakers/producers may take to mixing
their beats. is describes the sound dynamics that are achieved before, during,
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and after the beat is made. It involves things like manipulating the dynamics
of each sound, through both non-eects processor techniques like tucking and
panning, and eects processor techniques like EQ, compression, reverb, and
limiting. Mixing oers a great way for you to create your own unique sonic
impression. ere are many “standard” mixing principles that can be observed,
but the manipulation of these standards can often be the best way to establish
your own signature mixing approach. e idea here is to establish and regularly
work from your own mix settings. is will go a long way in helping you dene
your overall sound. For good examples of how the mix can be just as much a
part of a beamaker’s style and sound, study RZA, A Tribe Called Quest, Large
Professor, Bink, Nottz, and Madlib.
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Chapter 8
The Art of Sampling
is is why we sample. We’re borrowing from music that was already here and just…
like Rakim said, we converted it into hip hop form. Hip hop can take anything
and just make an ill beat. It’s just about who’s constructing it and understanding
the science of it and understanding how to listen to it. –DJ Premier
What Is the Art of Sampling?
Consider the Context rst, then the Meaning, Purpose,
and Conceptual Understanding
By the coldest (non-emotional) and technical denition possible, sampling
is described as the act of digitally recording a sound.
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However, in its most
fundamental and traditional context and sense, sampling is the artistic process
of extracting fragments of recorded music from old songs for the use of making
new beats (music). But even that’s the simple denition. e complete and most
accurate denition of sampling requires a much deeper examination.
To understand sampling, you must rst comprehend hip hop DJ’ing, hip
hop culture, and the “hip hop sensibility.” In chapter 2, I discussed how hip hop
DJ’ing was born from the central use of record breaks. e earliest hip hop DJs
were the rst to use turntables in ways that transformed their designed technical
boundaries. Hip hop DJs cut, blended, and mixed the breaks of various records
in an impromptu fashion that was a compositional style all its own.
In chapter 1, I discussed how one prominent result of an isolated and
fragmented culture is that its residents learn to make use of their environment;
i.e. they salvage practically anything within and outside of their environment for
unique use. I further pointed out how the fragmentation caused by the South
Bronx Disaster had, in eect, led to a “culture of sampling,” a culture which
enabled the residents of the South Bronx (and other similarly hard-hit cities
across the United States) to take and make use of pieces of culture from both
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To sample sound, you must use some kind of sampler, an EMPI that digitally records sounds.
Samplers are most commonly used to sample sounds from other audio devices such as turntables, CD
players, computers, and microphones. But they can also be used to sample external sounds that do
not originate from other audio devices. For example, the sound of a hammer striking a window pane is
a great sound to layer on top of a snare. In order to get this sound, you have to mic the action, that is,
you have to record the sound through a microphone.
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within their own settings and from mainstream American society. Moreover,
they learned how to convert those pieces of mainstream American culture in
accordance to their own needs, principles, priorities, and values.
In chapter 2, I pointed out how and why the culture of sampling is an important
part of the “hip hop sensibility;” how the culture of sampling often manifests itself;
and how in a culture of sampling everything is fair game and open to transformation,
transgression, and recontextualization (reconceptualization) — music, language,
fashion, aerosol paint cans, whatever: If it can be converted and ipped, it will
be. In reality, this is not that dierent than how traditional musicians and artists
utilize everything within culture for the source and inspiration of their creative
activity. And thus, it is from this context and perspective — the culture of
sampling context and perspective — that we must continue our discussion
about what sampling is.
Sampling is a Special Form of Derivative Art
Sampling is a special form of derivative art. Whether consciously or
subconsciously, musicians borrow and incorporate sounds, rhythms, melodies,
ideas, and musical frameworks from other artists all the time. us the question:
What is sampling? is also grounded in the notion of an artist’s ability, necessity,
and natural inclination to create art based on works that came before. Here,
it’s important to note that sampling is dierent than the meaning of creating a
“derivative work” in terms of United States copyright law. For example, making
an exact drawing from a photograph is what it means to make a derivative work
in terms of copyright law. Similarly, a “remix” of a song, where the original is
the core, is a derivative work of the original. However, in sampling, only a small
piece of a song is used in the creation of an entirely new song. erefore, the
new song is not a derivative of the sampled song.
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Derivative art itself is a necessary and an inevitable process; it’s also a
tradition long-practiced in every major art form. All music, at its core, is
virtually derivative, inasmuch as its derived from ideas and works that have come
125
“Thus, ‘sampling’ could almost never create a derivative work. Section 101 denes a ‘derivative
work’ as one ‘based upon one or more preexisting works, such as a translation, musical arrangement,
dramatization, ctionalization, motion picture version, sound recording, art reproduction, abridgment,
condensation, or any other form in which a work may be recast, transformed, or adapted.’ As should be
evident from this denition…, one could not create a derivative work in this context unless the original
work was used as the main theme of the new work.” Quote from Jennifer R. R. Mueller, “All Mixed
Up: Bridgeport Music v. Dimension Films and De Minimis Digital Sampling,” Indiana Law Journal, Vol.
81, Issue 1, Article 22 (2006), 451. Further, in Williams v. Broadus, the court noted that “a work is not
derivative simply because it borrows from a pre-existing work.” Marlon Williams v. Calvin Broadus No.
99 Civ. 10957 (MBM), 2001 WL 984714 (S.D.N.Y. Aug. 27, 2001).
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before. e intellectual recycling of tropes and elements from older songs is
nothing new in music, it has always been a major part of the creative process in
music and other art forms. Every musician (every artist) at some point within
their creative process samples in one way or another. Historically, musicians/
recording artists have, in their pursuit to create new music, routinely “sampled”
ideas, musical phrases, notes, and/or sounds from each other. ere is no such
thing as a musician that has or does not intellectually — virtually — sample
and draw inuence and inspiration from other musicians and recording artists
or practitioners of some similar artistic medium.
is process of intellectually (virtually) sampling another musician/recording
artist is widespread, overtly expected, and accepted as normal creative behavior;
in fact, in some musical cultures, it is often celebrated. What is new, however, is
the physical use — i.e. digital copying — of these elements in a xed recorded
form, which is also what sampling is. But here, we must be careful not to forget
that there is no conceptual dierence between the intellectual (virtual) copying
and the physical (digital sampling) copying of someone’s work. Both involve
copying and intellectual transformation. us, “it is not accurate to say, as the
Bridgeport court does, that when ‘sounds are sampled they are taken directly from
that xed medium. It is a physical taking rather than an intellectual one.’”
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An
artist who samples a song doesn’t literally “take” the sound out of the original
recording. Instead, sampling technology creates a copy that is transferred to a
computer hard drive. An actual physical taking of a vinyl record would mean
that after sampling a vinyl record, the sampler would spit out a piece of the
actual vinyl record, and the original vinyl record would be missing the piece
that was physically taken.
Sampling is a Technique, Method, and Compositional Style
Sampling, or rather sample-based beatmaking, is a music-making technique
that relies primarily on the use of samples of recorded sound for the creation of
new music. In its most common and fundamental case, these samples (snippets
and segments) of ris, melodies, and/or sound-stabs are sampled from vinyl
records. But it should be noted that sampling is not limited to just old songs;
for most sample-based beatmakers, any sound recording can be sampled and
transformed.
Another important characteristic of the sample-based style is that it indirectly
familiarizes (often deeply) beatmakers with many of the methods that were
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Mueller, 450.
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initiated and mastered by beatmakers from the rst two Golden Eras of hip hop/
rap music. Beatmakers who rely on the sample-based compositional style are
often masters at complex and unique sound customization techniques as well
as the advanced tier of other processes like chopping and looping. Because of
this, many sample-based beatmakers have the advantage of being able to create a
sound that is reminiscent to a past era while also inline with contemporary trends.
Sampling is Sound Collage
Sampling is part of the broader tradition of sound collage, the art technique
that involves combining portions of sounds from previous recordings, including
songs. In sound collage, or better stated, musical collage, sound recordings are
viewed and treated as sound sources. us music collagists extract pieces and
snippets — commonly regarded as “found sounds” — from these sound sources
to create musical montages, which represent wholly new songs. e sampling
tradition of hip hop/rap music ts within the borders of musical collage, as the
aims of the musical collagist and sample-based beatmaker are mostly mutual;
both seek to create new music from the sound objects of other sound recordings.
But the sampling tradition of hip hop/rap music has its own distinct priorities
and parameters. And while every sample-based beatmaker is indeed a musical
collagist, not every musical collagist is a sample-based beatmaker.
Sampling is Versioning
Sampling is also a natural extension of “versioning.” Versioning can best
be described as the reworking of popular melodies or familiar folk tunes, songs,
catch phrases, and the like. e process of using intellectual (virtual) samples of
other works as source material and inspiration, or rather as the model for new
works, is nothing new, especially in the African American (Black) music tradition.
Sampling is a Fine Art
Within the beatmaking tradition, sampling is a ne art. Some critics
maintain that sampling is uncreative, limiting, or even worse, lazy. On the
contrary, sampling is a real-time mix of all of one’s musical understanding. at
is to say, sampling forces beatmakers to identify multiple sounds, tones, and
rhythms all at once, in one completed composition. Furthermore, what makes
sampling a ne art is the fact that it is also what I like to call “a grid of discovery.”
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It’s substantial training, part intuition, part accident, and a whole lot of diggin’
in the crates. Actualy, beatmakers who use the sample-based compositional style
are rewarded for their “discoveries,” i.e. for what they nd and ip. (Flippin’
a sample is the process of manipulating and fashioning a sample into a beat.)
Sampling is Digitally Recording a Sound
As a technological concept, sampling is simply the act of digitally recording
a sound, then transforming, rearranging, and assembling that sampled sound
into a programmed sequence. After that, the idea is to turn this programmed
sequence into a new composition. As an art form however, the practice of
sampling is quite intricate. Not only does it involve a creative understanding
of how sounds, tones, and pitches work, it requires a meticulous method for
editing and manipulating sounds.
Sampling is Referential Music-Making
In its most fundamental sense, sampling is also referential music-making.
No music is truly independent and free of any references. All forms of music
are referential. All musicians create by referencing the elements, styles, themes,
sounds, principles, and priorities of music created by others, either before or
during their time. e art of sampling builds on this truth and sensibility, as
it is a compositional process that uses — references — segments of recorded
music and other sounds to create new music. And again, sampling, in terms
of referencing of ideas, has always been going on in music. Borrowing pieces,
segments, or varied fragments of songs for the purpose of creating new works is
certainly not anything new in the world of music. For instance, jazz giant Charlie
Parker is widely considered to be a genius for using — referencing — a little bit
of Gershwin’s “I Got Rhythm” and recontextualizing (reconceptualizing) it into
new music. Are not all of the jazz greats throughout the 1930s, ‘40s, and ‘50s
geniuses, for using (referencing) pieces of many blues standards in the creative
process of new music?
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“I Got Rhythm” was a George Gershwin song composed for the 1930 Broadway musical Girl Crazy.
That a song from a Broadway musical was used for the basis of new jazz works demonstrates how
critical “sampling” and “versioning” was to the existence and development of the jazz tradition. Moreover,
it personies the importance of sampling and versioning in the African American (Black) music tradition.
“These early pieces [of blues songs provided] a basic repertory of stock melodies that have been
drawn upon innumerable times by jazz composers.” Quote from Eileen Southern, The Music of Black
Americans: A History, (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1971), 339. Within black (African-derived)
musical cultures, “the past” has always served as common fertile ground and inspiration for creativity.
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Sampling is Musical Recycling
Sampling is also musical recycling, especially as it celebrates the very concept
of musical recycling. Recycling is a major component of all contemporary music
practices, but for hip hop/rap’s earliest and recent pioneers and contemporary
practitioners, the art of sampling is the rightful recycling of a common heritage.
Sampling stems from the art of hip hop DJ’ing, which itself stems from a
keen interest in the heritage of the African American (Black) music tradition,
specically the major sub-traditions of soul, funk, and disco. is heritage music
is an embedded tradition (style, sound, and unique nuance), that can not be
easily duplicated. e rst hip hop DJs, who were acutely aware of and sensible
to this fact, took to recycling this music at a time when it was considered past
its prime and no longer usable and/or relevant. e art of sampling extends the
tradition of the hip hop DJ, as it makes relevant use of a musical heritage that
is considered unusable or no longer relevant. In this way, sampling, as musical
recycling, speaks to part of the original purpose of American copyright law: to
promote the progress of useful arts.
What’s a Sampler and How Do They Work?
Technically speaking, a sampler is any EMPI (Electronic Music Production
Instrument) that can digitally record sound, usually through the use of external
audio sources like turntables, CD players, cassettes, and microphones. Instead of
having the ability to simply generate and manipulate tones (like a synthesizer),
a sampler deals with the actual digital recording of sounds. Once sounds are
recorded into a sampler, they can be altered in pitch, duration, and/or sequence,
while the unique timbre (tonal qualities) of the sounds within the sample remain
intact. e sampled sound(s) can then be triggered (played back) through the
use of a MIDI instrument such as a keyboard/MIDI controller or drum machine.
Here, it’s worth mentioning how samplers determine the clarity of sound.
Samplers use something called “audio bandwidth” to determine the clarity of
a sound. e general formula states that: bandwidth of the sample signal is
usually around half the sampling rate. So 16kHz is = 8kHz audio bandwidth.
But clarity does vary from sampler to sampler. e Akai S950, one of the
samplers infamously linked to the development of hip hop/rap music and the
art of sampling, samples at 12 bit. But it’s just as clear as many of the 16 bit
samplers that are currently available, but not as bright and clear as let’s say a
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24-bit sampler. Finally, it’s important to remember that samplers can be (and
often are) used to sample practically any sound imaginable.
The History and Evolution of Sampling in the Hip Hop/
Rap and Beatmaking Traditions
Sampling, as we’ve come to know it today in the hip hop/rap tradition,
nds its roots in the hip hop DJ’ing of the early and mid-1970s. As I detailed
in chapters 2 and 3, early hip hop DJs like Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, and
Afrika Bambaataa normalized the practice of repeating the break in a record;
they used turntables to play only the breaks, mostly from funk records and other
soul music forms, early disco, and even some late 1960s and early 1970s rock ‘n’
roll records. us, in eect, early hip hop DJs were “sampling” what to them
were the choicest, most valuable parts of the records.
Pushing the boundaries of the turntables, pioneering hip hop/rap DJs — most
notably Grandmaster Flash — transformed turntables into manual sampling
machines. And under the early guidance of recording engineer/producer
Arthur Baker, Afrika Bambatta began experimenting with synthesizers and
early samplers. As hip hop/rap music grew both in terms of size and scope, this
fact did not go unnoticed by major EMPI manufacturers like E-Mu, Ensoniq,
and Akai. By the mid 1980s, Roland and Yamaha had joined the other three
major EMPI companies, now making it ve big EMPI corporations that were
jockeying towards advancements in sampling technology.
At this time, hip hop/rap DJ’s — who had steadily been experimenting
with all sorts of electronic sound-making devices, and who had spawned an
entirely new league of music-makers — were the perfect consumer group for
the new samplers that the major EMPI manufacturers were marketing. For
the rst wave of hip hop/rap DJs (beatmakers), turntables had been their chief
instruments, but having seemingly pushed turntables to their limits, these DJs
began to incorporate echo boxes, drum machines, synthesizers, and early sound
modules into their music rigs. It wasn’t long before these music rigs morphed
into what we now commonly call production setups.
Again, these new developments in the hip hop/rap DJ world prompted the
big ve EMPI companies to release a wave of EMPIs that would go on to become
classic instruments in the beatmaking tradition. In 1985, Ensoniq introduced
the Mirage, a digital sampling keyboard — the rst sampler with keyboard
control. In 1986, Akai released their S900, which was quickly updated to the
celebrated S950, one of the most important EMPIs in the development of the
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hip hop/rap and beatmaking traditions. Later that same year, Roland introduced
their own 12 bit, high-powered sampler: the S50. en in 1988, two of the
biggest sampling classics came to market: the SP 12 by E-Mu, which was soon
succeeded by the SP 1200; and Akai’s MPC 60, which was quickly succeeded
by the much revered MPC 60 II, and later the MPC 3000.
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Advents like the E-Mu SP 1200, Akai S950, and the Akai MPC 60 II ushered
in a new way of sampling and further extended the compositional process. Before
the late 1980s, beatmaking was best characterized by sparsely arranged drums
(notably Roland’s TR 808) and equally simple keyboard patterns. However,
by the late 1980s and early 1990s, the pioneers of sampling — most notably
Marley Marl, e Bomb Squad, Showbiz, Q-Tip, DJ Premier, Large Professor,
Pete Rock, Dr. Dre, and RZA — used the sample technology of their time to
introduce a more dramatic, more aggressive way of making beats. ese pioneers
went beyond just sampling the break, they explored the entire record and sampled
sound segments from practically everywhere. In turn, they would then ip the
samples; that is to say, they would take these sampled sections and chop them,
lter them, and fashion them into new musical compositions — compositions
that were more challenging and creative than anything previously produced in
the young history of beatmaking.
rough an aggressively creative style of trial and era, pioneering beatmakers,
particularly those of the Pioneers/Avant-Garde Period (1988-1994) of
beatmaking, were able to establish the foundation for which all sample-based
beatmakers now build upon. e primary sample-manipulation techniques that
were fostered and developed by the aforementioned pioneers still serve as the
basis for the sampling processes that we now recognize in beatmaking today.
erefore, all beatmakers who sample are forever indebted to these pioneers.
Critical Context: The Impact of the Sampling Pioneers and the
Response of EMPI Manufacturers
e new compositions created by the early sampling pioneers were drum-
backed re-creations and/or savvy street interpretations of the original recording
that they sampled. e process that they formulated was critical to the overall
development of the beatmaking tradition for two reasons. For one thing, it
allowed a generation of impoverished blacks and Latinos, who had been deprived
of instruction with traditional musical instruments, to be reconnected with the
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The original Akai MPC series was actually designed by Roger Linn, the inventor of the Linn Drum,
an EMPI which many rightfully see as the predecessor to the rst Akai MPC.
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sounds, culture, and a general heritage that they had been mostly stripped of.
is connection, which brought about a renaissance for soul and R&B music
of the late 1960s and 1970s, helped make beatmaking a legitimate alternative to
traditional musical instruction and creation. Today, beatmaking (hip hop/rap
music production) is a musical discipline that is appealing to all sorts of people,
from all races, ethnicities, and walks of life. Young kids, both impoverished and
well-o, who dream of playing the saxophone or maybe the guitar when they
grew up still dream of playing those instruments; only now, many of them want
to use an MPC, a sampling keyboard, FL Studio, and/or some other EMPI to
do so!
e sampling process formulated during the end of the Electronic Drum
Machine Period (1983-1987) and the Pioneers/Avant-Garde Period (1988-1994)
also had a considerable impact on the technological advancements of the samplers
and other EMPIs of today. Before 1995, no manufacturer oered an EMPI with
the function name: “chop” or “chopping.” Chopping was the jargon used by the
pioneers (and other practitioners of the time) to describe the multi-part process
of sampling, dissecting, separating, and rearranging of the desired pieces of the
original sample. Before 1995, beatmakers had to manually chop up the original
sample into sections. After 1995, manufacturers began oering EMPIs with
“auto-chop functionality,” i.e. chopping functions that automatically chopped
up samples into sections for you.
Finally, as the sound in hip hop/rap production grew cleaner, brighter, and
generally louder, the EMPI manufacturers once again appeased hip hop/rap
beatmakers by oering samplers with higher sampling bit rates. From 1985 to
1996, the only available sample bit rates were 8, 12, and 16khz. After 1996, the
sample rate in samplers blew up to 24khz. e sampling terminology (mostly
created and rst echoed by the hip hop/rap beatmakers) and the evolving
sound design of the beatmaking pioneers prompted EMPI manufacturers to
completely re-structure their design and marketing strategy. By the late 1990s,
it was quite clear that hip hop/rap music was the king of all styles of electronic
music production. Hence, the big two EMPI manufacturers of the time Akai
and Roland — made sure that their product lines were hip hop/rap production
compliant. And what was the result of the EMPI manufacturer’s dramatic
re-direction and commitment to hip hop/rap music production? e result
was more intuitive samplers, complete with more sampling time, higher sample
rates, more critical sampling techniques, and more dynamic processing eects.
So there are several questions that beg answering. Why did EMPI
manufacturers continue to develop their sampling technology? And why did
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they continue to mass market their new sampling product lines? Did EMPI
manufacturers anticipate a decline in the interest of sampling and, therefore, a
decline in the use of samplers? Or did they expect for the interest in sampling
to grow and, subsequently, increase the demand for their samplers? Given their
collective advancements in sampling and sequencing technology, then and
now, it’s clear that EMPI manufactures saw (and continue to see) sampling as
a valuable practice that’s here to stay.
The Mechanics of Sampling
The Sampling Equation
e Sampling equation is a term that I use to describe the core set of
processes that make up the compositional tract of the art of sampling. It also,
not coincidentally, describes some of the fundamental factors that ultimately
determine the success and eectiveness of the art sampling. ere are seven
separate but interrelated components that make up the sampling equation:
(1) the philosophical approach, (2) the sampler’s code, (3) “diggin’ in the
crates” — source material/music, (4) signal chain, (5) chopping/editing
and sound manipulation, (6) triggering, (7) arrangement/programming
and sequencing.
e philosophical approach refers to the overall philosophy of sampling
that a beatmaker holds; it also refers to the style of sampling that a beatmaker
employs. e sampler’s code represents the creative and ethical standards of
sampling in the hip hop/rap music tradition; each beatmaker’s adherrence to
this code goes a long way in determing the quality and originality of their beats.
Diggin’ in the crates — Source material/music refers to what the sample
actually is, where it comes from (e.g. a vinyl record, CD, mp3, cassette tape,
.wav le, etc), and how it was found. Signal chain refers to how the source
material/music is accessed; that is to say, through which capture media is the
source material/music accessed and through what audio connection is it achieved.
In other words, the format of the source material/music and where the source
material/music goes before it’s sampled. Chopping/editing refers to the “trim”
techniques and the other editing processes that sample-based beatmakers use
to transform samples through a series of cuts and trims, i.e chops. Triggering
refers to the means through which samples are triggered and played, for example,
through the use of a drum pad on a drum machine, a key on a keyboard or MIDI
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controller, and/or key on a computer keyboard. Arrangement/programming
and sequencing refers to the process of programming/arranging samples into
sequences and linking sequences together into fully arranged songs.
The Philosophical Approach
In order to further explain what is meant by the philosophical approach, I
thought it would be a good idea to share the approach that I (and many other
sample-based beatmakers) use. My philosohpical approach to sampling is this:
I look at sampling as a grid of musical discovery with vast creative potential.
Unlike a single note on a keyboard or soft-synth (software synthesizer), a sample
of a pre-recorded sound recording can give you more than just movement up or
down the pitch scale. And aside from the various incidental nuances that samples
provide when they’re looped, samples often act as cementing agents. at is
to say, samples, especially when serving as half of the rhythm section of a beat,
glue the drums of the beat in a way that makes the whole composition move
more organically rather than mechanically. Furthermore, the art of sampling
can school (educate) you — on tones and textures, rhythm and timing, function
and feeling — in ways that traditional musical processes can not. Whenever I
sample a record, I always learn something new about composing and arranging
music. More importantly, I gain a better understanding of how to insert a
particular mood that I’m feeling into my music.
Whatever your philosophical approach to sampling is, you should always
consider three factors when you take up the sample-based compositional style.
First, you should seek and fully expect to nd something fresh and unique every
time you sample something, even if it’s just a sound-stab, like a new hi-hat or
snare. Second, concern yourself with the mood and feeling of the source material/
music that you want to sample. Regardless of what you’re sampling, whether
it’s a complete-phrase or spare-part phrase, focus your attention on identifying
the mood and feeling of what you’re about to sample. ird, having identied
the mood and feeling, shift your attention to trying to get an audio snapshot of
where you want to go with what you’ve sampled, like how can you use, and in
some cases reuse, what you’ve just sampled.
e approach that I just outlined is the one I employ, but I certainly
encourage you to add your own unique thoughts to it, because it is critical that
you identify and incorporate your own approach to sampling. In doing so, you
will carve out your own sampling identity and, in turn, you will develop your
own healthy approach to sampling. Furthermore, because sampling requires that
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you devote serious time to mining through source material (mostly vinyl records,
CDs, MP3s, or .WAV les) for things to sample, having a clear-cut approach
and expectation will dramatically increase your overall beatmaking eciency.
Finally, I should add that the proper sampling approach will train your musical
ear, giving you a better indication on what kinds of samples that you’re likely
to ip (transform into something new) more successfully.
The Sampler’s Code: The Ethics and Unwritten Rules
of Sampling in the Hip Hop/Rap Tradition
e purpose of the sampler’s code (or any rule or tradition in an art form) is
to help sample-based beatmakers create the best art that they can. e sampler’s
code is not meant to be a restriction of art; instead, it’s meant to serve as a guide
to and catalyst for creating the best art possible.
ere are a variety of unwritten ethical rules that govern the general
beatmaking community, but nowhere are such rules perhaps more clearly dened
and adhered to than in the sample-based beatmaking community. For most
seasoned sample-based beatmakers, these rules, which are often learned directly
or indirectly from other samplers, are well understood and timeless. It should
also be noted that the ethical rules of sampling are an extension of the creative,
stylistic, and competitive rules that governed over the four elements (main artistic
expressions) of hip hop’s earlier days. As such, these rules implicitly stress the
importance of knowing the fundamentals of the art form as well knowing the
work and styles of the art form’s most respected artists. Moreover, the ethical
rules of sampling are inextricably connected to notions of originality and aesthetic
value. What follows below is a list of the most recognized ethical rules in the
sampling tradition of hip hop/rap music.
Know the Art Form
Before anything else, a sample-based beatmaker should know the art and
craft of sampling. is part of the sampler’s code means that you should have a
commitment to studying the art of sampling; for this is the rst prerequesite for
developing a skill and appreciation for sampling. Within this understanding,
a serious sample-based beatmaker is expected to know the history and heritage
of sampling in hip hop/rap music; the styles and work of the art form’s most
respected artists and other key practitioners; the aesthetic and technical
characteristics of the art of sampling; and the practice of diggin’ in the crates
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(vinyl diggin’ or e-diggin’). Also, knowing the art form of sampling in itself
underscores the importance of preserving it.
Be Creative and Original
Second only to knowing the art form is the rule of being creative and
original. Hip hop culture prioritizes originality in general, but in beatmaking,
and sampling in specic, being creative and maintaining an original sound is
especially important. For one thing, the most sought after source material (i.e.
recordings) in the sampling tradition of hip hop/rap music spans from the late
1960s to the mid-1970s (as I discussed earlier, this is for the aesthetic value of
records released in that time frame). is means that sample-based beatmakers
are often using the same kinds of source material and, in many cases, the same
exact recordings or dierent recordings from the same album. To be original, a
sample-based beatmaker must, necessarily, commit to being creative by using his
or her knowledge of the art form along with their own ingenuity and imagination.
Further, while being original can mean diggin’ deeper for more rare and obscure
source material, it can also mean transforming known source material in new
ways that thoroughly demonstrate the sampler’s code of creativity and originality.
Finally, it’s also worth mentioning that the creativity and originality rule
in sampling also adheres to the hip hop sensibility’s competition dimension.
Because sample-based beatmakers aim for creativity and originality, either
through a unique blend of their skills or through the use of obscure recordings,
they are upholding one of hip hop’s driving forces: competition. In my interviews
with DJ Premier, Buckwild, 9th Wonder, each pointed out how on a number of
occasions they were motivated and pushed by the beats of their peers to come up
with even more dope beats of their own. Each maintained that it was “healthy
competition.” is chain of respectful competition and motivation plays a
major role in the sample-based beatmaking community, and being creative and
original are important aspects of this competition.
No Biting Allowed
Biting, the overt (sometimes less overt), deliberate copying of another artist’s
style has never been respected in any of hip hop’s four artistic expressions. As I
discussed in Part I, style and originality has been prioritized in hip hop culture
sense its inception. As two of the most valued and celebrated traits in hip hop,
individual style and originality also means that you don’t bite! You don’t copy
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someone’s style and sound. Instead, you develop your own style and sound, and
you always aim for originality. And while demonstrating clear inuences of other
sample-based beatmakers’ (or other artists) works is certainly not a violation of
the sampler’s code, a total mimic of another sample-based beatmaker is a clear
violation of the sampler’s code.
Same Sample/Source Rule: Is Using the Same Sample (Record/
Source Material) Ever O.K.?
It’s generally understood that sampling the same record and using it in the
same or substantially similar way is unethical, a clear violation of the sampler’s
code. However, there are three main exceptions. First, the use of a dierent
section of the same record. Using a dierent section of the same record,
especially in a creative and original ways, does not violate the sampler’s code.
Second, it’s totally acceptable to even use the same section (part) of the record
as another sample-based beatmaker, so long as you distinguish your ip of it,
i.e substantially transform it, through your own creativity and skills, in a new
way. ird, coincidental usage of the same source material does not violate the
sampler’s code. Many sample-based beatmakers of the early ‘90s held common
cultural backgrounds, and therefore, they shared access to, or at least awareness
of, much of the same vinyl records of the 1960s and 1970s. So coincidental uses
of the same record — even the same part of the same record — have always
been inevitable.
But either way, it doesn’t matter how many people have used the same sample,
because if you can ip it dierently, then that’s perfectly acceptable within the
sample-based community. After all, what is using the same sample and ipping
it really all about? Is it not a more transformative form of versioning? So the
bottom line is this: Every sample can be ipped dierently; it all depends on
the ingenuity, imagination, creativity, and skill set of the particular beatmaker.
Using Break-Beat Records (Compilations) is the Norm
Using break-beat records (or compilations) is highly ethical, especially when
it comes to drum sounds. Every beatmaker I’ve interviewed in the past ten
years has mentioned their use of break-beat records (compilations), specically
noting the “Ultimate Breaks & Beats” series of compilations. I’ve seen “Ultimate
Breaks & Beats” volumes in the studios of various beatmakers, including DJ
Premier, Buckwild, True Master, and Marco Polo. When I rst began making
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beats, the “Ultimate Breaks & Beats” were widely considered an invaluable
piece of a sample-based beatmaker’s arsenal. (At last count, I personally own 19
of the 25 volumes released.) ey were used regularly by beatmakers throughout
New York City, Atlanta (DJ Toomp mentions his use of them in my interview
with him), Miami, and LA. us, I suspect that most (if not all) sample-based
beatmakers of the Pioneers/Avant Garde Period used so-called break-beat records
(compilations) particularly for the creation of new drum sounds. erefore,
to avoid using break-beat records is certainly not the normal stance amongst
most sample-based beatmakers, nor is it a purist declaration. In other words,
opting not to use break-beat records (compilations) is simply a matter of personal
choice, and it should not necessarily be looked at as being aesthetically superior
or inferior.
Sampling Source Material: Diggin’ In The Crates
The Importance of Mining
ere are two basic forms of sampling source material: arcane and familiar.
Arcane source material refers to source material that is uknown or unrecognizable
(to most) and/or obscure. Familiar source material refers to source material that
is recognizable or easily identiable. “Diggin’ in the crates” is a term used to
describe mining for source material (usually records). e term comes from the
act of DJs storing their vinyl records in milk crates and diggin’ through them
to nd what they need. Since the traditional art of sampling has been about
retro-tting long-abandoned recordings to t the aesthetics of hip hop/rap,
sample-based beatmakers are a special breed of “sound collectors.” Sample-based
beatmakers mine through used, long-forgotten records for music elements of
value. ese elements of value are what beatmakers strip down, re-work, and
refashion into new works of art. is is why sample-based beatmakers are only
as good as their source material. And when it comes to record collections, it’s
never about quantity, it’s always about quality and value.
Records (and other source material, i.e. any recorded sound or sound that can
be recorded) are more valuable to a sample-based beatmaker than instruments are
to musicians. For sample-based beatmakers, records (and pre-recorded music in
any media format) are the primary currency from which the heart of their beats
are made, which is certainly not the case for traditional musicians in the West.
For instance, a guitarist or pianist has the exact same tool to draw from every
time they set out to create something new. ey know that musical notes aren’t
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going anywhere; middle C is always middle C. In other words, the framework
which traditional musicians work from essentially remains the same. However,
a sample-based beatmaker has to rely on a new tool every time out. I mean,
one good album might have anywhere from 0 to 10 (perhaps more) interesting
segments to sample. us, a sample-based beatmaker never really knows what
they’ll be able to get from a record until they mine it, i.e. listen attentively to
it. erefore, the ability to mine quality source material is paramount to a
sample-based beatmaker. In this way, mining — diggin’ in the crates — is a
fundamental part of the music process for sample-based beatmakers.
Diggin’ in the Crates as Competition and a Means for
Harnessing History
Much of sampling in the hip hop/rap music tradition is about besting other
people’s (other sample-based beatmakers’) source material. Because of this,
having a deep record collection or broad knowledge of records is something
that is highly respected and regularly celebrated. In fact, in the hip hop/rap
music tradition, sample-based beatmakers are often respected for their diggin’
prowess — the size and scope of their record collection, their knowledge of
records, and their historical music knowledge in general — just as much as they
are for their beatmaking skills. In this way, diggin’ in the crates is also about
discovering and harnessing history.
is is why all serious diggers carefully study the credits and names on the
albums that they sample from. Not only is it a widely held tradition that goes
all the way back to Grandmaster Flash, it’s one of the best ways to enhance your
familiarity with the musicians and writers of a given era and genre. I used to
spend hours pouring over liner notes and combing through credits. In fact, I
still read all of the liner notes and credits of every “new” album that I add to
my collection.
E-Diggin’ vs. Record Diggin’
Note: e general principles of sampling apply no matter what audio source
you’re sampling from. e only dierence that may exist can be found in the
amplication of the original audio source. Further, no matter how you dig for
source material, it’s important that you listen to music in beatmaking-mode
and take time to listen to your music discoveries while doing other things, not
just making beats.
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Before comparing e-diggin to traditional vinyl record diggin’, there are
several contextual points that need to be made. First, it must be remembered
that hip hop/rap was the rst music tradition to be entirely predicated upon the
use of previously recorded music. is wasn’t an accident, this was a conscious
decision by the earliest hip hop/rap practitioners (chief among them, Kool
Herc, Grandmaster Flash, and Afrika Bambaataa). Furthermore, the preferred
(most important) recorded music came from vinyl records. From the onset of
the hip hop/rap music tradition, this wasn’t merely some cost-eective necessity,
this was the life-force of the entire tradition. Truth is, buying a keyboard — a
one-time purchase — would have been much more cost-eective than regularly
buying records. In fact, vinyl record diggin’ is/was a rather expensive proposition.
During the earliest days of hip hop/rap, there weren’t any second hand vinyl
record stores — records were not yet displaced by CDs (and later downloading
and streaming) as the main consumer media format. erefore, all records were
sold at full retail price.
Second, crate diggin’ itself was (is) considered to be an important part of
the artistic process for those beatmakers who make sample-based beats through
the use of vinyl records. Many beatmakers saw (see) the ability to dig for quality
source material as a skill, something that required (requires) a unique music
education, music research experience, and focused patience.
ird, diggin’ for records is not something that is old fashion and/or in danger
of being displaced by technology. ere’s nothing old fashion or outdated about
building your knowledge base. Technology serves at the command of the one
who uses it. at is, technology is to be used in the manner that each individual
deems that it can best be used. And it should be added that one’s over-reliance
on technology for technology’s sake can have a rather negative eect on their
creativity. e goal of technology is not simply to replace something, the goal
of technology is to facilitate and make easier those fundamental things that we
have always done. For instance, shooting a full length feature lm with digital
cameras is very cost-eective, yet nearly all feature length lms are still shot with
lm. Shooting with lm, as opposed to digital, is not considered an old fashion
or outdated way of doing things in the movie business. On the contrary, it is
an artistic choice, one that still holds tremendous value to lmmakers on both
sides of the movie budget extremes.
Although technology has provided a new method for diggin’ for source
material, we must be careful not to conclude that this new method, i.e. e-diggin’,
should replace the existing method of diggin’ for vinyl records. And consider these
facts: (1) Hundreds of thousands of vinyl records — containing jazz, rhythm
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and blues, rock, soul, and funk — were made between 1969 and 1975; and (2)
Most hard core vinyl record collectors own on average just about 1,000-5,000
records; that’s not even 5% of the possibilities! So while e-diggin’ (which is
essentially technology in the form of a search engine) may help one nd rare
records, technology can not displace the vinyl record search method. Why?
Because search technology depends upon the data that it has access to; there are
100s of thousands of songs that will likely never be uploaded to YouTube or
shared elsewhere online. us, for sample-based beatmakers, the only access
we will have to some loads of songs released in the twentieth century will only
be through vinyl records. at’s actually one of the things that makes hip hop/
rap so unique: It has always been based on the principle of unique access. And
being unique, well, that should not ever go out of style.
Finally, diggin’ for vinyl records doesn’t necessarily determine whether
you can be an eective beatmaker or not. In fact, it doesn’t even give you an
advantage (unless perhaps you really value vinyl and everything that surrounds
it). You could have all the vinyl records in the world, but if you don’t know
how to eectively extract value from them, then you’re only taking up space
with otherwise useless source material.
As for the process of e-diggin’, diggin’ for source material on the internet,
it should not be seen as an inherently good or bad thing. Instead, it should be
considered as a necessary component for many sample-based beatmakers. Fact is,
vinyl records are simply not as accessible as they once were.
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erefore, diggin’
for source material online has become the only reality for some beatmakers.
Moreover, it’s another legitimate means for nding/discovering new music, often
quickly. is is why I strongly endorse e-diggin’. at said, there are some key
dierences between e-diggin’ and traditional record diggin’ that are worth noting.
e primary dierence between e-diggin’ and record diggin’ is that the
source material found on the internet has a notable dierence in sound quality.
e sound of a vinyl record is more rich in character, and the nuances of the
recording translate better from a vinyl record than an MP3 or .WAV le that
has been “squashed” (overly compressed) and attened.
e other dierence between e-diggin’ and record diggin’ has to do with
the processes themselves. Traditional record diggin’ is a more extensive, physical
pursuit, while e-diggin’ is essentially the process of using an online search engine.
Record diggin’ permits you to actually hold a record, which allows you to get a
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There are still some vinyl record stores around the country, but for the most part, the used vinyl record
industry has been shrinking. That said, there is a noticeable difference between digging on the internet
vs. digging for physical records — the musical senses are heightened in a different way when dealing
with physical vinyl, as opposed to a digital download, WAV, etc.
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feel for the artwork and perhaps the intentions of the artists behind the music;
this adds another dimension of creative inspiration. More importantly, the
physical record bares critical information such as relevant dates and the ever
vital musician, production, and/or studio credits. Such information is generally
not provided in the process of e-diggin’, and therefore, the potential for a more
extended musical education, which traditional record diggin’ provides, is usually
not aorded with the e-diggin’ process.
Check This Out — The Validity of E-Diggin
and Why I Support It
As I stated before, “e-diggin’” is simply the process of diggin’ for music
(source material) on the internet. In and of itself, that should not be seen as
an inherently bad or good thing. Instead, it should be considered as a necessary
component for many sample-based beatmakers. Vinyl records are not as acces-
sible as they were in sampling’s rst big heyday. us, diggin’ for source material
online has become the only reality for some beatmakers. Further, it’s another
legitimate means for nding/discovering new music rather quickly. is is why
I strongly endorse e-diggin’. But there are a number of beatmakers (some of
them very notable) who view e-diggin’ as some sort of bad or inferior process.
Inasmuch as e-diggin is, fundamentally, a means to searching for and nding
new music, I don’t see how anyone can dislike it. It would appear to me that the
basis of opposition towards e-diggin’ lies in the fact that it does not correspond
with the nature and unwritten protocol of diggin’ for vinyl records. But let’s be
clear here: Diggin’ for or possessing vinyl records doesn’t necessarily determine
whether or not someone is going to be a dope beatmaker — knowledge, skill,
and creativity determines that.
erefore, the rants against e-diggin’ itself are actually o base. I’ve been
diggin’ for records for nearly 18 years. As a result, I, like many music diggers,
am a de facto collector of vinyl records. And not just any collector, perhaps
you could say that I’m a preservationist preserving otherwise forgotten music.
However, I don’t allow my slant as a collector/preservationist of vinyl records to
cloud or otherwise interfere with my interest in searching for and discovering
“new” music, particularly those recordings that I would never be able to nd
in the rapidly dwindling number of used vinyl record stores.
Spending hours upon end in record shops, ea markets, yard sales, Salvation
Army branches, record exchanges, used book stores, and/or the basements,
addicts, and storage spaces of friends and relatives — all of which I have done
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— does not equate to any superiority in the area of musicianship, nor does it
necessarily make anyone more skilled at the art of sampling. Instead, it mostly
equates to the desire for that particular process and experience. Furthermore, it
is simply a reection of one’s “collector’s slant,” because the reality is this: Most
beat diggers with large vinyl record collections will most likely never sample
even 25% of their total collection. ere are many people (myself included)
who have upwards of 2,000 or more vinyl records that they have never sampled.
I can assure you, out of my own 3,000+ vinyl record collection, I have yet to
sample anything from 2,500 of these. And if those who tout 10,000 and 20,000
vinyl record collections really have sampled even 15% of those records, then it
stands to reason that there should have been a much larger number of classic
sample-based beats in rotation over the past three decades, no?
Again: Technology serves at the command of the one who uses it. at is,
technology is to be used in the manner that each individual deems that it can be
used. e goal of technology is to facilitate and make easier those fundamental
things that we have always done. us, it should follow that the discovery of
music itself trumps any one method or tradition of discovery. It matters less
how I came to discover “new” music; as long as I discover it, I’m fortunate.
After all, I can’t ip source material that I don’t have access to. And whether
I prefer to handle vinyl in my hands or stream a cut on YouTube, I still can’t
ignore the fact that e-diggin’ gives me much more access to “new” music than
diggin’ for vinyl records ever did or ever could. I also can’t ignore the fact that
the e-diggin’ search process generates, on a whole, far more suggestions for
similar ndings than any cross-credits referencing I’ve done reading the credits
or liner notes of vinyl records that I’ve acquired.
Still, I certainly do recognize that there is a dierence between diggin’ for
vinyl records and e-diggin’. ere are some nuances that come with sampling
a vinyl record; perhaps most notably the sound quality of a vinyl record, or
the sort of connection to a musical past that a vinyl record can oer, or the
connection to the traditional method of sampling in the beatmaking tradition.
But that being said, the notion that someone is “lazy” or somehow “uncreative,”
or that someone is doing it (i.e. sampling) “wrong,” merely because they use
source material (music) that they’ve found (discovered) online rather than a
vinyl record that they’ve acquired from a record shop or another place where
vinyl records are typically sold, is ridiculous and completely out of tune with
the realities of the day.
In most cases these days, e-diggin’ is the only choice for would-be sample-
based beatmakers; it’s the only way many people have access to valuable music
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from eras gone past. And accessibility to the music (source material) that is
to be sampled has always been a key factor of the art of sampling. Because
sample-based beatmakers have always been distinguished not only by their skill
but by what they actually sample, it should be understood that sample-based
beatmakers are also often distinguished by the music (source material) that they
actually have access to.
But because of the limited accessibility of vinyl records, the playing eld
for sampling has been largely uneven. For years, those who lived in or near
hot-spot centers for vinyl records, i.e. major cities and towns that contain a
healthy supply of vinyl record stores and the like, have had an advantage of
access over those who did not live in those centers. But e-diggin’ virtually makes
an indenite number of hot-spot centers available to anyone with a working
internet connection. In this way, e-diggin’ has removed the advantage of access
that some samplers previously held. rough this new level of access to the same
music most privileged by veteran vinyl diggers, e-diggin’ has leveled the playing
eld for sample-based beatmakers. Moreover, because of the scarcity of vinyl
record shops and the like, e-diggin’ is providing a pivotal link to the sampling
tradition, a link that many people might not otherwise be so fortunate to have.
Finally, any capture method — whether it be through the vinyl diggin’ or
e-diggin’ process — that adheres to the fundamental tenets of the art of sampling,
while also bringing to light the elements of valuable music from eras gone past,
should be embraced, not spurned. Beyond that, we should remember that no
one judges sample-based beats according to the original audio format of the
music (source material) that was sampled. Besides, there’s no way for anyone,
other than the sampler who sampled the source material, to be absolutely certain
what audio format was actually sampled. One can just as easily say that they
sampled a piece of music from a vinyl record, when in fact, they sampled it
from a source online. Who’s to know either way?
But the truth of judgment remains: e basis for how we judge sample-based
beats is pretty much the same for how we judge any style of beat. Our personal
tastes, the level of quality of a beat, and the beat’s cohesion with the lyricist
are all main factors that determine how we rate a beat. erefore, if e-diggin’
plays any role in the creation of a beat that suits our taste and measures up to
our individual and collective perceptions of quality, then we have no choice
but to support it.
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Practicality of Diggin’ in the Crates
Vinyl records are also valued for their practical nature. Scanning a record,
searching for pieces, parts, and sections to sample, has always been as simple
as moving a turntable’s needle across the record as desired. e speed and
accuracy at which you could locate dierent parts on a record gives sample-based
beatmakers a certain level of immediacy and eciency. For decades, no other
medium could compare to the search speed that vinyl records allow. Today,
however, current production software programs like FL Studio and Pro Tools
allow beatmakers to import entire songs (digital versions of course), which can
than be quickly searched over with a click of a mouse. So with regards to search
speed, other mediums have caught up with vinyl records to a large degree. Still,
search speed aside, there will always be a dierence (sometimes slight, sometimes
more pronounced) between the sound of a vinyl record and another format like
a digital download or CD. ere’s also the fact that each vinyl recording has its
own subtle dierences. Unlike a digital recording, no vinyl record sounds exactly
the same because the wear and tear of each vinyl record is unique. Static, hisses,
warps, pops, and even scratches make each vinyl record a one-of-kind recording.
Setting the Record Straight About Vinyl Purism: Vinyl
Records Are Not the Only Acceptable Medium to Sample
As I’ve discussed earlier in this chapter, there is an aesthetic value to vinyl
records that many sample-based beatmakers prioritize. Further, diggin in the
crates, in the traditional sense, will always be linked to vinyl records. Still, we
must remember that the underlying idea and motivation behind diggin’ isn’t
just about using one particular audio format or recorded medium, it’s about
the practice of mining/searching for new material to sample. In other words,
diggin’ in the crates, both as a traditional idea and practice of hip hop, extends
beyond any one audio format or recorded medium. For example, as I discussed
in chapter 2, in the early pioneering days (hip hop’s rst golden era), Afrika
Bambaataa became the rst to sample television commercials onto cassette tape
and incorporate those samples into his DJ set. In doing so, Bambaataa set a
precedent: Diggin’ for new source material wherever and however you could
was the essence of diggin’. And that it was Bambaataa (one of the rst three
and most important hip hop DJs) to do this rst means that diggin’ for and
sampling any material on any available audio format is just as traditional as
diggin’ for, sampling, and using vinyl.
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Build Your Sampling Ear — How to Listen to Source Material,
What to Listen For, and How to Find a “Good” Sample
ere are two ways to approach listening to sample source material (music):
spot-listening and full-listening. Both approaches require you to listen or
survey the music that you intend to sample; however, the dierence is in how
you listen and survey the source music. Spot-listening is the process of randomly
and rather quickly surveying a record. e idea here is to give quick-listens to
areas of the record where you might expect the intros, breaks, bridges, and outros
to be. For intros, you ax the turntable needle to the beginning of the record.
Intros often have a “ready-made loop” that is free and clear without drums. is
is why intros are very appealing to many sample-based beatmakers.
When I rst started making beats, that’s all I pretty much did. I probably
spent three years like this. I would buy records and skim over them until
something popped out. I would check over the beginnings of songs on an album,
looking for ready-made loops. If I didn’t nd one, I would leave the record
alone, thinking it held no value, without ever really listening to each song on
the album thoroughly. I assumed that this was how most beatmakers did it. I
reasoned, ‘Who had time to actually listen to the complete songs on an entire album?’
But as purchasing records became more costly, I found myself going back to
my crates for those records that I had once regarded as invaluable. e second,
third, and even fourth time that I listened to a record, I increased my patience
and discipline until I was able to give each song on an album a full-listen. In
the process, I learned that spot-listening was most useful when working with
records that I was already familiar with. For example, if I was looking for kicks
and I remembered a drum intro or break from a particular song. In this case, it
was helpful to target the areas of the song that I was already familiar with. But
try to limit how much you spot-listen a record that you’ve never heard before.
ere’s too much that you will undoubtedly miss. Hence, I recommend that
when you have some records that you’ve never heard before, give each song a
full-listen. Don’t skim or skip ahead, and don’t scrap the record just because
you can’t immediately nd anything useful.
The Three Forms of Sampling
When it comes to the various forms of sampling, there are both quantitative
and qualitative considerations. us, the art of sampling can be broken down
into three general forms: (1) simple or “piggy-back” sampling; (2) break-beat
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or “mix” sampling; and (3) intricate sampling. Simple (imitative) or “piggy-
back” sampling is the form of sampling in which a substantial portion of a
sound recording is sampled and then “imitated,” with little to no signicant
transformation of the sampled work. Typically, this form of sampling involves
looping a 4- or 8-bar break (from familiar or arcane sources), and combining it
with a backing drum framework that mimics the drum pattern of the sampled
work as close as possible. Usually, the piggy-back form of sampling utilizes known
material (popular songs), wherein beatmakers use sucient familiarity so that
the listener may recognize the quotation (appropriated work) and may, in turn,
pay more attention to the new material as a consequence of that familiarity.
“Break-beat” or “mix” sampling is the form of sampling in which breaks
and/or patches of recorded works are woven together in a fashion more akin
to a DJ blending and matching multiple segments of records. In this form of
sampling, the sampled work can be both minimal and substantial, familiar
and/or arcane. Also, in this form of sampling, typically, drum breaks are used
as opposed to drum programming featuring individual drum sounds; however,
in some cases, beatmakers who utilize this form of sampling will add additional
drumming.
Finally, “intricate” sampling is the most sophisticated (complex) form of
sampling. It involves the deconstruction of the sampled work in an intricate
manner, followed by a unique arrangement of the now substantially transformed
appropriation. Using the intricate sampling form, beatmakers seek to convert
both familiar and arcane sources into an entirely new medium, while staying
within the aesthetic parameters of hip hop/rap music.
It should be further noted that each of the three forms of sampling involve
either a use of wholecloth, major, or partial sampled elements. Also, each of the
three forms of sampling are distinguished by the degree of the transformative
nature of the sampled work.
The Five Categories (or Types) of Samples:
Complete-Phrases, Spare-Part Phrases, Section Pieces,
Sound-Stabs, and Sound-Tones
All songs, regardless of the music genre, are made up of a combination of
any number of varying musical phrases and smaller pieces of sound. (Here, I
use “musical phrase” to describe any structured musical pattern that lasts for
a measure of one bar or more.) Samples themselves can be broken down into
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ve categories or types: complete-phrases, spare-part-phrases, section-pieces,
sound-stabs, and sound-tones.
A complete-phrase — a full musical pattern, measuring one complete
bar or more — is like a short story; it has a clear beginning, a middle, and
an end. As such, it’s already conducive for a beat. ink of complete-phrases
as “ready-made-loops.” Complete-phrases are very easy to identify, and
therefore, they are easier to sample and loop, which makes them big targets
for many sample-based beatmakers. Most sample-based beatmakers often tend
to listen for complete-phrases rst and foremost. But the more crafty sample-based
beatmakers realize that the more rare the record that you’re sampling from, the more
rare the complete-phrase, and thus, the better the chance you have for achieving
creativity and of avoiding the sample police.
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Spare-part-phrases are simply sections of larger complete-phrases. Sampling
spare-part-phrases is more challenging because it requires serious patience and
a knack for intuitive chopping.
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e most interesting thing about spare-part
phrases is how they stand alone like missing pieces of dialogue; as such, they
help signal where the discussion may go. at is to say, each spare-part-phrase
helps to determine how the entire beat will ow. Although it’s more dicult to
identify and sample useful spare-part-phrases, the process is considerably more
rewarding.
With spare-part-phrase sampling, you sample the root sounds of complete
phrase (not the entire measure of the phrase) of a preexisting recording, then
ip it — creatively transform it — into something new and original. Here,
the phrases and/or pieces that you sample won’t be nearly as easy to identify
as the original complete-phrase from which it came. erefore, when you use
spare-part-phrases, it’s more likely that you will avoid any sample clearance woes.
Another benet of spare-part-phrase sampling is that it will train and develop
your musical ear and overall understanding of rhythm arrangements and drum
and loop programming.
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Sample Clearance, the process of securing the legal right to use samples within a new composition.
20 years ago, sample clearance was a non-issue. Now, it’s a revenue stream for the major labels (who
generally own the rights to the masters of the songs that are being sampled), the original writers and
performers of sampled works, and publishers. Labels and other copyright holders employ people to
scan music for any sample that may have been used within the creation of a new hip hop/rap song.
Therefore, take heed: If you sample a very identiable and/or well-known complete-phrase (typical of
the sped-up-chipmunk-sound variety), beware of a potential sample clearance problem. It used to be
that the artist would pay to clear the sample, now, many artists are sticking that tab with the beatmaker
(producer). For more information on sample clearance and copyright law, see my book The Art of
Sampling: The Sampling Tradition of Hip Hop/Rap Music and Copyright Law (Superchamp Books, 2015).
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Mental-Intuitive Chopping is the ability to hear any musical phrase and formulate a chop-pattern or
plan in your head. It’s similar to how lm directors shoot footage according to the edits that they foresee
inside their heads while they’re shooting the lm. In this way, these lm directors are virtually editing
the lm in their heads.
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Note: A number of classic beats, produced by many beatmaking pioneers,
were actually recreations (random manipulations) of just one sample. e more
experienced beatmakers are skilled at one-sample beats. ey know how to chop,
copy, and/or manipulate one sample to the point where the original sample is
unrecognizable, even though the original mood and integrity is in some way
still left in tact. e core track
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of nearly all sample-based beats are composed
of, or based upon, one primary sample. e main point with spare-part-phrase
sampling is that it always prompts you to create challenging, riveting beats using
the shortest or simplest fragments of pre-recorded music and sounds.
Both complete-phrases and spare-part-phrases are comprised of smaller
elements called section-pieces. Section-pieces are shortened or incomplete
musical patterns. Because of their duration, they’re often uneven, and therefore,
they usually require something else to sustain them, for example, an additional
complete-phrase or spare-part-phrase. As with spare-part-phrases, section-pieces
oer source anonymity. But it’s substantially more dicult to identify the source
record from which the section-pieces were derived. Because section-pieces are
widely uneven, that is to say, heavy or light at the beginning of the phrase and
heavy or light at the end of the phrase, they require a great deal of chopping.
So as you would expect, beatmakers who hone their chopping skills with
section-pieces become master choppers.
Sound-stabs are individual instrumental sounds, single hits, like drum kicks
and snares. Mining records to sample is a meticulous, arduous process. A lot
of times, one can feel prohibited from sampling something, either because the
record doesn’t have any interesting phrases or because the “good” (interesting)
phrases are trapped (not free and clear).
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But the fact is, nearly all records can
be salvaged for sound-stabs. Everything from short or long horn-hits to keyboard
strikes and tambourine shakes make for excellent sound-stabs.
Sound-tones are sustained fragments of section-pieces; they work like
sound-stabs, i.e. they are quick single hits. However, sound-tones are slightly
dierent from sound-stabs because they are often made up of multiple sounds,
not just one single instrument. Since they are simply chipped o fragments of
a larger section-piece, sound-tones are a big favorite among chopmasters like
DJ Premier, Pete Rock, and 9th Wonder.
Note: Complete-phrases, spare-part-phrases, section-pieces, sound-stabs
and sound-tones can all be used and blended together in a variety of ways, but
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The core track is the fundamental beat framework, consisting of the primary rhythm section.
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Free and Clear. When sampling sound-stabs and phrases, a sample is considered to be Free and
Clear when there are no surrounding sounds, particularly drums or vocals, that prohibit it from being
“isolated” and sampled clean and clearly.
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the two primary types of sample blends are: phrase-blends, and stab-blends.
Phrase-blends are usually more about connecting one phrase or more to the
front or back end of another phrase, whereas stab-blends are usually more about
layering
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one sound-stab with another.
Signal Chain
A signal chain is the connective audio route between two or more devices.
When it comes to sampling, a proper signal chain plays a critical role in the
capturing of the distinct nuances of a sample. Furthermore, a proper signal chain
is paramount to the development of a beatmaker’s own unique sound.
For instance, I run my turntable, CD player, cassette player, VHS and DVD
players all through my Numark DJ mixer, which outputs an analog signal.
From my deejay mixer, I send the master L/R outs to my Mackie 32 channel
analog mixing console. From there, I route two direct out channels, which carry
the Numark’s signal, from my Mackie, to the LINE input of my Akai MPC
4000. I use this signal chain so that I have more control over the EQ’s and
amplication of the sounds and music prior to me sampling them. When you
sample something, the idea is to arm (prepare) the best possible audio signal
that you can without clipping. To achieve this sort of amplication, it’s best to
use some kind of DJ mixer as the hub through which you run all of your audio
sources to be sampled.
Editing and Manipulating Samples: Chopping and Filtering
Fundamentally, samples are edited (altered) through one or two processes:
“chopping” and/or “ltering.” Chopping describes the process of dissecting,
separating, and rearranging a sample (and other sounds) for use in a beat. It’s the
process of removing or trimming unwanted sections from a sample. Typically, it
involves trimming sections from the start and end of a sample. However, as your
overall beatmaking skills develop, you will undoubtedly chop and manipulate
various sections of a sample.
When you chop a sample, your main concern should center around an audio
snapshot. Let me break it down. When you play a record, you know, move the
needle around, what happens when you hear something that you like? You get
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Layering: The process of combining two or more sounds into one. It is typically achieved by taking
one sound and placing it on top of the other.
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a broad, quick audio snapshot of where you might be able to take that segment.
So you sample it. Now that it’s sampled, what’s your prime objective? To
simply tune it (trim it) down to the right start and end points? Not necessarily.
Naturally, the rst thing to do is to chop (trim) it to the exact segment that
you heard. Sometimes this works out just like you imagined it, but most of the
time it doesn’t. So when you chop a sample, you should be prepared to wind
up with something that you didn’t necessarily see clearly at rst. Remember,
when you hear something that you like for the rst time, before you sample it,
it’s just a quick, broad audio snapshot; and thus, the photo, so to speak, is not
entirely clear. It’s only after you’ve sampled the segment and chopped it and
tried it within a drum framework that the picture starts to become more clear.
In this way, sampling is like sculpting. What I mean is that you always have
to be prepared to shave more than you initially intended. On the other hand, you
have to be ready to reapply, reshape, and recongure those seemingly unwanted
shavings. e goal is to make the illest beat that you can; it’s not about how
many chops you can work in, or how many modications that you can apply
to a sample. Chopping is about extracting the pieces that work best with your
drums. It’s not just about cutting and truncating something; it’s really more
about understanding what happens to a sample when a piece of it is removed
and/or rearranged and reapplied. In this way, chopping prompts you to uncover
the unintended sounds and feeling of the original sample. It let’s you survey the
texture of the initial sample, giving you a broader pallet from which to paint
your beat portraits.
Chopping is also akin to improvisation because it involves embellishing the
source material/music on the y, without little to no musical direction at the
onset of the beat. From one recording to the next, a sample-based beatmaker
improvises how to transform what he (or she) samples.
Finally, there are two broad forms of chopping: basic and complex. Basic
chopping describes a simple, minimal form of truncation of a sample/sound
at its start and end points. e most notable form of chopping within the basic
chopping form is loop chopping. Loop chopping describes the basic chopping
form that is used for chopping loops. Complex chopping describes the more
extended form of chopping. It includes the processes of cutting sounds down
to “tonal chops,” that is, chopping samples/sounds down to individual notes
for the purpose of being played (often in some chromatic manner), over drum
pads or keys, or drawn into a beat sequence through the use of a mouse. Within
the complex form of chopping, there are two sub-forms: stab-chopping and
phrase-chopping. Stab-chopping describes the complex chopping form that
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is used for chopping sound-stabs, e.g., drum-hits, key-stabs, and tones. Phrase-
chopping describes the complex chopping form used for chopping phrases.
BeatTip — Precision Chopping: Finger-Point Accuracy
Here’s a good rule for precision chopping. In the sample edit mode of your
sampler, tap (press) the play back button repeatedly until the sound plays on
the hit of your ngertip. If the sound is not falling on the hit of your ngertip,
then you need to chop (cut) the start point of the sample some more until it
does. If the end point carries over longer than you want it to, then you need
to chop (cut) the end point of the sample until it stops where you want it to.
e idea is to tap, not hold, the play-back button when you’re rst chopping
the sample. By holding the playback button too long, you will get an inaccurate
starting point. After you establish the right starting point, then you can hold
the play-back button down. is allows you to play back the sample so that you
can capture the right end point.
Here, I should point out that while chopping drum sounds is more straight
forward than chopping any other type of sounds, chopping phrases requires
you to be much more careful. e reason is because the start and end points of
phrases have the power to o-set any drum timing. at is to say, the precision
chopping of phrases is critical for a dierent reason: phrases actually play over the
drums. So, if the hit of the phrase is o a little, not hitting on that nger-point
accuracy, it will make the entire drum program and/or looped sequence sound o.
Check This Out — The Genius of Chopping Before
“Auto Chop” Functionality
Technology has long raised questions about musicianship, musicality,
creativity, and imagination. And now it would appear that it is reshaping what it
means to have “skills” in beatmaking, especially in the area of chopping. Consider
the auto-chop function on the Akai MPC (models 4000, 1000, 2500, and
5000). Where does the skill enter into the equation? Is it the source selection?
Is it the setting of an automatic 16 to 32-piece, chronological chop, something
previously only achieved through a beatmaker’s careful selection, good ear, and
meticulous manual chopping? I’m not sure where skill begins or ends when this
now go-to functionality is used, but one thing’s for certain: Auto chop — and
it’s ability to make some beatmakers appear to be doing much more than they
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actually are — has become more than just a tool for evenly chopping up samples,
for some it’s become a creative crutch.
Even worse, some beatmakers are using auto chop as a means of copying
the styles and sounds of some the best known sample-based beatmakers.
Auto chop functionality has virtually given birth to thousands of DJ Premier
sound-alikes. But it’s important to make the distinction that at the core of DJ
Premier’s process and setup (he primarily used an Akai MPC 60 II/Akai S950
setup) does not rely upon auto-chop functionality. His sampling and chopping
style is the product of a good ear and his unique manual chopping schemes,
not auto chop functionality.
ough I’m an avid Akai MPC 4000 user, I’m mostly reluctant to use one of
its most popular features — the 32 region sample divide capability, aka auto chop.
Instead of sampling something and automatically dividing it into 32 regions, I
prefer to sample something, duplicate it (two or three times, sometimes more,
if necessary), then assign it to three or so separate drum pads on my MPC. In
doing so, I nd that I get a better feel for the many dierent ways in which the
chops of one sample can be used.
But when it comes to auto chop functionality, I have mixed feelings. I was
groomed on the Akai MPC 60 II/S950 combo, and before that I’d used the E-Mu
SP 1200 along with my S950. Both setups only allowed me to chop samples
manually, i.e. there was no 32 region sample divide, push-button architecture
that would automatically chop up a sample for me. us, because I knew that
I’d have to manually chop samples, I found that I listened to source music more
acutely. Specically, I listened closely for possible start and end points of the
streams of sounds on a given piece of music. As a result, I was able to develop a
better feel for the ways in which sounds, particularly complete musical phrases,
could be chopped up and re-arranged in a manner that most favored my style,
sound, and sensibilities. On the other hand, the use of auto chop hasn’t prompted
the same sort of experience. Instead, when I use auto chop, I actually feel — in
some ways — like I’m being less creative. e process of assigning multiple
regions of a sample for it to be automatically divided into separate parts seems
too easy (at times), or at least less demanding of your diggin’ and chopping
skills, specically how you hear and imagine chops in your head. Still, I’m not
totally against using auto chop.
Auto Chop does has its advantages. For example, if you want to audition
specic parts of a sample without having to manually chop each piece that you
nd interesting, then using auto chop is the way to go. Or let’s say you want
to quickly sketch out an arrangement idea using a full scale — 12 chromatic
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pieces — of a sample. With auto chop, you can quickly slice up a sample, then
program its parts with pitch adjustments. Of course, as I mentioned earlier,
the same idea can be achieved without auto chop. But auto chop allows you
to perform this process much faster, with more immediate separate chops per
performed function. Because of its robust functionality, auto chop quickly opens
up a new level of possibilities that could not otherwise be achieved without
it. So when used thoughtfully and creatively, auto chop can certainly enhance
your workow.
But the workow advantages aside, if you’re not careful auto chop can stie
the way in which you approach chopping all together. Auto chop can essentially
reduce chopping to nothing more than a scheme of regions and numbers. Which
is to say, it can take away a lot of the craftiness or ingenuity that you regularly
nd associated with manually chopping duplicated samples. ink about it:
You load up a sample, assign the automatic splits, then voila!: 16 to 32 neatly
sliced pieces of the same sample. Because of this, auto chop can prompt you to
focus less on the ways in which a given sample can be chopped and more on
the prospect of shoving a sample into the “auto chop box”. is, in turn, can
make you rely more on auto chop functionality and less on your own intuition
and ingenuity or your familiarity with the given source material.
Filtering Samples
Filtering refers to the process of boosting or subtracting various EQ levels
(i.e. bass, mid, and treble). Filtering is a sound coloring or enhancing technique
that is often misused and/or grossly underestimated. Typically, when beatmakers
are talking about ltering, what we’re mainly talking about is tweaking the low
and high frequencies of a given individual sound or sound phrase. e “low”
being the bottom, like the low frequency in bass lines, bass kicks, low-note piano
and organ keys, stu like that. Filtering is also about accentuating the hi and
and mid instrument frequencies, like horns, strings, and hi-hats. e eects and
enhancements that ltering can oer are tremendous. Creative ltering can fatten
up or bring out a weak bass line. At the same time, it can push down unwanted
high and mid frequencies, or it can vitalize weaker high and mid frequencies.
Furthermore, ltering can tuck or hide unwanted sounds (sometimes even vocals)
deep inside the sample.
ere are a couple of good ltering techniques that are commonly used.
For your lows, the process is fairly straight forward, so long as your sampler has
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eective low and hi-pass ltering functions. Both of my samplers — the Akai
S950 and the Akai MPC 4000 — have ltering functions, yet each are very
dierent. e Akai S950, a vintage sampler, has the simplest ltering function
that I’ve ever used. Essentially, it has a lter value of 0 to 99, 0 being the lowest
level and 99 being the highest level. Via the S950’s menu dial, the value can be
adjusted up or down until you reach the desired tone, feel, and texture. e Akai
MPC 4000, on the other hand, contains a rather extensive ltering function that
is comprised of a series of ltering pages that are designed to color the frequency
of a sound in various ways. In order to lter samples on the Akai MPC 4000
(and many other contemporary samplers and keyboard workstations with
sample engines), you have to tweak both the low and hi-pass lters separately.
But whether you use a vintage sampler or a contemporary one, in either case
the idea of ltering is universal: Bring down the lows to kill the high and mid
frequencies, and turn up the high frequencies for brightness. To achieve this with
contemporary samplers, you actually have to increase the value of the low-pass
lter and decrease the value of the hi-pass lter if you really want to fatten up
low-end sounds. You also have to adjust the level of resonance, which essentially
smoothens out the scope of the ltered bass line.
Check This Out — My Process for Filtering Out Bass
Lines On The Akai S950 and/or the Akai MPC 4000
Before I break down my process for ltering samples on the Akai S950,
I should note that the technique which is used is, in theory, pretty much
universal, and therefore, it can be applied to any hardware and/or software
sampler. However, it must further be pointed out that the sound quality, feeling,
and warmth will vary from EMPI to EMPI. So here’s what I do, as well as the
most notable masters of the Akai S950. (Big respect to Peter Panic for teaching
me this technique. And much respect to DJ Premier for conrming and thoroughly
explaining it to me.)
• In the EDIT PROGRAM mode, I locate the sample that I want the
bass ltered out on.
• en I go to the Keygroup page (page 03).
• Where it says Copy (+), I initiate the (+) sign.
This will copy the entire Keygroup, the sample, the filtering
parameters, the assigned output channel, and all.
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THE ART OF SAMPLING
• Next, I locate the new Keygroup and assign it to a dierent channel,
preferably the channel/output on my mixing console that is next to
the channel/output of the high part of the sample. (Note: I use all
eight individual outputs of my Akai S950, and each are assigned to
their own channel on my 32 channel mixing console.) en I set the
lter on the new Keygroup to 0.
• Now, when I strike the assigned pad on my MPC, I will actually
trigger two sounds simultaneously. us, I’ll have both a mid to hi
sound of the sample and a low sound of the exact same sample.
• On my mixing console, I simply mix the low part with a little more
bottom, being mindful to keep it warm. On the other hand, I mix
the mid to hi part with some hi, a little more mid, and nearly no low
at all. And thus the proper blend will eectively lter out (bring up)
the bass.
Note: If you do not have an Akai S950 sampler or a mixing console,
essentially what I just described above is the practice of duplicating a sample,
then treating it as left and right stereo sound — the left being the low, the right
being the hi. So the idea is just to copy the sample and EQ the duplicate in a
manner that contrasts the original. To achieve this using a Hi-Pass/Low-Pass
lter combo, make sure you ground the Low-Pass lter, that is to say, boost up
the low. At the same time, you want to pull back on the Hi-Pass lter until you
decrease the distorting “rumble” of the bass sound.
Pro Tools (or any DAW such as Logic), really makes this process easier and
more eective. Regardless of whatever sampler you’re using, if you have access
to Pro Tools and the like, then all you need to do is duplicate the audio track
for which you want to lter. From there, just EQ the duplicated track until the
bottom is out in front where you want it.
Filtering Out Bass Lines On The MPC 4000
My process for ltering out bass lines on the Akai MPC 4000 is dierent, but
it’s easier in it’s own right and much faster than my process with the Akai S950.
Here’s how I do it. In the Program mode, I go to Edit page, then to the Filter
page. Within the Akai MPC 4000, there are 35 dierent types of lter modes
(options). When I want to lter a sample to sound comparable to the sound
that the Akai S950 generates, I use the “Lo<>Hi” ltering option. ere, I set
the default cuto frequency somewhere between 15-23, and I set the Resonance
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value somewhere between: 10-17. Keep in mind, increased resonance increases
the presence and “thickness” of the bass, but it also induces rumbling (distortion)
the higher you go up the value dial.
Using Your Chopped and Filtered Samples To Make Beats
After you’ve collected and chopped your sample(s), you basically have two
dierent ways to incorporate them into a beat. You can “paper clip” (blend and
fasten) your samples to a preset drum beat that you’ve already created, or you
can build a drum beat from scratch that is based around the arrangement of your
sample(s). Minor paper-clipping, the most common way in which beatmakers
use samples, is the process of taking a sample and attaching a backing drum
beat to it, or vice versa. It usually involves sampling a complete-phrase, i.e. a
ready-made loop or a similarly long musical phrase. Essentially, it’s just clipping
one nished piece of music, i.e. a sample, to another nished piece (or pieces) of
music, like a drum pattern. For example, let’s say you have a preset drum beat
playing on your EMPI. With the drum beat sequence in record mode, you trigger
the sample right in over the drum beat. With the primary sample successfully
recorded into the sequence, the sample (complete-phrase, etc.), along with the
drum beat, becomes the rhythm section; and as such, it serves as the core track
from which the entire beat’s design (arrangement) will be based upon. e core
track, composed of the core ris and groove, is the main framework of a beat.
(e core track is the initial foundation of rhythm and groove and perhaps a
simple melody. It provides the basis, the “core” of the beat.)
Major paper-clipping, or what I like to call “B ‘n’ P-building,” employs the
same process, but in this case, you’re using smaller samples (segments that have
been put through a complex chopping process). Unlike minor paper-clippin’,
which tends to be characterized by complete-phrases and ready-made loops,
major paper-clippin’ is best characterized by its use of “bits and pieces” — B ‘n’
P (smaller segments of sounds). Major paper-clippin’ requires a beatmaker to
meticulously fashion both a backbeat and an air-tight rhythm while using non-
ready-made loop samples to do so. us B ‘n’ P-Building requires a beatmaker
to have highly creative and advanced chopping skills.
Drum Frameworks and Your Samples
As I discussed in chapters 6 and 7, building drum patterns from scratch is
pretty much rhetorical. What I mean by that is, no matter how dierently you
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arrange your drum pattern, it will always be some variation of a drum pattern
that you’ve already created or heard before. Even if you interchange the pattern
with new drum sounds, the reality is that the patterns stay relatively the same.
Hip hop/rap music — like jazz, blues, and rock ‘n’ roll — builds upon its clichés.
erefore, rarely will you ever hear a drum pattern that you’ve never heard
some variation o
f before. When you’re building a drum pattern from scratch,
based around a primary sample, your goal should be to compliment that sample,
not disrupt it or distract attention away from it. In other words, when you use
samples, then let the sample shine! e drums that you blend in should hold
everything down. When you have a dope sample looping, in readying yourself to
play in a drum pattern, keep your focus on building a drum framework that lets
the sample breathe properly. Don’t overpower the sample with drums that cloud
or distort the sample. Drums can still bang without having to sacrice the sound
and feeling of the main sample. I believe drums bang the most when the blend
between the sample and the drum pattern is straight-forward and not too busy or
overly loud. When it comes to creating a drum framework with your sample(s),
a proper balance of well-grounded power and subtleness is the key.
Important Note About Sampling and Arrangement
To really understand the concept of sampling, you must understand how
arrangement works, more specically, how to weave samples (fragments of
recorded music) into a montage of sound. ere’s two ways you can look at
arrangement. You can look at it as the order and measure (length) of sounds
and sequences within a song (composition), or you can look at it as the pattern
in which sounds correspond sequentially within any song (composition). e
length (measured in bars or seconds) and sound of a sample determines the way in
which the backing drum pattern is going to be arranged. Until the backing drum
pattern is established, which gives you the core track (the basic rhythm track),
the arrangement of the composition can not be completed. Understanding
how standard drum patterns work with varying sample arrangements (e.g. 2-bar
loop beginning on the downbeat), allows you to map out how you will be able
to manipulate your samples. is is critical because it teaches you how to break
samples into multiple sections, i.e. the intro, verse, chorus, and bridge.
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BeatTip — Choosing Audio Bandwidth Settings
Before I sample anything, especially drum sounds, I come up with a short
name, usually no more than 5 to 7 characters. If I do not readily have a name
to associate with the sound, I simply use a “default” name. For instance, if
it’s a snare and I can’t relate anything to what it sounds like, I simply name it
“snrx1” — “snr” for snare, and “x” for whatever number. If and when I use the
snare again, I rename it more descriptively, then I store it with my library of
drum sounds. I avoid using elaborately descriptive names because it takes up too
much time scrolling and assigning long names. Bottom line: When it comes to
naming samples, I try to keep it as simple and as relative as I can. Also, I should
point out that I never name anything a “loop.” Why? Because complete-phrases
are not actually loops, they are “breaks” that are programmed — made — to
loop. Records do not come with loops per se.
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Whatever sampler you use, I recommend that you use a default audio
bandwidth setting.
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More specically, I do not recommend using dramatically
dierent bandwidth settings for everything that you sample. Don’t get me wrong,
you won’t really disrupt anything that you normally do when you use varying
settings. To me, it’s just more time consuming, and it goes against customizing
your sound. But if you do ultimately decide to use dierent audio bandwidth
settings, I recommend that you at least make those the default settings for
the types of sounds that you sample. For example, always use the same audio
bandwidth setting for deep, hard kicks, or thick bass lines, etc. One benet to
having a default audio bandwidth setting is that it saves you a lot of valuable
production time. Moreover, it enables you to sample new sounds more rapidly
and eciently. It also familiarizes you with what works, like how certain sounds
might best be sampled and, subsequently, edited. Finally, another reason that I
utilize a default bandwidth setting for nearly everything that I sample is because
it allows me to customize and uniform my sound.
135 When a beatmaker says that they got a loop from a record, what they actually mean is that they
sampled a complete phrase, usually 2 or 4 bars, and then looped it. This is why the notion of looking
for “loops” in pre-recorded music is a misleading proposition...
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It’s worth noting that a higher Audio Bandwidth setting, or rather higher frequency response level, will
make the sample sound brighter. The frequency response level is one of the things that separates the
Akai S950 from the E-mu SP 1200. Although both units are 12-bit, the Akai S950 has a higher (range)
frequency response level, therefore, sounds have a bigger, warmer overall sound.
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Extended Sampling Notes, Techniques, and Tips
Sample Blending, Multi-Sampling, Spot-Note Sampling,
and Shading Samples
ere are four commonly used sampling techniques (“tricks” or methods)
that go a long way in shaping a beatmaker’s sampling abilities: (1) sample
blending; (2) multi-sampling; (3) spot-note sampling; and (4) shading
samples. Like it sounds, sample blending is simply the process of blending
samples together. ere are a couple of ways to go about this. You can splice
two or more samples together, e.g. splicing a snare and tambourine so that the
snare strikes, followed by the sound of the tambourine. You can also do manual
blends, similar to layering,
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where you actually play in (program) the samples
to play together or in chronological variations.
Here, it’s worth mentioning that “front” and “end sample-fades” (created
through the use of the Attack and Sustain functions of a sampler), help make the
sample blends even more eective. A front sample-fade refers to how a sample
begins after it’s been chopped. is means how much of the very beginning of
the sample is audible? Does it come in hard, heavy, and/or ush? Does it slide
in? Does it blend in? An end sample-fade refers to how a sample ends after it’s
been chopped. is means how long does a sample sustain itself after it reaches
its end? Decreasing the sustain of a sample gives the eect of a fade. us, the
right decrease of sustain at the beginning of a sample and the right decrease of
attack at the beginning of another sample allows two (or more) samples to blend
together more eectively, sounding as if they were just one sample.
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Sample blends can be complete-phrases and sound-stabs that are fused
together by your sampler’s splicing function. ey can also be two spare-part-
phrases played together with sound-tones and other pieces of sound. Chopping
samples and then blending the “new” samples (the remains minus the cuts)
together into one cohesive measure of music is one of the most creative ways of
developing your own production style and sound.
Multi-sampling is the process of sampling the same sound (phrase,
instrument, stab, etc.), multiple times, each at a dierent pitch. is neutralizes
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I use the term layering here to describe the process of combining two or more sounds into one. It is
typically achieved by taking one sound and placing it on top of the other.
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Sample-blends composed of sound-stabs are an excellent example of how “front sample-fades”
and “end sample-fades” can be used. For an example of a great sound-stab sample blend, listen to
“The Owners” (Gang Starr) produced by DJ Premier. That song has a bass-stab underneath a baritone
horn-stab.
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the awkwardness of short semitones. Here, the idea is to then assign the samples
to the same limited area of drum pads or keys. Once assigned, you can play the
various “versions” of the same sample.
Spot-note sampling refers to the process of sampling pieces of a musical
phrase that can be sampled, while replaying the minor tones of the phrase that
can not be sampled. For instance, the notes of a phrase that can not be sampled
clean because vocals are running over them. Using the spot-note sampling
method, you can sample the part of the phrase that can be sampled clean, then
you play the “spot notes”, using a keyboard, synth, VST, or sound module (as
close as audibly possible) that can’t be sampled. For example, if it’s a bass phrase
that’s cut o by vocals, drums, etc., simply replay (duplicate, emulate) the spot
notes, the bass parts that you’re not able to sample.
Finally, the process of layering samples with matching and/or non-matching
notes, tones, frequencies, percussion, voices, etc. is what I like to call “shading
samples.” It’s an extremely valuable sample editing technique that can be
used to disguise a sample without having to forfeit the feeling and mood of the
sample being disguised. Shading a sample can also be used to accentuate and/
or punctuate the depth, texture, and feeling of a sample.
Making Samples Sound Thicker: Fattening up Samples
Two of the most common questions regarding the sound of samples are:
‘How do you make a sample not sound thin?’ and ‘How do you add “umph”
to a sample?’ To answer these questions appropriately, you must rst consider
the sound source that you are using. Are you sampling from vinyl records?
Are you sampling from a CD? Are you importing an .mp3 or .wav le? is
matters a great deal because the potential modications of a sample are only
as good as the sound of the sample when you rst sample it. e brighter the
sample, the thinner it will sound, and therefore, the harder it will be to make
it sound “warm.” And umph is a separate issue that I’ll discuss later in this
section. But in both cases, the fundamental thing to understand is that the
approach that you take in this matter is really determined by the sound and
source that you start with. Typically, vinyl will always have a more thicker
(warmer) sound than a CD. Likewise, a CD will always sound thicker than
an .mp3 or .wav le. In fact, though .mp3 and .wav les may be cleaner and
brighter, they’re thin (cold) to begin with. On any given recording, each
format produces an aural response that sounds as if 1/4 of the sonic quality
has been shaved o (compressed) and attened. erefore, when you work
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with an .mp3 or .wav le, the rst thing you might want to do is re-sample it
into your own sampler. is way, you have more room to play with. Once you
“recapture” the sound into an environment that you control (i.e. a sampler
that you know), you can go about modifying the sample into a thicker sound.
With vinyl and CDs the process is a little dierent. Instead of re-sampling
the sample from the vinyl or CD, just duplicate it (make an exact copy of the
sample) then focus in on the lower tones and frequencies. e duplicate and
layer method allows you to build up the sonic quality that you’re aiming for.
Many beatmakers will sample something and just let it be. en, after they throw
in some drums and percussion, they believe that the sample is thin. Most of the
time, it’s not even an issue of the sample being thin, it’s just that the drums are
texturally and sonically stronger than the sample. us, in a situation like this,
I recommend that you “boost” (enhance the sonic impact) the sample with a
lower frequency version of itself.
e other thing that you can do is program in low and low-mid sound-stabs.
Here’s what you do, check out the sample that you want to use, identify the
parts in the sample that you hear thinness. Next, determine which sounds
in the sample (instruments) are causing that thinness. e majority of the
time the thin-spots will be either a guitar, bass, or keyboard. After you’ve
determined the thin-spots in the sample, make and play sound-stabs that match
the tone and timbre of the thin-spots. To get the sound-stabs to match the
thin-spots, you’ll have to modify either their velocity, sustain, attack, overall
volume, or all of the above.
Incidentally, adding umph to a sample is very similar to what I just described.
If all you want to do is add umph to a sample, you need not always duplicate
and layer the sample. Instead, you can simply accentuate the sample with a
combination of percussive elements and short or medium bass-stabs.
BeatTip — Adding Bass Fill-Ins
Aside from the organic rhythms, that were typically underscored by funky
drums and smooth bass lines, the other appeal of the music of the 1970s is the
way in which it was recorded. ough the recording and mixing techniques of
the 1970s may seem quirky, compared to today’s common industry recording
practices, the reality is that they produced perhaps the warmest, most organic
music ever recorded. Certainly, this fact has not been lost on many beatmakers.
And truth is, more often than not, it’s the sound and its accompanying feeling
that most beatmakers are after. But while that 1970s sound shines, typically
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when it comes to overall warmth and feeling, it often doesn’t suit the sonic
demands of today’s audible standards. More specically, it lacks the level of bass
amplication that is typically associated with hip hop/rap music. erefore, in
order to maintain the warmth of a sample, while at the same time satisfy that
deep bass sound that hip hop/rap music warrants, beatmakers often attach bass
ll-ins and/or accents to their samples.
A bass ll-in is any bass phrase, tone, and/or sound that is deliberately
blended into a beat. Bass ll-ins are usually added to beats in which the
framework-sample — the main sample in which the beat is driven around — is
devoid of a fat enough bass line (or bass part). For example, let’s say you sample
a mean guitar lick that dissolves into a crazy organ sound. You loop that sample,
maybe one bar, maybe two bars, then add in a nice backing drum beat. Now,
the framework might be good to go as it is. But remember, we’re talkin’ hip
hop/rap music: It’s a bottom heavy genre. So most of the time, you’re going to
need some sort of bass element, e.g. 808 kick drum or a bass line. Hence, you
throw in a bass ll-in right on top of the gaps, the parts in the loop where the
sound is skinny, where the musical events are diminished and lower in sound.
Typically, beatmakers use the bass sounds from their keyboards and sound
modules as bass ll-ins. But this is a very tricky process because when you attempt
to combine synthetic-bass sounds that adhere to today’s audio standards with
samples that adhere to the audio standards of more than a quarter century ago,
the sonic nuances of the sample can be diminished, if not outright destroyed. If
the bass ll-in is too thick and dominant, it will disrupt, if not totally consume,
the warmth of the framework sample. Remember, the wrong bass sound, or the
wrong pitch and texture of the bass sound, can result in the entire beat sounding
uneven and overpowered by an awkward bass element. To guard against this,
tweak the resonance of the bass ll-in that you’ve added. is will smoothen it
out and warm up its ambiance.
Sampling Live Instrumentation or First Generation Sounds
Sampling live instrumentation is an extension of sampling records. e major
dierence being that you’re sampling “live” instruments. Whether you’re a trained
musician or a keyboard nger-stabber, you can still sample some eective ris.
In hip hop/rap music, it doesn’t take much for something to bang, provided you
know how to ip it. ere are a wealth of hip hop/rap songs that carry only one
and/or two chord piano (or guitar) licks. Point is, once you have the drums and
the drum programming down stone cold, there’s no limit to the ways in which
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you can sample live instrumentation.
Here’s where studying music comes into play. e more you study and listen
to music, the more you will subconsciously and consciously pick up things.
Music, like all art forms, is predicated upon on a number of fundamental themes
and clichés. Take for instance note progression on a piano. e right side has the
highs, higher pitched notes; the left side has the lows, the bass, the lower pitched
notes; and the middle has the mids. e further to the right that you progress
on the piano, the higher the notes will be. Likewise, the farther left that you
progress on the piano, the lower the notes will be. Get it? Right high, left low.
Granted, my example here is a crude one, to say the least. I’m not stating that
someone without piano lessons or a strong understanding of traditional music
theory has the same chance of mastering the keyboard as someone who takes
a regular regiment of lessons. No, I’m not saying that at all. I’m a realist. Hip
hop/rap music is a fast medium. Beatmakers who opt for taking music lessons,
more power to them; it’s certainly not a bad thing to do. But the fact is, at the
end of the day, those beatmakers will still be competing for production work
with other beatmakers who have no formal training at all. Beatmakers who
have been fortunate enough to have music lessons will always run the chance of
being passed over by beatmakers without training. Sounds funny? Hear me out.
Take this scenario: Let’s say two people decide that they want to go into the
beat trade at the same time. Beatmaker X gets a keyboard and an MPC, and he
signs up for piano lessons. Beatmaker Z gets the same keyboard and the same
MPC but doesn’t take any piano lessons. One year later, by chance, they both
submit beats to the same rapper. Whose beats do you think that the rapper
is going to pick? If you said beatmaker X, then you missed the point; and if
you said beatmaker Z, then you missed the point. Are you saying, “huh?” e
point is, the rapper could care less if you took lessons or if you know how to
play the piano, or any instrument for that matter. e only thing that trumps
process, method, and the like in hip hop/rap music is the overall result of the
nal product. Simple and plain: It’s about does it sound good for whom you
want it to sound good for.
Let me further clarify what I’m saying. Can piano lessons (or guitar, etc.)
help you step up your live instrumentation game?
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Of course they can! Matter
of fact, incorporating the ability to play a traditional instrument, especially the
piano, will denitely add to your entire beatmaking skill set. But remember this:
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For those who are not trained to play the piano or any traditional instrument for that matter, and who
are not intent on taking any lessons, I recommend that you at least try looking at the keyboard like a
mixing board, with varying EQ and volume dynamics that are controlled by knobs. The keys on the
keyboard act as knobs, if you will, agents that work to speed up and/or slow down sound expressions.
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ere will always be beatmakers who bang out beats on the keyboard without
any formal musical training, or without any prerequisite requirement for beat
completion other than does it sound good.
Some of the dominant sounds in hip hop/rap music do not require that
beatmakers actually know how to play Western classical music, let alone rudiment
chord structures. And what about someone like Scott Storch, you might ask?
Well, Scott Storch is Scott Storch. He’s a trained keyboard player. If I had to
estimate, I’d say he’s had more than a few music lessons as well as some kind
of consistent study in traditional music theory. But whether he did or didn’t,
doesn’t matter. His music is polished and controlled; he’s obviously not just a
nger-stabber. He doesn’t simply “hit” the keyboard, he plays it; and it’s evident
that he’s been playing the keys for years.
So in the broader picture, anyone can sample live instrumentation. It
certainly helps to know how to play, but it doesn’t hurt you in beatmaking if
you don’t. Either way, sampling live instrumentation is about sampling the
sound-stabs and ris that you (and/or your hired musicians) play. e method
adheres to the aforementioned process of sampling. But where sampling live
instrumentation diers is in the texture and feeling of the source being sampled.
Unlike records, which present second generation sounds to be sampled — second
generation in that they have been played within the context of a recorded song
and mixed in accordance with the RIAA mix standards of their time. However,
live instrumentation sounds are rst generation sounds, i.e. they’re the original
source. Hence, the management of these sounds give you more control. But this
control comes at a price of several obstacles, namely the signal chain question.
In order for rst generation sounds — like those that emanate from
keyboards, VSTs, sound modules, guitars, drums, etc. — to hold their full sonic
value, they must be routed and/or mic’d appropriately. is is the rst obstacle
that you face when trying to sample live instrumentation. If you do not have
an elaborate assortment of microphones, you can still route instruments in a
way that will enable you to sample them directly into your DAW. Essentially,
you just record what you want to sample onto a track as if you were tracking
a sound from a beat. is is actually another instance where having a mixing
console comes in handy. e signal chain: instrument to mixing console, mixing
console to sampler, gives you a greater exibility over the sound of the original
source instrument than the signal chain: instrument to mic, mic to sampler. Here,
even the smallest mixing consoles (for example, an 8-channel model) gives you
an edge, because a mixing console oers you tremendous amplication and
sound coloring capabilities. Moreover, it gives you the opportunity to further
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color the sound of the original instrument source.
BeatTips Standards and Best Practices of the
Sampling Tradition of Hip Hop/Rap Music
There are no written rules of creativity. All sample-based beatmakers can
make beats in whatever manner that they choose. Nevertheless, in the sampling
tradition of hip hop/rap music, a set of standards and best practices have
evolved over the years. Although these standards and best practices have been
informally shared and well understood among many beatmakers, they have
never been formally organized or properly promoted. us what follows here
is a discussion of these standards and best practices.
Standards and Best Practices — Transformation:
High Transformation, Reconceptualization, and Recontextualization
Creative, well-conceived chop arrangement schemes (no-matter how many
or how little chops are made and used), constitutes best practice and standards.
Chop arrangement schemes that eectively enhance the overall arrangement
of a beat constitutes standards and best practices. Excessive chop arrangement
schemes that sound overly forced, particularly cases where the multiple sample
triggers can be heard (i.e. where the beatmaker is punching in the chops in
the arrangement), fall below the threshold for standards and best practices in
the sampling tradition of hip hop/rap music. Chop arrangement schemes
that serve no musical purpose (rhythm, melody, harmony) or sonic purpose
(layering, sound design) also fall below the threshold for standards and best
practices. Chopping that relies more on the beatmaker’s own ear and creative
sense of arrangement and less on auto-chop functionality constitutes best
practice. Chopping that relies solely on auto-chop functionality, rather than the
beatmaker’s ear and arrangement skills, falls below the threshold for standards
and best practices.
Although transformation may be subjective, when considering how
transformative a beat is or isn’t, ask yourself these three main questions: Is the
way in which the sample(s) is used conceptually dierent from its source? Is
the way in which the sample(s) is used a change in context from the original?
How much does the sample(s) used sound substantially similar to the sound
recording from which it came?
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Standards and Best Practices — Amounts Used
(Sound-Hits, Sound-Stabs, Parts, Phrases, and Low Number of Bars)
Sampling less and doing more with it constitutes standards and best practices.
Sound-hits and stabs, which are both de minimis (insignicant) usages by default,
are well within standards and best practices. Short music phrases and parts
there of (e.g. ris, drum lls, drum rolls, parts of melodies) used in contexts
dierent from their source, constitutes standards and best practices. e lower
the number of bars sampled and used, for example, 1 - 4 consecutive bars (the
best practice), the deeper the sampling and use fall within the parameters of
standards and best practices. However, a higher number of bars sampled and
used does not automatically disqualify the sampling and use from standards and
best practices. For example, 5 - 8 consecutive bars sampled and used constitute
standards and best practices when substantial transformation takes place, or when
the sample is used in a substantially dierent context. ough not likely most
of the time, the sampling and use of 9 - 16 consecutive bars may possibly fall
within the parameters of standards and best practices, provided transformation
is signiicant and the new context of the sample is dierent. e sampling of
17 consecutive bars or more is not best practices.
What’s important to remember when considering amounts is that the less
that is sampled and used, the more highly regarded the instance of sampling.
Further, creative transformation, reconceptualization, or recontextualization
should always be a central aim of a sample-based beatmaker. No matter the
amount used, the level of creative transformation, reconceptualization, and
recontextualization determines whether an instance of sampling qualies as
standards and best practices or not.
Standards and Best Practices — Signicance of Sample(s)
Used: Using the Heart of a Recording or Parts Less
Signicant?
e sampling and use of less signicant parts of a sound recording fall well
within the parameters of standards and best practices. Sampling the whole or
parts of the heart (the main theme) of a sound recording constitutes standards
and best practices only when the use of the sample is highly transformative, or
when the sample is suciently reconceptualized or recontextualized.
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Standards and Best Practices — Original Drum Work or
Drum Breaks in New Contexts?
(Original Drum Patterns and Transformative Uses of Drum Break
Samples)
Drums are a cornerstone in the beatmaking tradition, thus original drum
patterns created using individual drum sounds, especially a beatmaker’s own
customized drum sounds, constitutes standards and best practices. e use of
drum breaks (either from break-beat compilations and other songs) instead of or
in addition to individual drum sounds, constitute standards and best practices,
especially when drum breaks are used in new contexts.
Standards and Best Practices — In the Matter of Loops
(Obscurity, Familiarity, and Transformation)
Typically, transformation always falls deeper within the standards and best
practices. However, ready-made loops should be considered by a dierent
transformation metric. For example, obscure ready-made loops (e.g. a couple of
bars of a sample from a lesser-known soul recording) with less transformation to
the original sample but added original drum work qualies as standards and best
practices. However, ready-made loop samples of very familiar songs (well-known
hit songs) are less likely to meet the standards and best practices thresholds. But
ready-made loops of such familiar songs that eectively transform the context
of the use may fall within standards and best practices.
Summary of the The Art of Sampling
If anything, the examination in this chapter should dispel the notion that the
art of sampling is simple, easy, or void of its own compositional system. Within
the mechanics of sampling, there are many dierent dimensions. Collectively,
these dimensions underscore the science of the art of sampling. is science,
better stated as the Sampling Equation, encompasses a unique system that includes
philosophical, technical, and compositional spectrums as well as a code of ethics.
us to truly understand (and appreciate) the mechanics and compositional
tract of the art of sampling in the hip hop/rap music tradition, one must rst
understand this robust equation.
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Chapter 9
Practice Makes Better
Talent is the desire to practice. –Malcolm Gladwell
In beatmaking, practice is paramount. Actually, because of the collective
demands of the three spheres,
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it’s absolutely necessary, and it’s one of the most
pivotal factors in the development of a beatmaker’s skill set. us in this chapter,
I discuss some of the most eective forms of practice in the beatmaking tradition.
Philosophy of Practice (The First Goal)
Each time you make a beat you are, in eect, practicing. erefore, rather
than merely focus on creating beats, I recommend that you also concentrate
on practicing beatmaking. is philosophical approach to practice can have a
profound eect on your overall approach to beatmaking. Not only will it enhance
your overall understanding of the various processes, techniques, and styles of
beatmaking, it will undoubtedly increase your eciency in actually making beats.
So how do you practice beatmaking? Well, what I began doing (and still
do) is I set aside certain days and times specically devoted to practicing
beatmaking (much in deference to the practice regiment that jazz artist John
Coltrane maintained). Although the exact day and time of my practice may
change, the process always stays the same: I commit the time to practice, then
I practice. And here, I note that at the beginning of each practice, it is rarely my
rst goal to make a new beat; my rst goal is to improve my beatmaking skills.
Moreover, when I practice, my aim is to explore new ideas, then use my intuition
to incorporate those ideas with my style and sound of beatmaking. us, I
consider any quality beats that I create — during the midst of practice — as
the residual benets of the practice itself.
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In the introduction of this study, I pointed out that, as a musical process, beatmaking can be divided
into three separate, but equally important, spheres. The “three spheres” of beatmaking include: the
technical, the logical, and the creative spheres.
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Scheduling Practice Time
e best practice is regular practice. It doesn’t really matter how long each
practice is. But it’s important to maintain a consistent practice schedule. I
recommend that you make, and rigorously maintain, a regular, realistic practice
schedule. If you can, devote at least 2 to 4 hours a day, at least 3 days a week.
If you can’t commit to that, then at least shoot for 30 minutes a day, two days
a week. Everyone has responsibilities outside of beatmaking, so it’s important
that you determine before-hand the times of the day and/or night that is best
for you to practice. I practice either late at night, usually between 11:00pm
and 6:00am, or in the early afternoon (2:00pm - 6:00pm). For most people,
the daytime is occupied with work or school, which means that practicing at
night is the only real option. I’m comfortable practicing either late night or
in the day, but late night practice sessions can sometimes oer better isolation.
Whatever time you choose to practice, stick to it. And be sure to clearly let your
family and close friends know your schedule, because if they know and respect
your schedule, they’ll be less likely to interrupt you.
Establish Consistent and Realistic Practice Goals and
Practice Sessions
Be honest about your level of beatmaking and quality of beats, then begin
improving it. Determine how much you want to improve your level on a daily,
weekly, and monthly basis. Within these practice sessions, devise a direction for
where you want to go with your style and ideas.
Next, every time you practice, aside from what I like to call “MusicStudy”
(and specic area-aimed practicing, like chopping practice), create at least one
beat. Each week, strive to make at least ve new beats; every month strive to
create at least fteen new beats; then, every month, have your own “battle of
the beats” with the fteen new beats of the month. e beats that lose, just
toss them into the garbage. When you make a new beat, if the quality of it is
too far o from your goal, just scrap the beat. However, if the beat is wack, but
there’s still something grabbing you about the beat, then hold on to it. Keep in
mind, however, the more self-admitting wack beats that you keep, the slower
the development of your overall beatmaking level will be.
Truth is, you have to forfeit a lot of “O.K.” beats in order to create some
dope beats; it’s part of the developmental process. Forfeiting low-quality beats
is actually a big part of maintaining quality control over your beats. And to
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that end, to organize your quality control, I recommend that you do a quality
check of your beat catalog (all of your collective beats) every two weeks. e
top ve beats from each of your catalog beat battles will clue you in to what
your style and sound is, or at least it will give you a clear hint as to where it’s
headed. ese are the beats that you want to keep and study. Moreover, you
should strive to surpass the level of the previous month’s production output, or
at least match that same level of quality.
It’s also important to establish dedicated practice sessions. I recommend that
you map out key areas for your practice. ese should be the areas that are vital
to beatmaking and, more specically, tthose areas that you have deciencies in
and areas that you consider to be strong in. After you’ve mapped out areas for
practice, divide your practice into two kinds of practice sessions: skills-based
practice and knowledge-based practice. I use the term “skills-based practice”
to describe those practices in which you work on skills like looping, chopping,
drum programming, layering, etc. I use the term “knowledge-based practice” to
describe those practices in which you enhance your musical knowledge through
focused study and examination; i.e. through reading books, listening to music,
and/or watching relevant movies, shows, and documentaries.
Finally, I want to make a note about down-time management. When you’re
not practicing, you should be practicing. In your down-time away from your
production setup, there are a number of ways to continually improve yourself as
a beatmaker, including cataloging your development, reading, organizing your
practice notes, and most importantly, conducting MusicStudy.
BeatTip — Beats Made Per Week vs. Regimented
Practice: Which is the Better Developmental Path for
Beatmakers?
Making a set number of beats per week has long been an activity well-
represented among beatmakers. (Many of the beatmakers that I’ve interviewed
have told me about the sheer number of beats that they used to (and in some
cases, still do) make or attempt to make per week.) e beats-made per-week
quota has become so commonplace among beatmakers that it is now widely
seen as a natural link to the development of beatmaking skill. But does the sheer
maintenance of a specic quantity of beats made per week actually guarantee a
deeper skill for beatmaking?
I suspect that a commitment to such a formula does generate a legitimate
level of prociency — not necessarily great skill — in beatmaking, particularly
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in terms of actually completing a beat. However, I wonder if this prociency
in beat completion, if you will, actually translates to a higher quality of beats.
For some, I think so. Still, for most, I’m not entirely convinced that it does.
Let’s say you make 20 beats per week. If you maintain that level of output,
by year’s end, you will have made over a thousand beats. Does this mean that
at year’s end, your sum total of beats made is an accurate measurement of your
development as a beatmaker? I’ve never been comfortable with evaluating
my development based on the quantity of my production output, but rather
the quality of my production output and, more importantly, the individual
breakthroughs (conceptual understanding, method mastery, etc.) that I
experienced amid regularly scheduled practice sessions.
In regards to a developmental path for beatmakers, I believe that maintaining
a strict per-week beat quota raises more questions than it answers. For instance,
does a rigorous schedule of beats made per week correct your beatmaking
deciencies? Let’s say you have diculty with programming drums. Will making
20 beats per week correct that problem of yours? It might, but then again, not
necessarily. For me, the most eective way to correct any deciency, whether it
be drum programming or any other process, is to hold isolated practice sessions
wherein you work on nothing but correcting that deciency. Such a dedicated
drum programming practice session, for example, could be 30 minutes of
studying the drum programming (patterns) of those beatmakers (producers)
whose beats you admire. is could be followed up by another 30 minutes of
sketching out your own drum patterns, using the ideas and understanding that
you’ve gleamed from your study. To me, this kind of dedicated practice oers
more promise than arbitrary beats-made-per-week quotas.
And what about those things that you do well as a beatmaker? Does a
beats-made-per-week quota help you recognize the things that you do best? For
some, I’m sure it does to a certain degree. After all, one advantage of completing
an arsenal of beats each week is that it allows you to survey, study, and audit
your own style and sound. Still, I also believe that regular regimented practice
sessions also help you to identify the better elements and characteristics of your
beatmaking style and sound.
us in my nal analysis, I’d say that there’s value in both approaches. I do
believe that maintaining some sort of beats-made-per-week quota is benecial.
However, I caution that the maintenance of any such quota, without regular
regimented practices, is far less benecial. Practice in beatmaking, as with any
other music process, is always necessary. No matter how developed you may be
as a beatmaker, it’s important to continue to sharpen your skills. And by this
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I mean, practice without the intent of always creating a new beat, but rather
the intent of further developing your skill and understanding of the multiple
processes of beatmaking as well as music in general.
Check This Out — Some Areas of Practice Worth
Conducting: Loop Practice, Chopping Practice,
Sound Practice, Cataloging, and Studying
Loop Practice
Looping sequences and sounds is one important area of practice that I
recommend that you focus on as much as possible. What I recommend that
you do is set aside time for practicing and developing your loop technique.
Practice looping both sample-based and synthetic-sounds-based style sequences,
everything from up-beat bass lines to heavily syncopated drums; from slow-
pitched organ tones to sound eects, like alarms and such. Also, practice
manipulating endpoints and tempos. Use both complete-phrases and spare-part-
phrases. Discover what happens to sounds when you program them to begin on
the downbeat as opposed to the up beat, or when you program them to begin
in the mid-section or end of your drum-framework. Find out what happens to
the loop when you do this to your sounds, especially samples: Do your sounds
sustain or get clipped? Also, see what nuances occur when you drag or speed
up the tempo, while keeping your sounds at their initial pitch. Understanding
loop patterns and the characteristics that occur with tempo changes (like pitch
changes and varying melody changes within your drum frameworks) is critical
to developing and creating your own sound. Finally, with loop practice, you
also want to get to the point where you can cleanly loop any sample-based or
synthetic-sounds-based sound framework rather quickly (for me the goal was
usually three minutes).
Chopping Practice
If your chopping skills are not up to par, practice sampling and chopping
drum kicks. When I had trouble understanding chopping, I shifted my attention
from trying to chop the largest segments of music to the smallest segments of
music. is improved my chopping skills dramatically. How did I do it? I took
the 75 drum kicks that I had (you really only need about 5 to 15) and tried them
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ALL out in dierent drum frameworks (sequences), just so I could hear how
well they were chopped. In addition to learning how to cleanly chop sounds, I
weeded out a lot of similar sounding kicks, thereby making my arsenal of kicks
more leaner. ese chopping practice drills also helped my timing.
Sound Practice
Too much reliance on “eects” or “plug-ins” before you even understand how
certain sounds work together will actually take away from your development.
Practice working with your sounds without using eects. at is, get really
familiar with the three main “zones” of sound (hi, mid, and low), and take one
zone of sound at a time and dedicate practice sessions to making beats with one
pre-determined zone of sound as the center of the beat. For instance, make some
beats that all feature strings or some other high-pitched sound. Practice sessions
like these will not only teach you more about the “hi” zone of sound, they will
teach you a great deal about high-pitched strings and how they blend with other
sounds and how they create new sound textures. Incidentally, exercises like these
will also inform you more about which of your drum sounds work best together.
BeatTip — Creating Your Own Moods/Sounds Chart:
Understand the Link Between Moods and Sounds,
and Help Make Composing Beats More Manageable
— the Benets of a Moods/Sounds Chart
It’s impossible to listen to music without being emotionally involved. Plus,
the appreciation of a given piece of music often depends a great deal on the
moods that it evokes. And specic sounds can evoke certain moods. So for
musicians, it’s important to have a strong sense of the link between moods and
correlating sounds. But for beatmakers, musicians who fundamentally rely on
the use of pre-recorded sounds, a solid grasp of the mood/sounds link is critical.
Although people experience emotions in dierent ways, some basic emotions
— like happiness, sorrow, fear, etc. — can be categorically represented in music.
I use categorically in a generalized sense of course. For example, happy/festive
moods can often be evoked by maracas and kazoos; likewise, sadness can be
evoked by a bugle horn playing the song “Taps.” Or how about chaos? Can it
not often be evoked by sirens, broken glass, car crashes, and the like? But moods
are not exactly the same thing as emotions. Moods tend to contain a wider, deeper
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meaning. While an emotion may represent the snapshot of a feeling, a mood
represents the snapshot and its surrounding story. us, matching the sounds
to the moods you’re going for isn’t always easy, especially in beatmaking. at’s
why I created a mood/sounds chart to help me catalog sounds that correlate
with specic moods.
e image of my Moods/Sounds chart (pictured in gure 11) include
some mood descriptions that might be obvious to some as well as some mood
descriptions that are entirely subjective; i.e. they work in terms of how I
personally feel and hear the moods. erefore, when creating your own moods/
sounds chart, use the language — the mood descriptions — that work best for
you.
Finally, I should point out that my Moods/Sounds chart helped me to nd
the style and sound that kept me engaged the most, the sound that I felt the
most. Note: e highlighted sounds are the sounds that form the core of my
sound and the “mood” and “sound” that I strive for.
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Figure 11 Sa’id’s Mood/Sounds Chart 5
BeatTip — Modifying the ADSR Sound Envelope
Pattern: Changing the ADSR Settings to Get the Most
Out of Your Sounds
After you’ve chosen your samples/sounds and chopped them (established
their start and end points, etc.), there is another series of modications that you
can perform to enhance and customize the character of your samples/sounds:
Tweaking the ADSR sound envelope pattern. But to eectively modify the
sound envelope pattern of a sample/sound and, subsequently, unleash even
more avor from your samples/sounds, it’s important to understand just what
sound envelope refers to.
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Every sound (dynamic tone) has three components: Attack, Decay, and
Sustain. Taken together these three components (parts or dimensions) are
known as the sound envelope. (I should also point out that I like to extend the
denition of sound envelope to mean: the entire span — from start to go — of
a sound.) With regards to synthesis techniques (synthesizers/samplers) there is a
fourth component, Release. Collectively, these four components are known as
the ADSR envelope. When you modify or remove any one or a combination of
these ADSR components, the sound’s properties change, rendering an array of
dierent eects. So it’s important to understand what each component within
the ASDR envelope represents if you’re to modify them in ways that best serve
your beats’ arrangements.
Attack
Attack refers to the time/distance between a sound initiated — rst struck
or pressed, via a pad strike or a key pressed, etc. — and when it reaches its peak,
the highest level/intensity of a sound. A sound’s attack can be fast or slow. is
means that the closer the attack of a sound is to its peak, the faster its attack.
Conversely, the further away the attack of a sound is from its peak, the slower
its attack. Further note that sounds with a fast attack reach their sustain level
quickly, while sounds with a slow attack take longer to reach their sustain level.
For example, a sound like a kick or snare has a fast attack, while a sound like a
multi-toned sample phrase has a slow attack. A sampled phrase without drum
sounds (particularly kicks and snares) at its start point has a slower attack than a
sampled phrase that does have drum sounds at its start point. As such, sampled
phrases without drums at their start points often tolerate adjustments of the
attack value very well, usualy producing interesting results, depending on the
sound of the sample and the overall scope of the beat that you’re making.
Decay, Sustain, and Release
Decay (or “decay time”) refers to the time it takes for a sound to fall from
its attack level to its sustained level. “Rate of decay” describes how gradual a
sound decays. Sustain refers to the span of a sound that’s audible just after or
nearest a sound’s peak (the highest level of a sound). In other words, sustain
is what I like to call the “plateau level” of a sound; it’s the level where a sound
assumes and maintains its steadiest level or main intensity. Although the sustain
actually represents a slight drop o in level from the peak of a sound, it’s the
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“meatiest” (steadiest, most sustained) part of a sound. So for instance, think
of a 2-bar sample. e sustain is the level that is reached and maintained the
longest during the duration of the sample. Release refers to the time it takes
for the sustain level of a sound to diminish to silence. In other words, it’s the
rate at which a sound fades to silence after it’s played.
Modifying the ADSR Envelope
Modification of the ADSR settings not only affects the tone quality
of a sound, it also aects how sounds “sit” with each other within a beat’s
arrangement. is is an important point to consider with any sound, but when
it comes to sample arrangements, it’s even more critical. Why? Because the more
instruments/sounds within a sample, the more dynamic tones it will contain.
And the more dynamic tones that exist, the more potential for customization/
stylization.
Modifying the Attack
Because my style and sound calls for a lot of blending and rupturing of
samples/sounds, attack is the most critical ADSR setting that I use. Hence,
whenever I modify the ADSR settings on my Akai MPC 4000 or Akai S950,
I always begin with the attack, using a method I call “pinching the attack.”
Pinching the attack of the sample is the process of setting the attack value so that
the very front end of the sample is ruptured or cut into a beat’s arrangement.
Because I use the common technique of assigning multiple sampled phrases to
various drum pads, I prefer to have more stylistic control over the ways in which
the samples I use sound and move within and throughout an arrangement. By
pinching the attack, I can make samples/sounds spring, rupture, or fade into
my beats’ arrangements. For me, this is important because I like to protect the
spaces of the samples/sounds that I use. By that I mean, I make arrangements
wherein the harsh parts do not drown out or slam the subtle and smooth parts.
Something to Keep in Mind
In addition to the denition of attack that I oered above, I also think of
attack in the sense that it controls the value of fade at the beginning of a sound.
erefore, the higher the attack value (up from 0), the less presence (force,
impact) that the head (front part) of a sound makes.
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Effective Uses for “Pinching the Attack”
Pinching the Attack is a great method to use when the start point/front
end of a sample has a harsh beginning, like a kick drum beneath the non-drum
sounds. In a case like this (which is common, because you can’t remove kicks
from a sample that contains them), an increase of the attack value can aect
the sample in a way that allows it to represent its tonal essence without having
it’s kick slamming with your own kicks and snares.
Why not just chop (truncate) more of the head of the sample? Well, I could
do that, and whenever suitable, I do. But if I were to simply chop further into
the start point, removing the part of the sample that has the kick in it, I lose
part of the character of the sample’s beginning. Pinching the Attack allows me
to retain the character of the sample (or as much as substantially possible), while
neutralizing the disrupting kick. Modifying the attack level to the needed value
(it’s dierent for each beat) allows me to hear exactly how much of the unwanted
dynamic — in this case, the kick in the sample — ts with my beat’s design.
Pinching the Attack is also a great method to use when you want to create
the eect of multiple samples/sounds spliced together. Remember, also think of
attack in the sense that it controls the value of fade at the beginning of a sound.
erefore, the higher the attack value (up from 0), the less presence (force,
impact) that the head (front part) of a sound makes. Just as this understanding
allows me to slam sounds together or rupture and cut them into an arrangement,
it also allows me to create spliced eects as well.
Modifying the Sustain and the Decay and the Release
Modifying the sustain value allows you to aect how long you want the
sustain — the main intensity of a sound — to carry on. Normally, I make very
little adjustments to the sustain setting. In fact, I modify the sustain only when
I want to do a quick fade of the tail (back end) of a sample/sound or when I
want to fade the tail of one sample/sound out so that another sample/sound can
be faded in or spliced. In conjunction with the sustain modication, I often
tweak the decay when I want a sample/sound to fade out of a beat’s arrangement.
I modify the release to help prevent a sample/sound with harsh tones (e.g.
kicks, snares, peak points of bass parts, etc.) from slamming or distorting the
drum pattern of the beat I’m composing. In other words, I always modify
the release along with the sustain in ways that make the beat’s elements mesh
together and sound smoother.
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Special Note
All of the modications that I’ve described in this section are circumstantial
ADSR modications that I make of samples/sounds that are already part of an
arrangement. Although these tweaks can be performed on stand-alone samples/
sounds, i.e. sounds that are not yet incorporated into an arrangement, keep in
mind that those samples/sounds will not sound the same as is, in their default
state. For instance, you can increase the attack on a kick drum within a drum
pattern, so as to decrease its punch/impact within a particular beat. But chances
are, that kick drum, as a stand-alone sound with the tweaked attack, will sound
thin and not much like a kick at all. is is why it’s always important to know
the default properties of your samples/sounds as well as the particular types of
customizations, i.e. ADSR modications, that work for your style and sound.
I should further point out that I view the processes that I’ve described
in this section as an extension of the chopping process in beatmaking. Also,
remember that dierent sample/sound spans (scopes) work best with dierent
ADSR modications. For instance, sound-stabs, 1-bar, 2-bar, and 4-bar sampled
phrases will undoubtedly require dierent ADSR tweaks, depending on the
drum patterns being used and the style and feel of the beat you’re composing.
Document and Catalogue Your Development
Write down what you’ve improved on and/or struggled with each month.
If you felt that you made a major leap in the level of your beatmaking, write it
down. If you feel that there are areas of your beatmaking that are not developing
as fast as you think that they should, document that. If you regularly preview
your beats for rappers and other people, document the responses that your beats
receive. By cataloging your development, you give yourself a great opportunity to
reect on your accomplishments and disappointments. In turn, this reection
ultimately helps your overall development as a beatmaker.
Study Music Books and/or Music Films and
Documentaries
Read as much literature on music, electronic music production, and audio
technology as you can. I specically recommend that you read the biographies
of acclaimed musicians, singers, songwriters, music producers, entertainers, and
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other music industry insiders. Reading about the experiences, the trials and
triumphs, of these people can be very benecial because it provides a wealth
of information and valuable insight. is type of literature gives you a good
indication of what it may take to reach your beatmaking goals, both creatively
and professionally. Moreover, you will be able to more adequately gauge the
stages of your own career and development.
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Guard Against Beat Block — Shifting Interest to
Practice is Key
Beatmaking is a meticulous process, and needless to say, it can often get
intense. erefore, repeated extensive sessions of making beats will undoubtedly
take its toll on a beatmaker. Plus, throw in dealing with life outside of music,
and what we usually get is the infamous “beat block.” So how do you deal with
beat block when it happens? For me, I take an aggressive approach: I defend
against even having beat block in the rst place by actually factoring in routine
breaks and “time outs” from making beats. When I didn’t have a set plan or
routine for making beats, I used to always run into beat block. But it was only
after I shifted my scope to practicing was I able to conquer the beat block issue.
I elevated the process of practicing making beats above the notion of making
beats itself. Instead of worrying about making beats, I concentrated on practicing
making beats. at had a profound eect on my approach to (and eciency
in) making beats. By setting aside certain days and times specically devoted to
practicing making beats, the issue of beat block never arose again.
Decide on the Styles and Sounds That Are Right for You
Who’s In Charge of Your Creativity?
Music, like any art, should never have to be, by default, a compromise.
Nor should it be the act of catering to an abstract client or the perceived whims
of the day. Aside from being an artist, a beatmaker is an independent music
contractor who mostly creates work prior to being commissioned — we make
beats, stash them, and when the opportunity arrives, we present an assortment
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One of the most helpful music books that I ever read was Bob Marley by Stephen Davis (Schenkman
Books). Perhaps the two most insightful music lms that I’ve ever seen are Wild Style, and The Harder
They Come, starring Jimmy Cliff, directed by Perry Henzell (Xenon Entertainment Group).
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of them to interested parties. In this context, a beatmaker has a tremendous
amount of freedom in the choices he or she makes. is means that a beatmaker
is free to choose and pursue individualized goals in everything from style and
sound to quality and impact. Yet none of these goals need be tempered by the
idea of simply catering to the desires of someone else. Moreover, in the current
era, where a sold beat doesn’t translate to “in-the-studio” work with the buyer,
the purchased beat is sold as is, meaning that there was no creative direction
given by the buyer.
First and foremost, you should make the music that pleases you. Focus on
the style(s) and sound(s) that move you. Learn them, practice them, absorb
them, and you will discover and develop your own unique way of interpreting
them. And it is this interpretation, your own signature, that you should, by
default, ultimately be after. Does this mean that you shouldn’t make “the avor
of the month?” No. But it also doesn’t mean that you should outright ignore
those trends that genuinely interest you. Either way, beware of chasing trends
for money. You might earn some money on someone else’s terms, but you stand
to earn a greater reputation and make money more consistently working from
your own terms. Always remember: You can commission rappers for your own
projects. Marley Marl, Large Professor, J Dilla, Marco Polo, Gensu Dean, just
to name a few, have all had success with producer-based albums. You don’t have
to focus solely on selling beats or trying to land placements.
Whether you’re a professional or hobbyist, you should be guided by the
convictions of your imagination and talent as well as the scope of your true
creative interests. Don’t follow some arbitrary anticipation of what you think
the commercial market bears. Instead, think in terms of the unique musical
tapestries that you provide. ink in terms of your particular craftsmanship,
not the unknown demands of someone else. is will help lead you towards
making the music that you want. And if that music is consistent quality, you’ll
not only fulll a creative commitment to yourself, you’ll also be able to attract
more listeners and buyers for your music, which can only grow demand for
your style and sound.
Boom Bap Can’t Die; It’s in the DNA: If You’re
Planning on Abandoning Boom Bap Because You
Think It’s Less Viable, You May Want to Reconsider
Tripmaster, a regular BeatTips.com reader, left a great comment for me one
day. In his comment, he mentioned a debate that he had with a friend regarding
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whether or not boom bap is dead. He argued, and rightfully so, that “boom
bap will never die.” Still, he also wondered if he was perhaps “out of place” for
maintaining his connection to boom bap.
My mantra: Make the music you want! Every music form has its own
tradition and sub-traditions, and it’s up to each musician to determine what
they will embrace. at being said, conformity, particularly the kind that leads
one to simply abandon the core aesthetics of the tradition that they’re working
within, is also a choice.
You should never question yourself for adhering to styles, sounds, and
principles that helped make hip hop/rap music the great tradition that it is.
In the case of boom bap, in particular, the notion of it ever dying is counter
intuitive. Boom bap is a concrete style and sound of hip hop/rap; it’s not a
fragile fad piggy-backing o of hip hop/rap. Boom bap, in its broader meaning,
encompasses a distinct approach, similar to the ragtime (style) associated with
jazz. But unlike the once popular ragtime, a style that is all but non-existent
today, boom bap is so embedded into beatmaking’s lexicon and hip hop’s/rap’s
lyrical dimension that it can never die.
Although there are, and will continue to be, “o-shoots” of hip hop/
rap music, these derivative styles will never overtake the fundamental styles
and approaches of hip hop/rap. at we still honor particular rhymers and
beatmakers, that new beatmakers and rhymers admittedly echo the sounds,
styles, and approaches of beatmakers and rhymers from 20 years ago is something
that speaks to the durability of hip hop/rap’s core aesthetics. By comparison,
it’s worth noting that ragtime did not remain as a go-to style and form for
20 years; however, its chief practitioners, Jelly Roll Morton and Scott Joplin,
continued to be revered by jazz musicians long after the form was displaced as
a go-to style. Boom bap has not been displaced as a style and form of hip hop/
rap; there are simply other (some new) styles and forms that beatmakers can
choose from. Today, boom bap still exists as the chosen go-to style and form
of 10s of thousands of beatmakers around the globe.
With regards to dubstep, trap, EDM, etc., I think they’re all cool for what
they are. (And just like with any style and sound, you can expect dierences in
quality.) But those styles and sounds are not mutually exclusive to boom bap;
all can be enjoyed or fused with something. But the overall reach of dubstep or
EDM isn’t necessarily rooted in a hip ho/rap lineage. And while Dubstep and
EDM rely mostly on the same electronic music production tools as boom bap (i.e.
drum machines, samplers, turntables, etc.), they are a dierent beast altogether;
each with its own direction, popularity, and lease on life. So a consideration of
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the death of boom bap, based on the fondness of the life of any other style or
sound — hip hop/rap or otherwise — is misguided. Point is, boom bap, as an
approach, outlook, stylized slant, is intertwined with hip hop’s/rap’s identity in
a way that assures that it will be in use for as long as there is something known
as hip hop/rap. In other words, boom bap is transcendent; no one era after the
1980s can contain it, but all can claim it.
Finally, remember this: e “mainstream” music climate says more about
what the purported major media gatekeepers (on radio, broadcast television, print
and online publications, etc.) and major record labels feel can safely be pushed
and sold to the masses than it does about quality music, or what beatmaking
styles and forms that are prioritized by beatmakers around the world. So make
the music that you want, using the styles and forms that you want, in the way
you want. If for you this means sticking with boom bap, go for it. You’re in
good company, and there’s an audience that prefers it.
Should Beatmakers Listen to “Club Music” At All?
Perhaps Not Doing So Is Akin to Production
Malpractice
Even before hip hop/rap’s current trap/club-pop driven mainstream music
scene, DJs and beatmaking pioneers (most notably Marley Marl) made their
names in radio by spinning the records that were popular in local clubs. But
it should be noted that in this capacity, DJs are not only charged with giving
the people what they want, they are also responsible for breaking (introducing)
new records to the masses and/or leading the people, if you will. erefore,
beatmakers (the direct descendents of DJs) who outright dismiss all contemporary
popular themes and/or the popular mood and tastes of the time, are perhaps
ignoring one of their fundamental responsibilities: To survey both historical and
contemporary trends in music.
Now of course, I’m certainly not advocating that beatmakers should make
an immediate mass exodus towards the typical contemporary radio-style music
(i.e. the cliché club-pop sound aesthetic). On the contrary, I’m making the point
that by ignoring the ethos of popularity, on perhaps its most dominant level, a
beatmaker runs the risk of missing the opportunity to get the pulse for what’s
happening now all across the music landscape. And without a pulse on what’s
happening now, a beatmaker is subject to fail in the prospect of combining
some of the best historical elements of hip hop/rap music with some of the
best elements of current trends. If a beatmaker can’t reconcile some of the most
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important elements of hip hop/rap music and beatmaking of the past with some
of the most important elements of the present, they will be less likely to come
up with any “new” style or distinguishable sound.
Point is, just as most quality beatmakers study the beats of other quality
beatmakers, it’s also important for beatmakers to at least audit (survey and listen
to) some of the most celebrated hip hop/rap music of the past as well as those
musical developments that are generating the most buzz at any given moment
in the present. And this audit should not be carried out just to see if the music
is good or bad, but rather to determine exactly what sort of musical components
that average music listeners are and are not strongly responding to. By doing
such audits, you’re in a better position to change those things that you may
deem to be wack, as opposed to simply turning your back to the problem and
oering no solutions.
Versatility Is Cool, as Long as It’s Within Your Own Style and
Sound: No Matter How Broad Your Beatmaking Range, Your
Individuality Is Still Key
When it comes to the concept of versatility in beatmaking, there are two
widely held notions: (1) multiple-style versatility; and (2) single-style versatility.
Multiple-style versatility describes the ability of a beatmaker to make beats in
a variety of common styles and sounds, using applicable beatmaking methods
and processes. Single-style versatility refers to a beatmaker’s ability to create
style variation within one set style and sound.
Both multiple-style versatility and single-style versatility have their
advantages and their disadvantages. Having multiple-style versatility means
that a beatmaker has a broad understanding of and unique sensibility for the
common hip hop/rap production styles and sounds. e advantage here is that a
beatmaker who possesses multiple-style versatility is likely to have knowledge of
a higher number of beatmaking techniques. Having single-style versatility means
that a beatmaker has a broad understanding of and unique sensibility for one
specic beatmaking style and sound. e advantage here is that a beatmmaker
who holds single-style versatility is likely to have an increased comprehension of
the intricate nuances that underscore the single style and sound that he makes.
Presumably, multiple-style versatility presents a beatmaker with the best
opportunity for the most placement opportunities. On the surface, the more
style versatility that a beatmaker has, the more valuable he will always be, right?
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Well, not necessarily. Although some beatmakers (producers) like DJ Toomp,
Kanye West, and DJ Khalil, have beneted (and continue to benet) from
multiple-style versatility, many beatmakers don’t. Why? Because most rappers
and A&Rs (prospective beat buyers) have traditionally sought out beatmakers
(producers) for their specic style and sound. When rappers look for beats,
they are typically not looking for one beatmaker who can do six dierent beat
styles. Instead, rappers are more likely to reach out to particular beatmakers for
their particular styles and sounds. For instance, no one ever sought out e
Neptunes for soulful sample-based beats. Likewise, no one ever sought out
DJ Premier for keyboard beats. If the beatmaker (producer) who’s sought out
happens to have range and versatility, that’s a huge plus, depending on what the
rapper or singer is looking for.
As for single-style versatility, perhaps the biggest disadvantage is the fact
that no one style and sound is always in demand. For instance, if trap is hugely
popular, then a hardcore or East Coast sound will likely not be in as much
demand. erefore, beatmakers who only possess single-style versatility can run
the risk of being on the outside of current trends. But given some contemporary
trends like ultra-minimalist beats, being on the outside isn’t such a bad thing.
at said, how versatile a beatmaker can be within a given style and sound will
determine how much demand they can create for themselves. For instance,
Marco Polo, who’s primarily a sample-based beatmaker (producer) has continued
to expand his sound without giving up his feel or style. us, the way in which
you practice your versatility can go a long way in your overall development.
Warning About Multiple-Versatility
If you do decide to go the multiple-versatility route, then be careful not to
try and master too many styles and sounds. ing is, beatmaking is not exactly
like martial arts. at is to say, there isn’t necessarily a premium on mastering
multiple styles. While a martial artist certainly benets from mastering let’s
say, Judo, Samurai sword ghting, and Tae Kwon Do, a beatmaker will not
automatically benet from mastering the East Coast style, the West Coast
style, and the Southern Rap style. Don’t get me wrong, knowledge of multiple
beatmaking styles and sounds will enhance your understanding of the art of
beatmaking, and it will likely help you develop a higher beatmaking skill-set.
However, with multiple-versatility, there’s always the risk that you may not ever
develop your own distinct sound, but rather a mish-mash of common sounds.
And a beatmaker who doesn’t have his own unique style and sound is less likely
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to stand out and, subsequently, less likely to have any sustainable success. is
is why I recommend that you practice and work within those styles and sounds
that genuinely appeal to you.
Mainstream, High-Concept Approach to Beatmaking
Scuttles Hip Hop: Creative Appeasement
Undermines Hip Hop’s Core Focus on Style and
Originality; Beatmakers Better Served by Less
Compromising
Under the guise of mainstream demands (or perhaps mainstream aspirations),
some beatmakers ignore the core aesthetic preferences and characteristics of
beatmaking, aiming instead to use compositional styles that they believe will
accommodate the greatest number of listeners. is mainstream strategy, or
rather “high concept” approach to beatmaking, which in and of itself isn’t
inherently a bad thing, often leads to a cycle of mediocrity, or perhaps better
stated, pseudo-hip hop/rap music.
On one hand, this cycle of watered-down hip hop/rap music appeases the
consumption demands of club-going and less-scrutinizing pop masses. But
on the other hand, by oering up a false dominant hip hop/rap ideology, this
grade — perhaps lower or just dierent, depending on your perspective or vested
interest — of hip hop/rap music works to mis-inform people about hip hop/
rap music and the encompassing hip hop culture. Unfortunately, this often
carries with it the side-eect of undermining the eorts of those hip hop/rap
music makers who seek to represent a more balanced composite of what hip
hop/rap music has to oer.
While hip hop culture’s fundamental ideology has in many ways (and
for many reasons, far too many to analyze here) moved into the mainstream,
it still remains in its original sub-culture context. And this cultural duality
inevitably aects how individual beatmakers approach music concepts such
as rhythm, melody, form, texture, theme, scope, feel, arrangement, etc. A fact
that’s illuminated even more when you consider how individual interests and
tastes, as well as class and ethnic backgrounds, manifest themselves in particular
notions of creativity and originality. But should mainstream considerations, or
perhaps even what is or should be considered mainstream, be privileged more
than the basic concept of one’s own sense of creativity?
Aside from the aforementioned benefits of a high concept approach
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to beatmaking, the dangers of such creative appeasement (or unreasonable
compromise) are many. But the most pressing concerns that I have are threefold.
First, as I mentioned earlier, the act of favoring a mainstream approach to
beatmaking over valuing the core/fundamental aesthetic concepts, principles,
and priorities of the beatmaking tradition often leads to a cycle of mediocrity,
which yields pseudo-hip hop/rap music. In turn, this pseudo form of hip hop/
rap music establishes — and simultaneously reinforces — a false dominant hip
hop/rap ideology, an ideology that in many ways downgrades or ignores some of
the most important tenets of hip hop/rap music and the broader hip hop culture.
Second, this creation of and deference to a false dominant hip hop/rap
ideology strangles creativity and undermines hip hop culture’s fundamental
focus on and notion of style and originality. When this happens, a disconnect
is created between the music and the culture that spawned and nurtures it. As
a result, much of the nuance, formal and informal elements, and sensibility
that makes up hip hop/rap music dissolves, damaging, perhaps irrevocably, the
entire music tradition.
My third concern with the mainstream, high concept approach to
beatmaking deals with how creative appeasement (at this alarming level)
diminishes the overall value and power of hip hop/rap music in contemporary
music culture. When hip hop/rap music is watered down, it loses its bite,
weight, and overall aect. And although hip hop/rap currently enjoys a hefty
inuence over contemporary music, what will be the level of this inuence in
the future? Even more pressing, who will be the beatmakers most responsible
for maintaining this inuence as well as moving hip hop/rap music forward?
Does this mean that future beatmakers — co-leaders and gatekeepers of the hip
hop/rap tradition — will be urban pop sympathizers, who are mostly ashamed to
even use the “beatmaker” moniker? Does it mean that future beatmakers will be
those who merely dabble in something that, at best, echoes hip hop/rap music?
In retrospect, over the past 25 years, most of hip hop/rap’s biggest mainstream
successes did not come about due to beatmakers having a subdued sense of style
and originality, or a warped deference to mainstream compositional conformity.
On the contrary, in the period between the early 1980s and mid-1990s, the
period wherein the beatmaking tradition witnessed (absorbed) its most formal
strides, it was pioneering beatmakers, not an abstract mainstream, who dictated
compositional style and direction.
is is not a simple commentary on, or an exhausted, romantically nostalgic
look at, the mid/late1980s and 1990s eras of hip hop/rap music. Sure, there
were classics in the ‘80s and ‘90s, many of which were rightfully added to the
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canon of hip hop/rap music. But I also recognize that there were a great deal
of absolute duds and disturbingly poor knock-os of hits during these eras as
well. So I’m not hypnotized by hip hop/rap’s past golden eras (ca. 1973-79;
and ca. 1988-95). Instead, I value, embrace, and revere the foundations of hip
hop/rap music, particularly its beatmaking tradition and the developments that
have occurred within the aforementioned periods. at being said, I’m also
deeply concerned about the current era of hip hop/rap music, specically the
beatmaking tradition, as well as future eras to come.
erefore, within this context, my focus is narrowed to the compositional
choices of those beatmakers most responsible for the classic (well received,
“mainstream”)material of both of those heralded eras of hip hop/rap music.
In each of those golden eras, you nd many (nearly all) beatmakers helping to
shape and dene what mainstream hip hop/rap is, rather than seeking to be
shaped or dened by it. Today, however, there seems to be far more beatmakers
actively aiming to be dened by a hip hop/rap mainstream (one that currently
is woefully unbalanced) than there are those seeking to help rehabilitate and/
or continuously redene it.
Finally, it should be remembered that the ubiquitous hip hop/rap
underground emerged as a response to a burgeoning hip hop/rap mainstream
that increasingly grew unbalanced. Prior to, let’s say, 1990, the line between
what could be considered underground or mainstream hip hop/rap music was
blurry. Or another way of looking at it: e hip hop/rap mainstream was
more balanced. So will mainstream hip hop/rap music ever contain the level of
balance that it once did? Perhaps not. But I believe if it does, it will be because
of the help of those beatmakers who utilize the core aesthetic preferences and
characteristics of beatmaking for their compositional style and direction, rather
than take dictation from abstract mainstream demands.
MusicStudy
The #1 Ingredient and Form of Practice for Quality
Beatmaking and All Music-Making
MusicStudy is the most important form of practice for all musicians.
Because practice is one of the most vital factor’s to our individual development,
I believe that before you can even begin to really understand the whole craft of
beatmaking, you must rst develop a respectable knowledge and appreciation
of music and music history. Whether you favor soul, rock, or hip hop/rap, you
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should possess a respectable knowledge of music in general. A familiarity with
the basic kinds and forms of music, in particular the gateway music traditions
and forms, can only have a considerably good eect on your development as a
beatmaker.
When considering hip hop/rap music, the four music traditions — within
the grand African American (Black) music tradition — that are the most hard to
ignore are: the blues, jazz, soul, and funk. Familiarizing yourself with the blues,
jazz, and soul will increase your appreciation for and improve your knowledge
of music history. It will also enhance your overall grasp of contemporary music,
and this will undoubtedly help make you a better beatmaker.
If your knowledge of American music history is shaky, I recommend that
you take a one-month sabbatical away from the contemporary music scene.
Just block out the radio (if you already haven’t). Don’t tune into any music
videos, don’t listen to your heavy rotation music, just take a break from all of
that and research the blues, jazz, and soul. After you’ve secured great examples
of the blues, jazz, and soul, set aside at least one full practice session a week for
MusicStudy. Dedicate that session to listening to music from at least one of the
aforementioned music traditions. Once you’ve familiarized yourself with each
one of these music forms, start taking detailed notes. When you move from
one tradition to the next, you will naturally begin to draw comparisons and see
patterns, and there, it becomes important to actually write those comparisons
patterns down. Below, I’ve included a number of comparisons or patterns to
look for and characterize:
• In a typical blues song, how many bars do you hear before the rst
change?
• Are there frequent melody changes in blues?
• Does the blues rely more on rhythm or melody?
• Do you notice how the blues is based on bent pitch levels and
emotional vocals?
• Do you notice the vocal phrasing connection between the blues and
soul?
• In jazz, how signicant is the drummer’s timing?
• In jazz, what other time signatures, other than 4/4, are routinely used?
• Do you see how a combination of the blues, jazz, rhythm and blues,
and soul lead to funk? Specically, do you see how funk grew directly
from soul?
• Is the bass thick or somewhat at in jazz?
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• Are there frequent melody changes in Jazz?
• In blues, jazz, and soul, what role does repetition play?
• Does soul sound more rooted in jazz or blues and why?
• How did starting on “the 1” in funk revolutionize soul music?
• Why are the lyrics in soul songs so urgent and real?
Making meticulous observations like these, then writing your ndings down,
will give you the extra edge that the overwhelming majority of beatmakers will
never have. Once you’ve gained a respectable understanding of the blues, jazz,
and soul, continue to have regular MusicStudy practice sessions. But it’s a good
idea to include music from other genres as well (and remember to continue to
take notes on those comparisons as well).
After your one-month sabbatical from the contemporary music scene is over,
go back (albeit slowly) and listen. en ask yourself this question. How well
does the current music scene hold up against music from the past 30 to 50 years?
Is the quality the same? Is the appeal the same? Are there any comparable or
parallel developments, patterns, or trends? Are lyrics more poignant now than
they were then? Are there any recurring themes?
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By these questions, I’m
not saying that all good music is behind us; nor am I advocating that anyone
should be stuck in the past. Here, my point is that music is a continuum — it’s a
continuing process that utilizes the fundamentals of previous traditions to either
prolong specic tropes of those traditions, or to create new music traditions
altogether. Moreover, by “continuum” I mean that music is a revolving, recyclable
activity wherein quality is found, again and again, through both a subconscious
and conscious emulation of, and a sincere study and appreciation for, the music
that came before.
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Studying Beatmakers (Well-Known and Otherwise)
When it comes to studying well-known beatmakers, stick to the beatmaking
style that you feel the most. After that, then consider these factors. What style of
beatmaking do you favor the most, the sample-based, synthetic-sounds-based,
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Consider this: There are entire libraries and museums (funded both by wealthy philanthropists and
the United States government) that are named for and devoted exclusively to the study of particular
American musicians and singers such as Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington. Furthermore, artists like
Curtis Mayeld, Aretha Franklin, Donny Hathaway, The Delfonics, and The O’Jays were inspiration for
each other. Fortunately, they will continue to be inspiration for those beatmakers and other recording
artists that have an aim for that level of quality music.
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The neglect of, or in many cases the lack of respect for, the music and level of quality that came
before is in many ways responsible for the “sound-a-like,” downward trends in 2010s hip hop/rap music.
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or hybrid style? If you like the sample-based style, then you should more often
than not study beatmakers that use that compositional style. Don’t get me wrong.
Studying beatmakers that feature the synthetic-sounds-based style won’t hurt
you. But you’ll be hard pressed to match or surpass their sound if you do not
intend to incorporate that style into your own beatmaking approach.
Regardless of your approach, I do recommend that you more aggressively
study all three of the primary compositional styles of beatmaking by beatmakers
that you respect and admire. But in the early beatmaking stages, you should
primarily study the beatmakers that create the kind of beats and music that
you want to make, as well as those who incorpoate the methods that you
envision yourself using. So if you are into the sample-based style, your focus
should be on those beatmakers that use the kind of samples and arrangements
that you favor. Study how sample-based pros incorporate samples into their
programming. Do they feature it, do they use it sparingly? Do they simply
snatch large complete-phrases and loop them, or do they borrow sections from
arcane (rare and/or obscure) records? Each sample-based beatmaker uses samples
to a dierent degree. Some use wide open, easily identiable sample material
(well-known records), while some cleverly chop up samples into pieces that
reserve the original feel of the initial sample material, without actually revealing
the identity of the sample source. And if you’re into the synthetic-sounds-based
style, study how the beatmakers of that style actually use synthetic-sounds within
their approach to beatmaking. Do they employ simple, two-nger key-strikes,
or easily predictable, re-worked sound patterns? Do they use complex chord
arrangements, indicative of someone who’s professionally trained or self-taught to
play the keyboard? Do they play the keyboard at all, or do they use an alternative
technique like the “anchor technique” I discussed earlier?
Emulation
Here, I want to stress that the idea is not to copy another beatmaker. NEVER
COPY another beatmaker’s style or sound; it will ultimately leave you creatively
bankrupt. However, in your early stages of beatmaking, you will undoubtedly
try to emulate the beatmakers that you favor. And perahps in the beginning,
you should! It’s a natural part of the development process for all artists. In
every artistic or creative medium, especially music, emulation always takes place.
And in hip hop/rap music, the most well-known beatmakers are consistently
emulated. Everything from their format, approach, technique, style, sound, and
their choice of EMPIs is mirrored.
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Every beatmaker has borrowed a piece of some other beatmaker’s sound,
approach, style, method and/or technique. No beatmaker is an island unto
himself — no beatmaker is completely inuenced by their ideas alone. For
instance, look at the late 1980s/early 1990s. Once Marley Marl began sampling
James Brown records and the like, pretty much every other beatmaker of that era
began exploring the same avenues. is is not to say that most skilled beatmakers
are biters or trend-followers; on the contrary, I would argue that the most eective
beatmakers are trendsetters. But you have to examine this more closely.
In order for a beatmaker to be a trendsetter, they have to rst be able to
incorporate both past and current trends (to some degree). Likewise, in order for
a beatmaker to develop his own skill and style, he or she must be able to access
and incorporate the developments, pioneering techniques, and/or inventions
advanced by both those beatmakers who came before them and those who
currently stand out.
e more skilled — and the more critically acclaimed and nancially
compensated — beatmakers are masters at borrowing what they admire, then
incorporating it into their individual approach to beatmaking. Hence, there is
nothing wrong with taking your initial lead from the beatmakers that you admire.
Remember, every accomplished recording artist (within all twentieth-century
American popular music traditions) got their initial lead from someone else.
And as with any art-craft, you build your own unique style and presence by rst
using the tools and techniques of the experts you admire.
Finally, it’s worth noting that most (if not all) beatmakers get their cue,
initially at least, from other beatmakers (their styles and sounds) that they like.
en, through our own unique discoveries, observations, and developments,
we strive to take it to another level. From there, we create our own style and
sound; ideally, a style and sound that is considerably distinguishable from where
we rst got our cues.
Understanding Musical Boundaries and Borders
Hip hop/rap music is truly capable of transcending all musical borders. Even
still, it’s important to know and respect the boundaries and borders of the main
traditions of twentieth-century American popular music. To that end, it should
rst be understood that boundaries are not rigid barriers. e boundaries of a given
music tradition are the well-understood (conspicuous) aesthetic, procedural, and
emotional parameters of that given tradition. In all cases, these parameters, which
dene a given tradition, must rst and foremost be upheld. is doesn’t mean
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that these parameters can’t be explored. ey can, and in certain cases they should
be. Experimentation with other music forms and the styles that they possess
can stretch the boundaries of a given tradition. But it should also be understood
that when the boundaries of a given music tradition are pushed and stretched,
the music can go somewhere “else.” us a proper understanding of musical
boundaries means recognizing the fact that when this occurs, that is, when the
“else” emerges, the new music, if it can sustain itself, should be recognized as
its own thing, liked or disliked on its own merits.
Every music genre has its own tradition — its own sound, its own pioneers
and auteurs, its own aesthetics, principles, methods, ideologies, priorities, and
predilections; and thus its own set boundaries. If they didn’t have clear and
often well-dened boundaries, how could anyone determine or describe one
music tradition from the next? Crunk, trap music, hyphy, chop n’ screw, West
Coast, and East Coast are all hip hop/rap because each style (sub-tradition)
resides within the boundaries of hip hop’s tradition. On the other hand, techno,
electro, drum and bass, house, jungle beat are NOT hip hop/rap. Even though
each borrows from and shares some similarities with the hip hop/rap tradition
(specically, the beatmaking tradition), they do not reside within the boundaries
of the hip hop/rap tradition. So, it must be clear: Every music tradition is
determined rst and foremost by the boundaries that encompass it.
But even though these boundaries are xed, can they be explored, even
pushed? Yes, absolutely. Bob Marley infused black American soul and traditional
African rhythm arrangements into his unique style of reggae, clearly pushing
the boundaries of the reggae traditions (and later within the broader West
African traditions). Yet throughout his career, Bob Marley was deliberately
careful to work from within the boundaries of the reggae and broader Jamaican
music traditions. But the vast body of his work comprises a reggae composite,
not a world beat template. And consider classic rockers Led Zeppelin. ey
pushed the boundaries of late ‘60s rock ‘n’ roll perhaps to its brink. eir
music was conspicuously underscored — instrumentally and lyrically — by
the blues (Mississippi-Delta) tradition, yet they deliberately worked within the
then established rock ‘n’ roll tradition. John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman
pushed the boundaries of jazz and helped to develop a new style and form of
jazz commonly known as “free jazz.” But Coltrane and Coleman both worked
well within the jazz tradition. Certainly no one today could confuse what they
did with the rock ‘n’ roll of Led Zeppelin or the reggae of Bob Marley.
e boundaries of any musical tradition can and should be explored and
pushed. But once a practitioner of a musical tradition rmly exceeds (goes
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beyond) the boundaries of said tradition, they must concede that they are no
longer working from within the boundaries of that tradition. ey must at
least acknowledge, or at best embrace, the fact that they are entering into a new
space, and that they are developing a new musical tradition, one who’s proximity
is xed well outside of the tradition it began in. When this occurs, it becomes
necessary that the new tradition become recognized and appropriately labeled,
for risk of neutralizing and further diluting the integrity of the base tradition
from which it was spawned.
e analogy that perhaps works best is the relationship that states have with
other states and nations, in particular those that each shares borders with. at
is, music traditions are like individual states (or nations). Each state has its own
methods and nuances, and each state borders another. When one journeys out
of the center (or heart) of the state and then on past the borders of the state,
they are no longer in the state from which they began their journey. is is not
a critique of anyone who presumably wants to push or challenge the boundaries
of hip hop/rap, it’s just a fact. Rhythm and blues and rock ‘n’ roll share a distinct
lineage to the grand blues tradition, yet each were spawned from dierent
sub-traditions of the blues. Rhythm and blues grew from a gospel/blues hybrid,
whereas rock ‘n’ roll sprouted up from boogie woogie, rhythm and blues, country,
and rockabilly — all spawns of the broader blues tradition.
Song Structure: Shared Music Boundaries
In some cases, the boundaries of one tradition will overlap with the
boundaries of other musical traditions, such is the case with song structure
in twentieth-century American popular music. Here, I should note that song
structure is simply a platform that can be used for all popular music traditions
in America. For example, on his version of “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,”
Isaac Hayes worked well within the parameters of the standard American song
structure. e fact that he extended the length of the song (a practice and
tradition long upheld in his and other artists’ live shows) was simply his unique
arrangement and an extension and attempt to recreate a live feel in the studio.
Isaac Hayes didn’t throw song structure out the window, he worked well within
it. us, again, song structure serves as a basis from which all musicians work
when they create songs. is structure can be reversed, re-arranged, minimized,
and/or extended, but it can not be abandoned, otherwise there wouldn’t be a
song. is is why song structure is one of the most clearly shared boundaries in
all of twentieth-century popular music.
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Again, every art form has its own clearly dened fundamental (paramount)
components and some marginal components. No one individual can redene
an art form that is already clearly dened and set. Once individuals innovate
within it, and once that innovation takes hold and goes in a dierent direction,
then the result is something new, perhaps a new dimension of the tradition, or
even a new tradition altogether. is doesn’t mean that it’s bad, good, better,
or worse; it’s simply new. ere were some distinct innovations made within
the blues traditions, which begot rhythm and blues, which begot soul. And
of course, there were some innovations made within soul, which begot funk.
BeatTip — MusicStudy: How Elvis Helped Me Become
a Better Beatmaker: Homage to Black American
Music Tradition, Part of the Secret to Elvis’ Success
For the better part of the last 15 years, I’ve encountered people who
either adore Elvis or hate him. is has always struck me as an odd scheme
of understanding. I mean, how and why can one individual cause so much
polarization? Of course, you never hear anyone say (publicly at least) that they
hate e Beatles. And Michael Jackson’s riller, one of the greatest selling
albums of all time, still draws strong favorable consensus. So what is it about
Elvis that causes such disdain, especially among purveyors of hip hop/rap music?
Maybe it’s because Chuck D declared him a racist two decades ago.
Remember the Public Enemy song “Fight the Power,” where Chuck D rhymes,
“Elvis was a hero to most/But he never meant shit to me you see Straight up
racist that sucker was simple and plain...” Or perhaps the disdain for Elvis by
some in hip hop/rap stems from the misperception of Elvis as a culture vulture
who stole his sound from black American musicians in the Mississippi Delta.
But that’s a bogus argument even on the face of it. Lest one forgets (or doesn’t
know), Elvis is from the Mississippi Delta. erefore, he has as much a native
claim to any and all musical developments that occurred there as anyone else
who was born and raised in that region. Moreover, it’s been widely reported
that the teenage Elvis spent considerable time taking in the blues scene of
Memphis’ Beale Street. Add to that the fact that he grew up listening to the
regional radio stations like Memphis’ WDIA, the nation’s rst radio station to
feature an all-black format and on-air sta (1949). (Stations like WDIA played
what was then known as “race records”.) So by all serious accounts, it’s obvious
what Elvis’ early musical inuences were: blues, gospel, rhythm and blues, and
rockabilly; all components of the Black American music tradition. us these
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early musical inuences from the Black American Music Tradition were largely
a part of Elvis’ success.
So when hip hop/rap acionados (or any other group) reject Elvis, they are
actually rejecting a musical icon who earned his stripes through the serious study
of the musical tradition that laid the foundation for all American popular music
in the twentieth century. Moreover, those who reject Elvis’s musical validity also,
in eect, turn their backs on the musical scholarship that he provides. Every
musical artist is a gateway to others, and the more critically acclaimed the artist
is, the more enriched the gateway is.
By listening to and studying Elvis, I was prompted to listen to and study Big
Joe Turner, the iconic bluesman who helped create the template for rock ‘n’ roll.
Perhaps I would have studied Big Joe Turner even if I didn’t take a more serious
look at Elvis. But listening to Elvis’ earlier work prompted me to compare his
style to Big Joe Turner’s style. MusicStudy of this nature has been and remains
important to an understanding of all music, not just hip hop/rap music.
Certainly, Elvis doesn’t need any marketing help; you don’t get much higher
than him in the scheme of American pop culture. And there’s no doubt that
his career beneted tremendously from the fact that he was white. Many of the
Black artists that inuenced him could never access the platform that he was
aorded, or gain anywhere near the same level of popularity or nancial success
that he obtained. But Elvis, who I at one time refused to listen to, does represent
the complexity and beauty of how music traditions and cultures can, at times,
transcend negative racial attitudes. But all of this aside, “What can his music
teach or do for me,” I once asked myself. Well, it taught me a lot, and it did
more for me than I could have imagined. Ironically (or perhaps not), through
an honest MusicStudy of Elvis, I discovered Sister Rosetta arpe; I became
more interested in Big Joe Turner and B.B. King; I meticulously traced the
business roots of rock ‘n’ roll, and I became even more aware of the importance
of rhythm in American popular music.
Bottom line: If you’re going to contribute to any music tradition or culture,
if you’re going to go after a career in music, the more musical understanding that
you can draw from, the more enriched your own music will be and, subsequently,
the better your chances at having a career in music.
NOTE: here are a couple songs worth giving the MusicStudy treatment to:
• Elvis Presley – “Shake, Rattle and Roll” (Elvis’s rst televised appearance.)
“Shake, Rattle and Roll” was originally recorded by Big Joe Turner.
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• Big Joe Turner – “Shake, Rattle and Roll”
is is the original recording of “Shake, Rattle and Roll.”
• Elvis Presley – “Heartbreak Hotel”
e song is unmistakably blues.
• Sister Rosetta arpe – “Didn’t Rain”
Sister Rosetta arpe had a seminal inuence on Elvis.
Elvis Presley – “A Little Less Conversation.” Although it’s from Elvis’
later catalog, it’s my favorite Elvis recording. If you know Mack Davis
(singer-songwriter), you can hear him in the lyrics. Also, peep the
drumwork at the intro of the song.
BeatTip — MusicStudy: Johnny Pate’s “Bucktown”
and the Drum Lessons of Soul, Funk, and Disco: To
Understand Key Elements of the Drums in Soul,
Funk, and Disco, It’s Important to Be Familiar with
those Music Forms
While many beatmakers might be aware of the connection between hip
hop/rap and soul, funk, and disco, it’s not always so clear to see, or better yet
to hear, exactly how soul/funk set the foundation for hip hop/rap music and
beatmaking. Within the overall rhythmic inuences of these musics lies the
most glaring connection: the drums.
Johnny Pate’s “Bucktown (Main eme)” a song from the 1975 lm
Bucktown is a great song for studying drums. is song straddles soul, funk,
and disco all at once — a sound that, in 1975, sat as a unique mix of the three
music forms right before the complete onslaught of disco. For the purposes
of better understanding this style of drumming, with this song what you want
to focus your attention on is the drum framework, which you can hear best
between the 0:17 - 0:49 marks. You will notice that if it were just the drums
playing, most people now would describe it as a hip hop/rap drum beat. And
therein lies the point.
Which brings me to this: I receive a number of emails and private messages
in e BeatTips Community (TBC) from people concerned about making their
drums “funky,” “funkier,” or “more soulful.” Invariably, I always ask, “Are you
listening to any funk or soul?” In every case that I’ve replied back with this
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question, the answer has always been the same: “No.” Further, in every case,
the answer has also included this statement: “I want my drums to sound like...”
Usually, it’s the same — DJ Premier, Pete Rock, RZA, J Dilla, and so on.
Imagine wanting to talk (sound) like a supreme court justice or a successful
corporate lawyer without ever studying law — its theory or philosophy.
Although the art of beatmaking and making music in general is altogether a
dierent practice and culture, I nd it just as ludicrous to want to make “funky”
or “soulful” drums without ever studying or listening to funk or soul music.
When someone says that they want to make drums that sound like some of
beatmaking’s most notable pioneers, I get it. For many, it’s just a reference point
for the style and sound that they like; it’s the zone in which they’d like to work
in. Understandable. But what’s usually lost in this oft-repeated statement is the
fact that all of beatmaking’s notable pioneers, prior to the early 200s, studied and
listened to funk, soul, and disco. ough each pioneer ultimately emerged with
their own unique style and sound (of course, they are all collectively representative
of the same fundamental understanding), they did not arrive without clear
guidelines from funk, soul, and disco drum arrangements. But beatmaking
pioneers notwithstanding, it’s misleading to believe that one can understand
how to inject soul music’s inuence into their beats or make something funkier
or add a disco backbeat, while being completely unfamiliar with soul, funk, or
disco. How can one know to include key elements and stylings of musics that
they’ve never listened to before? Such a prospect is so fundamentally awed
that it can produce a false sense of musical understanding — something that
can certainly disrupt the development of any beatmaker.
And while some beatmakers can perhaps clone a DJ Premier or Pete Rock
drum pattern, this type of mimicry does not serve as a substitute for the original
thing. For one, obviously mimicked styles and sounds stand as clear and
unabashed cheap knock-os of someone else, just mere shells of ideas without
the essence or subtle nuances of the original creators. But worse, this form of
mimicry mostly exists devoid of the caliber of knowledge, understanding, and
general music appreciation that produced the original benchmarks.
is is why it’s important that beatmakers not lose a sense of the fundamental
connection that hip hop/rap music and the art of beatmaking has with soul,
funk, and disco, especially when it comes to the drums. With a strong sense of
this connection, your production repertoire, no matter how varied, will always
retain its link to hip hop/rap’s foundational elements.
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Part 3
MUSIC TRADITION,
CULTURE,
AND THEORY
Music Theories and Hip Hop/Rap Music,
and the Cultural Metrics that Comprise
the Hip Hop/Rap Music and Beatmaking
Traditions
e power of music is that it always celebrates the commonalities of
mankind. Yet we can not accurately decipher and highlight these commonalities
if we examine any music tradition from an improper context. erefore, to
truly understand the nuances, priorities, and other fundamental elements of
the hip hop/rap and beatmaking traditions, we must always be mindful of its
place squarely within the broader African American (Black) music tradition.
By examining the hip hop/rap music tradition from within the framework
of both its parent tradition, the African American (Black) music tradition,
and its own distinct tradition, my aim is not to insist and/or imply that hip
hop/rap music is a tradition wholly owned by any one racial or ethnic group.
Having already thoroughly discussed the origins of hip hop/rap music and the
subsequent development of the beatmaking tradition, it’s clear that hip hop,
despite or because of its origins, became the most inclusive music tradition and
culture of the twentieth-century. erefore, my goal in this part of this study
is to carefully, accurately, and more extensively explore the existence of the hip
hop/rap music tradition within the context of both its immediate and somewhat
distant musical ancestry. Moreover, my purpose is to show how this existence
plays a role in hip hop/rap’s place in twentieth-century American popular music.
Further, one of the main purposes of this Part is to help beatmakers gain a
better grasp of the nuances of the hip hop/rap music and beatmaking traditions.
Just as a keener understanding of the origins of hip hop/rap music can lead to
better beatmaking, an enhanced understanding of the nuances of the hip hop/
rap and beatmaking traditions also directly correlates to a beatmaker’s ability
to make higher quality beats.
Finally, in keeping with my commitment to make this study a “gateway book”
to more MusicStudy, I have also included the following chapter to explore how
hip hop/rap traditions often inform popular culture. Also, it is my hope that
the discussions that follow will motivate readers to explore (in greater detail)
many of the concepts, notions, and ideas that this part (as with all parts of this
study) raises.
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Figure 11 Map of the Development of the African (Black) Music Tradition
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Chapter 10
Flash Battled Mozart at the Fever,
and Mozart Got Burned
The Hip Hop/Rap Music and Beatmaking
Traditions, Its Theory, and How It Does and
Doesn’t Jive with the Western Classical Music
Tradition and Its Theory
In the eld of music, perhaps more than in any other eld, the black man’s pre-
eminence was acknowledged by the nation…His contributions not only made a
decisive impact on the existing style of music in the western tradition, but also gave
birth to a new style of music. –Eileen Southern
Much African music features rhythmic patterns that make it sound almost childishly
simple, but since nobody is called upon to write them down or read them the music
is labeled “primitive.” –Christopher Small, Music, Society, Education
Leonard Bernstein spent several summers staging operettas with friends, foreshadow-
ing his great interest in theater. During the summer of 1934, for example, they
staged a version of Bizet’s Carmen with sexes reversed in the roles and lyrics full of
local jokes. In the fall of 1935 he entered Harvard, where he majored in music, and
began piano instruction with one of Boston’s nest teachers, Heinrich Gebhard.
His teachers at Harvard included Edward Burlingame Hill for orchestration, A.
Tillman Merritt for harmony and counterpoint, and Walter Piston for counterpoint
and fugue. Another professor who inuenced Bernstein was David Prall of the
philosophy department.
–Paul R. Laird
When I knew him, Jelly still had a whorehouse complex—sang dirty songs and
thought they were great. I remember inviting him to dinner one evening after a
rehearsal or recording date and having him decline because he had two suckers
waiting for him down the street. He was a shark all right! Often he and I used to
rehearse together at the Melrose oce. Morton was a tremendous worker. If he
was working on something, he would sit there for four or ve hours at a stretch.
–Volly DeFault, Chicago clarinetist and friend of pianist Jelly Roll Morton, the
rst serious composer of jazz.
Many saw him [Jelly Roll Morton] as an anachronism, an embarrassing holdover
from the distant days of New Orleans when what would become jazz music was
inextricably bound up with brothels, card cheats, and the tall tales of the carny.
–Marshall Bowden
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A work of art is not and cannot ever be free from the conditioning imposed by
history, class and market conditions….We shall judge him [the artist] by what he
makes of the conditions of his time and place in the continuum of history, but we
shall not ignore those conditions. –Gerald Moore
When ragtime pianists from all over the country gathered for the Ragtime
Championship of the World Competition held at Tammany Hall in New York
City on January 23, 1900, it was Ernest Hogan’s song that was recommended
for the nal test. e three pianists who had reached the seminals were asked to
demonstrate their skill in ragging a song by playing All Coons Look Alike to Me for
two minutes. –Eileen Southern
Man, listen…Motherfuckers wasn’t trying to emulate Beethoven, Mozart, or Bach!
Cats were trying to emulate Grandmaster Flash, Marley Marl, DJ Premier, and
them. In a battle in the street or a club in the hood — I’m not talkin’ Carnegie
Hall or the Metropolitan Opera, you dig — beatmaking and hip hop/rap would
destroy classical, cuz we got the vicious beat! –Sa’id
For many musicians, music scholars, and music critics in America, Western
classical music represents a superior intellectual frontier, while hip hop/rap
music represents an inferior horizon. In fact, there are those who do not even
consider hip hop/rap to be music at all. And then there are those who regard
hip hop/rap as just a lowly form of music that can only be “elevated” through
an extended use of Western music theory and/or the processes and practices
associated with rock ‘n’ roll and the like.
e so-called trained musicians, music scholars, and music critics, who claim
(or imply) that hip hop/rap music represents a primitive sphere of music, are
completely o base. Whenever this claim is leveled against hip hop/rap music,
it is inevitably leveled on the terms and from the perspective of music traditions
outside of and not closely related to the hip hop/rap music tradition. erefore,
the “primitive” accusation against hip hop/rap is ill-founded and misguided.
at’s why in this chapter, I’m gonna ip the script! I’m not going to compare
key elements of the hip hop/rap music tradition to the Western classical music
tradition on the Western classical tradition’s terms, or from Western classical
music’s cultural and philosophical perspective. No, we can’t go for that. I’m
going to compare key elements of the Western classical music tradition to the
hip hop/rap music tradition, on hip hop/rap’s and beatmaking’s terms and from
its perspective.
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But before I begin this comparative analysis of some of the core components
of the hip hop/rap music, beatmaking, and classical music traditions, I must
note that the aim of this chapter is not to mock, attack, or otherwise attempt
to undermine the Western classical music tradition, but rather to make four
critical points. First, I want to further extend upon the detailed discussion of the
beatmaking tradition and how it manifests itself within the broader hip hop/
rap tradition; the ultimate aim being to provide additional evidence that the hip
hop/rap and beatmaking traditions are independent (and often interdependent),
distinct, and both creatively and commercially legitimate music traditions that
are worthy of such description. Second, I want to point out how ideological
presuppositions about music, in specic, certain ideologies of composition,
performance, and authenticity have driven the dominant culture’s view of
what constitutes music and/or legitimate musical processes. ird, I want to
provide further evidence that the beatmaker represents what I call “the common
composer.” Finally, I want to why it’s impossible to objectively designate one
music culture and tradition as superior to another.
In this chapter, I also will show how the classical music tradition and culture
— the pinnacle of musical expression in Western culture — does not subscribe to
the fundamental aesthetics, principles, nuances, predilections, presuppositions,
predispositions, and priorities of the hip hop/rap and beatmaking traditions.
In doing so, I will demonstrate that the presumption that the Western classical
tradition is superior to the hip hop/rap and beatmaking traditions is really more
of a reection of the peculiar bias of the dominant culture in Western society
than a fair and objective examination of simply another independent and
legitimate music tradition and culture. ough I concede that one might be able
to objectively ascertain whether one music tradition and culture contains a more
complex series of processes than another, the judgment, support, and criticism
of one music tradition and culture over another is entirely subjective and based
on one’s familiarity and knowledge of the music traditions and cultures being
compared. A music tradition is appropriately judged, rst and foremost, by its
chief constituents, that is, the community from which it was born, exists in,
and/or functions for. Moreover, the value of a music tradition and culture is
determined by the functions it serves for its constituents. If the given functions
are met, then the music tradition is thereby considered to be successful, in the
eyes of the constituents of the encompassing culture. Sure, music traditions
and cultures may vary in their compositional processes, principles, properties,
practices, and priorities. But no one music tradition and culture can hold more
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meaning and/or a level of supremacy over another.
Furthermore, whenever we consider established standards from two separate
music traditions, we must remember that our tendency to uphold one standard
as superior to the other is always rooted within the philosophical insight —
worldview slant — of the dominant culture in which the larger, more extensive
standard was formally and rmly codied. In the case of the hip hop/rap music
tradition, and dare I say its own theory, and the classical tradition and Western
(European) music theory, there is no question whether or not music theory is
the more extensive, more formally and rmly codied standard. But here, it is
also important to point out that in music, as with all arts and philosophy, that
which the dominant (extensive, codied) culture establishes as the standard shall
simultaneously be held as the bar of excellence for which all new standards are
measured against. Hence, it will ultimately follow that the established standard
will then have an air of superiority about it.
Also, we must be mindful that the upholding of Western music theory as
the standard set of musical principles of “intelligent,” “great” music serves as
insurance against any threat to that very assertion. erefore, to the gatekeepers
of music theory, the hip hop/rap music and beatmaking traditions — which do
not necessarily rely on music theory to a great extent — can’t simply be dierent
from the Western classical music tradition, they must be considered inferior. As
such, it is more likely that the values and fundamental aesthetic choices of the
established standard, in this case, Western classical music and its use of music
theory, are predictably preferred — without any need for legitimization — by
members of the established standard culture. And equally predictable, these same
members see the values and fundamental aesthetic choices of the hip hop/rap
and beatmaking traditions as irrelevant at best, or non-existent at worse. us, in
any head to head comparison of two or more music traditions and cultures, one
should expect the host culture and tradition to prevail on its own terms — its
own sensibilities, principles, ideologies, and aesthetic priorities. So following this
pattern of thought, in a head to head competition between the Western classical
tradition, on its own terms, and the hip hop/rap and beatmaking traditions, the
Western classical tradition wins, hands down. However, and this is the critical
point here, in a head to head battle (competition, comparison), on hip hop/rap’s
and beatmaking’s own terms, the classical tradition gets burned.
Finally, before we begin the battle, I should point out that this chapter is
by no means intended to be a denitive study of or an extensive survey on the
full scope of Western classical music and culture and/or Western music theory,
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hereinafter referred to simply as music theory.
143
A thorough study of the
Western classical music tradition and music theory would be exhaustive and
would not adequately serve the purposes of this present study. Music theory and
the western classical music tradition are too large of subjects to be thoroughly
covered here. But I’m condent that some of the key components of music theory
and the classical music tradition that I present in this chapter will permit readers
to better understand the contrast between two separate musical traditions and
cultures — one music tradition and culture that spans 400 years, and the other
that stretches roughly 40 years. But it’s important to note that today both
traditions enjoy a level of dominance around the globe.
144
Hence, in this chapter I have chosen to discuss what is commonly recognized
to be the most basic (fundamental) elements of music theory. It should also
be noted that the information in this chapter is provided to serve multiple
purposes, but with regards to music theory there are two primary aims: (1) To
formally introduce music theory to those beatmakers who have yet to grasp the
basic understanding of it; and (2) To demonstrate, to both those new to and
very familiar with music theory, how hip hop/rap music distinguishes itself
from other music traditions that are governed by and/or rely on music theory.
Why Compare The Western Classical Music Tradition
to the Hip Hop/Rap Music Tradition?
Every music culture has its own so-called “classical” tradition, that is, a
tradition that represents the highest form of musical expression within a given
culture. Such a musical expression is predicated upon four fundamental things:
(1) a set of well-understood aesthetics, principles, and priorities; (2) a set of
distinct and well-dened compositional methods (and approaches); (3) a core
philosophical approach to music-making; and (4) a well-recognized canon of
works. In Europe and the United States (Western culture), Western classical
music is widely considered to be the highest form of musical expression. And
though rock ‘n’ roll, generally speaking, may perhaps be the most popular musical
143
In the interest of accuracy, it should be noted that it is often forgotten or ignored that there are multiple
“music theories” around the world. However, Western music theory is most often referred to simply as
“music theory,” as if there are no other prominent and/or relevant music theories around the world. There
are other music theories; for example, there are Asian music theories, take for instance India’s music
theory, which by the way is widely considered to be more complex than Western music theory. I concede
that I am no more qualied to discuss Western classical music than a Western classical music composer
is to discuss hip hop/rap music and/or beatmaking. But since it’s commonplace for many outside of the hip
hop/rap tradition to offer their analysis (critique) of hip hop/rap, I’m more than comfortable with exploring
the contrast between the hip hop/rap and beatmaking traditions and the Western classical tradition
144
It must be distinguished that hip hop/rap is more representative of popular culture, whereas Western
classical music is more associated with highbrow or elite culture.
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expression in Western culture, in this study there’s no point in comparing it to
hip hop/rap music for two reasons: (1) Rock ‘n’ roll itself was not too long ago
treated like the bastard stepchild of American popular music;
145
and (2) Rock
‘n’ roll, like hip hop/rap, emanates from the African American (Black) music
tradition, and therefore, it too does not subscribe to the compositional ethic of
the Western classical tradition.
Finally, it should be noted that hip hop/rap music is American street
culture’s “classical” music. erefore, it is from this vantage point that one must
approach hip hop/rap music if one is truly committed to understanding its
full magnitude. Who or whatever you are — rich or poor, highly or poorly
educated, traditionally trained or self-taught, from the city or the suburbs — if
you want to create quality hip hop/rap music, and I’m not talking about a sham
o-shoot, then at some point you will inevitably have to reconcile your station
in life and presuppositions about music with the fact that hip hop/rap music is
fundamentally a street culture music.
Does this mean that hip hop/rap music, American street culture’s “classical”
music, is exclusively for those who come from the street? Certainly, not. As I
have maintained throughout this study, hip hop/rap is actually the most inclusive
music tradition in the history of American popular music. And I should add
that throughout the world, street culture is perhaps the most inclusive culture
within society; membership within it is not based on one’s acquisition of
abstract knowledge, but rather on sensibility to and knowledge of the ubiquitous
“codes” of the street. For if one can handle themselves in the streets, regardless
of race, ethnicity, and even gender, they are welcome. And should one rise up
the hierarchy of the street, through mastery of (or even eciency with) the
codes and rules of the streets, they are ultimately respected. Much in this same
context, the hip hop/rap music and beatmaking traditions do not demand that
its members pass some sort of bar of abstract knowledge. Moreover, no one is
considered privileged or thrusted to the top of hip hop/rap’s and/or beatmaking’s
hierarchy merely because they can play a traditional instrument, read music,
and/or comprehend advanced concepts of music theory. ese elements are not
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When rock ‘n’ roll rst came on the scene, it was hated by the dominant culture. In fact, it wasn’t even
considered music at all. Between the mid-1950s and late 1960s, rock ‘n’ roll was often described by
established musicians and members in the media as “noise.” And some of the major record companies
of the time, like Columbia Records, were very reluctant to sign any rock ‘n’ roll acts. However, as the
economic and social realities presented themselves, record companies soon adapted the rock ‘n’ roll
format as their main stable. The parallels and similarities between the rock ‘n’ roll and hip hop/rap traditions
are numerous, therefore, a specic contrast of their key differences isn’t necessary for the purposes of
this study. Furthermore, In showing the stark contrast, and in some cases similarities between the hip
hop/rap music tradition and the Western classical music tradition, I hope to demonstrate the fundamental
parallels that hip hop/rap music actually has with two of America’s biggest music revolutions: the blues
and rock ‘n’ roll.
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necessarily prioritized in the hip hop/rap and beatmaking traditions. Instead,
the hip hop/rap and beatmaking traditions make one simple demand: at all
those who participate within it demonstrate a respect and understanding for its
fundamental aesthetics, priorities, and unique musical features. So while it’s a
fundamentally a street culture music, it’s barrier to entry more accessible — to
anyone, from anywhere — than the Western Classical music tradition.
I have also chosen to compare and contrast key elements of the Western
classical music to those of the hip hop/rap and beatmaking traditions for several
other important reasons. First, both musical traditions are on opposite ends
of society as well as various spectrums of culture. e western classical music
tradition is now widely regarded as high-brow culture, while the hip hop/rap
music tradition is broadly considered to be low-brow. Of course, implicit
in the notion of high-brow culture is the idea of strong intellectual activity.
Likewise, the notion of low-brow culture implies little to no intellectual activity.
Second, for nearly four hundred years, the Western classical musical tradition
has served as the musical culture par excellence for the Western world, and thus,
it has become the supreme musical culture for which, presumably, all musical
cultures are measured against. Finally, the third reason I’ve chosen to compare
and contrast key elements of the Western classical music tradition to those of
the hip hop/rap and beatmaking traditions is because Western classical music
represents the ultimate manifestation of music theory.
e number of traditionally trained musicians (and others on the fringe
of hip hop culture) moving into hip hop/rap music is steadily increasing. And
paramount to this phenomenon is the fact that, by and large, they are naturally
bringing with them their presuppositions, ideologies, philosophies, and priorities
about the musical process. is is important to point out because, for better or
worse, those presuppositions, ideologies, philosophies, and priorities are well-
grounded in and guided by the principles of music theory, not the principles of
the “hip hop sensibility.” And despite the apparent wishes of some traditionally
trained musicians who irt with the hip hop/rap form, beatmaking is not in need
of an increased usage of music theory. is does not mean that the hip hop/
rap and beatmaking traditions seek to be at odds with music theory. Hip hop/
rap theory utilizes music theory whenever and however appropriate; likewise, it
ignores it whenever and however appropriate, without even giving it a second
thought.
My goal is certainly not to malign the magnicence of the Western classical
music tradition and/or the brilliance of music theory, but instead to bring
attention to and highlight the magnicence of the hip hop/rap music tradition
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and the brilliance of beatmaking, the chief compositional practice of hip hop/
rap music. e hip hop/rap music tradition is no more or less greater than
the classical music tradition. As I maintained earlier, to compare the “relative
greatness” of both traditions is actually the wrong analytical approach. Both
traditions are rich and hold entirely dierent meanings and purposes for the
communities that enjoy them. But I’m compelled to point out that hip hop/rap
music, and the beatmaking tradition that emanates from it, are not orphan music
traditions that are in want or need of rescue by any other music tradition. Hip
hop/rap and beatmaking shines it own light; it does not stand in the shadow of
the Western classical music tradition. Hip hop/rap and beatmaking has its own
autonomous tradition and culture — a tradition and culture that contains its
own logic and language; its own aesthetics, properties, and principles; its own
values and priorities; and its own distinct history.
Music “Dened”
Often people confuse the denition of what music is with their own particular
music tastes, preferences, and/or prejudices. And, technically speaking, what is
music really? Can it not be simply dened as “the organization of sound?” So
then, what is it that distinguishes music from other forms of organized sound,
for instance, the sound of a telephone ringing? One useful denition of music
describes it as being “the art, the craft, and the science of organizing sound and
silence in the framework of time.”
146
To that denition I would add that music
is distinguished by the conscious and willful intent to make music through the
use of pre-established musical elements and properties. And it is in the area of
“pre-established musical elements and properties” where the biggest discrepancies
— about what exactly is or isn’t music — have often been found. In fact, what
actually constitutes an established musical element or property? Perhaps a more
important question is, who decides which musical elements and properties are
important and which ones are not? Fundamentally, the answer is determined
by one’s background: their cultural sensibilities, values, and prejudices; their
musical training and orientation; and the range of their knowledge of music
history in general.
146
Michael Miller, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Music Theory, Second Edition, (New York: Alpha, 2005), 3.
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Western (European) and African Perspectives of History,
Time, and Repetition and Their Inuence on Music
e Western (European) perspective of history and time, which nds its
roots in nineteenth-century Western (European) philosophy, is linear. In the
Western (European) perspective, progression is seen as something that is linear,
hence, the term “linear progression.” Also, unique to the Western (European)
perspective is the notion that growth is something new, something non-cyclical
and non-repetitive. In fact, within nineteenth-century European culture there
stood the belief “that there is no repetition in culture, but only a dierence,
dened as progress and growth.”
147
e African perspective of history and time, which predates nineteenth-
century Western (European) philosophy by centries, is cyclical. In the African
perspective, history and time is seen as something that occurs in a cyclical,
repetitive manner. Also, unique to the African perspective is the notion that
growth, and the process thereof, is an instance of repetition, or a series of repetitions
linked together (sound familiar?). is explains the roots of the African American
(Black) music tradition’s emphasis and priority on repetition.
As nineteenth-century Europeans “were dening themselves over against
other European nations, they were also busy dening ‘European culture’ as
separate from ‘African culture.’” Moreover, “Black culture” was a “concept
rst created by Europeans and dened in opposition to ‘European culture.’”
For instance, Hegel, the inuential nineteenth-century European philosopher,
“saw ‘black culture’ as the lowest stage of that laudable self-reection and
development shown by European culture whose natural outcome must be the
state or nationhood. In his by no means atypical nineteenth-century view, Hegel
said that black culture simply did not exist in the same sense as European
culture did. Black culture (as one of several non-Western cultures) had no
self-expression.”
148
From this context, we can also see how cultures, particularly
dominant ones, project themselves as superior to all others that are dierent.
us, in the West, it is no surprise that the European perspective of history,
time, and repetition is more highly regarded than the African perspective.
147
James A. Snead, “On Repetition in Black Culture,” Black American Literature Forum, vol. 15, no. 4,
147, 1981.
148
Ibid, 147, [emphasis mine]. Snead examines how and why repetition is a major component within
black culture (specically in the arts). Also, he examines how European culture has a long history of both
denying the existence of and suppressing repetition in culture. In the reference that I cite here, Snead does
a wonderful job of pointing out how cultures (particularly dominant ones) project themselves as superior
to all others that are different. Also, I use this Snead reference to reinforce my argument that Western
classical music is not only widely viewed as simply different than hip hop/rap music but superior to it.
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e distinct dierences between the Western (European) and African
perspectives of history and time have been, for the better part of the last three
centuries, contentious, albeit unknown to the casual music listener. However,
because of the peculiar institution of American slavery, this contention has, on
the one hand, been neutralized (to a considerable degree) in America; for clearly
the origins of a specically American music certainly includes contributions by
both African and European descendents. But on the other hand, this contention
has still worked to establish Western (European) music as the standard of music
superiority the world over. Usually, when one says classical music, it’s widely
understood that they’re speaking about a European music tradition that was
most personied by seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth-century Europe.
Although the hip hop/rap music tradition was created in America (obviously
a segment of the broader Western society), we must not make the mistake of
forgetting that hip hop/rap, like all other twentieth-century African American
(Black) popular music forms, prioritizes — and relies on — the African
perspective of cyclical progression and repetition.
149
And even though hip hop
is an art-based cultural phenomenon of American culture, it falls under the
rubric of post-modern Western culture.
Finally, for further cultural context, it is necessary to point out that it is
precisely because of the fact that the hip hop/rap music tradition is grounded
within the African American (Black) music tradition that it has, throughout
most of its history, received a negative bias in the American mainstream. Only
recently has hip hop/rap music began to be “accepted” (tolerated) as a legitimate
art form by traditional music institutions and the gatekeepers of American pop
culture alike. But let’s be clear: is acceptance is due more to the pop-culture
co-option of hip hop/rap music than it is to a true acknowledgement or
recognition of hip hop/rap’s sovereign creativity and/or its canon of compositional
methods and aesthetics.
Lest We Forget the Architects and Pioneers of the Hip
Hop/Rap Music and Beatmaking Traditions
Before I get into the crux of this discussion, it’s important to remember that
the pioneering DJs and early beatmakers were surrounded by people (family
members, friends, neighbors, etc.) who played traditional instruments and new
music theory. Also, hip hop’s earliest architects went to school at a time when
149
It also must be understood that the roots of the African American music tradition rmly emanate from
the larger African concept and framework of time and music.
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music and band were still public school educational requirements, hence, they
were familiar with traditional instruments, and they were likely introduced to
music theory on some level. But the rst architects and pioneers of hip hop/
rap and beatmaking consciously rejected traditional instruments and most of
the advanced tenets of music theory. e big myth (pushed by those who love
to romanticize hip hop’s roots) is that the rst hip hop architects couldn’t aord
instruments, so they had to go into DJ’ing as an alternative. is is inaccurate.
Fact is, choosing electronic music production gear was certainly not a choice
prompted by poverty. e gear and equipment that hip hop’s earliest architects
used to create a new music form was much more expensive than traditional
instruments; indeed, the cost of traditional instruments in the early 1970s pales
in comparision to the cost of the complete DJ rigs that the early architects and
their immediate descendents desired. Moreover, in the ‘70s and early ‘80s,
traditional instruments (guitars, horns, etc.) were much more accessible and
cheaper than complete DJ rigs and the rst wave of digital samplers. Even still,
the pioneers, and their direct apprentices, consciously chose to acquire DJ gear
and other electronic music production instruments.
When they made the conscious decision to focus on making a new music
form through the use of recorded music, hip hop’s earliest architects were fully
aware that they were going in a dierent musical direction. ey knew very
well that they were doing something that had never been done before; and they
embraced the fact that what they were doing was certainly something that was not
easily comprehensible by those who were outside of hip hop culture, or those who
were otherwise non-appreciative of hip hop/rap music. us, these conscious
decisions, and many others, lead directly to the development of hip hop/rap’s
own way of composing music and, subsequently, it’s own music “theory.”
Music Theory Dened
e following section is not intended to be an exhaustive discussion of music
theory, but rather it’s a brief (but detailed) examination of the key concepts, principles,
and terminology that is most applicable to hip hop/rap, beatmaking, and common
forms of twentieth-century American popular music.
A “music theory” is a system that organizes and distills the elements,
properties, language, mechanics, and parameters of music; it’s a study that deals
with how music works; and it’s also a means for notating musical “instruction.”
Because a music theory may include any belief, statement, conception, or
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presupposition of or about music, I also like to consider music theory as the
“grand approach” of a particular music tradition. All music uses some sort of
music theory, that is, a way of expressing how and what musical events have
occurred. When most people say “music theory,” they typically say so as if there
is only one music theory in the world. While European music theory is perhaps
the most well-known music theory in the world, it certainly isn’t the only music
theory on the planet.
150
The Basic Properties and Elements of Music Theory
Harmony, Melody, Rhythm, Timbre, Texture, Structure,
Form, and Dynamics
Before discussing the basic elements of music theory, a few words about tones,
semitones, pitch, notes, intervals, chords, and scales are necessary for readers not
entirely familiar with their denitions. A tone is any sound of distinct pitch. A
semitone is a “half tone” or a half step in pitch. Pitch refers to the frequency
(speed) of a note. High pitch translates to “fast frequency,” low pitch translates to
“slow frequency.” A note
151
is a tone of a particular (denite) pitch and duration.
An interval is the relationship between the pitches of two notes. Intervals are
described as either “linear” (or melodic), i.e. if the notes sound successively, or
“vertical” (or harmonic), i.e. if the two notes sound simultaneously. A chord
is three or more notes sounded simultaneously. e notes of the chord may be
played at the same time (“block chords”), or may be played separately with some
overlap, or may be played separately but in a quick enough succession that they
will be “heard” as a chord or understood to imply a chord (arpeggiated chords
or arpeggios). Chords are either major, minor, or diminished.
A scale is a progression of seven notes all in a row, upwards or downwards
in steps. Scales are dened by their starting point/step or, more precisely, their
starting note. Scales in Western music generally consist of seven notes and repeat
at the octave. In Western music, there are four specic seven-note scales: “major,”
“natural minor,” “melodic minor,” and “harmonic minor.” Other commonly used
scales in Western music are: the chromatic scale (twelve notes), the whole tone
150
For instance, there are a number of Eastern music theories. Indian (India) music, for example, has
its own theory, it’s own grand approach. Indian (India) music theory, which is based more on rhythmic
structures than melodic structures, is more rhythmically complex than Western music theory.
151
Sample-based beatmakers use samples similar to the way traditional musicians use notes. However,
in this process, sample-based beatmakers are not governed by the abstract knowledge and/or rules
that the use of notes follow in music theory. Instead, sample-based beatmakers are focused on what
sounds good or what “works” according to the priorities and values of the hip hop/rap music tradition.
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scale (six notes), and the pentatonic scale (ve notes).
152
Notes in the commonly
used scales are separated by whole and half step intervals of tones and semitones.
Finally, it’s important to note that scales are used to create melodies.
Major and Minor Scales
To understand what “major” or “minor” means, one must recognize that
music in a particular key tends to use only some of the many possible notes
available; these notes are listed in the scale associated with that key. Major
scales all follow the same interval pattern, for example: whole step, whole step,
half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step. Each major key uses a
dierent set of notes (its major scale). In each major scale, however, the notes
are arranged in the same major scale pattern and build the same types of chords
that have the same relationships with each other. erefore, music that is in C
major, for example, will not sound signicantly dierent from music that is in
D major. Major chords also have a tonal center, a note or chord that feels like
“home,” or “the resting place,” in that key. Minor scales sound dierent from
major scales because they are based on a dierent pattern of intervals, and so
the notes in the minor scale have dierent relationships with each other; for
example: whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, half step, whole step,
whole step. Music in minor keys has a dierent sound and emotional feel and
develops dierently harmonically. So you can’t, for example, transpose a piece
from C major to D minor (or even to C minor) without changing it a great
deal. Major chords are used for happy, up-tempo moods; “minor chords” are
used for sad, tragically reective moods; and “diminished chords” are often used
for darker moods.
The Three Primary Elements of Music Theory: Harmony,
Melody, and Rhythm
Harmony
Harmony is the most highly developed aspect of Western music; as such,
music theory tends to focus almost exclusively on harmony and melody. In
music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches or chords. at is, when
152
“Jazz and blues use scale intervals smaller than a semitone. The “blue note” is an interval that is
technically neither major nor minor but “in the middle,” giving it a sound and feel that is unique to jazz and
the blues. In blues, a pentatonic scale is often used. Moreover, in jazz many different modes and scales
are used, often within the same piece of music. Chromatic scales are very common in modern jazz. It’s
worth noting that scales translate well to the basic concept of building a loop in the beatmaking tradition.
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you have more than one pitch sounding at the same time in music, the result is
harmony. is does not mean that harmony has to be particularly “harmonious;”
the important fact to be understood is that notes are sounding at the same
time. Harmony can be the subject of an entire course on music theory, but for
the limited purposes of this section, here are eight basic terms and/or concepts
associated with harmony that are helpful to know.
First, it’s important to know that there are dierent “harmony textures.”
ere’s an implied harmony texture. A melody all by itself (monophony) can
have an implied harmony, even if no other notes are sounding at the same
time. In other words, the melody can be constructed so that it strongly suggests
a harmony that could accompany it. For example, when you sing a melody by
itself, you may be able to “hear” in your mind the chords that usually go with it.
But some melodies don’t imply any harmony; they are not meant to be played
with harmony and don’t need it to be legitimate music. Parallel harmony occurs
when dierent lines in the music go up or down together (usually following the
melody). Homophony is a texture of music in which there is one line that is
obviously the melody; the rest of the notes are harmony and accompaniment. (See
Homophonic in Texture sub-section.) Polyphony refers to a harmony texture
in which there is more than one independent melodic line at the same time,
and they are all fairly equal in importance. (See Polyphonic and Counterpoint
in the Texture sub-section.) I should also mention drones. A drone is a note
that changes rarely or not at all. e simplest way to add harmony to a melody
is to play it with drones.
153
Next, it’s important to briey discuss chords and their relationship to
harmony. In Western music, most harmony is based on chords. Chords are built
on major or minor triads. Triads are simple three-note chords. “In traditional
triadic harmony, there are always at least three notes in a chord (there can be more
than three), but some of the notes may be left out and only “implied” by the
harmony. e notes of the chord may be played at the same time (block chords),
or may be played separately with some overlap, or may be played separately but
in a quick enough succession that they will be “heard” as a chord or understood
to imply a chord (arpeggiated chords or arpeggios).”
154
A discussion of harmonic analysis is also important here. Harmonic
analysis refers to the understanding of how a chord is related to the key and the
other chords in a piece of music. ere are a number of reasons why harmonic
analysis is useful, especially to those who have not studied music theory. First,
153
Catherine Schmidt-Jones, CNX.org (Connexions), “Harmony,” http://cnx.org/content/m11654/latest/.
154
Ibid.
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many standard forms (for example, a “twelve bar blues”) follow very specic
chord progressions, which are often discussed in terms of harmonic relationships.
A chord progression is a series of chords played one after another.
155
Second,
if you understand chord relationships, you can transpose (change the key) of
any chord progression to any key you like. ird, let’s say you’re searching for
chords to go with a particular melody (in a particular key). Knowing what
chords are most likely in that key, and how they might likely progress from one
to another, is very helpful. (Incidentally, this is a basic example of how abstract
knowledge works and guides a composer in the Western classical tradition.)
Finally, understanding how a chord is related to the key and the other chords
in a piece of music, specically the chord progression of a piece of music, is
paramount to improvisation.
156
e concept of consonance and dissonance is also important to this discussion
of harmony. Consonance and dissonance are musical terms describing whether
combinations of notes sound “good” together or not. Notes that sound pleasant,
i.e. good or stable when played at the same time, are consonant. A dissonant
note may sound unpleasant, i.e. harsh, jarring, and/or unstable.
It’s also necessary to mention cadence. A cadence is a point where the
music feels as if it has come to a temporary or permanent stopping point. In the
Western classical music tradition, cadence is tied very strongly to the harmony.
For example, most listeners will feel that the strongest, most satisfying ending
to a piece of music involves a dominant chord followed by a tonic chord.
Accompaniment is another term and concept important to this discussion.
Accompaniment refers to all of the parts of the music that are not melody. is
includes rhythmic parts, harmonies, the bass line, and chords. Accompaniment
contains inner parts or inner voices. Inner parts or inner voices describes
accompaniment parts that ll in the music in between the melody (which is
often the highest part) and the bass line.
Another basic concept of harmony that is helpful to know is functional
harmony. Functional harmony is harmony in which each chord functions
in a specic way in the key, and underpins the form of the piece of music. It’s
worth noting that harmony can simply be more than one note sounding at a
time, providing texture and interest to a piece.
Finally, the last basic concept of harmony that is helpful to know is harmonic
rhythm. e harmonic rhythm of a piece refers to how often the chords change.
155
Ibid. Musicians may describe a specic chord progression (for example, “two measures of G major,
then a half measure of A minor and a half measure of D seventh,” or just “G, A minor, D seventh”), or
speak more generally of classes of chord progressions (for example a “blues chord progression.”
156
Ibid.
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Music in which the chords change rarely has a slow harmonic rhythm; music in
which the chords change often has a fast harmonic rhythm. Harmonic rhythm
can be completely separate from other rhythms and tempos. For example, a
section of music with many short, quick notes but only one chord has fast
rhythm, but it has a slow harmonic rhythm.
157
Melody
Melody is technically dened as a linear succession of musical notes which is
perceived as a single entity. A melody is a sequence of pitches and durations that
consist of one or more musical phrases or motifs, usually repeated throughout a
song or piece in various forms. e melodic line of a piece of music is the string
of notes that make up the melody. Melodies move in three ways: up, down, or
repeat. is is referred to as “direction.” e way in which notes move gives the
melody its “shape,” and the shape of a melody is called contour. As the melody
progresses, the pitches may go up or down. “Compass” refers to the dierence in
pitch between the lowest and the highest notes of a melody. Melodies are distinct
and clear, i.e. even without words, the phrases in a melody can be very clear.
ere are a number of other important characteristics associated with
melody. A musical phrase is a measurement of a musical line; it’s a short musical
passage — usually of four bars, sometimes less, sometimes more — that has a
complete musical sense (character) of its own. A musical phase is composed of
one or more “motives” (gures, cells) and usually consists of a single idea, which
is then repeated, complemented, or added to by the next phrase. eme is a
complete melody fragment, a section of melody that reappears in the music of
a song. A theme can also be described as a recognizable melody upon which a
part or all of a composition is based.
158
Counter-Melody describes the sequence
of notes, perceived as a melody, written to be played simultaneously with a
more prominent melody. In other words, counter-melody refers to a second
but subordinate melodic line. One common basic principle of composing a
counter-melody deals with moving the counter-melody while the “main” melody
is least busy and vice-versa. Essentially, this can also be described as the process
of creating variations upon a similar theme.
159
157
Ibid.
158
Aside from melody, a theme can refer to any prominent musical idea that is established in a piece
of music. In beatmaking, a theme can be used to describe the sense or mood of a beat. A theme can
also be used to describe a prominent structural component that reoccurs within a beat, like a heavily
syncopated drum roll proceeded by a bouncing bass line. Also, in beatmaking a theme can be used to
describe the style of a beat; for example, a hardcore beat, a party track or club banger, etc.
159
A great example of counter-melody led by rhythm can be heard in the song “Heartbreak Hotel” by
The Jacksons.
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A motif (or motive), also commonly referred to as a cell or a gure, is a short
musical ideal — shorter than a phrase or theme — that occurs often in a piece of
music. In the Western classical music tradition, a motive must consist of at least
two notes to have purpose (usually a motif is made up of three, four, or more
notes). is short “melodic idea” is a scrap of melody that can be pieced together
and formed into main melodies. When a motif returns (reappears) in a piece
of music, it can be slower or faster, or in a dierent key. It may return “upside
down” (with the notes going up instead of down, for example), or with the pitches
or rhythms altered. In order to make up a line of music, a motive must lead
somewhere and must link to the next motive and from the previous motive so
that the piece ows well.
160
Finally, extra notes, such as trills and slides, that are not part of the
main melodic line but are added to the melody (either by the composer or
the performer to make the melody more complex and interesting) are called
ornaments or embellishments.
Rhythm
e term rhythm has more than one meaning, but generally rhythm means
the placement of sounds in time. Music cannot happen without time. Because
music must be heard over a period of time, rhythm is one of the most basic
elements of music. Rhythm is comprised of four elements: the beat, accent,
meter, and tempo. e term “beat” also has more than one meaning, especially
depending on the context. Fundamentally, beat refers to (the speed of) the
underlying “pulse” in music; it’s the basic time unit of music. erefore, one
description of rhythm is that it’s the pattern of regular or irregular pulses caused
in music by the occurrence of strong and weak melodic and harmonic “beats.”
Beats are grouped into measures or bars. e rst beat is usually the strongest,
and in most music, most of the bars have the same number of beats. is sets
up an underlying pattern in the pulse of the music. “Beat” may also refer to a
distinct or recognizable (specic) repetitive rhythmic pattern that maintains the
pulse (as in “it has a jazz beat”).
In a rhythmic pattern, it is also important to understand the dierences
between the “downbeat,” “upbeat,” or “o” beat. e downbeat refers to the
moment when the pulse is the strongest; the downbeat is the impulse that
occurs at the beginning of a bar of measured music. e o-beat is in between
160
Symphonic music uses motives all the time. With just four little notes Beethoven created one of the
most famous motives ever written. In his piece “Symphony No. 5,” he repeated four little notes and
made them grow into a big symphony.
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pulses; and the upbeat is exactly halfway between pulses. (ink of the upbeat
as “and”: 1 and 2 and 3 and 4.) Here, it’s worth noting that James Brown’s
signature funk groove emphasized the downbeat, the “one” — emphasis on the
rst beat in 4/4 time measure — rather than the upbeat. However, in rock ‘n’
roll, like early rhythm and blues, the upbeat is emphasized. In hip hop/rap, a
descendent of funk, the downbeat is emphasized.
161
A meter is a division of a composition into units of equal time value called
“measures.” Measures, synonymously known as bars, simply refers to the notes
and rests between two bar lines; more specically, it’s also described as a segment
of time dened as a given number of beats of a given duration. A bar line is a
vertical line which separates measures. Also, it’s worth noting that the word “bar”
comes from the vertical lines on the music sta, which separate one measure from
another.
162
I should further add that a more specic description of meter in a
piece of music is that it is the repetitive arrangement or “grouping” of strong and
weak pulses (beats) in the rhythm. It is on these pulses, the beat of the music,
that you tap your foot, clap your hands, dance, etc. Also, the meter of a piece
of music is the arrangement of its rhythms in a repetitive pattern of strong and
weak beats. is does not necessarily mean that the rhythms themselves are
repetitive, but they do strongly suggest a repeated pattern of pulses. e concept
of meter emanates in large part from the rhythmic element of poetry or song,
where it means the number of lines in a verse, the number of syllables, and the
arrangement of those syllables as long or short.
Time signature, also commonly known as “meter signature,” is the
notational convention used in Western music to specify how many beats are in
each measure and what note value constitutes one beat. Meters can be classied as
either “simple” or “compound.” In a simple meter, each beat is basically divided
into halves. In compound meters, each beat is divided into thirds. e length of
the meter, or metric unit (usually corresponding with measure length), is usually
grouped into either two or three beats, being called duple meter and triple meter,
respectively. If each beat is divided by two or four, it is simple meter, if by three
(or six) compound meter. In fact, there are four dierent categories of time
signature or “meter signature”: simple duple, simple triple, compound duple, and
161
For a more extensive understanding of rhythmic features, in particular, the “beat,” see: Southern,
206: “The modern scholar Richard Waterman has used the term metronome sense to refer to the
African tradition for ‘conceiving music as structure along a theoretical framework of beats regularly
spaced in time…whether or not the beats are expressed in actual melodic or percussion tones…Since
this metronome sense is of such basic importance…it is assumed without question to consideration to
be part of the perceptual equipment of both musicians and listeners and is, in the most complete way,
taken for granted.’”
162
There are different types of bar lines, each with a specic instruction. However, I have not included
the various descriptions of bar lines because it is not critical the purposes of this study.
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compound triple. Again, if the beat is divided into two, the meter is “simple,”
if divided into three, it is compound. Likewise, if each measure is divided into
two it is “duple,” and if into three, it is “triple.” In other words, simple duple
describes two or four beats to a bar, each divided by two, the top number of
the signature being “2” or “4” (2/4, 2/8, 2/2…4/4, 4/8, 4/2…). Note: When
there are four beats to a bar, it is alternatively referred to as “quadruple” time.
Simple triple describes three beats to a bar, each divided by two, the top number
of the signature being “3” (3/4, 3/8, 3/2…). Compound duple describes two
beats to a bar, each divided by three, the top number of the signature being
“6” (6/8, 6/16, 6/4…). Compound triple describes three beats to a bar, each
divided by three, the top number of the signature being “9” (9/8, 9/16, 9/4).
For example, if the meter of the music feels like “strong-weak-strong-weak,” it
is in duple meter; “strong-weak-weak-strong-weak-weak” it is triple meter, and
“strong-weak-weak-weak” is quadruple.
Tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece of music. More specically,
the tempo is a measure of how quickly or rather how slow or fast the pulse in
music repeats. Tempo is usually measured in “beats per minute” (BPM); for
example, 60 BPM translates to a speed of one beat per second. Rhythms are
usually arranged with respect to a time signature, partially signifying a meter,
and set to a tempo. Tempo is a crucial element of music composition, as it can
aect the mood and diculty of a piece. Finally, tempo is also described as the
interval of time between beats. erefore, the closer the beats, the faster the
tempo; the farther apart, the slower.
Finally, rhythm can also mean the basic, repetitive pulse of the music, or “a
rhythmic pattern” that is repeated throughout the music (as in “feel the rhythm”).
It can also refer to the pattern in time of a single small group of notes (as in “play
this rhythm for me”). ere are also dierent types or kinds of rhythms. For
instance, syncopated rhythms are rhythms that accent parts of the beat not already
stressed by counting. Syncopation occurs when a strong note happens either on
a weak beat or o the beat. en there’s polymeter. Polymeter is dierent
rhythms played simultaneously in more than one time signature.
The Primary Sub-Elements of Music: Texture, Dynamics,
Timbre, and Form/Structure
Texture in music describes two areas of musical phenomena: (1) melodic
and harmonic relationships; and (2) the density of the simultaneous layering
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of dierent musical components. With regards to the melodic and harmonic
relationships, texture is used commonly to describe the construction of
music. at is, it refers to the number of melodies (or rhythms on percussion
instruments) played at a given time in a piece of music. ere are three
typical texture constructions: monophony or monophonic texture, polyphony
or polyphonic texture, and homophony or homophonic texture.
163
In a
monophonic texture, a single melodic line (one melodic voice) is played without
harmonic accompaniment. A single musical instrument playing a melody or
many instruments playing the same melody is monophonic texture.
Polyphonic texture describes a texture in which two or more melodic lines
(voices) of relatively equal complexity (considerably independent from one
another) are played simultaneously. Melodic lines in a polyphonic texture are
complementary to each other, they sound well together and do not interfere with
each other sonically. It should be noted that the craft of combining two or more
melodies of equal complexity that occur in music at the same time is known as
counterpoint, that is to say, point against point. Music that has a polyphonic
texture is said to be contrapuntal. Each melodic line in a contrapuntal texture
occupies a separate sonic range, and their rhythm activity compliment each
other. Note: Simultaneity describes more than one complete musical texture
occurring at the same time rather than in succession.
164
A case in which a single melodic line plays with an accompaniment of
harmony is called homophonic texture. In homophonic texture, there are
actually multiple voices of which one, the melody, stands out prominently and
the others (clearly less important melodies) form a background of harmonic
accompaniment. Most songs and much instrumental music is composed in
this texture. Also, homophonic texture represents the classic idea of simplicity
and balance.
165
Finally, there are two musical techniques or styles that are often associated
with analysis of texture: heterophony and antiphony. Heterophony describes a
“shadow” or “echo” eect in music, wherein two or more voices simultaneously
perform variations of the same melodic material. In the heterophonic style,
one performer plays the basic melody while other performers “shadow” or
“echo” the melody notes by playing slightly after the basic notes. In some
heterophonic styles, the “shadow” performer not only “echoes” the basic
163
There are two other broad types of texture: simple and complex. Simple texture is a texture in which
the same rhythm is played by all musicians. A complex texture is one in which a different rhythm is
played by each musician.
164
Southern, 209. Also, see: Danlee Mitchell and Jack Logan, Ph.D, “Four Combinational Operations of
Music: Texture,” Cartage.org, http://www.cartage.org.Ib/en/themes/Arts/music/elements/four.
165
Ibid.
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melodic tones, but also ornaments them as well. Antiphony describes the
stereo or quadraphonic eect achieved by placing two or more groups of
performers at dierent locations in a performance space, such as a large
church or performing hall. When each antiphonal group alternates its
musical material in succeeding phrases this “eect” is known as antiphony or
the music is said to be antiphonal. Another term for this technique is call and
response.
166
Texture is also a term used to describe the overall quality of sound of a
piece of music, most often indicated by the number of “voices” — the number
of dierent instruments and their timbre (unique sound and color) — in the
music, and by the relationship between these voices. Many composers often use
more than one type of texture in the same piece of music. e texture of a piece
of music can be aected by the number and character of parts playing at once,
or the timbre of the instruments or voices playing these parts, or the harmony,
tempo, and rhythms used. is is what contributes to the “thickness” or lack
their of in a given piece of music.
Dynamics
Dynamics refers to the selected “levels of volume” of the voices in a given
piece of music. More specically, in the Western classical tradition, dynamics
describes the range of sounds from barely audible to very loud. Dynamics has
its own distinct terminology and instructions used for achieving each range or
style of sound. Dynamic markings (terminology) used in the Western classical
tradition are based on Italian words. e two basic dynamic indications are:
piano or p, which means “soft,” and forte or f, which means “loud” or “strong.”
From these basic dynamic indications, subtle “degrees” of loudness or softness are
indicated as: mezzo-piano or mp, which means “moderately or medium soft,”
mezzo-forte or mf, which means “moderately or medium loud,” fortissimo or ,
which means “very loud,” and pianissimo or pp, which means “very soft.” For
pianissimo and fortissimo, there are still further indications: pianissimo possibile
or ppp, which means “softest possible or very, very soft,” and fortissimo possibile
or f, which means “loudest possible or very, very, loud.” Sudden changes in
volume also have specic dynamic markings: sforzando (sforzato) or sf, sfz,
or fz, means a “strong, sudden accent. Finally, gradual changes in volume also
have distinct dynamic markings: crescendo or cresc., which means “get gradually
166
Ibid. The call and response technique described here is not to be confused with the tradition of “call
and response” of West Africa or African American slaves and/or the Black Church.
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louder,” and decrescendo or diminuendo (descresc. and dim.), which means
“get gradually softer.”
Dynamic indications are relative, not absolute. For example, an entire
orchestra playing very loudly is louder than a single pianist playing very loudly.
Hence, dynamic indications do not indicate an exact level of volume, but rather
the dynamic instructions for a music passage in a given piece of music.
Timbre
Timbre (pronounced as “tamber”) is the term used to indicate the distinctive
properties
— characteristic, quality, or substance — of a sound or sound
produced (made) by a particular instrument or voice. Timbre, commonly referred
to as “tone quality” or “tone color,” describes all of the aspects of a musical sound
that do not have anything to do with pitch or duration. Timbre speaks to the
fact that each individual instrument or voice has its own distinct sound. For
example, there is a timbral dierence between a saxophone, a piano, a trumpet,
and a guitar. Each instrument playing the same note at the same pitch and
volume will sound dierently because each instrument conveys its own distinct
“character,” “tone quality,” or “tone color.” Timbre is also relative to amplication
and harmonics, that is to say, the timbre of an electronic guitar is recognizably
dierent from that of an acoustic guitar. Also, because of the attack of each note
or sound, the timbre of two dierent electric guitars is also recognizably dierent.
us, various musical instruments have dierent musical colors.
Form/Structure
Form is the basic “structure” of a piece of music. Form is a musical blueprint
that helps the composer put his sounds together in dierent ways. Every piece
of music has an overall plan or structure, the big picture, so to speak. In the
Western classical music tradition, musical forms oer a great range of complexity.
erefore, in this sub-section, I will briey go over some of the most familiar
and commonly used forms in the Western classical music tradition.
e simplest musical forms that composers use are the binary, ternary, and
rondo forms. e binary form consists of two sections (complementary and
of roughly equal duration) that are commonly known as the “question section”
and “answer section.” Note: these two sections are often repeated to highlight
the dierences between them. In the binary form, the rst section, “A,” will start
in a certain key, and will usually modulate to a related key, while the second
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section, “B,” begins in the newly established key. To achieve the “question” and
“answer,” section A ends in a dierent key to the one in which it starts. Section
B then goes through a series of modulations into dierent keys until it ends up
at the “home” key once again. us, the binary form is usually characterized
as having the form AB. e ternary form is simply an A section, followed by a
contrasting B section, and then the A section repeated. Finally, the rondo form
is just a progression of ternary form: the A section is often itself in binary form
and the B and C sections are deliberately contrasting.
167
Some of the more commonly used complex forms include: canon, fugue,
sonata, and concerto. e canon form is contrapuntal, which means a lot of
emphasis is placed on the melody and its structure. In the canon form, the
instruments play the same melody but at dierent times in relation to one
another; in other words, the melody is imitated by various parts at regular
intervals. So one instrument will begin and another will start playing the same
melody a few bars later.
e fugue form or style incorporates “imitative counterpoint,” that is to say,
it involves the overlapping of several melodies, beginning with an initial theme
or subject. is subject is developed and repeated becoming a counter-subject,
at which point another instrument enters and “imitates” the subject, often
transposed into the dominant key so that the parts sound dierent but stay in
close harmonic relation.
e sonata form consists of three parts: the exposition, the development,
and the recapitulation. The exposition is where the main “themes” are
introduced. e development is where the material from the exposition
is “developed” to a climax. roughout the development, tension builds
steadily. In the recapitulation, tension is “relieved” by the repeat of the
exposition. However, this is the appearance of the exposition, as the familiar
motives of the beginning are actually slightly modied in the recapitulation.
Finally, a sonata is a piece of music that consists of many movements, whereas
a concerto is a piece of music for a solo instrument accompanied by a full
orchestra.
168
167
“Structure In Classical Music,” http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A8379219. “Rondo Form,” Capistrano
School, http://www.empire.k12.ca.us/CAPISTRANO/Mike/capmusic/form/rondo%20form/rondo.htm.
168
Ibid. It’s worth noting that the Western classical tradition tends to encourage longer, more complex forms
which may be difcult to recognize without the familiarity that comes from study or repeated hearings.
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Compositional Ethic of the Western Classical Tradition
Every music tradition has its own compositional ethic, i.e. its own guiding
philosophy. In the Western classical music tradition, its compositional ethic
(guiding philosophy) emanates, above all, from ve things: (1) e reliance
upon music theory — abstract knowledge; (2) e importance of logical (clearly
understood) form or structure; (3) A strong emphasis on harmony; (4) e
principle of linear progression (material growth, horizontal forward movement);
and (5) e use of rhythm as only an aid to progression, and the opposition to
the use of repetition.
In the Western classical tradition, music theory is the fundamental apparatus
(mechanism) through which music is made. One might say that it is the “life
force” of the Western classical tradition. But one must remember that music theory is
a very complex system. In the previous sections of this chapter, I surveyed the basics
of music theory and described how complex even the most introductory aspects
of music theory can be. In fact, music theory is an incredibly dense framework
that incorporates a range of components, including, but not limited to, physics,
mathematics, Western philosophy and notions of logic, Italian terminology, and
even the Western literary tradition. As a rigid set of logical rules, music theory
achieves a number of things: It provides an orderly system for music-making;
it reinforces Western presuppositions about harmony, melody, and rhythm; it
maintains harmony as the most highly developed aspect of Western music; it
governs the “approach” of composers; and nally, it dictates the elements that
inform composers of the Western classical tradition and other Western musicians
on how music supposedly should work.
In the Western classical tradition, form/structure is an entirely literal and
logical concept. at is to say, there is a premium on the written score or a set
of instructions that make logical sense, in relation, of course, to the directives,
sub-theories, and principles of music theory. us, what “works” in the Western
classical tradition is absolutely dened by the tenets (rules) of music theory. is
means that within the Western classical music tradition, everything in the form
or structure of music must make literal sense. In the Western classical music
tradition, composers approach music in a literary sense. In fact, some of the
most important language of music theory makes this connection quite clear:
“theme,” “sentence,” “structure,” “verse,” “bar,” “phrase,” etc. In this way, the
written score in the Western classical music tradition is akin to a narrative in a
literary work. A composer from the Western classical tradition need not hear the
score to know if it makes sense, they can read the score and comprehend that it
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makes sense. Incidentally, this is precisely why the notion of musical “questions”
and “answers” is a pivotal component to the Western classical music tradition.
Finally, it’s worth noting the fundamental presuppositions of form or
structure within the Western classical tradition. In the Western classical tradition,
a “good” structure is one in which the music takes the listener on a musical
journey, through a clear beginning, middle, and end. Moreover, the common view
within the Western classical tradition is that music, without structure, is merely a
random set of ideas that leaves the listener completely unsatised. Certainly such
a view implies, at the very least, that the full enjoyment of Western classical music
requires that a listener understand music theory. Composers in the Western
classical tradition are quite concerned with conveying to the listener his or her
musical ideas, which implies that the common listener actually understands his
or her ideas. Also, the goal of Western classical composers is to create “interest”
in a piece. However, it would appear then that what is interesting can only be
“understood” by those well versed in the abstract knowledge of music theory.
Moreover, this also seems to suggest that the listener’s level of enjoyment is
dependent upon their ability to see the big compositional picture, that is, to
see the given form that a composer is using. us, this all raises an important
question: Who is Western classical music actually meant for? Is it meant for
the common listener, or is it ultimately really meant for those who understand
music theory?
Next, because harmony is the most highly developed aspect of Western music,
music theory tends to focus almost exclusively on harmony and melody. us,
tonality, a system of music in which specic hierarchical pitch relationships
are based on a key “center” or tonic, is central to the compositional ethic of the
Western classical composer. Since the mid-eighteenth century, tonal music has
increasingly been composed of a 12-note chromatic scale in a system of equal
temperament. As we’ve already learned, tonal music makes reference to “scales”
of notes selected as a series of steps from the chromatic scale. Most of these scales
are of 5, 6, or 7 notes with the vast majority of tonal music pitches conforming
to one of four specic seven-note scales: major, natural minor, melodic minor,
and harmonic minor. Hence, in the Western classical music tradition, there is
a strong priority on denite tones, pitch relationships, and on constant “shifts”
in melody.
It must also be remembered that Western classical ideology is completely
invested in the notion of linear progression, and that linear progression in music
theory is actually a representation of European (Western) culture’s perspective
(philosophical slant) of history and time. What’s most illuminating about this
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perspective is that on the one hand, it views history and time as a matter of
“material growth,” “progression,” and “newness.” On the other hand, it views
repetition as regression when it repeats what has come before, and it views
repetition as progression when there is a quality of dierence to it.
169
Because of
this, the Western classical compositional ethic, which emanates from European
(Western) culture,
170
considers music as a logical process that seeks to move
forward in time through a series of “new” developments. No surprise then that
progression and material (dierential) growth are prioritized in the Western
classical tradition. Since rhythm both implies and requires repetition, it is the
least prioritized of the three main elements of music theory. Because the Western
classical tradition places such a premium on linear progression (material growth),
rhythm is necessarily reduced to a secondary role:
European music uses rhythm mainly as an aid in the construction of a sense
of progression to a harmonic cadence, repetition has been suppressed in favor
of the fulllment of the goal of harmonic resolution. [emphasis mine]
171
Rhythm is valued in the Western classical tradition only inasmuch as the beat,
accent, meter, and tempo relate to linear progression or “forward movement.”
us, the drums — a fundamental characteristic of African and African derived
musics — are not a priority or a fundamental aspect of the Western classical
tradition. Furthermore, what also stands out about the role of rhythm and
repetition in the Western classical tradition is the fact that actual occurrences
of (natural) repetition are often covered up or ignored, as if they do not exist:
Although the key role of ‘recapitulation’ in the ABA or AABBAA sonata form
(often within a movement itself, as in the so frequently ignored ‘second repeats’
in Beethoven’s major works) is undisputed in theory, in live performance, these
repetitions are often left out to avoid the undesirability of having ‘to be told the
same thing twice.’ Repeating the exposition, as important as it no doubt is for
the ‘classical style,’ is subsumed within and fullled by the general category called
‘development.’
172
169
Ibid, 146.
170
Here, I use “culture” in the same way that James A. Snead, Raymond Williams, and Tricia Rose
all do: Culture is a “whole way of life, which is manifest over the whole range of social activities but is
most evident in ‘specically cultural’ activities — a language, styles of art, kinds of intellectual work; and
an emphasis on a ‘whole social order’ within which a speciable culture, in styles of art and kinds of
intellectual work, is seen as the direct or indirect product of an order primarily constituted by other social
activities.” Tricia Rose, Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America (Hanover
and London: Wesleyan University Press), 198. Tricia Rose actually quotes Raymond Williams, The
Sociology of Culture (New York: Schocken, 1981), pp. 11-12.
171
Snead,152
172
Ibid,152
INTERMISSION
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Hip Hop/Rap Theory
Again, all musical cultures use some sort of music “theory,” that is, a way of
forming and expressing (describing, explaining) how and what musical events
have occurred. However, not all musical cultures use a written notation to express
their theories. (Some areas of hip hop/rap music can be analyzed and understood
by some of the basic language and concepts of music theory.) But music theory,
as a whole, is an inadequate means for surveying and truly understanding hip
hop/rap music and beatmaking.
We must also not forget that hip hop/rap music is a dierent musical
convention altogether — the hip hop/rap music tradition is an amalgamation
of a number of things. It’s a music tradition that is well embedded within the
African American (Black) music tradition; it’s obviously not a descendent of
seventeenth, eighteenth, or nineteenth-century European music traditions.
Also, hip hop/rap music is a hybrid of pre- and post industrialism, coupled with
dramatic advancement in recording technology. Even more telling, hip hop/
rap music is the born product of urban American street culture and neglected
lower class blacks and Latinos, not privileged whites. Finally, and perhaps most
importantly for the purposes of this study, hip hop/rap music is the rst music
in the world to be created exclusively through the use of recorded music and
other electronically pre-recorded sounds.
Hip hop/rap theory is further distinguished by the fact that it governs and
speaks to two dierent, but co-equal and interdependent, layers or dimensions
of musical activity: the beat and the rhyme — the instrumental and the vocal.
In the hip hop/rap music tradition, the “rap” or the “rhyme” describes the chief
(native) form of vocalization, while the “beat” is used to describe the entire
instrumental.
Order and “Rules” and the Hip Hop/Rap Theory
Music theory depends on order, that is, a set of rules and logical equations that
must at all times be accounted for and respected. is is a major area in which
hip hop/rap theory diers from music theory. “Logic” in hip hop/rap theory
does not defer to a set of “rules,” but rather a set of exible aesthetic parameters,
which don’t always have to be strictly followed. Where music theory seemingly
demands, above all, the pursuit of perfection — based, of course, on the logic
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of music theory — hip hop/rap music theory demands, above all, the pursuit
of the right sound and feeling, as determined by the individual beatmaker, not
abstract knowledge. In hip hop/rap, the pursuit of perfection is secondary to the
pursuit of a particular sound, feeling, and/or impact. Hip hop/rap music is less
concerned with rigid and rudimentary notions of accuracy; it’s more concerned
with capturing the naturalness and energy of the creative moment. is is one
reason that hip hop/rap theory accounts for, and seeks out, mistakes; even going
as far as to manufacture mistakes in the form of cuts, scratchin’, distortion, and,
of course, looping. Because of this, the factors that determine what “works” in
hip hop/rap are largely outside of the realm of music theory and the Western
classical music tradition. What works in the hip hop/rap traditions depends on
its own distinct aesthetics, principles, ideologies, priorities, and what sounds good.
But let us not forget that what sounds good or not is certainly relative to the
tastes and musical ideologies of a given musician working within the parameters
of a given music tradition.
How the Primary Elements of Music Theory
Translate to the Beatmaking and Hip Hop/Rap Music
Traditions
Rhythm, Repetition, and Groove in the Hip Hop/Rap Music
Tradition
Unlike the Western classical tradition, where harmony rules supreme, the
organizing force which underscores the hip hop/rap music tradition is rhythm.
As with all of the core African American (Black) music traditions, rhythm is the
most perceptible thing. Rhythm has long been recognized as a focal constituent
of African music and its American descendants — slave songs, spirituals,
hymnals, blues, gospel, rhythm and blues, soul, and rock ‘n’ roll. In the hip hop/
rap tradition, rhythm also serves as what I call the “vibe of timing,” the feeling of
an established pace. Contrary to this, in the Western classical tradition rhythm
is employed inasmuch as it helps in the pursuit of precision, “order,” and linear
progression. But in the hip hop/rap tradition, rhythm (and then melody and
harmony) is always used to help in the pursuit of capturing the groove,
173
the
locked-in rhythm section, the natural feel, pulse, and main rhythmic moments
where the rapper rhymes. is is because in hip hop/rap music, the development
of the groove takes major precedent.
173
The groove is the sense, feel, and sound manifested through rhythm and created by the rhythm
section: the drums, bass, and rhythm guitars, etc.
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Although there are “rules” for harmony, there are no rules for rhythm.
174
And rhythm, in the hip hop/rap and beatmaking traditions, completely lends
itself to the lyrical style, syntax, and syncopation of rapping, hip hop’s native
form of vocalization — the 2nd dimension of the hip hop/rap music tradition.
Actually, it should be understood that in the hip hop/rap tradition, the more
harmony and melody, the looser the rhythm, the weaker the repetition, and thus,
the less room and space, which leaves a smaller “groove” for the rapper (lyricist)
to settle in on and key o of. Likewise, the tighter the rhythm, the stronger
and more eective the repetition and, therefore, the more “room” and space
and the larger the groove for syntax and the unique syncopation of rapping. In
contrast, the more harmony and melody, the less space for vocal style, syntax, and
syncopation. Essentially, this also means that the more harmony and melody is
added to a beat, the less space or room for extensive rapping styles. is is because
the more harmony and melody that a piece of music has, the more rhythm is
overshadowed and relegated to a secondary role. And in hip hop/rap music,
rhythm is always primary, it is never secondary. As I previously discussed, hip
hop/rap music emanates from the use of the break — the rhythm at its rawest
point — and not from the use of harmonies and melodies of songs.
175
Finally,
it should also be noted that rhythm and repetition in all African American
(Black) music traditions is not only a “priority,” it is at once both a necessary
and beautiful thing:
“In black culture, repetition means that the thing circulates (exactly in the manner
of any ow, including capital ows) there in an equilibrium. In European culture,
repetition must be seen to not just circulation and ow, but accumulation and
growth. In black culture, the thing (the ritual, the dance, the beat) is ‘there for
you to pick up when you come back to get it.’ If there is a goal (Zweck) in
such a culture, it is always deferred; it continually ‘cuts’ back to the start, in
the musical meaning of ‘cut’ as an abrupt, seemingly unmotivated break (an
accidental da capo) with a series already in progress and a willed return to a prior
series. A culture based on the idea of the “cut” will always suer in a society
whose dominant idea is material progress …. e greater the insistence on the
pure beauty and value of repetition, the greater the awareness must also be that
repetition takes place on a level not of musical development or progression.”
[emphasis mine]
176
174
Christopher Small, Music, Society, Education: An Examination of the Function of Music in Western,
Eastern and African Cultures With Its Impact on Society and Its Use in Education (New York: Schirmer,
1977), 20. Small drives home the point that “harmony,” in the post-renaissance musical tradition, is the
“logical element par excellence,” and that it is the “most systematically taught and most bound by rules.”
He further adds that “in teaching melody writing, instrumentation, rhythm, the teacher may give advice
and criticism, but there are ‘rules’ only for harmony.”
175
Even when harmony and melody are used in hip hop/rap music, it has always been typically percussive
in nature. For example, in hip hop/rap music, it’s not atypical for bass lines to be used as the only form
of melody. Also, in hip hop/rap, harmony and melody are usually better suited for singing and simple
rhyme schemes and strategies.
176
Snead, 150.
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BeatTip — Rhythm, Time Correct, and Natural Feel
It’s important to remember that rhythm isn’t merely a mathematical concept,
it’s a “time” concept; it deals with how musical elements move through time.
When you attempt to narrow the scope of rhythm to simple mathematical
principles, you actually subtract away from the natural essence of time in music.
As I pointed out earlier, timing correct is the mechanical correction of time. It
“corrects” the value of timing that a beatmaker programs. But another way of
looking at it is that it disrupts (in some cases destroys) the natural — live — sense
of timing by making time more articial than it already is, thanks, of course, to
the looping that takes place in the framework of a beat.
It’s also necessary to note that when beatmakers make beats, we are essentially
moving between articial and natural (live) realms. Still, the more articiality
we incorporate into our beats, the more likely they are to sound mechanical,
sti, stuck, or just plain lifeless. On the other hand, the more naturalness that
we are able to incorporate into our beats, the more likely they will have a “real”
feeling to them (more “vibe”). Hence, hi-hats (and other percussive elements)
are ideal for incorporating a more natural feel and rhythm to our drum patterns
and our beats overall. erefore, the less corrective measures you take with
hi-hat programming, the better the chance that you’ll retain some naturalness
and vibe in your beats.
Melody and Harmony in the Hip Hop/Rap Music Tradition
Despite the increasing use of melody in recent years, melody has never
played a major role in the hip hop/rap music tradition. Hip hop/rap music does
not use melody in the same way that other forms of music does. Rather than
feature or build the musical framework around melody, in the hip hop/rap music
tradition, melody is often used to support and/or accentuate the rhythm of a
beat. Also, in the hip hop/rap tradition, sounds of less than two notes in length
can indeed have purpose (e.g., 808, chimes, sound-stabs, etc.). And unlike in
the Western classical tradition, hip hop/rap motives do not necessarily have to
lead somewhere, i.e. to other melodies, nor do they necessarily have to link to
the next motive (if there is one) in order to ensure that the beat (piece of music)
ows well. Also, the rupture (abrupt cuts) of musical phrases of various lengths
is common in the hip hop/rap music tradition, especially considering the pivotal
role that the loop plays in every hip hop/rap beat. Because of this, hip hop/
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rap songs often exhibit varying types of melodic contours that are not always
consistent with other music forms. For instance, melody lines in hip hop/rap
music are often short and less developed, not because of a beatmaker’s inability
to develop the sense or range of a melody, but because the longer (larger) the
melody line, the more rhythm gets overshadowed. When this occurs, a beat
moves away from the quintessential hip hop/rap form, and it goes towards other
music forms, presumably with some hip hop/rap avor underneath it.
ere are however some parallels that can be drawn between the principles of
melody in the Western classical and hip hop/rap music traditions. For instance,
the term “change” or “changes” in beatmaking translates well to “motif” or
“motives.” Also, where the Western classical tradition typically features constant
melody shifts, the hip hop/rap tradition commonly features “phrase shifts,” or
rather well-developed changes. And just like motives are used in the Western
classical tradition to form larger melodic lines and various movements, in the
hip hop/rap tradition, changes are used to create what is commonly known as
“switch-ups,” “build-ups” (crescendos), and bridges. Also, “heterophony,” the
“shadow” or “echo” eect created when two or more voices simultaneously
perform variations of the same melodic material, is akin to the process of
“stacking” in the hip hop/rap music tradition, where melody lines are shadowed
with additional instrumentation and varying timbre, usually strings, synths,
and/or bass.
As for harmony, well, for starters, the hip hop/rap tradition recognizes
two separate meanings for harmony: (1) e use of simultaneous pitches or
chords — the traditional meaning in music; and (2) e combination of sounds
considered “pleasing” to the ear. In the traditional sense of harmony, there are
some parallels between the Western classical and hip hop/rap music traditions.
First, chromatic harmony is a common feature of the synthetic-sounds-based
style. Here, chromatic harmonies (scales of ascending or descending pitches
proceeding by semitones) are used within the basically diatonic (major scale)
coloring. Second, consonance and dissonance — musical terms describing
whether combinations of notes sound “good” together or “stable” or not, or
rather “pleasant” or “harsh” — is not necessarily in-line with the Western classical
tradition’s view. In hip hop/rap music, consonance is relative to the aesthetic
values and priorities of the tradition itself, which for the most part, favor rough,
rugged, raw, and harsh tones. In other words, what is often harmonically “stable”
in hip hop/rap music is considered to be “unstable” in the Western classical
tradition. at harshness is often embraced in hip hop/rap is one of the key
distinctions between the Western classical and hip hop/rap music traditions.
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If I had to translate hip hop/rap’s relationship to dissonance, I would say
that dissonant phrases play a fundamental role in many beats. In the Western
classical tradition, unstable tone combinations, which are said to be harsh, are
used to express (themes of) pain, grief, and conict.
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However, in the Western
classical tradition, unstable tone combinations have to be resolved. is is not
so in the hip hop/rap music tradition, where the focus on dissonance does not
necessarily have to be resolved, and where breaks and loops, by their nature, do
not resolve but instead repeat. It must also be remembered that Western classical
music is centered on a “wholeness” and a “new completeness” that reinforces
the European (Western) perspective of history and time: linear progression.
In contrast, the African American (Black) and African music traditions are
centered on a “returning newness,” that is, repetition, which reinforces the African
perspective of history and time: cyclical progression.
In the hip hop/rap tradition the second meaning of harmony is not merely
a matter of aurallity but of philosophy. at is to say, like many concepts in
hip-hop/rap music, harmony, in this other sense of the word, is ultimately
concerned with the end results and not necessarily the means to them. In
beatmaking, whatever sounds good together — no matter what the actual sounds
are or whatever beatmaking compositional style is used — is what matters. In
other words, whatever works to make it sound good together is the key; there
are no rules of abstract knowledge to follow. In this way, the hip hop/rap
music tradition is less restrictive about harmony because it does not necessarily
have to subscribe to any system and/or rule about harmony to achieve harmony.
Here, the concept of harmony mostly refers to cohesion and agreement, as it is
understood under the aesthetics, values, and priorities of the hip hop/rap form
and sound. It does not refer to a strict scheme of tones that logically t together.
In the hip hop/rap music and beatmaking traditions, there is no tonal litmus
test that must be passed; if it works, it works. Moreover, in the hip hop/rap
music tradition, the second meaning of harmony really serves to denote feeling
more than a “correct” sound equation.
BeatTip — Regarding Tonal Progression in Hip Hop/Rap Music
I strongly recommend that all traditionally trained musicians really get
to know the hip hop/rap music and beatmaking traditions rst, before you
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For an interesting look at dissonance in the African American (Black) music tradition, particularly a
discussion of “blue notes” in blues music, see Cornell West’s segment in Astra Taylors documentary,
Examined Life, 2009.
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explore ways for incorporating traditional practices such as tonal progression
methods. Many traditionally trained musicians who become beatmakers often
attempt to do two things that are actually contrary to the tenets of hip hop/rap
music — things that often lead to the creation of hip hop/rap-like beats at best,
or just plain wack beats at worst. First, many traditionally trained musicians try
to apply methods of tonal progression to hip hop/rap music — irrespective of
the fact that hip hop/rap has its own notions of form and harmony; irrespective
of the fact that hip hop/rap beats are predicated upon rhythm; irrespective of
the fact that hip hop/rap emanates from the use of breaks in a looped strategy.
Second, many traditionally trained musicians carry out such musical exploration
with little to no concern for, nor aim to, preserve the cultural avor, nuance,
and other crucial idioms of hip hop/rap music.
Still, methods of tonal progression can be applied to certain forms and styles
of hip hop/rap music. In some cases, I even encourage that sort of exploration.
However, I do not favor applying — often forcefully — methods of tonal
progression when such methods are used to displace, supplant, and/or usurp
the fundamental parameters that gave rise to, and still maintains, the hip hop/
rap music tradition.
Texture in the Hip Hop/Rap Music Tradition
In the area of texture, there are some parallels in the Western classical and
hip hop/rap music traditions. Specically, the concept of “simultaneity” is
fundamental in hip hop/rap music. Typical hip hop/rap beats have at least two
dierent textures going at the same time. For instance, in hip hop/rap music, “the
drums,” i.e. the entire drum framework or pattern, comprise one musical texture
and rhythm, while the “non-drums,” i.e. rhythm ris, tone-stabs, ruptured
chords, short melodies, and/or other musical phrases, form other complete
musical textures and rhythms. Also, the way in which the “recapitulation” in the
Western classical tradition is comprised of variations of the subjects and motives
that appear in the exposition, structures in hip hop/rap music (particularly
drum frameworks) are similarly created by adding variations or “changes” to
the frameworks and patterns and other musical phrases introduced within the
rst 4, 8, or 16 bars of a beat.
However, the hip hop/rap music tradition is not necessarily engaged in
the process of establishing elaborate expositions and extensive recapitulations.
is is because there’s no premium (or real need for) on creating extensively
(overly) dense sound textures. In the hip hop/rap music tradition, beatmakers
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create sound walls for the purposes of rappers to rhyme over. ese sound walls,
regardless of the number of musical layers, can never be too dense as to clash
with the syncopation and rhythm of a rapper’s rhyme ow (stylistic vocalization).
Also, these sound walls or beats are typically just three minutes long (usually
never more than ve minutes); therefore, a beat’s typically short duration, as
compared to the duration of a Western classical piece of music, and a beat’s
typical (fundamental) form, i.e. looped break-like textures, actually make beats
less adept to the same type of melody shifts and various movements in a typical
Western classical piece of music.
Form or Structure in the Hip Hop/Rap Music Tradition
Before analyzing form and structure in the hip hop/rap music tradition, it
is rst necessary to spend a few words on the notion of “conversion” in the hip
hop/rap music and beatmaking traditions. Like hip hop culture in general, hip
hop/rap music is predicated upon conversion. Nothing starts out as hip hop/
rap music. Instead, beatmakers convert pre-recorded sounds into hip hop/rap
form. A music form, you will recall, that is driven by rhythm, repetition, and
an upfront, syncopated drum beat, which is fused together into a tight “sound
montage” that is then looped for a pre-determined number of bars (measures).
ere is no permanent source of hip hop/rap “notes,” there is no “blue note”
equivalent waiting to be arranged to spec. For beatmakers in the hip hop/rap
music tradition, any pre-recorded or available sound — raw notes, electronic
or acoustic included — can be modied to t within the hip hop/rap aesthetic.
us, in the hip hop/rap process of “conversion,” any ingredient that works goes
into the musical pot that ultimately manifests the general hip hop/rap form.
e general hip hop/rap form is predicated upon the use and creative
manipulation of repetitious loops, fragmented sounds, sharp drums, and solid
bass lines. Beatmaking is embodied by the use of fragmentation. And as the
hip hop/rap music and beatmaking traditions further developed over the years,
a series of structural patterns emerged. Many of these patterns have been
streamlined and emulated to the point where they are now more like structural
clichés.
Within the general hip hop/rap form, there are two basic forms, i.e.
compositional structures and styles: sample-based and synthetic-sounds-based.
Within each basic form there are distinct forms or styles. For instance, as I
pointed out in chapter 8, the sample-based form can take on three varieties.
First, the simple sample-based form describes a form of sampling in which
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a substantial portion of a recorded work is sampled and then imitated, with
little to no signicant transformation of the part that was sampled. Second,
the break-beat sample-based form, which describes the form of sampling in
which breaks and/or patches of recorded works are woven together in a fashion
more akin to a hip hop/rap DJ blending and matching multiple segments of
records. ird, the intricate sample-based form, the most sophisticated form
of sampling, involves the deconstruction of the sampled work in a meticulous,
intricate manner, followed by a unique arrangement of the substantially
transformed sampled work.
ere’s also the synthetic-sounds-based (no-samples-featured) form, which
also has several sub-forms. First, the non-orchestral synthetic-sounds-based
form, which is a very basic music theme and/or an underdeveloped chord
progression with sparse percussion is used. Second, the semi-orchestral
synthetic-sounds-based form, which is a moderately developed, but eective
and often catchy, musical theme is used. Often the theme that takes shape in this
form is characterized by one or two pivotal changes, some level of sound-stacking,
and usually one primary chord progression pattern. ird, the orchestral or
“epic” synthetic-sounds-based form, which is distinguished by well-developed
musical themes that incorporate multiple chord progressions and melody lines,
multiple changes and “build-ups.”
Dynamics in the Hip Hop/Rap Music Tradition
Just as in the Western classical tradition, dynamic (volume and velocity)
changes occur in hip hop/rap music composition as well, and for similar reasons:
Namely, to eect the mood of a piece of music, to color the overall sound, and/
or to serve any number of structural possibilities. e big dierence in the hip
hop/rap music tradition is that dynamics are not regarded as being part of a
highly instructive process (as is the case in the Western classical tradition), but
ra, a straight-forward process that depends on one’s imagination and creative
use of particular dynamic “functions” of a given EMPI.
Dynamics in the hip hop/rap music tradition work quite dierently than
in the Western classical tradition mainly because the way in which beatmakers
change sounds from one dynamic level to the next is through the use of various
“dynamics functions” (velocity, sustain, fade, chorus, lter, etc.) of EMPIs.
In the Western classical tradition, the realization of a composer’s dynamics
instructions depends on the individual ability of each performer. By contrast,
in the beatmaking tradition, the realization of a beatmaker’s dynamics ideas is
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made through his or her knowledge and use of multiple dynamics functions
within a given EMPI. For instance, in beatmaking, velocity is the term most
associated with the manipulation of the volume of individual sounds during the
initial composition process. All EMPIs have default velocity levels which can
be adjusted, thereby giving beatmakers the ability to create sudden changes in
sound and the overall sonic impression of a beat (piece of music).
It’s also important to note that most words or phrases used in the Western
classical tradition to indicate changes in dynamics has a corresponding “function”
in the beatmaking tradition. For example, al niente, which means “to nothing”
or “fade to silence,” and calando, which means “becoming smaller,” are dynamic
eects that are achieved in the beatmaking tradition through the modication
of the “sustain” function on most EMPIs. Similarly, da niente, which means
“from nothing, out of silence,” and perdeno or perdendosi, which means
“losing volume, fading into nothing, dying away,” is a dynamic technique (style,
eect) that is achieved in the hip hop/rap tradition through the “fade,” “sustain,”
and “chorus” functions of EMPIs. Finally, marcato, which means “stressed,
pronounced,” sotto voce, which means “soft, subtle,” crescendo which means
“becoming louder,” and decrescendo or diminuendo, which means “becoming
softer,” are sound techniques (styles) that are easily achieved in the beatmaking
tradition by using the velocity function of EMPIs. Also, accents, the increased
volume of one particular note (sound) above the rest, can also be achieved
through velocity function manipulation as well.
The “Lack of Music Theory Knowledge” Argument is Wrong
In recent years, there have been murmurs about the “lack of music theory
knowledge” of some the most well-known beatmaking pioneers. is argument
has been lobbied into the hip hop/rap musical process debate as some sort of
answer as to why many principles of music theory were not used in the hip hop/
rap music and beatmaking traditions’ developmental years. Here, I want to set
the record straight.
By the time Marley Marl, Dr. Dre, DJ Premier, Prince Paul, RZA, DJ Toomp,
and notable others garnered their rst level of critical acclaim, there was already a
well-dened approach to creating beats. So the concept of “lack of music theory
knowledge” is woefully inaccurate and, more importantly, irrelevant. All of the
aforementioned beatmakers were extremely knowledgeable of their particular
music tradition, the hip hop/rap music tradition, which is all they really needed
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to be knowledgeable of. One wouldn’t say that a Western classical composer’s
“lack of hip hop/rap knowledge” weakens his understanding of the Western
classical tradition, would they? A Western classical composer is expected to
be thorough in their own music tradition — the Western classical tradition.
While knowledge of other music traditions might be helpful to Western classical
composers, such knowledge is certainly not necessary for them to be successful
within the Western classical tradition. But all Western classical composers must
have a solid understanding of music theory. Likewise, beatmakers from the hip
hop/rap music tradition must have a solid understanding of the fundamental
aesthetics, concepts, practices, methods, presuppositions, and priorities of
the hip hop/rap music tradition. us, to imply that beatmakers who lack a
knowledge of music theory have a musical deciency is bogus, misguided, and
completely unmerited.
Another related point is the notion that none of the earliest pioneers of the
hip hop/rap music tradition even knew how to play a traditional instrument.
Not true. Many of those involved in the development of hip hop/rap music
and beatmaking did play traditional instruments; and a majority of them also
knew music theory, or were at least familiar with its basic tenets. Remember,
from 1930 to 1970, New York City was one of the epicenters of music in the
United States. Much of the top blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, soul, and certainly,
funk, was played in New York city during that time. us, for proper context
on why or why not music theory is used, one must concede the fact that many
of the rst practitioners of hip hop/rap music were the children of traditional
instrumentalists and musicians. And as we’ve learned in Part I of this study,
the hip hop/rap music tradition was built upon the conscious rejection of more
traditional compositional methods that typically rely on music theory.
Finally, I should note that herein lies the reason why so many trained
musicians have diculty actually creating, dare I say, “authentic” hip hop/rap
music: ey try to think of hip hop/rap music in terms of music theory and
its principles, when the reality is that, for the most part, hip hop/rap music
can not — and should not — be thought of in that context. Although I have
tremendous respect for music theory (I use it whenever applicable), I also
recognize that it is just one music theory out of many that exist throughout the
world. As such, I don’t consider music theory to be a grand musical converter
that has ominous powers to conform any music that it touches into something
greater. But there can be no denying that hip hop/rap music is an entirely
dierent musical convention altogether precisely because it converts and can
not be converted in quite the same way.
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Sound and “Sounds” in the Hip Hop/Rap Music Tradition
e hip hop/rap music tradition’s conception and use of sound diers than
that of the Western classical tradition. For example, within the fundamental
compositional methods of the hip hop/rap music and beatmaking traditions,
there is a predilection for the use of pre-recorded and/or electronic–generated
sounds. No such predilection exists in the Western classical tradition. But where
hip hop/rap’s conception and use of sound diers the most from the Western
classical tradition’s conception can be seen in the area of harmony.
Beatmakers — hip hop/rap music composers — and Western classical
composers are both concerned with the way in which individual sounds render
collective audio composites. However, Western classical composers are more
concerned with the “collectivity” of sounds, inasmuch as they are juxtaposed in
harmonic relation. is is not the case in hip hop/rap music for several reasons.
As I’ve pointed out before, in the hip hop/rap music tradition, harmony isn’t
always about the combination of simultaneous musical notes formed into
dierent chords. Instead, for beatmakers in the hip hop/rap music tradition,
harmony is actually more about the arrangement of sounds, irrespective of the
logic and rules of music theory. e point I’m making here is that the very
practice of creating chords isn’t as signicant in the hip hop/rap form because
hip hop/rap music is fundamentally predicated upon the use of pre-recorded
(electronic) sounds and music, rather than the use of raw musical notes. In
the hip hop/rap music and beatmaking traditions, individual components, i.e.
sounds or instrument voices, are valued more for the unique audio result that it
will produce in conjunction with other sounds. at is to say, beatmakers place a
premium on the role and position an individual sound will play in a collective
audio imprint (i.e. sound wall). So when it comes to the question of sound(s),
beatmaking is fundamentally about creating a unique collective timbre through
the use of individual pre-recorded (electronic) sounds in arrangement styles that
don’t necessarily defer to the rules (abstract knowledge) of music theory. Still,
I concede that the Western classical tradition is also similarly concerned with
achieving a unique collective timbre.
Sound Rendition and Timbre
e two types of recorded sounds that are most valued in beatmaking are:
(1) Self-sampled sounds, in particular those sounds sampled from vinyl records;
and (2) Stock or preset sounds, like the ones typically found in keyboards, sound
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modules, and music production software suites. Both stock sounds and sampled
sounds change according to their source, i.e., vinyl record and/or EMPI. Raw
musical notes never change; middle C is always middle C, it always sounds the
same. However, how middle C is rendered (the audio representation of middle
C via a given instrument) and the timbre of middle C changes dramatically,
depending on the EMPI (keyboard, synth, sound module, etc.) that produces it.
is factor of sound rendition is paramount in beatmaking. Again, beatmakers
are not driven or motivated by the logic behind linear progression or the rules
of music theory in general. Beatmakers are fundamentally concerned with how
something sounds, and the way in which specic tapestries of sounds make a
collective audio composite. And thus, for beatmakers, having “unique” sounds
is critically important because the use of non-unique sounds is in many ways
tantamount to biting — unmotivated, rampant “copy-catting” and duplication.
Sonic Properties
Here, it’s necessary to point out the obvious: Hip hop/rap music is funky!
Western classical music is not. Hip hop/rap music, even when it includes
comedic lyrical matter, is often gritty and always sonically formidable. Further,
hip hop/rap music is meant to be felt and heard; it is not meant to be understood,
literally, through the prism of abstract knowledge. In the hip hop/rap music
tradition, rhythms and sounds are chosen as much (if not more) for their impact
as they are chosen for their unique sound. is is one reason that explains why
the hip hap/rap music tradition often features bass lines and bass frequencies for
melody. And from hip hop/rap music’s inception, sonic force has always been a
key aesthetic. Also, just as with all twentieth-century African American (Black)
music traditions, the notion of capturing feeling within the music has always
been a critical component of hip hop/rap music. us, for beatmakers in the
hip hop/rap music tradition, the sonic properties of sounds, not notes, hold the
most value. is is a key aesthetic that most traditionally trained musicians
have a hard time grasping when they venture into the world of beatmaking.
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Rapping: The 2nd Dimension of Hip Hop/Rap Music
Afro-American music is primarily a vocal music. –Eileen Southern
Rhymes overowin’, gradually growin’, everything is written in code so it can
coin…cide… –Rakim
ere can be no serious discussion about the hip hop/rap music and
beatmaking traditions without an analysis of the art of rapping. “Rap” or
“rapping” is a unique form of vocalization that truly helps distinguish the hip
hop/rap music tradition from all other forms of vocal music. And though some
of the vocal habits of rappers can be easily traced back to the African American
traditions of “toasting,” “signifying,” and radio DJ raps, there are other factors
(as you will see in the following section) that help make rap the most percussive
and rhythmic of all African American (Black) music vocal sub-traditions. Finally,
it must be pointed out that rapping, like the art of beatmaking, is yet another
component that greatly distinguishes the hip hop/rap music tradition from the
Western classical tradition.
Before I begin my analysis of the art of rapping, it’s important to again
point out that the beatmaking tradition developed in part as a direct response
to the development of more complex rhyme ows. e art of beatmaking grew,
necessarily, as rap schemes, styles, and ows grew more advanced, more poetic,
more syncopated, and more rhythmic. Also, rhyme verses gained a new level of
density and grew longer in duration; and subject matter became more varied.
Such complex advancements in the art of rapping could no longer be adequately
serviced by DJs backspinning breaks live or on cassette. Hence, the beatmaking
tradition emerged as a means of both representing the DJs music-making role,
and as a means to accommodate the new complexities of rapping.
Fundamental Characteristics of Rapping
e art of rapping, which shares a similar depth and complexity with
beatmaking, is an amalgamation of many dierent cultural components. It’s
a manifestation and extension of black vernacular; it’s a vocal style heavily
grounded in African American (black) dialect and street slang; it’s an American
“pat-tois” done over music; it’s also a highly developed form of vocalization
and poetry.
e poetics and musical metrics of rapping are unlike any other vocalization
style in popular music. On one hand, rap’s “verbal rhythm” bends, cuts, and
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reshapes combinations of standard languages with slang and other common
language nuances, illuminating words with new phonetics and metaphorical
meanings. On the other hand, its percussive sensibility and vocal attack and
release projects a poetic dexterity that is both dense and astonishingly uid.
“Yo, Kick That Rhyme” — the Mechanics of Rap: Improvisational
Writing, Performance, Delivery, and Flow
Rappers, unlike typical songwriters/lyricists, use more words to ll up the
instrumental space and time on a common 4/4 measure. And in doing so,
rappers also use a more rapid rotation of words in an improvisational style.
is improvisational style allows rappers to respond to and accentuate the pulse
of the beat (the instrumental), using vocal inection, non-verbal sounds, and
emotional tenor. In this way, rappers are charged with the job (goal) of writing
more words per bar and more bars per stanza. us, in the art of rapping, each
bar can either be its own story or serve as the basis upon which other storylines
emerge. Moreover, these multiple words, lines, and bars are often connected
(strung together) to accommodate one central lyrical theme, while at the same
time they merge and mesh with the beat.
Finally, rapping also stands out because of the style and level of declamation
that it requires. Rappers not only play o of the unique timbre of their
individual voice, they take great pride in developing their delivery, the unique
personication and enunciation of their rhymes, and their ow, the rhetorical
and rhythmic pace, pitch, tone, and volume of their rhyme performance. And
it is through the creation and mastery of one’s own unique delivery and ow
that rappers are truly able to make a beat come alive. In this light, rappers are
vocal virtuosos.
Rapping and Form — Dense Measures: More Words Per
Measure
Rap rhymes contain dramatically more words per measure than your typical
song. Because of these dense measures, the writing/performance style of rapping
relies heavily upon the ongoing recurrence of the beat. Below, consider part of
the rst verse to rapper Nas’ song “Memory Lane (Sittin’ In Da Park)”:
I rap for listeners, blunt heads, y ladies and prisoners/
Henessey holders and old school niggaz, then I be dissin a/
unocial that smoke woolie thai/
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I dropped out of Cooley High, gassed up by a cokehead cutie pie/
Jungle survivor, fuck who’s the liver/
My man put the battery in my back, a dierence from Energizer/
Sentence begins indented… with formality/
My duration’s innite, moneywise or physiology/
Poetry, that’s a part of me, retardedly bop/
I drop the ancient manifested hip-hop, straight o the block/
I reminisce on park jams, my man was shot for his sheep coat/
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In the verse above, even without any accompanying music, one can read
and hear the verbal rhythm it embodies. is verse presents a series of “cuts,”
“ruptures,” and precise transitions that could only t in a framework of rhythm
and repetition. Such poetic dexterity could never t with linear progression
or constant material growth. us, rappers — especially those who use the
complex lyrical rhyme style — depend on points of return, or in other words,
the start restarting. It is the rhythm, the repetition, the cycle of the groove
that allows for the nature of rap’s orality to properly manifest itself.
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Rappers
respond to the rhythm and the repetition. And from the drums of a beat, they
take their cue and internalize the proper tempo — rappers never rap to the set
tempo of the beat, but instead to their own internal tempo that the beat’s tempo
inspires. erefore, the weaker the rhythm, the less opportunity for a rapper to
respond to it. So it must be understood that rappers (for the most part, complex
lyricists) naturally count on the repetitive nature of the looping of a break. e
loop returns the new starting point in strategic repetition, which supports and
encourages the multiple starting points within rap rhyme stanzas. It is this
response by the rapper to the rhythm and repetition that actually completes a
song in the hip hop/rap music tradition.
180
178
Nas, “Memory Lane (Sittin’ In Da Park),” produced by DJ Premier; from the album Illmatic (Columbia
Records, 1994).
179
“The growth of emotional force also serves to better connect the audience to the sonic world and
communal feeling created in the context of repetition,” quote from Guthrie P. Ramsey, Jr., Race Music:
Black Cultures From Bebop To Hip-Hop, (Berkley, Los Angeles, and London: University of California
Press, 2003), 129. “The repetition of a well-chosen rhythm continually afrms the power of the music
by locking that rhythm…,” quote from John Miller Chernoff, from African Rhythm and African Sensibility:
Aesthetics and Social Action in African Musical Idioms, (Chicago and London: The University of Chicago
Press, 1979), 111-12.
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In recent years, there’s been a move away from a focus on lyrical acumen and extensive verses
to “hook singing,” “melody-rhyming,” and sparse lyricism. Today, it has risen to the point where the
oxymoronic phrase “lyrical rap” is often used to describe rappers who actually rap. Among the many
reasons for this development, including the easily and often mimicked minimalist trap sound, there can
be no illusion that the increased usage of melody, harmony, and other “traditional” music priorities has
played a major role. As the importance of harmony and melody rise in the hip hop/rap music tradition,
the role of rhythm declines, causing the overall quality of lyricism in hip hop/rap to suffer; and as a
consequence, the hip hop/rap music tradition weakens.
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The Function of Hip Hop/Rap Music (“Gonna Make You Move”)
Above all, music in the African tradition is functional. –Eileen Southern
Since it’s inception, there has always been ve fundamental functions or
purposes of hip hop/rap music: (1) To make people move — dance and provide
“party music;” (2) To entertain; (3) Inform and teach; (4) To serve as an “art
music;” and (5) To provide a coping mechanism for some of the trials of daily life.
e original function or purpose of hip hop/rap music was to make people
move, i.e. dance at parties. e proverbial “park jam” was a major cornerstone
in the early development and spread of hip hop/rap music. And when the
pioneering DJs moved from the parks (and rec rooms) and into to the clubs, the
park jammers migrated with them. us, the park jam era subsided and gave way
to the club era that still exists today. Fittingly, hip hop/rap clubs are still ruled
by the DJ, who still has the essential task and purpose of “movin’ the crowd.”
Next, as hip hop/rap music developed, spread, and grew more complex, it
also became a form of entertainment, a powerful means for teaching listeners
(eectively providing listeners with an array of needed information), and a form
of art music. In addition to providing the vibe for dance parties and social
gatherings, songs in the hip hop/rap music tradition were/are used as much
to chronicle everyday life, give “street reports,” and even decipher political
information as they are to serve as art music to be listened to and appreciated
for their artistic merit.
But of all the functions and purposes that hip hop/rap music serves, perhaps
the most critical one is the function of providing a “coping mechanism” for some
of the trials of its listeners’ daily lives. All of the independent music traditions
within the broader African American (Black) music tradition, have always been
primarily function-based. For instance, to African slaves in America, music meant
a cultural and kind of psychological survival; it was a companion of sanity. e
very presence of music allowed these slaves to hold out for hope, even in the
face of incredible despair. Hence, music functioned as a means to deal with the
daunting experiences of a tragic daily life. Fast forward to the twentieth-frist
century, and we still see a similar function factor in hip hop/rap music.
roughout the 1970s, on up until the present day, hip hop/rap music
has functioned in much the same way that it always has for oppressed blacks
and Latinos and other minorities. Of course, the conditions of slavery cannot
be appropriately compared to the conditions of contemporary America; even
the worst oppressed blacks, Latinos, and other minorities do not live in the
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horrendous social and legal conditions and environments of slavery. Still, it’s
important to note that by today’s living and social standards, many blacks and
Latinos and other minorities do indeed live through the rigors of other peculiar
institutions such as poverty, institutional racism, unemployment, inadequate
social services, defacto segregation, and disproportionately high unemployment,
and the like.
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Hence, while the hip hop/rap music tradition serves the ve aforementioned
functions for its primary constituents, there aren’t many comparable functions
that the Western classical tradition serves. Western classical music is not meant
for partying or dancing (at least not in the same sense as hip hop culture is).
Furthermore, Western classical music isn’t meant to make people move — dance
— in the manner that hip hop/rap does. Also, Western classical music doesn’t
have the function of providing news and information in the way that hip hop/
rap music does. Moreover, Western classical music isn’t intended to serve as a
coping mechanism for the harsh daily realities of its constituents daily lives. And
though I concede that many of those who enjoy Western classical music also nd
it theraputic, I maintain that the function that Western classical tradition has
most in common with the hip hop/rap music tradition is in the area of art music.
Compositional Ethic of the Hip Hop/Rap Music and
Beatmaking Traditions
ere are a number of core factors that distinguish the compositional ethic
of the hip hop/rap music and beatmaking traditions. First, in the hip hop/rap
music and beatmaking traditions, the use of electronic pre-recorded sounds
(music and synthetic-based) is the fundamental apparatus (mechanism) through
which music is made. Unlike the Western classical tradition, in the beatmaking
tradition, beatmakers are not necessarily concerned with using raw musical
notes; instead, they’re focused on using unique electronic sounds to compose
their musical ideas.
Next, we already know that in the Western classical tradition, the
compositional ethic is grounded on the use of abstract knowledge with great
emphasis on harmony and the concept of linear progression (material growth).
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Certainly, one can understand where much of the underlying anger that exists in hip hop/rap music
comes from: it is actually the manifestation and expression of the collective frustration of a consistently
oppressed community. Likewise, one can also see where much of the fantasy rap and escapism that
manifests itself in hip hop/rap music is generated from. Escapism not only helps one to ignore the present
reality of one’s ill fate, it also serves as a means to redening a life that society at large deems worthless.
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By contrast, the compositional ethic of the hip hop/rap music and beatmaking
traditions emanates from the use of electronic pre-recorded sounds (music
and synthetic-based), with great emphasis on rhythm and repetition (cyclical
progression). And in the concept of cyclical progression, the ultimate aim is not
material growth, but instead, a willful return to a prior series of musical ideas.
Another core factor that distinguishes hip hop/rap music and beatmaking’s
compositional ethic can be seen in the area of structure. In hip hop/rap music,
structure is not about grappling with the “pure physics of tone” or manifesting
linear logic. Structure in the hip hop/rap music and beatmaking traditions
is more about creating cuts and rupture in a way that emphasizes strong
rhythmic and repetitive activity and powerful (overbearing) sonic impact. In
the Western classical tradition, a “good” structure is one in which the music
takes the listener on a musical journey, through a clear beginning, middle, and
end. Fundamentally, in the hip hop/rap music tradition, the notion of a clear
beginning, middle, or end is quite dierent. e origins of hip hop/rap music are
predicated upon the use of the break (a cut section of recorded music), overtly
repeated for the rhythmic eect that repetition produces (cyclical rotation). So it’s
not that the notion of “taking a listener on a musical journey” isn’t a priority in
the hip hop/rap music tradition, it is. But the musical journey is made possible
by an instrumental structure that is cyclical-based rather than linear-based.
Further, in the hip hop/rap music tradition, the “journey” is also moved from
the beginning, middle, and end by the rhymes of the rapper.
Drums, specically, the creation of drum frameworks (drum programming),
is another core factor of the compositional ethic of the hip hop/rap music
and beatmaking traditions. In the hip hop/rap music tradition, the drums are
fundamental to hip hop/rap’s musical architecture; in fact, they play a paramount
role in the overall compositional ethic of the hip hop/rap music tradition. is is in
stark contrast to the Western classical tradition, where drums (think of a modern
drum kit) are certainly not prioritized, mostly because they are said to have no
denite pitch. Furthermore, it is well-understood that drums play a key role in the
development of rhythm and groove; therefore, they actually necessitate the use of
repetition. Finally, drums also oer a powerful, in-your-face sonic impression;
a characteristic that is not a priority in the Western Classical music tradition.
e “hip hop sensibility” is another core factor that distinguishes the
compositional ethic of the hip hop/rap music and beatmaking traditions. e
“hip hop sensibility” is a sensibility that highly values and prioritizes competition,
individual style, syncretism, a “culture of sampling,” transformation, and the
transgression of musical rules. Also, the “hip hop/rap attitude,” which is
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fundamental to the “hip hop sensibility,” is an attitude that carries a straight-to-
the-point music philosophy, an attitude that is decidedly anti-establishment, ultra
competitive, in-your-face, and often confrontational.
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ough competition and
individual style exists in some areas of the Western classical music tradition,
it certainly does not engross the entire tradition in the way that competition
and individual style underscores and encompasses the hip hop/rap music and
beatmaking traditions. “Battles” (both rap and beat) are fundamental in the
hip hop/rap music and beatmaking traditions. Obviously, battles are not a
characteristic of the Western classical tradition. And although the Western
classical tradition does indeed host its own forms of competitions, these
competitions are not a main part of the fabric that makes up and informs the
compositional ethic of the Western classical tradition.
Finally, the hip hop/rap compositional ethic is also distinguished by the
unique process and relationship that beatmakers and rappers nd themselves in.
Although beatmakers are concerned with conveying to listeners their musical
ideas, they are equally focused (if not more) on forming their musical ideas
into a beat, i.e. an instrumental layer, that will ultimately be used, rst and
foremost, to inspire a rapper to provide the rhyme (vocal layer) for it. is is
certainly unlike the Western classical tradition, where composers are more often
concerned with conveying to the listener his or her musical ideas. And although
some composers in the Western classical tradition do provide music intended
for vocals (for instance, the opera), they are not assigned with the fundamental
charge of providing one half of the total dimension of an entire music tradition.
Tale of the Tape
Key Differences Between the Western Classical and Hip
Hop/Rap Music and Beatmaking Traditions
e hip hop/rap music tradition doesn’t abandon music theory altogether;
it can’t, particularly because it necessarily uses some of the basic elements and
language of music theory within its own compositional ethic. But the point
here is that the hip hop/rap music tradition does not prescribe to, use, and/
or have need for most of the rules of music theory. More importantly, the
hip hop/rap music and beatmaking traditions do not subscribe to the core
concepts, practices, principles, or priorities of the Western classical tradition,
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Without the “hip hop sensibility” and/or the “hip hop attitude,” hip hop/rap music is incomplete. Without
the “hip hop sensibility” and/or the “hip hop attitude,” attempts at hip hop music are only supercial at best.
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most notably, the hierarchy of harmony, melody, and rhythm, and the notion
of linear progression (material growth). In the hip hop/rap music tradition,
the hierarchy of the basic elements of music are reversed: Rhythm is dominant,
melody is secondary, and harmony is the least important. And as I mentioned
before, in the hip hop/rap music tradition, repetition (cyclical progression), not
linear progression (material growth), is the guiding philosophy on the issue of
time and space in music.
The “Hip Hop Sensibility” and “Hip Hop Attitude” Factor
Obviously, the Western classical tradition does not incorporate the “hip hop
sensibility,” nor does it rely on the “hip hop attitude” to manifest its musical ideas,
presuppositions, and predispositions. And while the Western classical tradition
may inform one about the principles, ideas, presuppositions, and predispositions
of European culture in the seventeenth-, eighteenth-, nineteenth-, and early
twentieth centuries, it can not inform one about the “hip hop sensibility” or
the underlying “hip hop attitude.” In other words, a better understanding of
the Western classical tradition and/or music theory, no matter how advanced,
does not provide one with the “hip hop attitude” or the “hip hop sensibility;”
nor does it give one a greater understanding of the hip hop/rap music and
beatmaking traditions.
“Logic” in Each Compositional Ethic
“Logic” is something that is always open to interpretation in music traditions.
Any objective analysis of logic must recognize two important questions: (1)
Who’s point of view of logic is being considered? and (2) In what context is logic
being considered? Logic that is based on the laws (properties and elements) of
music theory is quite dierent than logic that is based on the idioms, tropes,
properties, and principles of the hip hop/rap music tradition. Logic is certainly
at work within the Western classical and the hip hop/rap music and beatmaking
traditions; however, how logic is interpreted and used diers from tradition to
tradition. In the Western classical tradition, the notion of logic is more literal
and attached to Western rules about harmony and tonality. But in the hip hop/
rap music tradition, the notion of logic is based on hip hop/rap’s own aesthetic
priorities. Moreover, logic in the hip hop/rap music and beatmaking traditions
is rooted in a pragmatic approach: To beatmakers, if it works, then it’s logical,
regardless if it makes literal sense or not.
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Signicance of the Written Score
As beatmakers, the fact that we do not write our compositions down on
sheet music does not, in any way, disqualify us as composers. e arrangements
(the sequences of consciously placed musical events) created in our EMPIs
serve as our de facto sheet music; and the capture media that we record our
beats in/to serves as our score. Taken in a creative and technical context, this
is no dierent than a traditional composer inputting musical directions into
a sheet-music computer application. Furthermore, the non-use of traditional
compositional techniques also does not disqualify beatmakers as composers,
especially in the most fundamental sense. Electronic music production tools
have made it possible for beatmakers and traditional composers to bypass using
separate performers, which allows beatmakers to truly be both composer and
performer simultaneously.
Function and Accessibility
Western classical music is primarily an art music; it’s something on display
where the listeners and onlookers do not, nor are they expected to, participate.
e music of the Western classical tradition is typically something that is
experienced apart from everyday life. In fact, the Western classical tradition really
has no participatory function, other than the concert hall-going experience. And
even within that setting, audiences do not move along with the music, nor do
they echo (outloud) anything familiar to them. Instead, they are expected to
remain silent, clapping (as is custom) only at the end of the symphony or opera.
By contrast, hip hop/rap music is both a function music and an art music.
Hip hop/rap music, which is highly participatory in its functions, has several
functions or purposes. It’s original function is to make people dance as well as
to serve as party music. Hip hop/rap music, like Western classical music, also
functions as a form of entertainment. However, the dierence here, again, is the
level of involvement by listeners and patrons. And although hip hop/rap and
Western classical music share a somewhat similar art music function, hip hop/
rap music also serves as a powerful means for teaching listeners and providing
an array of information. e Western classical tradition has no such function
and serves no such purpose, especially when you consider the fact that the
works that are performed in front of audiences are from the tradition’s greatest
canonical works, which are centuries old in most cases. Finally, as I’ve pointed
out in this chapter, hip hop/rap music provides a coping mechanism for some
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of the trials of its listeners’ daily life. Western classical music serves a parallel
function in its listeners’ lives, but certainly not to the extent of the hip hop/rap
music tradition.
Here, it’s also worth mentioning that the Western classical tradition does not
have a common-man accessibility. To even begin to have the remote resemblance
of a career in the Western classical tradition, one must have a solid grasp of the
abstract knowledge of music theory, as well as be familiar with the canonical
works of the Western classical tradition. By contrast, the hip hop/rap music and
beatmaking traditions, which also prioritizes the value of study and knowledge
of its canonical works, do have a common-man accessibility.
Instrumentation and Vocalization in the Western Classical
and the Hip Hop/Rap Music and Beatmaking Traditions
e fundamental purpose of hip hop/rap beats, in their native context, is not
to remain as an instrumental, the “1st dimension” of hip hop/rap music. e
purpose of a beat is to be paired with the lyrics of a rapper, the “2
nd
dimension”
of hip hop/rap music. It is the bringing together of these two dimensions that
makes the hip hop/rap music and beatmaking traditions whole. By contrast,
the Western classical tradition is a mostly instrumental tradition. And although
opera
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is a part of the Western classical tradition, it does not play the same
primary role that rapping does in the hip hop/rap music tradition.
Final Analysis of the Battle
e Western classical and hip hop/rap music traditions are both formidable
traditions. Each tradition has its own systems and grand approaches, and each
tradition has its own encompassing culture. But when it comes to a battle between
the Western classical music tradition and the hip hop/rap music tradition, on
hip hop/rap’s and beatmaking’s turf and terms, the Western classical music
tradition gets burned!
e Western classical music tradition has music theory as its greatest
compositional apparatus; the hip hop/rap music tradition counters with
beatmaking as its greatest compositional system and achievement. And while
music theory may be the more well-known, more complex, and presumably
more advanced compositional device, it can not convert the advanced or even
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Opera, which includes the arts of solo and choral singing and declamation, is not purely a vocal
tradition; it also includes acting, and dancing in a staged spectacle.
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most basic processes of beatmaking for its uses. However, the hip hop/rap
music and beatmaking traditions can indeed convert and use much of music
theory, at will, throughout its basic and advanced processes. Finally, while
the Western classical tradition is completely and rigidly bound by the abstract
knowledge of music theory, the hip hop/rap music tradition is not bound just
by beatmaking. It is best translated and enhanced by the unique processes and
nuances and pragmatic logic of beatmaking just as much as it is informed by
the cultural metrics of the encompassing hip hop culture.
Furthermore, while the Western classical tradition has the opera as its chief
form of vocalization, the hip hop/rap music tradition has rapping as its native
form of vocal expression. But unlike opera, rapping is truly a “2
nd
dimension”
that makes the entire hip hop/rap music tradition whole. Opera does not make
the Western classical music tradition complete; rapping does make the hip hop/
rap music tradition complete. And although rapping represents its own separate
sub-tradition within the broader hip hop culture, it is widely considered to be
indispensable to the hip hop/rap music tradition.
Finally, while the function of the Western classical tradition may be to serve
as entertainment and an art music that prompts listeners to literally comprehend a
composer’s musical instructions, the function of the hip hop/rap music tradition
is not only to serve as an art music as well, but to inform, teach, serve as a coping
mechanism, and, of course, to make people move and get up and dance. And,
it must be remembered, listeners of the hip hop/rap music tradition need not
“understand” the musical instructions of beatmakers (composers) to fully realize
this function.
More Insight and Perspective that We Can Take Away
from the Battle
The Usefulness of Music Theory in the Hip Hop/Rap Music
and Beatmaking Traditions
Music theory doesn’t necessarily unlock the creative potential of beatmaking
and/or hip hop/rap music. Actually, because of the additional set of rules
that music theory applies to the beatmaking process, it often works to inhibit
beatmaking. In many ways, applying some of the rules of music theory is
like calling out cues and counts to a b-boy, as he battles in a cipher. Stripped
from the freedom of his tradition, he’s led to focus on nailing cues rather than
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doing dope moves and catching wreck on the dance oor. As with b-boying
(hip hop’s original dance), the hip hop/rap music and beatmaking traditions
prioritize staying true to the rules of its own tradition, while recognizing the
freedom of exploration of those very rules at the same time. erefore, it is with
this understanding of the “rules/freedom duality” of hip hop culture that music
theory can be used most eectively. In other words, I see nothing wrong with
using music theory in beatmaking, so long as the essence of the hip hop/rap art
form isn’t compromised and/or diluted in the process.
Here, let’s remember that the South Bronx disaster created a heightened
level of urgency that was predicated upon daily survival. So it should come
as no surprise that hip hop culture and hip hop/rap music has an underlying
urgency to it. is urgency manifests itself in dierent ways in hip hop/rap
music, but one notable way is that it outts hip hop/rap and beatmaking with
a straight-to-the-point musical philosophy. Such a philosophy tends to have
little use for drawn out conceptions based on a rigid set of abstract knowledge.
Still, the fact remains: Music theory is one of the most magnicent systematic
musical inventions in the world. So a working knowledge of music theory can be
of great help to some beatmakers, particularly those who are interested in making
the “pop-hop” sound. But a working knowledge or understanding of music
theory is not critical to a beatmaker’s ability to make dope beats! e pursuit
of beatmaking through the lens of music theory is actually a major detriment
to those who aim to make beats in the most fundamental/traditional meaning
of the entire art form. Again, hip hop/rap music is not reliant upon the laws
of music theory in the way that the Western classical tradition is. Moreover,
the displacement of the use of pre-recorded music — the core component that
gave rise to, and is the fundamental denition and essence of, the hip hop/rap
musical form — is not some modern example of the “evolution” of hip hop/
rap music. It is something separate and dierent altogether.
Finally, because some laws of music theory are actually used within the hip
hop/rap music tradition, I recommend that you at least acquire an understanding
of the basics of music theory. e advantages of having even the most remote
understanding of music theory are plentiful. For one thing, it will undoubtedly
help the scope of your arrangement, which will in turn increase your overall
production capabilities. Also, an understanding of music theory will help you
learn how to “play things out more,” instead of only sampling. (Of course, not
that there’s anything wrong with sampling.) And perhaps the biggest advantage
of possessing some knowledge of the basics of music theory is the fact that it
will help you recognize and analyze structures and patterns in existing music
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works outside of the hip hop/rap music tradition. is is key because the more
that you’re able to identify common music structures and patterns, the more
eective you will be in determining how to convert them into hip hop/rap form.
Compositional Ethic and the Seven Periods of the
Beatmaking Tradition
ere have been a number of developments that have occurred throughout
the past four decades of the beatmaking tradition, but perhaps none have been
as interesting and more responsible for the state (good or bad) of beatmaking
than the development of what I call the “pusher/resister compositional dialogue.”
What I mean by the “compositional dialogue” is that there are essentially two
compositional sentiments that now underscore the hip hop/rap music and
beatmaking traditions. One compositional sentiment can be best described as
the “push,” by some beatmakers, for conformity. at is to say, the push to
use more traditional compositional schemes that are outside of the hip hop/rap
music and beatmaking traditions. e other compositional sentiment is best
described as the “resistance” to conformity. at is to say, the resistance to use
more traditional compositional schemes that are outside of the hip hop/rap music
and beatmaking traditions.
e push for conformity in beatmaking has resulted in beats that feature
melody and harmony in much more prominent roles than rhythm and groove,
two musical elements that are prominent in the hip hop/rap music and
beatmaking traditions. ose who push for conformity have widely attempted
to create beats that are more in line with other popular genres of music rather
than beats that speak to the fundamental tenets and priorities of the hip hop/rap
music and beatmaking traditions. On the other end of this spectrum, those who
resist conformity have consciously attempted to create beats that rely prevalently
on the use of compositional schemes that are well within the hip hop/rap music
and beatmaking traditions, which means a reliance on rhythm and groove in
the fundamental manner that hip hop/rap music was characterized, especially
prior to the Post-Pioneers Beatmaking Period.
To be certain, there have been obnoxious choices made on both sides of
this compositional dialogue. On the “push” side of this conversation, there
has been far too much movement away from what actually distinguishes hip
hop/rap from other music forms. And on the “resistance” side of this dialogue,
there has been, at times, too little openness to the benets of compositional
exploration and experimentation. Debating which compositional sentiment is
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better or worse for beatmakers is perhaps a useless endeavor, mostly because of
the realities that come into play when a sub-subculture like beatmaking moves
into the mainstream.
If we look at the way in which the compositional ethic of beatmaking was
governed over the past 40 years, we can see that this governance fundamentally
comes down to either the use or non-use of some form of the break as the guiding
compositional process for beatmakers. And we already know there’s no dispute
in the matter of the break: e use of the break is the core compositional tenet
that the hip hop/rap music and beatmaking traditions were founded upon. By
its denition and how it was used by the earliest DJs (beatmakers), the use of
the break emphasized the importance and priority of rhythm and groove. It did
not however place any emphasis on the use of harmony and/or melody, tropes
fundamental to American popular music traditions outside of hip hop/rap.
is compositional ethic of beatmaking governed supreme for approximately
15 years, or as long as hip hop/rap music remained a subculture and not a
major part of American mainstream culture. But although the break is a core
compositional tenet of the hip hop/rap music and beatmaking traditions, it can’t
be forgotten that once hip hop/rap music hit the mainstream, it was inevitable
that the compositional ethic would expand for two reasons: (1) Mainstream
access warrants it; and (2) e addition of dierent cultural inuences assures it.
An objective look at the mainstream reveals that what constitutes
“mainstream” is almost never anti-establishment and/or particularly cutting edge.
But anti-establishment and cutting edge is exactly what hip hop/rap music was
in its initial state and what hip hop/rap music remains in its fundamental form.
Moreover, the mainstream of American popular music is mostly safe. at is,
it’s not risky; it’s designed to appeal to the greatest common denominator. And
when it comes to the musical tastes of the listeners who make up the greatest
common denominator, these are mostly people who are persuaded by, and more
familiar with, tunes and songs that are in a more traditional song form and
style, i.e., inclusive of a denitive melody and denitive harmony. Likewise, the
listeners who comprise the greatest common denominator are not expected to be
persuaded by, and certainly not familiar with or in favor of, the “non-traditional”
priorities and processes of a non-traditional music form like hip hop/rap music,
or for that matter, beatmaking, its chief compositional process. erefore, as hip
hop/rap music became a major part of the fabric of the American mainstream,
many beatmakers (producers) saw conformity (once something considered to
be terribly bad in hip hop/rap music), as not only a means to success but also
as a means to separating themselves from the beatmaking pack.
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Furthermore, as the hip hop/rap music and beatmaking traditions spread,
more people inevitably joined in the dialogue of its development. And as
hip hop/rap and beatmaking garnered more attention, each new person who
entered into both traditions brought along with them the presuppositions of
their own personal background. eir age, their ethnicity, their cultural and
socio-economic background, and, of course, their city, region, and state of
origin all factored into what they brought to the dialogue. Each one of the
factors in one’s personal background collectively denes one’s sensibilities about
the creative compositional practices and processes they ultimately choose to
rely upon. More importantly, it is these sensibilities that also serve to inform
how each person chooses to interpret the roots of the hip hop/rap music and
beatmaking traditions.
Parting Shots
The Soul and Essence of the Hip Hop/Rap Music Tradition
Regardless of what side of the music theory or sampling issue you’re on,
there can be little debate as to whether or not the majority of contemporary
hip hop/rap music oerings lack much of the “soul” and essence of the original,
fundamental tradition.
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ere are a number of combined factors that have
contributed to this, notably the over-commercialization of hip hop/rap music and
the illegalization of sampling. However, I consider the single biggest contributing
factor to be the emergence of a negative slant towards the art of sampling and
the subsequent widespread move away from sampling — the use of fragments of
old recordings — as a major part of the compositional process of hip hop/rap.
It bares repeating that the architects and pioneers of the hip hop/rap music
tradition had access to traditional instruments, some were even as talented on
the drums, keyboard, and guitar as they were on two turntables and a mixer,
or a sampler and a drum machine. e architects and pioneers did not separate
their talents with traditional instruments from their talents with non-traditional
ones. Instead, like the pioneers of b-boying — who did not separate their
“power moves” and acrobatics from the rest of their b-boy repertoire (or the
dance form on a whole), the architects and pioneers of beatmaking maintained
all of their talents as one collective skill-set. But today, the true essence of
beatmaking (and hip hop/rap music in general) is being overshadowed by an
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The majority of hip hop/rap music between 2005 and 2015 is best characterized as brilliant examples
of what I call “popularism” songs, songs that have a decidedly “pop” slant rather than a “rap” slant. Hence,
my earlier “pop-hop” description of this new hip hop/rap-based genre.
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over abundance of, and reliance on, live instrumentation (i.e. no sampling) as
well as concepts and methods that are clearly contrary to the essence of the hip
hop/rap music tradition.
is is by no means an attack on such concepts and methods outside of hip
hop/rap; truth is, live instrumentation has often played some (minimal) role
in beatmaking, be it a keyboard harmony ll, a live bass line, or perhaps even
a live drums program. at said, this presents a rather simple question. If the
fundamental tropes, aesthetics, predilections, principles, and priorities of the
hip hop/rap music tradition are neutralized, ignored, and ultimately replaced
by those of another tradition, is not the resulting music something “other” than
hip hop/rap music?
Although I embrace, and in some cases encourage, the intermixing of
musical genres, I also recognize that “intermixing” hip hop/rap with other
musical forms is quite dierent than converting other musical forms into hip
hop/rap music. e reality is too much intermixing of other musical inuences
(like contemporary pop-rock or pop-R&B or even Western classical) with hip
hop/rap tends to dissolve hip hop/rap’s structure, and ultimately dilutes, if not
destroys, its fundamental identity. is doesn’t mean that the “other,” i.e. the
hybrid results of intermixing, is better or worse. It is merely a recognition that
an “other” exists. But classifying this hybrid other as hip hop/rap music is really
a misrepresentation of the hip hop/rap music tradition. is is why, inevitably,
a new name (genre) will have to emerge. It’s the only way to distinguish the
hybrid “other” from the original base essence of the hip hop/rap music tradition.
And what name this new hybrid-based “other music” takes going forward is
certainly open for discussion, but I’m convinced that neither “hip hop/rap,”
“hip hop,” or “rap” can carry its weight any longer.
is is not the stance of a purist — I’m certainly not a purist. Nor am I
concerned with or focused on to taking hip hop/rap music back to its so-called
golden days. I like hip hop/rap music from the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and the
2000s. Moreover, as far as the “hit song”/to release ratio, I believe the 2000s
have produced far more, and from a larger number of artists. Although there
were undoubtedly some timeless works of art made during the 1990s, it’s not
like everything created in that era was pure gold.
I also want to be clear that this isn’t an attempt to quantify “good” or “bad”
hip hop/rap music; nor is it a condemnation of the new or a boost of support for
the old. My only goal (concern) is to present the facts that the history of the hip
hop/rap music tradition overwhelmingly support. In other words, this is about
recognizing and upholding what hip hop/rap music is in its fundamental essence
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and in accordance to what its chief architects and pioneers have consistently
maintained that it is. It’s also about how change inevitably happens within
music traditions, or more specically, how changes and new developments are
reconciled with the core tenets of a given music tradition.
Although there may have been new techniques and styles incorporated
into hip hop/rap’s musical lexicon over the past decade, the base tradition
itself can not be revised or redened no more than can the blues be revised and
redened; or jazz be revised and redened; or rhythm and blues be revised and
redened; or soul and funk be revised and redened. And with regard to those
other aforementioned well-dened music traditions, no one has dared to loft a
generic (wholesale) misguided claim of “evolution” against them. Each of those
music traditions — the blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, soul, and funk — are
forever locked in as is. Whatever new avor someone wants to add to them is
perfectly ne and perhaps even encouraged, but it should be well-understood
that such an addition can never change and/or reverse the base tradition itself.
e facts that comprised the history of a music tradition, and the culture which
produced it, can not be undone. us, no matter who attempts to add to it,
the fundamentals of the hip hop/rap music tradition, like the Western classical
tradition and music theory, are permanent.
e fact remains that no new group of musicians (no matter how well
“trained” they are), nor any new legislation (no matter how much backing it has
from the RIAA, or how recognized it may be within intellectual property circles),
can revise or redene the autonomous and socially codied musical tradition and
culture that is the hip hop/rap music tradition. Likewise, no group or legislation
can reorganize, neutralize, and otherwise discard the fundamental aesthetics,
principles, and priorities of the hip hop/rap music tradition and culture.
However, it is also important to recognize that there is no way to restrict
one music tradition and culture from inuencing and/or serving as the basis
for the creation of a new music tradition and culture. After all, the blues begot
rhythm and blues, and the blues and rhythm and blues begot rock ‘n’ roll;
and yet today, no reasonable person would refer to rock ‘n’ roll (especially as
we now know it) as the blues, despite rock’s actual musical kinship. Hence, a
xed musical tradition and culture can not be overhauled simply because new
musicians discover it. Moreover, if the outer fringes of a well-codied music
tradition and culture begins to move in a new direction, via the fusion of other
music traditions and cultures, then that new direction deserves to and should
be recognized and even celebrated as its own movement, as something new and
distinguishable from the tradition(s) which spawned it.
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is is why the oft-heard “hip hop has evolved” claim is consistently
misapplied. e hip hop/rap music tradition has indeed evolved in a number
of areas; for instance: In the area of the modern rhyme style, in the area of more
meticulous sampling and more intricate production processes, in the area of an
increased usage of technology, and, of course, in the area of pop culture exposure
and commercialism. But what fundamentally denes the essence of the hip
hop/rap music tradition has not evolved, it’s the same. e only thing that has
consistently changed are the waves of new practitioners who have migrated to
the hip hop/rap music and beatmaking traditions.
e underlying fundamentals of the hip hop/rap music tradition and culture
can’t change. e only thing that can change are the people who migrate to the
traditions and their subsequent interpretations of them. ere are those who,
with great care and patience, take the time to learn about the hip hop/rap and
beatmaking art forms and cultures. In turn, they interpret the hip hop/rap
music tradition in the way the art form and the culture was intended to be.
en, there are those who either haven’t made enough eort to learn the art
form properly, or lack the resources to do so; thus, they are unfamiliar with the
root structure and nuance of beatmaking and hip hop culture in general. In
this case, it should be expected that they will not likely interpret the art form
and culture in the way that it was intended. erefore, when these alternative
interpretations manifest themselves, in ways that are foreign to the hip hop/
rap music and beatmaking traditions and cultures, what you have is not the
wholesale “evolution” of the hip hop/rap and beatmaking traditions, but rather
the makings of a new tradition and culture altogether.
What made — and still makes — hip hop/rap music and beatmaking
so powerful (and alluring) is its level of non-conformity. Hence, the more
practitioners of hip hop/rap music and beatmakers seek to conform to the
“accepted norms” and concepts, methods, and structures of other musical forms
rather than holding fast to hip hop/rap’s and beatmaking’s own nuances, the
more hip hop/rap music and beatmaking actually loses its power, impact, and
overall allure. But for whatever it’s worth, I acknowledge the fact that, naturally,
conformity to a dominant culture does present a more broader appeal. But hip
hop/rap music wasn’t founded upon the idea of broad appeal or on the idea of
being safe or pleasing to everyone. Hip hop/rap music was founded upon the
idea of being hip on its own terms, not on the terms of outside musical or cultural
forces. Here, I’m neither co-signing or condemning whether a beatmaker stays
close to the fundamental tropes and nuances of beatmaking and hip hop/rap
or not. I’m merely presenting the fact that this is a choice that each beatmaker
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must ultimately make. A choice, I should add, that determines whether or not
they are actually being guided by the hip hop/rap music tradition or another one.
Finally, one of the primary points that I’ve hoped to get across in this
metaphorical battle between Grandmaster Flash and Mozart was that each music
tradition and culture has its own ideology and distinct aesthetics, common
elements and priorities, principles, presuppositions, and dispositions. ough
one music tradition and culture may be compared to and contrasted with another,
one music tradition and culture can not be appropriately judged by another,
because in the nal analysis, such judgment is, despite all attempts at objectivity
and fairness, always one-sided. e hip hop/rap music and beatmaking traditions
and cultures can no more be judged (appropriately) by the Western classical
music tradition and culture than can the Western classical music tradition and
culture be judged (appropriately) by the Eastern classical music tradition and
culture. Music traditions and cultures can only be judged (appropriately) by
its constituents and the metrics of their own unique devices. us, while the
metric for superior classical music may be based on the mastery of music theory
(Western or Eastern), the metric for superior hip hop/rap music is based on
the mastery of beatmaking and the execution of a dope beat and an ill rhyme.
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Part 4
THE BUSINESS
OF BEATS
Important Note About This Part
One of the reasons that I wrote e BeatTips Manual was because I wanted
to create a formidable platform that beatmakers and rappers (and others in the
hip hop/rap music community) could rally around. is book, in and of itself, is
a direct link to every beatmaker who has ever aspired to make it — on their own
terms — in the music business. erefore, one of my goals with this chapter is to
present knowledge and information that is relevant not just to beatmaking, but
genuinely important concepts and issues within the music industry in general.
Business is no less important than it was half a century ago. And given the
fact that beatmakers are mostly self-contained and free to make their own moves,
business acumen plays an even bigger role in the success of a beatmaker. But
dread the day when you nd yourself taking care of music business more than
you’re actually creating music. Be mindful of as many music business matters
as you can; more importantly, continue to increase your understanding of how
things really work in the music business. But, if at all possible, never allow your
business activities to overshadow your creative artistry. ough I can not stress
enough how important it is to know the “business” of the music-business, I also
can not stress enough how important it is to retain your sense of creative artistry,
because once you lose that, you’ve lost the most important form of leverage in
actually creating good business situations for yourself. However, your aspirations
and concerns are your own. So I recommend that you use the knowledge and
information in this chapter to help you make more informed business decisions.
Finally, remeber that music is not just an art, it’s a form of show business;
which means its both a creative and business endeavor. In other words, all of the
decisions or choices that professional beatmakers (producers) make are governed
by both creative and scal considerations. Always keep that in mind no matter
what creative-business path you ultimately take.
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Chapter 11
Know Where You Stand
Understanding Your Own Genius:
Beatmaker or a “Producer”?
The Differcence Makes All the Difference
In the hip hop/rap music and beatmaking traditions, the term “producer” is
often synonymously used to describe a beatmaker. But is that always appropriate?
Whatever one ultimately considers themselves — either a beatmaker or a
producer — is one of the key factors that will determine one’s professional
beatmaking/production opportunities. In recent history, there has been a push
by some beatmakers (producers) to distinguish and separate themselves from the
ubiquitous hip hop/rap “beatmaker” pack — as if being a beatmaker is something
to be ashamed of — by declaring themselves to be “producers,” not beatmakers.
And therein lies the true origins of the beatmaker vs. producer debate.
But before I decipher the beatmaker vs. producer debate, it is rst necessary
to spend some words on dening what hip hop production is as well as what a
(music) producer has traditionally been considered to be. Simply stated, hip hop
production is the creation of hip hop music. Although this description broadly
covers every dimension of hip hop/rap music, the term, “hip hop production,”
is used most commonly to refer to the making of a hip hop/rap instrumental,
i.e. a beat. So technically speaking, a beatmaker, one who makes beats, is a hip
hop producer; ergo, a beatmaker is a producer.
en there’s the the term “producer” itself, which has often been tossed
around in the music industry. “Producer” can be used to describe a musician
and/or songwriter. “Producer” can also be used to describe a total hands-on music
person, someone with complete audio and recording technology understanding
and a serious appreciation for music. A “producer” can be the person ultimately
responsible for the nal sound of a recording, much like a beatmaker/producer
is in hip hop. But let’s not stop there. A “producer” can also be someone who
nances and/or secures the nancing for a music project. A “producer” can be
someone who organizes and manages recording sessions, someone who hires
musicians and songwriters. A “producer” can be someone who picks the songs
that make an album. A “producer” can be a marketing wiz or tastemaker who
polishes the “look” of a music act. “Producer” can even be used to describe
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someone who orders food or arranges specic vices (alcohol, drugs, etc.) during
the recording of a music project. Certainly, the term, “producer,” and the concept
of music production is nothing new.
However, the term “beatmaker” is indeed something new and altogether
distinct from the multiple meanings of a “producer.” A beatmaker is a truly
unique and new breed of music-maker, what I call the common composer. But
more simply put, a beatmaker is someone who makes beats! Me, personally, I’m
rst and foremost — and will always be — a beatmaker. Having produced two
of my own albums and various music projects as well as the projects of other
recording artists, I’m also a producer. And to be sure, there can be a valley of
dierence between making a beat and producing a record. But that doesn’t
mean that being a beatmaker is inferior to being a so-called producer. In fact,
within the hip hop/rap music tradition, I nd (for many reasons) the beatmaker
moniker to be quite noble.
One way to highlight the dierences between what a beatmaker and a
producer does is to do a comparative analysis of well-known producers who are
not known for any beatmaking ability. Here, I’ll use Diddy (aka Pu Daddy),
and Quincy Jones, the producer of Michael Jackson’s riller. First, it should
be noted that although both Diddy and Quincy Jones are both “producers,”
they are certainly not in the same league. (However, both have successfully
produced albums for at least one decade). Prior to Michael Jackson’s two
breakout solo albums, O e Wall (1979) and riller (1982), Quincy Jones
was an accomplished and very well-respected musician (trumpeter), arranger,
conductor, and lm and television composer. Quincy Jones, in every sense of
the term, is (was) a music-maker. On the other hand, Diddy had (has) no such
pedigree when he “produced” Notorious B.I.G.’S Ready To Die, one of the most
popular and successful selling albums he’s produced to date. Neither Quincy
Jones or Diddy likely played any instruments or wrote any songs on each album,
respectively. But this does not disqualify neither as “producers.”
In each case, both Quincy Jones and Diddy applied some of their best
production talents. In the case of riller, Quincy Jones ran the show. Over a
six-week period, he oversaw the recording process, which included several days
of three separate high-powered studio sessions. He hand-picked the songwriters
for Michael Jackson, in some cases, based on the song themes and concepts that
he (Jones) came up with. Quincy Jones, like famed producers Gamble & Hu,
contained the ability to do a lot more than just hum a tune. He could write a
tune, sing a tune, arrange a tune, and, of course, play a tune. Quincy Jones could
readily write the arrangements for a brass section and then comfortably turn
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around and sit in with them and play. is is to say that Quincy Jones could
play within the established norm of his eld (brass instruments, particularly).
By contrast, Diddy did not run the show for Ready To Die; if anybody did, it
was really the Notorious B.I.G. (aka Biggie Smalls) who did. It was Biggie who
chose the beatmakers; it was Biggie who chose the beats; it was Biggie who came
up with the themes and concepts for each song; and, of course, it was only Biggie
who wrote and performed the rhymes. is does not subtract from Diddy’s
role in the release of Ready To Die. After all, it was Diddy who signed Biggie;
it was Diddy who put up the funding through his record label, Bad Boy; it was
Diddy who provided the recording studio where Biggie recorded his hip hop/
rap classic; and perhaps it was Diddy who gave some coaching or motivation
during the recording sessions of Ready To Die. us, Diddy is a “producer,”
certainly one of the best, according to various denitions of producer in the
common hip hop/rap era.
Although Diddy is a quintessential music “producer,” he is not a quintessential
music-maker. Diddy could not improvise and come up with a beat idea and/
or structure, then get in a room with other quality beatmakers and hold his
own in the beatmaking craft — the established norm of his eld. Diddy could
not use an EMPI and create a beat — from start to nish — completely alone
(a fact he’s never hidden); nor could he write an entire three verse rhyme and
chorus for himself, let alone an interpolation for another recording artist. is
is no disrespect to Diddy; remember this: You don’t have to be able to make a
beat in order to be a “producer;” but you do however have to be able to make a
beat to be a beatmaker. And note: For the last 50 years, major label executives
have routinely signed artists to contracts that included provisions which granted
them producer credits, no matter how much actual production work they did
on a project. So I’m not taking anything away from Diddy; but I’m also not
giving him any undue credit either.
Having established some of the main capacity in which producers typically
work, it is now necessary to describe those things that do and do not make one
a producer or a beatmaker. First, if one merely submits a beat to a rapper, and
the rapper uses it to create a song, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the one who
merely submitted the beat is the “producer” of whatever song emerges. at
said, the song, should it be made using said beat and placed on a commercially
released project, will be credited as: “produced by: insert the name of the one who
submitted the beat.” is credit will be given even if the beat submitter wasn’t
present at the recording session (with the rapper) which resulted in the complete
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song. Second, if one makes very small “suggestive changes” to the beat that
someone else made, the one who suggested changes is neither a beatmaker or
producer, but he still may receive a “co-producer” credit.
Let’s remember, in the traditional sense of the word, “producer” can loosely
stand for many things. However, it is almost always associated with someone
who oversees the completion of a record. at means, overseeing or managing
the process from its inception to its completion: hiring session musicians,
songwriters, and engineers; booking studio arrangements; making travel and
lodging arrangements; making payment arrangements to vendors and workers
alike; clearing samples; nding source materials; coaching vocalists; being the
most critical “ears;” all sorts of things. erefore, “production,” in its most
common sense of the word, is the process of assemblage: It’s the process of
putting multiple components of a project together. A producer need not
possess any artistic, technical, theoretical, and/or nancial skill whatsoever.
And, as I mentioned earlier, a producer can be anybody who has contact with
artistic people; people with audio/recording knowledge; people with theoretical
understanding; and yes, people with nancial competence. Hence, a person who
puts — assembles — all of these people together in an eort to develop, create,
and/or polish a product is a “producer.” Fact is, a producer need not know a
thing about drum sounds; or about chopping; or sequencing and looping; or even
about hip hop/rap music for that matter. A “producer” can simply be someone
who puts together the people who do know about those things.
us, in the nal analysis, the concept of a “producer” really shouldn’t be
compared to the concept of a “beatmaker.” Beatmakers are a new and special
breed; a vanguard that did not exist (in their current form) prior to the early
1970s. As you already know, hip hop/rap is the rst music tradition that is
primarily predicated upon the use of pre-recorded music and/or sounds. Prior
to hip hop/rap music, there was no music tradition that was exclusively based
on the actual use of pre-recorded music material as its chief compositional
method and process. With the emergence of the beatmaking tradition (which
is still relatively new) came the advent of the “beatmaker,” not the advent of the
“music producer” (again, producers have existed long before hip hop/rap music
and beatmakers came to town).
So what makes beatmakers dierent from producers? Beatmakers, by the
nature of what they do, are embodied with the task of: (1) composing; (2)
performing/playing; (3) mixing; and (4) various other similar meticulous editing
practices that have been extensively explored throughout this study. And much
like the primary music-makers of all cultural traditions (for example, drummers
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in Africa) and everyday musicians as well, beatmakers actually make (create) the
music and provide the “musical frequencies” for rappers to rap on. is is not
the job description that is synonymous with the proverbial “producer.”
Furthermore, beatmakers belong to and come from a lineage of music-makers,
whereas some producers belong to and come from a lineage of project managers.
And regardless of the methods individual beatmakers use (i.e. the use of pre-
recorded music and/or sounds), Western classical composers like Beethoven and
Mozart share more of a lineage with beatmakers than they do with ambiguously
named “producers.” Beethoven and Mozart were commissioned (hired) by others
(typically persons best described as “producers”), to create new musical pieces.
But in their time, Beethoven and Mozart usually still got the proper (full) credit
for their work; a reality that escapes many producers today.
Here, it’s worth noting the sentiment of some well-known beatmakers
(producers) on this matter. I’ve interviewed a healthy number and variety of
well-known and/or critically acclaimed beatmakers (producers), and the most
common thing that I hear is: “Producers produce and beatmakers just make
beats.” Huh? To me, this is simply nonsense. e implication here is that a
“producer” is superior to a beatmaker. is has always struck me the wrong way,
because on one hand, many so-called “producers” are denying the one thing (that
they are a beatmaker) that actually makes them more unique than any other
form of music-maker. And on the other hand, this denial is, for many, deeply
rooted and hidden within the subjective standards of what actually qualies as
music — subjective standards that still view hip hop/rap as a primitive form
of music.
Perhaps it’s also the case that some of those who prefer to be called “producer”
rather than beatmaker have a serious inferiority complex. Far too many of
these self-described “producers” adopt the idea that established “producers” and
people on the outside of the hip hop/rap tradition look down on beatmaking
and beatmakers. erefore, they desperately aspire to rid themselves of the
beatmaker tag. In this way, they feel that the “producer” moniker elevates them
above being a beatmaker. Nonsense. If one wants to separate themselves from
other beatmakers, all they need to do is make doper beats. And consider this last
point: Every dope beatmaker has the ability to produce, if he (or she) so chooses.
However, every music “producer” does not have the ability to make dope beats.
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Establish Your Own Unique Body of Work — Build a
Music Catalog
A music catalog is a portfolio of completed music works: songs, instrumentals,
and other similar projects. ink of your music catalog as your music résumé. As
an organized body of work, it stands as proof that you are well-experienced and
serious about your beatmaking (production) endeavors. Without your own body
of work, how can you prove that your beatmaking services are worth someone’s
time and money? us, a solid music (beat) catalog is absolutely essential to
any beatmaker’s plan for earning a living o of their music.
So how do you make your own beat or music catalog? Well, there’s actually
two parts to that: there’s the beat CD part (though few people make physical
beat CDs, beat CD is still the common term today), then there’s the completed
projects part. I will discuss the beat CD aspect of a music catalog in this chapter,
and I will discuss the completed projects part in chapter 13. Finally, I should note
that in order for you to build a solid music catalog, there are three fundamental
things that I recommend that you do: (1) Consistently create as many quality
beats as you can; (2) Attach yourself to and complete as many projects (that you
believe in) that you can; and most importantly for our purposes here, (3) Always
keep an up-to-date beat CD, or online page where you showcase your music.
How to Create An Effective Beat CD*
*Today, “CD” is more of a gure of speach, as most people showcase their beats
on Soundcloud, Bandcamp, and other similar sites. Also, submissions are sent via
email or delivered on a thumb drive. Still, the steps for assembling a beat CD
generally apply to how you should assemble your music pages and beat submissions.
e way that you should assemble your beat CD is like this. First, gather
together twenty of your best beats. If you don’t have twenty beats, don’t worry,
go with what you have, but you should at least have ten. ese beats should
be the ones that you and your “trusted ears”
185
really feel. If you’ve previewed
some of your beats for rappers and other people before, that’s ne — provided
185
Trusted Ears: They are the people whose musical opinion you truly value. “Trusted ears” should
not be people in your crew who simply tell you that every thing that you do is “hot!” Those who do so
are “yes men.” Be very careful of “yes men,” because they will give you a bad ear! On the other hand,
trusted ears are not people who simply shoot down everything that you play for them. I’ve always liked
letting non-beatmakers hear my new beats and music. I’ve found those opinions to be the realist, most
gut-feeling and straight forward. Other beatmakers tend to critique the elements within the beats, rather
than simply listen to the music and see if they like it. Far too much stuff Like: ‘Oh, I like that snare’… ‘The
hi-hat is nice’… ‘You should have used a different kick’…’Where did you sample that from?’.
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you received honest, constructive (hopefully good) feedback. Next, spend three
to ve days having these beats “battle o,” i.e. competing with one another,
until you reach your best fteen. Once you’ve done that, you’re ready to begin
assembling your beat CD.
Which Type of Beats Should Go on Your Beat CD?
Your beat CD or online music page should be a demonstration and
representation of what you do best. If you are a devoted sample-based beatmaker,
don’t throw a clumsy attempt at a synthetic-sounds-based track on your beat CD.
Likewise, if you’re a strong synthetic-sounds-based beatmaker, then you shouldn’t
add any awkward rendition of a sample-based beat. But if you are seasoned in
making both sample-based joints and synthetic-sounds-based bangers, then you
should indeed add your best demonstration of both kinds of beats to your beat
CD. And though the idea may be to add as much variety to your beat CD as
possible, you also want to be careful to maintain a consistent level of quality on
your beat CD. Moreover, keep in mind that this variety should be within the
context of what you do best.
Further, when you send submissions to artists, avoid populating your
submission with beats that contain ridiculously long-winded intros. Great intros
can be a magnicent draw, but some intros can be more distractive than helpful.
Long intros are better served when the song is complete, that is, when the lyrics
are added and the music is mixed. Point is, when your music is submitted to
someone, you have a very brief amount of time to persuade them that your
beat(s)is worth investing in. us, you don’t want to blow the deal and turn
potential clients o before they even get a chance to really hear your music.
Finally, if you have beats with hooks, you’re at an advantage because you’re
not just pitching a beat, you’re pitching a concept and a song. Pitching a concept
and a song is always better than merely pitching a beat, particularly because
it gives a rapper a more direct cue; moreover, it helps assure that you receive a
writing credit. ere are numerous writer/beatmaker teams who send o songs,
complete with reference vocals, both verses and hooks. Again, in those cases,
they are not simply shopping a beat, they are shopping an entire song. If this
applies to you, you want to keep the demo down to no more than ve songs.
How Many Beats Should Go on Your Beat CD?
ere are no concrete rules for how many beats should go on a beat CD. But
you never want to overburden your beat CD with too many beats (especially if
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there is a wide gap in quality), nor do you want to have too few beats on your
CD. erefore, when deciding how many beats to put on your beat CD, go
with quality over quantity. Remember, a beat CD should be a demonstration of
what you can do. It should not be a CD full of as many beats as you can t on
a CD or USB drive. Generally, somewhere between ten to twenty beats — no
more than two minutes per beat — is the norm. However, some well-known
beatmakers (producers) put only ve beats on their beat CD. Finally, it should
be noted that many beat submissions are made through email as well. In this
case, you may not want to send more than three beats/songs at a time.
Should You Put Your Best Beat First?
“Put your best beat rst” is generally the mantra echoed by most in the music
industry, but I don’t necessarily agree with this strategy. e thing is, the “best
beat rst” philosophy actually emanates from the “best song rst” philosophy,
which refers to the song that has the best chance of appealing to the broadest
section of people upon the rst immediate listening. A lot of beatmakers and
so-called music industry insiders will tell you that you should always put your
best cut or beat rst. What they won’t tell you is: If you’re not an established,
name brand beatmaker, your beats will be listened to from a dierent perspective.
Music is very saturated right now; it’s been this way for the past decade.
Today, when most A&Rs (at least the ones who still have jobs) listen to a new
beat submission, they seemingly expect to hear nothing impressive, because
“everybody’s a ‘producer’ now,” or at least that’s often their cynical belief.
Furthermore, the A&Rs who are still left are often so jaded that they actually
believe that they are the only people qualied to pick out good music. But to
their credit, most A&Rs who actually receive beat submissions will check to see if
there’s at least one good beat. I’ve seen A&Rs listen to the opening track of beat
CDs and demos for about 15 or 20 seconds, then quickly scan to track 2, before
quickly moving on to track 3. In fact, many A&Rs will actually listen to track 3
longer than they will track 1. Why? Remember, they’re already pre-conditioned
with the “Great, another ‘producer’” syndrome. us, many A&Rs assume
that most of the material submitted to them is wack, or at best the same thing
they’ve been hearing. erefore, they are subconsciously looking for a surprise,
something that will knock them out. is is why I recommend the strategy of
leading o your beat CD with a 40 second snippet of your third best beat and/
or song, followed by a 40 second snippet of your best beat and/or song, followed
by a 90 second snippet of your second best beat and/or song. All songs after
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that should be a variation between 60 to 90 seconds if you’re trying to shop a
song complete with hook. e thing about not leading o with your best beat
is this: If your entire beat CD/catalog is good, it really won’t matter what order
your selections are in. To most A&Rs, there’s a good chance that your third
best will sound like the best, so they’ll rewind to the rst two tracks to see if
they missed anything. So it’s important to remember that you’re not trying to
showcase the fact that you can make one good beat; you want to demonstrate
that you are capable of consistently making quality beats and music.
Shopping Your Beats
“Shopping beats” is the phrase that is most often used to describe the
process of pitching or showcasing beats to perspective buyers. In this rather
precarious process, beatmakers (and beat brokers, producer managers,
lawyers, and other music insiders and affiliates) pass on beat CDs and
Soundcloud links, etc. to dierent interested parties, including recording
artists, record labels, publishing houses, media networks, music production
companies, and music licensing companies specializing in instrumentals for
commercials, lm, and television. When A&Rs ruled the day (just under two
decades ago), the big thing was “meetings” between beat shoppers — usually
beatmakers themselves — and A&Rs. But as the industry downsized and
advancements in recording technology leveled the playing eld for beatmakers
outside of the industry network, “shopping beats” took on a new form.
Some A&R beat shopping meetings still occur, but nowhere near the scale
that they once did. ese days, beatmakers (especially brand name ones)
shop their beats directly to rappers, bypassing A&Rs and other middle-men
altogether.
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But whatever path you take to shopping your beats, there are a
number of factors that I recommend you consider along the way.
First, before you begin shopping your material, be honest with yourself
about the quality and level of your beats. If you really feel that your beats are
ready, then, by all means, proceed. But if you’re not sure of your sound or
overall production level, then you’re probably not ready to shop your material
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In the past, A&Rs had more control over the beats used by the rapper’s under their supervision.
In many cases, this was counterproductive, as the A&R, not the rapper, was responsible for securing
beats. In situations like these, many rappers were often paired with beats that weren’t always great ts
for their styles and concepts, but rather the calculated sales projections of A&Rs who thought that they
knew best what beats worked for the rappers under their supervision. As Marley Marl describes in part
of his interview (located in this study), such a situation almost tanked LL Cool J’s hit album Mama Said
Knock You Out.
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yet. Second, if at all possible, aim for pitching complete songs; this will almost
certainly assure you credit and, more importantly, a share of the publishing
rights (provided you don’t give these rights away if and when you sign a producer
agreement). Again, I can not stress this point enough: Pitch concepts, do not
simply try to sell beats, shop your beats with hooks and concepts. If you can’t
rhyme, nd someone who can, and have them express your ideas. And if you
can’t nd a suitable rapper for your beats, ax a line or two describing the theme
you envision for each beat.
Submitting Your Music to Rappers and Other Beatmakers (Producers)
When it comes to shopping beats, your best chance for getting heard,
recognized, and, subsequently, securing production work, will come from either
an established rapper and/or an established beatmaker (producer) not an A&R.
Rappers are often very visible. And aside from the fact that most of them like
to hang out and be seen, many of them thrive on the celebrity, and nearly all of
them know that their job actually demands it. So they don’t really mind mixing
it up with the people; they understand the demands of their chosen profession.
Further, many rappers are also not terribly discrete about the recording studios
that they record in. at is to say, it isn’t that dicult to nd out who’s recording
where. Hence, most rappers are actually very approachable, provided you catch
them at the right time and the right place.
Shopping your beats directly to rappers increase your chances of at least
getting a call back. Right now, budgets are tight, and they’re never going
back to pre-industry crash levels. Plus, there are more beatmakers submitting
beats than ever before (there are also more rappers than ever before). erefore,
rappers — who have historically received lower budgets than other recording
artists — are aggressively looking for ways to cut cost and keep as much of the
budget for themselves and/or marketing and promotion. ese days, rappers
are taking unsolicited beat CDs (demos) very serious because they know they’ll
have more leverage and control on price, should they want to use any beat they
nd on a beatmaker’s Soundcloud or Bandcamp page. In fact, rappers know
that in some cases, there’s a good chance that they can get quality beats for free,
just production credit and no payment. Better still, most astute rappers see
promising new beatmakers as an opportunity for new music endeavors.
Shopping a beat CD to established beatmakers (producers) is also a great
idea. Established beatmakers (producers) have the unique freedom to work on
multiple projects simultaneously. A top producer can be involved with as many
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albums or projects that he wants; he is not limited by the number and/or type
of projects, nor is he conned to any particular music genre. One producer can
have beats and music on three or four albums, a lm soundtrack, a television
show or commercial, and a department store soundtrack all at the same time.
In a case like this, not only does the producer get his or her base payment (the
pre-determined price for their beat or production work), they receive additional
revenue in the form of publishing, licensing, royalty payments, etc. Also, a
producer’s base fee isn’t dependent upon the success of a project for which
they’ve produced. at is, established producers get their base fee upon delivery
of their production, directly from the client’s budget or some other pre-arranged
agreement, whether the project is a hit or not. In fact, producers actually do
business like general contractors.
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Check This Out — Ghost Production, In-House/”Staff”
Production, and “Farming Out” Beatwork
In the music industry, it’s common knowledge that a number of well-known
producers do not actually make the beats that they are credited for. In fact, a lot
of times they have a number of unknown beatmakers, employed as “sta,” who
create beats for them; this is known as ghost production.
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ese well-known
producers, who are often in demand, then make minor “edits” or “changes” to
the initial (original) creations — most of the time, they make no changes at all.
Next, these well-known producers use their powerful name (brand) to sell the
nal product (beats) to well-known recording artists. So in a case like this, who
do you think gets the production credit, the publishing points (percentages) and
the producer’s paycheck? e well-known producer, of course. e reality is
this system has been a routine way of doing business in the music industry for
more than 60 years. In the music business, time is absolutely critical; therefore,
it is not at all abnormal for some producers to have other beatmakers make or
“jump-start” beats for them.
“Farming Out” beatwork is also another practice that occurs in the world
of beats. Check out the following hypothetical (but realistic) scenario. Let’s
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On the other hand, the average rapper (who, these days, really only makes about $20,000.00 to
$40,000.00 a year off record sales — and that is if everything’s somewhat of a success) has to wait until
their quarterly royalty checks arrive.
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Typically, it works like this. A well-known, established producer has an agreement with other beatmakers
who are unknown and out of the picture. These out-of-the-picture beatmakers agree to a one-time fee
per beat, plus a co-production credit; or they receive a salary. Thus, the credit reads like this: “produced
by established producer x and co-produced by unknown producer y.” Agreements such as these are
so common place that it makes you wonder who’s really creating and who’s just attaching their name
in front of the talented people underneath them.
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say a top-level producer gets 10 project requests. at is, 10 separate artists/
projects, due out over a four to six week time frame, all running consecutively.
Understand, most rappers tend to preview (listen to) at least 10 - 15 beats before
they nd one to write to. So let’s say each artist wants to preview at least 10 beats.
Is it possible for this top-level music producer to kick out 100 quality beats in this
short amount of time? Sure, it’s possible but not likely. How dicult do you
think this would be? Keep in mind, this is a top-level producer, so they were
likely already working on other projects before they accepted these additional
10 new ones. ey’re not going to turn down a huge pay day, so in a case like
this, a top-level producer is denitely going to farm-out or even turnover some
of the production work, entirely, to the producers within their network (i.e.
in-house/”sta” producers, friends, aliate beatmakers). Aside from shedding
light on how and why farming out beatwork becomes necessary, one other point
that I hope to make here is that if a producer respects the quality of your beats,
they are 100 times more likely to point you in the direction of paid production
work than an A&R is, or any other music industry insider for that matter.
Submitting Your Music to A&Rs
Some A&Rs are actually very valuable. One of the biggest myths in music
(especially hip hop/rap) is that artists choose all of their own beats. ough
some artists actually do, many artists still have to rely on what they receive
through the channels of their A&R reps. But the problem with this practice is
that A&Rs don’t always know what kind of beats that the rappers they represent
need or want. us, this is one problem that faces beatmakers shopping their
beats to A&Rs: You might think you have the “right” beats for a rapper, but if
the A&R doesn’t think so, chances are the rapper who he represents will never
even hear them.
Another issue with many A&Rs is their devotion to playing it safe and riding
the trends (often until those trends die). For certain, a lot of A&Rs are quick to
say that they’re always looking for “new material” or the “next big thing.” What
they’re really always looking for is two things: (1) New material from established
producers, at bargain prices; or (2) “Copy-cat” beats at basement re-sale prices.
Contrary to what they are actually supposed to do, most A&Rs typically do not
seek out any new sound or creative unknown beatmakers. Most A&Rs give o
a persona like they’re always looking for new artists, new producers, and new
material. at’s nonsense. Today, most A&Rs are not looking for the next new
thing; they’re looking for the same thing — whatever’s out — at a cheaper price.
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ese days, most A&Rs are ve minutes away from losing their jobs, so they
don’t have room for error. ey’re looking for surere names to ll the bill, or
cheap knock-os they can hopefully get over with. Also, if and when they do
employ the services of an unknown beatmaker, you can be sure that they’re going
to try and sti ‘em on the front end and back end of the price.
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Moreover,
most A&Rs are not music people. By and large, they are desk-job, wanna-be
industry moguls who are not motivated by innovation, creativity, or uniqueness.
Instead, many are more often inspired and inuenced by money, greed, and/or
status. And what’s more, this kind of A&R is typically not aggressive in nding
new talent or new kinds of production material.
But, to be fair, there is a small handful of A&Rs and other music industry
insiders who actually do pursue new talent and new production material. If
presented correctly, these A&Rs will give some fresh material a quick listen. So
how do you submit material to the “right” A&Rs? First, make a list of at least
ve A&R reps.
BeatTip — Submitting Beats to Beat Brokers: The Bad
Odds and Low Probability of Beat Placement Success
Here’s where most people get blackjack wrong: ey believe that blackjack,
one of the world’s most popular casino games, is a game of chance. But the
truth is, blackjack is a game of skill that carries good odds. Understand the
rules of the game, as well as the cards and their probabilities based on all the
players involved, and you reduce your losses. More importantly, you increase the
probability that you will win, certainly more often than the average unskilled
player. On the other hand, if you don’t understand the game or the cards and
the probabilities involved, and you simply drop down money on a “chance,”
you might win, you’re certain to lose a great deal more.
is is how I feel about anything that requires skill and understanding.
Increase your skill and understanding, and you increase the probability of
your success. But, put your faith in the whim of chance, and you decrease the
probability of your success. is philosophy tracks across all industries. Trust me.
In the music industry, as with any other sector of the entertainment industry,
there are no guarantees, only high and low probabilities. ere are no surere
approaches to making it or getting on. Every strategy, every chosen path comes
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Front End and Back End. These terms refer to fees that producers receive for their services. Front
End money is the initial, up front money that a producer receives. Back End money refers to any and all
money that a producer receives after the song has been released. Back End money can be a percentage
of the Front End that was deferred or it can be publishing royalties, incentives, and the like.
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with its own risk and its own probability of success. And when it comes to
placing beats and using beat brokers, the probability of success is low, very low.
Entry-Margin Service Providers
Before I discuss beat brokers and the role that they play (or don’t) in placing
beats, it’s important that I spend some time explaining entry-margin services and
products. Entry margin services and products are the sub-industry products or
services designed to help people gain entry into any given industry. From the
tech industry to the publishing industry, there is an assortment of sub-industries
that are focused on helping people navigate to and within their chosen industry.
Some entry margin service providers are top notch; these are the specialists.
People like the lm industry’s Dov Simens or Syd Field, whose products and
services have helped and continue to help countless screenwriters, producers,
directors, and the like break into the lm industry. ere is a host of reasons as
to why these two entry-margin specialists have been able to help so many people
crack the lm industry code, but I suspect that their success is most attributed
to three things: (1) eir deep and up-close understanding of the history of the
lm industry as well as its creative and business processes; (2) eir commitment
to being brutally honest about the lm industry; and (3) eir very thoughtful
and timely instruction, advice, and general counsel.
Below the top-notch entry-margin specialists, you have a mix of service
providers. ere are some entry-margin service providers who are perhaps
O.K. e ones that usually fall into this category are those who maybe have
a few legitimate low- to mid-level connections in a given industry. Although
this group of entry-margin service providers may have a basic understanding
of a given industry, they usually have an incomplete view, as they typically lack
considerable knowledge of that industry’s history as well as its ner creative and
business processes. Still, even with limited understanding and sometime B- and
C-list contacts, this group of entry-margin service providers are often able to
secure fees for their services or products.
Finally, there are those entry margin service providers who are, at best, barely
helpful, and at worst, absolutely terrible! ese are the middle-men types that
present (or try to, at least) themselves as highly knowledgeable industry insiders
with great connections to, and close relationships with, key or otherwise known
decision makers of a given industry. is group is a real toss up, as within their
ranks you will nd some who are somewhat knowledgeable of the industry
they provide services and products for; and you will also nd some who do not
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really understand the industry they purport to know. Furthermore, from this
group, you will often get the most narrow (sometimes intentionally misleading),
self-serving advice.
Broadly speaking, the entertainment industry is lled with people who earn a
living o the entry margins. But the music industry is notorious for middle men
who earn money o the margins by “selling the dream” or, “selling the secrets”
of the industry, or “selling their contacts,” or even “selling their feedback.” is
is not to say that all middle-men types in the music industry are bad, some are
useful in specic situations. But when it comes to using an entry-margin service
provider, you have to ask yourself if a middle man is actually needed. I never
recommend seeking out or working with a middle man if you don’t have to. But
that’s the unfortunate issue with many beatmakers: ey believe that they have
to go through middle men to make it, or more precisely, to get beats placed.
Beat Brokers and the Beat Market Exchange
Beat brokers, one of the newest class of entry-margin service providers
to emerge in recent years, purport to broker beat placements for aspiring
music producers. Although some may have secured placements for acclaimed
producers, most beat brokers generally focus their time and energy on attracting
so-called up-and-coming producers (particularly those beatmakers who view
beat placements or sales as their primary or only idea of success in music).
Some beat brokers are self-described producer managers, some are not. (Don’t
confuse a producer manager with a beat broker, they’re two totally dierent
positions.) Finally, most beat brokers tend to push for non-sample-based beats
over sample-based ones. is is usually for either one or two reasons: sample
clearance concerns or personal taste.
Beat brokers work in a tremendously awed and counterproductive cottage
industry that I call the beat market exchange. In the beat market exchange,
the only focus is to get beats placed. So beats get shopped, either through
direct contacts with recording artists and key decision makers, widespread email
submissions, or impromptu chance meetings, etc, and hopefully somebody
buys them. Although the beat market exchange does render some results for
a small minority, I view the beat market exchange on the whole as a highly
awed industry, I’m talking bad odds here. Remember what I said earlier about
blackjack? Good odds?
Making music to be submitted into some black hole of an exchange just
doesn’t sit right with me. I nd it highly counterintuitive, especially when
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more evidence supports building your own group/platform is the better way to
go. e whole concept of the beat market exchange is so far removed from the
organic approach to making beats and coming together with a rapper to form
something truly collaborative that I nd it dicult to see why anyone chooses
it as their number one option.
What about simply being practical and pragmatic? When you think about
it, most things can be broken down to a basic set of variables. e more practical
and pragmatic you are able to view these variables, the easier it is for you to
understand them and, therefore, predict a given outcome. So in the case of an
open call for beat submissions, via a beat broker’s beat submission email address,
it’s worth examining the numbers. In other words, all we need to do is look at
the math.
For example, let’s say beat broker X accepts submissions from any beatmaker
that knows how to use to email. You know what, in fact, let’s be fair and say that
beat broker X only accepts submissions from a list of beatmakers that are either
signed up with them or following their Twitter timeline or some other social
media access point. Now, let’s say that this amounts to 10,000 total beatmakers.
Let’s cut that in half and say that 5,000 of those beatmakers actually email at
least one submission every three months. All right, so that’s one beat broker
and 5,000 submissions.
One beat broker + 5,000 beat submissions, via email? ese numbers don’t
appeal to my practical and pragmatic side, as they raise a number of questions.
First, who’s going to actually listen to all 5,000 of those beat submissions? I
receive a lot of emails, including beat feedback requests, on a daily basis and I have
trouble checking them as soon as they come in. But with organization, structure,
and diligence, I’m usually able to read (and respond to) all my important emails
within 2 hours to 2 days (some times not for weeks if I’m traveling) of receiving
them. So let’s say beat broker X is highly organized, diligent, and has a solid
structure for listening to 5,000 beat submissions. Can they even listen to all
5,000 beat submissions in three months, let alone properly evaluate them all?
Perhaps. Maybe they have a team of assistants, who knows. So is it possible?
Sure. But is it probable? I don’t think so. But I’m practical and pragmatic.
Point is, numbers usually never lie. If you dramatically decrease the size of
the entry post, that is, where people have access, and you dramatically increase
the size of hopeful entrants interested in that particular access point (i.e. beat
placement), then you create a very low probable success rate. In other words,
the more beat submissions that a beat broker gets does not improve those
beatmakers’ probable success rate. But it does improve the beat brokers’ success
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rate. e more beats a beat broker can funnel into their network of prospective
beat buyers, the more likely they will be able to get at least one placement; and
that’s really all they need each year to advertise their rate of success.
And for every successful placement that a beat broker’s eorts lead to, either
directly or indirectly, the more credits they can point to. is, in turn, allows
them to expand their prole as a successful beat broker (or “producer manager”),
which then, of course, attracts more beatmakers and more beat submissions.
Great for the beat broker who actually is able to place beats; good for the
handful of beatmakers who perhaps get a placement through the beat broker;
not-so-good for all the others who emailed submissions. But as I said at the start
of this section: ere are no guarantees, only high and low probabilities. Each
individual decides for themselves how they want to weigh those probabilities,
based upon their own understanding and unique circumstances. But why bother
playing the daily lottery when your own blackjack table is right in front of you?
My biggest concern with regards to beat brokers and the beat market exchange
is the common misinterpretation of beat placements. Many beatmakers, new
and old, chase the foggy dream. ey believe in something they can’t see clearly.
ey believe that a beat placement is the only entry point to a career in music.
And while some may not see it as the only entry point, they still see the coveted
beat placement as the #1 means to music related revenue or a thriving career
in music. ey believe, even in the face of clear evidence that says otherwise,
that a placement automatically leads to another even bigger placement, or at
least some semblance of a career in music. In some cases, this can happen. It
has happened for some, and I’m sure it will continue to happen for a handful
of others in the future. But the probability of it happening will always be low.
(Everyday, somebody wins playing the daily lottery, and everyday, 10s of millions
more lose.) And because so many beatmakers do not properly understand beat
placement or the beat market exchange and how it works, they do not correctly
understand the probability of beat placements through a beat broker (or anyone
else for that matter). As such, they run the risk of allowing themselves to rely
more on a bad-odds racket than on the development and use of their own
music-making skills and understanding of how things really work.
Create Your Own Platform, Expand Your Opportunities
Let’s say you make dope beats, and through your own dedicated journey, you
nd and partner up with a rapper. Together, you make dope songs. You build
sincere relationships with other equally talented music makers. ey dig what
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you’re doing. At the same time, you build respectful relationships with people
in the online music press, and one of your songs gets some shine on a blog…
then another…then another. While there are certainly no guarantees that this
would happen, is this scenario not a more proactive, realistic, and meaningful
scenario than throwing beats at a beat submission email address?
Again, I’m not saying that the scenario is automatic, or that it will play out
overnight. But then again, neither is the beat broker scenario; and the beat broker
scenario has much longer odds and not even the same sort of payout. What I’m
getting at is the odds, the probability. If you make dope beats and combine forces
with someone as or even more talented, and you cultivate authentic relationships
with people who care to put others on to your music, you will eventually win.
How much and for how long? Well, that all depends on how you play the cards.
Finally, consider this. No matter what approach you ultimately take, beat
broker, self-platform, or both, if you contribute to solidifying the prestige and
importance of the beatmaking tradition, you not only help raise the prole of
the entire tradition, you position yourself as one of the tradition’s leaders. is,
in turn, leads to multiple opportunities for your music, which improves the odds
and probability of your success. So perhaps what it really comes down to is you
thinking about the ways in which you want to contribute to modern music and
your best means for improving the probability that it happens.
BeatTip — Don’t Market Your Beats Like a Pack of Cheap
Steak Knives in a Cheesy, Late-Night Infomercial
If Beatmakers Don’t Respect the Trade Value of the
Beatmaking Tradition, Who Will?
Despite what some outside (and, unfortunately, inside) the beatmaking
tradition may think, beats are music. Of course, as one-man (usually)
orchestrated instrumental composite, beats are a unique kind of music, but music
they are still the same. Yet in recent years, a growing number of beatmakers
(producers) have been given over to treating beats as less than music, devaluing
and marketing them in a cheap, cheesy manner and peddling them as gadgets
rather than music.
Certainly you’ve seen adds online like, “Beats for Sale;” “Buy Hot Beats
Now;” “Buy Two Beats, Get One Free;” “Lease Beats for $9.99;” etc., etc. I
cringe when I see these type of adds and promotions. I’m turned o by the “As
Seen on T.V.” marketing approach that many are using to peddle their beats.
I dislike seeing the dignity of any music tradition being undermined by such
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practices, but it pains me the most to see the beatmaking tradition being brought
down by the intentional devaluing of those beatmakers (producers) who push
beats for sale as if they were anything but music.
I understand that there is a business component to making beats. Since
hip hop/rap music leaped into the world of commerce more than 30 years ago,
the making of hip hop/rap music has been a desired commodity worth paying
for. And because beats are the chief instrumental bedrock for rappers (and
increasingly vocalists from other genres), I can completely understand why.
But it’s the demeaning approach that I can’t stand to watch. Whether it’s the
“As Seen on TV” approach or the standard “$50” (or lower) beat sale platform,
it doesn’t matter. Both approaches devalue the work and ingenuity that goes
into developing a serious skill for beatmaking. Both approaches demean the
tradition built up by beatmaking’s pioneers and most respected practitioners.
Both approaches eectively bring beatmaking down to a third class music
citizenry, where beats are thought of as a dime-a-dozen, rather than skillfully
crafted individual works of art. Unfortunately, some may simply be too far gone
to understand that whatever short-term nancial gain they may be making is
dwarfed by the likelihood that they are losing sustainable respect and support at
the very same time. No sustainable career in music can be built by a delusional
beatmaker (producer) who pushes his product with little consideration for trade
value.
At the height of his career, jazz giant Charlie Parker reportedly did numerous
impromptu recording sessions for woefully low pay, just to support his drug
habbit. at he was already under contract with one label or another mattered
little to him, or to those eager to take an advantage of his condition and cut a
rare Charlie Parker record. By practically giving his talents away, Charlie Parker,
then the seminal gure in be bop, summarily undercut his own trade value.
Certainly, one can understand why he did it. Being caught in the throws of a
bad heroin addiction can cause the best of us to compromise our integrity and
sell our talents far below their true worth. But it’s important to understand that
Parker’s actions only undercut his trade value; they didn’t undermine or impact
the trade value throughout the entire jazz community.
Leap ahead to the present-day beatmaking community, where many
beatmakers regularly, and sometimes rather aggressively, aim to sale beats — to
anyone — for $25 and lower. Some in the beatmaking community are
comfortable with this tactic; they simply see it as a means of getting paid.
Others nd it ridiculous and shameful; something that’s not betting of anyone
who takes the beatmaking tradition seriously. Whatever side you fall on, one
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things for certain: $25 or less beat pricing undermines trade value throughout
the beatmaking community.
I recall a conversation I once had with a then somewhat rising beatmaker
(he would eventualy land a large television commercial placement, followed by
a career fade that could have been avoided) about his beat-selling activities on
MySpace. He wasn’t at all concerned with whether or not he was caving on his
integrity; nor did he give any thought to how he was representing the beatmaking
community at large. He was making upwards of $300 (allegedly) per month
selling beats for $25, $30, and $50 to anyone who found his MySpace page and
was interested in buying a beat. Notwithstanding that there once was a time
when beatmakers would never give a beat out to or work with anyone who’s
music they didn’t personally like or respect, this particular beatmaker could care
less who was buying and using his beats. His stance: Why should I sit on the beats
that I make, hoping to get thousands of dollars for them from big placements, when
I can sell them on MySpace and get paid now? My reaction: If your’e selling beats
for $25, beats that you crafted and believe in, why not just give them away for
free to rappers who you believe in and try to build something great? He didn’t
see it the same way. And since that conversation almost 10 years ago, plenty
of others have shared the get cheap-rich now scheme, or the basement blowout
beat pricing sentiment.
Hip hop/rap music enjoys a global audience, so there’s literally 10s of millions
of people who are interested in hearing an individualized version on the music
that they love. To gain even a sliver of 1/1000th of a half-percent of this grand
audience, you will have to earn their ear. How do you do this? Well, there’s
no surere way for any one music maker, but I believe that for beatmakers, in
specic, it comes down to quality music that skilled rappers (and other vocalists)
and other parties want to use. And, of course, this depends on some degree of
promoting yourself and your music, which is part of the overall point that I’m
making: If you devalue yourself as a discount peddler of beats, why would you
expect for anyone else to see you any dierently?
ere are better paths to take, if music truly is how you’d like to earn a
living. For instance, forming a rap group, something that I’ve long been a strong
advocate for, has greater potential for sustainability than selling beats — to
anyone — at $10-$50 a pop, or spamming Twitter feeds with “Hot Beat Sales.”
Building genuine, solid relationships with people who share your enthusiasm
for the same style and sounds of hip hop/rap music bodes much better than
“As Seen on T.V.” infomercial tactics that most people dismiss, anyway. Also,
oering up a well-designed and well-executed beat tape, that doubles as both
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a release that can be reviewed and auditioned for prospective beat buyers, is
much more noble and potentially rewarding. And I’m sure there’s any number
of other unique (more respectful) ways to gain an audience for quality beats; in
this regard, everyone’s limited only by their own imagination and drive.
But either way, I understand. ere are lots of people who want to make
money o of their beats and make name for themselves. I understand that “people
have to eat,” that people have to make money how they can. I nd nothing
wrong with the fundamental premise of selling beats. It’s the “discount-beat”
and the low-grade marketing approaches (which too many have drafted in recent
years) that concerns me. Forget for a moment that the widespread devaluing of
beats (through cheesy marketing and near-sighted, quick-cash mechanisms like
$10 beat sales and leasing) reects poorly on those beatmakers who take those
paths. What does it say about the beatmaking tradition as a whole when you
have large numbers of beatmakers carrying on in this way? Further, is the small
promise of money (or lack their of) causing some in the beatmaking community
to see beats as something that is less than music? Something to be pushed to
phantom buyers with less consideration than a hot pretzel in Times Square?
Remember, this isn’t the same thing as someone taking a gig in a tiny after-
hours night club for small pay. It’s not someone forgoing payment to land a
placement with a talented indie rapper. No, this is intentional cheesy marketing
and deep discounting. While such approaches and hard-sale methods often work
for gadgets sold on TV, when such tactics are applied to beats — music — they
carry the stench and stigma of desperation and needless compromise. Of course,
this is not to say that there aren’t some beatmakers that are making dope beats at
discount prices. I’ve surveyed thousands of “$10” and “$50” beats that sounded
great. In those cases, my main gripe is that those beats would have been better
used for free in the hands of capable rappers, or on a free beat tape, not sold
o at bargain basement prices, only to never be heard of again or, worse, leased
out to too many incapable rappers.
In other words, this is a trade issue. e beatmaking community, as a whole,
is responsible for setting and maintaining our trade value. When we lower that
oor, why should we expect others to raise it? So here’s the main jewel: If you
market your beats like a pack of cheap steak knives on a late-night infomercial,
you might grab a few dollars here and there, but don’t expect to earn much
respect for your music, or any sustainable money from it, or any legitimately
long career in music.
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Expanding the Concept of Placements: The Who-Gets-
to-Make-Music Dimension of Placements and Why
Self-Placed Producer Projects Are the Most Viable
Alternative to Chasing Placements
Music is one of the most important, inuential parts of life. Most people
in modern society desire, need, and consume large daily doses of music. Plus,
when it comes to pop culture, most of us are unavoidably attached to music
one way or another. us, music must be made, it needs to be made, and
broad demand ensures that it will always be circulated. is continuum is both
inevitable and perpetual.
It’s equally important to understand that there is no one industry or group
of people who decides who gets to make, publish, or distribute music. Yet, to a
large degree, the placement structure — like the top-down music industry that
encourages it — feeds on the idea that there is only a select group or limited
number of people who get to make music. is is one reason why beat brokers
and some other folks often claim that music, in general, is over crowded; that
there is too much beat supply and very little demand for beats; and that there
are too many beatmakers (producers) and not enough placement opportunities.
But beat brokers, and others who tow this line of thinking, are either unaware
of, or conveniently ignoring, two important facts. First, there is an unlimited
number of music listeners around the globe, all with unprecedented choice
and various devices to consume music. is means that there are literally
hundreds of millions of music consumers who are actively in control of their
music consumption habits and not necessarily guided by a monolithic music
industry. Further worth noting, none of us share the exact same taste in music,
nor do any of us have identical purchasing or concert-going habits. Second,
every beatmaker has the ability to be his or her own placement opportunity.
is means that every beatmaker has the power of self-placement.
e notion that there is too many beatmakers or that music is over crowded
is ridiculous. ere could never be too many music makers because the number
of potential music listeners (hip hop/rap fans alone) is limitless. But coming
from those who defer to, and are seemingly enamored by, the music industry
(particularly the old music industry system), the “over-crowded” sentiment is
no surprise. In recent decades, the major record labels, the wounded kings of
the music industry food chain, have consolidated and further narrowed choice
(i.e. availability of a diverse mainstream product) in attempt to guarantee a high
hit-to-release ratio. (Remember, for every hit record/artist, there are a number
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of less successful records and outright busts.) In the 1950s, ‘60s, and ‘70s, there
was less consolidation and narrowing of choice, more independent record labels
doing their own thing, and a wider variety of music product on oer to the
public. But along with major label mergers and creative consolidation came a
deep narrowing of choice, centralized marketing and promotion channels, and
the illusion that there were only a limited number of professional recording
artist slots available to serve the world — a world full of 100s of millions of
music listeners, mind you. Combined, all of these factors gave the major labels
an almost exclusive level of access to music listeners.
Many of today’s beat brokers (and similar music industry consultants)
entered the music industry between the early 1990s through early 2000s, the
precise time major label mergers and creative consolidation were at an apex.
Naturally, these music industry insiders absorbed many of the common industry
views and perceptions about who gets to make music, artistry, production, and
distribution. As such, many beat brokers tend to want to cement the placement
and access systems that have been in place for a long time. But things have
changed dramatically. Today, technology has democratized music, the tools of
production, the channels of distribution, and even the channels of marketing
and promotion. is means that access to music listeners is no longer something
reserved for major labels and their marketing channels. So while the major labels
still sit (far less comfortably) at the top of the music industry food chain, the
democratization of music, along with the tools of production and distribution,
has created a new reality. A reality where music artists are no longer shackled
to, or encumbered by, the rigged major label system or many of its antiquated
methods and processes. us, the music industry, which was once a staunchly
exclusive club, operating from a centralized piece of real estate, has now become
more of an open-ended and loosely inclusive league, functioning from wherever,
as anyone with music-making tools can bypass the major label system altogether
and still be in the music industry.
Given the fact that each beatmaker represents their own placement
opportunity, it stands to reason that most beatmakers should be more focused
on producing their own projects than chasing down placements on someone
else’s. I certainly don’t want to discourage anyone from going after a successful
placement or using a beat broker to get it. If you have a real shot at placing a
beat through your relationship with a beat broker, go for it. But my aim is to
help change the default psychology associated with beats and placements, and
to encourage beatmakers to take a more proactive philosophical approach with
their music. As I mentioned earlier in this chapter, nothing is guaranteed, but
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you can increase or decrease your odds of a successful career in music, depending
on the path(s) you ultimately decide to pursue.
Unfortunately, far too many beatmakers see chasing placements as the rst
and only path. is is problematic for a number of reasons. First, as I pointed out
earlier, the odds are lower going the beat broker-placement route. Remember,
the more beats a beat broker has to submit, the more their odds increase of
getting a placement. But this works the opposite way for beatmakers who
submit to beat brokers. is has nothing to do with one particular beat broker
(individual or service) vs. another, it’s just simple math and industry shenanigans.
As the pool of people submitting beats to one person or service increases, the
odds of each person within the pool getting a placement decreases. Second,
by focusing squarely on the placement/beat broker path and thus, restricting
the distribution of their beats to long-shot beat placement opportunities, many
beatmakers are not only curbing the ow of their music and its contribution to
the beatmaking community, they’re taking away their best chance for the world’s
unlimited number of music listeners to nd it. Finally, while submitting beats
for placement through a broker may fulll some notion of taking charge of
your career, the truth is it can foster a false sense of action and build up a wall
of discouragement, due to actual inactivity and response limbo.
So if I haven’t been clear enough, let me again make it plain: I believe in the
philosophy of placing yourself rst before anything else. In the next chapter,
I discuss forming groups as one way to do this, but here, I want to talk about
another way: self-placed producer projects.
In 1998, Pete Rock dropped Soul Survivor, not just one of the best producer
based albums, but one of the best albums in hip hop/rap music, period. In 1988,
ten years before Pete Rock’s Soul Survivor, Marley Marl dropped In Control, his
rst producer based album. In 2001, J Dilla dropped Welcome to Detroit; and
in 2006, he followed with the vastly inuential Donuts. Marco Polo dropped
his rst Port Authority in 2007; and the follow-up, Port Authority II, in 2013.
Statik Selektah has released a number of self-placed producer projects in recent
years, and his two most recent albums Extended Play and Lucky 7 (2013 and
2015 respectively) were well-received. I mention all of these albums (and to
be sure, there are more) to make the point that the self-placed producer album
isn’t a new idea, it’s a proven one.
Self-placed producer projects cut out the placement chase, as they empower
beatmakers to essentially place themselves. Recruiting rappers (a verse or two
at a time) for features and putting together self-placed producer projects allows
beatmakers to independently forge projects, which aords them greater creative
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control, a much larger and immediate stake in the songs produced, the nal say
in the promotion and marketing of the resulting projects, and creditable exposure
for their music, which can ultimately lead to more placements on other projects.
Even still, most beatmakers are not exploring this option. And although some
have taken to releasing beat tapes (beat tapes are not producer albums in the
same vein as the aforementioned projects by Pete Rock, et. al), there’s a sense
that it’s dicult to bring self-placed producer albums to market. is is because
(A) Most beatmakers are locked into the concept of chasing placements and are,
therefore, unaware of this option; and (B) e handful of beatmakers who are
aware of this path wrongly believe that landing decent features, particularly for
albums by unknown music makers, is virtually impossible. But this is simply
not the case. Most rappers — some of A-, B- and, C-level, notoriety — are
for hire, and are more than willing to get on new album projects if the price is
right, or if they feel it’s a good look for them.
Obviously, Pete Rock, Marley Marl, J Dilla, Marco Polo, and Statik Selektah
have all certainly beneted from their own notoriety in the hip hop/rap music
scene. So it perhaps goes without saying that such notoriety made it easier for
them to get decent features for their albums. But lesser and unknown beatmakers
are not without recourse for making similar projects. Just as access to music
listeners is no longer something reserved only for major labels, access to music
makers, rappers in particular, is no longer something reserved only for managers,
other handlers or industry insiders, or even notable producers. Many acclaimed
rappers have made it known that they’re available for hire. For instance, in the
heyday of Myspace, Kool G Rap reportedly had a price of $500 - $1,500 for a
verse. Now, lots of rappers are taking full advantage of the promotion power
that social media sites like Twitter and Facebook oer. Rappers like Sadat X
(always a safe bet for a dope verse and decent media coverage) and others have
taken to Twitter to directly promote their rhyme services and rates. And on both
Twitter and Facebook, most rappers post their business, contact, and booking
info right in their bios. In most cases, this contact info is an email address that
they personally check — no middle man, no beat broker. (Don’t be surprised
by how far an email with a rates request or a direct payment oer can take you.)
So it would appear that the only real obstacle to getting decent features from
rappers comes down to price. And depending on your situation, network of
connections, and skills, you may even be able to barter for features. But in my
own non-scientic survey and research of various rappers who have in the past
ve years made public their rates for verses, the price range is between $140
on the low end to $2,500 on the high end, with $400 being about the median
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rate. Of course, each rate is negotiable on a case by case basis. And while you
may not have the money for an entire project, you might be able to aord at
least one song. In either case, you’re still placing yourself. When you consider
that popular online beat-selling sites like PMP (Production MarketPlace)
charge around $275 for their annual membership, which does not guarantee
a placement, is it not worth considering paying as much or a little more for
a guaranteed placement? All things considered — from access to rappers,
to the ability to guarantee your own placement, to ownership, to marketing
and promotional control — self-placed producer projects are the most viable
alternative to chasing placements.
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Chapter 12
It’s Yours; Nothin’ to it But to Do It
Know the Angles, Because You Have the Control
Musical artists are some of the most resourceful people in the world. —David
Sherbow
Forget a “placement!” e whole “submitting beats” game is messed up. You’re
better o starting your own thing and rockin’ with that. I mean, in a game this
wide open, if you lose, you can’t blame the next man for what you didn’t know, or
what you didn’t do. —Sa’id
DIY: Do It Yourself — Independently
Despite the various means of distribution, beatmakers and other recording
artists have the ultimate control over the creative path that they choose — not
the labels, not the A&Rs, and certainly not the so-called tastemakers in the music
industry. Right now, the music industry is wide open. Advanced technology,
widespread and long-practiced industry mismanagement, and product over
saturation has all made it more possible than ever for independent recording
artists to liberate themselves and aggressively compete for reasonable market
share. In today’s music scene, anybody with the right know-how, the right
skill-set, and the proper drive and ambition can carve out a fair living, outside
of the edgling major label system.
us, DIY stands for Do It Yourself. More broadly speaking, it means
take control of your own destiny, by managing your own unique product. DIY
is about being your own boss and calling your own shots. Moreover, it’s about
recognizing that you are a professional the moment you take your product
seriously and bring it to a market. DIY doesn’t mean that you have to do
everything. It simply means that you are the Chief Executive Ocer (CEO) of
your products and services. As the CEO of “Your Products & Services, Inc.,” if
you will, it is your job to make sure that your product or service ultimately gets
the best chance to perform well in the marketplace. In other words, there are
some steps in the DIY process that you should do alone; there are other steps
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that you should do along with someone else; and then there are also other steps
that you must (necessarily) contract-out to other professionals.
Context of the DIY Artist
Right now, it’s never been better to be an indie artist. Today, music listen-
ers know that they have immeasurable access to massive choice and variety.
erefore, they’re seeking out and nding new music and related products
that cater to their own unique interests and tastes. Moreover, today’s music
listeners are not sitting back and waiting for the radio or other traditional
tastemaker channels to tell them what they should be listening to. is context
is of particular importance to beatmakers (producers), who are, by the nature
of the music business, self-contractors. Point is, why chase down placements
for well-established acts, or veteran acts with declining fame, when you can use
your time and eort to establish your own projects and acts?
e largest advantage to any new artist in any new artistic medium is
unltered choice. Today, there’s an innite menu of music. And in the web
age, where radio and TV no longer serve as the chief channels of taste, ALL
artists compete in the same space, with the same ground rules: He who wins a
presence on the internet, wins indeed. In fact, “winning” is no longer measured by
the metrics of enormous (hard to repeat) record sales, but often by the amount
of space you create and expand online. And the sobering truth for recording
artists (not the A-list acts) is this: Record sales are just a residual eect of the
space that you’re able to maintain.
BeatTip — What is a DIY System?
A DIY System is an organized plan of action that an artist uses to do it
for himself. ere are a number of factors that contribute to a successful DIY
system, but I believe that there are eight key factors to any artist’s DIY system.
The BeatTips DIY Checklist: 8 Points of an Effective DIY System
(1) Assess Your Current Situation
Assessing your current situation means honestly and objectively analyzing
where you currently stand. is includes an analysis of your products and
services, your talent level, the level of your contacts and alliances, and the city
and region that you currently reside in.
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(2) Create Your Own Style/Brand
In a wide open music market, the best way to really compete is by oering
your own unique style/brand. Although you may not make the sort of music
that falls into one broad category, in order to separate yourself from the rest of
the pack it’s a good idea to create a sound and style that is truly distinguishable.
(3) Get a Website/Blog and Create Your Own “Web Space” and
Marketplace
Without your own website/blog and social media identity, it is virtually
impossible for you to build a following for your products or services. Bottom
line here: You must consistently maintain your online footprint; and you do
that by (1) recommitting yourself to the task of making your web property (or
properties) the best experience(s) that it (they) can be; and (2) by building up
social equity with the people you encounter, especially the people you interact
with in social media networks.
(4) Create your own Sales & Distribution System
Traditional distribution channels, such as large retailers and major/indie
distributors are no longer the only game in town. In today’s music sales environ-
ment, there are a plethora of options. Aside from the many digital download
options, you can also sale and distribute your product or service directly from
your own website. In this case, the easiest way to take online payments is through
an all-in-one payment gateway system like PayPal.
(5) Build a Solid Fan Base
No matter what product or service you oer, there is no group that will
consistently support you more than a solid fan base. But how do you start a fan
base? Well, rst of all, the oft-repeated notion of starting a fan base is awed. You
don’t just one day decide to “start” a fan base like it’s the push of a button. You
have to earn a fan base. And once you earn a fan base, you have to continue to
maintain it. So then, how do you earn a fan base? In order to earn a fan base,
there are three things that you must do above all: (1) Consistently create new
product; (2) Regularly oer something for free, whether it be content or your
side exclusive product; and (3) Always engage with your fan base.
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(6) Create Your Own Word-of-Mouth Chain
In a global consumer market, one that is increasingly being powered less
by mass media and more by niche-based consumption, word of mouth is
even more crucial to the success of your products or services. Word-of-mouth
marketing is not new, but within the old music industry and traditional media,
word-of-mouth strategies were nearly always considered a secondary marketing
apparatus. ings have changed dramatically. Because of the rapid emergence
and direct inuence of social media, word-of-mouth marketing is now the
premier marketing strategy for all forms of entertainment, especially music.
So in order for you to compete in this climate, it is essential that you come
up with your own word-of-mouth strategy. e best way to do this is to create
what I call a “word-of-mouth chain.” A word-of-mouth chain is a network of
people that is comprised of your core supporters and their closest peers. It’s
important to note that every person in your word-of-mouth chain is essentially
an independent marketer for you.
To assemble your word-of-mouth chain, begin with your most ardent
supporters. Identify those people who repeatedly support you and take the
time to have thoughtful exchanges, via message boards and/or through email.
As these people make themselves known, be sure to trade updated contact
information with them. Next, let them in early on all of your upcoming products
or services; and even grant them access to much of your past works (if you have
any). Also, whenever possible, directly invite them to help you market your
products or services. If you follow these basic steps, you will inevitably build
solid relationships (perhaps even friendships) that you’ll be able to count on for
your word-of-mouth campaign.
(7) Manage the Rights of Your Music
Even if you make a song/beat and upload it to your own site, your music is
not as protected as you think; you still need to have evidence that you are the
copyright holder of that music. Sending your music o to the U.S. Copyright
Oce is important, and at some point, you may need to do that, but perhaps
an even more ecient way to “manage the rights” of your music is by joining a
performing rights Society (e.g. ASCAP or BMI) and ling your music with them
each time you create something for commercial release or even for a mixtape.
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(8) The Music Business System and Its Relevant Sub-Systems
e “music business system” is a phrase that I use to describe the fundamental
framework by which the music industry is organized. Up until now, the music
business system was dened by the formulaic manufacturing of a few clear hit
records, whose channel of distribution was controlled by a few major companies.
Today is quite dierent, mainly because there’s no longer a dominating
mainstream that dictates what music listeners hear. Actually, “mainstream”
is mostly a relic notion of the old music industry — micro-streams of shared
interest is the new way. Having a clear understanding of this fact, is essential to
your bid to do-it-yourself music-making.
Frame it the Right Way, Aim for A Career in Music:
Opening Up Music-Related Opportunities by
Broadening Your Scope
Many beatmakers put themselves in a trap. For most, the goal is to have
a music career rather than a career in music. What’s the dierence? Isn’t that
the same thing? Isn’t that just semantics? Well, no, it’s not the same thing, and
it isn’t just semantics. Once you unpack the philosophical approaches that lie
beneath the framing of each of these phrases, you notice that there are glaring
dierences.
As a framing, “music career” usually evokes the understanding of the
traditional recording artist/label dichotomy and music industry architecture.
For most people, this is the idea that “music career” triggers. So as it follows,
a music career is typically understood as a vocation that is squarely rooted in,
and otherwise connected to, the parameters of the music industry. us, a
music career is something that is inevitably measured by or against, for better
or worse, the metrics of the major label system hierarchy and the mainstream
infrastructures that secure its place in both commerce and popular culture. And
although the music industry as a whole contains a number of distinguished areas
of concentration (production, songwriting, performance, licensing, publishing,
etc.), to have a music career commonly implies that one’s livelihood is inextricably
tied to the music industry.
A “music career” embodies a philosophical approach that fundamentally sees
the music industry as both the chief means (if not the only means) of employment
and as the primary arbiter of success. is deference to the music industry is
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warranted, given the scope of what a music career implies. But such deference can
be detrimental, inasmuch as it often curbs how most recording artists/musicians
think about their possible career opportunities. When recording artists/musicians
limit the scope of their career opportunities to those traditionally only found
within the music industry, they cut o a world of other industries that could use
their musical talents. Similarly, when beatmakers narrow their idea of a music
career to simply landing placements on a rapper’s album, they shrink the modes
by which they can earn a living from their music-related talents.
A Career in Music Signals Something Broader
As a framing, “a career in music” implies much more than the traditional
recording artist/label dichotomy and music industry architecture. It embodies
a philosophical approach that fundamentally sees one’s musical talents, not the
music industry, as the guide for opportunity and the chief metric for success.
Moreover, “a career in music” signals something broader, something less
restrictive and hierarchical. While the “music career” framing seems to imply
something singular, something that’s attached to the music industry and its
sub-industries (e.g. session work, tour support, etc.), “a career in music” conveys
something much more multi-dimensional and spacious.“A career in music”
works as an umbrella framework that’s not deferential to any one spectrum.
For instance, it treats the traditional recording artist/label dichotomy and music
industry architecture as one dimension. And so, there’s innite room for a league
of other music-related dimensions as well. Further, as a framing, “a career in
music” leads recording artists/musicians to expand their ideas about how they
can earn a living from their music-related talents. Inevitably, the “a career in
music” framing opens up new possibilities for them; at the same time, it removes
a dependence upon the music industry architecture.
What Does this Mean for Beatmakers?
Far too many beatmakers look at beat placement with romantic eyes; they see
it as the single “big break” that can make their career. As such, these beatmakers
focus all of their attention on getting their beats into the hands — or email
inboxes — of any rapper or other vocalist, or A&R, or so-called music industry
insider that they can. At the same time, they ignore or choose not to explore
other ways to earn a living from their music-related talents. Is this singular
strategy wrong? Not necessarily, depends on the situation and the people
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involved. Each person brings their own advantages — i.e. know-how, expertise,
and connections — to the table. But if this is the only strategy that a beatmaker
has, then I believe that the odds of them having a sustainable career in music
are extremely low. Still, can one placement trigger a music career? Of course.
But that’s more long-shot exception than it is the norm. So is it reasonable
or practical to follow such a course? And even with a number of acclaimed
placements, a beatmaker can still be on the short end of a music career.
If this “one-shot” placement strategy describes the approach and course that
you’ve been taking, I strongly urge you to stop and transition to a more diverse
way of thinking about your music-related talents. You are the commodity, not
your beats. Beats are an extension of your music ability, but they should not
be considered the extent of your career capability. I am in no way suggesting
that beats hold little weight or that they’re inferior to other recorded music
compositions; beats have their own distinct value, both in terms of their art and
in their nancial value. What I am saying is that in addition to the traditional
use and scope of beats, that is to say, for use by a rapper (or other vocalist), you
have to think broader and more deeply about the new uses and commercial
scopes for your beats and your music-related talents.
How you frame your goals are just as important as the goals themselves.
So goes your framing — the philosophical context from which you approach
something — so goes your thinking, so goes your opportunities and actions.
For many beatmakers, transitioning forward from the “one-shot” placement
strategy will depend on how committed they are to seriously studying the art
of beatmaking and music in general. To be certain, the only way to unlock new
possibilities for your music-related talents is to be aware of their existence in the
rst place. If your equation is: “make a beat + shop it + get placement = music
career,” then you need to learn new math.
In addition to helping beatmakers better understand the art and craft of
beatmaking, my goal is to encourage and help beatmakers think in terms of
having a career in music, rather than having a music career. To that end, below
I’ve listed some music-related opportunities that you can create for yourself that
you may not have thought of before. To be sure, there are more opportunities,
but the following brief list will help you get started in how to think them up.
Museum projects. Museums of all kinds put on new exhibitions each
year. Most try to involve local artists and creatives whenever they can. Visit
local museums and come up with music ideas that you can pitch to them. Is it
a long shot? Not really. You’re not competing against millions of other people
shopping their beats for the exact same slot on an album or a free mixtape.
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Art Galleries. Like museums, art galleries rely on their ability to put on
new and interesting shows. I’ve been to a number of art shows in New York.
Some have had non-descript DJs; some have had the radio playing; some have
had iPod playlists; etc. Never have I seen a show with a mix of beats crafted
exclusively for an artist’s work. I suspect that this market will blossom in the
future, especially as upstart galleries continue to vie for attention.
Film Schools. I’ve seen some pretty decent student lms that were
undermined by poor quality music. ere’s a market here. Maybe not the most
lucrative one, but you can get the experience of using your beats in new ways,
not to mention the valuable experience of working with an artist from another
medium. Oer your services to lm school students. Better yet, see about
getting your name onto a lm school’s registry of services.
Performance Poets and Other Spoken Word Artists. Oer beats to those
artists that are “rappers” outside of the traditional hip hop sense.
Sneaker Stores and Boutique Shops. Sneaker stores and hip boutiques are
art galleries, well, to some at least. ese are places that thrive on an edgy, “hip”
vibe. Capitalize o of this and pitch stores on custom beat tapes. At worst, you
play a hand in setting the mood of the place for eager shoppers. At best, your
music is an ad for you work.
Don’t Make Placements Your Sole Focus
e mad dash by some beatmakers to capture big name placements is an
exercise in futility. With casino-style odds, music industry shenanigans, and
infamously awed hip hop/rap business practices, why chase after placements
when you can build your own group? In fact, most of the time, capturing a
placement can be a trap. Here’s how it works. A beatmaker lands one to three
key placements. After they land these placements, they then gain (naturally) a
new level of condence and, subsequently, they subscribe to the idea that more
placements will come regularly. Truth is, the placements do not come regularly,
even for some established brand name beatmakers (producers). Making matters
worse, many of these now marginally successful beatmakers seemingly forget
the level of “placement competition” that exists in the formidable beat market
exchange.
ere’s no secret anymore that beat prices across the board have gone down,
way down. Furthermore, the distance between submitting a beat and getting a
placement is terribly far. us, chasing down music placements are not what
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most people think, or what some producer managers might want you to believe.
is is why I strongly encourage beatmakers to go it alone and start their own
outts. Of course, this doesn’t mean that I suggest that you should entirely ignore
submission requests and placement opportunities; placements — if you can get
them — do have an upside, but they also have a down side as well. For example,
there can be low pay, delayed pay, and even no pay. Furthermore, placements
are tied to the success of someone else’s project, which beatmakers have no
control over. So if you land a placement on a project that sells poorly in the
marketplace, there is very little residual income you can expect to receive from
that project. e only payment you might get is the initial fee for the beat that
you sell. us, what I hope to stress here is that in an ad-hoc and over-saturated
beat market exchange (submission environment), making a placement your #1
option is career suicide. Chasing placements should never be your rst option;
you should be your rst option.
Check This Out — The Frustration of Placements
One great beat placement can make a beatmaker’s career. But you also
have to recognize that landing such a placement is a long shot. Further, for the
most part, placements represent a new kind of frustration. To see what I mean,
consider the following scenario.
You’re in the lab (your production environment), making a new beat. You
have the drums knocking just right, the rhythm is tight, and the beat, overall,
is driving you to nod your head. It’s ocial, you have a dope beat! But what do
you do now? How do you get that dope beat into the hands of someone who
can really catch wreck on it, and/or to someone who can cut you a check? Well,
for 10s of thousands of beatmakers across America, this is the $62,000 question
that typically leads to the $2,500 frustration.
Right now, the going industry rate for a beat by a “newcomer” is roughly
$2,500 (typically, much lower for unconnected and lesser-known beatmakers).
Sure, there are some beatmakers who are getting more than that for their rst
placement, but they are very few and far between. e list of beatmakers that
make above the unsanctioned minimum of $2,500 includes the so-called “super
producers” and the marginally successful beatmakers who were able to piggy-back
o a placement or two. But for the rank-and-le beatmakers, if they do land that
sought after placement, they can expect to be paid $2,500, at best. So what’s
wrong with that? $2,500 is twenty-ve-hundred dollars, you say. Well, let’s take
a closer look at that amount.
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Let’s say it’s you who sold the beat for $2,500. First question. Who’s the
manager of the recording artist that you “sold” your beat to? You might have to
pay a small fee to him or her for having your beat actually used and making the
album. is “manager’s tax,” as I like to call it, is just your typical kick-back.
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e manager’s tax (kick-back) can range anywhere from 10% to 100% of the
beat price. But let’s just say in this case, your beat is so ill, so game-changing
that the manager waives his special tax. Cool, so you escape with $2,500. Still,
not bad, right? Wrong, there’s more.
Now, let’s examine more closely that banger of a beat that you made. Does
it contain any recognizable samples? If it doesn’t, you can skip the rest of this
paragraph, but if it does, read the next sentence very carefully. Any beat that
contains recognizable samples will be subject to sample clearance, or run the
risk of being exposed to a potential copyright infringement lawsuit. In other
words, if your beat does contain recognizable samples, unless those samples can
be cleared, the song containing your beat will not be used (placed) on the typical
major label release. Major labels (and some indies) are terried of potential
litigation against them, so they do their best to properly clear samples on any
release that they plan to bring to market. Furthermore, sample clearance fees
come out of the rapper’s recording budget. And guess who the rapper passes the
cost on to? Yep, you, the beatmaker (producer). It’s important to note however
that sometimes “super-producers” are absolved from “eating” (i.e. absorbing)
the sampling clearance fees.
If your beat doesn’t contain any samples (or at least any that could ever
really be identied), you’re almost home free. But there’s one other thing: timely
payment. Up until about 15 years ago, payment came with delivery of the beat,
regardless if it was used on a project or not. But things have changed. Today,
it’s common for beatmakers (producers) to hand over the beat, complete with all
audio les, without receiving any payment.
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So after you’ve handed over your
beat, and it’s been used to generate a new song, when do you actually get paid?
Well, the true answer is somewhere between maybe soon and perhaps never.
Finally, let’s not forget the rapper who did use your beat to write some great
new lyrics and a catchy hook. Guess what? He can use those lyrics and hook —
inspired by your beat — on another beat. If that beat sounds better with his/
her lyrics than your beat does, who do you think gets the coveted placement,
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There are many types of “kick-backs” (money kicked backed to someone as payment for a favor) in
the music industry, this is just one that a beatmaker may be expected to pay at some point or another.
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So-called “super-producers” and some marginally successful beatmakers/producers are usually able
to secure 50% of their fee upfront. Some super-producers command 100% upfront; but super-producers
are increasingly making concessions on upfront payment.
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and who do you think gets paid for the usage? And let’s not forget that it can
be months before you hear any word as to whether or not your beat was used.
Which, in eect, means that bangin’ beat that you created is in limbo. So do
you shop it to anyone or do you wait for a green light that may never come?
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4 Reasons Why You Should Start Your Own Group
e rst reason you should start your own group with a rapper and/or
rapping yourself (if you can) is peace of mind. Having your own group and
doing it yourself means that you have complete creative control; your career
and success is in your hands. You get the chance to build your own unique
brand identity, which in turn, assures more longevity than constantly waiting
for others to choose your beats.
e second reason you should start your own group with a rapper and/or
rapping yourself (if you can) is touring. As the member of a group, you get to
go on tour, continuously earning revenue that you do not have to pay back to
a label or an A&R rep who got you a placement. Most recording artists usually
make more money from live performance tours and shows than they do from
record sales. But beatmakers (producers) who land placements do not get a share
of the tour/show money of the recording artists whom they placed beats with.
e third reason why you should start your own group: Faster payment.
Doing it yourself, when you’re part of a group, means you see the check. Payment
when you’re part of a group or solo, or doing it yourself is far less precarious
than the situation that involves a beatmaker waiting for payment on a beat sold.
Finally, the fourth reason you should start your own group (or going solo)
and doing it yourself is that you neutralize the beat placement issues. Having
your own group assures that you choose which beats and songs make an album.
Beat submissions are certainly no guarantee, and even if and when you land a
placement, you have no say about the actual roll-out of that placement.
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There have been cases where some beatmakers have shopped the same beat to two or more
different rappers and, subsequently, there have been cases where the same beat from one beatmaker
has appeared on two separate albums. When this occurs, a beatmaker’s reputation can take a serious
hit, as it goes against the ethics of business.
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Get on Someone’s Radar: Louis C.K., Why You Should
Form a Beatmaker-Anchored Group, and Build Your
Own Platform
In the late fall of 2012, I learned about comedian Louis C.K.’s self-distributed
one-hour online comedy special, Louis C.K. - Live at the Beacon eater. At that
time, I didn’t have all the details; I hadn’t heard of C.K.’s show until two months
after he had initially released it. But as a casual fan of his work, the murmurs
and word of mouth about the show peaked my interest. As a DIY advocate, I
was also interested in hearing more details about how the show came about.
Was it really independently produced and released? Was it really released from
his own website? What payment options did he make available to consumers?
And, was the show a success or not?
In early 2013, I listened to an interview that Louis C.K. did on the talk
show “Fresh Air with Terry Gross.” In the “Fresh Air” interview, C.K. conrmed
that he produced the special with his own money, edited it entirely, and released
it independently from his own website. In exchange for two streams and two
downloads of the unencrypted, high-denition show, fans were asked to pay just
$5 directly to him via PayPal. C.K. explained that he went this route because
he wanted to see if releasing a video of himself could make money. But he also
revealed that TV comedy specials he had done in the past had netted him no
money at all. “I’ve never seen a check from a [TV] comedy special,” he said in his
interview with Gross. Clearly, another reason why C.K. went the D.I.Y. route
was because he wanted to eliminate the middle man. Finally, C.K. expressed
that the project was a success, revealing that he “made all of his money back
and then some.”
Before I go on, I want to make a couple of points of context about the
anatomy of a sale. Louis C.K. independently released Louis C.K. - Live at the
Beacon eater in early December, 2011. It got on my radar in February, 2012,
nearly two months later, not the rst week of its release. I rst heard mention —
word of mouth — of Louis C.K.’s special on Twitter, not a paid advertisement
on television or radio. Because Louis C.K. was already on my radar, when I
heard that he had a new special, I was interested in learning more. I was able
to learn more about Louis C.K.’s special by listening to an archived episode of
the talk show “Fresh Air,” a show that is heavy on my radar. After listening to
Louis C.K.’s interview on “Fresh Air,” I wanted to purchase his special, which I
did less than 24 hours after listening to his interview on “Fresh Air.”
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It’s important to note that the way in which Louis C.K. rolled out his special
exemplies, in both broad and specic ways, how music projects are now sold.
Although the instant-hit, rst-week sales paradigm is still widely in play, most
music releases, especially those from independent recording artists, make their
sales over an extended period of time. is dierence is in how core fans and
casual fans of large and smaller acts make purchases. For the major label backed
releases, especially those from the biggest artists in music, there’s typically a heavy
push to attract both the core fan and the casual fan alike within the rst week
of release. In these cases, rst-week sales (good or bad) often narrate the level
of success or failure of the music release.
For smaller, independent releases, rst-week sales aren’t as critical. For
one thing, core fans of independent artists don’t always go for the rst-week
sales crunch. Core fans already have a uid connection with the artists that
they support; and in most cases, core fans maintain an unwritten, revolving
commitment to buy their favorite artists’ releases at some point. is revolving
commitment is understood to mean that, while the core fan may not buy the
album in the rst week — or even the rst month — of it’s release, he or she
will indeed buy the album at some point, usually within the rst 6 months of
the release, sometimes longer. Also, because smaller, independent artists lack a
major national/international marketing and promotion push, the rate of casual
fan discovery takes longer for them.
While bigger, major label-backed artists rely on a heavy push for their releases,
most smaller, independent artists simply build something that they trust (or
hope) people will gravitate to. In other words, smarter independent artists know
how to follow the “Build it, and they will come” maxim. Louis C.K. followed
this maxim, too. He built his brand and oered a project directly to his fans, and
they came. He didn’t wait for approval or validation; he just built it. With his
own imagination, wherewithal, and money, he put together his comedy special
and released it to the world on his website. I’m not sure how much emphasis
C.K. placed on rst-week sales. I know he did some press in the weeks leading
up to the release, but that was minimal, and it was certainly not a 4-month,
full court marketing blitz. Either way, I get the feeling that he believed that his
“Beacon eater” project was the sort of thing that would scale over time.
The Radar: Why Most Music Releases Now Scale Better Over Time
Right now, there’s so much music, so much information in general, that
today’s average music listener can’t nd the time to get through as many new
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releases as they’d like to in a calendar year, let alone trying to keep up with the
rst week that those albums drop. Actually, when you think about it, in an age
of ultra accessibility and abuncance of choice, the idea of buying or listening
to music projects in the rst week of their release is an antiquated practice that
has outlived its usefulness.
I don’t know about you, but throughout the year, I nd myself playing catch
up. Each month, I miss a number of potential great releases, not because of a
lack of interest but because of the overwhelming number of new releases. Add
to that the sheer amount of noise that’s tossed around, and the task of keeping
up with new music becomes even more daunting. But that’s the problem.
Discovering great music shouldn’t be about keeping up with mounting release
dates; discovering great music shouldn’t be a task. Discovering great music should
be an enjoyable, rewarding journey. And I’ve found that the only “new” music
that I can check is the music that makes it on to my radar. (Louis C.K. made it
on to my comedy radar around 2008, yet it wasn’t until 2013 that I purchased
something from him.)
I tend to circle back to the “new” music that stays on my radar with a strong
signal. For me, and I suspect many others, hearing music as soon as it’s released
is less important than hearing it at all. With more choice than ever before, I
can tune into “new” music on my schedule, not the arbitrary release schedule
of 10s of thousands of dierent artists. So for me, and I believe most others as
well, the probability of me hearing “new” music and buying it (or something
else from the artist) depends on whether or not the music/artist can get a strong
signal on my radar. e greater the artist’s signal is on my radar, the more likely
I will purchase their music, eventually.
The Instant Success Problem, the Similarities Between Comedians
and Beatmakers, and Why Forming Groups Might Be the Best Way
to Go
ere is no such thing as instant success. Peel back the curtains on any success
story, and what you’ll nd is a more humbling set of facts. Everything from
arduous practice hours, to tons of money spent (and lost), to creative failures,
to opportunities that fell through, to lost and made business connections. It’s
all there behind the curtain of instant success.
Louis C.K.’s story, like most comics, is a story of endurance. Countless hours
of practice in the form of doing shows, writing bits, and honing his style. Long
and late nights. Numerous dead-end gigs. False-starts. Rejections. You name
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it, he’s gone through it. And through it all, like other comic success stories, he
carved out a lane for himself in the form of his hit television show, “Louie,” and
his aforementioned comedy special.
ere are plenty of stand-up comics chasing after success. For most of them,
the idea of success is divided up into a series of reachable plateaus. Develop
your own style and type of bits, get noticed, earn a following, get noticed again
by “TV people,” get a TV special, land a writing gig, land a television show.
Of course, the order of some of these plateaus could be rearranged, but you get
the picture.
Like stand-up comics, there are loads of beatmakers. And, like comics,
serious beatmakers spend countless hours practicing, studying, and developing
their craft. Beatmakers drop long, late nights without a second thought. ey
optimistically eld dead-in beat sale oers and collaboration pitches that never
take o. ey absorb false career starts and fast-talking music insiders and posers.
And they endure rejections on a multitude of levels. Yet with all of this, why is
it that most beatmakers fail to simply carve out their own lane?
e main reason is that most don’t even try to carve out their own lane.
Why? Because in beatmaking, the idea of success that most beatmakers envision
centers around two things: A beat placement or a beat sale. For nearly two decades
now, the dream of landing coveted placements has given o the illusion that
all one needs to do is make a beat (quality debatable), get it placed, and success
instantly follows. In lieu of successful beat placements, a number of beatmakers
have turned their focus to selling and leasing beats at unprofessionally low prices,
often dragging down their brand and prole rather than raising it. Finally, a
small number of other beatmakers have gotten into music licensing, but that’s
a dierent thing altogether. Still, what you haven’t seen much of, and what I
strongly advocate for, is beatmakers forming their own groups.
e music business is dierent than the comedy business. Hundreds of
comedy clubs exist all over America. ere aren’t any beat clubs. And stand-up
comedy, like the movies, sports match, or a music concert, is an event that people
pay money to go out and see or watch at home on television. Beatmaking, by
itself, can’t make such a claim. Live beat showcases and battles don’t move the
needle much at all. ose events, the best of which sometimes tout acclaimed
A&Rs and “celebrity” beatmakers as judges and oer some level of placement/
career assistance, are usually populated by some music insiders but mostly by
the participants and their friends and family. In other words, these aren’t shows
in the traditional sense; those beatmakers who participate are not being paid.
In fact, in some showcases, they’re actually paying the showcase organizers to
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participate in the showcase. Perhaps this is a legitimate investment for some
beatmakers. But what if beatmakers just formed groups (or became solo rap
acts) and bypassed the song and dance of beat showcases and the precarious
world of beat placements?
During the 2010 CMJ Showcase in New York, I took in a great show.
Among those on the bill who I had come to see (and would have paid for,
had I not been comped at the door with a press pass, thanks to Michelle over
at Audible Treats) was Diamond District and Nottz. Formed by Oddisee, a
beatmaker (producer)/rapper, Diamond District is made up of solo rappers XO
and YU. And Nottz, one of the most prolic beatmakers (producers) to date,
rocks solo. Both performances were worth the attendance (Diamond District’s
set was especially impressive). More importantly, both acts proved the point
that I’ve been making for years: at beatmakers could form rap groups and
put themselves on.
Rather than limit the idea of success to placing beats with artists (which
often attracts unnecessary middle men), or selling beats for less than their true
value, beatmakers should expand their focus to include building new music
groups. As a basis for success in beatmaking, beat placements are, for the most
part, not sustainable. Being a part of your own group, with control of your
music and direction, oers a far better chance at a sustainable career in music
than chasing after beat placements.
ere is, and will always be, room for a dope new rap group. Music
consumers thrive on a fresh slate of new music. And there’s never been more
music consumers in the world than there is at this moment. So instead of tossing
your best beats into a bottomless pool of other beat placement chasers, why not
use them to start a new group? A new group that you’re a central part of, not a
marginal character. What’s the worse thing that can happen, a few shows, a tour,
and some record sales? Either way, whether you build a new group or create
a series of beat tapes, the idea is to build something of your own, then get on
someone’s radar. If you do so, eventually the success will come.
Get Around: Marketing and Promotion, and the Keys
to Branding Yourself
In order for beatmakers to actually carve out a name for themselves, they
have to do more than just make beats; they also have to market and promote
not only their product, but themselves. e beatmaking trade has emerged as its
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own cottage industry inside an industry. erefore, it’s more important than
ever for beatmakers to have their own brand.
ere are many elements that go into creating a distinct quality “beat brand.”
First, obviously, one has to have a decent level of beats. Fact is, a beatmaker
doesn’t necessarily have to make top-quality beats to build an eective brand.
For better or worse, many prominent beatmakers have built their brands more
o of strategic self-promotion, pivotal contacts, and key relationships than o of
a catalog of dope beats. So be mindful that there are other factors at play when
it comes to brand names. In the following section, I will examine some of the
most important keys to marketing, promoting, and ultimately, branding yourself.
GA Stands for “Get Around”
You have to get around. As I pointed out in the History Part, grati writers
were not only separated by talent but by whether or not they “got around.” ose
that didn’t get around were labeled with the DGA tag: “Doesn’t Get Around.”
I think this same principle is useful to beatmakers interested in developing their
own brand and carving out a career in music.
ere are two relatively easy ways for beatmakers (and rappers) to “get
around”: (1) Get involved with as many worthy collaborative projects that you
can; and (2) To push out as many free quality music projects into the atmosphere
as you can. In both scenarios, if the music is dope, you’ll get exposure and your
brand will begin to solidify. e idea is that “free” is often the price you pay for
getting paid work in the future. ink of it like an internship, with each level of
exposure comes a chance for you to move up into paid work. Also, sometimes
the exposure of free quality works brings an assortment of music-related
opportunities, for example: ringtones, commercials, infomercials, sponsors, and,
of course, even other beatmakers (producers). Finally, consider the fact that the
more beats that you make, the more opportunities you have to connect with
others, as well as make new projects (“demos”) of your own work. Point is, the
more projects that you are attached to, the more exposure your work ultimately
gets. And the more exposure your work gets, the more promotion it gets and the
more your music catalogue swells. e more promotion you get and the more
your catalog swells, the better chance you have for establishing your own distinct
brand, which means the better chance you have of getting paid and earning a
living from your beatmaking (production) services.
And when collaborating with others, quantity is a good thing, but
you also have to focus on quality as well. at is, only get involved with
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collaborative projects under two primary conditions: (1) If the project
is well-suited to your scope and style of beatmaking; and (2) If you
really believe in the overall worth of the project. Point is, do projects
that you’re pleased with. If you try to please everybody — the music
press, record companies, other artists, etc. — you’ll end up with a watered-down
product and an undistinguished brand.
Also, it should always be remembered that there are a countless number of
rappers (far more than beatmakers, although the gap is closing) who have little
to no access to original beats (rather than instrumentals of well-known hip
hop/rap songs). A lot of these aforementioned rappers are forced to hone their
skills to the instrumentals of popular hip hop/rap songs, which often do not
t their own unique (developing) styles. Given the opportunity, these rappers
would gladly write to original material. erefore, take advantage of this fact
and create your own situations. Rather than “sit” on your beats, or chase down
major labels and well-known artists for non-guaranteed placements and marginal,
often uncredited work, why not aggressively locate and link up with these new
“unknown” (highly motivated) rappers and oer your beats on a full credit basis?
at is, oer to construct their demo for non-pay, but full production credit.
Remember, an artist demo produced entirely by you is also your demo. And
it’s a demo, I should add, that proves that you can work with a recording artist
and handle the duties of more than just one song. I should also add that when
approaching new rappers for collabs (i.e. collaborative projects), if you’re in a
position to cover studio costs, you should do so. If not, stipulate that either you
and them split costs, or that they pay for all studio time.
Finally, when you do engage in collaborative work, I also recommend
preparing an invoice (if applicable) and a simple written agreement (contract).
e invoice should be a dated record of the particular beats and music and
other services that you’ve provided, along with the name of the rapper(s) that
received those services. You will also want to have a written agreement between
you and the rapper(s) that you provide your production services for. If you’re
not familiar with drafting a production agreement, don’t worry, just remember
to include two main things in your agreement. First, make sure the full and
legal names of all parties involved are represented. Second, get the full details
of all the terms of the agreement down on paper. ese terms should include:
recognition of full and complete production credit; start and end dates of the
project, whether it’s a “one-o” (one time thing) or not; fees and penalties (if
any); and any incentive clause that you may think of. For example, an incentive
clause for the agreement could be one that stipulates that in the event that the
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rapper(s) obtains a record deal as a result of using your beats and production
services, 3-10% of their recording budget goes to you. And you certainly want
to stipulate that in the event that the rapper(s) desires to use the “demo beats”
you provided for a commercial release, the artist must pay a pre-determined
price for your beats and production services. e point here is that covering all
expenses for talented rappers not only allows you to build your beats and music
catalog, it presents you with the tremendous opportunity for potential exposure
and extended revenue.
Marketing and Promotion
Creating Your Own Market
Creating your own market begins with creating your own sound. Every
time a “new sound” is born, a new market is created. is is why it’s so
absolutely important for beatmakers to create their own unique style and sound.
Understand, when you develop your own quality, unique (i.e. signature) sound,
there is a market waiting for you. ink about it: With you at the forefront
of a new emerging music market, you will be able to brand both yourself and
your unique style of music. After you’ve worked out your own sound and
you’re comfortable with the level of its quality, the next important thing to do
is identify your target audience; that is, locate the audience that you suspect
would appreciate the style and sound of music you bring. It is absolutely critical
that you identify the right audience for your brand of music. If you know the
kind of music that you like to make, then you should also be able to identify
the audience that will likely appreciate it as well.
Creating and Developing Your Marketing Plan
A marketing plan is a pre-designed strategy for eectively promoting and,
subsequently, selling a product, service, and/or brand to a specic audience.
Typically, a marketing plan is formally written and distributed to all persons
working on the marketing team of a product or service. A good marketing plan
contains clear themes and objectives as well as detailed actions for implementing
those objectives. A theme and/or objective of a marketing plan can be a sales
goal or any other similar benchmark. An action of a marketing plan can be a
scheduled advertisement placed on websites or in magazines; it can also be show
performances and/or a variety of promotions.
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In order for a marketing plan to be eective, it must be as creative as the
product that it’s trying to promote and sell. Servicing records — the typical
music industry practice of supplying DJs and/or radio stations and retailers
with inventory and promotion materials) — is the run-of-the-mill promotion
approach in the music business. But have you ever seen someone without an
album or even a single get major promotion and publicity? Of course you have.
How was that achieved? More often than not, it was achieved through a very
carefully designed marketing plan. e important thing to remember here is that
consumers do not only buy a product or a brand, they buy into the person(s)
behind tbe product or brand. Understanding this marketing philosophy is the
ultimate key to designing a successful marketing plan, achieving its objectives,
and ultimately branding yourself.
Brand Yourself — Putting Your Marketing Plan Into Action
and Building Your Fan Base
The key to branding yourself is all about the overall design
of your marketing plan and how much of it you’re able to execute.
Whatever the main theme and objective of your marketing plan is, your
ability to effectively brand yourself will rest on how well you pull off
the detailed actions within your marketing plan. And there will be no bigger
detailed action in your marketing plan than building your own fan base.
If you want to be successful in the music industry, you’re going to need a
solid fan base. Having your own fan base means that you have a regular group of
highly devoted supporters, a group that is always enthusiastic about your brand
and the list of products you have to oer. A great marketing plan always has
detailed actions for building a fan base. us, what follows in this section is a
list of the four main actions that I recommend you include in your marketing
plan. If implemented properly, these actions will help you build your fan base
and promote your brand at the same time.
Your Own “Web Space”
First, you have to build your own “web space.” An online presence is
paramount to the success of all recording artists, but it’s absolutely critical to all
independent recording artists, especially beatmakers. To create your own online
space there are essentially three things you must do: (1) Create your own website;
(2) Maintain at least two social media proles, ideally Facebook and Twitter;
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and (3) Maintain an active membership in at least one beat/production-based
forum (message board).
Your own website is critical for two reasons. For one thing, your own
website gives you complete control over where your music catalog is stored
online. Furthermore, your own website serves as the “home site” or hub of
your online presence. e more involved you are online with other sites and
social communities, the better it is to have your own site that your other “web
spaces” link back to. It is your own website or rather “home web space” where
you really get to shape your overall online presence.
Social media refers to those specic online communities that allow for
people to freely interact with one another. ere are various types of social
media sites or online communities, but all require you to sign up, register, and
create a prole. Currently, the four social media and music sharing sites most
critical to the exposure of independent recording artists include: Facebook,
Twitter, Soundcloud, and Bandcamp. Each one of these sites are free to join,
and each allows great potential for interaction and word-of-mouth promotion,
a cornerstone of any good successful marketing plan. Maintaining a prole on
at least one of these sites (if not all four) is essential to your ability to get your
brand (name) out into the atmosphere. Social media sites permit a “leveled
playing eld” type of interaction. at is to say, on sites like Twitter, users can
freely exchange ideas and information, without the interference of tastemakers
ltering everything. In social media communities, the truly interesting and
sincere users easily nd that they have a powerful voice. And it is this voice that
you can use to drive trac back to out your home site. Also, online “friends” or
acquaintances tend to be supportive of the products and services of the people
they regularly interact with. So developing social media networks are crucial,
as they will help you to formulate a fan base and a regular source of sales.
Finally, maintaining an active membership in at least one beat/production-
based forum (message board) is key. ere are many beat/production-based
communities online, each oering their own slant. Most are helpful, some less
so, and the good ones act as a communal space for beatmakers (producers). As
a practitioner of an art form and member of a global community, it is important
for you to interact with others in this community, not only for the purposes of
establishing your brand, but also for improving your skills and understanding
of the beatmaking tradition and community. And just as with other social
media sites, online beatmaking communities tend to be very supportive of their
members. erefore, if you’re an active member of a beatmaking forum(s), you
will undoubtedly garner support for your products and services.
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Identify Your “Fan Pools”
Another important factor in building your fan base deals with identifying
the right “fan pool.” A fan pool is similar to a target audience, only it’s bigger
and broader. For instance, a fan pool can be teenagers or adults; it can be only
men or women; it can be novices or experts within in a given eld or profession.
Knowing which fan pools to target and tap is essential to building a solid fan base.
Capitalize on “Indie Towns”
Another important factor in building your fan base deals with identifying
those areas or cities that qualify as indie towns. An “indie town” is a city or locale
that is conducive to independent music, arts, and business. For example, cities
like New York, Miami, Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, Oakland, Chicago, and
Seattle are all truly “indie towns.” Each of these cities are conducive to almost
any kind of independent business that you can imagine, but because they are all
important “hubs” for hip hop/rap music and beatmakers, they are particularly
well-suited for an independent hip hop/rap music enterprise. Each of these
cities also have access to multiple college radio stations; college radio stations
are very favorable to indie hip hop/rap. Also, most of these cities, particularly
New York, Miami, and Atlanta, contain a number of local or mid-level venues
for hip hop/rap performances.
In the last two years, there has been an uptick in the launch of city venues
that feature hip hop/rap music as the main ticket. Moreover, all of these venues
are distinctly concerned with providing a balanced, more honest hip hop/rap
music experience. at is, these venues are not underscored by a rotation of
“radio hits,” but instead, they are predicated upon oering a more authentic
reection of hip hop/rap music, a reection that stands to oer new acts chances
that they might not otherwise get.
Power Alliances
Another factor that can be key, not only to a successful marketing plan, but
also to your production output and opportunities, deals with what I call power
alliances. A power alliance is an alliance/relationship with other like-minded
individuals which benets the careers of all parties involved.
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Production Teams
Like all popular music compositional practices, beatmaking requires a great
deal of time and attention. But unlike other popular music composers, hip hop/
rap beatmakers tend to work in a rigidly self-imposed solitary environment.
ough some beatmakers choose to work in production teams (usually as a
duo), most work alone. is self-imposed creative solitary connement has its
advantages. On one hand, a beatmaker who works alone doesn’t have to answer
to other band mates or a partner; every critical creative decision is theirs alone.
In this light, hip hop/rap beatmakers have more in common with Western
classical composers than they do with contemporary pop and rock outts. Also,
since beatmakers are essentially one-man bands, they are perhaps the most
self-contained of all contemporary music-makers. But while this self-contained
environment may go a long way in determining the level of creative control
and freedom that beatmakers ultimately have, it does not oer many social
and networking opportunities that are inherent within a band or collaborative
environments. erefore, beatmakers who are able to form power alliances with
other individuals tend to be at an advantage.
e most common power alliance that beatmakers can join (or form) is a
production team. e term “production team” actually carries multiple meanings.
Previously, I described the many types of jobs and dierent descriptions associated
with being a “producer.” Here, I’ll discuss the meaning of “production team”
in two dierent situations. e rst meaning of production team is in regards
to hip hop/rap music production only and in the most common meaning of
the term, that is to say, the creative sense. us, a production team in this sense
describes the situation in which two or more beatmakers combine forces to put
together (create) music (beats) and, in turn, promote, market and sell it as the
work of one collective, one production team. When analyzing a production
team, bear in mind that each beatmaker (producer) need not play a role in the
actual creation of every beat that comes out of the collective. What I mean is,
in many production teams, the beats are composed individually, separately by
each beatmaker on the team. However, each member of the team agrees to come
under the same banner and split the rewards appropriately.
e other meaning of production team deals with “production team” in the
broader, perhaps more traditional business sense. “Production” in any business
actually refers to the design, creation, and mass production of a product. Well,
for a hip hop/rap beatmaker, that product is beats; and in the earlier stages of
this “product development,” the design and creation is typically handled by one
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individual, while the later stages (think additional playing and programming,
mixing, mastering, mass CD duplication, etc.) are designed, created, and
facilitated by other individuals. Hence, one way or another, beatmakers actually
work in a “team” capacity anyway.
So think about the two ways of approaching a production team. Ask yourself
this question: As an individual beatmaker (producer), how do your trusted ears
rate your production? If the consensus on the level and quality of your beats is
high, then maybe you shouldn’t be thinking about building a creative production
team. Instead, you might want to consider building a business production
team; think administrative assistant, promoter, nancial investor, and perhaps
a manager. If you already have the talent and skill, then a team of business
professionals (especially those with a marketing, law, or nance background) is
the way to go. Remember, although creating beats may be a solitary process of
creativity and imagination, marketing and selling beats is really a mass production
process. erefore, the more dedicated individuals that you can bring to help
you mass produce your product, the better. By embracing the fundamentals of
mass production, you do two things: (1) You maximize your time and eort by
targeting it where it’s needed most — the design and creation of ill beats; and (2)
You assign a great deal of the business process to those who can handle it best.
Finally, if your beat skills aren’t quite up to par, let’s say, for instance, you
lack drum programming skills, but you can play the keys. In this case, linking up
with another beatmaker (producer) or group of beatmakers who possess drum
programming skills (and other techniques and skills that you lack) might be a
great idea. However, the bottom line in each type of a production team is this.
In order for your product to ultimately be successful and reach the people you’ve
targeted, you will undoubtedly need a team. And how that team is broken down
depends entirely up to you.
Pivotal Partnerships
Pivotal partnerships describes yet another type of power alliance. Beatmaking
or hip hop/rap music production is an entertainment services profession.
Beatmakers are artisans who provide a unique and highly sought after service;
and as such, the success of a beatmaker’s career depends on strategic business
and creative relationships. erefore, it’s critical that beatmakers seek out and
build as many key relationships as they can. is does not mean simply trying
to meet well-known, well-established recording artists, producers, A&Rs, label
executives, and other music industry insiders. Although such meetings do present
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the potential for high returns, if you do not have the right connections, the
probability of such meetings are so low that it’s not even worth devoting much
of your time. Instead, I encourage you to be as independent as you possibly can.
Which doesn’t just mean do your own thing; it means nding other like-minded,
independent beatmakers, other recording artists, and related professionals. In
this case, the probability of such meetings are much higher. Furthermore, the
returns are much greater. Should any of those persons — with whom you hold
strong alliances with — become the next major players in the music industry,
think about where that might put you.
Selling Your Own Commercial
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Releases: Singles,
Mix Tapes, Albums, and other Relative Music Products
If you and your trusted ears believe that you have quality music, then
chances are there’s a market somewhere in the world that’s ready to hear it. is
is why I strongly believe that it’s better for unknown beatmakers (producers)
to commercially release their own product than to just shop a demo and/or
a beat CD. When you commercially release your own material, you level the
playing eld for yourself. e world isn’t made up of just a handful of talented
beatmakers and rappers; there are scores of beatmakers and rappers who are as
talented (if not more) as some of the well-established gures in hip hop/rap
music. But what is it that separates these two groups, the have-made-its and
the have-not-made-its, from one another?” Certainly some people catch breaks
and some don’t. Some people are in the right place, at the right time. But aside
from individual drive, desire, and nancial backing, what’s left? Luck? No. I
don’t believe in luck. To me, “luck” is simply the scattered, left-over residue from
proper planning and preparation, the right know-how, good intuition, strong
endurance, and perseverance. Which is why I’m convinced that beatmakers
actually have an unprecedented amount of control over their careers. Beatmakers
provide the frequencies for rappers, and as such, each beatmaker can potentially
generate the careers of an unlimited number of rappers. us, when beatmakers
commercially release their own material, they have a better shot of joining the
ranks of the have-made-its.
roughout this chapter, I’ve pointed out that the three main keys to success
for a beatmaker in the music industry (on both the indie and major levels) is
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Here “commercial release” refers to legal commerce, bar codes, retailers, etc. It does not refer to a
form of “selling out” or compromising one’s artistic integrity.
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a combination of three factors: (1) e development of a strong and unique
product; (2) e marketing and promotion of that product; and (3) e building
of critical, straight-forward, real relationships and alliances with other people
within the industry. So in the following section, I’ll focus on two pivotal areas
of your marketing plan: the budget and the press release.
How Budgets Work
One of the most underestimated and woefully mis-managed features of
doing an independent commercial release is the budget. A budget is a nancial
war chest that is priced and designated to cover all of the associated costs of a
proposed project or structured endeavor. Typically, music related budgets are
composed of funds that cover two main areas: (1) recording; and (2) marketing.
When drafting a budget, consider these primary factors: fundamental needs,
probable upgrades, miscellaneous/petty cash, and unforeseeable emergencies.
A budget (the nancial parameters in which a project will be executed) is also
critical because it helps frame and organize the methods in which the project
will be carried out. Proper planning and organization increases the chances of
a project being executed and marketed successfully.
Send A Press Release
Once you’ve made the bold (necessary) decision to put yourself on, you have
to immediately go to work on your plans for getting your name and brand out.
Keep in mind that the dierence between two equally talented beatmakers (or
other recording artists) can be found in the circumstances of each. As long as
talent isn’t a question, other intangibles are in play. Money, marketing prowess,
inside connections, and the like are all dierent types of intangibles that can
ultimately determine the success of any recording artist. But the one intangible
that trumps all others — even money — is press.
us, whenever you complete a project, such as your own album of beats
or a collaboration with an artist/producer of any note, I strongly recommend
that you send out a press release to the people within your network and to the
publications that you believe might cover your project. A press release is a public
relations announcement, a news story that is issued to the news media and other
targeted publications for the purpose of demonstrating the newsworthiness of a
particular person, event, service and/or product. Any newsworthy development,
such as your new product, is worth sending out a press release.
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Although traditional print mags and internet news media portals are both
similar in scope, the latter is much more exible and willing to give you press.
erefore, when it comes to sending out your press release, your main focus
should be internet publications. Traditional print magazines require a signicant
amount of lead time. “Lead time” is the amount of time needed for a journalist
to complete a story for a particular issue of a magazine or episode of a TV news
program. Typically, the time frame is two to four months, but it depends on the
publication. Online magazines do not require a long lead time; their lead time
is immediate. And their viewers have come to expect new content everyday.
Hence, online magazines have to rapidly nd newsworthy content to publish
more consistently than print mags. Because of this, online mags are much more
willing to throw some press your way, provided your project and press release
draws their attention.
Critical Pointers About Writing an Effective Press Release
ere are three critical pointers for an eective press release. First, keep it
simple. Make sure that you have a catchy and informative headline. You want
to hook people. Publications receive tons of press releases everyday, so they
don’t have the time nor desire to sift through an ego-tinged rant about how
“unique” or how “hot” or how “great” something is. eir only questions are: Is
it newsworthy, and will their readership nd it interesting? Second, keep your
press release to 200-300. e shorter and the sweeter, the better. e idea is to
pack a powerful punch, not an epic beat down. ird, make sure to send your
press release to as many outlets as possible, especially your target news outlets.
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It’s sad that you still have cats in the basement, trying to be the best beatmaker or
programmer, but the minute that somebody gets one of their tracks and it’s the
hottest song in the world, they don’t even know what the next step is! Like, you
really need to put more energy into learning this business. If you’re doing it as a
hobby, let it be a hobby. If you wanna get in the music business, you gotta learn
about the business. –DJ Toomp
Management and Representation: When is a “Producer
Manager” Needed?
Representation, such as a manager or a lawyer, is an essential asset to any
recording artist trying to succeed in the music industry. But for hip hop/rap
beatmakers, representation takes on a new meaning. For one thing, the role of a
beatmaker is dierent than that of a typical recording artist. Beatmakers provide
beats for other recording artists to write and perform to. Moreover, unlike other
recording artists, who sell their persona and image to the public just as much
as they do their music, beatmakers sell their music to other recording artists,
and they usually don’t have to worry about their persona or image being in the
public eye. Instead, their primary concern is pairing their beats with recording
artists who need new music. us, this unique music-matching process is one
reason why beatmakers could use (but don’t always need) representation. For
instance, beatmakers can use someone who can help them nd recording artists
and other comparable parties who are seeking new beats.
Beatmakers could also use someone who can help ush out opportunities
for music placements. But then again, as I’ve mentioned throughout this
study, beatmaking is a very meticulous and often arduous craft that is usually
orchestrated in a solitary environment. It is this solitary dimension of beatmaking
that often prompts the need for some form of representation. Beatmakers need
a representative, someone to pitch and/or broker the sell of their beats. So as
with the music-matching process of the beat-selling world, it’s easy to see why
a representative might increase the chances of a beatmaker landing a placement
on a commercial release. Finally, although representation can be quite varied,
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there are three kinds of “representers” that hip hop/rap beatmakers can consider:
(1) beat brokers; (2) producer managers; and (3) lawyers.
A beat broker is someone who simply shops (promotes) the beats of a
beatmaker. A beat broker, not to be confused with beat broker service websites,
etc., can be a friend, a music insider, or anyone that has access to a network of
recording artists, in particular, recording artists who are likely to be in the market
for new music material. A beat broker’s only responsibility is to shop the beats of
the beatmaker that they represent. ey need not be skilled in negotiating the
terms and sale of the beats that they’re shopping; an entertainment lawyer privy
to beat/instrumental placements can handle that. Because of this limited (but
critical) scope, an agreement between a beat broker and beatmaker can be simple,
straightforward, and short in duration. A beat broker can be commissioned for
a 10% nder’s fee, worked out on a per-beat or per-situation agreement.
A “producer manager” is perhaps the most ubiquitous type of representer
that a beatmaker can have. Normally, a manager is someone who manages
the entire career of a client. But as noted earlier, a beatmaker’s career is based
primarily on their ability to make and sell beats. Beatmakers are not expected to
perform, make public appearances, and/or maintain a public image, unless they
do DJ shows like DJ Premier, Just Blaze, Metro Broomin, and the like. us,
a producer manager’s responsibilities can fall anywhere from simply shopping
beats, to negotiating the terms of beat sales to arranging pivotal meetings with
prospective beat buyers to setting up beat showcase meetings with key decision
makers at record labels. But because of the scope of the role of a typical manager,
it is likely that a beatmaker will have to enter into a more lengthy and more
detailed agreement than they would with a beat broker. A typical producer’s
management agreement will stipulate that a manager receives 15-20% (in some
cases more) of all music-related revenue that a beatmaker earns. A producer
management agreement also maintains that the representation occurs (usually)
between two and ve years or longer, depending on the individuals.
e role that an entertainment lawyer usually plays in the career of a
beatmaker is very dierent from both that of a beat broker or a producer
manager. Shopping beats is not the primary role of a lawyer; although, in some
cases, lawyers do pass on the music of their clients to individuals in the music
industry. But for the most part, entertainment lawyers are responsible for drafting
and/or reviewing the legal agreements of their clients. It is in this capacity that
entertainment lawyers can ultimately be more important than beat brokers and
managers.
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What Kind of Representation is Right for You?
ough the kind of representation that you choose depends on your
individual situation, I believe that most beatmakers only need either an assistant,
beat broker, or lawyer, but not always a producer manager. Beatmakers are already
self-contained, and most are usually very organized. Furthermore, even though
the “right” person or contact is always a plus, given the nature of the general
openness of the beat shopping process itself, it’s not terribly important who
gets your beats into the hands of decision makers. Fact is, recording artists are
accepting and actively soliciting beat/instrumental submissions through other
outlets, like social networking sites and national contests.
Another important thing for you to consider before you sign with a producer
manager is the fact that once the agreement is signed, the producer manager
is entitled to at least a 15-20% cut of all the music-related revenue you earn,
typically for a period no less than two years. And bear in mind that a producer
manager gets this cut for essentially doing exactly what a beat broker could do;
but, of course, the beat broker does it for a much cheaper rate and a less restrictive
representation period. at said, I think that as your career grows and as you
become a more sizeable gure in the recording industry, then it may not only
be advantageous but necessary for you to get some sort of manager. After you
reach a certain plateau of success, you will be eligible for opportunities outside of
selling beats, and a manager (of some sort) might be quite helpful at that point.
But if you’re a beatmaker who’s just starting out, well, the decision to get
a manager can go both ways. It’s important to remember that beatmaking is a
relatively new and rather unique phenomenon in the recording industry, and
as such, many recording artists are still trying to navigate their way through the
current model of obtaining beats. Moreover, because of the aforementioned
solitary factor of the beatmaking craft itself, beatmakers do not typically need
the guidance of a producer manager. While a well-known producer manager
can help a beatmaker gain access to recording artists as well as perhaps general
exposure in the music industry, there are two important points that shouldn’t be
overlooked: (1) A producer manager’s access to some key recording artists and/
or major record labels does not guarantee a placement, it doesn’t even guarantee
a submission; and (2) Once a beatmaker is established on any signicant level,
the task of successfully shopping their beats themselves (as many well-known
beatmakers now do) actually becomes more ecient and cost eective. Should
you reach a point of acclaim, people interested in your brand of beats will often
reach out to you.
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us, if you’re a beatmaker just starting out, the question of whether or not
to go with a producer manager is really a question of exposure. So if you feel
that the exposure a producer manger can get you is above and beyond what a
beat broker can provide or what you can provide for yourself, then getting a
producer manager might be the way to go. However, if you do go the producer-
manager route, just make sure that the producer manager’s responsibilities and
obligations are well-dened in writing. It’s also a good idea to include benchmarks
(predetermined goals) within the language of any agreement that you enter into
with a producer manager; and you also want to have fair “exit” clauses in your
agreement, as well as caps on compensation when the deal is over.
Getting Paid
Determining Beat Prices: Price Is Always Relative to the
Situation
e common industry standard payment range for a beat (intended to be
used on the commercial release of an established artist) usually ranges from the
low end of $2,500 to the high end of $35,000 — higher, of course, for bigger
names. Prior to 2002, the median was perhaps around $10,000 per beat for an
established beatmaker (producer). But today, because of the wickedly fast pace
of today’s hip hop/rap climate, the democratization of production tools, and the
plethora of hungry new beatmakers (who are all-too willing to take less pay in
exchange for production credit), the median for most well-known beatmakers has
dropped down closer to the $5,000 range. But since price is always negotiable,
this price can easily deate or inate in a moment’s notice.
ere are many factors that go into determining how much beatmakers
should charge for their beats. Notoriety is perhaps the most important factor
for a well-known beatmaker (producer). But notoriety isn’t a luxury that lesser-
known beatmakers (producers) rarely get the chance to experience. Beatmakers
“on the come-up” have to use a dierent set of factors in determining how
much they ultimately should charge for their beats and music services. In the
following section, I discuss four important factors that you should consider when
determining how much you ultimately charge for your beats and music services.
When it comes to determining beat prices (how much you charge for beats
and music services), the rst factor that you should consider is the overall
quality of your production catalog. Do you honestly feel that you have quality,
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competitive production? It doesn’t matter if you think any given well-known
beatmaker (producer) is wack. What matters more is whether or not someone
else will think your beats are dope. In other words, of the beatmakers that you
respect and admire, how would you honestly rate your production in comparison
to theirs? If you feel that your production can compete, then I recommend that
you be willing to come down (substantially) o your price. Let’s say in fact,
your production does rival some of the best. In the beginning, until you build
some notoriety and get your name heard, it’s important to recognize the fact
that you will not get paid like some of the best. So proceed with humbleness,
and keep this in mind: If the situation presents itself, at least you can aim for
a high minimum.
e second factor that you should consider is the artist(s) and/or person(s)
interested in your beats and music. How do you feel about the artist for whom
your beats and music will be used? If you believe that they’re very talented, then
be prepared to come down o your price. If you think that they’re extremely
talented, and I’m talking like on a level with critically acclaimed rappers, then
be prepared to let go of your beat(s) for free. e thing is, if they are as talented
as you believe, then you should do everything possible to make sure that your
production plays a part in such a phenomenon. e upside to a situation like this
is tremendous. For one thing, you can simply defer all payment until some agreed
upon future date; this date can be months, even years after the commencement
of the project. More importantly, you can secure future production work with
this artist; and future production work with any artist is the real prize. It’s that
work — especially should it be critically acclaimed — that will undoubtedly
help garner you more production opportunities in the future.
On the other hand, if you think that the rapper is really not talented at all, I
would then suggest that you reconsider doing production work for them. Never
waste your beats on rappers who neither keep pace with or enhance your beats.
Going this route once or twice is perhaps O.K. if you have to; you should be
able to recover. But if you repeatedly go down this road, wasting your beats at
random, you will drain yourself of creativity, and in some cases, you’ll lose the
drive and desire to even make beats. Remember, quality rappers regularly help
inspire and motivate beatmakers to go into more creative, more advanced musical
directions. Untalented rappers often do not understand and/or appreciate your
eorts, skill, and dedication. So they often have a reverse developmental eect
on your production.
e third factor you should consider is whether or not you will actually get
the opportunity to work in the recording session of the song, that is, will you
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get to be present for the initial tracking and/or to assist the rapper. In most
cases these days, beatmakers sell their beats and do not hear from the rapper
and/or label for months (sometimes years). If you know before hand that you
will not be participating in at least the initial recording of the song, then your
beat-price should be somewhere towards the low end of the standard price
range. Point here is to not price yourself out of serious consideration. But if
you know before hand that you will be very much involved in the shaping of
the song, then stand rm around the mid-price range; charge your full worth,
not just the beat price. In a situation like this, you want to establish what you
think your beats and production services are worth, then go about proving it
through your studio session management skills and creative ideas.
Finally, when trying to determine the price you should charge for your beats,
the fourth factor that you should consider is the situation of the rapper and/or
persons interested in your beats and music. is factor can be divided into four
dierent areas: (1) Is the rapper signed or unsigned? (if the rapper is signed, is
s/he signed to a major record label or an independent record label?); (2) What’s
the size (overall amount) of the rapper’s recording budget; (3) Your gut feeling
about the rapper’s potential; and (4) Your personal nancial situation at the time.
If the rapper is signed to a major record label, proceed with caution. It’s
O.K. to feel good about your accomplishment, but never appear over excited
or too indebted to the point that you’re just happy to be at the session. If your
beats and music got you there, then continue to demonstrate why. Remember,
you’re a professional, so never forfeit your personal and/or business integrity for
anyone. And Even though it may be in your best interest to forgo payment in
certain situations, make it clear that you are doing so of your own free will and
not because someone shrewdly duped you out of a payday.
If the rapper is signed to an independent record label you might have a
better chance of getting cash upfront, if that’s what you’re really after. Indie labels
operate on smaller budgets and rigid time constraints, so they like to handle as
much as possible for as little as possible. Hence, they often use upfront cash to
get better terms from the beatmakers that they work with. Major record labels
also use cash in a similar fashion, but on a much grander scale, and usually only
among a select group of people that they regularly do business with. On the
other hand, many indie labels relate rather well to the independent nature of
beatmakers, so they often like to negotiate cash and pay on the spot. In most
cases, because they are paying cash (a lot of the time 100% upfront), they will
get you to come down o your price. So don’t feel like you were taken advantage
of if and when this happens.
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Regarding the question of whether the rapper is unsigned and really talented,
I strongly recommend that you try to do one of two things, either: (1) Form a
group with them; or (2) Sign them yourself and oer your beats for free as an
incentive. ese days, there are a lot of just O.K. rappers. I believe there are far
too many so-called “hot” rappers that are beneting from a weak talent pool. So
if a quality unsigned rapper approaches you about your beats and production
services, do whatever you can to formulate a power alliance with them. After
all, two quality music professionals is more powerful than one. Plus, you double
your chances for success and exposure.
When it comes to the size of the rapper’s recording budget (even if you know
the rapper’s budget), you still have to be careful when negotiating price. Again,
if the rapper is of high caliber, the most important thing is the production work,
not the immediate money you might get. e more quality credits you acquire,
the more production work will come your way, provided you market your brand
well. So instead of seeing how much of the budget you can get, maybe oer
multiple beats for the price of one. If the rapper has a sizeable budget, as long
as your asking price is reasonable, you’ll most likely get it. But keep in mind
that all prices are negotiable.
Your gut feeling about the rapper’s potential should always determine how
much you charge for your beats and production services. ink about how you
honestly feel about the rapper. Aside from getting paid, is the whole project really
going to be worth your beats? ere are many cases of talented but obnoxious
rappers who have a penchant for making sessions long and disastrous. Before you
commit to such an artist, make sure you’ve got a good gut feeling about them.
Finally, what’s your personal nancial situation at the time of the negotiation?
Your personal nancial situation should play a role in whatever price you
ultimately decide to charge someone for your beats and production services. If
your nancial situation is strenuous, be careful not to reveal it. As I mentioned
earlier, keep your integrity at all times. With reasonable beat prices, not only
will the beat prices that you name be respected, but you will also stand to gain
more production work with the rapper(s) in the future. And on the other hand,
if you’re doing ne nancially, you certainly don’t want to overemphasize price.
Again, the main goal is additional production opportunities.
To sum it up, when it comes to determining how much you should charge
for your beats, keep your price range for your beats and services from between
$0 and $8,000, depending, of course, on the types of circumstances I outlined
in this section. Also, recognize that there may arise many situations wherein it’s
advantageous for you to defer payment in exchange for other benets. Likewise,
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there may be a few situations where it’s necessary for you to set a very high asking
price. But whatever you to be exible.
The New Beat Market Exchange: Celebrity Beatwork
Solicitation Means Your Favorite Beatmaker is Now
Competing with You
Once, there was a time when most critically acclaimed beatmakers were in
demand. It was a time when $15,000, $25,000, and $40,000 beat prices were
attainable for proven beatmakers. It was a time when the most recognizable
names in beatmaking were ooded with work. at time is no more.
e ruling party of beatmakers have been, through no fault of their own,
unceremoniously stripped of their power; this has resulted in a level playing
eld for new contracted beatwork. With the emergence of new technology
(specically, new music production tools), the explosive growth of a new class
of beatmakers, the advent of the “new music industry,” the presence of social
media sites like Twitter and Facebook, and music streaming sites like YouTube,
Soundcloud, and Bandcamp, the terrain for paid beatwork has become tumultu-
ous, making it seemingly possible for any beatmaker to have access to the very
same beat users/beat buyers that only the beatmaking pros formerly had access to.
In an interview I did with DJ Premier, he told me about his beat prices
in the 1990s. Although he did have what he called a “sliding scale,” he didn’t
have to, it was his choice! He was in demand, and the artists who wanted to
work with him, that is to say, those who needed his beats and co-sign, simply
paid whatever price he set. But that sort of want-and-need structure no longer
exists for most beatmakers in the new beat market exchange. Certainly, quality
beats and celebrity co-signs still remain valuable, but quality beats are no longer
the products of just a small elite group of beatmakers. Anyone with the right
know-how and access to the right music production tools can put the practice
and time in, and come up with quality beats. Just look at what happened
with “Panda,” the runaway 2016 hit song by Desiigner. Reportedly, Desiigner
bought the beat for “Panda” o of YouTube for $200 from it’s producer Menace.
Combine the reality that anyone with beats to sell and an internet connection
with the front-door access to rappers (the chief buyers and users of beats) that
social media oers, and what you have is a new beat market exchange, one
that is vast and open, where truly any beatmaker can compete. So while some
beatmakers may have once had the comfort zone to successfully operate using a
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sliding scale for their beat prices, today, no such luxury exists. In the new beat
market exchange, every beatmaker — acclaimed and lesser-known — must have
a sliding scale, because inexibly in beat prices in the current climate is akin to
professional suicide.
Background Context of the New Beat Market Exchange
Beatmaking is a new musical phenomenon, as such, the price parameters
and ceiling for beats were being set — in real time — in the 1990s. And what
was the price parameters and ceiling for beats based on? Well, in many ways,
the price was based on the model for previous music producers, those prior to
the advent of professional beatmakers. By 1999, it became clear that not all
beatmakers were actually in the studio with rappers “producing,” i.e. helping out
with song ideas, vocal coaching, mixing, etc. us, quite naturally, beat prices
necessarily had to go down. ink about it: If a beat goes to a rapper, without
the beatmaker’s presence, well, then what you have is a situation where the
instrumental — the beat — is being bought wholesale, which is to say that the
beat, without the beatmaker’s direct input (post beat sell), the beat should be
less expensive. Add to that mix the fact that the number of capable beatmakers
grew exponentially over the past 10 years, and what emerged (naturally) was a
dramatic drop in beat prices. In other words, the beat market prices corrected
themselves; it was inevitable.
You Can’t Blame This One on Poor Music Sales and Illegal Downloads
ere’s only so much that can be blamed on poor music sales and illegal
downloads. Poor music sales or illegal downloads are really not the reason
that beat prices have gone down. High beat prices, for example, $25,000 and
above, were unreasonable and unsustainable in the rst place. It just took little
more than a decade for the market to correct itself. Fact is, by 1995, beat prices
were steadily going down for most acclaimed beatmakers. Only a specic few
were able to command exorbitant beat prices and fees. e likes of Dr. Dre,
Timbaland, and e Neptunes saw their prices go up during the mid- to late
1990s, but by the end of the ‘90s and the early 2000s, they would eventually
see their workloads go down. Reason why? eir price points became too high
for too many artists; pluts lots of artists were looking to tap new (and cheaper)
production talent. As great as all of these beatmakers (producers) are/were,
none of them could guarantee hits in the hard-pressed environment the music
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industry was increasingly having to cope with. And thus, with no guaranteed
hit, there were very few takers willing to absorb the risk that accompanied high
beat prices.
All things considered, the true market price range for quality beats has, in
reality, always been roughly $2,000-$7,000 per beat. And consider this. In
most cases, between 1989-1999, the bigger beat price tags for most acclaimed
beatmakers typically covered multiple at-rate beat deals, usually 3-8 beats (plus
in-studio work), depending on the beatmaker and the specic rapper or other
artist involved.
Even still, there wasn’t a level playing eld in the 1990s. However, in the
new beat market exchange, there is a level playing eld. Still, it should be
noted that this level playing eld is “upside down.” at is to say, there’s no
protection against one beatmaker underbidding another beatmaker. For every
one beatmaker who commands $10,000, there’s another one equally capable who
will accept $5,000; and there are thousands more just as good who are willing
to take $1,000; and there might be tens of thousands more who are almost as
adequate and willing to forgo any payment, in exchange for production credit.
erefore, even though there is a level playing eld, the only real choice that
any career-worthy beatmaker has for long-term beat-placement survival is to
unionize.
Finally, I believe that too much attention has been misplaced on beat
prices rather than on guaranteed residuals (royalties) for beatmakers. e focus
should mostly be shifted away from beat prices, and placed squarely on beat
royalties. As suppliers of the instrumental music, beatmakers should be entitled
to receive royalties for the beats that they sell, just like any other composer of
music material. Fortunately, considering the realities of the new beat market
exchange and the increased level of more informed beatmakers, I believe that
statutory beat royalty rates will soon become standard.
Understanding Publishing Splits
It’s important to note how publishing splits (percentages) work as it pertains
to beatmaking. ere is a music industry standard regarding publishing splits.
Publishing splits for a song are broken down into two shares (areas): (1) the
music; and (2) the words. e “music” refers to the composition, i.e. the rhythm,
melody, or harmony of the song. e “words” refers to the lyrics of the song.
In beatmaking (hip hop/rap production), since the beatmaker (producer) is
considered the composer, the beatmaker (producer) is entitled to 50% (1/2) of
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the song; while the rapper (lyricist) is entitled to the other 50% (1/2) of the song.
is means that if there is more than one beatmaker (producer, composer) on
a song, each will have to split the 50% “composer’s share.” Likewise, if there is
more than one rapper on a song, each will have to split the 50% “writer’s share” of
the song. So if there’s one beatmaker and two rappers on a song, the beatmaker
owns 50% of the song (the song’s publishing), and each rapper owns 25% (and
if there’s eight rappers on a song, like for instance a classic Wu-Tang song, each
rapper owns 6.25%). As is most often the case, there’s only one beatmaker
(producer) who’s credited on a song; so typically, one beatmaker (producer) is
entitled to the entire composer’s share. However, it’s common for some new
beatmakers (producers) to forfeit a percentage of their publishing to someone,
usually an A&R or a recording artist, in order to get placements. My advice: You
typically don’t want to forfeit your publishing rights under any circumstances.
However, there are some situations where it may be advantageous to you to do
so. For instance, if you receive a large up-front fee and/or guaranteed future
production work.
Join a Performance Rights Organization (Society)
A performance rights organization or society (PRO) is an organization
(typically, not for prot) that protects its members’ musical copyrights by
monitoring public performances (uses) of their music. Public performances that
are monitored by PROs include radio and television broadcasts and stadium
broadcasts and the like. PROs collect licensing fees from users (those persons
who wish to use copyrighted works publicly) of music created by its members
(copyright holders), then distributes them back to its members as royalties. is
arrangement is not to be confused with the royalties that are generated from
the record sales, as this describes private performance rights, something that is
handled separately by record labels and music publishers.
I recommend that all beatmakers (producers) join a performance rights
organization, either ASCAP or BMI, the two biggest performance rights
organizations in America. By joining a performance rights organization,
you’re able to register all projects (songs) that you create, even those
mixtape projects with established artists. Should a project that you’re
connected with really take off, i.e. it becomes a big hit, registration
with a performance rights organization safeguards against beat-jacking (the
stealing and unauthorized use of beats) and non-compensation or non-credit.
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How Beats Are Typically Sold
Before examining contracts and how legal agreements work, it’s useful to
outline how beats are typically sold. Producers often sell beats outright. is
means that for an up-front free, usually $50 to $5,000, a buyer, i.e. an artist/
company buys the beat from the producer and the artist/company owns the
beat free and clear — ALL rights, including copyright and right to use the beat
again. Under this paradigm, any compensation that the producer receives after
the up-front free (i.e. royalties) is determined by whatever the producer and the
artist/company negotiate in the contract. If the producer and artist/company
do not sign agreement stipulating further compensation, the artist/company is
not obligated to pay the producer a royalty or any other compensation. is
is important to note, as many producers sell beats online or to artists in their
neighborhood for $50-$200 without any agreement. If you sell beats online or
informally to artists in your neighborhood, make sure you have an agreement.
Some producers also license their beats. Licensing a beat is not a “sell” in
the same way that selling a beat outright is. When a producer licenses a beat,
the artist/company have a non-exclusive right (major and independent labels
typically will not buy a license to a beat unless it is an exclusive license), which
means the producer retains the copyright to the beat and can use it to make
other deals. In cases were a beat is licensed exclusively to an artist/company,
the producer owns the copyright to the underlying composition, i.e., the beat,
while the artist or company (usually the label) owns the copyright to the sound
recording.
Understanding Contracts/Legal Agreements
Contracts are the written, legal manifestations of all informal and formal
negotiations that comprise an agreement between any number of parties. e
terms of a contract refer to the details of an agreement, for example, the terms of
payment, obligations, commencement, durations, benchmarks, notices, and the
like. Before you sign any agreement, have an entertainment lawyer thoroughly
look it over. It is not terribly dicult to nd a qualied entertainment attorney
who could examine a contract for you, and such a service is not as pricey as you
might think. Sometimes it costs as little as $200 (even less for some lawyers in
New York City), and usually it can be done within 24 hours. Having a qualied
attorney even glance at an agreement is well worth the price, especially when
you consider the fact that it will likely help you gain the best possible agreement
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and, more importantly, help you avoid entering a considerably bad deal.
Contracts can be as creative as a beat. Even though there are industry wide
standards, these standards can be, and often are, altered and manipulated to
address the specic interests of all parties involved in a given agreement. Many
recording artists, especially in hip hop/rap, routinely get taken advantage
of simply because many of them are unfamiliar with contracts or how the
negotiation process works. Specically, recording artists are often unfamiliar
with the way in which unique terms and clauses resonate within various legal
agreements. us, too often the end result is a recording artist entering into a
one-sided, unfair agreement. One of the biggest reasons that many beatmakers
enter into unfair agreements is because they simply do not understand that, in
reality, there is no such thing as a “standard” contract. Sure, I concede that there
are standard frameworks from which all music recording contracts are drafted.
However, understanding how and why these contracts are typically altered,
manipulated, and/or totally remodeled is critical to a beatmaker’s bottom line.
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The Main Types of Agreements Involving Beat Sales:
Work for Hire vs. Non-Esclusive
In a work-for-hire agreement, the producer forfeits all rights to their beat,
including the copyright and the right to use the beat again for any purpose. If
an agreement is work for hire, the producer usually receives an up-front fee and a
royalty based either on net prots/net receips from sales (independent labels) or
percentage of the artist’s royalties (major labels — usually 2%-5% based on the
artist’s royalty). Note however that even when an agreement is work for hire, it
may be possible for the producer to retain the copyright in his contribution to
the underlying musical work, as opposed to the sound recording. In that case,
the label or artist will require the producer’s permission to use that contribution
so that they can exploit the recording. Always aim for this with any producer
agreement that you sign, especially when the beat is non-sample-based.
Building a Contract
Here, I’m discussing how to incorporate those things that you would want
out of a contract and agreement. at being said, if you draft your own contract,
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A beatmaker’s “bottom line” describes the net compensation that a beatmaker receives for his
production services. The bottom line doesn’t always have to be money; it can be equipment vouchers,
future work, staff positions, and a variety of other things.
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make an eort to at least have it looked at by a qualied attorney.
If you have the skills to get into a contract negotiation, then you have to
believe that you have the skills to do it again. erefore, when building your
contract(s), I recommend that you aim for particular tangibles, not just money.
at is, whenever possible, try to cover as many non-recoupable costs as possible.
For instance, let’s say the contract stipulates that you will get paid $5,000 for
one beat, with 50% — the rst half — being paid at the signing and another
50% — the second half — at the completion of the project. You can either
accept this standard format or you can get creative. For example, you can forfeit
meal costs and/or local travel costs, and up to 25% of the rst payment due
to you, in exchange for a gear and equipment voucher. (And once you get the
setup, you can always liquidate it.)
Finally, in this section I have included four sample contracts. Carefully
examine each contract, and be sure to notice their similarities as well as the
specic language (wording) of each agreement, and the order of the terms.
Also, notice how each agreement is fashioned and shaped in a way that is more
suitable for the beatmaker (producer).
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SAMPLE CONTRACTS
PRODUCTION FOR HIRE AGREEMENT 1
is agreement made on ____/_____/_____(date) is between the Producer and the Undersigned
Artist. e Artist has either signed a recording contract with the following Record Company:
_____________RECORDS and the date of the contract was ____/_____/_____(date), or is
an unsigned/ independent Artist.
TERMS AND RECITALS
e eectiveness of this Agreement shall commence with its execution by all of the parties.
Please note the following:
a. e Producer specializes in recording, and musical production of musical Artists, background
recordings, music drops, etc.
b. e Producer is familiar with the musical abilities of Artist.
c. e Artist performs under the name_______ (if no other name, leave blank).
d. e Producer and the Artist wish to enter into this agreement to complete the music
production of the songs recorded.
1. PAYMENT
1.1. e Artist/Company, (whichever applies), promises to pay the Producer the following
payments in the amount of $_______ per beat (track or song can be inserted here if you prefer).
e Artist promises to make payments to the Producer before the pre-production recording
phase ___% (usually 50%, but negotiable) and as soon as all production is nal and approved
___% (usually remaining balance, but always negotiable. For instance, you can defer payment for
other incentives, such as guaranteed future production work).
is agreement hereby requests, instructs, authorizes, and empowers the Artist/Company to
pay the Producer all amounts agreed upon. e duration of this agreement commences as of
____/_____/_____(date).
2. PRODUCTION
2.1. e Producer agrees to produce masters of recordings consisting of songs performed by
Artist (hereinafter referred to as the “Songs”). e resulting recording (hereinafter referred to
as the “Recording”) shall be of a quality that is equal to master recordings normally produced
for commercial distribution. e Artist will also give production credits (full or Co) to the
Producer(s) in both written and verbal formats. (i.e. Album credits, or person-to-person
inquiries).
3. CONTRIBUTION BY ARTIST
3.1. e Artist agrees to fully cooperate with the Producer, in good faith, in the production of
the Recording; to contribute to such production the music and lyrics embodied in the Songs;
to arrange, direct and perform the Songs in such a manner as to facilitate the production of
the Recording; and to otherwise strictly observe the remaining duties and obligations of this
Agreement.
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4. ARTISTIC CONTROL
4.1. e Producer and the Artist shall be jointly responsible for all decisions regarding the artistic
content of the Recording. e Producer (or artist, depending on the situation) shall maintain
nal decision rights in the event mutual consensus is not reached.
5. TITLE
5.1. e title of the Recording shall be chosen by agreement between the Producer and the
Artist.
6. DATES AND LOCATION OF RECORDING SESSIONS
6.1. e recording sessions necessary to produce the Recordings will occur at studios and facilities
chosen by the Producer. (Or Artist, depending on the agreement).
7. ADDITIONAL MUSICIANS
7.1. e _______ (Artist) or _______ (Producer) shall provide and compensate sucient and
competent musicians to properly perform the Songs, as arranged and directed by the Artist
and the Producer.
8. COSTS
8.1. e Producer and the Artist will be responsible for deciding in advance who will pay all of
the costs that will be incurred in the production of the Recording, including the prepayment
of all travel, hotel and meal costs incurred by the Artist and/or the Producer in attending the
recording sessions.
9. COMPLETION AND RELEASE
9.1. If the Artist or the Company plans to release and distribute the Recording(s), the Recording(s)
shall be completed and prepared for release and distribution on or before ____/_____/_____
(date). e Artist or the Artist’s Company will be responsible for the release and distribution
of the Recordings. If the Artist or the Artist’s Company isn’t ready to release and distribute the
Recording(s) by the date previously aforementioned, the Artist will notify the Producer and will
continue to give frequent updates concerning the status of the recordings. e Artist will also
inform the Producer once the nal release and distribution dates are determined. e Producer
and the Artist acknowledge that time is of the essence in the completion of the Recording, and
they each agree to exercise all reasonable means to achieve such completion.
10. COPYRIGHT
10.1. Upon the Artist’s assignment of the Songs pursuant herein, the _______ (Producer) or
(Artist) or (Company), whichever applies, shall proceed to obtain and secure a copyright for
each of the said Songs. Each such copyright shall be the sole property of both the Producer’s
(designate your publishing company, i.e. ASCAP, BMI) and the Artist/company, (whichever
applies), 50/50.
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11. SAMPLE CLEARANCE
11.1. e Artist understands that the Producer may have utilized a sample from another artist’s
(s) recording, which was previously copyrighted, to create the beat (music, track, song, etc.).
e Producer will give the Artist full disclosure of the origin of all samples. In the event that
the song from the recording is published, utilizing the beat (music, track) the Artist/Company,
(whichever applies), will assume all responsibility for clearing any samples utilized. In the event
that there’s a lawsuit, the Artist/Company, (whichever applies), and NOT the Producer, will
assume all responsibility for settling the copyright infringement and the Producer will not be
liable. If the name of an artist sampled for the beat (music, track, etc.) is required, the Artist will
consult with the Producer and will get the information concerning the origin of the sample(s)
utilized in the song. In the event that the Artist is not able to retrieve the name of a sampled
artist(s) from the Producer, the Artist will be responsible in obtaining the names of any sampled
artist(s) and getting the sample(s) cleared. e Artist/Company, (whichever applies) will accept
total responsibility and liability for any changes made to the tracks after the Producer has
delivered the master track(s).
13. UNDERSTANDING
13.1. e Artist/Company, (whichever applies) and the Producer understand that this written
agreement is a legally binding document. In the event that either the Artist/Company, (whichever
applies) or the Producer violates any of the above clauses, each understands that they will be
liable for damages and attorney fees.
By signing their signatures below or executing the purchase online, both the Artist and the
Producer agree with all the terms and conditions written in this agreement.
Print: X_______________________ Date_____/_____/____
Sign: X______________________ Artist/Company, (whichever applies)
Print: X_______________________ Date_____/_____/____
Sign: X______________________ Witness______________
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PRODUCTION FOR HIRE AGREEMENT 2
is is a Production Agreement made this day of ____, 200_,
between the Master Producer (You/Your Production Company) _______ and the Undersigned
Artist_______. e Artist has signed a recording contract with the following Company _______,
and the date of the contract was _______ 200_, or the Artist is unsigned and/or independent.
All references to the Master Producer, Producer, “Us”, “We”, and/or “I”, and the like will hereby
refer to the aforementioned Master Producer and/or Producer employed by the Master Producer,
only. All references to the Artist/Company, and/or “You” and the like will hereby refer to the
aforementioned Artist/Company, only.
1. SERVICES AND OBLIGATIONS
1.1. In this Production Agreement, the Master Producer is a work for hire for only ___
recording(s).
1.2. PRODUCTION
1.2.(a) e Producer agrees to produce masters of recordings consisting of songs performed by
Artist (hereinafter referred to as the “Songs”). e resulting recording (hereinafter referred to
as the “Recording”) shall be of a quality that is equal to master recordings normally produced
for commercial distribution. e Artist will also give production credits (full or Co) to the
Producer(s) in both written and verbal formats. (i.e. Album credits, or person-to-person
inquiries).
ARTIST CONTRIBUTION
1.3.(a) e Artist agrees to fully cooperate with the Producer, in good faith, in the production
of the Recording; to contribute to such production the music and lyrics embodied in the Songs;
to arrange, direct and perform the Songs in such a manner as to facilitate the production of
the Recording; and to otherwise strictly observe the remaining duties and obligations of this
Agreement. e Artist shall be responsible for booking all associated recording sessions, and
shall be responsible for notifying the Master Producer/Producer at least ___ hours prior to the
commencement of any recording sessions.
3. PAYMENT
3.1. Artist/Company, (whichever applies), promises to pay Master Producer/Production Company
the following payments in the amount of $_______ per beat (track or song can be inserted here if
you prefer). e Artist/Company, (whichever applies), promises to make payments to the Producer
before the pre-production recording phase ___% (usually 50%, but negotiable) and as soon as
all production is nal and approved ___% (usually remaining balance, but always negotiable. For
instance, you can defer payment for other incentives, such as guaranteed future production work).
3.1.(a) is Production Agreement hereby requests, instructs, authorizes, and empowers
Record Company (in your case the artist) to pay Master Producer (or production company)
all producer fees agreed upon.
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4. COSTS
4.1. e Artist/Company, (whichever applies), will be responsible for paying all of the costs that
will be incurred in the production of the Recording, including the prepayment of all travel,
hotel and meal costs incurred by the Producer in attending the recording sessions. Costs that
are NOT prepaid shall be recoupable by the Producer within ___ business days, from the time
the Artist/Company receives receipts of such legitimate costs.
5. MISCELLANEOUS
5.1. is Production Agreement can and will be used in a court of law (city, state) in the event
that there is a breach of these contractual provisions.
6. COPYRIGHT
6.1. By signing this Agreement you (Artist) hereby grant our publishing designee 50% of your
share of world-wide copyrights for this recording.
e duration of this agreement commences as of the date of the contact between the Artist and
the Master Producer(Production Company) ____ ,200_.
By signing their signatures below or executing the purchase online, both the Artist and the
Producer agree with all the terms and conditions written in this written agreement.
Print: X_______________________ Date_____/_____/____
Sign: X______________________ Artist/Company, (whichever applies)
Print: X_______________________ Date_____/_____/____
Sign: X______________________ Witness______________
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EXCLUSIVE PRODUCTION AGREEMENT 1
is agreement is made by and between Master Producer (You/Your Production Company)
_______ and the Undersigned Artist_______, for the exclusive, non-transferable right to use the
musical composition known as (the “Composition”) for all commercial recording, performing,
broadcasting and distribution purposes (“Exclusive Rights”).
1. SERVICES AND OBLIGATIONS
1.1. is license permits the exclusive use of the Composition (“the beat”) or any portion thereof
in particular recordings made in connection with the Composition, including the exclusive right
to perform, broadcast and distribute any derivative thereof. is license is non-assignable and
any attempt to reproduce, share or re-sell the Composition itself is strictly prohibited.
2. FEES
2.1. e Exclusive Rights are granted for and in consideration of the sum of (“price”)__________
and other valuable consideration, receipt of which is hereby acknowledged.
3. ROYALTIES
3.1. Royalties for the sale, distribution, broadcast and performance of any derivative of the
Composition shall be allocated as follows: Sales: 3% of gross sales to Master Producer.
4. CREDIT
4.1. All distributed works must show the following music credit: Produced by (name of Master
Producer).
5. WRITING SPLITS
5.1. 50% - Master Producer BMI or ASCAP #, 50% - Artist.
6. PUBLISHING SPLITS
6.1. 50% - Master Producer BMI or ASCAP #, 50% - Artist.
7. COPYRIGHT
7.1. Master Producer to retains the copyright in his contribution to the underlying musical
work, not the sound recording.
8. WARRANTIES
8.1. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, Master Producer oers the Composition as-is and
makes no representations or warranties of any kind concerning the work, including, without
limitation, warranties of title, merchantability, tness for a particular purpose, non infringement,
or the absence of latent or other defects, accuracy, or the presence or absence of errors, whether
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or not discoverable.
e duration of this agreement commences as of the date of the contact between the Artist and
the Master Producer(Production Company) ____ ,200_.
By signing their signatures below or executing the purchase online, both the Artist and the
Master Producer agree with all the terms and conditions written in this written agreement.
Print: X_______________________ Date_____/_____/____
Sign: X______________________ Artist/Company, (whichever applies)
Print: X_______________________ Date_____/_____/____
Sign: X______________________ Witness______________
Master Producer: (You) ___________
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EXCLUSIVE PRODUCTION AGREEMENT 2
(Used for the purpose of signing other producers to your Production Company)
is is a Production Agreement, (hereinafter referred to as the “Agreement”) this day of _______
200_, between the Master Producer, (“You”, producing under the pseudonym, “_______”)
and the Production Company, (“Us”). Hereinafter the company shall be referred to as “the
Production Company” and/or the “Company” and/or “Us”.
1. SERVICES/TERMS
1.1. e term will commence on the date hereof and will continue, unless extended as provided
herein, for _ years.
1.2. During the term of the Agreement, you will render your personal
production services exclusively to us, as the producer of Pre-Mastered Recordings, hereby referred
to as “Beats”. e company has the Full and Exclusive right to negotiate price and payment for
all of your beats and production services.
1.2.(a) Your beats shall be produced and used for any one and/or combination of the
following:
1.2.(a1) For the purpose of creating songs, backgrounds, interludes, intros, outros, and the like
for all of the Company’s recording artists and producers.
1.2.(a2) For the purpose of creating songs, backgrounds, interludes, intros, outros, and the like
for any artist(s) and/or other like person(s) NOT signed to the Company.
1.2.(a3) e producer agrees to give the Company the Full and Exclusive right to stipulate
and negotiate any and all terms of agreements associated with your beats produced for any
artist(s) and/or other like person(s) NOT signed to the company. is DOES NOT mean that
the company is, nor shall ever be, the producer’s manager. e producer shall have the right
to enter into a Management Agreement with whom they choose. However, it is understood
that all terms of this agreement shall remain intact, throughout the term specied in section
1, sub-section 1.1.
1.3. Your production role in the studio:
1.3.(a) In regards to the beats that you produce for _______ and other Company Artists, it
shall be no less than your assistance with the tracking of your beats. at is, you are required
to be present at the recording session, whenever the initial tracking of your beats are being
performed, unless otherwise noted in writing by us. ALL nal mixes and/or master recordings
of your beats and/or songs is the sole responsibility of the Company.
1.3.(b) In regards to the beats that you produce for anyone NOT signed to the Company, you
shall be required to perform or assist in performing the initial tracking of your beats.
1.4. In the event that you can not be present for an initial tracking recording session, you must
give us at least 3 days notice. You must also deliver any beat in consideration for any Company
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related project, within 48 hours of said notice.
1.4.(a) e following formats of beats shall be deemed suitable for delivery to us:
1.4.(a1) Audio CD.
1.4.(a2) Pro Tools data CD, with two additional backups.
1.4.(b) e time length of each beat that shall be deemed suitable for delivery to us:
5 minutes or more, but not too exceed 8 minutes, unless otherwise expressed by us in
writing.
2. PRODUCTION CREDITS AND RECOGNITION
2.1. For beats produced for any recording artist signed to the Company: You will receive Full
Production credit, in regards to any and all beats that you produce. Production credit for the
song (single or album) shall read like this, “Produced by “You” for the Company (Us). For beats
produced for artists NOT signed to the Company, you will receive Full Production credit.
3. OBLIGATIONS
3.1. Producer Obligations:
3.1.(a)You are obligated to submit at least 3 brand new beats to us every week.
3.1.(b) You are obligated to perform such services as are customarily performed by a record
producer, including but not limited to, editing/sequencing, tracking, and the initial recording
of your beats.
3.1.(c) You are obligated to produce and perform under the pseudonym, “_______” and/or
“_______”.
3.1.(d) You are obligated to report any and all inquiries about your production services to the
Company.
e “Key Man”
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in this clause is _______.
3.1.(e) You are obligated to assist in the promotion and marketing of your production
services.
3.2. Company Obligations
3.2.(a) e Company is obligated to identify, seek, nd, and foster Artists for your production
services. ese Artists shall be of a talent level approved by both the Producer and the Company.
ough the Company has nal say over which Artists the Producer can produce for, the
company must inform the Producer of any and all inquiries, in regards to the Producer’s beats
195
The “Key Man” is the contact person. Key Man clauses are very important. People routinely move
around in the music business. Pressures run extremely high, which often translates into a strange culture
of impulsive promotions and terminations. Because so many people are red, hired and/or relocated,
the changes essentially jeopardize the situations of everyone directly associated. “Key Man clauses”
makes it clear which company representative will be dealing directly, (the majority of the time), with the
producer/artist. Key Man clauses also give producers/artists a way out of an agreement, in the event
that the Key Man (contact person) departs from the company.
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and production services.
3.2.(b) e Company is obligated to promote and market your beats and production services,
worldwide, via customary promotional practices and channels, including but not limited to,
industry contacts, online promotional campaigns, business cards, yers, etc.
3.2.(c) e Company is obligated to negotiate and secure price and payment for your beats and
production services with any artist and like persons NOT signed to the company.
3.2.(d) With regards to artists and the like NOT signed to the Company, the Company is
obligated to secure a purchasing price for your beats and production services that is NO LESS
THAN $_______ per beat. After _ (number of) credits from the date of this agreement, this
minimum amount shall increase to NO LESS THAN $_______ per beat produced by you.
4. PAYMENT PER BEAT
As full consideration for all of the rights granted to the Company hereunder and provided you
have fully complied with all of your material obligations, hereunder, the Company will pay
you, subject to all the terms and conditions hereof, a payment sum of:
4.1 On your beats used for any artist signed to the Company:
4.1.(a) Not less than $_______, no more than $_______for any number of beats up to 3.
Whichever amount is at the sole discretion of the Company.
4.1.(b) Not less than $_______, no more than $_______ for any number of beats between 4
and 6. Whichever amount is at the sole discretion of the Company.
4.1. (c) With regards to beats used by any Artist signed to the Company, the Company will pay
_% of the payment up front, at the commencement of the initial tracking session. e Company
shall pay the remaining _% of the payment to you within two weeks of the completion of the
nal mix of the song(s), in which your beat(s) was (were) used.
4.2. On your beats used for artists NOT signed by the Company, in particular, Artists and the
like whom the Company has secured and entered in with an agreement for your production
services:
4.2.(a) _% of the purchasing price paid for your production.
Please note. _% of the purchasing price shall be retained by the Company, as its percentage.
4.3. With regards to beats purchased from artists and the like NOT signed to the Company,
All payments owed to you shall be paid to you within two weeks of the Company’s receipt of
such applicable payments.
5. EXPENSES
5.1. With regards to Costs incurred in the Production of the Recording:
5.1.(a) As full consideration for all of the rights granted to the company hereunder and provided
you have fully complied with all of your material obligations, hereunder, the Company will
pre-pay for all of your costs incurred in the production of recordings for Artists signed to the
Company, and Artists NOT signed to the Company—provided they have entered into an
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agreement with the Company for your beats and production services, and have agreed to pre-pay
us for your costs incurred, during the use of your production services.
6. ACCOUNTINGS
6.1. e Company will render statements on October 31 and April 30 of each year of all royalties
due and owing to you at the end of the semi-annual periods ending on the preceding June 30
and December 31, respectively. Such statements shall be accompanied by payment of royalties
shown to be due and owed to you, if any, after deducting any and all un-recouped Advances
and chargeable costs under this agreement.
6.2. We will maintain books and records which report the sales of the Phonograph Records,
Compact Discs and/or Cassette Tapes. You may, at your own expense, examine those books
and records, as provided in this paragraph only. You may make those examinations only for
the purpose of verifying the accuracy of the statements sent to you under paragraph 4.1. You
may make such an examination for a particular statement only once, and only within two (2)
years after the date when we send you that statement under paragraph 4.1. (We will be deemed
conclusively to have sent you each statement on the date prescribed in 4.1 unless you notify us
otherwise, with respect to any statement, within thirty (30) days after that date.) You may make
those examinations only during our usual business hours, and at the place where we keep the
books and records to be examined. If you wish to make an examination you will be required to
notify us at least thirty (30) days before the date when you plan to begin it.
7. MISCELLANEOUS.
7.1. Neither party will be entitled to recover damages or to terminate this agreement by reason
of any breach hereof by the other party, that otherwise entitle you to recover damages or the
right to terminate this agreement, unless the latter party has failed to substantially remedy such
breach within a reasonable time following receipt of your notice thereof. For the purposes of
this paragraph 8.1 and solely with respect to our obligation to make payments to you under this
agreement, “reasonable time” shall be forty-ve (45) days, it being understood however, that you
shall not be entitled to recover damages or terminate the term of this agreement if the breach of
our payment obligation cannot be remedied within thirty (30) days, and we have commenced
to remedy it within that time and have proceeded with reasonable promptness.
7.2. YOU WILL BE CONSIDERED IN BREACH IF YOU:
7.2.(a) Negotiate ANY production agreement with any Artist and the like signed or not signed
to the Company, without the expressed, written consent of the Company.
7.2.(b) Provide ANY of your beats and/or production services to any Artist and the like, for
any project, whether it be for free or payment, without the expressed, written consent of the
Company.
7.3. TERMINATION
7.3.(a) is agreement may be terminated by the Company at any time, for ANY reason. e
Company’s desire to terminate the agreement must be presented to you in writing. However,
any and all monies remaining due to you must be paid to you within forty-ve (45) days of the
termination of the agreement. If you do not receive monies owed to you within forty-ve (45)
days of the termination of the agreement, the agreement is automatically reinstated.
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7.3.(b) You may remove yourself from this contract at any time with a one-time buy-out fee
of $_______. If you buy out of the agreement with the Company, any and all payments owed
to you shall be forfeited, immediately.
7.4. is agreement contains the entire understanding of the parties. No change of this agreement
will be binding upon us unless it is made by an instrument duly executed by us. No change of
this agreement will be binding on you unless it is made by an instrument signed by you.
7.5. is agreement will be governed and construed pursuant to the laws of the State of _______
applicable to contracts entered into and performed entirely within the State of _______, and
any disputes or controversies arising hereunder shall be subject to the jurisdiction of Courts of
the State of _______ or of the U.S. Federal District Court for the _______ District of _______.
Any process in any action or proceeding arising under or relating to this agreement may, among
other methods, be served upon you by delivering or mailing the same by registered or certied
mail, directed to the address rst written above or such other address as you designate by notice
to us. Any such delivery or mail service shall be deemed to have the same force and eect as
personal service within the State of _______.
7.6. All notices hereunder shall be in writing and shall be given by personal delivery, registered
or certied mail, return receipt requested, or by Federal Express, at the addresses shown above,
or such other address or addresses as may from time to time be designated by either party by
notice. Notices shall be deemed to be given when mailed, except for a notice of change of address
which shall be deemed to be given on the date of its receipt.
7.7. You may not assign this agreement or any of your rights hereunder to anyone.
7.8. is agreement shall not become eective until executed by all proposed parties hereto.
7.9. You have read and fully understand this agreement. You have either consulted with an
attorney regarding any questions you may have or have voluntarily elected not to do so.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this agreement on the date and year rst
written above.
Witness_____________
__________________
Producer
My social security number is__________________. Under the penalties of perjury, I certify
that this information is true, correct and complete.
By________________
(Capacity) e Company
YOUR ASSENT AND GUARANTY.
To induce the Company to enter into the forgoing agreement with the Producer, “_______”,
(the “Agreement”):
1. ________ (Producer)
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1.(a) represents to us that he has read the Agreement and has had the legal eect of each of
its provisions of it relating to the Producer, and the Company, and artists NOT SIGNED to
the Company.
1.(c) acknowledges that we will have no obligation to make any payments to the Producer
in connection with the services rendered by the Producer or the fulllment of the Producer
other obligations under the Agreement, except for the payments specied in paragraphs 4, 5,
and 6.
2.(a) “_______” (e Producer):
_________________ Date____/ _____/ _____
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Part 5
INTERVIEWS
A Note About the Interviews Part
When I set out to conduct the series of interviews that follow, I did so with the
aim of achieving ve things. First, I wanted to show the full gamut of beatmakers. at
is to say, I wanted to interview elite beatmakers (producers), pioneering beatmakers,
and beatmakers on the rise. Second, I wanted every beatmaker that I interviewed to
tell it like it is, in their own words. ird, I wanted to demonstrate any areas of major
consensus among successful beatmakers. Fourth, I wanted to dispel myths, while at the
same time, prove commonly held beliefs about beatmaking (hip hop/rap production).
Fifth, I wanted to gather and preserve rare, accurate, rst-hand professional insight
to and historical analysis of the art of beatmaking and the aesthetics that surround it.
I should further point out that the following interviews are candid, and they
are presented here as is. To preserve the actual words and sentiments and overall
aunthenticity of each interviewees words, I have not attempted to correct or censor any
of the slang or profanity that each interviewee used during my interviews with them.
Finally, I use “Sa’id” — my music performance pseudonym — in the question column,
as that is the name all interviewees know me as and are familiar with.
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MARLEY MARL
Marley Marl is the father of modern beatmaking.
Indeed, he is to beatmaking (hip hop/rap production)
what Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, and Afrika
Bambaataa are to hip hop/rap DJ’ing and hip hop/rap
music in general. Many of Marley Marl’s innovations
have become fundamentals in the beatmaking tradition.
And his long list of song credits with some of the most
inuential rappers in history are too many to name here.
Sa’id: In the beginning, DJs were the central gure to
hip hop/rap. How and why do you think that changed?
Marley Marl: I don’t think it changed too much because
the DJ still is one of the key gures of the survival of
hip hop. You go up in the clubs, the DJ is still throwin’
on joints. It’s not how it was when there was a DJ and
MC. e DJs breakin’ the records in the club; the DJ
plays the records on the radio. And I think the DJ is still very essential in the creation and in
the movement of hip hop. e DJ still holds a very sacred part in hip hop.
Sa’id: When rappers started realizing that they no longer needed the DJ, and, essentially,
that they could go to anybody and get music, why do you think that happened so fast?
Marley Marl: At one point, the DJ did get kind of x’d out… But the hip hop DJ had to evolve
itself into something where the hip hop DJ is needed…the guy making the beats. e DJ had
to evolve into another role… even radio… the DJ was there, the mix show was there.
Sa’id: Speaking of radio, what was the dierence between now and then? When you were
with Mister Magic, did the two of you have the same type of say?
Marley Marl: Some radio stations, some program directors and some music directors, they let
some of their tastemaker DJs taste make, basically… I mean, if you’re on prime time you can’t
really do what you would really want to do on your own… You have to stay in a certain zone;
they have a certain format. Like if a station is looking for 18-35 year old females. If that’s who
they shop for, you have to base your programming and your music around attracting those people.
Sa’id: But that’s now. Back then, rap was protected, it was kind of insular…
Marley Marl: Cuz it was too new! So they would let us do more of what we wanted to do to
break that music and that genre to everybody. Yeah, it was more leeway.
Sa’id: How did you take advantage of that leeway?
Marley Marl: Just by bringing the streets to the radio, bringing what the people like, what they
was vibing to in the streets. What we were doing was bringing what was popular in the streets
to the radio. At that point, a lot of radio guys weren’t really going out, so they didn’t have an
idea of what people really loved.
Sa’id: Let me take you back to when you were rst deejaying. What was the name of the
park in Queensbridge where all of the park jams were poppin’?
Marley Marl: Queensbridge Park. I can’t remember the date that I rst rocked a jam, but I
remember the day I rst touched a turntable in Queensbridge. It was on the 41 side of Vernon.
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ey had music out on the block; that’s before they even took it to the park. It was like a little
thing on the block. It was like a block party, everybody was out. ose block parties became so
big and legendary, you know, we had to take it to a bigger place. e big park was across the
street. I remember when we took it to the park, it was incredible. EVERYBODY came, even
people from dierent projects [public housing projects] came.
Sa’id: Who led you into that, who led you into the music in that way?
Marley Marl: My brother. My older brother, Larry La, he was in a group called High Fidelity.
ey were the rst DJs out of Queensbridge, they were the rst DJ crew…It was a DJ CREW!
And what they used to do, this is funny, this was BEFORE rap, they were a DJ DANCE crew!
So they used to go and dance. It was like a freestyle dance that they used to do. Kind of like
break dancing, mad movement. is is when everybody used to dress up, they used to kind
of dress up like Shabba Doo and them and do their break dancing, poppin’…ey were like
a break dance crew with DJs. ALL of them could dance and DJ. ey use to all dress alike…
marsh mellow shoes… As a kid, that’s what I used to look up to, that’s what I used to see…
ey [High Fidelity] were Gas, Jappy Jap, Larry La, and T Tom, the founder. at was my early
beginnings in getting into the music. And what was great for me is that they used to keep the
equipment up at my house. ey use to keep the stu in the living room, and they used to go
out, I used to go and toy around with the equipment. Of course they’d unplug it. I use to nd
the plug and plug it back in. Soon as I see them walk out the building, I’m trying to get on the
1 and 2s [two turntables] and mimic what I saw them do; play some of the records I saw them
dance to. at was my early beginnings.
Sa’id: You taught yourself?
Marley Marl: Yeah.
Sa’id: It got to the point where you got your own rig?
Marley Marl: Well, it got to the point where my brother went to the service [military], and it
kind of just disbanded. Cuz a lot of people was encouraging him like, “Ah, that’s that music
stu, that DJ stu, ain’t no money in it.” People didn’t know where it was going. And actually,
my stepfather told my brother, he was like, “You gettin’ to old to be runnin’ around doin’ these
parties, you ain’t really gettin’ no money. You gotta think about your future.” My brother was
like 18 years old, so that made him go to the service. He went into the air force.
Sa’id: Damn, 18 years old? How old were you at the time?
Marley Marl: I was like 8 years old. Believe me, I was watching them from the inception. I
would say by the time I was 13, I was already nice on the 1 and 2s. I put in my time… I was
exceptional. By the time I was 13, I was better than all them, I’ll tell you that.
Sa’id: So you saw at that age where the music was going?
Marley Marl: Right.
Sa’id: You were also with the Sure Shot Crew. Describe how it was “crews” then vs. the
cliques of today. Talk about you putting together a crew and what a crew meant.
Marley Marl: Basically, my crew came together because I was the guy in the park, and there’s
always guys who wanna rhyme. So I would let some people get on the mic sometimes, I’d
throw on “To Be Real” [by Cheryl Lynn] or somethin’ like that and let them rhyme over it. So
what happened, I would keep coming out and the same people kept coming to the mic. And
that’s how my crew really started. And I was like, “O.K.!” One of my rappers, he had ties to
the Bronx. His name was Bar’Shon. He used to hang out with Melle Mel and them. Rapper
Bar’ Shon…and he’s actually the guy that named me. He was on the mic, and he had a rhyme
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talkin’ bout, [starts rappin’] “Miss Shirley had a baby, she claimin’ to be a star, when he came
out with two pioneers, they named him Marley Marl.” I was like, “WOW!”
Sa’id: Ha… and you was like, “I’m keepin’ it.”
Marley Marl: I’m KEEPIN’ IT. [Laughs] My name before that, actually, I was Marvelous
Marlon. I had one of those names. But when he came out with that rhyme and said it on the
mic, it stuck. People started calling me Marley Marl after that.
Sa’id: See that’s how organic hip hop is… One thing everybody talks about is, O.K., hip
hop as a culture, and rap music, it all started in the Bronx. But what is never discussed
and is seldom known is that rap beatmaking (hip hop/rap production) — a lot of what
we commonly know it as today, i.e. looping, chopping…it more formally rst developed
in Queens.
Marley Marl: Oh, no doubt!
Sa’id: Why do you think that the actual rap “production,” beatmaking trade developed
with you in Queens, and others like Paul C., and then Large Professor? What made that
more conducive in Queens rather than in the Bronx?
Marley Marl: Because the earlier records that came out… My whole premise of getting into
production was because I didn’t like the representation of rap that was on wax [ca. 1979-1981].
Once rap was on cassettes, and everybody was runnin’ around with the latest Flash tape, that
was DOPE! Because there was cuttin’, there was scratchin’, there was echoes, and it was original
beats they was rhymin’ o of. at’s what…as a kid, that’s what I was brought up on, you know,
the scratchin’ element, the echoes, the break-beats, the RAWNESS, the rub-a-dub scratchin’.
But I noticed, by the time rap hit records, it was BANDS…It was bands re-playin’ break-beats!
[Laughs]. I remember the rst record I heard with a rap on it. I was so disappointed, because
as I was growing up, I was always hearing all of these Breakout cassettes from the streets; the
Grandmaster Flash tapes, and [starts to mimic a popular break-beat]… the echo, the energy.
Aw, man, what a disappointment when rap records rst came out. I was like, “NO! is is not
what it is…is is not a great representation of what I was brought up on.” at wasn’t what
rap was. at’s not what everybody used to go up in Harlem and in the Bronx [and] get the
tapes and for.
Sa’id: So how did you go about changing that, what was your rst step?
Marley Marl: My rst step was I got my break-beats up. All the songs I used to hear them
cuttin’ up…I got my break-beats up. And then after that, I would go out into the park and
have my crew rhyme over it. After that…I kind of discovered sampling by accident. at’s how
I got into looping… I was getting another part of the record, and we didn’t truncate it yet. e
snare was there and the vocal. I was playing a beat that I made on the drum machine, and I
heard the sampled snare playing with it. en I realized… I was like, “Yo, I can take any kick
and snare from ANY of my break-beat records on how rap should sound.”
Sa’id: When was this?
Marley Marl: I would say, ‘84/’85-ish…
Sa’id: Were you at Unique [famed NYC recording studio]
Marley Marl: Yeah, I was interning at Unique.
Sa’id: Describe that setting. Were you purposely hunting for a new sound?
Marley Marl: I don’t know if I would call it hunting for a new sound. I was trying to make
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rap sound accurate to what I was brought up on. at’s basically it. I wasn’t looking for a new
sound… Maybe you could call it looking for a new sound. But I know the representation of
what I was hearing [on the radio at that time] was NOT what I grew up on hearing on these
cassettes. And I just wanted to make it MORE like the rap that I heard before it hit records.
at was my whole premise of everything!
Sa’id: You speak to DJ Premier, he’ll tell you how he was inuenced by Marley Marl. But
who came before Marley Marl? Who was it that had that direct inuence on you? Where
did you take your cue from? Who was it that you were under, who was it that you were
watching?
Marley Marl: I was…hmmm… I would say my production… I was heavily inuenced by radio
mixers. Like back in the day, I think it was Shep Pettibone on Kiss FM. ere was a guy, Ted
Curry, on BLS (WBLS). ese are like… Yo, the funny thing about me with this whole music,
I wasn’t even a rap believer in the beginning! And my skills came from me basically connecting
records from the clubs. I was like a club DJ rst… I came in hip hop at a point when people
wasn’t even blending records or connecting them. Yeah, they was just like, throwing records
on; they was just like, cuttin’ them in. It wasn’t about putting two beats together and matching
them. ey wasn’t doing that. Only the club DJs was doing that or the disco DJs; that’s like a
disco mix. So what I did is, I took the disco mix and brought it to hip hop. Because disco used
to blend the next record in on time. And I knew how to do that real well, cuz I used to play in
a club. Matterfact, when I was 15, I was playing in a club. I wasn’t even old enough to be in
the club, but I was the DJ of the club, a club called Pegasus, o East 63rd Street and 2nd Ave
[in Manhattan]. I was the DJ there. ere was a guy named Lindsey, he used to let me get on
on ursdays… I was able to seamlessly blend records. I think that was my superiority over
the average hip hop DJ, cuz they wasn’t doing that. By the time I got to Magic [Mister Magic
radio show] and started doing it on the radio, I started doing blends, putting songs together,
making smooth transitions. [Without timestretch, just matching them up.]
Sa’id: You kind of single-handedly started the whole James Brown sample craze. en,
when everybody got up on the James Brown style, you went in a completely dierent
direction with that. I remember the rst time I ever heard “Road to the Riches” [Kool G
Rap & DJ Polo, beat by Marley Marl] I was trying to make a pause tape. I was trying to
break down where that break-beat came from. I think it took three years before I realized
it wasn’t a break-beat. ere was one element here; then there was another element here;
then there was the 808 [booming bass drum] coming in. What prepared you to be able
to break multiple components down and then put ‘em together into one cohesive thing?
Marley Marl: It was the fusion of where I was trying to take the music. I guess it was the fusion
of hearing break-beats, and scratchin’, and echos, and all of that on earlier tapes that came to
my attention. So I think the fusion of all of that. And the reason I even used, went back to the
break-beats was because I remembered. When I went back and started making records, after
what I realized with sampling what I could do! ey made me go back to my brother and them
records. I started diggin’ in my brother and them crates. Like “Nobody Beats the Biz” beat, [starts
beat box imitation of the “Nobody Beats the Biz” beat], that was a beat they used to play. But
they didn’t rock the beginning, they used to rock the bass part. But I was remembering, and I
was like, “Yo, hold on. is African music today!” e beat was dope! So I would go back to
my brother’s crate. at was in my brother’s crate…” Fly Like An Eagle” [the song sampled
for “Nobody Beats the Biz”], all those elements was in my brother’s crates. Even the James
Brown stu, I would remember that they used that… “Funky Drummer” [James Brown] was
dope. en I started going back to every song that I remembered people used to dance to. And
that’s why my selection was always something hot. And by me putting elements together, once
I learned about tracking [cuts a serious look], it was over!
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Sa’id: When did you learn about tracking, who showed you?
Marley Marl: at? My boy Andre Booth showed me about tracking. He’s the guy that denitely
put me in the “game” game. You know, even though I was messin’ around at the place [night club].
And it’s funny how I met him, because I was jammin’ in the park. And this was when musicians
was going out, and DJs was coming in. e band was down there, down this side of the park,
playing with no crowd. I was down this side with the DJ set, with the crowd. ere was no crowd
over there, everybody was like, “e DJ’s exciting.” e bands was like, [in mocking voice] “DJs
ain’t real music, so why everybody…” And I was like, “Let me bridge the gap right now.” [I said
to them] “When I take a break, do ya’ll wanna plug your band equipment into my systm? When
I take a break, ya’ll can get down for an hour…” I did it to make the peace, and that’s how I got
cool with the musicians in Queensbridge; and that’s how I started producing. e very next day
after I did that, I got musicians showing up at my door. I got guys coming with guitars to my
crib…with they keyboards…and I’m plugging it in in my house, and I’m learning how to make
them sound good. en I realized that I needed a 12 channel mixer. Not the up and down fader
mixer like I had, I needed something with more inputs. at’s when I went out and bought a little
12-channel redboard, I think it was called Mavis or something. And at that point, that’s when I
started learnin’ how to EQ keyboards, EQ drums, guitars, EQ the mic better… at’s how I went
to the studio with Andre, he took me to Unique [Unique Recording Studio]. It was funny, because
around that time, he knew Arthur Baker. So he got me into a Jazzy Jay session. It was way back. I
was like, wow, the studio atmosphere. Because I had like a little Jr. version of it at my house. And
that’s when I realized, I have to get rid of all my DJ equipment, all my big speakers, because this is
what I wanna do. I don’t wanna lug speakers around no more.” I was like, “Yo, I’d rather do this!”
And that’s when I took an internship at Unique. Well, rst, it wasn’t even an internship [Laughs],
I was just showing up. ey saw me so much and they saw me with Andre, and they knew Andre;
he got me in. I was able to get in sessions, “Yo, what you need from the store?” I was running to
the store for people, just to be in the mix. And from there it turned into an internship. I learned
the fundamentals of making something “sound” good. at’s how it all got started.
Sa’id: Given all these dynamic qualities that you now have, at that point, what would you
have considered yourself to be, were you more of a sound organizer or a sound creator?
Marley Marl: I would say DJ! Cuz, to the last minute, I was DENYING to myself that I was
a producer! I actually argued Fly Ty down the rst time I saw my name on a record, “produced
by Marley Marl.” I was like, “Yo, I’m not no producer, man!” In my brain, I was a DJ, a sound
manipulator. I didn’t really consider myself as a producer. I guess that’s not what I was going
for, and it just happened. I was a DJ, and I was like (to myself), “What are you doing? You’re
messing up my brand.” [Laughs].
Sa’id: When was it that you embraced the producer moniker?
Marley Marl: After the success of a few records. Because I started seeing myself in a whole
‘nother light.
Sa’id: How so?
Marley Marl: I was a producer! [Laughs] It’s funny, cuz I used to work for BLS (WBLS) but
Kiss FM was playing all of my shit. at’s when it really hit me. I had the longest internship at
BLS; it was like a 2-year internship. Already on the air, DJ’ing for Mister Magic. I had worked
for Sergio Jeans at that point. And my side hustle was to buy jeans from them at wholesale
and sell at a retail price, and that was how I was making money. And I still was on the radio.
Sa’id: You would sell the jeans to regular people?
Marley Marl: Yeah, regular people. People around Queensbridge knew that I worked at Sergio.
at’s actually how I met Shante (Roxanne Shante), I was selling jeans and she wanted to buy
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a pair of Sergios o me. at’s how I met her, that’s how I got acquainted with her on the
block, by selling them jeans. I was still working there
and I had a record on the radio. And I
was starting to get interviews and stu that pertained to my musical career. And my boss at the
jeans company was like, “Look, you’re getting hot out there… I’m starting to see interviews
with you. I’m starting to hear about you. Do you still really wanna work here?” en he said,
“What I could do, I could lay you o, and say that you made this amount of money. So when
you go to unemployment, you’ll still be getting what you were getting here. And you should
pursue your career, because it looks like it’s kicking in for you.” I was always the person that
said, “Never quit your day job.” Because it was at the point when I wasn’t getting any money
in rap; I wasn’t getting no money in producing. I was still doing my internship at BLS, on the
air with Magic — but I was on unemployment! So people use to see me on unemployment
[on the unemployment line], and be like, “Wasn’t I just jammin’ to you on the radio?” Cuz my
face was already known. It wasn’t a paid internship, so I still had to make money. at was like
one of the most awkward times in my life. I was rockin’ for Mister Magic on the weekends, but
nding myself up at unemployment, going to sign for my check on Wednesday.
Sa’id: Describe the social and nancial atmosphere of that time, what was going on?
Marley Marl: My nancial background was grim… It was GRIM! Crisis [the NYC 1970s
scal crisis]… [then the] Reagan Years… [When] I had my job at the jean company, I always
had some like DJ job at some club. I used to DJ at the local after hours club in Queensbrige.
So that kept money for me to buy records, so I could next week DJ with something new. e
funny thing was, they [the proprietors of the club] were in the music business. And I would beg
and plead to try and go into the studio with them and mix one of their records. ey would
never let me go into the studio.
Sa’id: Why do you think hip hop, which came from such dire circumstances and poverty,
became so dominant.
Marley Marl: It became the alternative. Like I said, the bands were going out. When the groups
of the 60s started going out, and the DJs and the rappers started coming in, that was the new. I
think the reason why it was accepted so well was because it was dierent and new. And whatever’s
dierent and new and making noise is usually picked up by the masses.
Sa’id: You mentioned several times the bands going out. I remember in the 4th/5th grade
it was mandatory to have to take music…
Marley Marl: Yeah, to have to play a trumpet, or something!
Sa’id: But when 7th grade came around, all of that was gone. Was that a situation that
happened with you, or were you able to get out of school before the music cuts came?
Marley Marl: I was already out. At my school we had utes, trumpet, violin. I used to play the
violin. I used to play the clarinet. I don’t remember nothing now.
Sa’id: How much of a role do you think the cuts in music contributed to the bands
dropping out?
Marley Marl: It was a real major factor in people not playing anymore. at was denitely a
major factor, because most of the bands that were out, they were teenage guys that had formed
bands from around the school thing. at was part of the economy that made rap happen.
e economy and what we was in. And people wanted something dierent. ey got tired of
the bands. Rap was new, it was dierent, it was energetic. And there was a lot of non-believers.
Believe me, cuz I was a non-believer at rst. I was so ANTI-RAP after it got on records. But
I was a rap ADVOCATE when it was out on tapes. at was the authentic rap! I just didn’t
like the way it was done [when it was rst on records]. e live bands? I didn’t like King Tim
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III, I didn’t like [the live band-based rap]. I used to hear the 12-minute records and the super
rhymes and all this other stu —[emphatically] IT WASN’T WHAT RAP WAS SUPPOSED
TO BE! I hated that [so-called] “rap.” Even in the Vapors movie, there’s a scene in there, I was
reading in the script, and there’s a scene in there where I’m in the studio with Magic, and I turn
the music down and I’m like, “Yo, why we gotta play this bullshit!” It wasn’t a representation
of what rap was.
Sa’id: When you look at rap as a whole, what you were doing — and the pioneers before
you was doing — is what it would become: which is a focus on rhythm, a beat, and bass.
ere wasn’t so much attention focused on melody. Why was that?
Marley Marl: Cuz I was a beat guy! When I rst started sampling, it was the beat. e beat
made everybody dance. e beat made everybody like rap! When that beat hit you… ooooh…
Sa’id: Even listening to you describe it, saying “When the beat hit you.” Rap is so dierent
than any other music form. Your descriptions right now emphasize that rap had a lot to
do with feeling and contact…
Marley Marl: Right!
Sa’id: Now, there’s a lot more melody going into rap. Do you think that that’s one of the
reasons that the quality of rap music has gone down?
Marley Marl: Yeah… I think what’s missing is what made the whole genre what it is, which
is basically the beat. Once you try to cloud up the music with more melody, it makes it more
melodic, and you’re taking away from the foundation. Believe me, the whole foundation of hip
hop is the beat! You know, break dancing was rst — people breakin’ and poppin’ to the beats.
e foundation, that’s what carried rap on to this day. If the beat is whack, you’re not going
to get into the rap. You’re not going to hear it, if the beat is not strong. I think what happen
is that people took the emphasis o of the beat, trying to be more melodic. You can always be
melodic, you can always have a melody, you can always have a great bass line, but the beat (the
rhythm) is the life of the beat!
Sa’id: Yo, when I rst heard “e Symphony,” I remember trying to study it from every
angle. en when I saw you in the video, I was like, “Damn, he can play the piano, too.
And he knows when to stop.” I didn’t know anything about sampling and chopping. en
I heard that, “Marley Marl said you have to get break-beats.” at’s how it was with us, we
were all coming up trying to gure out what you were doing. I had a little crew, we used to
go to Down Stairs records in the City [Manhattan] and get break-beats. And I remember
thinking that all I needed to do was this and that. But it didn’t sound right. I didn’t have
ANY concept of sampling! What do samplers do for you?
Marley Marl: Woo… Samplers became my world. Samplers changed my life. From the rst
mistake I made when I accidentally sampled that snare. e way my face lit up and the way
I realized the importance of it. And I realized it before the engineer that I was sitting with.
When I told him to sample that, and I walked out of the room and came back, and he hadn’t
truncated it yet. I hit the keyboard and the snare played rst. He didn’t realize what was going
on. He’s the person that put it into the machine.
Sa’id: What sampler was it?
Marley Marl: It was one of those big ‘ol Stevie Wonder samplers with the big computer oppy
disk. It was a big, mono, 12-bit, keyboard, nasty looking one.
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Sa’id: For you, what was the essence of drum programming? What were you trying to
achieve?
Marley Marl: What I was trying to achieve? at’s funny, cuz like you had mentioned earlier the
James Brown era. Funny thing is, I was never in the James Brown era! Everybody THOUGHT I
was in the James Brown era. See what I used to do was I used to take the “Impeach the President”
kick and snare, and listen to James Brown records, and program it the same as the beat.
Sa’id: Wait, the individual hits?
Marley Marl: Yeah, I used to take the kick, the snare, and the hi-hats. at’s why on “Eric B.
for President” it goes [demonstrates drum pattern from “Eric B. for President”]. at’s supposed
to be “Funky President,” but I tapped out “Impeach the President” beat to the same pattern
as I heard on the record. at’s why nobody could ever nd the record [they thought I was
using]. is is two myths I can clear up right now: I wasn’t using no 1200 (E-Mu SP 1200), so
anybody who went out there and bought a 1200 cuz they thought I was using it, I WASN’T!
Sa’id: What were you using?
Marley Marl: I had a Roland TR-808 that was triggering o of three separate samplers. You
know, I was already an engineer, so the toms, the three toms on the 808, I used to use those to
trigger my samples. And that’s back in the day when a pulse would trigger a sample. So sound
coming from there would trigger my sound over there. I was a brainiac. I was lke, “Hmmm,
there’s this sampler, and oh, this sampler’s got a pulse on it? Boom, give me the sampler with
the pulse.” Cuz I already knew from working at Unique that the pulse would trigger the sample
to go. So when I was putting my rig together, I couldn’t aord no Emulator, so I bought the
cheap little samplers, the one-shot bullshit. I had a Korg SDD -2 [2000], it had a sampler and
digital delay. I had three of those [samplers]. at was important to me to have a sampler with
a pulse. So I knew I could use a drum machine and go from there and trigger the samplers. I
would put my kick in there and snare in there, and I would [sometimes] use the hi-hat from
my drum machine. Now, if I wanted to sample something like [starts imitating the sound] “e
Bridge, the, the, the Bridge…” I would put like a chorus in my other sampler. I would just
program the 808 and make my tom 1 be the snare. at’s why a lot of my earlier productions
always had drum rolls in it. at’s AUTO FILL on my 808. So at every two bars, it would go
back to the AUTO FILL.
Sa’id: Were you printing [assigning] all of this through your 12-channel mixer?
Marley Marl: Yep, going through my 12-channel mixer into my 4-track. Putting kick and my
snare. I was a frequency dude, so I knew what frequencies could work with each other. So in
the middle frequencies, I would put the snare and the hi-hat on one track, under the same
frequency, so I could EQ those in there. en, I’d put my kick and my bass line in the same
channel [on one track]. For a lot of those 4-track records I made back in the day, that’s how
I did it. I put the same frequencies on the same track. And that’s how I made my beats. Any
drum rolls or lls would come up on the snare track.
Sa’id: Being that you were an engineer, I assume other engineers were telling you that you
were breaking the rules?
Marley Marl: Right… Right… I was [breaking all the rules]… I was right in my living room.
Matter fact, this is what happened. I noticed other engineers was picking up my stu at the
studio — seeing what I was doing. So I stopped going to Unique. I started noticing engineers
looking at what I was doing; now I’m hearing records coming out with other engineers, you know,
with people trying to take a sampled snare, like from [the group] Art of Noise or something.
So I was starting to hear that and I was like, “Oh, everybody’s biting what I’m doing.” Cuz
before I started doing that, you have to think about that, it was just Linn Drums, DMX drums
and all of that; those were just regular [drum machine] drum sounds. ose [sounds] was the
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foundation of those [machines] but they weren’t really the shit! And that’s why I was like, “Oh,
let me get ‘Impeach the President.’” I remember I had an assistant, he used to work with me.
He actually was security, working with me back in the days. His name was Claudio. He was
like, “Yo…” He saw me getting into my sampling, I was sampling all of these other drums,
and he was like, “Yo, you know what’s dope? I notice every time you play that ‘Impeach the
President’ record at a party, it gets the party jumping. You should fuck with THOSE sounds.”
I was like, “Yo, You’re right!” I went and got that and sampled it out. I made so many records
o of that kick and that snare. en I would take those sounds and listen to my James Brown
records. e premise of me sampling was to make my own beats, my own “sounding” beats,
my own patterns of records.
Sa’id: When you were sampling your drum sounds, were you sampling them dry or with
eects?
Marley Marl: Nawgh, I was sampling them straight dry, no eects. I had bullshit mono
samplers, so it was like a mono sound. It was nasty, it was a 4-track, it was ashy… oooh it was
so scratchy and nice.
Sa’id: When you nally switched your rig, what did you switch to?
Marley Marl: I tried to get an SP-12 , I tried to use it, but there wasn’t enough sampling time so
I put that back on the side. en they came out with the SP-1200; still wasn’t enough sampling
time for me. I was used to my 4 seconds on each of my other samplers. And my rule was to
never sample too much. My rule was to get snippets, pieces, fractions of seconds cuz that’s all
the time I had to work with. My rule was to not sample too far, to just get little segments and
seconds of snippets and manipulate it into my own pattern. at’s what I told the engineer as
soon we did it, I was like, “Yo, you know what this means, I can take kicks and snares from
records and make my own patterns.” He’s looking at me like, “What, what do you mean?” He
didn’t get it! I went home that day, DJ’d, made some money, and I went back to Sam Ash and
asked them “Which samplers do you have?” ey said they had a digital delay sampler, so I
was like, give me that. at was that Korg SDD.
Sa’id: After that what did you switch to.
Marley Marl: At that time, Akai came out. I got an Akai S900. Somebody showed me how to
break down the samples in there on the keyboards. I was using that for a minute. en when
the MPC 60 came out, the rst one, I had my Akai S900 with my MPC 60. My engineer at that
point…I was already making money at that point, so I started taking engineers from Unique,
“Come work with me up at my crib.”
Sa’id: Were you still living in Queensbridge at this time?
Marley Marl: Nawgh, by that point I had already moved upstate [upstate New York]. I moved
upstate in ’88. By then, you know, I had bought a console [mixing console] for my crib. I
bought a 2-inch machine. I put like a real full blown studio in my house upstate, when I rst
moved up there. I wanted my house like Unique, and I actually had a room built just like that
one [at Unique]. Yeah, it had the sliding door in the front, vocal booth over there. Monitors
up there, speakers in the wall. I had somebody come and build me a smaller version of the
same…replica of that room.
Sa’id: So did you rock out with the MPC 60 and the S900 till this day?
Marley Marl: I rocked with that, then I got an Akai S950. en I got an Akai S1000, once it
got stereo. Along the way, I started using my Akai rack. When the ‘90s came in, I was fucking
with Akai. Akai all the way up until…’95…I moved up to the Akai MPC 60 II; I became an
Akai person. As they started coming out with stu, I started believing in what they were doing.
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Everything they came out with. at became my primary sampler! e whole Akai rack. I
had the S900, the S950, the S1000, I had EVERYTHING in my rack. Whenever I had to go
to the studio, I would just have them cart my rack to the studio. I started getting bored with
producing after ’95. Because my brain wanted to do things that the equipment couldn’t do.
Sa’id: Such things as what?
Marley Marl: My brain would hear things, you know beats that I wanted faster, but it was
already locked to that speed. I was way, way ahead of the technology [at the time] in my brain.
Sa’id: As a beatmaker/producer, you started the most notorious crew ever. People can say
what they want, but there will never be another crew of the magnitude of the Juice Crew
All Stars. It was like putting together a basketball team with the best skill players of the
time — all in their prime!
Marley Marl: Dream Team!
Sa’id: Dream Team [First USA Olympic Mens Basketball “Dream Team”] don’t even
compare, because a couple of the players were on that team because they had earned it,
but they weren’t in their prime. So as far as some of the crucial building blocks of modern
MC’ing, you had Kool G Rap and Big Daddy Kane in the same crew! How did the Juice
Crew All Stars come about?
Marley Marl: [the] Dimples D [record] that was the rst record I ever made. After Dimples
D what happened, and this was even before I met Magic, I was already…me and Andre had
went and produced Dimples D, the “Sucker DJs” song. Me and her [Dimples D] started doing
shows. But this was when I had met Magic. One day I had a show with Dimples and I ain’t
have no manager. And Tyrone was working at LIB [WLIB] doing some board stu. He was
like a straight nobody. I used to see him at the station all the time. I knew he was a college guy,
so I was like, “Yo, Tyrone, I got a show in Baltimore and I don’t have a manager. Would you
mind coming out there with me?” And he was like [imitating in an indierent voice], “O.K.,
I’ll come.” So you know we go out there. It was me, him, Magic and Dimples, we was on the
train going out to Baltimore. And Magic was being Mister Magic (laughs), making Dimples not
like him. You know, being so arrogant. And she was like, “You know, I don’t think I wanna do
this rap shit, if people are like him.” You know what I’m sayin’, cuz he was really rude to her.
She didn’t like him, and that’s when she…After that trip she was like, “Look, my parents are
talking that I should go to college… I don’t know about this rap stu.” So I needed another
MC. Because I did that song and we was already doing some tours, and I had gotten a taste of
the light. I kind of liked going to other states and DJ’ing for somebody MC’ing, with like 2,000
people screaming, that’s dope to me. At that point that’s when I met Shanté [Roxanne Shanté]
on the block. I remembered that there used to ALWAYS be rhyme ciphers on my block. I used
to always see a crowd, you would think it was a ght, but it wasn’t a ght. It was people rhymin’;
battlin’. And Shanté used to always take everybody out. I remember I’d be standing over there,
and she’d straight take people out. at’s when we made the “Roxanne” record; and the Juice
Crew started from Shanté! It actually started from Dimples quitting. And then Shanté was
the rst member that I got. en, Shan and Shanté used to always win on the block. Later on
I met Shan, and he hit with a Marley rhyme, a Marley scratch rhyme; it was written on tissue.
And after that, I met Biz hangin’ out in Queensbridge. He was impressing everybody with his
beat-box skills, then everybody brought him to my house. I met Kane through Biz, cuz Kane
was writing his rhymes on the low.
Sa’id: Writing Biz’s rhymes?
Marley Marl: Yeah, writing Biz’s rhymes on the low. But nobody really knew. Cuz I knew Biz
was a great beat-boxer, but I was like, Where you getting these rhymes from? I met Kool G
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Rap through Polo. Polo used to go to school with me, and I remembered he was one of the DJs
in the area. He used to be in the after hours club; we was in like an after hours club network.
Polo told me that he had an MC that was dope, which was G. Rap. Masta Ace (from Brooklyn)
had won a contest at USA.
Sa’id: At the roller skating rink?
Marley Marl: Yeah, USA Roller Skating Rink. Craig G., his brother, used to be in the Sure Shot
group. Craig was always trying to tell me that he rhymed. Masta Ace beat Super Lover Cee.
Super Lover Cee came in 2nd place. DNA took Super Lover Cee, and I took Ace.
Sa’id: Do you think how you as a DJ/beatmaker/producer putting a crew together is still
a viable way to success?
Marley Marl: It’s viable right now, IF everybody’s talented! Cuz what seems to have happened
throughout [these last] years, putting a crew together became putting a crew of untalented
people together, with maybe one talent. at’s not how we did it. Everybody was able to stand
on their own. You had to be able to rock the crowd on your own! What happens these days….
I think the next crew after the Juice Crew era…the only crew that was able to sustain and had
[individual] talent was Wu Tang. Everybody from Wu Tang was able to stand on their own, as
a single artist and within the crew.
Sa’id: Wu Tang patterned everything that they did after Juice Crew.
Marley Marl: Yeah, because RZA used to be signed to Cold Chillin’. He was in the building:
Prince Rakim [RZA’s forme rap name]… “We Love You Rakim.”… He watched [smiles].
Sa’id: At Cold Chillin’, you had say [creative control, power, inuence]. I’ve always said
that if you put music people in executive positions, you’ll have better music and a better
label situation.
Marley Marl: Right! Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Why Jay-Z failed up at Def Jam is because he’s not a
“music” man, he’s a lyrical man. O.K., you can write lyrics, BUT, you have to RELY on people
to bring you music. You have to rely on people bringing you the shit. Somebody like Jermaine
Dupri, he can go make the shit. He can sit there and be like, “Oh, this is what everybody’s
liking right now? I’m up in the lab!” And he’ll be right there with it. at’s why consistently,
he keeps coming out with songs that make you dance. His stu always does well because he’s a
music guy. He knows how to go in there with his hands and create; as opposed to waiting for
somebody to give you songs or that hit. Even as a DJ that’s why I think I sustained so long as
being a DJ, cuz I do remixes. I don’t have to rely on looking in my email or having somebody
coming to me with shit. NO! I can sit there and be like, Oh, this worked last week? Let me
go in the lab and cook this up.
Sa’id: Yeah, you were doing remixes heavy. But you were doing them before the Pro Tools
era. With Pro Tools and the like, anybody today can do a remix.
Marley Marl: Yeah, you can do ‘em on Garage Band.
Sa’id: How were you doing remixes then? A lot of people often rate the “Marley Marl
Remix” better than the original song.
Marley Marl: I was able to do remixes from my training with fucking with the bands from
earlier; as opposed to people doing blends, where they happen to take an instrumental that
somebody made and all this stu. I was able to go grab my musician friends, get the a cappella
of a song, and be like, Here let’s go remix it. at’s how I was able to sustain the test of time.
Basically by my training earlier. at’s how I was able to sustain later on. I used to do a damn
remix every week. When I was working at BLS [WBLS] every song on their rotation was one
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of my remixes. at came from the training of my internship at Unique…that came from the
training of learning how to EQ my band friends from the neighborhood. I would get the vocals
[a cappella] o of the records, then I would just make my own tracks. It’s dierent being that
person who can make what you need; as opposed to that person sitting back waiting and relying
on somebody to bring you what you need. I was that hands-on person. at’s what makes me real.
Sa’id: How would you actually take the vocals and use them?
Marley Marl: I would sample the vocals one verse at a time, then put them back into the track.
Sa’id: What was the most dicult business situation you ever had to go through?
Marley Marl: It was actually two. My rst was leaving Cold Chillin’. at was pretty dicult,
because when I left Cold Chillin’, my last, very, last, last song I made with them was “Just A
Friend.” I made the song at my crib, recorded Biz Markie, erased out…I didn’t have automation,
so I erased out where the beat wasn’t never suppose to play, like in the beginning when he sings,
and then the beat drops, I had to erase the beat. So you know wherever the beat dropped in the
song, I erased it. We had “ghetto automation;” just erased what we didn’t want and it will never
play [Laughs]. It was a little nerve-wracking when you missed it, so you had to pay attention. I
think my hardest thing was leaving that label and not getting credit for that hit. You know, they
gave the credit to Biz Markie, cuz I was leaving the label. I guessed they didn’t wanna promote
me anymore. at was kind of hard for me… BUT the upside to that was, I didn’t give them
a track that became “Jingling Baby!” By me not giving him that track and giving it to LL [LL
Cool J], that made my career explode on another level, somewhere else.
Sa’id: Let me say this. Now, people say that Run-DMC really put rap on the map. I don’t
necessarily disagree with it. But that LL Cool J Mama Said Knock You Out blew it open
for everybody!
Marley Marl: Right.
Sa’id: And it’s very telling that LL came to you for that! “Jingling Baby” was crazy… A hard
song that people could dance to… You knew what you were trying to do with that track?
Marley Marl: Yeah, actually, that track was Biz’s track. It was for that album that “Just a Friend”
was on. But when that happen to me, and I let them hold the 2-inch so they could do the vocals
over at Power Play. And then for some reason, I never got the 2-inch back. en I’m hearing
this song on the radio that I know I produced. I didn’t give him that other beat. en when LL
came, I had it in the back of my brain that I had a hit beat. I knew it was a hit. Once I put that
together and orchestrated it, I knew we was gonna make history. e funny thing, even with
LL, I didn’t do nothing extra special for LL that I wasn’t doing for the Juice Crew. It was kind
of like the same thing. But since Cold Chillin’ was over here, we was trying to prove ourselves.
We wasn’t down with Russell and them [Def Jam]. Here, I had the “golden boy” [LL Cool J].
And they had a bigger machine, so they were able to take my work much further. So it made it
look like, BOOM, like I did this [big thing] for LL. But I was doing that all the time, anyway,
you know that. Anybody that’s followed my career. e beats on Mama Said Knock You Out were
Juice Crew beats. at was LL in Juice Crew mode. And we was separated from Russell at that
point. e funny thing about that LL album is, Russell told LL don’t fuck with me. [Imitating
Russell Simmons] “Don’t fuck with Marley. We don’t fuck with him! He’s over there…” But
LL heard that shit and was like, “Yo, I don’t know what you talkin’ about, holmes… is beat
got the f-dunk!... You want me to go in there with Rick Rubin, and me and Rick Rubin just
made an album…” e Walking With A Panther album. He came to my BLS show and I was
like saying in my mind, “at shit is garbage, it’s whack!” But there was one record that stuck
out to me. ere was a record where he said, “Running over niggas like a redneck trucker.” at
was the original “Jingling Baby” for that album. And I said, “Yo, that track, that record is dope,
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you need to let me remix THAT.” And you know, he gave me a shot, he gave me a shot to remix
it. And when I hit him back with it. at ONE remix created the whole next album. He went
to Russell like, “Boom, look what Marley did!” But Russell was still on, “We don’t fuck with
Marley.” But you know, the single came out and it did what it did. But LL was on some other
shit, “Yo, fuck that…” LL was coming to my house everyday, “Yo, let’s make an ALBUM!”
[LL said] I wasn’t even thinking about getting paid, I didn’t give a fuck about it at rst. I had
something to prove to these guys over here, that LL needs to be fucking with me. So we went
and did the whole album on the side. ey still had him going in the studio, fucking with other
producers and all this other shit. But he would come to my house in the evenings and we’d
knock out like one or two joints [songs]. Boom, and he’d go back to the city. We was knockin’
out JOINTS! [songs] em shits was crazy!
Sa’id: How many of your joints actually made the album?
Marley Marl: Oh, I did the whole album! THE WHOLE ALBUM!
Sa’id: ey credited you for the whole album?
Marley Marl: Yeah.
Sa’id: at’s right, that’s how you caught the Grammy!
Marley Marl: Right, right… But that was a gift and a curse. e gift was, I was able to show the
world my production skills and how sharp I was getting after the Cold Chillin’ years, because
after I left Cold Chillin’, I was supposed to be straight over, done, done with, you know, as far
as their eyes. But the gift was that I was able to show the world that I was still here. e curse
was that Russell [Simmons] Didn’t want him [LL Cool J] to fuck with me. And that curse
followed me all to this day. Because now we had a very successful album. at’s the biggest
album that Def Jam ever put out in they whole career. Yes, I was down with the other people,
not down with ya’ll [Def Jam] so I was kind of like…being down with Cold Chillin’, being
down with the Juice Crew was their enemies. So that’s when all the bullshit started. When we
made “Boomin’ Systems,” the promotion department over at Def Jam was like, “Yo, that’s a hit.
at’s the shit!” And Russell was like, “No, uh, I don’t get it.” He was so anti… You now how
it goes in business. e nigga wasn’t down with us, so [he’s like] I’m not feelin’ nothin’ he do. If
a nigga invented the Ferris wheel, and motherfuckers was riding on it, screaming, having fun,
Russell would be like, “I don’t give a fuck, I don’t like that bastard, fuck that shit.” [Laughs].
at was Russell’s stance, “I don’t give a fuck, I’m not feelin’ [it/him]” And everybody was
like, “You are BUGGIN’, THIS IS A HIT!” And it was, right after “Jinglin’ Baby.” He didn’t
like us. He spited us by putting it out. He was like, “I’m-a put it out and show ya’ll that it ain’t
shit.” [Laughs] Because it wasn’t that “rock n’ roll” hip hop he was doing with his partner Rick
Rubin, his partner, you know what I’m sayin’. is was something totally opposite, this was
some street shit. is ain’t rock ‘n’ roll hip hop! is IS SOME STREET BOOM BAP SHIT!
Sa’id: What led to you leaving Cold Chillin’?
Marley Marl: One year I did… I think I did four albums in one year. And my salary was only
$200,000 a year. So in my mind, I was like, I’m only getting $50,000 for each album I’m doing.
HELL NO. I was like, I had to get up outta here.
Sa’id: Cold Chillin’ was killin’ it with album sales…
Marley Marl: Oh, Yeah… When I nally left and got some of their paper work and saw the
kind of money THEY was making, I was like, come on man, NEVER AGAIN… But back to
the Russell thing, he didn’t want LL to fuck with me, so he spited us by putting it [“Boomin’
Systems”] out. And it did well, it blew up in his face. at put LL back on the map. And they
HAD to do a video. at’s why the video was so cheesy, they had to just rush a video out real
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quick, right. So they did that… and LL goes up to Def Jam and plays them the stu we been
doing. [LL was like] “Yo, I got an album done with Marley already.” [ey was like] “What!” So
really that album was a piggy back o of that successful single. Russell was still like, “No, that’s
not the shit!” all the way down to the last… But then the promotion guy got “Around the Way
Girl” [another single that would be on the album], and was like, “Yo, this is a SMASH! What
are you talking about!” And Russell fought it… He fought it all the way to Grammy day…
He fought it all the way to it come time for me to get paid. en that motherfucker jerked my
shit, and never gave me my money to this day. Cuz he was so against it… He was so against LL
fucking with me, cuz I wasn’t in his camp. He wasn’t managing me… [so then] he was sending
out people trying to manage me, and I was like, No! In a sense, he fucked me over ROYALY!!!
ose are my two fuck ups — the two most heart-aching things that ever happened to me in my
life. Two of my greatest successes, making “Just A Friend” and not getting credit, and working
with LL and helping him grow up, and the President of the company wasn’t in my corner. And
they [Def Jam] was doing so bad at that point. ey were about to lose their deal. LL’s album
put new re in them like they had the answer. “Boomin’ System” went platinum, I got the
plaque at the crib. [Marl speaking to Def Jam at that time] “Ya’ll artist went platinum o of a
street record, and ya’ll thought it was the rock way!” And I deed what they did, and made
them look like they was the shit. Now [meaning at that time] Columbia [Columbia Records]
throwing all this money at them. Russell’s giving everybody labels, but I didn’t have a label. It
was because of me ya’ll [Def Jam] got that budget. Ya’ll was about to lose your fucking deal.
Public Enemy wasn’t even doing good. LL was they’re last stand. And it blew up for ya’ll. But
everybody got a label up there, except for me.
Sa’id: You never sat down with Russell and spoke about that?
Marley Marl: He never wanted to sit with me. At that point, he become a little a nervous of
me… Still to this day… He’s not comfortable in the same room with me… Still to this day.
Cuz he don’t know…what I’m thinking about… He don’t know what I know. He don’t know
that I’m smarter…as I backtrack… I got royally fucked! You know there’s no one man that
made the WHOLE album that sold 8 million [copies]. People be on one album that sells 1
million [copies]… You got people that got one or two songs on an album that sells 2 million
[copies], they own cribs.
Sa’id: So you were never able to go straighten that out?
Marley Marl: It was some bullshit; lawyer bullshit. Every lawyer that you get, you know…they
[Def Jam] have such a monopoly where they’ll [Def Jam] hire somebody else from that law rm
to do some other dumb shit for them. And makes your shit look like… it becomes a conict
of interest, so you can’t get shit done… it gets locked!
Sa’id: You never really tried again, cuz even if you were getting your mechanicals; just the
5 cents for each joint…
Marley Marl: Yeah, I know, that would’ve been nice! But they threw so much shit up in the
game… at’s the downside of the music business. It’s hard to ght “City Hall.” You know what
the lawyer told me… there’s a fund out there where… See, my whole deal with Def Jam, from
the gate, was a little funky. Cuz the main lawyer that worked for Def Jam, the year he broke
out from Def Jam, he started working for me. After that success, he broke out of Def Jam. So
in Def Jam’s eyes, it’s like I took him from them. But what became the conict was, how can
this guy do your contract but was working here? It was funky from the gate. So I think to save
his ass, he threw some bullshit up in the game — the lawyer, cuz I wasn’t fucking with him no
more. And that one lawyer told me that there was a fund where lawyers sit there and split my
money, EVERY royalty! Every royalty period, they would go and get my money and it’s not
coming my way. You know it’s people protecting their licenses, protecting their livelihood, you
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know, it’s kind of fucked up. And that’s why around ’95, I got fed up with producing. Look, I’m
here, at the time, I produced a 6, 7 million seller! I outsold everybody in the music industry [at
the time] by doing the whole album. How am I pigeon-holed? How I can’t get a deal? How
Russell’s inuence doesn’t let me get no where?
Sa’id: What makes sampling an art form rather than a simple case of thievery?
Marley Marl: e creativity of it is the art form. Cuz believe me, Puy [Diddy] was not
creative when he fucked up sampling in the ‘90s…the way he took certain old songs, certain
instrumentals…the way he did it, he stunk up sampling; he gave sampling a bad name. After
that point, if you were a sampler, people looked at you as a joke. You know that was bad for
the Premiers, for the… EZ Mo Bees…it was bad for us. He gave sampling a bad rap, because
of the un-creativeness of how he used it. e real samplers, we was creative with it. We took
things, changed the note, chopped it up, made our own beats, made our own patterns or did
our own thing.
Sa’id: So when you were doing all those things on Cold Chillin’ before you left, did they
clear all of those things?
Marley Marl: Nope. at was the wild west.
Sa’id: What’s your [fundamental] take on the music business?
Marley Marl: is business…to me I look at it like, blocking out the real. e real dudes in
the industry ain’t really making it as they should. Even with Jay-Z and Premier. I put Jay-Z on
the spot. He was at Power 105… I was a fan of Jay-Z and Premier together. Jay-Z was on the
radio talking about how his new album was all dope; and they’re playing songs. I called up,
like, Jay, I like your album, it’s going in the right direction, but you’re better than that. He got
quiet. I’ve been a fan since day one, I seen your career go, I’ve been a producer… And he was
like, “If you ain’t like the way my album was going, why you ain’t send me beats?” Come on,
duke, you’re the President [of the Def Jam label], you’re not taking people calls on my level;
even though you should be. I’m like, Come on man, where the Primo [DJ Premier] beats? You
and Primo make magic together. You’re playing Primo instrumentals from your other albums
in the background, making ya’ll sound hot talking about your new album…
Sa’id: How did you rst get an 808 machine?
Marley Marl: at was o my Dimples D, o my rst record I went and bought and 808.
Sa’id: Didn’t the 808 cost a lot?
Marley Marl: Mine cost $650, I remember… I bought it…it was the drum machine that I
used to see at Unique. at’s why I bought an 808…I was like, Yo, I gotta get that. I brought
the bass to Miami… I was with my 808 drum machine… I used to be on tour with Shanté;
this before Miami had bass! Me and Shanté was doing a show for Luke and Ghetto Style DJs,
before he even had 2 Live Crew; this before they… this before they even started their sound!
ere was no 808s out there. ere was not. What I did, I brought my 808 to a show, cuz I used
to play live beats while she rhymed. I went up there with my 808, and was [imitates sounds]
BOOM… Everybody ran over to the booth like, “What is THAT?” Right away, people was
like, “What is that?” I was like, “it’s the 808.” I brought the bass to Miami… is before these
niggas even had the bass. At a Ghetto Style DJs show. Even do the research…bass didn’t start
hitting them until ’85…’84/’83… I brought the bass to Miami.
Sa’id: How did the movie, e Vapors, come about?
Marley Marl: e movie came about because, basically, I was tired of seeing rap award shows,
and things that’s giving props…all types of shows that’s given props to people that was in hip
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hop… I’ve yet to see, other than Kane being in Hip Hop Honors — that was cool, but I’ve
yet to see anybody mention the Juice Crew — like we didn’t exist. I’m like, “Hold on…” We
helped shape this into what it is — the crews, the R&B hip hop, the sampling; there’s like so
much that came from what we started, and I’ve never seen nobody representing us in nothing.
And I started realizing, these shows are what go down in history. ese shows are what people
are gonna watch ten years later, 15, 20 years later, and do their research on how hip hop was.
So I was tired of getting slighted. Like we didn’t make ya’ll niggas go out there and make
better records. [Laughs]. Like we wasn’t the blue print…like You, Russell, wasn’t in the studio
screaming at Doctor Dre [the New York Doctor Dre, not famed producer Dr. Dre], cuz he
told me — screaming at Doctor Dre: “What? You can’t make records like Marley Marl? is
motherfucker is in the fucking living room playing with $100 equipment; ya’ll in a million
dollar studio, this motherfucker’s making better records than ya’ll?” You know, he used to tell
me that’s what Russell used to say to him. When Russell used to be in there cracking the whip
on ‘em, trying to make them make better records. So you’re trying to tell me that we weren’t
inuential enough to get an honorable mention or anything at none of the shows? So I started
feeling like this: History is slipping by us. Because these shows are references for the people later
on! And I know I was relevant; I know I changed hip hop. I know we had the dopest crew in
hip hop history. Why nobody’s mentioning that? We’re getting lost in history. So my way of us
not getting lost in history…I can’t rely on the haters to pump us. I can’t rely on the people that
blacklisted us out of the business to promote what we did. ere has to be a way. O.K., let’s
make a movie, stating what we did. What’s a better title than Vapors? Make motherfuckers catch
the vapors. at’s the whole thing: Catch “the vapors” again. So that was my whole premise of
putting it together. So I got with Biz and Kane, you know the two biggest stars from the Juice
Crew era. I was the producer, Kane was the big star, and Biz…We was the top three of the
whole crew. So I got with them and started expressing it…People pitted us against each other,
and that’s fucking up our history. It’s strength in numbers…we need to get together and do
something big. So we got together, and that’s basically where it came from.
Sa’id: So did you reach out to a lm producer and director?
Marley Marl: Basically, how it happened for me, I was scoring Wendy’s [Wendy Williams]
movie, cuz you know, I got into scoring. So basically what happened was, I was telling the
director about that, I was like. Yo, I got an idea… I have a title rst… a title of a movie called
Vapors. I told him what it’s about, and he was like, “Yo, that’s dope. Why don’t you let me do
that movie. So I gave him a shot. I’m like that, you know how some people are haters and don’t
wanna give people a shot and all of that. I gave him a shot.
Sa’id: So he wrote the script with you?
Marley Marl: Yeah, well, basically, we sat with him, told him a few things that happened; funny
things, sad things, real life story stu.
Sa’id: How are you going to be ocially aliated with the lm project?
Marley Marl: I’m executive producing it; of course, I’m scoring the track, you know, scoring
the movie.
Sa’id: How did you get into scoring?
Marley Marl: It was a natural progression. It’s something that I always wanted to do. I always
wanted to score movies or do music for commercials. I always wanted to do that. And then
technology; right now, technology made it feasible for me. Because you know, Pro Tools…Pro
Tools is great for scoring movies. Pro Tools is like the wonder drug… you can put the movie
in Pro Tools. And then you just put your sounds and waves up against the movie, where you
want it to start and end. Just drop the movie in Pro Tools. You’ll see your movie on the screen
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but you’ll have your wave screen, too; you got two screens. at is my future. My future’s not
producing songs; it’s not being on the radio. My future is lms.
Sa’id: What makes a song a “Future Flavor?”
Marley Marl: Um, Great… What makes a song a Future Flavor? Future Flavors, of course, the
history of it, as you know, we started it at Hot 97, back in the day, me and Pete Rock. And the
whole premise of Future Flavors was New York underground hip hop. And that’s what makes
a song a Future Flavor. We’re not looking for bounce tracks. We not looking for nothing out
of the region; it’s regional music. And what makes Future Flavors “future avors” is, while
everybody went bounced out and started all types of other genres and intertwined with the
music scene, Future Flavor keeps it New York. So what makes a song a Future Flavors song?
Tri-State underground hip hop. Which is seeming to come back in… We stayed in it. I didn’t
go bounce, I never went left, I just kept right there. And people looking at us like we’re crazy.
No, that’s New York music.
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BUCKWILD
Buckwild burst on the scene in 1994, during the tail-
end of hip hop/rap’s second Golden era, with the song
“Time’s Up,” O.C.s wake-up call to the hip hoppers
who had strayed far away from the essence of rap music.
Over the next 11 years, Buckwild produced some of
the most memorable and well-known rap songs of all
time. From O.C. to Nas, from e Game to 50 Cent,
from Faith to Black Rob, all of Buckwild’s beats always
stayed true to his sound and, more importantly, his
love for hip hop/rap music. His comprehensive grasp
of hip hop/rap music and the hip hop/rap production
movement is rst rate.
Notable Credits: “Time’s Up” – O.C.; “ese Are
Our Heroes” – Nas; “Whoa”- Black Rob; “I Don’t
Need ‘Em” – 50 Cent; “I Got a Story to Tell” – e
Notorious B.I.G.; “Lucky Me” – Jay-Z; “Like Father
Like Son” – e Game
Buckwild’s Setup: Akai MPC 4000, Akai S6000, Yamaha Motif 6, Pro Tools TDM running
on an Apple Mac G5.
_________________________________________________________________________
Sa’id: When did you rst come to the Bronx and where in the Bronx were you at?
Buckwild: When? When I was like 4… [before that] I lived in Manhattan. We was on 141
st
Street and Cypress. en from there, we moved to 138
th
, between St. Ann and Cypress.
Sa’id: What was your family life like when you moved to the Bronx?
Buckwild: How can I put it, you know, single mom, brothers, sisters. I was the youngest. I
had ve brothers and sisters; two brothers and three sisters.
Sa’id: What type of kid were you when you were coming up?
Buckwild: Well, I could never say I was a street kid. I mean, I was a little rebellious, here and
there, you know, but I was always was into music. Music was always in the house. Everybody
says that, you know, but it’s a dierence. I think my type of music in the house was dierent
from everybody else.
Sa’id: How so?
Buckwild: When I rst wanted to start DJ’ing, taking the records that we had in the house.
We had like, e Meters in the house. So even hearing my brother and them who had the hand
clap song and all that other stu like that, “Devil’s Gun,” all that other stu. We had a variety.
Sa’id: Who brought e Meters and all that other stu into the crib?
Buckwild: My sisters. My sisters had wild [a lot of] records.
Sa’id: How much older were your sisters than you?
Buckwild: Oh, they’re way older than me.
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INTERVIEWS
Sa’id: at time was the tail end of the Street Gang era in the Bronx.
Buckwild: Yeah, I don’t think it was that. I think it was people bought records for what they
like. You could tell people’s taste in music. Like, one of my sisters used to listen to the Beatles.
So it’s like, when you have all these dierent types of music just around, it’s like— people always
tell me that I have an ill [great] sampling ear. But it’s like, put in you from that. If this is what
you’re used to, then the type of music that you really— you can listen to something dierently
than anybody else.
Sa’id: Were your sisters and brothers the ones that put you on to that music?
Buckwild: Nawgh, it was just in the house. en growing up on the block, you know, every
young dude wanted to be a DJ. So me, and a couple of dudes on the block, we used to DJ. We
put shit together. We ain’t have Technics, but we’d take some ol’ school turntables, take o the
spindle, and break o a pencil and put it in the middle and use the balance to cut back and forth.
Sa’id: How were you in school, what kind of student were you?
Buckwild: I was always smart. I used to get bored with school. As I got older, I did dumb shit
cuz I got bored with school. I excelled in every subject.
Sa’id: How did you get into DJ’ing?
Buckwild: It was the thing to do. It’s like a fad, when you see everybody is into it, and it seems
like the cool thing to do, you know. And if you already like music, DJ’ing is just the next step.
Sa’id: Who did you directly see that inuenced you the most in DJ’ing?
Buckwild: I won’t say who did I see, or what did I hear. Really, I used to always hear the jams in
the park from my window. When you hear the jams in the park and you’re too young to be there,
it’s a whole ‘nother element. I used to try to tape ‘em — the music from the jams — from my
window. I would put the ol’ school radio on the window and I would try to tape what I could.
And you know, as a kid, if you already have that fascination…I was hungry for it.
Sa’id: How did you get the name Buckwild?
Buckwild: From my man, Joe Sets, my man, Joe. But that’s later. I DJ’ed, I got bored with
DJ’ing, did dumb shit, then got back into to DJ’ing.
Sa’id: You rst started DJ’ing when you were 14, 15 or what age?
Buckwild: Nawgh, nawgh, I was like 8! I told you, I had the box in the window! [Laughs]
Sa’id: So at 8, what DJ did you have a close eye on?
Buckwild: You mean like Flash [Grand Master Flash] and them?
Sa’id: You was into Flash when you were 8?
Buckwild: You gotta remember, when you’re coming up. Right now it is a dierent mentality.
Some people are fascinated by it early. Most people, they wait till they get older and they see
the money in it. We came into it when it was just the love. You know, you weren’t looking at
it like, “Yo, I’m going to get paid from this.” It was just, “Wow, I like that!” I got into DJ’ing
because it was something that I liked doing.
Sa’id: So when was it that you got heavy into DJ’ing?
Buckwild: Ever since I rst started. I died for turntables until a couple years later. en my moms
bought me a couple of B-10s. at was a Christmas gift! at was that, and it went from there.
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Sa’id: What were your skills like, were you more into blending or scratching?
Buckwild: Nawgh, I was into cuttin’! I could cut, I could blend, I could do whatever. I can’t
cut like Raider [DJ Roc Raider] and them, but I can cut.
Sa’id: How soon after that was it before you made your name as a DJ?
Buckwild: at was in the early 90s. I was in the neighborhood, I was known for DJ’ing.
Everybody knew me; cuz like, when you a young dude, and all the other dudes are 15, 16,
17, and you barely hitting 10, everybody want you down with them. I used to DJ on the milk
crates, I used to stand on the milk crate and DJ.
Sa’id: Did you ever shoot for the regular club look or something bigger?
Buckwild: Nawgh, I wasn’t really thinking of that. It’s how you look at it. Like, say all the
dudes who were really there, like Flash, eodore [Grand Master eodore]. I don’t think they
were like, “Yo, we gonna make this and this is going to be the biggest business.” It was just
something that they probably liked to do. Like a lot of people who were DJ’ing who I was cool
with. We just did it cuz it was crazy fun. Number two: While people were doing, you know,
negative things on the block, we were doing something constructive. It keeps you o the street.
Sa’id: Tell me about the lessons you learned from DJ’ing that you incorporated into
beatmaking, which helped you become a better producer.
Buckwild: Really, the appreciation of the music, the records. Back in the early days of DJ’ing,
every DJ was known by the breaks they had. Same thing with production. Producers would
have their own sound, their own originality. And I think later on, after those doors was broken,
you know, when hip hop started turning into “pop-rap,” it was more like, “O.K., cool, well,
if he used that record I can use it, too.” And then he can use it, and he can use it, and it does
matter, and then to the consumer it’s nothing special.
Sa’id: When did that unwritten rule of not using the same record that somebody else used
break down?
Buckwild: e late 90s. You gotta remember, going into Tribe (A Tribe Called Quest), like
sometimes with certain dudes, you would have a couple people that would use the same record,
but it was not intentional. Like “Soul Clap” and Cypress Hill. I think Cypress Hill used the
same James Brown thing Show and them (Showbiz & AG) used. I don’t think that they set out
to do that. Also, when Cypress Hill and Tribe used the same Grant Green record, it’s not like
they were all in the studio. You know, people would dig to nd new breaks. at’s the thing
about hip hop, what makes it evolve is when you keep bringing something new into it. And
based on it being from DJ’ing, you know, cutting the break back and forth, that’s what keeps
it going. So right now, you could say its lifeline is dying because people aren’t really into that.
Sa’id: What did DJ’ing specically help you to understand more about making beats?
Buckwild: Number one: e break and what you could put with it, how you can enhance it.
As a DJ, when you’re DJ’ing for a dude to rhyme, you’re cuttin’ that one part back and forth.
It may be a break that’s a little long, you may be like, “Cool, I can scratch this in, and throw
this in while he’s rhyming, and then take this and keep going back and forth.” Or you could be
like, “Yo, we could use three turntables,” which really is the evolution of mixing.
Sa’id: When a lot of people try to describe what you’re saying, they always use the word
“loop.” People with a DJ background say “break.” For people that really don’t understand
that when you say “a loop,” what you’re not talking about is that a break is a specic section;
that it denotes something else.
Buckwild: Yeah, exactly. It could be the part that you just like to cut, the best part of the record
that you could have a dude rap on.
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Sa’id: In your words, describe what a break is.
Buckwild: All right, take “Hand Clapping Song,” it goes into just a kick, snare and hand
claps. You can have that, or you might have a song that’s…you might have a song like, “Funky
President,” that’s just a kick, snare and a guitar. It’s dierent things; it’s the part of the record
where, musically, certain things (instruments) are dropped out and other things are featured.
Sa’id: Did breaks encourage you to start going around a whole song looking for other
sections?
Buckwild: Yeah. Just knowing that. at’s the musical appreciation. Listening to a whole record.
You’re always looking for the Holy Grail, the ultimate beat. Looking for the ultimate beat, that’s
what I think kept hip hop alive. When you heard all of these great records that came out. Like
when you heard Public Enemy, EPMD, then you heard A Tribe Called Quest, Mobb Deep.
When people heard “Shook Ones” [by Mobb Deep], people were like, “Damn, what did they
use?” at’s what hip hop is, hip hop is a part of that. Most people’s misconception is when
you don’t live in New York, cuz like when you rst heard “Rapper’s Delight,” that’s your rst
insight into hip hop. Because you hear people rhymin’ o a [live] sample of “Good Times.” So
imagine, people were like, “Wow, this is funky, dudes rhymin’ over some live stu.” While in
New York, we was down with the greatness. at’s a part of New York hip hop culture.
Sa’id: People sometimes incorrectly think that when you sit down to make a beat that
that’s all you do. ey forget the part about actually listening to music.
Buckwild: You have to!!! Creatively, if I’m doing a beat, competitive wise, you have to bring
your best forward. If you sit down and you get a record and you just listen to whatever’s at the
beginning— I mean whatever’s at the beginning, it might be hot, but in the latter part of the
record there may be a hotter part. In New York, we have a record shop called Sound Library,
which I call the McDonald’s of record shops cuz you can get what you want. Ten niggas can
go in, get the same break. If me, Just (Just Blaze), Lord Finesse, L.E.S., and a whole bunch of
other producers get the same record, now it’s all about who ips it the best. So you have to
listen hard to what you have. If you don’t— the best beat wins. So if you don’t put your foot
into what you’re doing, you’re not going to have the best; you treat every beat like it’s your last.
Sa’id: How often do you dig for new records?
Buckwild: It depends how I feel when I get up. When I get up, I might feel like, “O.K., let me
go to the record shop.” Or I might be like, “O.K., let me call one of the dudes who I know got
records.” And you know, there’s times I might feel I want to go to record conventions. It can
be maybe 1/3rd of the year!
Sa’id: Right now, what’s the size of your record collection?
Buckwild: Too much. Probably way more than 10,000.
Sa’id: Talk about how hip hop production evolved between 1991 and 1993.
Buckwild: My rst record was in 1993, “Shit Is Real” Diamond D. at song came about, well,
Diamond was doing a song and needed a remix. Being around Diamond, Finesse, Sadat, just
listening to music, Diamond was like, “Yo, I know you’re doing beats, let me hear what you
got.” I was doing beats for O.C. already. I wanted to DJ. I met Lord Finesse through DJ’ing,
let’s start from there. I met Finesse like in ’90, ’91, from DJ’ing, mixtapes. And from there we
became cool. Finesse is the dude. If I never met Finesse, we wouldn’t be here talking right now!
First of all, you gotta put that with it. For him to be who he is, he’s one of the dudes who never
gets the credit he deserves in anything. For me, he’s like the seed for the whole thing. Without
Finesse, a lot of us wouldn’t be here. rough him you know, he brought me around Show
(Showbiz), Diamond. I met Show, Show welcomed me with open arms. e only person I
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already knew was A.G., cuz we was from the same hood. From there, seeing Show when he was
making “Party Groove,” before that evolved, not “Party Groove,” it was another record similar
to “Party Groove,” that was right after “Party Groove.” And seeing that, I was like, “Wow, he
got the 1200 (E-MU SP 1200).” I already knew about the 1200, so I was like, “Cool.” And you
know, he showed me certain things. And there’s another dude that used to be with Finesse, it
was this dude, Chilly D. When I rst got enough to buy a 12 — I scrapped up some money,
I bought a SP 12. It had short time. Show had a sampler laying around and he let me hold
that. So you know, they were busy with their thing, so man Chilly helped me, Chilly helped
me with a lot. Really everything, like you know with the 12 speeding up the sample. How to
chop certain things, he showed me a lot of that. Yeah, Chilly D, he used to be with Ice T and
them, he used to be down with them. After that, Diamond was doing his album, Joe [Fat Joe]
was doing his thing, Showbiz & A.G. was doing they thing;. So being in Diamond sessions. I
tell people: Before you get in, YOU REALLY GOTTA STUDY WHAT YOU’RE DOING.
I used to go to Diamond sessions, go to Lord Finesse sessions. Everything that you can do to
soak up knowledge, you do it! at’s how you learn. So Diamond heard one of my beats and
he liked it. And he was like, “Yo, I’m-a use this for a remix.”
Sa’id: One good thing that you touched on is that during that era, a lot of producers and
other artists you mix-it-up with visit each other’s sessions. Also, producers used to be in
the actual sessions with the artists. Speak about that.
Buckwild: Now, we don’t have that. Now we got Beat Donors! Back then, you had to earn
your keep. In the 90s, even before I came about, Pete Rock was the dude. Everybody wanted
to be Pete Rock. When you put the horns in your shit, when you was making beats, it was like,
you’re going to copy Pete Rock. I guarantee you anybody that came up around the same time
is going to tell you the same thing. After that, you’re like, “O.K., I’ve learned how to do a beat
like Pete, now, I gotta distinguish myself!”
Sa’id: Back then, how would you say the communication was amongst fellow producers?
Buckwild: Communication was all love because it was friendly competition. No one thought
about like, “Yo, I gotta be bigger than this dude.” Dudes heard what you had. Even though it
was very competitive, people respected each other. It wasn’t as much money then, but people
were like, “I heard such and such, he’s crazy with it.” Back then, one thing I can say is people
earned the title, producer, because most, if not all, of the album was produced by one dude.
One dude would shape the sound. You can’t have a hot album without having your own sound
or your own identity. So if you have to rely on having 20 dierent people on your album and
15 dierent producers to give you a sound, you’re not going to have a hot album.
Sa’id: How did your connection with O.C. come about?
Buckwild: It was on e Source [e Source Magazine] tour. It was Finesse, Organized Confusion,
Red Hot Lover Tone, Roxanne Shante, RSO, which was Benzino and them. And it’s cool you
know, because one thing I learned, when we went on tour, it was when a lot of these dudes had
like no bread. And everybody came home tight, close friends. at’s when I made all my rst
remixes. at’s how I got tight with O (O.C.), how I got tight with Organized, how I got tight
with Tone from Trackmasterz, Benzino, Roxanne Shante. Everybody that was on that tour, I
got tight with.
Sa’id: When you did [the song] “Stress” for O.C., what equipment did you use?
Buckwild: e 1200 [E-Mu SP 1200] and the 950 [Akai S950].
Sa’id: In an interview from 1995, you were quoted as saying, “Even if you don’t make crazy
money, you might have longevity.” Were you able to live out that statement?
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Buckwild: I think so. I’m still here, I’m still relevant. Even now, I’m working with artists I’ve
never worked with. I’m working with Snoop now, Redman, Jadakiss. And still being in demand,
I lived that statement out. Like Finesse used to say, “When all else fails, you work hard at what
you do.” I think I have more passion for the music than anything else. When you have that rush,
that same love that you had as a kid. When you have that, that’s what makes the music dope.
I’ve seen a lot of dudes come and go. And I’ve seen a lot of dudes that are very much respected.
Take dudes like Bomb Squad (Hank Shocklee), they opted out, like, “We’re not doing this
no more.” But those dudes you gotta really respect them for what they brought to the game.
Marley Marl, Howie T, Larry Smith. A lot of times a lot of these producers don’t even know
who came before them. So before you can be the person you are, you have to really appreciate
all these guys who came before you.
Sa’id: Going back to the quote that you made in 1995, let’s put this in proper context. e
year before, in 1994, O.C.’s Word…Life came out; Biggie’s Ready to Die came out; Nas’
Illmatic came out. en in 1995 Mobb Deep came out with e Infamous; and Raekwon
& Ghostface dropped Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. So there was nothing that indicated — at
least not on the surface — where hip hop/rap music was going to go. At that time, the state
of hip hop/rap was real strong. So what prompted you to make a statement like that in
1995? What were you seeing at that time that indicated to you where music was going to go?
Buckwild: Let me put it this way. In 1995, Illmatic wasn’t even gold! And we felt Nas was…
we felt nobody in the world was better than Nas! So when you see that, when you have that
substance in you, even if you not crazy paid. For Nas to be the greatest rapper alive, then. We
put Nas on a pedestal where Rakim was. Everybody said Rakim was the greatest rapper. Between
Rakim, Kane, Kool G Rap, KRS One and those times. en after that when Nas came around,
we said Nas was the next coming of Rakim. en when Nas didn’t sell 500,000 — instantly
— with Columbia, Columbia questioned that. So even if Columbia questioned Nas— For us
we questioned it, like, “Yo, this dude here is one of the greatest out right now. So when you
look at that, he didn’t have the success — instantly — you know, like Biggie [Notorious B.I.G.]
had. Biggie sold a million and half, whereas Illmatic was probably like 350,000. People felt
that Biggie and Nas ran New York. In that critically acclaimed album, Illmatic, he had a lot of
people looking forward and a lot of eyebrows opening. en you can fast forward to Rae and
Ghost and the next shit. And Nas being the artist that he is, because you have that talent, that’s
where the longevity goes. When you have talent, people are always going to check for the talent.
Sa’id: So at that time were you thinking that things weren’t going to last? Remember how
things turned out. In 1995, at e Source Awards, Biggie beat out Nas and won Best Album
of the Year (1994) and Lyricist of the Year (1994). en Mobb Deep comes right out in
1995; Only Built 4 Cuban Linx in 1995. ere was no reason for anybody to believe that
all of this was going to end—
Buckwild: I don’t think that we thought it was going to end, either. Dudes was looking at us
like— You can understand that there’s money in the game, but dudes weren’t seeing the vision
like a dude like Pu (Diddy) had. Pu had a bigger vision than anybody, you know, cuz he
seen what rap and hip hop was: masses. Whereas, we looked at it like, what we were doing was
acceptable for us, and we weren’t getting paid from it. And it’s like, you’re never thinking from
within, until things dry up and you don’t have the quality. To me, I think the last level of great
artists that we had to come out from New York was ’97, ’98. We had Pun, we had Canibus,
we had Nature, Cam’ron, e Lox. When you look at that, some of them artists is still here.
is is why I say your talent will give you those future years. Because while everybody else who
comes out is a gimmick, to have the talent, that’s what keeps you going.
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Sa’id: Did you see the transformation of power, the dominance being transferred to the
South, before it happened? And if so, when did you see it?
Buckwild: Yes. No Limit! [Master P’s label] And the one thing that I can say that really gave
New York up is when New York DJs stopped supporting New York artists, and would support
artists from other states even more.
Sa’id: When did that rst start happening?
Buckwild: No Limit. Matter fact, right after Cash Money, so that would be like 2000. And you
can see. Our artists were more on the decline and the majors (major labels) started picking people
who looked like they were selling records, that’s one thing. But then you have the emergence of
Radio One. Even for me, I’m a cool person, I’m cool with everybody. when I’m talking to the
dudes who I know who do radio, and they tell me about this Radio One thing, about this one
big conglomerate that controls all the stations — that’s when you see the change. So once you
lose your grip, it’s like, once we didn’t have all of these artists coming out, I mean even adding
on, we had DMX, we had Eve, e Rough Riders. ’95., ’96, ’97, ’98 was the last years we had
our stars coming out. After that, no one knows what happened. Matterfact, I believe it was
because no one wanted to put anybody else on, who probably was coming up.
Sa’id: So when you made “Whoa” was “Whoa” your reaction to the Southern Explosion,
or were you already tinkering with your sound before that?
Buckwild: I didn’t really care about the Southern Explosion. I looked at it like this: Everybody
needs their sound. Like you can say, in ’90, ’91, ’92 the West Coast was winning. And it was
cool! Cuz when you have dudes like King T., you had e Alkaholiks, you had Dre, you had
Snoop, it was all cool. But the one thing that people can’t get twisted is that’s them, they’re
doing they’re thing. You have to appreciate them. But us living in New York, we have to do us,
too. And right now, when you’re looking at it now, we don’t have that. New York has lost their
identity. Dudes don’t know what to do, as far as making records. e level, the bar of production
is down. When you look at it, you got people who think it’s not really cool for artists like Kanye
to sell 3 million, why not? Tribe (A Tribe Called Quest) used to sell 2 million; you know before
all the gangsta records kicked o. e whole game is so one-sided, it needs a complete overhaul.
Sa’id: Now, go into “Whoa.” Again, is that sound something you set out for? at type
of beat?
Buckwild: Nawgh, it’s just another extension. For me, all my beats— People say that I really
need to produce albums because I don’t just make one type of beat. ey say that my music has
a spectrum to it. A lot of it has emotion. And you get good rappers, you could bring out a lot
of dierent things. So even doing “Whoa,” having that on a beat CD, it was just one morning.
at came at a time when he had came into a single-driven industry. It was hard to get the beat
o. People were like, “Hey, I need an up-tempo record, this is too slow, blah, blah, blah,” and
all that hoopla. People don’t understand that singles are just records that people like! When
you look at it, to me, there’s no set sound for a single!. e greatest group to ever do that is
Outkast. ey change their sound all the time, they’re one of the most creative groups out. A
lot of times people don’t give e Dungeon Family their props on producing. ey have to be
one of the greatest set of producers out!. For you to change your sound every album, no other
producers can do that. And for the sales to elevate, and to also be respected.
Sa’id: Describe in your words the dierence between ‘90s production and production now,
the 2000s. In specic, how it lends itself to the rapper, like how they write and the concepts
they develop. What was ‘90s production and what did it do for rappers? And what is 2000s
production (today’s production) and what is it doing for rappers?
Buckwild: ‘90s production, I think the artists were more challenging. And in the 2000s, the
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artists are more lazy; and you can tell, they make sing-songy hooks. ese dudes aren’t really
challenging the music. A lot of them look for beats that are bigger than they are. ey want
the beat to save their life. e beat isn’t going to save your life. Because if you get a beat that’s
hotter than you, the beat is gonna zzle out. So when you look at it in the past 10 years, for
us to have about— What was the latest hottest beat we had? “Lean Back?” Before that, name
another one. Joe [Fat Joe] had a couple, but out the 10,000 records that was dropped, you can
only remember about three of the beats? It has no replay value. So when you look at it, it’s a big
dierence between ‘90s production and production now. at’s a whole ‘nother thing. Like a
lot of these dudes now, they get a keyboard and a MPC 2000, and they gure, “Yo, I can make
beats!” Anybody can make a beat. My daughter’s 11, I can teach her to make a beat. I could
be like, “Yo, hit the snare on every two, and hit the kick on every one, and you got 16 doubles,
and you can go from there — anybody can do that. Hit the hi-hat on every eight: 1,2,3,4,
1,2,3,4. But the dierence is bringing life to it. ere’s no life in a lot of the music that’s out.
It’s just like, O.K., it sounds dierent or it sounds like they’re trying to make something that
will rock in a party.
In the ‘90s, you had a dierent array of records that would rock in a party. You had Luke (Luke
Skywalker), you had Snoop and Dre and ‘em, you had Geto Boys, you had dudes from all over.
And it wasn’t like everybody was trying to be like, “Yo, we gon make this certain sound.” Dudes
were doing what they felt! Like Luke was into the bass music, so he made his music sound like
it was more stripper music. And in the ‘90s, maybe people didn’t really know about strip clubs
down south, you wasn’t like, “O.K., this record is for the strip club.” But it was like, if you threw
“Doo Doo Brown” on in the club, people lost their mind. No one was biased. But nowadays,
people they have to have a certain stature, or they have to be a certain type of person to make
records. And it makes the music suer. You got all these artists that are cardboard. ey’re
one-dimensional. ey have no life; and when they have no life, they’re trying to sell records,
instead of trying to sell themselves as artists. People buy into artists, not just records. People
are following this record company mumbo-jumbo. Like people always say, “New York people
don’t sell records.” But I remember in ’98, ’99, DMX, Ja Rule, and Jay-Z ruled the charts. So
while they was telling us they don’t sell records, DMX sold almost 5 million records in one year.
So people keep listening to the record company. is is where the artist fell. And now what we
have, we don’t have artists, we have puppets. Like no one wants to go against the grain and be
like, “Yo, I’m-a sell my art, and people gonna feel me!”
Sa’id: What is the major distinction between a beatmaker and a producer? Before you
answer that, let me say what I think of you. I think you’re a beatmaker at heart, who knows
how to produce? Would you agree with that?
Buckwild: I agree with that, ‘cuz I love beats. Hearing a beat, that’s what makes me wanna
work. I can get stuck, and I can go visit another dude who makes beats and hear his beats in
a raw form, and get inspired. It doesn’t mean like copying o of him or doing the same thing.
Sa’id: But when you use the term “producer,” that’s when you get into the gray area. How
do you view the dierence between a producer who actually does the drum program, who
actually does the chopping and comes up with the ideas vs. a Quincy Jones-riller style
of producing where someone is hired to do those sort of things?
Buckwild: Yeah, well, a producer is only a person with the vision. So if you have a vision for
something, you know, from start to nish, that’s the part of production that’s not just like,
“O.K., put some drums in the MPC and chop up such and such.” What about after it gets
across? What about after the artist drops his lyrics? What are you going to say, like, “Oh, I
need something in the chorus, I need I to do this,” or “Yo, I think you need to do the chorus
like this, or “Let’s change these words and change this around like this.” All of these things are
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part of production. And today, let’s be real, most of these dudes are not in the studio with the
artist producing records. Like all them producers on 50’s (50 Cent) album, how many of those
producers do you think were really in the studio with him? But they can say, “Yo, I produced
for 50.” No, you didn’t produce for 50!!! You’re a beat donor! With e Game’s rst album, that
was a dierent story. ere were a lot of producers who were in with him. I was in with him,
I remember being out there, I can remember Just (Just Blaze) being out there, I can remember
Hi Tek. But most of these guys, beside those guys that I named, most of these guys aren’t really
in the studio with the artist producing records.
Sa’id: What piece of equipment would you say had the most inuence on your development?
Buckwild: I’d have to say Pro Tools. Pro Tools has been around. Like doing a beat in the MPC,
you can get it, but sometimes It’s not tight. But you can take it in Pro Tools and you can x
what you want. Not only now do I not have to sit there and sequence a whole beat into song
mode. But I can do it inside of Pro Tools, and I can have a dude come in and do what I want
him to do. And I can sequence everything in there, and do all the drops.
Sa’id: So have you reconstructed how you put together beats? You no longer sequence in
the MPC, then dump it into Pro Tools?
Buckwild: Yeah!!! I still sequence in the MPC and dump it into Pro Tools. But I can do beats
in the MPC with my eyes closed. To me, sometimes I gure that’s not enough.
Sa’id: Getting back to the art, describe what you do, from step 1 to step 4, before you get
to Pro Tools. You don’t just get a record, slap it— Describe that, describe what you do.
Buckwild: I go dig, and I nd the best records I can, listen to the records, nd the best part
in the record, put it in the drum machine. I might chop it, I might just add drums to it. Right
from there, I go to Pro Tools, Pro Tools is where I make everything happen. Sequencing, like if
I’m adding instruments, etc. You know, we’re in a dierent time now. I look at it like, I love the
‘90s, but we’re not in the ‘90s anymore. So many producers I know are stuck in the ‘90s. e
only way to make a dierence is that you have to be in the front line and you gotta help change
with people. So by helping change with people, where it’s like, cool, even if I’m sampling, now I
got somebody to play this. So when I get it to the labels, instead of being like, “O.K., here’s my
song…,” when they’re negotiating I can tell my lawyer like, “Yo, we need a fair shot!” Because
I think all of this stu got out of hand, because no one cares. For example, if I was like, “Sa’id
sampled me’, and I’m like, “O.K., damn, everybody else is asking for 5 ($5,000)… I WANT 15!”
and the labels be like, “O.K.!” en I’m like, damn, I can ask for whatever I want. Because once
it got to the point like you said, where no one is ghting for it, everything did get out of hand.
Sa’id: All of that though, we agree on some of the issues. But my whole thing of it is, it’s
the art of it. If we focus too much on the business and money, the art will get lost.
Buckwild: With certain people, the art will never get lost. Even for me, the art never gets lost
‘cuz I’m thinking art rst! I’m not thinking about— For number one, I don’t look for a lot of
these dudes who are very recognizable or don’t clear samples.
Sa’id: When you’re making tracks I know you’re not making tracks with the understanding
from start to nish that you’ll be done in 5 minutes.
Buckwild: Oh, nawgh. Sometimes it happens, but that’s the dierence, I’m not looking to nish
something in 5 minutes. Say certain producers put out 100 songs in a year, how many songs
do you remember at the end of the year? ere’s a quality control issue, like you said. And it’s
like, no disrespect to anybody else, but sometimes even if I make 3 beats a day— I can make
10 beats a day, but my 10 beats is not made that one day, cuz it might take me a month to get
those 10 hot loops. You see what I’m sayin’. So I could be like, “Yo, I made 10 beats today.” So
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when you look at it, even for me to nd 10 hot records to fuck with, that’s the damage control.
Shit, if I was doing 7 beats a day, I might have like a million beats! It might be 7 for the month.
You know, it just depends on how I feel, and what’s going on. See people think that if you can
do 10 beats a day, it makes them an ill producer. No! If I put out 100 records in a year, and
nobody remembers all 100 at the end of the year, what does that say about my beats? I’d rather
do beats that people remember. If I play my last 10 records and you know what they are, then
obviously I must have a good batting average. If I’m 10 for 10, that’s good. If I’m 8 for 10 that’s
good. So you have to look at it, that’s good quality control.
Sa’id: How do you deal with a dead ear? Like if you’ve been listening to music all day,
you can’t tell, you really can’t distinguish, either shit sounds hot to you or they all sound
whack. How do you deal with that?
Buckwild: I just leave it alone. I just go do something else. You know, you do the family thing.
You bug out with your peoples, you go on the internet.
Sa’id: Everything you make you save?
Buckwild: Nawgh! If I ain’t feelin’ it, I delete it.
Sa’id: Scrap it immediately?
Buckwild: Yeah.
Sa’id: How many of your joints were near scraps that became something?
Buckwild: None! Everything that I made that became something that I liked. You could look
in my Pro Tools, if I switch the screen [switches screen on] I might have 500 beats in there.
But there’s like 20 that I really like right now. But then there’s others where I’m like, “I like
this, this is cool, but I’m not lovin’ it.’” But if I save it, I like it. If I track a beat, then I like it.
Sa’id: In those cases, what are you lookin’ for then? What’s that pinnacle point?
Buckwild: I just gotta feel it. I’m a hip hop dude. e same way I listened to another dude’s
record and be like, “I don’t like this,” I listen to my beats and say the same thing. I look at it
like as if I’m somebody else. at’s why a lot of times when people hear beats, they be like, “Yo,
I ain’t really feelin’ this.” I’ll keeping shopping a beat because I’m condent with it. Like even
with “Whoa,” it went through certain people, I was condent that it would get a placement.
Sa’id: What do you mean it went through certain people? Artists?
Buckwild: Yeah, Artists.
Sa’id: ey passed on it?
Buckwild: Yeah, some laughed at it. Some was like, “Oh, it’s too slow,” or “It sounds like an
album cut.” But I’ve grown to learn that a beat is only as good as what the artist does to it. So
when you look at it, even “I Got A Story To Tell,” Foxy. Tone and them wanted it for Foxy,
but Foxy was like, “e beat is whack!” en Big [e Notorious B.I.G.] was in a session, and
it was one of the best beats on the album. But it’s only what the artist does with it. So when
you have something you believe in, you shop it.
Sa’id: When did you switch from the 950 and why?
Buckwild: I started usin’ the 3 [Akai MPC 3000] after that. And that was during the time of
O’s [O.C.] second album. Dierent machines allow you to do dierent things. And I always
believed that you need to grow, you know. And it’s like changin’ with the times. Dierent
machines give you dierent sounds. Sometimes you gotta switch with the times. As time grew,
the sound [in hip hop/rap music] started to get a lot cleaner. I always look for change. It’s like,
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the drum machine does what you want it to do. I used to think, O.K., I got a 12 [E-Mu SP
1200] and a 950 [Akai S950], but then I thought, O.K., if I get a 3 [Akai MPC 3000] it has
more time, so I can keep everything inside the 3. Instead of going with two machines. en my
3000 got stolen, and I bought a 2000 [Akai MPC 2000]. at was around the time of Rob’s
[Black Rob] album. at was like ’99. I liked that. e only thing that I didn’t like about it was
that it couldn’t cut everything o like the 12 and 950. at was the only problem I had with
the 2000 and the 3000. But the sounds with the drums, I loved the sounds.
Sa’id: What do you mean by cuttin’ o?
Buckwild: Like you know, a poly thing, where’s it like no matter how many sounds you
got— With the 12 and the 950, you could take ve dierent sounds, and chop ‘em dierently
in dierent places and make one loop. You can have a kick, snare, hi-hat, hi-hat, snare, hi-hat.
It’s like dierent parts. If you listen to “I Gotta Story To Tell,” that’s an example of how you can
take three, four dierent parts of a sound, and chop ‘em into one loop. Like if you listen to
“I Gotta Story To Tell,” and you listen to “What’s Beef,” it’s the same drums, but the pattern is
extremely dierent. So that shows right there the power of the machine.
Sa’id: So how did you get around that [the problem of cuttin’ o]? You went from the 2000
to the 4000. ere was nothin’ in between that, right?
Buckwild: After the 2000, I went back to the 3000, the 3000 and the 6000 [Akai S6000]. e
6000 does everything the 950 does. I just used the 3000 as the sequencer. Once I did that, I
could doctor [edit and manipulate] samples. I was able to do various things in the 6000 that
you couldn’t do in everything else.
Sa’id: Do you use timestretch?
Buckwild: Yeah, I do. Some songs, some beats I have it where I can stretch it. at’s the one thing
a lot of cats don’t understand. Sometimes you buy records, and the time progression changes.
Like the song starts going faster, or starts going slower. So if you got a song going and it starts
o at like 80 [BPM], then it goes to 81 and 82, you can’t loop that. So you have to gure out
a way to make it all relevant. And that’s where the 6000 (Akai S6000) came in. e 6000 was
one of the best machines that they invented for just straight hip hop.
Sa’id: Let’s say you take a record and you throw it into the 6000, how did you make it the
way that you wanted to, if a problem like that occurred. You know, if you wanted to throw
it to a drum backbeat?
Buckwild: I would take the parts that I need, and I would do a BPM match. ere’s so many
things that the Akai S6000 does. I could take this one part right here and make it one part of the
tempo that I need. It has a lot of little secrets, but you just have to have the patience to get into it.
Sa’id: So what if somebody says to you, “listen, you’re usin’ the 6000 and you’re usin’
somethin’ else to sequence. Why don’t you just throw everything in the 4000?” e 4000
[Akai MPC 4000] is a monster!
Buckwild: e 4000 is a monster, but if it’s certain things that I need to doctor up with the
6000, I’ll go back to the 6000. But everything now, I use with the 4000. e 4000 is ridiculous.
You can put so many dierent programs in there and change up so many ways that people don’t
even understand. Like I know a lot of people who don’t use the 4000. Only people that I know
use the 4000 right now might be me, Just Blaze, Lord Finesse, and Rsonist from Heatmakerz.
Not too many people. Everybody uses the XL [Akai MPC 2000XL] or they use Reason and
all this other stu. But the best thing about the 4000 is that you can doctor your sounds how
you need to.
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Sa’id: So the 4000 allows you to do everything you need?
Buckwild: Everything! And like for me, I sample. I’ll sample my joints, NO EQ, right into
the 4000. And everything I need to do with the sample, I’ll do right inside the 4000. And then
from the 4000, I’ll go to Pro Tools.
Sa’id: When you produce, who do you have in mind?
Buckwild: I’ll have the artist, but it has to be a vision for me. Because even knowing certain
things, and the way production is, you always gotta change. Like people will get a hold of
something, it’s like— Even when I rst came in, I might hear a Pete Rock beat and be like “Yo,
I like that beat Pete did. I’m-a do a beat like that.” So what happens is now is that back then,
you might’ve had 10,000 people wantin’ to do beats. Now you have a million! So if you got a
million people wantin’ to do beats— I’m going to give you a perfect example, right now. We take
soul records with the sped-up sample, etc. You had a couple of hits with those. So now it’s 10
million people, who’s doin’ beats, who’s going to submit the same type of beat, who might nd
the same record, because it’s very common. You might take Aretha you know, the Isley Brothers,
any thing that might be very common that you could nd in your mom’s house, your grandma’s
house, etc. Now you got a million people with the same record, the same type of technique,
etc., the same machine. How do you dierentiate yourself from them? So for me, I do what I
feel is gonna be somethin’ people will know me for. Like I’m into to obscure records. I wanna
have things that will make you be like, “Yo, what was that he used?” Even right now with the
record shops online, you can basically get records on the menu now. And then on top of that,
production has gone to another level. You have to be able to do other things that people can’t
do. So a lot of times now, I fuck with live musicians, and I can produce records where it’s like
it will sound like a sample, but it’s not.
Sa’id: You have them come in here and play your ideas out?
Buckwild: Yeah, see [he points] got the keyboards, bass guitar, Pro Tools, sound modules. e
dudes that I work with, they know how to play what they need to play. ese are real musicians.
ey tour with people. So when it comes to playing records, they play. ey don’t just pick up
a Triton and go berp, berp berp! ey got groove, they got melody. So whatever I need, I can
either recreate or create right from that.
Sa’id: A lot of producers say that your sound is balanced. It never seems like the beat gets
away from the artist, you understand what I’m sayin’?
Buckwild: Yeah, I dig what you’re saying. I’m a person like this. I’m a fan, before I’m-a producer.
So when I make records, I’ll make records that I think that I wanna hear if I was drivin’, or if I
got an iPod on the train, you know, or if I’m on the plane goin’ cross country. CDs cost money.
$17 a CD? I wanna make the songs that keep people listenin’. And that’s what’s missing right
now. You can party and do whatever-whatever, but it’s like in our time, when we was comin’
in the game, if you buy a CD with 14 songs, you want at least 12 hot songs you can relate to.
And it’s like to me, that’s what I think is the perfect balance. Like when you have a variety of
dierent music. I came in listening to Tribe (A Tribe Called Quest), Ready To Die [e Notorious
B.I.G.], e Chronic (Dr. Dre), Doggystyle, you know, all those albums, De La Soul, any De La
Soul album. To me De La always had the perfect balance when they did their albums, too. And
for them, their job to produce was bigger because they were making a whole album. For me,
if I’m on somebody’s album, I might have one song. Like Mobb Deep, it’s a balance to have
the whole album. You need everything to be cohesive, but nothing really sounding the same.
ose dudes like that. at’s how I learned. I’ve learned from that! ose are the things that I
want to emulate. So when it’s time for me to do an album, I will have a sonic style to it, but I
will try to have a balance. at way if you buy the album, you’re getting your money’s worth.
And not somethin’ that you’re going to get tired of after the third or fourth listen.
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Sa’id: How do you sample drums? Do you process your drums? Do you sample dry?
Buckwild: I sample all of my drums dry. But I doctor [tweak] all of my drums in the 4000. e
one thing that dudes gotta understand is that, we all pick machines, even Minnie [producer,
Minnesota], Minnie use the ASR [Ensoniq ASR 10], but we all have a certain technique for
what we do. You can give 10 dudes the same record, that don’t mean we all are goin’ to do it the
same way. Like we all have a vision of how we like our drums. I like my drums tight. So I’ll do
whatever I need to inside of here [MPC 4000] so that way when I get my record to an engineer
(if I can’t mix my record), at least everything is there. I’ve known a lot of engineers that have
been like, “I love mixing with you because you make my job so easy, everything sounds the
way it should be. I may have to put on a little reverb, but everything sounds good.” Hearing
that, that’s a blessin’. I’m like “Cool.” at let’s me know that I must be doing something right.
Sa’id: Do you sample your drums from vinyl?
Buckwild: Vinyl. I’m Ol’ School [Laughs]. Vinyl!
Sa’id: But what about companies that sell sounds? Many people are going online,
downloading waves [.wav les], and such. But a lot of drum sounds now stand out too much.
Buckwild: Yeah! You know what it is. You know what people forget to realize? When you’re
tuning instruments, you also have to tune your drums to your music. And a lot of dudes don’t
understand that. So sometimes you hear drums and they may stick out, you know, [somebody
might say], “I want this right here to be dominant.” But I think when you’re mixing your records,
there needs to be a balance, but sometimes that’s on your engineer also.
Sa’id: Do you have individual rules, you know, how you approach your kicks, how you
approach your snares, how you approach your hats?
Buckwild: It depends on if I’m using a loop, or if I’m using a lot of live stu. Every beat is
dierent. Like on some records, sometimes I put reverb on a kick just to give it an eect, but
I’ll put something behind that kick to still make it knock. I’m not saying that you want to try
to be so dierent, but you want to try to be creative. It’s like, O.K., I’m taking a loop but I’m
making this loop my record.
Sa’id: So what do you say to a beatmaker who say’s that they have 500 drum sounds?
Buckwild: What do you say to them? KNOW YOUR SOUNDS? If you have 500 drum
sounds, you can’t use 500 drum sounds!!! Like even dudes tell me “Yo, I made 20 beats today.” If
you make 20 beats, that’s cool. But how many of them are extremely hot? I’d rather do 2 beats
in a day — that’s ames — then say I did 10 beats, and 5 of them are just O.K., and I got 1
hot one. Because that means I’m putting my time into that one hot one, which, hopefully, will
please the public. It’s better to know what you have than to just have abundance. So if I got
50 drum sounds, and I know all 50, then I can be like O.K., cool I’m using this loop over here,
this the perfect sound for it. I’m from the school where instead of just the [typical] kick, snare,
hi-hat, they want their drums to play like a drummer would play. So you know it’s like, you
take pride in your music. It’s good to see sometimes dudes who have that same mentality, where
they love the music. ey take pride in what they do. en it’s some people who just do it, who
are like ‘O.K., only thing I need is a kick, snare, hi-hat and I can do this, and I can get a check.’
Sa’id: In ’93, ’94, when was it before you realized that you knew what you were doing, that
you knew you had the skill, as opposed to when you were just feelin’ your way through?
Buckwild: I ain’t gonna lie, for me to get into the game when I did was luck! With O’s (O.C.)
album, I had timing, right place, right time. e game is more luck than skill. I know a lot of
nice dudes on the beats, and rhymes. But it’s just, they don’t have a break. You think it’s that
easy just to get a spot on Jay-Z’s album? Jay-Z ourished a lot of producers. Because you know,
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you do a beat for Jay-Z, it makes everybody check for you. at’s a stamp! So can you imagine
what would happen with some people if they didn’t do a record with Jay-Z? You know, they
still might be in the same melting pot as 100,000 other producers. But once you do somethin’
like that, it pulls you out of that pot and puts you on a certain plateau, regardless of anything.
Jay can get a beat from anybody.
Sa’id: Outline a typical session for you. How do you do it? Do you listen to some music
rst? Do you work with a drum sequence that you already have?
Buckwild: I listen to the music, or I already have something in my mind. It all depends on who
I might be trying to do a beat for. You’re trying to nd a balance. And sometimes trying to
nd that balance [in your music] is harder than anything. See, people who sample, sometimes
dudes will pick up anything and be like “Yo, I just chopped this.” Sometimes it might be hot,
it might not be. Sometimes it might take two minutes, sometimes it might take you a day to
make a hot beat.
Sa’id: So you don’t have a rigid time frame?
Buckwild: Sometimes I’ll sit there, I might do a beat for 6 hours, then scrap it, be like “Nawgh,
this ain’t it.” Some dudes might be like “at’s crazy!” But you know, if it’s missing something,
it ain’t it! If I’m listening to it I wanna be like, Can I listen to this shit over and over again? or
if I got an M.C., you know, that’s another thing. Producing and rapping go hand and hand.
A dudes beat is only as good as the rapper that gets on it! So right now, if we’re making dope
beats, are the rappers who we have in the game equally dope? Right now, a lot of dudes beats
out-shadow the artists.
Sa’id: Who was it again who originally showed you how to work the machines?
Buckwild: My man, Chilly D. I started o with an [Akai] S01 and a SP 12 1200.
Sa’id: An Akai S01? Damn! at’s what I started with.
Buckwild: Yeah! No sampling time! [Laughs]
Sa’id: You didn’t have any lters on that.
Buckwild: Nothin!!! So you learn to chop stu the right way. You know, you get lazy when
you get time (extra sampling time). Back then, I’d have to put something on 78 [BPM], then
I’d have to chop what I need, then I’d go from there. So it helped me to become inventive with
certain records. Like with the 12, doing beats on the scale, not too many people was using the
scale. at’s why I say O.C.’s album, doing “O Zone.” When Q Tip heard it, he was like “at’s
hot right there.” You take a certain record and you play it out you know, like you would a
keyboard. But it’s not a keyboard, it’s a ltered-up SP 1200 sound.
Sa’id: So you can lter sounds on the 4000 the same way you would on the 6000?
Buckwild: Yeah, you can lter on the 4000, but it’s not like the lters on the 950. None of
the Akai drum machines/samplers have the same type of lters like the 950. You know those
have the best lters!
Sa’id: So when you do go into a session, are you involved in the mix?
Buckwild: I always mix my record. Only record I ain’t mix was e Game’s record and the 50
Cent record, you know, because they requested Dre to mix it.
Sa’id: Who taught you all of that?
Buckwild: It’s a learning experience. I use to be around Lord Finesse when he was in the studio.
I was in a lot of dudes sessions. Red Hot Lover Tone, Biggie sessions, early on. You know, being
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around certain people you can look and you learn certain things, talking to the engineers. e
engineers teach you certain things, they’ll tell you if you ask questions. It don’t just come to
you, you gotta ask questions. And also with EQ’ing, being able to EQ my own sounds came
from knowing the EQs as a DJ.
Sa’id: What was the music that you listened to when you were coming up?
Buckwild: Public Enemy, EPMD, BDP, Slick Rick. Anything by Marley Marl!!! Back then, I
don’t think Marley Marl or Bomb Squad could make whack records, you know. So as a producer,
you’re like, “O.K., cool, these guys made whole albums that were dope, not just a hot record.”
And that’s where producers now get it twisted. ey think that you gotta have the club record
that plays on BET and MTV, but right now the labels got them really confused. It’s like right
now, we need like a school. A school for producers and a school for M.C.s — to teach them
what’s really right. So that way, you take the culture back and you can sell records. It’s too much
instant gratication, where it’s like, [people think that if ] you get a hot record on the radio and
MTV, you going to sell records. Well, you know right now, look at the Soundscan, and look at
who’s getting crazy spins and look who’s selling records.
Sa’id: So does this compare to schools like Scratch Academy and Full Sail? I think Scratch
Academy oers a course, Hip Hop 101.
Buckwild: All right, but think of it like this. If you go to Scratch Academy or you go to Full
Sail. Who are your teachers? [pause] Who was my teacher? And it’s like, I’m a dude who learns
from listening, too. But learning how to make the machine do what you want it to do comes
from within.
Sa’id: Some dudes are like “I give you a beat machine, talk to me in 5 years.” It’s producers
who have said this. Like, “Don’t talk to me until you’ve spent at least 5 years with a machine.”
What do you think about that?
Buckwild: I think that that’s kind of a cold statement to tell somebody. I’ve known dudes who
just got a knack, a natural knack for it. Like one of my man’s, LV, he DJs, and Roc Raider. When
I rst heard their beats, you could tell from their drum programming that they was gonna have
it. e drum programming is what’s gonna show, it’s gonna make you or break you. Your drum
programming, your programming is the ultimate key for doing beats. So if you’re a dope drum
programmer, you can become a dope producer. It just depends on your ideas that you put on top.
Sa’id: Do you feel that people are limited if they do their drums on an MPC or Roland
MV vs. software like Reason, etc.?
Buckwild: My man [Lou] does it on Fruity Loops. And when I heard his beats, I was like “Yo!”
It doesn’t matter, the programs do what you want it to do. So if you can program, if you got a
good general idea of what to do and a good choice of sounds, that’s how you can tell about a
good producer. eir drums are distinctive, their drum programming is always tight. e longer
you produce, the tighter your programming becomes.
Sa’id: How much music outside of hip hop do you listen to?
Buckwild: I listen to everything outside of hip hop. I listen to rock, jazz, I listen to dierent
things. Right now, I can’t say I really listen to hip hop because it’s like, honestly, there’s not too
much that really makes me be like “Oh, shit, did you hear that?” Not unless I make my own
compilation of songs, or I just buy mix tapes.
Sa’id: As far as business goes, another thing that keeps coming up is how producers have
to chase people down for payment.
Buckwild: It’s even worse now! Every year it gets worse and worse. e lower the record sells
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go, the harder it is for you to get paid. And what makes it harder too is Pro Tools. Dudes will
Pro Tools 10, 12 beats [forward the Pro Tools les of beats to rappers], and they got their album.
You have to wait until they O.K. everything. You really don’t get paid until after the album’s out.
And sometimes, there’s albums that are out that I still haven’t gotten paid on. I could put it on
blast, but you know. But that’s a good example. e artist is doing their music so fast because
of Pro Tools, but the paperwork isn’t getting done at the same time.
Sa’id: Is it left up to the producer or his manager to send the P.O. [purchase order] in?
Buckwild: Yeah, it is. But you have to be on top of that. e producer, the manager, and the
lawyer. If you’re a good producer, you’re going to need a strong team, if you wanna be successful.
And that’s another important thing. Not only do you have to have control inside the studio,
you have to have control outside the studio. at’s why to me, the greatest producers are those
who always control their destiny. Like Dre, he controls his destiny. People come to him. Like
Dre probably won’t go in unless he got the whole check!
Sa’id: Knowing that, are you a producer that only talks to well-known artists? Or can
anybody get at you for a beat?
Buckwild: Nawgh, I talk to everybody. If you can’t talk to me, you can talk to my people. It’s
like, if I think you got talent, you hot, I’m like, “Yo, we can rock.” Because the one thing that
a lot of producers fuck up in the game, and it’s been a slew of them, they get to a certain level
where they forget about how it was for them when they was coming up. So you got dudes that’s
always hot on the street. So you might have to throw a mercy beat [a beat for free]; you know,
let’s do it, we can work something out. at’s the thing about me, I’ve always liked being on an
artist’s rst album. A lot of producers won’t really deal with that until they’ve been co-signed
where you got dierent producers on the album. Like “Oh, you got e Neptunes, Timbaland?”
en dudes wanna rock. Take e Game, he was fortunate, he had a lot of nice producers on
his rst album. And I’m pretty sure on his other albums, he’s got more producers who didn’t
fuck with him, who are gonna wanna’ fuck with him now because he’s proven himself.
Sa’id: You’ve proven yourself, both with street credibility quality, beats and commercial
viability, but do you nd that you still have to make beat CDs and go after people?
Buckwild: Some dudes, yeah. And then sometimes, we’ll just book time in my studio and
work from there. I’ll give them the benet of doubt — “All right, well, let’s book time and we’ll
do songs.” at way, I hold the Pro Tools. So if I got the Pro Tools, I’m not worried about it.
Sa’id: I’ve seen well-known producers out with beat CDs, like a producer just starting out!
Buckwild: Yeah! Right now, it’s going back to that because you got a lot of hungry dudes
coming in. And artists are like, “Why should I pay this producer $80,000, when I can pay Jon
Doe, over here, $2,500?” So what happens is the dude who’s getting $80,000, yo, you can’t
forget where you came from. Just because you getting $80,000, or $125,000 or $250,000,
whatever-whatever, it’s a dude over here getting $2,500, or even less, making beats just as hot as
you! erefore, the artists are like, “You know what, you gotta submit just like them, because
even though you’re getting $100,000, $200,000, I’m not going ve times platinum with the
record that you’re giving me, so that means I’m not making no money. So I can take that same
record from him and go gold, and that way I’m going to make money.”
Sa’id: Is it important to have a team early on, or is it something that you shouldn’t be
concerned with, not until you have the money?
Buckwild: I think as a producer you need to come under an umbrella. is is the problem we
have right now. Everybody coming in want to be the boss. You can’t be the boss with no workers,
and you can’t be the boss if you don’t know what you’re doing! So therefore, your best bet is to
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get under an umbrella. So you can come under another company, so you can learn and grow.
Sa’id: Do you suggest going with another producer?
Buckwild: More than likely. Who else you gonna go with to learn? If you don’t know the
game, how are you going to learn? You’re going to be learning on a trial basis and you’re going
to make mistakes, and you’re going to be listening to the labels. And the labels don’t know, only
thing they want is a quick x; they’re like dope ends.
Sa’id: So do you think that what’s on the radio is a reection of what’s really going on or
is it a reection of what the labels are putting out?
Buckwild: It’s a reection of the labels. If you listen to radio, think 10 years ago, you had mix
shows that would play dope album cuts. Nowadays, everybody’s just focused on that one radio
record and they don’t really care about the rest of the album.
Sa’id: But do you think that producers share in the blame with that?
Buckwild: Yeah, they share blame, because instead of trying to make dope music, they just trying
to make a club record that plays on the radio. I’ve seen it. ey wanna emulate whatever’s hot.
Whatever is the avor of the day, they wanna emulate that.
Sa’id: Do you think that the overall sound lacks quality or is it getting’ back to where it was?
Buckwild: It’s creeping back to where it was. It’s a slow movement. ink about what makes a
person wanna retire. What makes a person wanna retire is when the game is no longer exciting.
Go back to 2002, 2003, you could tell it was going down hill because all of the producers who
would look to the people coming in for the hot records, there were no hot records coming in.
All the records were regurgitations. So a lot of the top people are like, “Yo, it’s not a lot of hot
M.C.’s or a lot of hot producers impressing me.” So therefore, they get tired. So then those
people who helped the game move start playing the back. So if you don’t have good teachers,
how can the dudes who come in now be even more successful?
Sa’id: You talk about teaching new producers. What would you recommend…
Buckwild: What I recommend? I recommend that they go pick up some CDs. Pick up Slick
Rick, pick up BDP (Boogie Down Productions), A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Public
Enemy. Pick up e Chronic, pick up Doggystle. It’s a lot of records that you could pick up that
you could see that a lot of people was diverse. It was a lot of originality. Run-DMC, ird Bass.
[Now] there’s no originality.
Sa’id: So are you saying study the music, before you study the beat machines?
Buckwild: Yeah, it’s like, yo, you gotta have a love for it before you make it happen.
Sa’id: Do you still practice? Anything. Let’s say like a jazz musician, someone like John
Coltrane, who was known for having days where he set aside time for practicing.
Buckwild: Yeah, you might come in— It’s like practice makes perfect. Sometimes you have
to take a day, you know. Like I was just here with some of my boys the other day, I took some
drums and chopped them into a loop. And they was like, “Yo, how did you do that?” And
I’m like, “is is what we used to do.” You do those things to keep you sharp. It’s some dudes
out here that do that, but they’re not getting their shine. at’s what I mean by there’s a lot
of people out here that’s really dope, and they’re creative, but they’re not happening because
they are not what BET, MTV and Hot 97 is looking for right now. So they’re not looking for
creativity, there just looking for an instant hit.
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Sa’id: How were you able to maintain your relevance from the time that you started until
now.
Buckwild: You know what I think? It’s the love of the music. Still nding the love for the
music. You have to have it in your heart. I know a lot of producers who still love the game
like that. You can’t say that everything that comes out is trash. But you always have songs that
come out where you’re like, “Wow, that shit is crazy. I gotta do something better than that or
just as equal.” We all raised the bar for each other, little by little, between all the producers that
are out. at’s what I mean by having a genuine love for it. Because when you have love for
something, you treat it with care!
Sa’id: But you didn’t zigzag. Some pioneering producers are not where they should be. I
don’t know if it’s because they are on some purity thing or something like that—
Buckwild: It’s being humble. If you’re not humble, if you’re always cocky, no one wants to deal
with somebody who’s cocky and always holdin’ they dick! ey wanna deal with the person
that they can always relate to, like you’re reachable. Some dudes priced themselves out of the
game, and they was always holdin’ they dick and they not reachable. So they might’ve had bad
dealings with people. So people be like, “Yo, he’s a dickhead!” When you meet people, your
rst impression is the lasting one. So for dudes to be like, “I met Sa’ (Sa’id). Yo, Sa’ is mad
cool. And though he may charge $100,000 for a beat, I once had a small budget and he did a
joint for me for 5 grand.” I learned that from Premier (DJ Premier). Premier was like, “Yo, you
can’t always get the big check. But you may have records that’ll keep you goin’.” And I’ve had a
lot of records where I’ve gotten almost nothing for it, but they were great records that kept me
going. So it’s like, you have to stay relevant somehow, someway.
Sa’id: Speak about tossin’ work around, what does that mean?
Buckwild: You know like, say, my man, Sa’id doing his album. I could see LP (Large Professor),
Minnesota, whoever, dudes in my clique that I rock with. And I could be like, “Yo, I’m goin’
over here, you got a CD, a beat tape, whatever? Let’s go over here, there’s work over here.” Like
we tossin’ work around! at’s how you keep your ties with dudes. at’s how you make the
game fresh. Because even with that, it’s not one person trying to control everything. Yo, you
can’t be insecure. I’m secure enough to bring a dude with me. Some dudes are insecure because
they feel like, “Damn, I don’t want you to get a track and I don’t.” Well, guess what, if I walk
in and I lose, then it’s a lose/lose situation. But if we walk in and you win, then at least we still
got that outlet. Because when we come in, they know we peoples. And we can still come back!
But dudes don’t think like that, they just think like, “me, me, me.”
Sa’id: What’s your last words?
Buckwild: Yo, stay humble, do good music, and keep good relationships. If you got all three
of those, you’ll go very far.
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D.R., (the D.R. stands for Divine
Ruler), stays amped up; Brooklyn
is in him. It’s in his actions, his
thoughts, and his music. His
career began long before his classic
M.O.P. opus, “How About Some
Hardcore.” D.R. has worked with
Jay-Z, The Notoriaou B.I.G.
(Biggie Smalls), Tupac, Nas, AZ,
Smooth Da Hustler, and countless
others. He’s done scores for lms
like The Nutty Professor, Brown
Sugar, Briggin’ Down e House, and
State Property.
Notable Credits: M.O.P, “How About Some Hardcore,” “Ante Up;” Cam’Ron, “Hey Ma;”
Smooth Da Hustler feat. Trigger Da Gambler, “Broklen Language;” AZ feat. Nas, “Mo Money
Mo Murder (Homicide);” Cormega, “e True Meaning.”
D.R. Period’s Setup: Akai MPC 60 II, various hard-to-nd analog synths, Reason, Pro Tools TDM
_________________________________________________________________________
Sa’id: In a word, describe your production.
D.R. Period: GUTTER! I describe my sound as gutter! Or unique, ‘cuz my sound is universal.
I’m not like one of those producers who are stuck with just the records and the drum machine.
I’m a musician rst. I know how to play bass, guitar, piano, drums — self taught. Only thing
I didn’t teach myself more or less is how to read music. at was something that was taught to
me by Stick Evans, James Brown’s drummer.
Sa’id: From o the bat, was your sound something that you were aiming for? Or is it
something that as you grew, you grew into, realizing this was the type of thing you do?
D.R. Period: Nah, what happened was…when I started producing— see, I think like a band.
I didn’t even realize what I was doing, you know what I’m sayin’. I was always taught that the
drummer leads the band. Without the downbeat, you have no band! So everything I did I built
around drum patterns. at’s why my drums was always so heavy and hard, because I was
thinking like a drummer. Like you ever notice a band playing live on stage? ere’s nothing
soft about that. So that’s how I started producing tracks. So when the bass line come in, its got
to ride with the drummer, and when the guitar comes in, its got to ride with the drummer,
and when the keyboard comes in its following the groove. So that’s how my style of production
came about. It was coming from the state of mind of a band.
Sa’id: When did you start, when did you rst start hitting the machines?
D.R. Period: Probably around about when I was 12, 13. My rst drum machine was a Sosonic
Drum. And how I got that Sosonic Drum, actually, it’s a crazy story. ere was this kid on the
block, named Peter Pan. On Christmas, his moms bought him a Sosonic Drum. And my moms
bought me a sheepskin coat and a pair of Pumas. So when I went over to his crib, I’m shinin’,
geared up. But he’s mad because he got a drum machine, you know what I mean. It was like a
vibe thing, he was hyped over my coat and my sneakers, really more my coat! I fell in love with
his drum machine. I had never heard a drum machine until I turned on that Sosonic Drum. I
was like, “Yo, this is incredible.” Everyday I kept calling him and calling him about his drum
D.R. PERIOD
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machine. en one thing led to another and I was like, “Yo, you can have this coat, kid. Just
give me the drum machine!” He was like, “Yeah, right.” I told him, “Yo, you can have this coat
and the Pumas!” So I went home without a coat and a pair of Pumas. But I came home with
a drum machine. My moms was mad as hell, ‘cuz she worked hard to get me that. But at the
end of the day, that’s what it was. And that started D.R. right there producing.
Sa’id: What kept you going? How did you keep taking it further?
D.R. Period: en I started to DJ. I started messing around with the turntables. ‘Cuz I always
had mad records. My moms was like a manager. She was a manager for like Crown Heights
Aair, BT Express, she managed a lot of acts. She used to manage a lot of groups. And records
was always coming in the crib. And we had an old school record player. And this cat named
Mario on the block used to try and blend records. He ain’t have no mixer, but he used turn
one on and turn one o. And I was like, “Yo, this is incredible!” en I started copying o
him. One thing led to another and I started replaying melodies that were on the records. You
know, practicing my skills as a musician. e next thing I know, I did a record called Bad Boys
“Inspector Gadget.” Me and my man, MJ, we in the studio, just playing around; one thing led
to another and it’s a record. Next thing I know, I did Force MDs. en C & C Music Factory.
But mind you, I’m young, not having a clue of what I’m doing! Because like if you say, “Let’s
go to the studio and make some music,” I’m making music. I’m not making any copies, I’m
not taking anything home. I’m not doing no contracts with you, nothing. I was just happy to
be in the studio making beats. at’s how crazy it was. I started working with Color Me Bad,
when they rst came to New York. It’s crazy, I’ve worked with so many acts. I’ve worked with
Sting, I’ve worked with e Jacksons, I’ve done so much work, like, not knowing what I was
doing. But I was real good at what I did. I was one of those cats that was built for the studio.
Because I knew how to connect sounds. And the machines was real easy for me to learn. Every
studio I went to never had the same machines. ey always had something dierent. And the
engineer that sat there would be like, “Well, this is how you record and this is the sequence
page.” I learned just that fast. Song modes and all that, I was ipping machines.
Sa’id: Do you feel that you have an advantage because you know before hand that you’re
going to be the one mixing it?
D.R. Period: Not really. Nah, nah. Because certain stu you make, you gotta get away. See, I
always like creative ears and creative opinions around me. I want to make sure that my say-so
is more correct. I hate to be just the only judge of it, and then at the end of the day it was kind
of wrong. I’ve learned that you make better records when you have creative people around you.
Sa’id: So in regards to the mix process, how much do you save for mixing, versus how
much you do complete production?
D.R. Period: If the record is in ow mode, if it’s just like moving a certain way, sometimes I
mix the whole record right then and there. Sometimes I get tired of a record, then I don’t even
want to come back to the record. at’s when I know I need another creative ear to come in.
I can’t say that every record I make, I wanna mix. ‘Cuz every record don’t give you that same
vibe. Like certain artists take too long on vocals, they kill the session. And when they kill the
session, they kinda kill the record for me, you know what I mean. ‘Cuz if it took them three
days to make the vocals right, I’m like, “Damn, I don’t even wanna touch this record.” Because
I’m so stuck on mistakes. I can hear every punch. Even though the punch was right, I still hear
it and I know where it was punched in at, and I know all the wrong parts of the record. So as
I’m mixing, I’m focusing on everything that I knew was wrong about the record, that’s not really
wrong now. But I get stuck in that zone. So what I do is get away from that and let another
creative ear come i. Music is weird, man. You have to be open for constructive criticism. at’s
the only way you grow in the game. Without that, you can’t grow. You can’t have all the answers.
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I don’t care how dope you are, I don’t care how many hits you made, you just can’t have all the
answers and all the solutions to the game. So you gotta leave room for other people.
Sa’id: You know what’s bugged? Most cats who use vintage gear consider themselves
musicians. On the other hand, most cats who use newer gear never really even mention
the word musician. Do you think that vintage gear is the reason that your sound is so full,
as opposed to being thin?
D.R. Period: You know what I think it is, experience vs. wisdom. You see what I’m sayin’. You
got a lot of cats that are inexperienced. ey don’t know how to take an 8-track— My rst
record on Select Records, “How ‘Bout Some Hardcore,” (M.O.P), we did the whole album on
an 8-track. We didn’t have the budget to go into the studio [and use the big SSL boards]. So I
had to go in my little studio in the basement, with my little 8-track mixer and my little 8-track
recorder, and then I bought a Tascam 24-track and connected it. It was the weirdest sound, but
I connected them together, and Laze [M.O.P. associate] is on the other end, he got the drums, I
got the base and the chords and the vocals are just playing. at’s why if you notice every time
you hear an M.O.P single from back then, none of the passes were the same. All the mutes were
dierent, all the drums were dierent. Because we had to do it manually. So that’s experience.
You know, coming from that era of making records up to now, learning how Reason works.
I’m glad they made Reason. I’m glad they made Pro Tools.
Sa’id: As far as classic pieces of equipment, do you think that it is an advantage for a
producer using that vs. somebody who started o with later gear?
D.R. Period: It is an advantage for cats who use more of analog gear vs. digital gear. ‘Cuz with
digital, it’s like, all you gotta do is know how quick-punch works and how to cut and paste — and
you’ve made a record. Back then, it was a dierent way of training a producer. at’s why you
got cats that sit around and make beats all day but can’t deliver a record. If you notice, all the
cats who are really makin’ the hits are really producers. Like e Neptunes. ey’re musicians
rst, before producers. So they understand when they come up against a brick wall what to do
to x it. You got a lot of cats now that are just beatmakers. Everybody got a 2000 (MPC)
and a bunch of downloads and stu like that. ey don’t even have vinyls; they got a collection
of CDs! I’m not mad at that. But at the end of the day, you got to understand the value that
vinyl can give you. ey don’t really understand. So everybody gure if they speed it up and
change the pitch and get this real chipmunk sound, they really killing the sample. at can
only carry you so far.
Sa’id: How do you feel about software setups?
D.R. Period: I’m loving it. Like right now, 59% of my beats is made on Reason! I make beats
in my car. I drive, I pull over, take my laptop out, plug my keyboard in, and boom: I’m making
tracks, you know what I’m sayin’. en when I get here [studio] I’m on the MP (MPC), rockin’
the MP. Going back and forth.
Sa’id: So what you’re describing is that you haven’t left this?
D.R. Period: NO! Never! One thing about old equipment is that there’s only one way to
make music. Sometimes when you make music with older equipment, your sound stays the
same and you dig yourself— You become a has-been. If you don’t grow, you can’t change your
sound. And if you don’t change your sound, then you become a has-been. So I learned how to
work with dierent programs just so I could grow with my sound. A lot of producers can’t do
what they do in the dirty South. But not D.R. D.R. make those tracks in his sleep. I’m working
with Killer Mike and them. I’m down there working with Lil’ Flip and BG, you know what I’m
sayin’. And you can’t tell that that’s a D.R. Period track. Musicians know how to adjust to time.
And that’s the advantage to being a musician. Because when I was going to school, we had to
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go to band class. We had to go to music class. ere wasn’t no computer class. We had to go to
typing class. at was the closest thing to learning how to use a computer. So that experience
vs. the experience of a music class in a digital world now, it’s like I’m glad I was forced to go
to music class, as opposed to going to a Pro Tools class. You understand what I’m saying. e
dierence is that with learning how machines work and learning how they break down and
how they get xed is the dopest. Because that helps build your sound. And a lot of beatmakers
now don’t know nothing about sound. ey only take whatever the machine oers them and
they making beats.
Sa’id: How do you make your drums? Do you sample dry, then add eects in the mix?
Or do you process them before?
D.R. Period: I have a library. I have what you call the “D.R. Period library of sounds.” [Laughs]
I have a library that a lot of producers need to give me a call. [Laughs] I have kicks that were
made from like ve dierent kicks. I have drums that were made from live drum sets. Every
new drum machine that comes out with internal sounds, I buy it. I take it in the studio, put all
the sounds on disk, sample everything, then I go back [take the unit back] and get my money…
A lot of these new producers don’t think like engineers. It’s like they don’t have any control.
‘Cuz everything is left and right. Even in Reason they give you the option to use the mixing
board, still EQ everything.
Sa’id: But did you build the bulk of your drum sound library from vinyl? Or did you
snatch it from CDs?
D.R. Period: I snatched from wherever I heard it at. 95% of my stu came from vinyl. Break-beat
records. Drum machines give you a bunch of sounds, but they don’t give you dierent drum sets.
Sa’id: So what do you think about downloading sounds?
D.R. Period: e reason why cats are sitting around downloading sounds all day is because
it’s something to do. A lot of producers need to start getting more involved in the community
of production.
Sa’id: So are you saying that producers should start playing a heavier role in inuencing
new producers?
D.R. Period: Yeah! ey got to!!!
Sa’id: Who inuenced you?
D.R. Period: Well, when I came up, everybody on the block did something. Either they beat
boxed or they rapped or they was ill with everything. As soon as I seen somebody on the block
doing something, I wanted to do it. Like break dancing. I see a new move, I wanted to learn
that move. So I’d go in the crib and practice that move. at’s the same thing that came with
production. It’s like every record I heard that came out from some rap group around the way
got me amped. Like, “Yo, where did ya’ll get that sound from?” and they like, “Oh, well, we
was listenin’ to James Brown’s ‘Funky Drummer’ and we got this sound right at the end of the
record.” So then I’d go in the crib, ‘cuz I got the record, and I’d be so amped when I found
the sound. I’d gure out that these dudes took the sound and they ipped it. And that’s what
would motivate me to nd a record that I know they ain’t got that I have. And I ip. A lot
of producers, they need to get involved with that. Because now they hatin’. “e only reason
why they sellin’ is because…” [In sad, mocking voice] Nah, dog. Give duke his props. You
don’t know how far he came from to get to where he’s at now. You know what I’m sayin’. Like,
I don’t understand the era now. e era now. It’s so much hate going on, and it’s not enough
communicating. Cats is not getting together. Dudes used to share sounds.
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Sa’id: at’s one of the purposes of this book: To share. If we help each other, we raise
the entire game.
D.R. Period: Right, ere you go!
Sa’id: You coach, you mix, you direct. Is this something that new producers should focus on?
D.R. Period: ey got to!!! at’s what takes them from being a beatmaker to a producer. e
rst level of becoming a producer is knowing how to catch the beat, how to make the beat, how
to mix the beat. e second level is learning how to communicate with the artist. e third level
is letting somebody else to come in and take your sound to another level. Now you’re a producer.
A beatmaker is stuck in his world. He’ll sit there play a thousand and fty beats for you. A
producer don’t really have to do that. A producer could play like ten beats for you and get you
to love him within four beats! He’ll be like, “ere’s ten beats on this CD, but I’m only going
to play four.” And the music already sounds like its got words on it because it’s already arranged.
A lot of beatmakers don’t even know about bars. ey don’t know how many bars there are for
an average verse, what works for an average verse. And what’s too short for an average verse.
Sa’id: Elaborate on that.
D.R. Period: If you’re doing hip hop, there’s three types of bars you can use. You can use 16s,
18s, and 20s. 16s, you need three of those (three 16 bar verses). 18s, you need two of those and
a bridge. So now we’re up to a 3-4 minute record. 20, you just need two. When you’re doing
16s, you can either do freestyles or stories. When you’re doing 18s you can do like a story, or
some kind of like, skillful thing. Two 20s denitely gotta be a story. It’s gotta keep you focused
on what’s goin’ on. You gotta know the dierence of bars. And if you’re doing R&B, you gotta
know the 8-bar verse, Intro, 8-bar verse, hook; or Intro, 8-bar, then if you add another 8-bar,
then bridge, you gotta add a pre-bridge before the bridge. You know what I mean. You gotta
understand structure. And a lot of producers and beatmakers gotta understand what role a
beatmaker plays in the game and what role a producer plays in the game.
Sa’id: We all start o as beatmakers, until we evolve. But what’s the trigger? How does
somebody go to that next level, especially if they don’t know anybody?
D.R. Period: Right!!! at’s the thing. e day you’re about to transfer from a beatmaker to a
producer is the day somebody says, “Come in the studio, let’s make records.” Now you’re forced
to become a producer. Because now you have to walk in with a producer’s state of mind. ey
already love your beats, that’s what got you into the studio. Now you gotta gure out how these
vocals and your beat gonna work together. Or is the drums, the kicks and snares matching the
artist’s voice. You gotta know the tones of things. Like some snares might have too much of a
ring, and the artist’s voice is thin and the snare is thin, and the record is sounding all whack, ‘cuz
everything is thin. And that’s the mid. e snare plays the mid end of the beat. So you might
have to get a darker snare.
Sa’id: Right now, do you think it’s more of a producer’s game or an artist’s game?
D.R. Period: It’s more of a producer’s game. It’s always been a producer’s game because without
a producer, there’s no artist. You can throw an instrumental on without no vocals and still move
a crowd. Let’s see you try to throw on a cappella and do that!
Sa’id: How did “Ante Up” work?
D.R. Period: “Ante Up” cut through because it was an aggressive record. It was a dierent
kind of record. e music sounded like warrior music. e horns were aggressive. e music
was almost like an old Public Enemy record. It demanded respect. When I rst did the track, I
knew the track was crazy, but I didn’t know what these dudes was gonna do with it. But when
they [M.O.P] went back and revisited the state of mind that they had on their rst album on
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that track, it was over!
Sa’id: Did that beat take you a long time [to make]?
D.R. Period: Nah. I make beats so quick, it’s ridiculous. at beat was done in like, say no
more than 15, 20 minutes.
Sa’id: Are there ever times when you make a beat, walk away from it, come back a couple
days later?
D.R. Period: If I gotta walk away from a beat, I don’t need the beat, ‘cuz it just ain’t happenin’.
‘Cuz tomorrow, it’s going to be a dierent feeling. If it ain’t doing it, I’m forcing something to
work that ain’t working. Creativity is something that’s gotta be natural. It’s gotta ow. It’s like
if you’re writing as an artist, the words gotta ow. If you’re taking four or ve days to write the
song and then when you nally lay it down it ain’t a hit? You played yourself. Music shouldn’t
be hard to do, when you love it!
Sa’id: When you produce, who do you have in mind?
D.R. Period: I like to think about the artist, but I can’t think about the artist if I ain’t dealing
directly with him. If me and the artist didn’t build on what he wanted— Like, Cam’Ron, prime
example. Before I did [the song] “Hey Ma” for Cam’Ron, he was like, “Ay, yo, D, you remember
that old t.v. show e Facts of Life? Yo, nobody never touched that shit. I want somebody to ip
it.” So I went home, I did my research, found the Facts of Life, played the shit over, ipped the
beat, did all that shit and took it back to Cam’Ron. And he did what he had to do. So people
in the streets liked it. So now, I’m in Cam’Ron mode. He’s already told me what he’s thinkin’,
what he’s liking, you know. So then I go and do “Easy Like Sunday Morning,” ip it, brings
it back to him, and he’s like “Yo, this is what I’m talkin’ about.” And that’s exactly how “Hey
Ma” came about. So that’s what I mean about if I’m dealing directly with an artist. en I can
think for the artist and make beats for him. When I’m dealing with an A&R, who’s just sitting
behind a desk, who think he knows the artist — when the artist don’t even talk to him, don’t
even invite him to studio sessions or don’t even respect him!
Sa’id: How often does that happen?
D.R. Period: It happens all the time!!! It’s a trouble-shooting game. Right now, I got a lot artists
that call me. Yo, they come and pick the beats from me. So it makes life a little more easier. But
when I gotta go sit in they oce and deal with an A&R dude, that’s when the problem begin.
Now, I’m not going [to the oce] with beats. I go with like three tracks! ‘Cuz I gotta get past
him [the A&R]. Out of the three tracks, I’m gonna play a real crazy, hard core, gangsta joint.
en, I’m-a play some hip hop shit. en, I’m a play a commercial record. And I’m gonna see
which of the three he picks. If he picks anything out of those three, then I know where his ear
is at. So if he pick the hard core shit, then I’m gonna go in my bag and pull out three more
hard core joints to play for him, especially if that’s where I think the artist is at. So if I feel the
A&R is on the same page as the artist, I play more joints. But if I play all three of those joints
[initial three beats] for him and he don’t pick none of them, I don’t ever come back to his oce.
Because it’s a waste of time. Because what he’s going to pick – 95% of the time — the artist is
not going to take.
Sa’id: So how often do you have to deal with A&Rs who are trying to run the shots, as
opposed to the artists?
D.R. Period: ey call me all the time, man. I don’t dis nobody, but I can count on my hand
the A&Rs that I would love to go sit down and take a meeting with. And then I got like a book
in the cabinet of those I would not like to go sit down and take a meeting with! A lot of A&Rs
are just homeboys, put on because they man is in position. ey’re not music dudes. Just ‘cuz
you know what you like as a person doesn’t mean you’re a music dude. Right now, a lot of
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these A&Rs— at’s why everybody rhymin’ on they own shit now. Producer’s are like, “Fuck
keep trying to submit beats to A&Rs and never getting a check.” Because they [A&Rs] rather
say, “Yo, I got this new 17 year old kid with beats.” Remember what they just said: “is new,
17 year old kid, with beats!” at don’t mean he’s gonna give you a hit. And that don’t mean
he can’t give you a hit — you know ‘cuz a beatmaker come o [makes a quality song], too,
sometimes. But 95% of the time it don’t happen! So you got this new 17 year old kid you just
signed, who makes 50 beats a day, you all hyped over the dude. But you can’t go in the studio
and get a single out of your artist. And your artist has recorded 30 records and you ain’t got a
single? You [A&Rs] wouldn’t have that problem if you just put him with two producers who
know what they were doing.
Sa’id: What’s the name of your production company?
D.R. Period: Next Level Entertainment
Sa’id: Is that what forced you to start your own production company? e fact that you
had to go to a business level?
D.R. Period: No, I always had a production company for years, ‘cuz back then it was the shit
to have one. Now, it’s to show a lot of these new A&R’s, just stepping on the scene, who are the
producers to deal with. So even though I may get a hit record, it’s still just a record to an A&R.
He’ll knock it. [In many cases] He don’t even like the artist. So he ain’t even paying attention
to the producer if he don’t like the artist. So the key to it is to show them D.R. as the artist. If
I can take myself out of producer mode and make myself sound like the hottest artist of the
year, it opens up an A&R’s whole outlook of you. ey be like, “Oh, I didn’t know you could
rhyme.” How hard is it to put words together? Either you got a vivid imagination or just brag
and lie a lot. at’s all these niggas do. Like what the fuck. Like they sayin’ something real? Just
‘cuz they got guns on they block; and everybody sold drugs on they block; they been doing that
shit for years. I mean, like, what makes that the truth, you know what I mean. It’s something
that’s in the hood. at shit is just furniture. It’s just there, you know what I’m sayin’. It ain’t
ever leaving, we all know. So when I shop my music I show my artist skills and a lot of A&Rs
are like, “Yo, you need to work with my new artist.”
Sa’id: What about somebody that doesn’t have a name but they got some re?
D.R. Period: ose dudes need to go up under somebody, like they need to work for free! If
you make 6 or 7 beats a day and you have to lose 12 of those beats, and you make between
400 and 1000 beats within a year, and you only lost 12 free beats! Yo, those 12 free beats is
going to be the beginning of your whole career, especially if you get a hit. Now once you get a
hit, now everybody gotta pay you. Like everybody talk ridiculous money. Just because you got
beats and you think they hot, nobody’s gonna give you no 15, 20 Gs [$15,000 or $20,000]
and you don’t have a track record, and you haven’t proven yourself. ey might give you like
a G [$1,000]. ere’s a lot of producers now that make beats for $700! And that’s what a lot
of the artists are going for now. Sometimes this shit work, sometimes it don’t. at’s why their
albums be all over the place because they’re using producers who just don’t have what it takes.
Sa’id: As far as somebody that wants to produce, what type of gear setup would you
recommend? Should they start with a vintage setup or should they go with the software rst?
D.R. Period: Whatever they feel they can learn fast, that’s what they should start with. Because
everybody’s mind is dierent. Some people relate to certain things quick. Some people take
months, some people take years. Like I know somebody that just got a drum machine. Nigga
still don’t know how to sample, and he had the shit for a year! And I told him a thousand and
fty times how to sample, he just don’t get it. But he’s a computer wiz. So I was like, “Why
didn’t you just get Reason?” He’d probably be better o with software because that’s his thing.
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So my thing is to say to a lot of new producers is, whatever machine do it for you, that’s the
machine for you.
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ere is no beatmaker (producer) more responsible for
the Atlanta Sound (and perhaps the Southern bounce)
than DJ Toomp. In a career that spans ve of the seven
major beatmaking periods, Toomp has always been at
the head of the pack. Relevant and consistent and, more
importantly, a true hip hop/rap pioneer, DJ Toomp is
indeed one of the most important gures in the history
of beatmaking.
Notable Credits: T.I., “U Don’t Know Me,” “24s;”
Kanye West, “Big Brother;” Jay-Z, “Say Hello;”
Ludacris, “Two Miles an Hour;” Nas, “N.I.G.G.E.R. (e Slave and the Master);” Young
Jeezy, “I Luv It”
DJ Toomp’s Setup: Akai MPC 60 II, E-Mu SP 1200, Roland Fantom S-68, Propellerhead
Reason, Mackie 32 Channel Console, Yamaha NS-10 Reference Monitors, Pro Tools running
on an Apple Mac G5.
__________________________________________________________________________
Sa’id: I want to show what really goes into being a music person, not just a beatmaker
(producer)—What really “scopes” a person, what inuences them, why a person is doing
what they’re doing—
DJ Toomp: Un hungh…
Sa’id: at being said, get into where you were born?
DJ Toomp: I was born and raised right here in Atlanta, GA., East Park Medical Center, 8/2/69,
[born to the parents] Mary and Al Davis. Grew up in Southwest Atlanta, where everybody know
it as S.W.A.T. Southwest Atlanta is a popular location when it comes to the music business.
You got a lot of artists and people from the old school who lived in South West Atlanta, like
Millie Jackson, Hamilton Bohanon, Curtis Mayeld, Brick, Jean Carr. It’s a long list. It’ s just
something about that Southwest Atlanta area. S.O.S. Band, few of their people stayed over there.
So it was just that area, man. en you got me, Sleepy Brown, which his dad was in the group
Brick. ere’s a whole lot of people coming out of that Southwest Atlanta area, you know, Polo.
Sa’id: So when you were born, did your parents say anything, tell you anything about
the time and era in which you were born, that they knew something was going to happen
for you?
DJ Toomp: You know, I don’t know, man, I do so much, but they knew I was interested in
music, ‘cuz my dad was in a singing group called the MVPs. ey were signed to Buddah
Records, you remember that label with the Buddah?
Sa’id: Yeah, Buddah Records—
DJ Toomp: Yeah, they used to tour with Gladys Knight, e Impressions and all of them.
ey had put a single out. ey had about one or two joints, but they really didn’t make it to
the album level. It did all right, they were able to tour. For him, he’d just got a little taste of
it, but I’d gotten a BIG taste of it just watching them practice and rehearse. And I was like 4,
3 or 4 years old, just watching them sing down stairs in my house. And I mean during that
time, you gotta think, in the ‘70s if you wanted to be in the music business, you had to sing
DJ TOOMP
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or play an instrument. ere wasn’t really DJ’ing. DJ’ing is a part of music business now. It
wasn’t rapping, you know what I’m sayin’. It was either you play an instrument or you sing. So
I learned how to sing at an early age. I used to sing. My dad taught me how to sing at an early
age. I was never on stage with no microphone. [Laughs] But I was always singing. I was taught
a lot about harmony and stu like that at an early age. I used to tap on the piano every now
and then when I didn’t go to school. But I just never thought that I would really get into it.
But they [parents] even noticed that when I was a kid I just used to sit down and watch them
practice all the time.
Sa’id: Was it just you or do you have brothers and sisters?
DJ Toomp: Yeah, I got two brothers and one sister.
Sa’id: Older?
DJ Toomp: My brother and sister are older, and I got one younger brother. My sister actually
named me Toomp. Yeah, when I was born she was like 5 years old. She just looked in my carriage
and started calling me Toomp.
Sa’id: No reason?
DJ Toomp: Just Toomp. Come to nd out, it’s a name in Africa, it’s an African name. And
what was wild is that it was spelled “T-o-o-m-p.” So I just took it and we rolled out with it. Real
name, Aldrian Davis. But everybody know me as Toomp. Used to be Toompy with a “y” when
I was younger. As I got older it was just Toomp. I went through a whole lot of ashy names:
Special T, Cut Master T, Special D, all kinds of joints, man. Spin Master, Tad Ski, crazy names.
en I kept it simple. I was like, You know what, I’ll just be DJ Toomp!
Sa’id: Being that your father was in this group, how much did your parents stress music
in the household?
DJ Toomp: It really wasn’t even stressed. It was just a natural thing. Like I can almost paint
the picture, man. Just imagine 1975. Between ‘73 and ’76, or just the whole ‘70s and ‘80s era,
mostly ‘70s. Man, we were the type of family, you know, me, my mom and dad and my sister,
we’d jump in the car on a Saturday night or a Friday night and go to this big record store, Peaches
Records and Tapes, they used to stay open real, real late. Man, whatever record I’d been listening
to on the radio, they’d buy me a 45, and whatever my sister had been loving, she’d get her a set
of 45s. My dad would get his albums, Earth Wind and Fire and all that, and my mom would
get her Minnie Ripperton. So if you got a family of four people in the ‘70s going to the record
store on the weekends, just kicking it. And I used to— My sister had a little record player in her
room and my mom and dad had theirs, so me and my sister had to take turns. But then when
mom and dad get tired of playing records, we go down there and play on the big speakers, you
know what I’m sayin’. And we weren’t, you know, no rich family. We were like lower middle
class. Back then our house was worth maybe $70,000. I guess that was cool in the ‘70s. So
we’d go down there and play it on the big speakers. And I used to just listen to records until I’d
fall out on the oor. My sister would still be going through hers. So it’s like the love for music,
man, was just ALWAYS in the household. On a Sunday, when we cleaned up, we might let a
Heat Wave album play all the way through, or Earth, Wind and Fire. Temptations. Christmas
time, we’d play that famous Temptations album, just let it play.
Sa’id: at’s one of the things that I wanted to get at. We’ve moved away from where music
was a communal thing in the household.
DJ Toomp: YES SIR!
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Sa’id: And now its become a like a “separate” thing—
DJ Toomp: YEAH, it’s so private, I feel you!
Sa’id: Speak on that, how it aected you.
DJ Toomp: It denitely had an eect ‘cuz believe it or not, I saw the beginning of it. e
people started getting stu like the Sony Walkman and whatnot. You know, with the radios
on it. It was like people used to go a sneak and listen to music. Just when the Walkmans came
out, that was the beginning. Before that, right before the Sony Walkmans came out, it was the
boom boxes. You remember when Earth, Wind and Fire had that commercial back in the day,
Panasonic Platinum. ey came out with these radios and all of them was platinum color, that
was like the yest shit to have, the big boom box. You had some bigger than our whole upper
body. So that’s when LL Cool J says, “I play it even on the subway, I woulda got a summons
but I ran away.” at started given people summons for running around with these boom boxes
playing loud, back in the day. I mean that’s from New York and all over the country. And you
started having noise ordinances. Even though it was just cassettes, when we made a mixtape
or whatever, a cassette, we’d turn the record level up high. So on your boom box, it’s going to
play a lot louder than your average— And then they started getting better with the speakers
on it. So you had boom boxes that were $500 back then. And when they started giving people
ordinances and all that stu, that’s when they came out with the personal stu, all the Sony
Walkmans, and everybody else started coming, Toshiba. Where it sounded as good as a boom
box, but it wasn’t disturbing everybody. at was the beginning of it, right there.
Sa’id: Was music aecting you in class, what type of student were you?
DJ Toomp: Believe it or not, the way the music had an eect on me in the class room was, I
wanted to get home, just get home and listen to music. I started DJ’ing in 8th grade, all the
way up to ’81. I mean I still touch the turntables, but when I was in high school and I was
DJ’ing, I would just really try to nish all my work, just so I could go home and scratch! Just
go home and listen to music and play. So my grades were good because I just couldn’t wait to
get home. I used to try to nish my homework quick, that way I’d have more turntable time at
home — just scratchin’, coming up with new routines and stu like that.
Sa’id: Yeah, but at that time, who was doing it in Atlanta? Who got you into DJ’ing?
DJ Toomp: Believe it or not, man, I was so ahead of my time. Like my cousin, she’s from
Brooklyn, and she brought— She used to have mixtapes and stu, and she just put me up on
all the new rap stu coming out of New York. It was like the early ‘80s. I been heard about the
Crash Crew, Treacherous 3. A lot of people just knew about Sugar Hill Gang and Grandmaster
Flash. I know all about the Cold Crush Brothers and all that. I saw the movie Wild Style at an
early age, like when it rst came out. A lot of people just catching on to Wild Style like right
now. So I saw it. What made me interested [in DJ’ing] is when I heard the record, on Sugar
Hill records, e Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel. I heard that record,
and this dude that stayed in my hood, his name’s Jelly Dog, JD, JD Whitaker, he DJ’d but he
was an old school DJ who just had two turntables and a mixer. But he didn’t scratch or mix.
So you know when he used to do all the parties in the neighborhood. When I heard this, it
was like 1980/81 when I heard that record. And I kept hearing that [starts to emulate drum
loop], and I’m like, Man, how is he starting the records over like that? How is he getting it to
repeat? So I was trying to gure it out, but with my imagination, I was like, Man, I believe I
know what he’s doing. I think he’s moving the needle back. And I was wrong. [Laughs] I went
home and cried. at shit didn’t work. [Laughs]. I messed up a few needles, you know what
I mean, lying telling my parents I dropped the record and hit it. I didn’t tell them I was trying
to gure out how he got his sound.
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And there was a DJ, I used to hear this DJ on the radio, his name was Reggie Reg, and it was an
A.M. station, he used to mix, and I was like, Damn, how he get them records on beat and just fade
it out like that? One day I heard him scratchin’, but it was real slow like [starts to demonstrate
the scractchin’]. So I called him and was like, “Hey! [Laughs] How you do that?” ‘Cuz they
used to have like live remotes at a club, like 12 O’clock. He was like [starts to imitate his voice],
“Well, you got to take the rubber o of the platter. And get either a cardboard from a record
cover or some felt.” I’m like, “What the hell is ‘felt?’ You know, I’m a kid.” He’s like, “You can
go to a materials shop and cut out some felt.” And I started doing it. So the guy JD, I use to
sneak up to his house, ‘cuz me and his son was cool. So when he’d go to work, we’d turn on
the system. So I went in there and just started messing around, ‘cuz I saw Grandmaster Flash
doing it on 60 Minutes. ey was like introducing hip hop to the world, yeah they had him on
60 Minutes. And they was talking about the movie Wild Style. Once I tried it and gured it
out, like I said, I already knew I could do it, ‘cuz when I heard it, I was like, I think I can do it.
Other people were just like, “I don’t know how he’s doing it.” ey thought it was just studio
work. I knew! My cousin told me Flash used to be on turntables. She’s from Brooklyn. but she
knew all about the Bronx and hip hop. So the minute that I learned how to DJ, that’s when I
knew it was something going on! ‘Cuz I begged my parents to buy me a turntable. My mom
bought me a turntable, my dad bought me a mixer, you know what I’m sayin’. And this one
dude in my neighborhood named Dee Dee — Dee Dee Tell — he gave me a turntable and I
put my generator in it, ‘cuz it didn’t have a generator in it, it had burnt out. So I was always into
electronics. Used to take VCRs loose, see how it worked. So the minute the heads went dirty, I
knew how to clean the heads. So I knew how to work things. I just used to take stu apart all
the time and see if I could put it back together. But eventually, I learned it. So I started taking
electro mechanics classes. And you know from all of that, being technical, and just being into
equipment, I actually just started learning how to nd the right type of stu to really get my
sound right on turntables. I found— I started digging into knowledge of the Technics 1200
turntable. Once I got into that and was able to do parties and sell tapes, I started hearing people
talking about production. Even though I used to read on the back of album covers, like, What
is producing? You know what I mean, like, “Produced by Quincy Jones,” “Produced by Stevie
Wonder.” at was always in the back of my head. I already knew I had the ear for music. Next
thing you know, I started going to studios. People gave me a chance and let me get in there and
play around. You know they had to show me a few buttons. And it was like, I don’t know, it
was like I was always on some futuristic type stu. People didn’t really know what DJ’ing was
[in Atlanta at that time], and people would say, “Toomp know how to DJ.” First thing people
would say, “Toomp be on the radio?” Like, “Nah, DJ’ing!” “What he do when he DJ’ing?” A
lot of people just didn’t know. Later on when they started seeing Jam Master Jay and Run-DMC,
people were like, “Aw, that’s that shit Toomp be doing.”
Sa’id: At that time, a lot of people were looking at DJ’ing as an art and a craft, and some were
trying to also make money from it. How much was money a role in it for you, at that time?
DJ Toomp: Well, 60 minute tapes for $5, 90 minute tapes for 8! And this was between ’83
and ’87. By about ’87, my tapes got up to like $12, $15.
Sa’id: What kind of music were you mixing?
DJ Toomp: Hip hop stu. One side might be fast, up-tempo Miami [Bass], you know, Pretty
Tony, 2 Live Crew, Cybertron, Twilight 22, you know, “Electric Kingdom,” all them fast records
back then. “Planet Rock.” And the other side might be slower: Grandmaster Flash, you know.
Whoever you could think of that was out around those times.
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Sa’id: How about parties, were you doing a lot of parties?
DJ Toomp: Yes! Man, I started o getting like $50 for a party. I used to have to use speakers
from people houses. I brought mine, too. I used to have a home boy, you know, he had his
license and he’d drive me around. Like whoever I’m doing a party for, like if I was doing a party
at your house, I’d call and be like, “Ay, what kind of speakers you got over there? O.K., yeah,
O.K., are they big? O.K., I’m going to plug ‘em into my amp.” So we’d have four speakers over
there. en somebody’s next door neighbors might say, “Ay, we got some more!” So we’d run
speakers in almost every room of the whole basement. You know, I dun blew a few amps and
everything. Later on, once I get my own [big] speakers, my price went up to like $300, $400
a party.
Sa’id: So what did this give you? By you making money doing mixtapes, which is a private
thing, and then doing parties, that’s more of a communal thing. How does that manifest
itself when you’re making beats.
DJ Toomp: Want me to tell you how that played a part?
Sa’id: Indeed.
DJ Toomp: Aiight. Me— When other people [in Atlanta] started trying to get into the DJ’ing,
which I had the craziest scratch patterns that nobody could really touch for a WHILE. So
when more people started making mixtapes, I started getting competitive. I might talk at the
beginning. So me, I used to do a trick, back in the day, with the pause button on the tape deck.
So I might have a mixtape and record it into another tape deck and hit pause and just repeat
a whole lotta stu. And people were wondering how I did it. ey were like, “Man, how you
make it repeat like that?” And once again, that’s game from New York! ese guys called the
Latin Rascals, they used to be on 98.7 Kiss [former New York radio station]. And I used to
get those tapes, back in the days. And they used to actually edit in the studio. But I knew how
to do all of their edit tricks with a pause button on an old school tape deck, you know what I
mean. ‘Cuz we let it o, the timing was so perfect. And when you do, you got to keep count
like [demonstrates countdown], “1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – Boom!” And the counts, and the half-count,
you could make it repeat. So after I started getting familiar with counts, rst time I touched
a drum machine and learned about bars and stu, that’s when I knew like, the rst beat on
something, the snare, where to let the pause o . So all the skills I had on the pause button
play a part in me just being able — when I rst got on the drum machine.
Sa’id: So you started understanding timing?
DJ Toomp: Aw, man, the timing was crazy! at’s when I knew. I started listening to all the
records I used to spin at parties, and was like, Oh, O.K., here go the intro, the breakdown right
there, and there goes the end of the record. And I was like, I know I can do this shit. e same
way I gured out DJ’ing. I KNOW I can make a record. And I made my rst joint with this
guy named Raheim Dream, that was in ’85.
Sa’id: ’85? What were you using to make that?
DJ Toomp: A DMX and a drumulator. e Drumulator was made by E-Mu, same people who
make the Proteus and the Mophat.
Sa’id: What kind of track was your rst joint? Was it up-tempo?
DJ Toomp: Honestly, it wasn’t even up-tempo. See, in 1985, honestly, you gotta think, it was
more like Rick Rubin stu was jumping; ’85, ’86: you got the Rick Rubin sound. at was LL,
Beastie Boys, and Run-DMC. So I was trying to make those type beats. Up-tempo Miami Bass
wasn’t even OUT, you know. at movement wasn’t even out. So when I was doing that, me
and Raheim, he was kind of rappin’ like on an LL/Run-DMC style. And my beats were more
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like, slower, like some Rick Rubin stu — song called “Raheim e Dream.”
Sa’id: So what did you start doing next? Did you say, “I’m bout to take this to another
level in my life?”
DJ Toomp: Well, I was on some DJ Premier shit back then. I was actually scratchin’ on the
record. “Raheim e Dream” featuring DJ Toomp. I drew the artwork and everything on the
label — had [the words] “DJ Toomp” coming out with some turntables. So I was scratchin’ on
the record, too, you know what I mean. It was a crazy record. It was in rotation. ey played
it like four times a day. I was able to start charging more for parties. So people was wanting
to come see me spin.
Sa’id: So ’85, who were the people, the producers that was taking your mind, that really
inuenced you as a producer?
DJ Toomp: e very rst hip hop producer or producer, period?
Sa’id: Very rst hip hop producer.
DJ Toomp: Kurtis Blow. at’s where it starts, you know what I mean. He produced all his
shit; “Christmas Rappin’.” Anything you see Kurtis Blow, and what was that, Orange Crush,
“I Want Action.” Yeah, I think him and Russell Simmons produced that. Yeah, Kurtis Blow, he
been a producer like that. He produced e Fat Boys. A lot of people don’t give him his props.
But yeah, I’ve been a fan of Kurtis Blow. en later on, it was Rick Rubin, you know what I’m
sayin’. And it was another cat, Larry Smith. He did a lot of stu for Whoodini. I think Larry
Smith must have had a deal on Jive back in the days, ‘cuz everything that was on Jive/Zomba
his name was on it. Steady B, everything. He produced a whole lot of stu. Larry Smith, he
was a hot producer, too. Who else...It’s kind of hard when you get into it, too. ‘Cuz when you
listen to those Sugar Hill records, you don’t really know who produced them! All you know
is that it’s Sylvia Robinson and its Sugar Hill Records. ‘Cuz all their stu was really a BAND!
But like I said, later on after Rick Rubin and Larry Smith, believe it or not, I was fan of omas
Dolby. He produced the rst Whoodini record, “Magic Wand.”
Sa’id: omas Dolby the pop artist?
DJ Toomp: Yeah [starts to sing like omas Dolby] “She blinded me with science.” He was
producing all Whoodini’s shit when they rst came out. And that’s when I rst got cable,
and I used to be watching them dudes, and I was like, Aw, that’s the dude, oh, O.K. Damn,
he the one who did that record? A white guy? From England! ‘Cuz see Whoodini used to
record in England a lot. at’s why their sound was so dierent from everybody’s. When they
started doing it here, it started blending in with everything else. But they had a real sound
that couldn’t be touched, you know what I mean, ‘cuz that was just an England sound, from
messing with omas Dolby. BUT, after that [after those producers, who really inuenced me]?
[enthusiastically] THE WORLD FAMOUS MARLEY MARL!
Sa’id: How did you react to Marley Marl and when sampling came in?
DJ Toomp: Man, I was TRIPPIN’, because I was wondering how and the hell he did it! Where
did he get those drum sounds! ‘Cuz I knew the DMX didn’t have it. I knew the Tom Sequencer
didn’t have it. I knew the drumulator didn’t have it. I went through SEVERAL drum machines
and was like, Where is he getting these dirty ass kicks and snares? And that’s when I found out
about the SP 12. And it only gave you 5 seconds of sampling time. So you was able to get some
good drum sounds from some James Brown records and whatever. And that’s when I noticed
that his kicks and snares was coming from something old, ‘cuz I heard the static. But I still
didn’t know how he got it. ‘Cuz you know, I had the 808 drum machine, the 727. Back in the
days, man, our studio used to be full of drum machines, ‘cuz samplers weren’t out. When they
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came out with the SP 12 and the SP 1200, which were sampling machines, you were able to
rob these machines for they sounds and just save ‘em on a disk. Some people sold their 808; to
this day they regret it. e original 808 drum machine, the black one with the buttons going
out, man, like a lot of people. Like Andre 3000, he framed his. He paid top dollar for his 808;
still look brand new. And that drum machine was used by everybody. Everything you heard
was the 808 drum machine. But the thing about it, after the SP 12 and just— Sampling drum
machines came out, people were able to just get sounds from all these drum machines, and they
just faded out. But like I said, Marley Marl, when I rst heard Marley Marl, I think it was “e
Bridge.” I was like, What the heck is that? [Starts to demonstrate drum beat from “e Bridge.]
I’m like, Man, all these drum machines — I got the Roland R8, I got the Yamaha D5, I’m like,
Where are these drum sounds coming from? I can’t nd this shit, you know what I mean. And
that’s when I found out it was a sampling machine. I was walking around Atlanta, ‘cuz the way
it’s made, it looks like a big ol’ EQ. Man, I was the rst person to run around here with an SP!
People didn’t know what I was doing. And you had a lot of people who still really didn’t even
know what production was, straight up. Or really didn’t know about drum machines too tough.
Sa’id: So basically, were you teaching yourself how to use it?
DJ Toomp: I had a homeboy, Mike Fresh. We gured it out. Mike Fresh, I’ve been knowing
him, if you were to look at the old Shy D album covers, that’s me and him. Yeah, we the ones
who rekindled Sha D’s career. We kept him going, ‘cuz he had the rst album, but we came and
produced the second one. You know, we were responsible for his biggest song to this day, it was
“Shake It.” [Starts to demonstrate the hook from “Shake It.”] at was the SP 1200 then. So
me and Mike we gured it out, man, and just started taking over the city with it.
Sa’id: So did you go through an experimental process?
DJ Toomp: Yes. First we had the SP 12, like I said, that was 5 seconds of sampling time. It
didn’t have a disk drive. We used to save the data back-up on a cassette deck. A lot of people
might not understand that, but you could actually put data on that digitally. Once we got to
the SP 1200 — 10 seconds of sampling time — that’s when we started buying records and just
going through our record collections. We’d go over our aunties’ and all parents’ houses. We just
started getting record collections. Brought them back to Mike Fresh house, and we’d just be down
there sampling, going through some of everybody’s stu. It’s stu that we were looping back in
’87 that folks just really nding now. So there were denitely inuences. e rst person I saw
with an MPC was Jazzy Je. at’s when they were on e Grammy’s, him and Will Smith.,
when Jazzy Je and the Fresh Prince was on e Grammy’s. He had an MPC. Everybody knew
me from having an SP 12, and they was looking at mine like a new spaceship. But when they
saw that, when that camera zoomed in on Jazzy Je’s drum machine on e Grammy’s, man,
my phone just blew up! “Aw, Toomp, your boy got something else. You see that blue screen?”
[Laughs] “Man, what kind of drum machine is that? It ain’t got them slides, it’s got 16 pads.”
I mean I had people who recorded e Grammy’s on VHS and was like, “Man, Toomp, I’m
gonna show you.” And we would put it on pause. I’m like, Man, what kind of drum machine is
that? I ain’t have no internet or nothing like that back then. Man, I started going to this place
called Rhythm City, it was a music store. ey didn’t know what I was talking about. I was like,
“Man, I can just show you this video tape and let y’all see it.” [Laughs] And later on somebody
did their research and was like, “Nah, that’s the new Roger Linn.” We didn’t even know it was
an MPC, we just knew it as the new Roger Linn drum machine. It was the new MPC. And
when we got it, it had maybe 15 seconds more, it was a cleaner sound than the SP, even though
they both still 12 bit. But that Akai MPC, man, it just had something else. And that’s when I
started learning about sequencing and I started incorporating more keyboards into my music.
‘Cuz at rst, when we did the old Shy D stu, it was mostly beat driven; just an SP, you know
what I mean. It was mostly just beats, not too many melodies. But then later on, see, the SP
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can MIDI-up with something. But a sequencer, it can control like four keyboards at one time.
Sa’id: A lot of people have gotten more into melody in the last 5 years, but by not having that
solid drum beat background, their drums sound weak, the drum arrangements are weak—
DJ Toomp: Un huh.
Sa’id: Explain how you were able to get into the melody and still maintain the solid
drumwork.
DJ Toomp: Well, melodies man, they stick in my head like for years. You know how some
people will say they wanna replay e Ohio Players or they wanna replay this Michael Jackson
record. Some people actually have to go and nd that record. I remember all of the instruments
and everything, when they go high and lower, I remember how the strings went. ‘Cuz I used
to sit down and just study music when I was a kid. Like I said, I didn’t know that I would end
up being a producer. But I just used to study it so much, and just melodies like that. at’s
how that song, “What You Know” [T.I.], that’s a melody I always remembered when I was a
kid. Whenever it got to the end of that Roberta Flack record, that [demonstrates melody part
of song, “What You Know.”] at part just feels so good. at melody’s been in my head since
the ‘70s. So I just decided to really just bring you know, right when it was nger-snappin’, I just
decided to bring— Like even before “What You Know,” I noticed that’s what really gave a song
identity. e beats were one thing but the melody keeps it going. ‘Cuz at one time, DJs used
to scratch [demonstrates two hard scratches], like that’ll be the music. You know what I mean.
Sa’id: Yeah, like a key stab.
DJ Toomp: Yeah, just a stab, there you go. After while, more people started getting familiar
with, “Oh, shit, I can sync this keyboard up where it stays on beat with the drum machine.”
And if you add any kind of musical skills or your ear was just tuned in any way, you could
become a melody player. And I just had so many melodies in my head. And I just kept my
drums hitting hard. What I did was, I still incorporate the 808 sounds and a lot of stu. Even
when I sample old school records. Just like with Jay-Z, “Say Hello.” I almost went with some
harder, more East Coast drums, but I decided to keep the 808 claps and the kicks, just to still
keep it that Southern bounce; that way it’ll still have that Toomp identity, you know what I
mean. No matter what I sample. I might sample something that sound like straight East Coast,
but when that beat come in, you’re going to know it’s a Toomp beat.
Sa’id: One thing that I would say distinguish your beats, aside from the bounce, is the
swing. I call it the “Toomp Swing.”
DJ Toomp: Un huh.
Sa’id: It’s a little dierent. Was that something that you intended to do?
DJ Toomp: Honestly, it was something that I naturally did. But once people started bringing
it to my attention, like, “Hey, man, your songs don’t sound alike, but you got this certain
little…” I used to be like, “Word? Tell me what part of it is it.” ey’d be like, “I don’t know.”
And what happened is, I just took time and really went through a lot of my songs, and it’s the
way that I do my hi-hats, you know what I mean. It’s a certain way that I put em down. It’s a
certain count that I do that the average person don’t do; where I be more between the beat. And
it’s just a certain way that it just bounce!
Sa’id: So you play all of your drum hats with two hands?
DJ Toomp: Yeah, yeah, it’s a real natural feel, AND I do it in real time!
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Sa’id: Please speak on that. When you’re doing it in real time, do you keep it on 1/16th
or Triplets?
DJ Toomp: Nah, well, see, REAL TIME is WITHOUT!
Sa’id: So you take timing correct completely o?
DJ Toomp: TAKE IT OFF! It’s certain stu that I might put in there, maybe a certain snare
[demonstrates snare sound and unique placement of], but the hi-hats and everything— ‘Cuz
really what you do, once you nd that one kick or either snare, at least one of those [may] need
to be time correct, you know what I mean. It could be like 1/8
th
, 1/16
th
. But it depends. But I
double time my stu just to get a certain feel.
Sa’id: at’s what I want you to open up about. People need to understand that you don’t
have to use timing correct, especially on a drum—
DJ Toomp: Man, exactly! But honestly, timing correct is a thing to where like, you can
use it, but it’s almost like training wheels! [Laughs] Timing correct is really training wheels.
So sometimes you may hear some of my joints where you be like, “Oh, shit, it’s locked in.”
Sometimes I might let certain beats slide by, but a song with a certain feel to it? If it’s a sample
that I’ve done chopped up [demonstrates incredibly solid drum pattern with his hands on
baseboard of mixing console], it’s got to be live. Who can duplicate my rhythm and the way
that I decide to do it? But you let the machine do it, it’s gonna go [demonstrates the same
pattern, but now it sounds “stuck,” less rhythmic and natural], and it’s going to be too accurate.
So I gotta do it the way you breathe [demonstrates the solid drum pattern rst heard]. You
don’t breathe on no metronome — “click, click, click…” So I just [demonstrates solid drum
pattern]. at’s what keeps it LIVE! But if you just let that machine lock it in to where it’s
mechanical sounding— at’s why, you know, you got cats— at’s why you can hear people
who can produce and some people who program. You can hear the programming of a machine
to do something. at’s just learning the technical side of it. O.K., I can program this. Uh, put
this block right here and this block right here, and this gon make a beat. Like, you know all
these new programs on the computer and whatnot. ey cool, I use some of them, but I still
incorporate my live feel. I don’t just take squares and put em somewhere and make it be “bass,
snare, and kick.” Like, somewhere, some rhythm gotta be there! I gotta be tappin’ or tappin’ my
feet or somethin’, you know what I mean. So that’s what plays a part in my sound.
Sa’id: Describe your work ethic.
DJ Toomp: Man, it’s crazy. Sometimes I might do like 18 hours a day. Sometimes 14. Sometimes
10. I may get 3 good days out of the week and rest the other days, and chill with my daughter,
or just kick it, READ, watch T.V.: UFC, IFL, cage boxing, cage ghts, all that shit. I love that,
that’s my favorite sport right now.
Sa’id: You do one beat at a time or you work on several beats at a time?
DJ Toomp: I might make— When I come through here [his studio], I might have like, eight
joints. I’ll have eight dierent sequences, but—
Sa’id: Eight dierent sequences on the MPC?
DJ Toomp: On the MPC, Yeah. But, out of that eight, three of them may get nished that
day. You know what I mean, from beginning to end: break down, hook, verse. But on the
other ones, it might just be a crazy ass sequence, that’s just like, Ooooh. Some people would
rap over the whole thing and let their hook be the hook, you know what I mean, the beat just
be the same all the way through.
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Sa’id: A lot of producers lack quality control.
DJ Toomp: Yeah.
Sa’id: Meaning they’ll do 30 beats and they’ll try to get all of those 30 beats o to somebody.
DJ Toomp: Dumb move. I deal with quality more than quantity, you know what I mean.
Like I even got old tracks from ’94 that I could still load up, on disk , from when I had my rst
MPC. And some people will hear those beats and be like, “Man, I’ll take that beat right now.”
And I’m like, “Man, that’s kind of old.” Like, that’s what music was in ’94. at’s some Pete
Rock shit right there. But some people be like, “Man, I’ll take it now.” But even if they wanna
pay top dollar for it, I still got to take it and do something else to it. I just can’t sell that track
like that, man. I don’t care how much they love it or whatever, like nah, my name is on it. I
don’t look at it as trash, I look at it like, these beats need to be updated somewhat, you know.
Sa’id: Let me give you this scenario, and for you it’s a very realistic scenario. Let’s say you
get three or four dierent beat requests from four separate artists and you have a three-week
window.
DJ Toomp: Un huh. [Laughs]. Gosh, somebody must’ve told you what’s going on around
here! [Laughs]
Sa’id: And in a case like this, you don’t really have time to pussy-foot around. What do
you reach for? Like when a hitman has to do work, there’s a certain gun or weapon he
reaches for. When you come in the studio, what are you reaching for rst?
DJ Toomp: Aight, when it come to my East Coast artists, sometimes I go to my ASR-10, call
up my Roland Fantom and my MPC. West Coast artists, most of em, that’s Reason, you know,
Reason software.
Sa’id: Are you controlling Reason with the Fantom?
DJ Toomp: I do it with the Fantom, or sometimes I just be home with a MIDI controller. And
it’s just a certain sound that I get out of Reason. Down South artists, that can be everything,
you know, we sample down here, too. Certain sounds in Reason, the drums are there, but most
of the stu that people wanna hear from me down South, most of those drums are in my MPC,
you know what I mean. Like 90% of T.I., Jeezy, Rick Ross, you know what I mean. Most of the
Kanye was done on— Like, “Big Brother” was done on Reason. “Good Life” was done with the
MPC, Fantom, and ASR. ”Can’t Tell Me Nothin’” that was MPC, Fantom, and my boy Mike
Dean added the extra strings on it, and he used the Logic program, so that was a combination,
you know what I mean. So like it varies, man, when it comes to weapons. When it came down
to Jay-Z for his album, he was like, “We need something for American Gangster. Yo, we wanna
get some of the old school feel.” I was like, “Aiight!” I tried to shoot some original stu rst,
you know what I mean, ain’t nothin’ like owning all your publishing. So he was like, “Nah,
pull up some samples Toomp.” I was like, He said samples, so O.K., ASR-10 and MPC. And
I turned Reason o, “click!” And next thing you know, I just went all crazy with it and that’s
the way you got “Hello To e Bad Guy.”
Sa’id: You said you used Reason for “Big Brother,” but you can’t tell—
DJ Toomp: Yeah, it’s crazy. Well, you see, the drums are a little dierent. I’m-a tell you, one of
the snares from my MPC, I dragged into Reason. Yeah, but “Big Brother” was done in Reason,
and I had a live guitar player. And that was the only extra instrument I put in there. I started
to get some real strings, but curtains was closing on the album and when I nished in time, I
went on and let it go with the strings I had from Reason. It was crazy man, ‘cuz what happened
we was supposed to had used an artist’s record man that didn’t get cleared. So what I did was I
had to come back home for 8 hours and build a whole new “Big Brother” and y back to New
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York. And when I brought it back, Jay [Jay-Z] and Kanye was like, “I bet you it ain’t gonna
be better than the original.” And I was like, “Shiiid, I bet you it will!” And I pressed play and
everybody just lost their mind.
Sa’id: So you used the Reason sounds or were you just sampling and putting sounds into
Reason?
DJ Toomp: I mainly used the Reason sounds, I just drag one little drum library in there, you
know, from the MPC. Just so I still kind of feel like I’m on the MPC. But it still don’t add up
to the feel from hittin’ these square pads right here [starts to tap on the pads of the MPC 60
II that sits next to him], you know what I mean, just start, play and record. Knowing that this
machine can run all this. Now, I incorporate Reason with the MPC just so I can still have that
sound, you know what I mean.
Sa’id: You still have me scratchin’ my head as to how you got Reason to sound the way it
does on “Big Brother,” tell me more about how you did it.
DJ Toomp: When I rst got Reason, I knew how to program on it, but I didn’t know how
to produce on it, see what I’m sayin’. I was still tryin’ to learn how to work it — how could I
even be a producer on it? So after a while, I started learning about the EQ, EQ’ing my drums.
Cuz if I play you a track from ’03, when I rst got Reason, you’d puke. So by the time of “Big
Brother,” I had learned how to EQ drums, knew how to pan my synths and make em move
around. I knew how to make a track move. ‘Cuz the program is really a mixing board and every
sound eect that you need, outboard gear you know, compressors, limiters, vocoders, and all
that. So what I did was just started learning how to get more technical with it. You know what
I mean, ‘cuz the quality still didn’t match what I was getting from my MPC and the ASR. So
once I started, people were telling me like, “Man, let me hear some of the beats you made with
the MPC.” And I was like to myself, Aw, man, that means these Reason beats are kind of weak.
You know what I mean. Let me start trying to match these up to my MPC beats. So after while,
I started learning how to actually EQ in Reason and get it to sound like the MPC. You know,
to get it to sound like the analog stu. But sometimes when I track, I go through the analog
board. But that particular one I was in a rush to where, I couldn’t even track it out. All I could
do is just get my computer and go to New York. And boy, it was beautiful.
Sa’id: Another thing you’ve told me before is that you like to play through uid, no loops.
Break that down.
DJ Toomp: O.K, you mean like 8-bars, 4-bars, step by step?
Said: Yeah.
DJ Toomp: Yeah, ‘cuz I never received no type of lessons, like piano lessons. So sometimes, to
this day, I still don’t know what key, what note is going to make what sound. I do melodies by
ear. I whistle that music. You know T.I.’s “Motivation?” I whistled that ute melody for about
an hour, just riding in my Denali; I had a little black Denali back then. I just kept whistling.
I was like, I ain’t gonna answer the phone, I’m not gonna turn the radio on, I’m not talking to
no-body. I got this melody. And when I got to my keyboard, I just played it. Like anything I
hear in my head, I can play it. But I don’t know how to read music at all.
Sa’id: Wow, so what do you do, do you use like an anchor nger and nd the tone on the
keyboard?
DJ Toomp: I just nd it, then go to work [demonstrates keyboard play of a made up melody].
I hit the bend and all of that. I can play, and I learned how to play my stu all the way through,
‘cuz I forced myself to learn how to play. You know if you keep doing it step by step, you’ll
never get good. You’ll end up just being a sequence producer, a sequencing producer. But yeah,
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I started forcing myself, even on 16-bar records, I’d play the bass line all the way through, in real
time, just so it’ll sound like a real bass player. If you do it step by step, I don’t know, sometimes
it’s just you letting the machine take over like that.
Sa’id: So how often do you use the Fantom?
DJ Toomp: [starts smiling)] Man, that’s the answer to a whole lot of stu, man.
Sa’id: A lot of dudes don’t understand.
DJ Toomp: Oh, you play with that?
Sa’id: Yeah, I fuck with the Fantom.
DJ Toomp: Yeah, man, hit a few chords and then take that one chord.
Sa’id: You can drop your elbow down on the keyboard and go back and sample that shit—
DJ Toomp: Swwwwiiiirr!!! And it’s gonna be something when you use it, yeah, that’s how you
do it. I learned— What I did was I learned which chords are gonna sound good when I move
rhem around. So you might hit one chord like this, and it might sound like [demonstrates
sound]. But the minute you sample it and send it back and you go up here and it don’t sound
the same. So you have to nd them ones that’s gonna sound good, and where you can also look
to another chord, and it’ll be a whole ‘nother sound. at’s why really, from not having lessons
and not really just being programmed to go by the laws of music theory and the rules, it’s like
I’m against the grain. Like what we do is really— Like you may hear some stu that the average
musician will be like, “Nah, that shouldn’t go there!” But the world love it! Like if I’m just
going by this guideline that YOU usually go by.
Sa’id: Even with the thing that you just said, you know, although a lot of people think
that making beats is a simple process. You know the importance of the “arrangement”
aspect of it. Get into that.
DJ Toomp: It’s very important, ‘cuz really, man, you got some people— I heard folks who try
to duplicate my sound, right. And it’s funny, ‘cuz some people think that it requires a whole
lot of instruments. NO! What you gotta do is nd which instruments give you that full blend,
you know what I’m sayin’. Like instead of having four or ve strings, nah, you can have two
strings. It’s that right synthesizer that’s got to sit up under there to make that string sound fuller.
It’s going to bring out certain things. en you gotta think about frequency. It’s almost like
shockwaves in your body. You got this, this, and this. You gotta have something that’s going to
cover the top end, which is the highs, the mids and the lows. at’s why the bass make people
move — you got to feel it, ‘cuz it’s catching the lower part of your body. It’s really science, but
I didn’t learn anything about that shit until I started reading books about shockwaves in the
body and how things work. I was like, Aw, that’s why when that bass hit you catch that lower
end, and it makes you move. When you catch them highs, that be like Lil Jon. Remember how
Lil Jon was using all them high pitch sounds in his records? at plays a part in that high end.
So arrangement, you got to know where to put each instrument, what part. at’s why some
of the high parts don’t even need to go while the rapper is rappin’. at’s why when the hook
come, that’s when the high part come, you know what I mean. So once you learn that, and some
people have to go to college, you know, music school to learn that. Honestly, it takes YEARS.
It may take a certain amount of years in school. But long as you got hands-on experience and
can walk in a studio on a regular basis, man, it’ll take the average person [just] maybe two years
to catch up on it.
Sa’id: Touch on this: If I give somebody Toomp’s gear list, why are they not going be able
to have the same sounds?
DJ Toomp: Man, you’re GOOD, man. at’s a good ass question! e reason why a person
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couldn’t just duplicate my sound, no matter if they came and sat in this studio and used the
exact same thing, it’s because, rst of all, you gotta look at the ASR-10. You got some people
who are so ignorant to the fact that this drum machine doesn’t have ANY internal sounds. It
forces you to be the most creative person in the world. It forces you to FIND sounds, almost
like you’re in the woods, like, How am I going to survive, this all I got? What can I do? If
I was in a beat battle, I would be going up against niggas with this one keyboard. Like how
many producers can sit in one box room, by THEMSELVES, and create a record? No drum
machines, no sequencers, only this one keyboard. It’s only a few of us out here. And so, what I
have with the ASR, these are sounds that I just decided to MAKE. I might take a sound from
one of these machines, but by the time I get it into the ASR the texture of that sound is not
going to be the same. ‘Cuz you got boost, you can normalize the gain, it’s a lot of stu you can
do with the ASR. You got your own custom library, same thing with the MPC, and almost the
same thing with any machine. Like, a person can get a Proteus 2000 and I may have the exact
same sounds that they have, no expansions or nothin’, just straight factory. But, you got some
people who go through machines and be like, “Oh, that sound all right…” and go with that
immediately. Me, I’m playing with the envelopes, I’m going to tweak it a certain way to where,
yeah, you might have a Proteus, but you’re not gonna go this far. You’re not going to go through
all these obstacles to get at these sounds.
Sa’id: Yeah, ‘cuz a lot of people now settle on the preset.
DJ Toomp: Yeah! I like to have my sound, something that I created, you know what I mean,
I designed the bass to sound like this. So it’s almost like— And it’s a certain way that I just
touch, you know what I mean. I’ve seen people get on one of my keyboards, make my strings
sound way better than I do. at be the real keyboard players. Certain way they know how to
touch it. ey may be looking at me like, “How did you get it to sound like that.?” at’s what
I learned. It’s just your whole touch, your whole VIBE. And then you know, way beyond the
equipment. I’m-a tell you: A person can go to school, man, you can get taught the science of
music, the science of music frequencies, and you can get 50 million books, but if your ears are
not tuned to hear certain shit? I don’t care how much education, how much you get educated
on music and the technical side — the engineering and just mixing — if your ears are not tuned,
it is almost impossible for you to be able to be successful.
Sa’id: at’s what I’m getting at, that road block for a new producer, it ain’t the gear or
programs, it’s actually listening to music; learning the history of music.
DJ Toomp: Yeah! e history of it and just being able to tune in. Almost like you know if
you go to a psychiatrist and they show you a weird picture and be like, “What do you see?”
When a song come on the radio, I listen to it totally dierent from the average person. When
it rst come on, I’m like, I know what sample he used. O.K., he got some Autotone…ooh,
sound like live strings, O.K., live drums, too, oh, that’s hot…oh, I know where they got that
sound from. So I’m sitting there just analyzing that whole track, while the other person’s just
dancing. I hear everything, and that’s the rst time. And when you play it again, that’s when
you get into the whole song. But a lot of time, I can get into all of that at one point. Like from
the intro to the rst verse that’s when I’m listening to all of that, so after the hook come, then
I listen to the record.
Sa’id: To you, what is music supposed to do? What is music’s chief obligation?
DJ Toomp: Music. e obligation of music is to entertain your walks of life. I heard Quincy
Jones say “e soundtrack of your life.” It’s that soundtrack. And that’s another thing, when I
listen to old school music on the radio, I’m listening to it like [remembering]. Man, being in
the back yard, mom and dad, everybody’s living, times was good, riding in the Lincoln Mark IV
Continental. It’s like when I hear music, I’m thinking of everything that I was doing. Certain
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song may come on, and I be like, Aw, that’s when I was dating such and such in the 10th grade.
We used to listen to this record and be on the phone up to 12 midnight. So I hear it, and you
can relate every song to so much. at’s why I think that music is almost like a calendar, you
know what I mean. It’s a soundtrack of your whole life. And that’s what it does.
Sa’id: Some people can’t make music with other things going on.
DJ Toomp: I think I done mastered that.
Sa’id: Speak about it.
DJ Toomp: Well, it started really from DJ’ing. First of all, I’m left-handed, but I’m also
right-handed, too — write with my left hand, punch and throw with my right. And so, with
DJ’ing, that was excellent. Some people had their two turntables on one side. I always had my
mixer in the middle, to where I use my left hand to scratch and my right. So when this right
hand is doing one thing, I can scratch over here, I can be moving the cross fader over here. It
comes from DJ’ing, being how to focus on more than one thing at once. When I’m DJ’ing a
party, there’s so much going on at one time. All of that applies to the music now, as far as being
able to run the mixer, run the turntable all at once.
Sa’id: When somebody commissions you to do music for them, what is your responsibility
to them? Like, does your responsibility to them overshadow your responsibility to the fans?
DJ Toomp: Honestly, it’s both. I pay attention to what the fans want, just in case an artist
hasn’t been doing his homework, going to the club. You know, some of them don’t wanna go
out. Some of them get tired of folks, some of them can’t deal with people running up on them.
I can deal with it. I know how to handle when people say, “Hey, man, when you gonna do
something for me?” “Man, hey, I got a manager…He’s not going to drop the price for you, he’s
not your friend. I’m your friend, but I’m not the one you’re doing business with. Me and you
gon’ be homeboys forever. I don’t even wanna tell you my price...” I make sure that a person
leaves with something hot. at’s why I hang out,, I see what people like. It might be a song on
the radio that I thought was just aiight. But if I go to the club and see the crowd go crazy over
it, I’m-a take my time to nd out what makes that record what it is. What part… I ask women,
“You kow, y’all go crazy when that shit come on. What part is it that y’all like?” Believe it or
not, a lot of people don’t wanna admit it, but at one point we had gotten to cool to dance.
at way you started coming up with the cool dances, like the “Bankhead bounce.” Ain’t too
much foot moving, that’s for the cool dudes. But at one point, it was cool to get down [dance],
do the split. But I don’t know what happened in our generation to where we was like, “at’s
lame!” But now, people are starting to dance again. Dancing is cool again, so now, just from
paying attention to that, for certain types of artists, I got up-tempo tracks, too. So I’m ready to
entertain anybody who’s taking their time to see what the people want. But at the same time,
ain’t nothin’ like doing what you do and bringing them into your world, too. I’m also on that.
Sa’id: But I also think your responsibility goes a little further than people randomly know.
Nowadays, people are just basically “donating” beats, as Buckwild puts it. Speak on how
that comes into play, how sending o a beat CD as opposed to you actually being there.
DJ Toomp: YEAH. I got to be there, ‘cuz I got to feel that artist, you know what I mean. On
the rst— On Kingdom Come, the Jay-Z album, I sent tracks for that, but it’s so easy to send
the wrong track; especially if you don’t know the feel or the theme of the album.
Sa’id: Or where they’re at at that time—
DJ Toomp: Or where they’re at, yeah. I’m like, I have to sit in the room with y’all, let me just
hear what y’all talkin’ about. Let me just feel it, play a few songs o the album. If I’m not there
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to hear at least 5 joints that’s gon make it on the album, it’s like I’m shooting at an invisible
target. And I stress that so hard. And people be like, “Aw, man, you’re being stingy.” I’m not
being stingy, I wanna produce. If I just send you this beat [CD] and I’m not there and you’re
just picking through it, [saying] “Aw, they’re cool, but they don’t t with what we’re doing.” In
the back of your mind, Toomp falling o, ‘cuz you couldn’t nd nothing that [I gave you on that
beat CD]. I ain’t falling o, I’m not falling o by a long shot! But, if y’all arrange it to where
y’all y me up to that city and I come sit with you, oh, you’re gon get that shit. So if I just send
you a beat CD, you’re just buying a beat. You’re not being produced by me! You’re buying a
beat. I sold you a beat…”Beat sold by DJ Toomp!” at should be the credits.
Sa’id: I’ve long maintained that there should be two separate credits: “Beat by…” and
“Produced by…” ‘cuz it’s two separate things these days.
DJ Toomp: And I love producing. And that’s the thing about it, and there are some people who
I work with to where I already see their style and know where they’re going; it’s easy to send
them beats. Because I already know their ow. See, sometimes it does work, you feel me. If I
know your style already, just really how you do it, I can do it without being there, sometimes.
But 90% of the time, if it’s a new artist, I denitely got to be there. And if you’re album has a
certain theme that you’re trying to stick to, I wanna make sure I give you something. I can give
you 10 of the wrong tracks, any day, all of them will be bangers. ey might not t on your
album, but, boom, one of your artists or one of your homeboys up under you might be like,
“Oh, shit, that’s re!” at might be the hottest thing, and you’ll be wondering, “Man, you
didn’t have that on my CD.” “Yes I did, you just didn’t hear that track the way this artist did.”
at’s why nowadays, when it comes down to it, I always say, you know, you got A&Rs, and you
got artists, artists are good at what they do, A&Rs are good at what they do. But really, for an
artist who’s looking for tracks for an album, nobody can really pick tracks better than another
producer. If I’m executive producing an album, and it’s up to me, and I’m really overseeing this
album, I’m-a let the A&R do his job, but I’m-a do a great job at. Like, if we go to Pharell or
whoever, I’m going to make sure we get a banger from him. We’re not just gon be glad to have
him on the album. If I go to Timbaland, or any of these big, big name producers, me being a
producer and an Executive Producer, I’m critical. We’re gonna make sure if we’re paying his
price, we’re getting a single! And a lot of people are just getting so caught up in, “Aw, man, we
got Timbaland on the album, we got this, and this, and this…” And then you hear the song,
and you’re like, Wow. en you turn around and you give Jay-Z the biggest single, it’s like, Jay-Z
knows how to choose tracks better. And from working with Timbaland, he knows what really
ts. But when you got an A&R, who may not even really be a hip hop head, straight up, who
really don’t even know no kind of history, he might be somebody’s nephew, just got dropped
in that position, you dealing with a monster then!
Sa’id: So how do you deal with the Business? Would you say you work inside of the
industry or outside of it?
DJ Toomp: I’m kind of outside still. I love the industry and I respect everybody that’s in it. I’m
considered “in” the industry to a certain degree. But, the way I work, I’m not just locked into
nobody’s production deal and what not. I do song deals, which I’m still on the outside. And
whenever I do business, it’s just being tallied up. If it’s a 10 song deal, O.K., Toomp just did 5
over here at Def Jam; O.K., 5 songs gone. Oh, you got 5 more left, your deal’s gonna be up.
O.K., cool…boom, boom, boom, boom, boom… “Oh, shit, you delivered!” Mariah Carey,
three on Kanye, damn, you did good. I ran through that quick.
Sa’id: Was business something dicult for you to learn or was it something that you
caught on to quick?
DJ Toomp: I learned. Honestly, yeah, at the beginning of my career I didn’t see my rst
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royalty check until ’97. Been producing records since ’85, but didn’t see, never, ever saw a
royalty check — what a royalty check looked like — until ’97. Well, Shy D showed me one,
one time. But I didn’t know that I was suppose to get one. [Laughs] I signed something, it was
a “work-for-hire” [contract]. See, all I knew was [what they told me], “Once you sign this piece
of paper, then we gon cut the check.” I was like, Aw, shit, I’m just cravin’ to get the check; all
I know is I made a beat. “Can’t get it till you sign this.” And it’s a work-for-hire, which means
I don’t own the publishing or nothing. So how can I get points if I don’t own nothing on the
record. So I really went to “college” at an early age, as far as the music business. I really didn’t
have— ere weren’t too many books out here like that. It wasn’t too many seminars that you
could go to and learn about, you know, mechanicals, your licensing, and your publishing and
all that. And now there’s stu available, and it’s sad that you still have cats in the basement,
trying to be the best beatmaker or programmer, but the minute that somebody gets one of their
tracks and it’s the hottest song in the world, they don’t even know what the next step is! Like,
you really need to put more energy into learning this business. If you’re doing it as a hobby,
let it be a hobby. If you wanna get in the music business, you gotta learn about the business.
Sa’id: Some people tend to focus on your time with T.I., but what’s lesser known is what
went on when you were working with Luke. How did you rst meet Luke [Luke Skywalker],
and how did that turn into an opportunity to where you got in the position to meet T.I.?
DJ Toomp: Well, starting o in Atlanta, being born here and everything…the rap scene…
when it came to the hip hop/rap scene, it wasn’t too strong here, you know what I mean. We
only had one label, that was Itchabon Records. It wasn’t too many people on that label. But
it was still a stronger vibe coming from Florida. You had Luke, you had Pretty Tony, with his
label, Forsite Records; Sun Town Records, “Give It All You Got,” remember that?
Sa’id: Yeah.
DJ Toomp: It was so many record labels and stu that was coming through my record pool,
when I was DJ’ing, mostly from Florida. And I’m like, Man, this where the scene is. When
everybody heard that Shy D had signed with a label in Florida, which was Luke Skywalker
Records, that’s when I was like, You know what, I’m-a get down to Miami and see what’s happening.
So I got with Shy D. But Shy D, he scooped me up, ‘cuz I was DJ’ing at a step show at the Civic
Center back in the days. And he saw me on the turntables and was like, “Yo, man, you wanna
go on tour?” But at this time he didn’t know that I was producing either. When I graduated,
I went on the road with him, moved down there with him.
Sa’id: When you graduated high school?
DJ Toomp: Yeah, I was fresh out of high school, like, never left Georgia ever in my life, never
own on an airplane. First show I did with Shy D was in Nassau, Bahamas. Crazy,18 years old,
looking down from the airplane, half-scared but excited, just gone. So from that, it was like
an experience watching Luke running his label at the age of 25, 26, selling millions of records.
at dude was a millionaire at an early age, shipping records out of his club. His club was his
oce and his radio station. So he had a club, oce, and radio station in one building. So a UPS
truck would pull up at Luke’s club ‘bout three times a day. is was real, true independent.
Like, I actually witnessed real independent record companies being ran. And my boy Michael
Sterling, who wrote “Lovers and Friends,” he’s the original writer of that record.
Sa’id: Usher’s joint?
DJ Toomp: Yeah, Michael Sterling. He put that record out a long time ago. Lil Jon just remade
it. But Michael Sterling used to ship records right out of his garage. For “Lovers and Friends,”
that song had blew up. Like he made hundreds of thousands [of dollars], like half a million,
just o of distributing records out of his garage. So when it came down to it, I’m-a tell you it’s
the mentality of the people who are in cities around ports. More people [there] understand
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distribution and really running a business. Like New York. More independent record labels are
out of there because they’re in a port area where there’s so much business. And then in California
you had Macola Records, that was a big record label. ey distributed everybody from King
Tee, Eazy E, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre…Macola Records.
Sa’id: Is Luke from California?
DJ Toomp: Well, 2 Live Crew was from California, but Luke is from Miami. And they came
down there to perform for Luke at his club. See, Luke was a show promoter and a DJ at rst.
And when 2 Live Crew had this record, he used to book them. And then one day they told him
they wasn’t happy with their record label. And Luke was like, “I might start a label. I’ll put y’all
out.” And man, next thing you know, you see dude on the album cover.
Sa’id: So you took all that back to Atlanta?
DJ Toomp: Oh, yeah, what I brought back to Atlanta…Well, my thing was, the scene down
there, around ’92, or around ’90— ‘Cuz I was in the group Poison Clan, I was the original DJ for
that group. Around that time I started reading more, and I had my homeboy getting in my ear,
you know, telling me a few things, a dude named Mike Hamilton. Everybody know him as DJ
Magic Mike. Yeah, he started educating me on a lot of stu, cuz he was running his own record
label, too, selling millions of record, on his own label, no distribution, selling gold and platinum
records. It was a lot of million dollar record labels down there — INDEPENDENT — in
Florida; 69 Boyz, all them. Wasn’t no major distribution. But what they did was shut down a
lot of those distributors that was working. See, it wasn’t just no Warner or Jive that you had to
deal with. You had dierent distributors in each region: Big State, Schartz Brothers. And you had
dierent distributors who could get your stu around the country. So that way you didn’t have
to deal with the major labels. So cats was getting a lot of money back then. But what happened
when they shut those distribution companies down, we were forced to be with a major label.
It was a few people who still hung in there and did it without them. But they started closing
the walls, shutting everybody down, making it even harder just to be independent. So now,
we’re almost forced to deal with the majors. But at rst, in the late ‘80s, you didn’t need none
of that. Prole Records, who was Prole distributed by? emselves! ey was just dealing
with independent distributors. ey weren’t distributed by no major. Sugar Hill, they weren’t
distributed by no major label. ey were the actual “major” label.
Too many people were getting rich, so when it started kind of slowing down for the independents
that’s when I heard L.A. [L.A. Reid] moved to Atlanta and started LaFace Records. But I was
still in Miami, and then I’m like, O.K., wow, I wonder who they could be dealing with? I
start hearing that they’re working with Jermaine [Dupree], Dallas [Austin]; and these the same
producers who I saw come up when I was dealing with Luke and them, you know, we had our
movement. But I remember Dallas and Jermaine and them and they grind. And when L.A.
and Face [Babyface] came up there, they put them boys on. And I started hearing about it and
I was like, O.K., you know what, and I had just did this New Jack City soundtrack with Luke.
Aiight, I got paid for the upfront for the track. But this mother sold 3 million records, and I
didn’t handle my business. And I started learning more, that’s when I decided to move back
to Atlanta. And my goal was to get to Atlanta and get somebody signed, nd me an artist and
make it happen. So rst people I really dealt with when I got back was Lil Jon. And I produced
a song for him called “Shawty Freak A Lil’ Somethin’.” It was an up-tempo joint. But I still had
another sound that I wanted to introduce the world to. And that was that “trap sound” when
I was using them organs and just playing around with the beats. I had a whole new studio and
everything when I moved back up here. In my mom’s house, you know what I’m sayin’. Starting
over, literally! So that’s when my homeboy who I went to school with always told me about
his lil’ cousin who rap — it end up being Cliord Harris —“T.I.” And that’s when I found my
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artist who could display my style of music, and show the world this is how you rap over these
new tracks that this man is bringing out. It’s like, it took for Ginuwine and Aliyah and them
to show you how you sing over a Timbaland beat. Noreaga showed you how you’re supposed
to ride a Neptunes beat, with “Super ug.” A few people tried to, you know, when Neptunes
did that Mase [sings] “Why you over there lookin’ at me.” at was cool but people still didn’t
really. e Neptunes didn’t really just grab at that point. But when that damn “Super ug”
came out, “What, What, What…” at’s when people were like, “Ooh, who did that track?”
Like it’s certain ways you do it. at’s when e Neptunes sound started getting popular. So
it just takes certain artists to introduce a sound. Just like it took the Goodie Mob and Outkast
and them to introduce that Organized Noize sound, you know what I mean. ‘Cuz the average
rapper down here wouldn’t have known how to approach those tracks. So it’s like, for that style
they had you have to have somebody who can wear that. It’s like you being a model, you design
a certain type of t-shirt, the person gotta be built a certain way to get out and model your shirts
or your shoes. So my tracks are like a design.
Sa’id: Keeping along those lines of design, for you, what is the essence of drums? A lot of
people nowadays use the main left and right outs, I’m assuming you use all 8 outs?
DJ Toomp: Un-huh. I start o, when I’m just putting an idea together— Sometimes I mean my
machine can already be hooked up to where, I have a template the way all my drums are separated.
But a lot of times when I get straight to it, when I don’t have time to really do the routing, what I’ll
do is get a left and right, and just turn it up at a real nice level. ‘Cuz my drums are kind of pre-EQ’d
already. But I might just hit em again with the Mackie board [analog mixing console], with EQs
and whatnot. But sometimes when I’m making a track I do it in stereo. Or then once I get into it,
that’s when I start seeing, Yeah, O.K., that kick can be harder, let me send that on its own channel.
All right, let me send this snare on its own channel. And that way, I get a chance to really hear it.
So when it’s time to track it out that’s when I start separating everything. But when I’m making
it, that’s when I have it in stereo, that way I ain’t using too many channels.
Sa’id: So you only use the left and right going into the Mackie board?
DJ Toomp: Everything is separated, I mean, the jacks are going in here [points to 32 channell
Mackie mixing board and its routing], but when I’m working and I just wanna jump right into
it, instead of saying, O.K., the bass right here, let me turn this. I just have everything come
out of stereo rst.
Sa’id: OH, so you still have it separated but you’re only listening to it through the stereo?
DJ Toomp: YEAH…Exactly!
Sa’id: ‘Cuz you already got it set!
DJ Toomp: Exactly, it’s already set. And sometimes I program it having them separated,
sometimes I don’t, but when I’m really just rolling, I just keep it stereo.
Sa’id: As far as sampling, why is it an art form and not just a simple case of thievery?
DJ Toomp: Honestly, sampling. I wouldn’t use the word “thievery.” But sometimes if [all
you do is] just let it roll, you’re really just re-producing it. But what we do is recycle, when we
sample. Any producer who takes time to chop it, to where you be like, Oooh, that song don’t
go like that, you know what I mean. And that comes from DJ’ing, too. Like when I used to
beat juggle, change beats around. at’s when I started getting into sampling, like, Aw, man,
it’s the same thing. Like the pause button, same thing, you’re catching each part. ’Cuz you
know, they weren’t rolling o of a metronome back then, that was real time, so that the track
might slow down a little bit and speed back up. So when I sample, for me, I chop it up and get
creative with it, instead of just running a straight loop. at can be lazy, to a certain degree.
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But, if you get that loop and you just got it in the pocket and you do something else and add
more music to it, now THAT shows more creativity.
Sa’id: at’s the thing where hip hop gets a bad eye. For instance, right now you can go to
pretty much any major university and they have a jazz major program but there’s no major
program for hip hop. Why do you think that exists, when jazz today isn’t as commercially
viable as it once was — but you can still get a Masters Degree in jazz. Mind you, I like jazz,
so it’s not a knock against jazz. I think that there should indeed be a jazz major program
at all major universities.
DJ Toomp: Honestly, man, it’s like sending your kids to private school or a public school. Or
you might just have home school. And that’s what I got: home school, you know what I mean.
A person wanna really learn and just get straight to the business, he come to home school. I’m
teaching you stu that’s in the books but it’s beyond the books. And I’m teaching you stu
that you’re gonna actually use. And it’s like, the only music program you have is jazz, so you’re
forcing me to do this. So it’s like, I don’t know, it’s just a whole ‘nother set of people who just
got they hands covered on that. But if it’s something that I got control of, or if I’m starting a
music division at a black college or any other college that don’t have it, oh, yeah I’m going to
make sure that they have hip hop, I’m going to make sure they cover all genres of music. And
hip hop is what’s really keeping certain jazz musicians paid right now. Come on, man. You
know when we started sampling and we had all them sampling, Pete Rock and all of them…
diggin’ into them…Ron Carter…Donald Byrd…man, it’s a long list…Bob James, you know
what I’m sayin’. Nautilus, how many people used Nautilus? Brought em back. Bob James is
getting a nice ass check for that “Mardis Gras,” you know what I mean. And they scratched it,
so that was like sampling, but instead of putting in a sampler they kept scratchin’ it and starting
it over, that was dope…and put, you know, the 808 behind it. But yeah, they should include
hip hop at [colleges], ‘cuz hip hop is keeping it alive. Hip hop is what’s making people wanna
do their history. You see what I’m sayin’.
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DJ PREMIER
Is there any beatmaker (producer) held in higher
regard than DJ Premier? Not only is he one of the
most important pioneers of beatmaking (hip hop/rap
production), he’s also one-half of Gang Starr, perhaps
the most consistent hip hop/rap group of all time.
He’s also arguably the greatest beatmaker (producer)
of all time.
Notable discography: Gang Starr, M.O.P., Nas, Jay-Z,
Notorious B.I.G. (Biggie Smalls), AZ, Cormega, Fat
Joe, Screwball, the list really goes on!!!
DJ Premier’s setup: Akai S950 & Akai MPC 60 II, E-Mu Planet Phat (sound module), Oxygen
48 (MIDI Controller), Pro Tools HD, Apple G4 (2016: Akai MPC Renaissance, Mac Pro)
_________________________________________________________________________
Sa’id: You’re actually one of the people who helped pioneer the terms we now use like,
chopping.
DJ Premier: Yeah, Showbiz taught me that. Showbiz, from Showbiz and AG. I gotta give
him credit. He’s the one that taught me how to chop. I learned about ltering from Large
Professor. Like I said, these are things that I didn’t even know how to do!!! But if I was shown
how to do it, I knew I could master it, but still not do it like they did it. Me and Show don’t
chop the same way. Show has a room here [HeadQCourterz Studios, formerly D&D Studios].
He’s down with us now, he’s got his studio setup in the other room back there. And he’s got
mad records, and he’s like, “Yo, take whatever you want.” We can borrow each other’s records.
Like, when I did “Can’t Stop the Prophet” for Jeru [Jeru e Damaja], he [Showbiz] gave me
the “Shingaling” drums. He used them rst on “Catchin’ Wreck.” I was like, “Damn, I loved
to do a joint to them drums.” He was like, “Here, you gonna do it dierent anyway. I wanna
see what you’re going to come up with.” So I came up with “Can’t Stop the Prophet.” Show
called and was like, “Yo, you melted it!” ‘Cuz he knows that I’m going to use it wisely, where
even the artist won’t be like, “Awgh, you ruined my shit, you rap niggas.” When, we chop, we
do it in a way that even the artists who are really against how rappers use shit would appreciate
how we put it into a dierent form, out of respect! All of that pours into the way that I make
beats. at’s what always keeps me fresh. Some people be like, “Aw, he used the same hi-hat,
same this.” I started using less hi-hat to show that I can still keep it funky. Take the snare away,
I’ll still keep it funky, it doesn’t matter. It’s still how I put it together.
Sa’id: Were you heavy into music when you were younger? Did you go to concerts?
DJ Premier: I used to beg my mother to let me go see Parliament. Like my moms keeps up, my
moms really keeps up with music. And I learned a lot from her, you know. I went to Chakka
Khan with her. And I was a young motherfucker, I was still in elementary. And I remember
my moms took me to a Quincy Jones concert. My mother’s a concert fanatic, so am I. I’m
really big on concerts. I have a big ticket stub book of every concert that I go to. I went to
Iron Maiden, I went to Ozzy Osbourne, I’ve been to Van Halen—before David Lee Roth left
the group. Like I said I’m 40, so I’ve been around. I graduated high school in 1984, for those
that don’t know. So I went to Genesis, went to Phil Collins. I went to Motley Crue. I went
to U2, way back. I was into U2 from their rst album, 1981, I think it was, when they came
out with “Boy,” and then “October.” I was a U2 fan from back then. And it was rebellious.
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I’m really into lyrics, and I used to hear what they sang; they were always protesting war and
stu. I felt them. I went to e Police — before they broke up. I remember all this shit, and
all that applies to what I do now!
Sa’id: Your drums are probably the most well-known in the production game, when you
rst began producing, is that something that you intentionally set out to focus on?
DJ Premier: Well, I play drums. One of my neighbors, his name was Jack Webster, him and
his brother Travis had a band with their cousin. eir cousin played bass, Jack played drums. I
used to go over there and just be fascinated. ey were into Cameo, Slave, and they were really
into e Brothers Johnson. I was just inuenced by hip hop records that had the hard drums.
Jack and them taught me how to play, and I’m not incredible, but I can get by. But the records
I used to hear, like “South Bronx” and all the shit Ced G from Ultramagnetic used to do. eir
drums were just smackin’. And I was like, “Yo, my drums gotta smack, too!”
Sa’id: Of all of the volumes of music that you’ve produced, what have you produced that
surprised you the most?
DJ Premier: Hmm… Good question… Jadakiss, “None of Ya’ll Better”…Um…” “Ten Crack
Commandments,” that was an accident. ‘Cuz I was on the phone talking to somebody and I
kept just scratchin’ that little sample, so I could just hunt for something. I’m the type of person
that can talk on the phone and work at the same time.
Sa’id: You had the track already laid out, with the bass and everything for that joint?
DJ Premier: Nah, just the drums. As I was scratchin’, I was like, Damn, this sounds like how I
need to do it’. So I just sampled myself scratchin’ it and [I] looped my scratch — which I don’t
really do. But that was the only way that it was going to keep doing it on time. So I said, let
me just sample myself. So I armed the machine, you know, the old S950. e Akai S950, you
can arm it to do it exactly when you start. I let the drum machine keep going so I could keep
the timing of it right. And I just did it, and I looped it. at’s one of my favorites… “Mass
Appeal” is one of my favorites. “Above e Clouds,” with Inspectah Deck… “You Know My
Steez” is denitely one of my all time, all time favorites. ‘Cuz that was a rebirth of a another
Gang Starr moment.
Sa’id: How do you see yourself as a producer?
DJ Premier: I’m always a consumer rst. en I’m a DJ. en I’m a producer. And then I’m
an artist! I’ve been a recording artist with Gang Starr since 1988. And I don’t enjoy being a
recording artist all the time, because of the politics, how the industry dealt with us on a major
label. It’s a headache. Furthermore, I’m just not a spotlight person. I always like to play the
cut, and just get my money on the low. Because of that, I’ve always gone with that mentality.
I was given a chance to do music as a consumer. e problem with the record companies now
is the fact that they don’t buy records anymore. You just saw what I bought. [He literally pull’s
each CD out of bag] I just bought Ray Cash, I just bought the new Dogg Pound, I just bought
Shawna; I bought Field Mob; and I bought Mr. Lif! I knew about J Dilla, I know about Stones
row; I know about the underground, and I still know all about the major people. And that’s
what keeps me fresher than most producers, because they don’t go outside a certain realm of
their craft. I was raised on the ‘70s and the ‘60s and all the good ‘80s music. I was into Punk
Rock, New Wave — Duran Duran, Susie and the Banchies, e Smiths. You know, groups that
you’d be like, “Damn, Premier listens to that shit?” Hell yeah! ‘Cuz it was good music. Good
music is good music! But when it comes to hip hop, I’m really, really adamant about keepin’
it hard. at’s the way I was raised on it. I saw it from the very beginning. And I lived in
Texas at the time, and I still saw it from the very beginning, because my roots in Brooklyn were
through my grandfather, my mother’s father. I used to be in Brooklyn so much. He took me
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everywhere, you know, in the early ‘70s and the early ‘80s, when niggas was just break dancin’
for money and there were no records out yet. By the time I was 13, visiting my grandpa, I felt
like I was a New Yorker, then. So when I moved here in ’85, everything wasn’t new. e same
people I fucked with, still rollin’ with me. And from there I just expanded into what I do now.
But like I said, being a consumer and a DJ is the number one thing for me!
Sa’id: You recommend that producers have to listen to other music outside of hip hop?
DJ Premier: You don’t have to. But it’s good to listen to other forms of music, so that you
understand what made hip hop great. Hip hop borrowed. is is why we sample. We’re
borrowing from music that was already here and just, like Rakim said, we converted into hip hop
form. Hip hop can take anything and just make an ill beat. It’s just about who’s constructing
it and understanding the science of it and understanding how to listen to it. A lot of people
don’t even know how to listen to records!
Sa’id: Is speed an issue with you, when you produce?
DJ Premier: e time part shouldn’t even be a factor. It’s about how does it feel when you listen
to it! And without being programmed. Like a lot of people get programmed by radio. But if
you’re a true head, you’re not going to accept what the radio plays if it sounds like bullshit. And
if you’re a hip hop head and you’re street — and street doesn’t mean that you have to be from
the city, you can be from the country and all that — if you’re a hip hop head, you know how
to tell the dierence between a good record and a bad record. ese so-called mix DJs who are
also ruining the game. ‘Cuz they be like, “Yo, this the hottest shit out,” and it be BULLSHIT!
I’m like, YO, what do you hear that makes this record so great?
Sa’id: Really, they’re no dierent than a radio DJ, ‘cuz they are not blending or mixing or
doing nothing like that. All they’re doing is playing records.
DJ Premier: EXACTLY! And they call themselves mix show DJs or mixtape DJs. ey’re
compilation DJs! ere needs to be a new category. ere should be compilation DJs and
mixtape DJs. If there’s no scratchin’ or cuttin’ or mixin’ on it, it is NOT a mixtape and it’s
NOT a mix show!
Sa’id: Right now, do you look at radio as a reection of quality music or is it a reection
of brand name producers?
DJ Premier: HELL NO!!! Radio is a reection of murder to our culture!!! at’s what it is.
ey’re murderers. ey’re killing our culture o! ey don’t care, ‘cuz they’re still gettin’ their
checks. ere are program directors that know what they’re supposed to be doing, but they
just keep sticking to it. As long as they’re gettin’ a check, they could care less.
Sa’id: If you were a program director, how would you implement change?
DJ Premier: For one, you can’t only dedicate an hour a day to what made hip hop great. [hip
hop] was born here, in this city [New York]. is city still suppose to dictate the way things
drive, ‘cuz hip hop was born and raised here. But there’s no one from the culture that really,
really gives a fuck that’s involved in making sure that the culture still stands. And they’re like,
“No, the demographics are dierent and the kids are 18 or whatever.” Nah, hip hop has grown
to where now it’s ages 6 to 56! ere’s a lot of 40 and 50 year old people that were around
when it started. And they know how great it used to be. Hip hop ain’t something that you
outgrow. I ain’t gonna be like at 50 years going, “I used to listen to that rap shit, when I was
young.” Nah, I’ll love this shit forever.
Sa’id: You know Arif Marin, the legendary producer, just recently past, at age 74. And up
until 74, he was producing. Do you see yourself like that?
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DJ Premier: Yeah. Producing. It’s just like with Christina [Aguilera]. I’m not going to cross
a certain line to ruin my reputation as DJ Premier. We met in the middle, where my audience
would be like, “Yo, that shit that you did with Christina is hot.” And the people that fuck with
her are gonna go, “Yo, that record you did with Premier is hot.” I didn’t soften up, I didn’t water
down what I do. I kept it raw. And she hired me based on what she loves about me anyway.
So she’s gonna get more of that. I still know how to attach my style to the artist. Guru always
calls me a beat tailor. Just how a tailor hooks you up with a nice suit, once they look at your
body and your frame. Or like a chef, I know how to cook up the proper plate. I know how
to put the right meat in there. I know how to put the right sauce. It’s all based on the artist.
And I have to have some type of feeling about them to know how to make it match. And a
lot of producers don’t do that. A lot of producers just make beats and lay it down. ey’re
not producers.
Sa’id: How do you distinguish between a beatmaker and a producer?
DJ Premier: A producer has to arrange the song! Know how to coach a vocal. Know when
something needs to be xed, based on your ear — your ear is everything that makes you great.
My ears are denitely not fucked up. My ears are really on point because, for one, I respect
hip hop culture, and I respect rap music. A lot of people don’t respect— ey listen to music,
but they don’t respect music. You have to respect it. If you respect it, you will always do hot
shit! So even when I don’t sell a lot of records, my shit is still respected, even though someone
else might’ve sold platinum. I know why they are platinum and why I’m not! Because I don’t
conform.
Sa’id: You got all of your drums from vinyl or did you use sample CDs?
DJ Premier: Most of them are from vinyl, yeah…just nd a little clip…and then I widen it,
you know, or beef it up.
Sa’id: You was telling me that Large Professor showed you how to Filter?
DJ Premier: Un huh…I used to go over to the two deejays house, K-Cut and Sean [former
members of Main Source], and Large Professor used to always be over there, and he used to
show me how to lter on the SP 12.
Sa’id: How did you take what he showed you to the next level? Where did you go with it,
in which direction?
DJ Premier: With records like “Ex Girl, To Next Girl.” Pretty much, ltering was a hot thing
at that time. Pete Rock started to layer ‘em. I didn’t understand how to layer ‘em. He would
have the lter and the sample going underneath each other, where he created his own bass out
of ltering the original sample.
Sa’id: Like having the sample, copy that, have the original playing at the same time.
DJ Premier: Yeah, Yeah!!! Look at “Reminisce.” You hear the sax, then all of sudden you hear
the boom, boom. It’s the same exact sample but he fuckin’ put it underneath. at shit just
happened to work. He murdered that shit, man. He murdered it!
Sa’id: What gear setup did you rst start with?
DJ Premier: Professionally, or back when I was doing my demos?
Sa’id: Back when you were doing your demos.
DJ Premier: I used to borrow a buddy of mine’s SP 12. His name is Carlos, he’s the one who
actually got me into the whole business; he’s from Texas, too.
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BeatTips: It was the SP 12, not the SP 1200?
DJ Premier: Yeah, it was the SP 12. e 1200 wasn’t made yet. We would’ve been buggin’ if
we seen one of them.
Sa’id: You were doing your demos in Texas or were you in New York by this time?
DJ Premier: Nah, Texas. I was doing them in Texas. I was going to college. I had a crew down
there. One of them was from Boston. e main dude, his name was Top Ski. I was doing
parties and stu, ‘cuz my father worked at the college that I went to. It’s an all-Black college
called Prairie View A&M University. All Black. A bangin’ ass school. We had one of the best
bands. During the football season and all that, our band was ill. I got a lot of my experiences
from being down there, too, that made me funky. But like I was sayin’, I met Carlos at a record
shop, in the hood. All the locals went there. He got me a job there. And that’s how I got to
hookin’ up with Gang Starr. Prior to that, I have always collected records. My mother has an
ill record collection.
Sa’id: What was the name of your group back then?
DJ Premier: We were called MCs In Control (M.I.C.). I was the DJ. But I was called Wax
Master C, ‘cuz my real name is Christopher. When I joined Gang Starr, the owner of the label,
he didn’t like my name, so he told me to see if I could come up with somethin’ else, so I came
up with DJ Premier. Me and mother. I showed my mother a list of names that I had, Premier
was one of them. I just wanted something unique, that really represented who I am.
Sa’id: So how long was it between the time you sent your demo and when you and Guru
made it happen?
DJ Premier: Probably like a year, ‘cuz I was still with my group. But we had changed our name
to ICP, we were called the Inner Circle Posse. We were shopping our demo. Wild Pitch Records,
which Gang Starr was on, they didn’t like my dudes, they liked me. And they wanted me to be
in the group. And I said nah, not without my dudes, so I pulled out and said no deal. About
a couple of months later, somewhere between 2 and 6 months, I really can’t remember, but I
remember the day and what happened. Sugar Pop couldn’t aord to stay in New York and Styli
was in the military, and the lead dude, Top, went to the military, and he had a four year thing
before he would come back home. And I was stunned!!! I was like, “Yo, just put us in the studio
and let us cut a demo in a real studio.” ey [Wild Pitch Records] even paid for that, and they
still didn’t like it, you know, when we updated our demo. ey still didn’t like it. But at least
they gave us a shot. ‘Pop got frustrated and left. So now I’m by myself. So I called and said,
“If ya’ll still want me, I’ll get down.” And that’s how I got with Gang Starr.
Sa’id: You’re known for a couple of very distinct sounds. But when do you think that you
got past all the jazz association and everything? In my opinion, I think when you started
working with M.O.P., it inspired you to go in a dierent direction, and you went somewhere
else with it, and your sound expanded.
DJ Premier: Right…It was before M.O.P, really. I’m a person that’s just such a fan of good
artists, I’m like, Damn, if we ever got together we’d make somethin’ hot. I know. Like I know
with Nas, we make hot shit. I know it. I’m gonna make a good record regardless, but there’s
certain artists where it’s like, YO!’… You know it’s gonna come o. Like, say if I see Janet
Jackson back in the studio with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. I’m like, good, good. ‘Cuz their
formula works!
Sa’id: So the thing is certain artists challenge you to go somewhere else with your
production.
DJ Premier: Oh, yeah! Anybody that come with a banger. I’m like, fuck that, I’m going to
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the studio. When I hear a record that’s dope, I’m goin’ into the studio. Like, when I heard— I
remember Rakim told me that Dre did the record that 50 did, it’s on the “Get Rich, Or Die
Tryin’” album, the song with the gun cockin’, where it goes [he starts rhymin’] “I’ll kill you, I ain’t
playin’, you know what I’m sayin’.” 50 murdered that. He murdered it. And I was like, aiight,
I’m going in to make a joint. And NOT bite that. DON’T BITE. Bitin’ used to get your ass
kicked, when I was comin’ up. We was seeing niggas get jumped for bitin’. Now, bitin’s cool.
Sa’id: You got a couple sounds right now, how do you describe them?
DJ Premier: What it is, I’m still doing the same thing I’ve been doing. I’m just updating the
formula. at’s it. I’m just updating the same formula. So you do that gradually, you don’t
do it in big steps. If you do it in big steps— You don’t want to lose the people that already get
you — the ones that already understand you, you don’t never want to lose them! I never want to
lose my street niggas! I wanted to get the hard niggas to like me because of the fact I can relate
to them. So being that I can relate to them, they’ll understand my music. I’m just doing it in
a music form, where they’ll go, “Yeah, nigga, you understand us.” ey’re just misunderstood
and that’s why there’s so much crime and crazy shit going on. e ghetto’s a really beautiful,
balanced place, just like anywhere else, I gotta represent for that!
Sa’id: Who do you produce for? Do you produce for the fan rst, do you produce for the
artist, or do you produce for both at the same time?
DJ Premier: Both, but I gotta love it rst. And I know when a record sounds good to me.
Again, that’s my DJ and consumer mentality. Every time I make a record, I literally act like
I’m not the same person, that I’m not me, that I’m another person, whoever, and I listen to it
like a regular person would, like, “Check out this new joint Premier did.” Knowing when I hit
good ones, vs. my aiight ones. Even my aiight ones I’m comfortable with putting them out. If
they can leave the studio. And my aiights is better than a lot of niggas joints. And again, not
a pat on my own back, it’s out of the respect for music and knowing how to pick and choose.
e record companies, I don’t know how they hired these people they got.
Sa’id: What do you recommend for a producer, let’s say who’s been doing it for a couple
of years, who hasn’t been able to get on…How do you suggest he try to get on? Should he
have a track price, etc., what’s the best route?
DJ Premier: Nowadays, it’s just so weird man, because it was so hard to try to break in when
I was coming up. Now, it’s really easy for everybody! You got the internet, you can start your
own page, site and create your own business. You can even do that new thing, Burn Lounge,
and actually become your own record company and do your own retail and collect your paper.
ose are some recommendations, BurnLounge. I write my own blogs and everything. I haven’t
done one in a while, but I’m a start being more consistent ‘cuz I’m home now. I’ve been on
tour a lot. I was even doing them while I was on tour. We went to Hong Kong and all that
shit. We want to understand the whole aspect of what we do as our career. is is our career.
I want to master all of it and take it to other levels.
Sa’id: Do you think that new producers should try to get their music to well-known
producers or A&Rs?
DJ Premier: Yeah, producers. Ya’ll can always submit tracks to me. But make it on a level
where I would really appreciate it. When I [rst] submitted shit, my shit was on a level where
I was like, Yeah, I’m going to give this to Marley Marl. And I went and saw Marley Marl. I
always tease him about it, ‘cuz he don’t remember, but I remember that day. ey were about
to do “We Write e Songs” on the In Control album, with Heavy D. And he was waiting for
Biz [Markie] to get there. I went to BLS [radio station 107.5 WBLS - NYC], he had a show
with Mr. Magic, the Rap Attack…Wow.
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Sa’id: Do you think that hip hop/rap producers need a union?
DJ Premier: I’VE ALWAYS SAID THAT, I always said that we need a union!!! But ain’t
enough niggas ready to take it there. You know the consequences of that, we ain’t even gotta
be discussing it, you know the consequences of that. I was down to ride.
Sa’id: Would you ever help a producer get placed?
DJ Premier: Yeah, but it’s gotta blow my mind. at’s why I got Show in here. Showbiz got
a whole arsenal of bangin’ beats, it’s like next level. He’s got a whole new sound, but it’s still
Show, and they bangin’. And he got a crew of producers he’s bringing up. Some of them do
the South stu, one of them is from the South and the other one’s from Jersey and they got
totally opposite styles, but to the level where I’m like, yeah, we can work with that. So we’re
about to do a Works of Mart [Premier’s production company] thing. But everybody’ll get
credit for what they do. I’m not going to start having them do shit, then I put my name on it!
I can’t never do that, even though some producers do that. I can’t do that!
Sa’id: At this point, are you still mixing all the things that you do?
DJ Premier: Yeah, I’ve been mixing ever since we moved here [HeadQCourterz Studios, formerly,
D&D Studios]. I talked to my old Engineer, Eddie Sancho, recently. I told him I’m going to
bring him back and start working. Yeah, ‘cuz he was a BIG part of my sound, from 1992 when
I met ‘em and I started doing the Daily Operation album with Gang Starr. And that’s how I
started to work with him. ‘Cuz showbiz came to do a remix for Lord Finesse for “Return of
the Funky Man.” And they wanted me to do the scratches on it. So I came down here to do
it with them. And Eddie engineered the session. And they gave me a cassette tape. I had a
bangin’ system in my MPV. I had one of the illest MPVs out, one of the banginist systems
ever in New York! Master Ace will tell you, I was that nigga. It was clear and loud. And when
I played that fuckin’ mix — that Showbiz did with Eddie — in my car, it was so dope. I said,
I’m going to start working here. I came in, started working with Eddie. He’s the one that
showed me how to use the MPC 60II! He was like, “Yo, you should use this.” I was using the
Alesis drum machine at that time. He was like, “Yo, you should use the MPC man, the way
you’re trying to divide your tracks, and they way that you’re laying them down. You could do
it all on there and do a straight print.” I was like, “Word?!” So I bought his. And then boom!
I started working with that. See, I got that motherfucker [MPC 60II] still there, and the 950.
Sa’id: Do you use two 950s at the same time?
DJ Premier: Nah, the other one, that one’s broke, it needs to get xed. I collect them.
Sa’id: So the only gear that you added was the Mo’phatt rack?
DJ Premier: Un huh, the Planet Phat. Bass. Yeah, I just switch it up and stu.
Sa’id: You working with keyboards now, too?
DJ Premier: Yeah, I got my lil’ Oxygen right there.
Sa’id: Oh, so you trigger the module with the Oxygen?
DJ Premier: Yeah. And Pro Tools has things, too, like the Indigos and stu, you know, where
you can do basses and keys, separate guitars, and have all the dierent variations of all the
dierent guitars and stu. Everything I do is experimentation anyway. It’s like being a scientist
in the lab. I experiment ‘til it sounds like it’s got my neck just poppin’. Once my neck pops,
I’m rollin’ with it!
Sa’id: Have you tried usin’ production software, what do you think of that?
DJ Premier: Nah, that’s just not my shit, my style. I love this style, and as long as this equipment
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work, and I can keep getting them xed by my people upstairs [DBM Audio Repair]. And I’m
into new shit, just when I’m ready to roll there. Now, Jazzy Je, he’s a gadget man. He puts
me on to everything. I got people that still keep me in the loop.
Sa’id: For a new dude coming into production, what setup would you advise?
DJ Premier: I would say look, the shit I got is what I recommend the most. But that’s so old,
it’s hard to nd ‘em. But there are newer versions of it, I don’t know how to operate ‘em. Even
the MPC 3000, I don’t know how to work.
Sa’id: You use the MPC 60 II just as a sequencer?
DJ Premier: Yeah, and I sample with the S950. Marley Marl was using that shit, Ced G and
all of them. So I was like, O.K, I want one of those. Once I learned it. e King of Chill
taught me how to work it, before I even locked it up to a drum machine to trigger it. He was
teaching me how to loop it, chop it down and all that, and even do time stretching. And it’s
limited on the time. at’s what I like about the S950, ‘cuz I don’t over sample. It’s limited on
the time, so I gotta take that little bit of time to make something. And that’s what makes you
strain and go, How can I ip this and make it dope.
Sa’id: You use the Timestretch on the 950?
DJ Premier: Yeah, a couple of times…on “Crush,” Big Shug.
Sa’id: When you sample and sequence, are you looping the sample inside the 950 or are
you choppin’ it and lopping it in the sequencer?
DJ Premier: Nah, I’m doin’ it in the 950. I loop it and then if I want to pitch it, I timestretch
that and put it on a dierent pad. And then assign the same outputs to cut’em o, boom! en
it’s all about where you land it.
Sa’id: e funny thing is when I got the MPC 60II. Rone [fellow friend and producer,
Mike Rone] came to my crib and showed me everything you showed him.
DJ Premier: Yeah, Yeah [Laughs].
Sa’id: But I wouldn’t even put everything on one track.
DJ Premier: Awgh, see, nah, nah, I can’t do that. I gotta separate it. I separate it in the MPC,
and then I do the individual outputs and lay it. I construct it rst, then I separate everything.
Sa’id: What do you think your legacy has been on hip hop, thus far? And what do you
think it’s going to be?
DJ Premier: I feel like it’s already in the history books. I got a Hall Of Fame DJ Award from
Jam Master Jay and Grandmaster Flash. And I got the picture, too, of them presenting that to
me. And that’s ill! ings like that let me know I made it. All the people that I wanted to love
my shit, love me. I wanted Run-DMC to love me, I wanted EPMD to love my shit. I wanted
Rakim to love me…KRS ONE…Big Daddy Kane…Kool G Rap and Polo…Biz…Heavy D
and e Boyz…Marley…Red Alert…Just Ice…MC Lyte…Audio Two… I wanted all of them
to say “You dope!” And they all said that. So I done made it. If I stop today, I’m good.
Sa’id: Do you see yourself teaching hip hop/rap production in the future, similar to how
Spike Lee teaches lm over at NYU, or how Winton Marsalis teaches?
DJ Premier: I wouldn’t be able to answer that now. Not that it couldn’t never happen. I just
have my own way of teaching people. It could come along. Right now, no, but you never know.
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Sa’id: Knowing all that you know, do you recommend hip hop/rap production as a career
choice?
DJ Premier: If you respect music, yes. If you don’t respect music, no. Even if you make it big
and have millions of dollars, you’ll still be a sucker to real niggas. And why would you want
to be a sucker to real niggas? When real people is who you want to be around. Be around real
people, you’ll enjoy life a LOT better.
Sa’id: How much should producers charge for tracks?
DJ Premier: If you’re new, understand the business is funny. You gotta know the economy that
you’re living in. Shit is fucked up right now. Don’t ever charge high, until you can really claim
that you’ve done enough groundwork and paid dues to charge high numbers, you know what
I’m sayin’. Don’t rape the game when you haven’t paid dues. I paid dues…I did mad scrapin’…
Did things I wasn’t even supposed to be doing, just for the sake of wanting to get this. But I
did it in a way that I got through. Respect was on my mind the whole time!
Sa’id: Back then when you rst started producing, how much were you charging for a track?
DJ Premier: ings were dierent. I mean, back then, $2,000 was a lot to me, you know. I
did “Unbelievable” for 5 [$5,000.00] for Biggie and I was already making about 15, 20 grand
a track at that time in ’93, ’94.
Sa’id: So you gave Biggie a break?
DJ Premier: Yeah, same thing with Jay [Jay-Z]. I liked Jay, I knew he was talented.
Sa’id: How much do you charge for a track now?
DJ Premier: I’m negotiable, that’s all I can say, my prices vary.
Sa’id: Would you ever do a track for free for somebody?
DJ Premier: I’ve BEEN doing that!!! [Laughs]…Like, I’ll do M.O.P shit for free…Yeah,
M.O.P.’s for free.
Sa’id: e only reason I ask you that is ‘cuz a lot of dudes need to understand you’re going
to have to do some favors…
DJ Premier: If you don’t pay dues, what the fuck are you expecting? You know what I’m sayin’.
Like the morals and development of artists and people involved in the music business have
been taken away. I was developed into an artist and as an entertainer. I didn’t know nothing
about shows. I knew how to spin, and I stayed behind that table and kept quiet, I didn’t talk
on the mic. Now I understand how to put myself out there at the right times, I know when to
speak and when to be quiet. You gotta know how to put yourself through this shit. is shit is
rough, it’s real rough! If you don’t understand it, platinum or not, ya’ll are all going to be right
back in the poor house, soon. I’ve seen it a billion times. And it happened to me; I didn’t hit
the poor house, but I went at…I had some at tires, for real.
Sa’id: How did you get through those times?
DJ Premier: I utilized gettin’ gigs that paid good money and still enjoyed the gigs that I was
gettin’. I went overseas, I said, “Fuck it, I’m big over there.” Went over there and worked and
had a beautiful time. And it set up everything that I planned on doing to x what was going
on in the states, you know, to bring me back up. So that’s from understanding the industry
and how it works. I talk shit about how fucked up things are, but I do it in a way where I
know it’s not just me I’m speaking for, I’m speaking for a mass of people. Still, I just do it in
a musical format.
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Sa’id: What do you have coming up?
DJ Premier: I started a label called Year Round Records. I have three artists signed. e NYGz.
ey’re straight raw, ghetto dudes, Panche and my man, Shiggy Sha. ey’re very knowledgeable
and intelligent, but straight hood. I like what they kick. We had the struggles of the time it
takes to get things done, but they understand what I’m goin’ through to rebuild the house.
Like, I’m sayin’, now we on the rebuild and we’re all doing it together. I said, “Hey, I’m a take
a short, too…” I ain’t gonna buy a new whip, no new jewelry, which I could do that, I use to
do that all the time. But not before getting our work done… And I always get a new car every
couple years. Always, two cars, minimum. And these last six years I have not bought a new
vehicle. SIX YEARS!!! Because we’ve been on this mission, since then, to get our shit on another
plane. And I’m still riding in the same ‘ol beatup fuckin’ Suburban. It’s cool, I got music in it,
and my shit is fast. I did soup it up, I did soup up my engine, and I did dual it out, so it will
out run a lot of cats who got rims. I have no rims, my shit is dirty all the time and the window
don’t roll down, and the tints peelin’. People can’t see me like that ‘cuz I’m Premier. Fuck all
that, I’m real, nigga, that’s what’s up. So fuck how I look. I got my niggas, and I got myself…
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INTERVIEWS
9th WONDER
From his beatwork with his former group, Little
Brother, to an impressive list of credits that are as
balanced and broad as Jay-Z and MURS, 9th Wonder
has always been steadfastly shaping his position in the
history of beatmaking (hip hop production).
Notable discography: Little Brother, Jay-Z, MURS,
Buckshot, Skyzoo, Destiny’s Child, Sean Price, Masta
Ace.
9th Wonder’s setup: FL Studio (2016: Native
Instruments Maschine)
________________________________________________________________________
Sa’id: Give me a glimpse of your life as a child.
9
th
Wonder: I had a great childhood, man. I had an outstanding childhood as a matter of fact.
I learned a lot; I got to see both sides. I went to a predominantly white elementary school.
My mom was a teacher at this elementary school; she was a kindergarten assistant. So you
know, I got a lot of leeway with that situation. But at the same time, I had an uncle that was
a kingpin in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. And I got to see that side of the game. e
crazy thing about it is, I never saw any drugs, I never saw any of the work. I did see, you know,
lots of money, you know what I’m sayin’. My cousins used to get mopeds and stu like that
for Christmas. And I got to see from my cousins who were in the game, I got to see that rst
hand. So you know, I kind of got the best of both worlds. I got the whole academic side, with
me being in dierent academic programs in elementary school, because I was quote on quote,
“academically gifted.” And then at the same time, the ipside, I would be running through
the projects with my cousins. It was real. eclectic.
Sa’id: Were your parents together at the time when you were coming up?
9
th
Wonder: Yeah. My parents are separated now — although they don’t act like it. My parents
separated when I was in Jr. High School. I grew up with my parents. My dad worked a lot,
you know what I’m sayin’. My mom was a school teacher, so I was with her most of the time.
My dad built his house with his bare hands. My dad is (was) a professional landscaper. He did
that for many years before he got to RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company, that’s the company that
makes Winstons and Salems and Camels (cigarettes). at’s my mom and dad. And I have one
older brother. I had an older sister, but she died in a car accident in ’77. I don’t remember her.
Sa’id: How old were you when she passed?
9
th
Wonder: I was 2 years old. I don’t remember her at all, but my brother does. My brother
was a year older than her. So that kind of took my family through some things. at’s my
childhood as a whole.
Sa’id: So how did music— Was it the typical black thing, did music play a big part in
your family life?
9
th
Wonder: My mom and dad were in a choir called the MPT Celestial Choir. It was a choir
started by a man named Marion Pete omas. at’s what “MPT” stands for. ey would tour
with the choir and whatnot, so you know, throughout all the gospel music that was played in
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the house. And at the same time, I’m 33, my brother will be 45 this year, so all the music he
would play was e Commodores; Earth, Wind, & Fire; e Gap Band; all of the late ‘70s, early
‘80s; Parliament Funkadelic; Jermaine Jackson “Let’s Get Serious,” all that stu. I would hear
all of that. He used to play “Easy Like Sunday Morning” all the time (by e Commodores).
Everything in that era.
Sa’id: So your brother, he DJ’d or he just loved music like that?
9
th
Wonder: He just loved music like that. And you know, from going to dierent clubs in
the Winston-Salem area, at the time when he was in high school. I just listened to the music
that he would play, when I was about 5 or 6 years old. at was the situation. But it wasn’t
until I started kickin’ it with my cousins. ere was a projects, a housing development in
Winston-Salem called Cleveland Avenue Homes. And Cleveland Projects was where I heard
a lot of my rst hip hop records. Actually, it’s where I heard my rst hip hop record. And my
rst hip hop record I ever heard was “Planet Rock” (by Afrika Bambaataa). And that was it.
Sa’id: As far as your name goes, all of the seven wonders of the world are solid structures—
9
th
Wonder: Right!
Sa’id: When you think of your name, are you putting it out there that you’re a solid structure
or that you come from a solid structure, that a solid family structure is important to you,
is that part of the meaning?
9
th
Wonder: Un huh. I’m a big history bu, man. I know my seven my wonders—
Sa’id: So that didn’t have anything to do with it?
9
th
Wonder: Nah, man. [Laughs]. You know what, I tried to think of a name that sounded like
a beatmaker’s name! Without having “producer” in the name or “beats” in the name. A name
that you could shorten up. Pete Rock is “Petey,” “PR.” DJ Premier is “Preme,” “Premo,” you
know. Something that just sounded like— You know, I wrote down a bunch of names, but I
wrote ‘em down “Produced by blah, blah, blah.” And I just stuck with one that sounded the
best. “Produced by 9th Wonder” sounded the best to me. And I wrote the whole thing out.
at had a ring to me. “Produced by DJ Premier for Works of Mart;” “produced by Pete Rock
for Mecca and the Soul Brother,” or now it’s “Soul Brother #1;” like, “Produced by Kanye West
for Roc the World.” at has a certain ring to it, a certain cinematic value to it or theatrical value
to it, so I had to think of something: “Produced by 9th Wonder for It’s a Wonderful World.”
Sa’id: One thing I’m gonna throw at you. I pitched this to Buckwild, I said, the type of
music that he makes and the type of music that Preme makes that they’re both “beatmakers”
at heart who are also producers. Would that be an accurate assessment of you?
9
th
Wonder: Yeah! Because when you work, in becoming a “producer,” it has to be an experience,
you know what I’m sayin’. It has to be a pilgrimage. It’s a whole experience. Like the Buckshot
records that I did, it’s a whole experience: “I went to see 9th, and I stayed for two weeks” [quoting
Buckshot]. at’s how music is made, I think sometimes.
Sa’id: Expand on that, where your music is actually an extension of you.
9
th
Wonder: Right! It’s denitely going down to be with a person, that you’re going to make
something together. It’s just— North Carolina is an extension of me. So in order to understand
the whole 9th Wonder experience, you have to come here. You got to understand the food that
I eat, the spots that I go. Where do I get my inspiration from, where do I pull my inspiration
out of? I talked to Sistah Souljah about a year ago, and she was like, “How do you get your
beats to sound like this, but you look outside and see trees and pastures?” And I explained to
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her that it’s like, you know, I didn’t grow up in New York City. I didn’t see New York [until]
1987. I was in New York in 1987. My aunt lived there, she lives here now. I was in New York
for three weeks. In my three-week period in New York in 1987, Scott La Rock was killed. I
was in the Bronx at the time. I didn’t go back to New York until 2001. And so all of the music
that I heard, I didn’t get a chance to experience that music. Every time I go to New York, I
play rap records, ‘cuz I’m trying to— When “Shook Ones” [Mobb Deep] came out, you could
see Queensbridge! I had no way of feelin’ it. Everything for me was in here [points to heart]
or up here [points to head] or my imagination. So that’s where I had to pull, you know, a lot
of stu from. But when you come here, you get all of that. You still get the New York-type
sound. But then, once we’re done with studio, it’s country-boy time pretty much.
Sa’id: I’ve likened what you’ve been able to do with what Dr. Dre’s reaction was when he
rst began. e fact that he couldn’t do New York, but if you listen to early N.W.A., it has
New York—
9
th
Wonder: Feelin’ in it…
Sa’id: Feelin’, right. But it has the West Coast, or what became the West Coast sound,
it has that color. And what you’re doing is, instead of trying to simply mimic New York,
you took the part of New York that inspired you and sort of put it into a pot of where you
were from. at being said, express— O.K., let’s say if someone says, “If I get FL Studio
or if I get Reason and Recycle…” Typically, the music that comes out — although they’re
sampling soul sounds — it sounds sort of synthetic, the feelin’ is somehow sort of lost.
9
th
Wonder: Right!
Sa’id: What are some of the things that you do to maintain that feelin’, whether it be your
arrangement or your sampling technique?
9
th
Wonder: It comes with the history. I understand the authenticity of the type of music that
I want to make. I understand we control— Man made machines, you know what I’m sayin’.
Sa’id: Exactly.
9
th
Wonder: You shouldn’t put so much into a machine that we made, you should— What I
mean is, you can tell a machine to do what you want it to do, you can tell it to do exactly what
you want it to do. I get a lot of people sayin’, you know, “I can’t get Fruity Loops to…” What
you mean, “You can’t get Fruity Loops to do that?” “How do you get it to sound like…?” Man,
you got to mess with it, and mess with it. at’s what cats did with the MP [Akai MPC] that’s
what cats did with the SP [E-Mu SP 1200] to make it do things it’s not supposed to do — that’s
hip hop, man! It used to be cats just take a record and let it run all the way to the end, then
take the record o, put another record on, let it run all the way to the end. Some bright guy
came and put two turntables and records together, two record players together, and was like,
“I gotta gure out the way to keep the party going without stopping.” at’s what hip hop
is: taking something that is not suppose to be, and turning it from what we’re used to what we
want. Timberland is a construction boot [Laughs], but we turned it into a style, a way of life.
And so, that’s like me and my beats. at’s what cats don’t understand, they put so much faith,
and they put so much on a machine, but it’s really not about the machine. It’s about the man
behind the machine.
Sa’id: But the point with you is that how you were using software was so ahead of everybody.
ere are some well-known beatmakers that I’ve interviewed who are just now getting into
software like Reason and such, but although they may do some of their music with software,
the things that they use Reason and the like are for the more cleaner, crispier type of beats.
9
th
Wonder: Uh huh.
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Sa’id: But as far as when they do a dusty or sample joint, they go back to their old trusty
[hardware gear].
9
th
Wonder: I can do both on the same machine.
Sa’id: at’s my point—
9
th
Wonder: I think the thing about me using Fruity Loops, man, is I didn’t have a choice. I
didn’t have 2, 3 grand to buy no beat machine. And I don’t live in an area where you can grind
to get a beat machine, through a hip hop type of way, like carrying crates [music crates]. Not
here. In New York, yes, not here. It’s not a big, big scene here. I didn’t know what to do, you
know what I’m sayin’. So a friend introduced me to a beatmaking program called Hammer
and Cool Edit. You know, ‘cuz at rst, I was doing pause tapes. And so, he introduced me to
that and I messed around, messed around with it. en another cat after that introduced me
to Fruity Loops.
Sa’id: When you got Fruity Loops, did you already have a MIDI controller that you were
using?
9
th
Wonder: No. Still to this day I don’t. My rst time I ever used MIDI, man, was when I
tracked out. I don’t know what it was, but that was the rst time, I used MIDI like a year ago.
I don’t use MIDI now, I don’t use MIDI. For me, I just wanted to make beats, and that’s what
was working for me.
Sa’id: What I’m talking about for a song, like the three eorts that you did for Destiny’s
Child. ere’s a lot going on in those songs. So you’re saying, there’s no keyboard controller
that’s playing the sounds? You’re just using the computer keyboard?
9
th
Wonder: Un uh. I had a Toshiba laptop and a wireless mouse.
Sa’id: So how did the long parts get played out?
9
th
Wonder: What long part?
Sa’id: e melody parts.
9
th
Wonder: You’re talking about for “Girl?”
Sa’id: Right?
9
th
Wonder: Aw, that’s sampled!
Sa’id: All of those are samples that you arranged around?
9
th
Wonder: Un huh.
Sa’id: So you don’t even rock with a MIDI controller?
9
th
Wonder: Un uh. And I believe in— One thing I learned from Dr. Dre is, the best way for
you to understand the importance of musicianship is if you let other musicians get involved.
He let Scott Storch—
Sa’id: Do what he does—
9
th
Wonder: Right! My man is James Porser from e Roots. If I need— e keys that you
hear on that Erykah Badu track is James Porser. He was on e Minstrel Show, too. And he’s
gonna be all over e Wonder Years. at’s what I prefer doing. It just brings the unity in
musicianship. So that’s what connects me to a producer in the ‘80s, to a producer in the ‘70s,
to a producer in the ‘60s. It’s ragtime, jazz, soul, funk, hip hop; it’s all connected, as long as
you don’t lose musicianship in the process.
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Sa’id: Hip hop is a continuum. However, there are a lot of producers who love their
position right now, but they really don’t see it as something that they have to pass on. You
seem more concerned with not ghting against whack music but ghting for good music.
9
th
Wonder: [Laughs] at’s heavy!
Sa’id: You understand what I’m sayin’?
9
th
Wonder: at’s my biggest thing! I don’t. Cats can do what they wanna do. Cats can make
the music they wanna make. But what I’m ghting for is a standard. We as black people, we
don’t have a standard, man. We need more. We’re afraid to say, you know, “at just ain’t
right.” We’re afraid to say that. And we get called “haters” for saying something ain’t right! We
get called, “Aw, you just hatin’.” We think that when a person makes money, yeah you need
money to survive and to be comfortable and all of that, you know what I’m sayin’. But you
can’t take it with you. ere is such a thing as legacy. at’s my thing. I gotta ght for good
music, man, because it’s like, there is such a thing. And I just don’t want 40 years from now,
I don’t want 40 years from now — our black people 40 years from now — to be completely
lost, you know what I’m sayin’. I really don’t. Because we take so much time putting people at
the front of our culture because they have a boat load of money or because they’re very visible.
We don’t necessarily look at their achievements, and put them in front. And another thing
that we don’t do…
Not only do I ght for good music, I ght for my elders, man. Because it’s a lot of musicians
out, a lot of black musicians out right now that don’t care nothing about their elders! You know
what I’m sayin’. ey don’t really talk about their inuences, they have no respect. ey’re not
even educated, they don’t even know. A lot of these people that paved the way, a lot of these
people that signed these bogus contracts, a lot of these people went through that so [you wouldn’t
have to]. You learn from their mistakes. And they don’t say “ank you” to those cats. Maybe
in my music, the music that I make and the music I play, that’s my way of saying “ank you”
to the cats who came before me. And I understand from a religious standpoint, everybody
ain’t put on earth to do the same thing. But my thing is, and maybe it’s because I got this from
my mom and dad, “respect your elders!” at’s what you really gotta do, and that’s what I ght
for. It’s not only good music, I FIGHT FOR THE PEOPLE WHO MADE GOOD MUSIC!
I’ll say Pete Rock or Premier before I say any producer. I still say Quincy, I still say Jim Jam,
Terry Lewis. But I’m talking about the ones who directly aected me to do what I do. ese
are the cats that aected me, you know what I’m sayin’. You’ll never hear Tiger Woods — as
much money as he makes — get up there and say — as much as they try to say he’s the greatest
ever — he’ll say, “ere’s still Ben Hogan, there’s still Sam Snead, there’s still Jack Nicklaus,
there’s still Arnold Palmer.” He knows his history of the game, and he knows where he sits in
that. Some new jacks come up and they don’t know where they sit in the realm of the game.
And you know how the excuse is, “Aw, they too young, they ain’t suppose to know…” Yeah,
they suppose to know! And they suppose to care. So I just ght for good music. I ain’t got
time to sit and try to ght against whack music.
Sa’id: You brought up Preme and Pete Rock, those two (two beatmakers whose drums
stand out)… With your drums, do you sample your drums raw — dry — from records or
do you use sample CDs, or do you download waves [.wav les]?
9th Wonder: It depends. I got ‘em so many ways. I got ‘em o CDs, I got ‘em o records.
Madlib said to me one time that I leave drums open for beatmakers [Laughs].
Sa’id: When you pull them, do you sample them dry or do you throw anything on ‘em?
9th Wonder: Sometimes. Sometimes I sample them dry. Sometimes I throw something on
‘em. It just depends on the record for me.
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Sa’id: Your progression that has happened from the rst Little Brother oering all the way
to your Dream Merchant album, two things: your sound, overall, got bigger, more polished,
but then your drums, specically your snares, started getting this old school reverb sound—
9
th
Wonder: Right!
Sa’id: It started having much more presence, not louder but much more present. Was that
something that you focused on?
9
th
Wonder: No. You know, I didn’t really understand the magnitude of having certain sounds
sounding a certain way until about a year, maybe two years ago. And the mixing of my records
haven’t been very consistent, which means… I mixed e Listening, Young Guru mixed the
e Minstrel Show. I quick-mixed Dream Merchant. But then all my other records, like my
man Mike Shaft mixed the “Honey Joint.” I don’t know who mixed the Destiny Child joints;
Young Guru mixed “reat.” I don’t know who mixed the Lloyd Banks joint. Young Guru
mixed the Memphis Bleek joints. I don’t know who mixed the Mary J. Blidge joint. But e
Formula and The Wonder Years are mixed by one guy, his name is Ian Shrier, he’s from Raleigh.
He’s making my sound sound bigger. And I understand that, I understand what that means.
I didn’t understand that at rst, but now I do.
Sa’id: With software, do you use drum pads for your drums or the mouse?
9
th
Wonder: Mouse.
Sa’id: So you’re just placing it in like somebody drawing?
9
th
Wonder: Ungh huh.
Sa’id: at’s incredible timing. Where does that come from, does that come from your
musical understanding?
9
th
Wonder: It’s just me understanding 4/4 time, me understanding measures and, you know,
a half, an eight, a sixteenth. Me being classically trained from middle school, from me playing
instruments in middle school, me playing in a concert band, marching band.
Sa’id: What instruments did you play?
9
th
Wonder: I played clarinet, I played the saxophone. My band teacher was just throwing
instruments at me, “Try this. Try this,” because I was playing stu by ear. And by the time
I got into marching band, I was playing drums. So you know, doing that in the daytime — I
started middle school in 1986. From 1986 to 1993 was my middle and high school years. You
know the albums that came out during that time.
Sa’id: Yeah, yeah.
9
th
Wonder: So I’m playing — and my mom bought me a keyboard for every Christmas — I’m
playing stu, overtures at school, but I’m coming home [at night] listening to rap records, not
really understanding that the music the cats was using in the background were samples, you
know what I’m sayin’. I’m thinking everybody’s playing it [Laughs]. But they’re sampling
people that played instruments. So who said it can’t be replayed over? So I was trying to replay
it on my keyboard.
Sa’id: Keeping with that, for you, what makes sampling an art form, and not something
that people outrageously call an “act of thievery?”
9
th
Wonder: I say it’s like when you go to the Louvre in Paris, and you walk down the hall and
you see this big mural of somebody who took a whole bunch of Time Life Book magazines and
made a big mural of Time Life Magazines of the years and call it a collage. What’s the dierence?
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INTERVIEWS
ey didn’t contact every person from every book that they snatched a page out of and get
permission. What’s the dierence? You know what I mean, I just don’t understand that. And
collages happen all of the time in art.
Sa’id: It’s often been said — by writers and movie directors especially — that there’s really
no such thing as an “original” idea, only innovation. So I think what really is the gut of hip
hop is sampling anyway, the ability to utilize something, then put something to it. at
being said, what is your perception of sample clearance? Do you think it’s a fair situation?
9
th
Wonder: ey don’t look at it like it’s a trade o. You’re dealing with a lot of people that we
sample that’s bitter. But you also deal with a lot of people that understand the bridge that we’re
trying to connect. If cats that we sample understood — I wouldn’t say the newest producers,
you know, cats just taking records and not really understanding the purpose — if cats really
understood how much we worshipped them— A kid hit me on Myspace and said, “My dad
said ‘anks’ for what you did to his record.” And I hit him back and was like, “Who is your
dad?” He said, “My dad is Dexter Wansell.” I used [that sample for] “Smoke the Pain Away.”
I used a sample from Billy Paul, “I ink I’ll Stay Home Today.” And Dexter Wansell wrote
it, but he was a part of the Gamble & Hu camp. And he appreciated what I had done to the
record. I met Hamilton Bohannon’s son. ey understand the bridge. ey understand that
an 18 year old is not going to pick up their record and listen to the whole record and appreciate.
But they’ll appreciate it when we take and do something that they can get. And that’s what Pete
Rock did for me, when he sampled Tom Scott for “e Reminisce Over You.” If I see Tom Scott
in the street, I may go up and hug this man. ‘Cuz if he didn’t make “Honey Suckle Breeze” in
1966, Pete wouldn’t have made “T.R.O.Y.” in 1992, which would not have turned me on to
what I’m doing now. So we owe you (Tom Scott). But you have to be able to embrace the love
that we’re giving you. When we sample, it’s really paying homage.
Sa’id: Do you favor some sort of regulation when it comes to this? I mean for what you
and other beatmakers do, every sample is not identiable. But I’m sure that you know
that, in fact, it’s so-called “illegal” to sample anything — even a drum snare — without
permission. at’s ridiculous. But it seems to be no beatmakers who are arguing for this.
And the newer beatmakers don’t really even care; they’d rather get things rushed, and most
of them don’t even sample at all. When a sample is undistinguishable and nothing major,
it should fall under “fair use.”
9
th
Wonder: Right!
Sa’id: How do you speak to that whole situation? If you were called, what would be the
parameters that you would throw out there, ‘cuz I think this will eventually go before
Congress.
9
th
Wonder: My thing is. What we need to do is to get the jazz musicians, the R&B musicians
from the ‘60s and ‘70s to understand what we do. If I ever go to Congress, I’m not going by
myself. It’s not going to be just me and Russell Simmons. It’s gonna be me and Roy Ayers; it’s
gonna be me and Gamble & Hu; it’s going to be me and cats from that era who understand
what it is that we do, who understand what we’re trying to do for the next generation. We’re
just really trying to create a bridge. It’s not about trying to “take” your record and just make a
prot o of it. ere is really an art form to this. All that we do — from chopping a record,
taking a song that’s 3/4 time and turning it into 4/4 time. All of that is art. And I wouldn’t
go [to Congress] by myself. I would take elders with me, and be like, “Look, you say that we’re
‘stealing,’ these are the cats that I sample, these are the musicians that we use from time and
time again.” Bob James—“Nautilus” has been sampled so many times. And when I sampled
“Nautilus” for the MURS record, he cleared it. Because the thing about him is he understood.
When e RZA sampled “Nautilus” for “Daytona 500,” he cleared it because he liked what
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THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
e RZA did to it. He said he took a song that was clean and pristine and dirtied it up, and
gave it a whole new texture to the song. It’s a tribute. What people outside of hip hop don’t
really understand is “Nautilus” is one of the holy grail songs of hip hop.
Sa’id: It’s like gateway music.
9
th
Wonder: Right! It’s gateway music, that’s exactly what it is. ere needs to be some type of
council, like the Jedi council. Bob James, Roy Ayers, Gamble & Hu, man, Curtis Mayeld,
you could go on.
Sa’id: You do a lot of projects, how did you get to a level where your workow was organized
enough for you to separate?
9
th
Wonder: You know what helped me do that? School. College helped me do that. College
helps you to time manage. I treat my music like papers [essays]. I got a deadline on this paper.
And I was a history major. So I treat it like papers. I was doing 25 page thesis [papers] in the
10th grade. So I treat it like school, it just helps me time manage. History majors can juggle
many dierent things in their mind at one time. I think within the last three years, I’ve worked
on 10 projects at the same time, simultaneously, it seems like.
Sa’id: When you get to that level, how do you protect from burning your ears out?
9
th
Wonder: Man, good music could never burn your ears out. I’m not at a point where I listen
to it on high volume all the time. But I don’t think I ever burn my ears out.
Sa’id: When you have an idea and you’re carving it out in your head, do you have a set
term of time or do you go where the beat takes you?
9
th
Wonder: I just go where the beat takes me. If I feel like I’m done, I feel like I’m done, for
that particular moment, until I wanna esh it out, as Young Guru says, “Add stu to it.”
Sa’id: So when the project came to you from Destiny’s Child, what did you do, how did
you shape your mind. As a history a major, you’re looking at a paper, what did you give
that paper, did it have a title? What did you say?
9
th
Wonder: e name of that title for Destiny’s Child paper was “Be Yourself.” at’s what
Beyoncé told me to be, “Do you! We hired you for you. We didn’t hire you to do anything
else.” e biggest thing that Beyoncé said to me was, “You know, this particular album, all of
the formats of the songs, it’s like, we’re looking at it from the situation like we’re e Emotions.”
It was easy after that. ey were like “Do you.”
Sa’id: You can still get a masters in jazz at a major university, whereas with hip hop, you
can’t even get one instructional course at most major universities. Why do you think,
when it comes to hip hop production, it’s not being taken by those in higher education as
a serious, legitimate music trade?
9
th
Wonder: Because of the same reason why people ip out when I say what Beyoncé said.
TV dictates what people think about things; TV has painted such a terrible, terrible picture of
hip hop, I don’t think there’s ever a way of turning back. According to TV, hip hop is a violent,
misogynistic art form that calls women “bitches” and “hoes” in every song. And TV not only
has told this to white Americans, black America believes that to. And not only does black
America believe that, it’s [also] used as a parting of the Red Sea between the older generation
and the young generation. It’s getting [to where] two generations not even wanting to learn
each other. So trying to explain that to a professor, sometimes is the roughest thing. Trying to
explain that to a black professor, in the South? Oh, wow. It’s like, they don’t understand the
connection. ey don’t understand what it is that we do. ey let TV tell them what we do.
ey let TV tell them, “is is what hip hoppers do.” Like what we’re really trying to do is
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to get students to understand the importance of the history of black music. at’s what we’re
really trying to do. I talk to a professor at UNC, he teaches a masters class, and his masters class
is about making beats. Incredible, his class is like eight people in a class. And I went to speak
to this class one time, and I was talking to the class, and the girl had a book open in the class,
and he’s going through the book, word for word, chapter by chapter; this is stu that we know!
Sa’id: What book was it?
9
th
Wonder: It was a book called Making Beats. And it’s just about that thick [demonstrates
the smallness of the book]. And I know the cat who wrote the book.
Sa’id: Paul Schloss—
9
th
Wonder: Yes! He wrote the book on the premise of what me, Preme, Pete, Just, Kanye, all of
us eat and sleep. We eat and sleep this stu. We know it verbatim. It’s like a rite of passage…
So why don’t we have this in [all] our schools, teaching our children….We’re revitalizing the
word “musician.”
Sa’id: Exactly. at being said, do you think one of the things that kind of takes new
beatmakers for a detour is that they don’t go through DJ’ing? All of the beatmakers that
you’ve mentioned have a DJ background. And I don’t think that’s a coincidence.
9
th
Wonder: I think it’s a rite of passage. I learned to DJ rst. Cats always told me, stu that
I hear in music, they don’t hear. And a cat always told me, “All this stu is going to manifest
one day; it’s gonna manifest into something. You have a gift…” So I decided that I wanted to
learn how to DJ. And just learning that made me really understand the importance of BPMs
and how stu speeds up and how some beats are faster and some beats are slower. You know
stu like that, and drum tracks. All that type of stu. Knowing what songs go with what. Not
only what feelin’, but what genre.
Sa’id: How did it help you with arrangements?
9
th
Wonder: It helped me know how to arrange an album. When you DJ parties, it’s like a
movie. ere’s build up, and there’s a climax in every movie. ere’s rising action climax, then
there’s falling action climax. Every party is like that.
Sa’id: Speak about your approach to adding “changes” in your music.
9
th
Wonder: Everything with me is o feeling, everything that I do comes from feeling, which
turns into the next generation. What I mean is, something that James Brown would do on
accident, o of a feeling, is what the next generation practices as being part of the formula. So
with hip hop, everything that— Something that Marley Marl did, or something that Preme
turned into “the formula.” Something that I started to do on accident (o of a feeling), it’s now
got some kids using it as “is is the way I chop samples,” as the formula. ey’re not really
doing it o feeling; I started doing it o feeling. ey started doing it because it’s “the formula.”
Sa’id: Give me an example of something you did by accident.
9
th
Wonder: Sampling voices, when they really didn’t make any sense. A lot of cats ask me,
“What is the sample saying?” “Man, I don’t know.” ‘Cuz I’m actually trying to chop around
the sample. It’s just the fact that there’s no instrumental version to the song. So I go to...
you know what I’m sayin’. And I like the background, and whatever is being sang in it; if it’s
saying words, ne, if it not, that’s ne, too. I really don’t care. at’s the thing for me. When
I did “Loving It,” what I like about it, I’m not listening to the [begins to sing] “Told me a lie, I
wonder why.” I’m listening to the [mimics the rhythm and groove] “dunh, dunh, doon, dh, dh,
dh, dh, denh…” I’m listening to that. He just happened to be, “…do me, I can see…” And
so, a kid may hear that and be like, “Oh, he chose the words.” And I was going for the feeling,
and he thinks that’s the formula! Every generation does that, every generation of black music
528
THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
does that. Somebody’ll make up something, and the next generation they’ll create something,
and the next generation uses that as the formula. And it goes on and on and on.
Sa’id: You’ve spoken indirectly on how important it is to study making beats. ere’s this
misperception that you can get the latest software or just, you know, get an MPC, and then
boom: you’re making beats!
9
th
Wonder: Right!
Sa’id: Speak about the fact that this is a serious eld that you do have to study.
9
th
Wonder: You got to know this stu! You have to know it. Like, to successfully— And it
shows, it shows, the cat’s who do music, but really don’t have an understanding of the history
of it, or understand [how to do it]. You either had to grow up around it or you had to be there,
one of the two. To be “authentic,” you just can’t wake up in the morning, man, and be like, “I
wanna sample,” without understanding the art of sampling. You just can’t do it. You gotta— If
you wanna sample, you gotta study; go study the greats who sampled records. It’s like, if you
want to be a great trumpet player, you gotta know all of the great jazz trumpet players who
came before. I KNOW SO MANY PRODUCERS WHO MAKE BEATS THAT KNOW
NOTHING ABOUT THE HISTORY! ey know nothing about the producers that came
before them. No matter what I do, no matter what mainstream record I do, no matter who
I make a record for — I’ve made a beat for Jay [Jay-Z]. My mainstream sales is Jay, Destiny’s
Child, the biggest Mary J. Blige record. And I’ve been blessed to have that run, but the thing
about it is, I would never say I’m better than Buckwild! And that’s what cats just don’t get, man.
Sa’id: Real talk, one thing that I want to point out is that when students don’t wanna learn
anymore, we’ve got a problem. But when teachers don’t wanna teach, culture is over! It’s
just that simple, you know what I’m sayin’.
9
th
Wonder: Right.
Sa’id: So I feel good that you have a history class.
9
th
Wonder: at’s what I gotta do. I know what hip hop has done for me. I’m trying to get
to a point where all universities— When it’s time for hip hop to be studied as a curriculum
and a concentration, I don’t want them to go get just some, any ol’ professor, man. It better be
somebody that comes from the cloth!
Sa’id: Finally speak on the simplicity of hip hop. You know music theory, and you know
that hip hop — unlike other forms of music — isn’t based on progression.
9
th
Wonder: Un uh! Hip hop is not based on progression, or chord progressions or movements.
at’s not it! Like blues, there’s a format to blues, it’s been the same format, and it’s a very, very
simple format. I think new cats try to conform to what— Instead of really building on what
we created, and leaving it “as is,” they try to do things to conform hip hop to other types of
music. at’s cool, if that’s what you wanna do, that’s ne. But I think that does something to
the music, though. I think that loses— I think that pulls in other people from other forms of
music, who are like, “Well, you know, I think hip hop should be like this. It kind of bothers
me that hip hop is a little monotonous.” Well, get out! You know what I’m sayin’. is is
something that Kool Herc [and them] started in the ‘70s in the Bronx. Something in the ‘70s
that cats had going on — something a lot of people didn’t want to have nothing to do with.
Now that they see it’s a protable thing, they wanna come in and say, “Everything is kind of
monotonous.” No! Understand the beauty of hip hop for what we made it to be! Don’t try
to come in and change what we have, especially when you have so many other art forms that
have been the same way for years. You can not go down to Augusta National in Augusta, GA
for the Masters, and change the format. You just can’t do it. You can bring in ESPN, you can
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INTERVIEWS
bring in ABC, you can bring in dierent commentators. e point of the matter is this: Every
year, whoever wore the green jacket last year puts the green jacket on the person who won it
this year; and every year the person who won the green jacket last year gets to choose the menu.
at’s what is called “tradition,” man! It’s tradition. ey’re jackin’ up the tradition, man.
ere’s a tradition in hip hop, there really is. And we let money ruin the tradition. ey don’t
understand that long tradition makes lots of money. ey have it confused, because they wanna
make it “now!” It’s gotta be right now…
Sa’id: It’s the “me, now” culture—
9
th
Wonder: Me, now! ey don’t understand that tradition creates money for centuries. e
point of the matter is— Like there are cats in baseball that are gonna uphold the tradition of
baseball, no matter what. Who’s doing that for hip hop? ere’s not enough of us doing it,
‘cuz we’re letting anything go. We’re letting anything slide down the tube.
Sa’id: For the high school cats, the ones who are just getting interested in hip hop and
making beats, give a couple of rst steps that you think that they should approach.
9
th
Wonder: If they wanna make beats, the best thing for them to do is to go back and buy
old records and old rap records. You know, understand little nuances like how Preme takes
something and doubles it up at the end of the fourth measure. Or understand how Pete Rock
can take ve records and put ‘em on top of each other. Understand how e Beatminerz take
a bass sample and lter it out at the beginning of “Buck ‘em Down.,” and then understand
how they bring in the highs. You have to study that type of stu. Not only do you have to
study that, then you have to go back and see who they sampled. You gotta understand all of
that aesthetic rst. Either you decide that this is something that you really wanna do— e
more you sample, the more cats sample, the window of originality gets smaller and smaller.
And I had to learn what all of the samplers before me were doing before me, before I decided
what sound that I wanted to go for. ‘Cuz, I mean, in the beginning, I sounded like Pete [Pete
Rock], then I sounded like Preme one day, then I sounded like e RZA. Where can I get to
the point where it’s a 9th Wonder sound? at took some time. Once I got it, I built out of
that. And that’s what young producers gotta do.
531
AFTERWORD
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THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
The Beatmaking Tradition’s Contribution to Modern Music
Beatmaking, a tradition that grew out of the broader hip hop culture and hip
hop/rap music tradition, has changed modern music forever. In 40 years, it has
substantially recongured the approach to modern music-making, and within
the last quarter of the twentieth century in particular, the hip hop/rap music
and beatmaking traditions brought forth a number of pivotal developments that
have both transcended and built upon previous musical approaches.
As the beatmaking tradition has resulted in an entirely new musical process,
and it has also given birth to a new kind of musician and composer. Beatmaking
has also reexamined the relationship between creativity and technology more
profoundly than any other music tradition in the world. e beatmaking
tradition has even reestablished the didactic, do-it-yourself ethic and approach
to making music. And, of course, the beatmaking tradition has made the music-
making process more accessible to the common person more than any other
music tradition in recent history. Today, beatmaking (hip hop/rap production)
stands as the most easily accessible means for people to express their individual
musical creativity. is has given more people than ever before the chance to
go from consumer to producer in the world of music.
And what of the wave of cuts of music and arts education (programs) at
elementary, jr. high, and high schools all across America?
196
ose cuts took
away many of the traditional outlets that kids, teenagers, and young adults had
used in the past to express their natural interest in music and their own musical
creativity. ose music-program cuts have also reduced the broad worth of
music to American society; moreover, they have shunned the intrinsic value in
music and the arts in general. Music, perhaps the most socially important of
all art forms, not only enhances academic achievement among students, it also
encourages personality and character growth. More often than not, people
well-oriented in music excel in mathematics and do well in the political sciences.
Music also helps people to bolster the creative side of their character. is fact
is even more crucial to the development of elementary, jr. high, and high school
students, because at that time in their lives the nourishment of the creative
(and intuitive) side of their character is critical to the cultivation of the logical,
analytical side of their character. But egregious as the widespread music- and
arts-program cuts were (are), they could (can) not wipe out the naturally creative
196
What widespread efforts are still seriously being made to teach young adults about the musical
process? For example, where are the associations like the Afro-American Music Opportunities Association
(AAMOA) of 1969, or schools like Dorothy Maynor’s School of the Arts at New York, and the Elma Lewis
School at Boston?
533
AFTERWORD
curiosity that people have for music. Moreover, those cuts could (can) not
curb the desire that many people have to become career music professionals.
Beatmaking directly addresses the systematic music and arts program cuts in
America, and it lls the gaping void left by the cuts, as it oers an alternative
means to music education, instruction, and appreciation.
e beatmaking tradition has also resulted in an entirely new music-making
profession; and this profession’s inuence over the psyche of modern popular
music — especially in the United States, France, the UK, Brazil, Germany, and
Japan — has been so vast that the beatmaking tradition has truly spawned the rst
great music compositional phenomenon of the twenty-rst century. Actually,
the beatmaking tradition has created a unique class of electronic music-makers
who now represent what I call common composers.
ese common composers have distinct ideas about music culture, and
they are not intimidated by other music traditions of presumably greater
prestige. e common composer does not blindly defer to music theory (the
abstract knowledge of the Western classical tradition), nor does the he cower
to the pretentious presuppositions and predispositions of other popular forms
of music like rock ‘n’ roll. Instead, the common composer embraces (directly
or indirectly) the core ideologies and sensibilities of the hip hop/rap music
tradition. Furthermore, because the common composer is much more sensitive
to the idea of relevance in popular culture, he is uniquely mindful of the most
unifying priority of all music traditions: To make music (art) function in a way
that improves the quality of life of people in any given society.
Growth of the Hip Hop/Rap Music and Beatmaking
Traditions — Not Without Controversy
e extent of which the hip hop/rap music and beatmaking traditions have
grown has not come about without controversy. ere have been numerous
compositional and ideological dierences that have occurred throughout the
40-year history of the hip hop/rap music and beatmaking traditions. In the
following section, it is useful to outline the highlights and possible resolutions
of these dierences.
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THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
The Notion of Evolution in Hip Hop/Rap Music, Why Hip
Hop/Rap Can’t Be Redened, and the Need for Non-Hip
Hop/Rap Music Categories
Although hip hop/rap music may have outgrown itself, commercially
speaking, and may have attracted an explosive amount of new interest, the fragile
socio-economic conditions from which hip hop/rap music and beatmaking stem
have not improved at the same pace. Hence, the blanket claim of “evolution”
is made more o base. Further, the fundamental story of beatmaking in the
last ten years is not that of evolution by particular beatmakers. It’s the story of
inclusion of new beatmaking talent, the dominance of trap-based styles, the
discovery of the art of sampling by younger beatmakers, and the co-option of
the beatmaking and hip hop/rap music tradition by members of musical cultures
and traditions that are outside of hip hop/rap. To be certain, any music form
can be converted into some variation of hip hop/rap. But attempts to convert
hip-hop/rap into another music form usually results in something awkward,
contrived, or supercial at best. And while hip-hop/rap music is itself a hybrid
musical composite, one must be careful to respect the actual elements that
comprise this hybrid.
us, it does not suce to oer merely a passing acknowledgement of
where the preferred aesthetics of hip hop/rap come from; and it is certainly not
plausible to ignore hip hop/rap’s common links to its broader parent tradition
— the African-American (Black) music tradition. is is not my attempt to
lay some sort of racial or ethnic claim to hip-hop/rap music. is is an accurate
recognition of what hip hop/rap fundamentally is — not what it isn’t — based
on the architecture of its fundamental design. is recognition is no dierent
than the recognition that is immediately earned (rightfully so) by the blues, jazz,
rhythm and blues, soul, and/or funk. Each one of those traditions also developed
through the cross-utilization and use of one base tradition: the blues. However,
none of those aforementioned traditions have had to suer the degradation in
the name of some misperceived notion of evolution.
e product of evolution (i.e. innovation) within any art form goes without
saying. It is expected that for every new innovation, there will be new innovations
to follow. But I suspect that the outcry of evolution that has invaded the hip hop/
rap music and beatmaking traditions throughout the past seven years is more
than a simple recognition of innovation, but rather a not-so subtle attempt by
late-comers and proteers to overshadow, circumvent, and totally reconceptualize
the true fundamentals of the hip hop/rap music and beatmaking traditions.
535
AFTERWORD
To know whether my assessment is accurate or not, one need only to closely
examine the chief propagators of the evolutionist theme. Specically, one must
ask, Why are they really stressing this theme? Moreover, What do they actually
stand to gain? I would argue that the leaders of the evolution banter are actually
three groups. First, there are those who, either willfully or perhaps through
no fault of their own, are ignorant of the history and fundamental aesthetics
and priorities of the hip hop/rap music and beatmaking traditions. Since they
do not know the history, the culture, or its tradition, this group simply moves
along as if there’s no rich heritage to draw from. Subsequently, they raise the
evolution banner — a response to anything that they do as being purportedly
new — as a form of cover.
Second, there are those who have been unable to master the fundamental and
most preferred aesthetics of the hip hop/rap music and beatmaking traditions.
Essentially whatever this group can’t make, they dislike and look down upon.
Most of this group is comprised of late-comers who usually have backgrounds
in other musical forms. And as is often the case, this group has recently taken
up hip hop/rap because of its popular appeal and, more importantly, its scal
potential. is group believes, in eect, that by propagating the evolution claim,
they are exempting themselves from being held accountable for not being able
to make the sort of beats that subscribe to the crux of the hip hop/rap music
tradition. Furthemore, because this group can make nothing more than a
supercial version of hip hop/rap, they inevitably rely on and attach (forcefully)
processes, priorities, and ideologies of other music forms to hip hop/rap. en
they brand their so-called developments as hip hop’s/rap’s evolution. Finally, there
are those veteran beatmakers (producers) who have made it — commercially and/
or critically — and are now bent on distinguishing themselves from the pack.
For many of these beatmakers (usually those who have reached some Billboard
success or other status marker), even the term “hip hop producer” evokes some
sort of disdain or shame. For the most part, these beatmakers believe that their
so-called spot at the top is secured, provided many hip hop/rap music-makers
continue to conform and/or water-down their musical eorts.
I believe that the call to describe the hip hop/rap production themes of
the 2000s as evolution is really a thinly veiled attempt to downplay, disregard,
and otherwise undermine the very tenets that make hip hop/rap music what it
is and has always been: A music form that prioritizes rhythm and groove over
harmony and melody; a music form that is rooted in the black vernacular music
tradition; a music form that is non-conformist and anti-establishement; and a
music form that is all-inclusive on its own terms.
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THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
The “Universal” Concept of Hip Hop/Rap Music, the Fusion of Musical
Forms, and Hip Hop as a Giant Music Tradition
Being mindful of the “universal” concept of hip hop/rap music, my argument
may trouble some who want to view it as a stance of racial or ethnic exclusion.
But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Just as Bonnie Rait — a white
woman — can proudly lay claim to being able to sing the blues and soul,
so can Eminem lay claim to rapping. More importantly, to neglect, or even
worse, negate the actual role that race and ethnicity has played — and still
does play — in hip hop/rap music is to dilute and undermine the hip hop/rap
music and beatmaking traditions. ough such a dilution might make some
comfortable, it must be remembered that hip hop/rap was never intended to
be a comfortable cultural space for everybody. It was (is) built by and for those
who appreciated and respected it as is, regardless of race or ethnic background.
Furthermore, as I dsicussed earlier in this study, beatmaking is the most racially
and ethnically inclusive and accessible creative element in the broader hip hop/
rap music tradition. us, my point here is to demonstrate an inconsistency in
the perceptions of twentieth-century (and early twenty-rst century) popular
American music.
No one disputes that the blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, and/or soul are all
black vernacular musics. ese musics are indeed respected and appreciated as
is, even celebrated for as much. However, hip-hop/rap music analysis of the last
decade of the twentieth century and the rst decade of the twenty-rst century
often includes a very noticeable push to broadly identify hip hop/rap by the
“universal” — non-racial or post-racial — moniker. At the same time, there’s
often a reluctance to recognize it in the same black vernacular musical orbit
from which it came and still continues (steadfastly) to reside.
I concede the fact that when two or more music traditions are fused together,
each tradition is change or diluted to some degree. More importantly perhaps,
I recognize the fact that within this “fusion mix,” one tradition serves as the
basis (i.e. prism) through which the other tradition(s) is (are) interpreted. But
when the result of this fusion is both distinctly recognizable and commercially
sustainable, then a new musical genre or categorization becomes necessary, not
only to protect the integrity of each tradition within the fusion mix, but also
to provide clarity for audiences and consumers. For example, jazz has bebop,
swing, fusion; soul has funk; reggae has ska, rock steady, and dance hall.
Within giant music traditions, for example, the blues, jazz, rhythm and
blues, rock, soul, and reggae, each genre inevitably develops and accounts for
537
AFTERWORD
its own sub-genres. Each of these pocket genres or o-shoots — variations
upon the tradition-proper, the tradition’s base foundation — gain their own
distinct reputation. However, the growth of pocket genres should never be
confused with being the evolution of the tradition-proper, the main tradition
itself. When the evolution tag is allowed to fester and grow, critical links to the
tradition-proper are broken.
is broken link to the tradition-proper has not occurred in any of the
twentieth-century giant music traditions aforementioned. More specically,
none of the other giant music traditions of twentieth-century American popular
music have been forced to shoulder the o-shoot musics that it spawned. at
is to say, the blues is still fundamentally recognized for what it is. Jazz is still
fundamentally recognized for what it is; and in those areas of jazz where hybridism
is obviously in eect, it’s always clearly noted, for example: free jazz, soul jazz, jazz
fusion. Soul is still fundamentally recognized for what it is; and in those areas of
soul where there is a “new” component to the music that seeks to combine
elements of today with yesterday, it’s clearly noted, for example: neo soul, retro
soul. Reggae serves as another good example. Reggae, like the blues, jazz, and
soul, is still fundamentally recognized for what it is, it can’t be “redened;” and
in those areas where new music has parted company with tradition, there has
been a new name left in the wake to legitimize the new music as its own specic
genre. e best example of this would be the genre known as Jamaican dance hall.
Well, hip hop/rap music is now a giant music tradtion. As such, it should
be recognized and looked upon with similar scrutiny to that of the other giant
music traditions of the twentieth century. In other words, hip hop’s/rap’s pocket
traditions must be recognized for their own merits if the tradition-proper — the
overall, fundamental tradition and culture — is to survive. (When the lines
between two music traditions become blurred, the result is inevitably a new
tradition anyway.) erefore, a new musical genre and/or category (or genres
and categories) is (are) needed to preserve the core meaning of what hip hop/rap
is. Without it, hip hop/rap music will be further commodied and trivialized,
and it’s core meaning and promise will be usurped by the interests of conformists
and others who have no stake in preserving the rich heritage of the hip hop/
rap music tradition.
is is why some new category or name is needed to distinguish hip hop/
rap music from hip hop/rap o-shoots. e fundamental aesthetics, principles,
and priorities of the hip hop/rap music tradition-proper should no longer be
forced to burden the denitions of the o-shoot musics that hip hop/rap has
spawned. erefore, it is my recommendation that the term “urban hop” be
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THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
used to generally describe all other hip hop/rap-spawned traditions that do not
ascribe to the core compositional aesthetic and concept of the original, never
duplicated, often imitated hip hop/rap music tradition. I have chosen the term
urban hop because it more than adequately describes the amalgamation of all
of the current o-shoots or pocket traditions of hip hop/rap music. Moreover,
ther term “urban hop” gives some indication of its connection to hip hop/rap
without misrepresenting and/or undermining the essence of the term “hip
hop.” For example, techno and drum and bass (both musics that owe a debt
of pedigree to beatmaking in hip hop/rap music), clearly make up their own
distinct genres, and therefore, they are never miscategorized as being “hip hop/
rap music.” Yet there are an increasing number of electronic music producers
who consistently classify their music as “hip hop/rap.” Here, let me be more
clear: I’m not calling for some dogmatic board of authority that determines what
is or isn’t hip hop/rap music. People have the right to describe their music in
the manner that they want. But just because you call country music modern
disco doesn’t mean it’s so.
Here, I shoud point out that I’m not against the forms of music that I
would ascribe to the genre of urban hop. But I would also never say that every
musical eort that purports to use the core compositional aesthetic and concept
of hip hop/rap music captures my favor. e core compositional aesthetic and
concept of hip hop/rap music is composed of two components: (1) the creation
of music through the use of pre-recorded music and other recorded (or electronic-
generated) sounds; and (2) the creation of this music through the use of rhythm
and groove — rather than harmony and melody — as the chief compositional
guide. is compositional aesthetic and concept was critically important to the
original architects and pioneers of hip hop/rap music and beatmaking traditions;
and it was of extreme importance to a new wave of pioneers 10 years later, and
10 years later after that. In fact, the rst core aesthetic — the creation of music
through the use of pre-recorded music and other recorded sounds — has been
the go-to essence since the cradle of hip hop. erefore, there is absolutely
no reason that hip hop/rap music should or ever could be redened. Just as
there is no reason that the blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, rock ‘n’ roll, soul, or
funk — the other giant music traditions of twentieth-century American popular
music — should or ever
could be redened.
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Purists and Snobs
My counter argument to the evolution claim as well as the urban hop solution
is not a typical old school vs. new school debate. Moreover, this is not the mere
musings of a musical elitist. Actually, when it comes to music, I am and have
always been as much as a populist as anything else. My concern here is with
preserving an art form as opposed to undermining it, or forcing it to burden
music genres and traditions that stand in stark contrast to its essence. If this
unfair burden continues to be levied against the hip hop/rap music tradition,
the origins and essence of hip hop/rap music will be damaged beyond repair.
My position aside, it must be recognized that the so-called hip hop/rap
pursists and music snobs both negatively impact this discussion. e hip hop/rap
purists — i.e. those who fervently cry what “real” hip hop/rap is or isn’t — and
the music snobs — i.e. those who tend to view hip hop/rap as a primitive form of
music in need of music theory-based “guidance” — both spew out much dogma.
But each group is often less informed or less honest about the truth of hip hop
culture’s actual origins or how the hip hop/rap music tradition grew from it.
Either purists don’t know or they simply overlook the fact that hip hop/
rap music has always had a party music (club function) and dance function to
it. In fact, the “have fun” and “party” components of hip hop/rap music were
very critical to the development and spread of hip hop/rap music. When some
purists frown at the current club trends of hip hop/rap music, they are, in eect,
frowning at part of the roots of hip hop/rap music. Furthermore, hip hop/rap
has also always had a money-cars-new-clothes-jewelry-women component to
it. Sure, in its innaugral years, most of its practitioners participated in hip hop,
in large part, for the love of it. But no one should be confused here: When
presented with the opportunity, all of the architects and pioneers also took the
money, the women, the new clothes, jewelry, and cars! Kool Herc, Grandmaster
Flash, and Afrika Bambaataa, the three most visible architects and pioneers of
hip hop/rap music, all eventually moved on to regular paying DJ gigs. is
does not mean that they didn’t “love” what they were doing. But it also doesn’t
mean that they didn’t care about getting paid for it either. I suspect that they
loved making hip hop/rap music; and they loved getting paid for it; and they
loved the new clothes they could buy; and, of course, most of them loved the
ladies that came with their celebrity status.
Similarly, music snobs either do not know about, or simply refuse to
acknowledge, the fact that hip hop/rap music has its own rich tradition. e
history of the hip hop/rap music and beatmaking traditions is deep. It contains
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a distinct music ideology; moreover, its compositional elements, principles, and
priorities are well-established and well-understood by its architects and most
authentic practitioners.
Although not all so-called classically trained musicians in hip hop/rap are
music snobs, there are however some who approach hip hop/rap from their
classical background and who, subsequently, exemplify an air of musical authority
and superiority. ese snobs typically try to discredit sampling especially,
echoing the woefully misguided view of sampling as stealing and not creative or
original. In doing so, these snobs nullify one of the earliest and most important
foundations of the hip hop/rap music tradition. Furthermore, most of these
music snobs tend not to embrace or even recognize the role DJ’ing/pre-recorded
music played in the development of hip hop/rap music. Also, many music snobs
do not even embrace or recognize the non-sample-based compositional styles of
the hip hop/rap music tradition. Finally, trained music snobs who slum with hip
hop/rap music are analogous to trained fashion designers who visit the streets.
In both cases, each draws inspiration and direction from a phenomenon they
typically know very little about. e interest of such borrowers is not so much
in borrowing the pulse or essence of the phenomenon, or what informs and
drives the phenomenon. Instead, their aim is to capture the result, and hopefully
the popular reaction, of the aesthetic, not the aesthetic itself. But where some
trained musicians further separate themselves in this analogy is in their tendency
to look down upon the aesthetic from which they drew (admittedly) from.
Both the purists and snobs can be very condescending. Furthermore, both
seem to want hip hop/rap music to be one way: their way. Also, both seemingly
ignore the fact that, despite its humble beginnings, hip hop/rap music contains
a hodgepodge of all sorts of styles, sounds, and approaches. But what both hip
hop/rap purists and trained music snobs need to realize most is this: You can
not redene the fundamental tradition of a particular art form, it’s existence
is permanent, and it co-exists despite any new artistic genre or medium that it
fosters.
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AFTERWORD
Revisionist History and Instant Gratiers
Young kids today don’t have the patience anymore. ey go to cooking school for
two years, then they get out and want to be a top chef. Just like with any other art,
if you want to be successful you have to learn your craft. –Wolfgang Puck
As I alluded to earlier in this Afterword, there is a small but growing block
of beatmakers (both “outsiders” and “insiders”) who are disconnecting from,
and downplaying, the actual roots of the hip hop/rap music and beatmaking
traditions. In my view, this trend is actually part of a broader campaign by two
groups in particular, instant gratiers and music elitists, to negate the origins
and roots of hip hop/rap music and beatmaking for their own selsh gain. is
widespread negation of the early historical context of the hip hop/rap music
and beatmaking traditions, specically their valued aesthetics, well-established
practices, principles, and priorities, is contributing to the declining integrity
of hip hop/rap music and its chief compositional process: beatmaking. is
rather disheartening phenomenon is serving as the primary catalyst to revise
and rewrite the history hip hop/rap music in its entirety.
I have already discussed, to some degree, music elitists. erefore here,
it is useful to outline what I mean by the “instant gratiers” within hip hop/
rap music. I use the term “instant gratiers” to describe those beatmakers and
other musicians that simply want and, dare I say, expect great beatmaking
skills (and the presumed money and fame) instantly. But the art and history
of beatmaking in the hip hop/rap music tradition is not a form of goods or
an item that can be subject to conspicuous consumption; it is not something
that one can buy into and instantly obtain a skill and talent for. However, the
saturation of gear and equipment marketed directly to hip hop/rap consumers
seems to suggest otherwise. Likewise, the ever increasing number of new
beatmakers perhaps justies such a marketing/manufacturing blitz. But unlike
other contemporary components of hip hop/rap mass culture, beatmaking can
not be “pop”-marketed, neatly packaged, and/or sold like other random pop
items. Still, many of these instant gratiers are increasingly being enabled by
the advent of a new wave of recording technology, specically new beatmaking
tools that have been designed more with speed, portability, and mobile capability
in mind than quality beatmaking.
Fortunately, not all new beatmakers want the quick-x. I believe that the
majority of new beatmakers want to learn how to create quality beats. I also
believe that they enter into beatmaking with the sort of drive, determination,
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and patience that it takes to amass serious beatmaking knowledge, a prerequisite
for developing true skills. Unfortunately, however, there is a sizeable number
of new beatmakers who willfully ignore this approach. us, the larger the
number of new beatmakers who share this instant sentiment, the lower the bar
for quality beats (music) goes.
ere are also those who use hip hop/rap music, but at the same time, they
try to swap out and replace the already well-established aesthetic values of the hip
hop/rap music and beatmaking traditions with the aesthetic values and priorities
of other music forms. is condescending ethos is akin to when many label
owners — throughout the 1950s and early 1960s — recorded African American
artists, then marketed the music with album cover images that included white
artists, not the original black artists.
I am disheartened that some people (even now some veteran beatmakers)
treat hip hop/rap music as it is an inferior music, devoid of any creativity and any
set aesthetic values. And I am particularly disturbed by those musicians who use
terms like “evolve” and “evolution” as code words for better. If these trends go
unchecked, they will turn out to be the biggest contributing factors to the total
revision and rewrite of the history of the hip hop/rap music and beatmaking
traditions. A rewrite of this nature and magnitude will reduce hip hop’s/rap’s
most prominent originators to mere footnotes; it will swap out or repurpose
pivotal hip hop/rap and beatmaking architects and pioneers as well as critical
moments throughout the rst seven beatmaking periods. If this happens, hip
hop/rap music will be so disproportionately co-opted by the mainstream at large
that all signicant aesthetic links to the origins and roots of hip hop/rap will
be irreversibly neutralized, if not wiped out altogether. is will dramatically
curb or undo the meaning, scope, importance, and impact of hip hop culture in
general. And it will, in turn, chart a course for hip hop that will eventually end
when “hip hop” is nally reduced to nothing more than a mere non-reective,
non-representative moniker of a general sector of the recording industry. Of
course, should this happen, hip hop won’t even be a shell of a representation of
what it once stood for.
Hip Hop or Rap?
It is also worth briey analyzing how the extensive use of the term “hip hop”
rather than “rap” has had the eect of neutralizing the signicance of the art
of rapping. By removing “rap” as an identier of hip hop music, hip hop has
been presented as a music tradition that is equally agreeable to more familiar
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AFTERWORD
oral traditions, i.e. singing and the like. In turn, this sentiment has downplayed
the fact that hip hop/rap music is and will always be most agreeable with its
original oral tradition: rapping. Stripping hip hop of its native oral tradition
makes it easier for people outside of the hip hop/rap music tradition to irt with
hip hop and to, therefore, capitalize on its widespread appeal to contemporary
music audiences. e lingering eects of this is that the importance of lyrics
wane, which leads to a drop in the overall quality of lyricism: Lyrics get shorter
and lyric styles become more of the sing-along variety. Should this continue,
the art of rapping, as we once knew it, may also disappear altogether.
The Future of Beatmaking in Hip Hop/Rap
Future Growth
From its humble beginnings in the early 1970s, the art of beatmaking has
grown in size, complexity, and stature. So I anticipate that the sheer number
of beatmakers will dramatically increase in the future. And as a result, serious
interest in the study of beatmaking and hip hop/rap music, specically at
high schools and institutions of higher learning, will also continue to grow.
is is because possessing a beatmaking (hip hop/rap) skill-set is increasingly
becoming important for all musicians, especially those who are uninterested
in the traditional band setting as well as those who want to participate in the
popular global music market.
Naturally, as the interest in beatmaking grows (necessarily), I anticipate that
EMPI manufacturers will continue to increase their involvement within the
beatmaking (hip hop/rap music production) eld. e big three EMPI brands
(manufacturers) — Akai, Roland, and Yamaha — have been a presence since the
start of the modern beatmaking tradition. And over the past 10 years, each has
further increased its participation in the hip hop/rap production trade. More
recently, however, a number of upstart software EMPI makers — like Ableton,
Propeller Head, and Native Instruments — have ramped up their product lines
on the bet that popular interest in beatmaking will grow.
And what of institutions of higher learning? Truth is, there has been an
insular approach to serious music studies in America. at is to say, Western
classical or jazz studies and sometimes popular music seminars — typically
on rock ‘n’ roll — are the exclusive areas of scholarship at most college and
university music programs. However, I expect that the rising interest in the art
of beatmaking, and its undeniable signicance as a musical process, will dictate
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that colleges and universities include beatmaking (hip hop/rap music production)
courses and programs. I anticipate the more aggressive and forward-thinking
institutions will soon begin to oer full curriculums that are designed around
the beatmaking tradition of hip hop/rap music.
The Advent of a Beatmakers Union
In the preface of this study, I point out that the fundamental purpose of the
book (as well the BeatTips network of websites) is to preserve the beatmaking
tradition. Moreover, I want to draw more attention to the fact that beatmaking,
as a music compositional method, has increasingly become signicant around the
globe. us, in every way possible, I want e BeatTips Manual and BeatTips.
com to take the rich heritage and traditions of beatmaking from out of the throws
of obscurity, and to bring them front and center into the world of acclaimed
musical processes.
In addition to this fundamental purpose, one of my main auxiliary goals for
BeatTips is to have it serve as the catalyst for a beatmakers union. For more than
15 years, I’ve worked to help unify and expand the community of beatmakers.
And while most beatmakers are steadfastly committed to their art and craft,
many do not recognize that beatmaking (hip hop production) is also a powerful
trade. Hence, I’ve been committed to raising attention to the artisanship of
beatmaking, and I believe the advent of a beatmakers union is not only helpful
in this regard, it’s necessary as the craft moves forward.
United Beatmakers Guild (UBG): The BeatTips Proposal
for a Beatmakers Union
Amid the beat market exchange, a growing number of
talented beatmakers, and desperation beat prices, a
beatmakers union holds the answer to a more powerful
beatmaking community
IIn order to ensure the rights for a rapidly growing number of professional
beatmakers, I strongly believe that beatmakers must unionize. e BeatTips
proposal for a beatmakers union includes four main points or recommendations:
• I recommend that the name of the union be United Beatmakers Guild
(UBG). In my view, beatmaker has always carried a much more signicant tone.
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AFTERWORD
Beatmakers are the artisans of one of the world’s newest and fastest growing music
traditions. As such, beatmaker is a term that’s distinguished from “producer,”
which can and often does signies something altogether dierent. Further,
beatmaker represents a specic form and category of music producer; thus, I
nd it more betting (and powerful) that a union bear the name beatmaker.
Still, I recognize the ubiquitous nature of the term “producer,” therefore, United
Producers Guild (UPG) works as well.
• I recommend that UBG focus on three fundamental areas: (1) guaranteed
labor contracts with the RIAA, comparable to those held with the American
Federation of Musicians (incidentally, beatmakers should also be members of the
AFM — beatmakers are indeed musicians, and the AFM should recognize this
fact and expand their membership to include beatmakers); (2) a fair compensation
system, which includes prompt delivery of payment, fair minimum beat prices,
a tiered pricing scheme, and a formal system for assigning proper credits; and (3)
standards and best practices — upholding beatmaking/production standards,
quality control, and preserving the integrity of the beatmaking craft.
• I recommend that UBG be modeled, in as many ways as possible, on
the Screen Actors Guild (SAG).
• I recommend that the majority — if not all — UBG executive leadership
posts be held by actual beatmakers (producers). I further recommend that
UBG not be lead by beat brokers or owners of similar cottage industry outlets.
It is crucial that any beatmakers union not be co-opted by beat placement
organizations, beat-broker types or outer-fringe producer managers. is group’s
argument will be that they have the connections and infrastructure already in
place. But if their connections where so strong and infrastructure so undeniably
solid, they’d have far more beatmakers (producers) using their services now;
they’d also have a lot more inuence in the music industry. In truth, they’re
middle men with minimal power in a world where essentially anyone can contact
anyone. Also, this group has been vocal about encouraging non-sample-based
beats over sample-based beats. Union leadership should represent beatmakers
of both major production styles — sample-based and non-sample-based — and
they should not favor one beatmaking style and sound over another regardless
of the complexities that may arise from one production style.
• I recommend that membership be restricted to beatmakers/music
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producers of both major production styles — sample-based and non-sample
based. Under no circumstances can anyone who is not, nor has never made beats
(produced) be a member of UBG. Persons who are not beatmakers (producers)
or have never made beats, for example so-called producer managers, beat brokers,
etc. should only be aliated as independent contractors (if need be), or they
could perhaps serve as advisors for limited times (if need be). In some rare cases,
proven producer managers could hold pivotal sta administration positions or
executive positions if need be.
Understanding What UBG Would Look Like
To have a better understanding of what I envision for UBG, I thought that it
would be helpful to share Uh-Oh Beats’ question to me on this matter, along with
my detailed response. Here is Uh-Oh’s comments and questions to me in full:
I agree with the union idea. How does one go about entering the union though? Like
when I think of a “union,” I think of all them old white dudes my dad knows who get
together and throw parties and do city work and etc., etc. And to get in the union you
have to know someone in the union. Would it be similar to that? And what would be
the driving points to get beatmakers to want to join? Because honestly, I would want to
join if I was guaranteed $3000 a beat. But honestly, how many beats would I be selling?
I’d be happy to get $1000 for a beat, hell to be honest, if someone gave me $500 I’d be
amazed and jump all over it. So what’s to say struggling beatmakers with no connections
other then the internet, what would be stopping them from going around the union?
I think that’s the main point of interest we have to look at and address to really make
this happen. Because just the other day I sold ve beats for $1000, which is the most
money I’ve ever made o my music at one time. (e previous was ve beats for $250.
I just nd it so hard to sell beats as is, when I’m letting them go for $150 for exclusive
and $50 to lease. (Frown upon me all you want lol. I love making beats and it’s that
much better getting paid to do something I love. Gotta go cheap if you want to sell
ANYTHING with the market so ooded). I can’t imagine honestly asking someone to
pay $3000 for one unless their seriously established and working on a serious project.
But the union would also have to have a cap for the amount of members wouldn’t
it? and serious artists would go to the union for beats. but if there’s so many members
how would one go about even looking for beats within it?
Before getting into my full response to the concerns and questions raised by
Uh-Oh, I have to provide some important context about beat prices themselves.
First, the $3,000 price point that Uh-Oh kept referring to in his question comes
from an earlier discussion on TBC (e BeatTips Community forums) where
I discussed the reality and evolution of beat prices. For years, the legend has
been that beatmakers in the 1990s were getting extremely high prices for beats;
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AFTERWORD
rumors of $25,000, $50,000, and even $100,000 beat prices were the norm
and the sort of thing many budding beatmakers dreamed of obtaining one day.
Legend aside, you can be sure that $100,000 for beats weren’t the norm for most
beatmakers (producers) in the ‘90s or the early 2000s. Some undoubtedly did
receive upwards of $25,000 — but that was typically for multiple beats.
But the fact is — which labels and recording artists eventually came to
realize — $25,000 has always been too much to pay for a beat in the rst
place. As mentioned earlier in the Business Part of this study, beatmaking is a
new musical phenomenon, as such, the price parameters and ceiling was being
set — in real time — in the 1990s. e price parameters and ceiling for beats
was based on the model for previous music producers. But it soon became clear
that not all beatmakers were actually in the studio with rappers “producing,”
helping out song ideas, vocal coaching, mixing, etc. Also, the number of able
beatmakers grew exponentially over the pass 10 years, which lead to a dramatic
drop in beat prices. In other words, the beat market prices corrected themselves,
it was inevitable.
Second, some have blamed lower beat prices on poor record sales and illegal
downloads, but poor music sales and illegal downloads are NOT the major
culprit here; they’re not the reason that beat prices have gone down. Poor record
sales and illegal downloads merely helped people to see the obvious: beats (not
production services) were long overpriced and automatically presumed to be
production services in a more traditional sense. Beat prices of $25,000 and above
were unreasonable in the rst place; it just took a little time for the market to
correct itself.
Beat prices actually began to go down more quickly than people realize. By
1994, prices were steadily going down for most acclaimed beatmakers; only a
specic few were able to command exorbitant beat prices and fees. Sure, the
likes of Dr. Dre, Darkchild, Timbaland, and e Neptunes saw their prices go
up; but they didn’t just supply beats, they supplied production services and a
highly marketable brand name. But I’m sure they came down o of their prices
as they saw their workloads being decreased. Why? It’s simple: price point too
high, and with no guaranteed hit, there were very few takers willing to absorb the
risk or blow to their decreased recording budgets. Many recording artists wised
up and started looking elsewhere for new talent, quality production (sometimes
even knock-o sounds), and lower prices.
us, the true market price range for quality beats has, in reality, always been
roughly $3,000-$7,000 per beat (lower obviously for less established names). A
product always goes for what the market is willing to bear. While the market was
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unsure, beat prices were high; once there was more clarity in the market — about
the product, about what one was actually getting for their money, about the
growing number of qualied beatmakers — the market corrected itself. And
consider this fact: In most cases, between 1989-1999, the bigger beat price tags
for most acclaimed beatmakers typically covered multiple at-rate beat deals,
usually 3-8 beats (plus in-studio work) or the entire album depending on the
beatmaker and the specic rapper or other artist involved. (In my interviews
with Marley Marl, DJ Premier, and DJ Toomp, each made this clear about the
nature and negotiations of beat prices.)
Here, I’ll provide my full response to the concerns and questions raised by
Uh-Oh.
(1) “When I think of a ‘union,’ I think of all them old white dudes my
dad knows who get together and throw parties and do city work and etc.”
ere are a number of dierent unions, but essentially all “worker unions”
share two primary goals for its members: fair wages and better labor conditions.
e labor union that you’re probably most familiar with is in the vein of an
auto/trucking union, or city workers union, something along those lines. A
musicians union — which is what a beatmakers union would be — is a creative
arts-based union. Just like any other union, there are rotating wage concerns
and labor situations. A beatmakers union would seek to secure better wages for
ALL members as well as better labor conditions. A beatmakers union would
guarantee a minimum sell price, the selling oor.
Also, a union would guarantee a top tier payment scale, both based on
beatmaker status (name recognition and number of commercial releases) and
the magnitude of the project; for instance, big-time major or indie commercial
releases, free mixtapes, etc. In terms of UBG, there would be a standard fee,
which is union scale. en there would be a graduated scale fee, or better said,
a “veteran’s minimum.” e veteran’s minimum would be calculated on a
beatmakers overall presence/time/signicance in the eld. Point is, it wouldn’t
matter simply “how long” some one’s been around. ere are many beatmakers
who have been around for 15 years, that doesn’t mean that they’ve had much of
an impact on the hip hop/rap and/or beatmaking traditions.
Membership in a creative arts-based union is dierent than, let’s say, the
UAW (United Auto Workers). Union membership is NOT fundamentally based
on “who you know.” Instead, membership is based on your actual professional
work. For instance, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) is a union for professional
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AFTERWORD
actors. SAG has feature lm, indie lm, television commercial contracts, etc.
What gets you into SAG is your rst SAG sanctioned gig. So let’s say you go to
an open audition for an upcoming feature lm. Whether you’ve acted before or
not, if you get the role, you automatically have to become a member of SAG;
if you do not join SAG before principle shooting begins, then the producers
(the studio) are restricted from using you in the role if it’s a SAG sanctioned
feature. Once you’re a member of SAG, you get a notice about the initial SAG
entry fee and subsequent dues, which is based on a small percentage of your
annual earnings.
Now, the very important thing to understand here about SAG is that they’ve
already worked out the “starting point” for all of its members. at is to say,
because of SAG, there is a minimum day rate (paid rate per each day) that ALL
actors must get, based on the type and size — big budget feature, small budget
feature, indie, etc. — of the lm. is also includes labor conditions that must be
met, for example: personal trailers for principle actors, guaranteed work breaks,
guaranteed overtime pay, guaranteed lunch breaks and food, transportation, etc.
Before there was an actors union, NONE OF THIS was guaranteed! Movie
studios could, and routinely did, pay an actor whatever they wanted. In fact,
before SAG, motion picture studios would sign actors to long-term, draconian
contracts, loaning the actors out to other studios as they chose.
Further, because SAG has jurisdiction over so many areas, lm/television
production companies face hefty nes when they use a non-union member for
a SAG-sanctioned project. us, lm/television companies do not mess around
with this, they ONLY use SAG members for SAG-sanctioned projects.
(2) “What would be the driving points to get beatmakers to join?”
at’s easy: better wages, appropriate labor conditions, and the promise of
more work.
(3) As for “getting around the union?”
As with SAG, if a beatmakers union secured the right agreements with
major labels (RIAA) and indie labels, jurisdiction would make it impossible for
non-union members to get work on those projects sanctioned by the union. Of
course, there will be selsh people who think that they can (and will) go it alone.
But the reality is this: the number of professionally qualied new beatmakers
is steadily growing. A beatmakers union is the best way to harness that power
and create an environment for more beatmakers to consistently get paid for
their work. If done right, every talented beatmaker would join the union, as
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opportunities outside of UBG would be minimal.
Incidentally, I believe now is the right time to move forward with a
beatmakers union, because ALL labels are weakened, particularly in terms
of leverage; they know anyone can make and distribute their own music. If
a beatmakers union can demonstrate how it can help turn around the larger
sales picture, labels will likely make a number of important concessions to a
beatmakers union. Bottom line: e labels want (need) to make money. If an
exclusive deal with a powerful beatmakers union helps them achieve that goal,
they’ll be more than willing to work with UBG.
Keep in mind, in recent years, one of the major problems in hip hop/rap
music has been quality control particularly in the area of beats. If a beatmakers
union was powerful enough to show labels (big and small) that it was in their
strategic advantage to do a deal with UBG, they would. Should the labels ignore
such a powerful union, the alternative would mean that they’d have to compete
with a united force of individuals who have much more inuence over the
internet and the streets than they do.
(4) “But the union would also have to have a cap for the amount of
members wouldn’t it?”
No! ere’s no cap on the amount of new projects someone can think of,
create, and distribute for commercial purposes. So why would there be a cap on
the number of members in a beatmakers union? Again, entry into UBG would
be based on a beatmakers contribution to a commercially released project or
professional mixtape. is project could be a beatmaker’s own commercially
released project, even a free mixtape if was distributed to a large enough audience
(not a mixtape that was just handed to a handful of friends); such a mixtape
would have to have had garnered some widespread level of critical acclaim. But
in the union I envision, all of the parameters of entry could not be determined by
just one person. e metrics would be simple and automatic, with a streamlined
process for registering with UBG.
(5) “If there’s so many members how would one go about even looking
for beats within it?”
Each member would be registered with UBG, and labels and individuals
could submit beat requests to what I would call the UBG’s “Beat Request
Registry.” Each “BR” request would have a number and link to the actual request.
ONLY members in good standing (meaning dues paid, no worker complaints,
etc.) would have access to the BR lings.
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It is my rm belief that a strong and united beatmakers union is the only way
to assure decent beat prices and pay parity in the new beat market exchange, a
phenomenon I detailed earlier in the Business Part of this study. I’ve been calling
for the creation of a union for beatmakers for over ten years now. In that time,
the bottom-lines of some of the most well-known beatmakers (producers) have
been pinched, and there’s been a tremendous rise in the number of talented
beatmakers turning pro with dierent levels of production placements. us,
right now is the time for serious strides towards a beatmakers union to be made.
UBG can become a reality.
Outro
Hip hop/rap music is shaping up for another big revolution, something
perhaps more edgier, more urgent, more unpolished and less accessible to
mainstream culture. Contemporary hip hop/rap music has become perhaps
too acceptable and easily digestible by mainstream culture. at is to say, hip
hop/rap music has become “safe;” but that was never the initial aim or draw to
hip hop/rap music. One of the most important things that made hip hop/rap
music “hip” and unique was the fact that it was never about playing it safe for
the masses. Hip hop/rap music began as a “bandit” music, something created,
facilitated, and primarily executed by the forgotten, ignored, and despised fringe
of American society: poor blacks and Latinos of the streets.
Although hip hop/rap music still fundamentally gets its cue from these
same streets, the reality is, there’s a sizeable and increasingly growing number
of beatmakers who do not come from a street environment. Yet many of these
aformentioned beatmakers, I would argue, are becoming increasingly more
aware of, and sincerely concerned with, what hip hop/rap music was and what
beatmaking commonly meant in its traditional sense. As this awareness and
concern grows, I believe that there will be a major beatmaking renaissance, a
widespread shift towards a beatmaking style and approach that defers to the
more fundamental aesthetics and priorities of hip hop/rap music (rather than to
pop, rock, or any other music form outside of hip hop/rap), while also relying
upon developments in (or re-interpretations of) key hip hop/rap sub-styles
like trap and grime.
Hip hop culture and hip hop/rap music was born in the South Bronx, and
its earliest cultivation — including the development of a beatmaking tradition
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— took place throughout the streets of New York City, and later the streets in
cities all across America, and then all over the globe. us, there is no dispute
that hip hop/rap comes from, rst and foremost, the streets. And though there
can be no debate that hip hop/rap music has certainly grown past the borders of
its origins, it’s important to recognize that, despite all attempts to compromise
and dilute the culture and art form, hip hop begins and ends with the streets.No
matter who embraces or celebrates it, hip hop is a street-based culture with mass
appeal. erefore, this is where its chief trends and innovations have taken and
will always take place. Not coincidentally, this is why I believe that the culture
and art form will ultimately survive in its fundamental form.
Finally, I’m compelled to point out that I consider this book to be an
investment in the future of hip hop culture, specically the hip hop/rap music
and beatmaking traditions. My concern throughout this study has been, rst
and foremost, with beatmakers, especially the youngest ones among us. Also, I
have been focused on those responsible, objective music professionals who have
not had access to a thorough understanding of the beatmaking tradition of hip
hop/rap music. My aim is, and has always been, to help elevate the beatmaking
tradition of hip hop/rap to its proper place in contemporary music. To that end,
I have strived to make e BeatTips Manual a formidable force that beatmakers
everywhere can rally around. Moreover, I have designed this book to serve as a
platform that beatmakers could use to help achieve their creative and professional
production goals and aspirations. Also, I have created this book to serve as a
means for beatmakers worldwide to connect with one another.
555
Appendix
Canon of Hip Hop/Rap Beatmakers: The BeatTips Top
125 Beatmakers of All Time
Every art form has its own canon of artists. us, in the following list, I will
include 125 beatmakers that collectively comprise a solid canon of beatmakers.
Each of which are worthy of some degree of study, but the rst 30 on the BeatTips
Top 125 list deserve extra attention.
Whenever lists of this sort appear, they’re generally presented with little
or no serious discussion about the nature of the list beforehand. Perhaps that’s
ne for pure entertainment purposes. But for readers to get the best learning
experience from a list of this kind, I believe that there are a number of things
that readers should know up front. So I’d like to oer an important disclaimer
about the nature of the BeatTips Top 125 Beatmakers of All Time list and the
criteria used to determine which beatmakers were included on it.
The Nature of this List
e BeatTips Top 125 Beatmakers of All Time list is one of the rst
sub-projects of the BeatTips Art of Beatmaking Education Project (ABEP).
e fundamental purpose of the BeatTips ABEP is to help preserve, promote,
and expand the beatmaking tradition of hip hop/rap music through a series of
specialized projects. In this way, the BeatTips Top 125 Beatmakers of All Time
list is meant to serve as a discussion, MusicStudy, and general research portal.
Next, the BeatTips Top 125 Beatmakers of All-Time purposely omits the
word “producer,” and here’s why. In the hip hop/rap music and beatmaking
traditions, the term “producer” is often synonymously used to describe a
beatmaker. But as I’ve pointed out in this study, this is not always appropriate,
particularly because the denition of “producer” can be murky. Again from
earlier: Hip hop production is the creation of hip hop music. And although this
description broadly covers every dimension of hip hop/rap music, the term hip
hop production is used most commonly to refer to the making of the hip hop/rap
instrumental — the beat. So technically speaking, a beatmaker, one who makes beats,
is a hip hop producer; ergo, a beatmaker is a producer. But “producer” is a loose
term that can be used to describe anyone within the process of the nal sound
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THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
of a recording. Simply put, a beatmaker is someone who actually makes beats.
A beatmaker can indeed be a producer; in fact, most double as both. (Further,
being a beatmaker is not in anyway less noble than being a producer!) However,
and this is a critical point, a producer need not be a beatmaker. Hip hop/rap
music is littered with people who have “producer” credits, even though they
never actually made (or assisted in the making of) any beats. us, e BeatTips
Top 125 Beatmakers of All Time List primarliy includes beatmakers. Of course,
each beatmaker on this list has also rightfully earned the title of producer.
ere are four other important things to know about the nature of e
BeatTips Top 125 Beatmakers of All Time list. First, like e BeatTips Manual
itself, the purpose of this list is to educate. Hopefully, new beatmakers will be
introduced more appropriately to some prominent beatmakers that they’ve only
heard about in passing; and veteran beatmakers will be reminded of just how
far the beatmaking tradition has come. In either case, I’d like this list to prompt
some serious exploration and reection from readers. Preserving and expanding
hip hop/rap’s beatmaking tradition requires historical examination, present-day
review, future speculation, and, at times, constructive debate.
Second, this isn’t a list to appease anyone that I know personally. I can count
a number of beatmakers as friends; and I’ve interviewed many well-known and
lesser-known (but quite acclaimed) beatmakers. at aside, I’ve made no eort
to show favoritism in the making of this list. My objectivity — and naturally
subjectivity — in the making of this list was based on the catalog of work of
each beatmaker that I seriously considered.
ird, this is not a list intended to be safe so as to not oend anyone. Top
lists of any kind tend to oend one group or another, so I’m all right with that.
I’m not interested in gathering up an easy list of names. Instead, I want readers
to seriously think, perhaps even broaden their own thoughts about how, why,
and where they rank their favorite beatmakers.
Fourth, e BeatTips Top 125 Beatmakers of All Time is not a “hottest in
the game right now” type of list. I deeply respect longevity, particularly because
it requires talent, drive, integrity, and hustle. I’m less interested on shining a light
on just this moment in time. I believe all-time lists oer a better learning (and
discovery) experience for readers. is is especially important for new beatmakers
who are often less familiar with the names and critical works of earlier times.
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APPENDIX
The Criteria
When making the BeatTips Top 125 Beatmakers of All-Time list there were
many dierent things that I considered, far too many to mention here. But there
are eight main criteria that I used in making this list:
(1) Body of work. Without the work speaking for itself, there could be no
serious consideration of any beatmaker who made this list. And while I did not
deem it necessary that each beatmaker on the list had a massive catalog, the sheer
number of beats (recognized and respected songs) of certain beatmakers could
not be ignored. erefore, a larger body of acclaimed work was appropriately
given more preference. Also, special attention was paid to how many songs a
beatmaker had within the cannon of hip hop/rap music, as well as whether or
not a beatmaker contributed to the career of another pivotal hip hop/rap artist’s
career. I should further add that the body of work that I’ve considered here is
hip hop/rap only. Whether a beatmaker could or did produce music outside of
the hip hop/rap genre had no bearing on where I ranked them with respect to
hip hop/rap music. If I were ranking all-time horror lm directors, it would be
silly to include the comedic works of those directors as consideration in where
they should be ranked. Likewise, neo-soul, drum-n-bass, dub step, etc. has no
inuence on a hip hop/rap ranking.
(2) Critical acclaim for a clearly distinguishable and/or signature sound.
Preference was given to those beatmakers who either established their own
well-recognized signature sound or contributed considerably to one or more of
the eight distinct periods of beatmaking.
(3) Minimum of at least three critically acclaimed (not just top sellers)
songs, albums, collaborative works, etc. within the last 30 years. Part of being
a standout in any art medium is recognition within the eld. Sometimes this
means big hits, other times it means well-respected songs that most skilled
beatmakers know of or appreciate for what they are. And note, this particular
criteria reects the reality that some of the best in any given eld are overlooked
for various reasons. But this does not diminish their work. Moreover, history
is loaded with artists who didn’t get their proper appreciation until late in, or
well after, their careers.
(4) e number of lyrically acclaimed rappers — in their prime — who
rapped over their beats and/or the subsequent “classic” songs created over the
last 30 years. is is of particular importance for two reasons. First, it serves
as proof of a beatmaker’s automatic place in the canon of hip hop/rap music.
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Second, it demonstrates the popularity and respect of a beatmaker among the
best rhymers of their time and beyond.
(5) Real, not misperceived, impact and inuence on other top beatmakers of
all time. Everybody has to be inuenced by someone. But who inuenced most
of the beatmakers on the BeatTips Top 125 (especially the rst 30) Beatmakers
of All-Time list? Not surprisingly, many inuenced each other.
(6) Real, not misperceived, overall impact (or likely impact) on the
beatmaking tradition. In other words, what was their recognizable impact on the
beatmaking tradition itself? For instance, what developments, styles, techniques,
ideas, etc. did they contribute to the beatmaking tradition?
(7) Longevity. How long was a beatmaker able to maintain his career. For
various reasons, some beatmaker’s careers were cut short, while others have
continued to blossom since they rst began. us, longevity wasn’t measured
in a sheer number of years, but in terms of body of work within the frame of
time a beatmaker made his name. ink of it this way: Jimi Hendrix’s entire
body of work is just four years.
(8) Projected inuence and impact on future beatmakers. Of course, this is
speculation at best. No one can predict the future. Still, we can recognize the
lasting contributions made to the beatmaking tradition by certain beatmakers.
One nal note about this list: It’s not static. at is to say, the beatmaking
tradition is constantly expanding. erefore, this list will necessarily need to be
adjusted to account for new production output by beatmakers, as well as new
research by myself. In other words, this list will be updated, with each new
edition or perhaps every new print run or e-version.
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APPENDIX
Homage to DJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, and Afrika Bambaataa — the grandfathers of modern
beatmaking.
197
1 DJ Premier
2 Marley Marl — father of modern beatmaking
198
3 e RZA
4 Pete Rock
5 Large Professor (Example of Paul C.’s biggest inuence)
6 Dr. Dre
7 Kanye West
8 e Bomb Squad (Hank Shocklee, Eric “Vietnam” Sadler, Keith Shocklee, Chuck D)
9 J Dilla
10 Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad (of A Tribe Called Quest)
11 DJ Toomp
12 e Neptunes
13 Just Blaze
14 Showbiz
199
15 Nottz
16 9th Wonder
17 DJ Paul and Juicy J
18 Prince Paul
19 Madlib
20 Buckwild
21 Alchemist
22 Havoc (of Mobb Deep)
23 DJ Khalil
24 Rick Rubin
25 e Beatnuts
26 Jake One
27 Bink
28 True Master
29 Dame Grease
30 Marco Polo
31 Kev Brown
32 e Hitmen (D-Dot, Nashiem Myrick, Chucky ompson, Stevie J, Carlos “6 July” Broady, Sean
C and LV)
33 Salaam Remi
34 Easy Mo Bee
35 Organized Noise
36 No I.D.
200
37 Swizz Beatz
38 Erick Sermon
39 Larry Smith
40 Timbaland
41 Black Milk
42 Diamond D
43 Mannie Fresh
44 J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League (Rook, Colione, Kenny)
45 Metro Boomin
46 Noah “40” Shebib
197
Though not entirely within this illustrious group, Arthur Baker does indeed deserve some level of honorable mention
for his contributions to early sampling and his early work with Afrika Bambaataa.
198
Since 1986, every beatmaker (producer) who’s ever made a beat stands on the shoulders of Marley Marl.
199
Who was chopping samples like Showbiz, before Showbiz? Without Showbiz, no DJ Premier, no Buckwild, and
no Minnesota, as we know them.
200
Without No I.D., no Kanye West!
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47 DJ Quik
48 Hi-Tek
49 K-Def
50 Cardiak
51 Shawty Redd
52 Statik Selektah
53 DJ Mustard
54 Khrysis
55 El-P
56 !llmind
57 Apollo Brown
58 Mathematics
59 Da Beatminerz
60 M-Phazes
61 DJ Scratch
62 Scott Storch
63 Ski (AKA Ski Beatz)
64 Oddisee
65 Don Cannon
66 Bronze Nazareth
67 DJ Muggs
68 Boi 1-da
69 Mel-Man
70 RJD2
71 e Heatmakerz
72 Dan the Automator
73 Minnesota
74 EZ Elpee
75 DJ Jazzy Je
76 Lord Finesse
77 DJ Shadow
78 Focus
79 Scram Jones
80 Trackmasters
81 Megahertz
82 Steinski
83 Drumma Boy
84 Rockwilder
85 DJ Clark Kent (from Brooklyn)
86 Knxwledge
87 Paul C. (Had he not been murded at the very start of his career, he most likely would have been
in top 20)
88 Mike Will Made It
89 Flying Lotus
90 Harry Fraud
91 S1 (Symbolic One)
92 88-Keys
93 Domino
94 Ant Banks
95 MF Doom
96 Oh No
97 Lil Jon
98 Jermaine Dupri
99 J Zone
100 Apathy
101 Denaun Porter
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APPENDIX
102 Bangladesh
103 DJ Pooh
104 Exile
105 Lex Luger
106 Paul White
107 Emile
108 Ced Gee
109 Ron Browz
110 Diplo
111 Hit Boy
112 FredWreck
113 Jimi Kendrix
114 Gensu Dean
115 Frank Dukes
116 DJ Skizz
117 Big K.R.I.T.
118 Battlecat
119 Nick Speed
120 T-Minus
121 Sir Jinx
122 Ty Fye
123 Amadeus
124 Ayatollah
125 Jahlil Beats
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THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
Discography
Hip Hop/Rap
2 Live Crew. As Nasty As ey Wanna Be (Luke, 1989); Banned in the U.S.A. (Luke, 1990).
3
rd
Bass. e Cactus Album (Def Jam, 1989).
9th Wonder [also see Little Brother]. e Dream Merchant, Vol. 2 (6 Hole, 2007).
50 Cent. Get Rich or Die Tryin’ (G-Unit, Aftermath, Shady, Interscope, 2003); e Massacre (G-Unit/Aftermath/Shady/
Interscope, 2005); Curtis (G-Unit/Aftermath/Shady/Interscope, 2007).
A Tribe Called Quest. People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm (Jive, 1990); e Low End eory (Jive, 1991);
Midnight Marauders (Jive, 1993); Beats, Rhymes and Life (Jive, 1995).
A.Z. Doe or Die (EMI, 1995); Pieces of A Man (Virgin, 1998); Aziatic (Motown, 2002); A.W.O.L. (Quiet Money,
2005); e Format (Quiet Money/Fast Life, 2006).
Afrika Bambaataa. “Jazzy Sensation” (Tommy Boy, 1981); “Planet Rock” (Tommy Boy, 1982); “Looking for the Perfect
Beat” (Tommy Boy, 1982); “Renegades of Funk” (Tommy Boy, 1983).
e Alkaholiks. 21 & Over (Loud, 1993); Coast II Coast (Loud, 1995); Likwidation (Loud, 1997).
Akinyele. Vagina Diner (Interscope/Atlantic, 1993); Put It In Your Mouth (Stress/Zoo/BMG, 1996).
BDP (Boogie Down Productions). Criminal Minded (B-Boy, 1987); By Any Means Necessary (Jive/RCA, 1988); Ghetto
Music: e Blueprint of Hip Hop (Jive/RCA, 1989); Edutainment (Jive/RCA, 1990).
Beanie Sigel. e Truth (Roc-A-Fella, 2000); e Reason (Roc-A-Fella, 2001); e B. Coming, (Dame Dash Music
Group/Def Jam, 2005).
e Beastie Boys. Licensed to Ill (Def Jam, 1986); Paul’s Boutique (Capitol, 1989).
e Beatnuts. Intoxicated Demons: e EP (Relativity/Violator, 1993); Street Level (Relativity/Violator, 1994).
Big Daddy Kane. Long Live the Kane (Cold Chillin’, 1988); It’s A Big Daddy ing (Cold Chillin’, 1989).
Biz Markie. Goin’ O (Cold Chillin’/Warner Bros., 1987); e Biz Never Sleeps (Cold Chillin/Warner Bros., 1989); I
Need A Haircut (Cold Chillin’/Warner Bros., 1993).
Black Moon. Enta Da Stage (Nervous, 1993).
Black Sheep. A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing, (Mercury/Polygram, 1991).
Black Star (Mos Def and Talib Kweli). Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star (Rawkus, 1998).
Bumpy Knuckles (aka Freddy Foxxx). Industry Shakedown (Landspeed, 2000).
Cam’Ron. Confessions of Fire (Untertainment/Epic, 1998); Come Home With Me (Diplopmat/Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam,
2002).
Clipse. Lord Willin’ (Star Trak/Arista, 2002).
e Cold Crush Brothers. “Fresh, Fly, Wild, and Bold” (1984); “Cold Crush Brothers Battle Tape,” Pts. 1-5 (Ca.
1981). [CCB music only on cassette between 1978-1979]
Cormega. e Realness (Legal Hustle, 2001); e True Meaning, (Legal Hustle, 2002); Legal Hustle (Legal Hustle/Koch,
2004).
Common (previously known as Common Sense). Can I Borrow a Dollar (Relativity, 1992); Resurection (Relativity,
1994); One Day It’ll All Make Sense (Relativity, 1997); Like Water for Chocolate (MCA/Universal, 2000); Be
(G.O.O.D./Geen, 2005); Finding Forever (G.O.O.D./Geen, 2007).
Cypress Hill. Cypress Hill (Ruhouse/Columbia, 1991).
e D.O.C. No One Can Do It Better (Ruthless, 1989).
De La Soul. 3 Feet High and Rising (Tommy Boy, 1989); De La Soul Is Dead (Tommy Boy, 1991); Buhloone Mindstate
(Tommy Boy, 1993); Stakes Is High (Tommy Boy, 1996).
DMX. It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot (Ru Ryders/Def Jam, 1998); Grand Champ (Def Jam, 2003).
Dilated Peoples. “Worst Comes to Worst” (Capitol, 2001).
Diamond D. Stunts, Blunts and Hip Hop (Chemistry/Mercury, 1992).
Double X Posse. “Not Gonna Be Able to Do It” (Big Beat, 1992).
Doug E Fresh (with the Get Fresh Crew). “e Show” (Reality, 1985); “La Di Da Di” (Reality, 1985).
Dr. Dre. e Chronic (Death Row, 1992); 2001 (Aftermath, 1999).
Drake. ank Me Later (Aspire/Young Money/Cash Money/Universal Motown, 2010); Take Care (Young Money/
Cash Money/Republic, 2011); Nothing Was the Same (OVO Young Money Cash Money Republic, 2013); If You’re
Reading is, It’s Too Late (Cash Money Young Money OVO Sound Republic, 2015).
EPMD. Strictly Business (Fresh/Sleeping Bag, 1988); Unnished Business (Priority, 1989); Business As Usual (Priority,
1990); Business Never Personal (Def Jam, 1992).
Ed O. G and Da Bulldogs. Life of a Kid in the Ghetto (PWL/Mercury, 1991).
Eminem. e Slim Shady LP (Aftermath, 1999); e Marshall Mathers LP (Aftermath, 2000).
Eric B & Rakim. Paid In Full (4th & B’way, 1987); Follow the Leader (Uni/Mercury, 1988); Let the Rhythm Hit ‘Em
(MCA, 1990); Don’t Sweat the Technique (MCA, 1992).
Fat Boys, e. Fat Boys (Sutra, 1984).
Fat Joe. Represent (Relativity, 1993); Jealous One’s Envy (Terror Squad/Relativity, 1995).
Freeway. Philadelphia Freeway (Roc-A-Fella, 2003).
Future. Pluto (A1/Freebandz/Epic, 2012); DS2 (A1 Freebandz Epic, 2015).
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APPENDIX
Funky Four (aka Funky Four Plus One). “at’s the Joint” (1981); “Rappin’ & Rockin’ the House.”
e Game. e Documentary (Aftermath/G-Unit, 2005); Doctor’s Advocate (Geen, 2006).
Gang Starr. No More Mr. Nice Guy (Wild Pitch, 1989); Step in the Arena (Chrysalis, 1991); Daily Operation (Chrysalis,
1992); Hard to Earn (Chrysalis, 1994); Moment of Truth (Noo Trybe/Virgin, 1998); Full Clip: A Decade of Gang
Starr (Noo Trybe/Virgin, 1999); e Ownerz (Virgin, 2003).
e Geto Boys. We Can’t Be Stopped (Rap-A-Lot, 1991).
Ghostface Killah [also see Wu-Tang Clan]. Iron Man (Razor Sharp/Epic, 1996); Supreme Clientele (Razor Sharp/Epic,
2000); Bulletproof Wallets (Epic, 2001); e Pretty Toney Album (Def Jam, 2004); Fishscale (Def Jam, 2006); e
Big Doe Rehab (Def Jam, 2007).
Grandmaster Flash. e Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel (Sugar Hill, 1981).
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. e Message (Sugar Hill, 1982).
Grandmaster Melle Mel. “White Lines” (Sugar Hill, 1983).
e GZA [also see Wu-Tang Clan]. Liquid Swords (Geen, 1995); Beneath the Surface (MCA, 1999).
House of Pain. House of Pain (Tommy Boy, 1992).
Ice Cube. AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted (Priority, 1991); Death Certicate (Priority, 1991); e Predator (Priority,
1992).
Ice T. Rhyme Pays (Sire/Warner, 1987); Power (Sire/Warner, 1987); O.G. Original Gangster (Sire/Warner, 1991).
Inspectah Deck [also see Wu-Tang Clan]. Uncontrolled Substance (Loud, 1999).
Jadakiss. Kiss a Game Goodbye (Ru Ryders, 2001); Kiss of Death (Ru Ryders, 2004).
Jay-Z. Reasonable Doubt (Roc-A-Fella, 1996); In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 (Roc-A-Fella, 1997); Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life (Roc-
A-Fella, 1998); Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter (Roc-A-Fella, 1999); e Dynasty: Roc La Familia (Roc-A-Fella,
2000); e Blueprint (Roc-A-Fella, 2001); e Blueprint²: e Gift & e Curse (Roc-A-Fella, 2002); e Black
Album (Roc-A-Fella, 2003); Kingdom Come (Roc-A-Fella, 2006); American Gangster (Roc-A-Fella, 2007).
Jeru the Damaja. e Sun Rises in the East (Pay Day/FFRR, 1994).
Jurrassic 5. “What’s Golden” (Interscope, 2002).
Juvenile. 400 Degreez (Cash Money, 1998).
Kanye West. e College Dropout (Roc-A-Fella, 2004); Late Registration (Roc-A-Fella, 2005); Graduation (Roc-A-Fella,
2007); 808s & Heartbreak (Roc-A-Fella, 2008).
KMD. Mr. Hood (Elektra, 1991).
KRS-One [also see BDP]. Return of the Boom Bap (Jive, 1993).
King Tee. Act a Fool (Capitol, 1988); At Your Own Risk (Capitol, 1990).
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo. Road to the Riches (Cold Chillin’, 1989); Wanted: Dead or Alive (Cold Chillin’, 1990); Live
and Let Die (Cold Chillin’, 1992).
Kurtis Blow. Kurtis Blow (Mercury, 1980);
LL Cool J. Radio (Def Jam, 1985); Bigger and Deer (Def Jam, 1987); Walking with a Panther (Def Jam, 1989); Mama
Said Knock You Out (Def Jam, 1990); 14 Shots to the Dome (Def Jam, 1993); Mr. Smith (Def Jam, 1995).
Large Professor [also see Main Source]. 1st Class (Matador, 2002).
Leaders of the New School. A Future without a Past (Elektra, 1991).
Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz. Get Crunk, Who U Wit: Da Album (Mirror Image, 1997); Kings of Crunk (TVT, 2002);
Crunk Juice (TVT, 2004).
Lil Wayne. a Block is Hot (Cash Money, 1999); a Carter (Cash Money, 2004); a Carter III (Cash Money/Young
Money, 2008).
Little Brother. e Listening (ABB, 2003); e Minstrel Show (Atlantic/ABB, 2005).
e Lox. Money, Power & Respect (Bad Boy, 1997).
MC Hammer. Let’s Get It Started (Capitol, 1988).
MC Lyte. Lyte As a Rock (First Priority, 1988); Eyes On is (First Priority, 1989).
M.O.P. To the Death (Select, 1994); Firing Squad (Relativity, 1996); First Family 4 Life (Relativity, 1998); Warriorz
(Loud, 2000).
Madlib (as Quasimoto). e Further Adventures of Lord Quas (Stones row, 2005).
Madvillain [Madlib with MF Doom]. Madvillainy (Stones row, 2004).
Main Source. Breaking Atoms (Wild Pitch, 1991).
Marley Marl. In Contol (Cold Chillin’, 1988).
Method Man [also see Wu-Tang Clan]. Tical (Def Jam, 1994); Tical 2000: Judgement Day (Def Jam, 2000).
Method Man and Redman. Blackout (Def Jam, 1999).
Mobb Deep. Juvenile Hell (4th & B’Way, 1993); e Infamous (Loud, 1995); Hell On Earth (Loud, 1996); Murda
Muzik (Loud, 1999); Infamy (Loud, 2001); Blood Money (G-Unit, 2006).
Mos Def. Black on Both Sides (Rawkus, 1999).
NWA. Straight Outta Compton (Ruthless, 1988); 100 Miles and Runnin’ (Ruthless, 1990); Niggaz4Life (Ruthless,
1991).
Noreaga. N.O.R.E. (Penalty, 1998).
NYGz. Welcome 2 G-Dom (Year Round, 2007).
Nas. Ilmatic (Columbia, 1994); It Was Written (Columbia, 1996); I Am (Columbia, 1999); Nastradamus (Columbia,
1999); Stillmatic (Ill Will/Columbia, 2001); Nasir Jones: God’s Son [aka God’s Son] (Ill Will/Columbia, 2002);
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Street’s Desciple (Ill Will/Columbia, 2004); Hip Hop Is Dead (Def Jam, 2006).
Nature. For All Seasons (Track Masters, 2000).
Naughty By Nature. Naughty By Nature (Tommy Boy, 1991); 19 Naughty III (Tommy Boy, 1993).
Notorious B.I.G. [aka Biggie Smalls]. Ready To Die (Bad Boy, 1994); Life After Deathi (Bad Boy, 1997).
O.C. Word…Life (Wild Pitch, 1994); Jewelz (Payday, 1997).
Ol’ Dirty Bastard [also see Wu-Tang Clan]. Return to the 36 Chambers: e Dirty Version (Elektra, 1995); Nigga Please
(Elektra, 1999).
Onyx. Bacdafucup (Def Jam, 1993).
Pete Rock. Soul Survivor (Loud/RCA, 1998).
Outkast. Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik (LaFace, 1994); ATLiens (LaFace/Arista, 1996); Aquemini (LaFace/Arista,
1998); Stankonia, (LaFace/Arista, 2000); Speakerboxxx/e Love Below (LaFace/Arista, 2003).
e Pharcyde. Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde (Delicious Vinyl, 1992); Labcabincalifornia (Delicious Vinyl, 1995).
Public Enemy. Yo! Bum Rush the Show (Def Jam, 1987); It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (Def Jam, 1988);
Fear of a Black Planet (Def Jam, 1990).
Q-Tip [also see A Tribe Called Quest]. Amplied (Arista, 1999).
Raewkon [also see Wu-Tang Clan]. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx (Loud, 1995); Immobilarity (Loud, 1999); Only Built 4
Cuban Linx… Pt. II (Ice H2O, 2009). Reection Eternal [Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek]. Train of ought (Rawkus,
2000).
Redman. Whut? ee Album (Def Jam, 1992); Muddy Waters (Def Jam, 1996).
Rich Boy. “row Some D’s,” 2006.
Royal Flush. Ghetto Millionaire (Blunt, 1997).
Royce Da 5’9. Street Hop (M.I.C./One, 2009).
Run-DMC. Run-DMC (Prole, 1984); King of Rock (Prole, 1985); Raising Hell (Prole, 1986); Tougher an Leather
(Prole, 1988).
e RZA [also see Wu-Tang Clan]. Bobby Digital in Stereo (Gee Street/V2, 1998).
Salt-N-Pepa. Hot, Cool & Vicious (Next Plateau, 1986); A Salt with a Deadly Pepa (Next Plateau/London, 1988).
Scarface [also see e Geto Boys]. e Diary (Rap-A-Lot, 1994); e Fix (Def Jam South, 2002).
Screwball, Y2K e Album (Tommy Boy, 2000); Loyalty (Landspeed, 2001).
Sean Price. Monkey Barz (Duck Down, 2005); Jesus Price Supastar (Duck Down, 2007).
Showbiz & AG. Runaway Slave (Payday, 1992).
Slum Village. Fantastic, Vol. 2 (Good Vibe, 2000).
Slick Rick. e Great Adventures of Slick Rick (Def Jam, 1988).
Smif N’ Wesson. Dah Shinin’ (Wreck, 1995).
Smoothe Da Hustler. Once Upon a Time in America (Prole, 1996).
Snoop Doggy Dog. Doggytyle (Death Row, 1993); a Doggfather (Death Row, 1996).
Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em. souljaboytellem.com (Collipark/Stacks on Deck/Interscope, 2007).
Souls of Mischief. 93 ‘til Ininity (Jive, 1993).
Special Ed. Youngest In Charge (Prole, 1989).
Spoonie Gee. “Love Rap” (ca. 1979/80).
Styles P. A Gangster and a Gentleman (Ru Ryders, 2002); Super Gangster (Extraordinary Gentleman) (Koch, 2007).
Sugar Hill Gang. “Rapper’s Delight” (Sugar Hill Records, 1979).
T.I. I’m Serious (Ghett-O-Vision/LaFace, 2001); Trap Muzik (Grand Hustle/Atlantic, 2003); Urban Legend (Grand
Hustle/Atlantic, 2004); King (Grand Hustle/Atlantic, 2006); T.I. vs. T.I.P. (Grand Hustle/Atlantic, 2007); Paper
Trail (Grand Hustle/Atlantic, 2008).
Talib Kweli [also see Reection Eternal]. Quality (Rawkus, 2002).
ree Six Maa. When the Smoke Clears: Sixty 6, Sixty 1 (Loud, 200); Da Unbreakables (Columbia, 2003); Most Known
Unknown (Sony, 2005).
Too Short. Born to Mack (Dangerous/Jive, 1987); Life Is…Too Short (Jive, 1988).
Treacherous ree. “Feel e Heartbeat” (1981).
Tupac. 2Pacalypse Now (Jive, 1991); Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. (Atlantic, 1993); Me Against the World (Atlantic, 1995);
All Eyez On Me (Death Row, 1996).
Whoodini. Escape (Jive, 1984).
Wu-Tang Clan. Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (Loud, 1993); Wu-Tang Forever (Loud, 1997); e W (Loud, 2000);
Iron Flag (Loud, 2001); 8 Diagrams (SRC, 2007).
Young Jeezy. Let’s Get It: ug Motivation 101 (Corporate ugz Entertainment/Def Jam, 2005); e Inspiration
(Corporate ugz/Def Jam, 2006); e Recession (Corporate ugz Entertainment/Def Jam, 2008).
Yo Yo. Make Way for the Motherlode (East West America, 1991).
Young Black Teenagers. Dead Enz Kidz Doin’ Lifetime Bidz (MCA, 1993).
Blues
Dixon, Willie. Willie’s Blues (Bluesville, 1959).
Hooker, John Lee. “Hobo Blues” (Modern, 1948); “Boogie Chillen” (Modern, 1948).
565
APPENDIX
Howlin’ Wolf. Moanin’ in the Moonlight (Chess, 1959); “Spoonful” (Chess, 1960); “Shake It For Me” (Chess,
1964).
James, Etta. At Last (Chess, 1961).
King, B.B. Singin’ e Blues (Crown, 1956); e Blues (Crown, 1958); My Kind of Blues (EMI, 1961).
Little Walter. “Juke” (Chess, 1952); “My Babe” (Chess, 1955).
Muddy Waters. “Rollin’ Stone” (Chess, 1950); “Hoochie Coochie Man” (Chess, 1954); “Got My Mojo Working”
(Chess, 1956); e Best of Muddy (Chess, 1958); Waters (Chess, 1958).
Smith, Bessie. “Downhearted Blues” (ca. 1923); “Ain’t Nobody’s Business” (ca. 1925).
T-Bone Walker. “Mean Old World” (Capitol, 1942); “Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just as Bad)” (1947).
Turner, Big Joe. “Roll ‘Em, Pete” (1938); “Shake, Rattle, and Roll” (1954); e Boss of the Blues (Atlantic, 1956).
Jazz
Armstrong, Louis. “St. Louis Blues” (1929, Okeh); “All of Me” (Columbia, 1932); Louis Armstrong Plays W. C. Handy
(Columbia, 1954); Porgy and Bess (Verve, 1958); “Hello Dolly!” (Kaap, 1964); “What a Wonderful World”
(ABC, 1968).
Blakey, Art (with the Jazz Messengers) Art Blakey with the Original Jazz Messengers (Columbia, 1956); Moanin’ (Blue
Note, 1958).
Count Basie. Swinging the Blues 1930-1939 (Jazz Legends, 2004) [orignal recordings 1930-1939].
Count Basie [with Joe Williams]. One O’Clock Jump (Verve, 1957).
Coltrane, John [also see Miles Davis Quintet, I]. Coltrane (Prestige, 1957); Blue Train (Blue Note, 1957); Soultrane
(Prestige, 1958); Giant Steps (Atlantic, 1960); My Favorite ings (Atlantic, 1961); Coltrane Plays the Blues
(Atlantic, 1962).
Davis, Miles. Birth of Cool (Capitol, 1949); Blue Haze (Prestige, 1954); Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants (Prestige,
1956); Miles Ahead (Columbia, 1957); Milestones (Columbia, 1958); Porgry and Bess (Columbia, 1958); Kind of
Blue (Columbia, 1959); Sketches of Spain (Columbia, 1960);
Davis, Miles Quintet (I). Miles: e New Miles Davis Quintet (Prestige, 1956); Cookin’ with e Miles Davis Quintet
(Prestige, 1957); “So What” (Robert Herridge eater [television show] “e Sound of Miles of Davis” CBS,
1959).
Davis, Miles Quintet (II). E.S.P. (Columbia, 1965); Miles Smiles (Columbia, 1966); Miles in the Sky (Columbia, 1968);
Filles de Kilimanjaro (Columbia, 1969).
Ellington, Duke. “Mood Indigo” (Brunswick, 1930); It Don’t Mean a ing (If It Ain’t Got at Swing) (Brunswick,
1932); Take the “A” Train (1939).
Fats Waller. “Honeysuckle Rose” (1929); “is Joint Is Jump’in’” (ca. 1934).
Hancock, Herbie [also see Miles Davis Quintet, II; also see e Headhunters]. Inventions and Dimensions (Blue Note,
1964); e Prisoner (Blue Note, 1969); Fat Albert Rotunda (Warner, 1969); Sextant (Columbia, 1973).
Holiday, Billie. “Strange Fruit” (Columbia, 1939); “God Bless the Child” (Okeh, 1942); “Mack the Knife” (Columbia,
1955); Lady Sings the Blues (Verve, 1956); “Ain’t Nobody’s Business” (Decca, ca. 1945).
Jamal, Ahmad. e Awakening (Impulse, 1970).
Jones, Quincy. e Quintessence (Impulse, 1961); Walking in Space (A&M, 1969); Body Heat (A&M, 1974).
Klemmer, John. Blowin’ Gold (Cadet, 1969).
Monk, elonius. Monk (Prestige, 1954); e Unique elonious Monk (Riverside, 1956); elonious Monk with John
Coltrane (Milsesone, 1957); elonious Himself (Riverside, 1959).
Parker, Charlie. “Ko-Ko” (Savoy, 1945); “Ornithology” (Dial, 1946).
Roach, Max (with Miles Davis). Birth of Cool (Capitol, 1949).
Rollins, Sonny. e Bridge (Bluebird, 1962).
Gospel
Caravan, e. “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” (1958).
Clara Ward Singers, e. “How I Got Over” (1950); “Didn’t Rain” ( ca. 1952); “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” (ca.
1952).
Dixie Hummingbirds, e. “When the Gates Swing Open” (ca. 1950s); “Holding On” (ca. 1950s).
Dorsey, omas A. “Take My Hand, Precious Lord” (aka “Precious Lord, Take My Hand”) (ca. 1932).
Franklin, Aretha. Aretha Frankilin Amazing Grace (with James Cleveland and the Southern California Community Choir)
(Atlantic, 1972).
Golden Gate Quartet (aka e Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet). “e General Jumped at Dawn” (1944); “Golden Gate
Gospel Train” (Ca. early 1940s); “Joshua Fit the Battle” (1949).
Jackson, Mahalia. Bless is House (Columbia, 1956).
Sister Rosetta arpe. “Down By e Riverside” (ca. 1944); “Didn’t It Rain” (ca. 1964).
Soul Stirrers. “Wade in the Water” (ca. 1946); “I’m A Pilgrim” (ca. 1947).
Soul Stirrers with Sam Cooke. “Nearer to ee” (ca. 1950); “Peace in the Valley” (Specialty, 1950).
Ward, Clara [also see e Clara Ward Singers]. “When the Gates Swing Open” (ca. 1949).
566
THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
Country
Autry, Gene. “Back in the Saddle Again” (Columbia, 1939).
Cash, Johnny. “I Walk the Line” (Sun, 1956); Now Here’s Johnny Cash (Sun, 1968).
Rodgers, Jimmie. “Blue Yodel No. 1” (T for Texas) (Victor, 1927).
Williams, Hank. Moanin’ the Blues (MGM, 1952); Ramblin’ Man (MGM, 1954).
Rhythm & Blues
Brown, Ruth. “Teardrops From My Eyes” (Atlantic, 1950); “(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean” (Atlantic,
1952).
Charles, Ray. Hallelujah I Love Her So (Atlantic, 1957); What’d I Say (Atlantic, 1959); Ain’t Nobody Here But Us Chickens
(Atlantic, 1960). e Genius Hits the Road (ABC, 1960); Dedicated to You (ABC, 1971).
Cooke, Sam. Ain’t at Good News (RCA, 1964).
Otis, Johnny. “Willie and the Hand Jive” (Capitol, 1958).
Jordan, Louis. “Ain’t Nobody Here But Us Chickens” (1946); “Let the Good Times Roll” (1946); “Beans and Cornbread”
(1949); “Saturday Night Fish Fry” (1949).
omas, Rufus. Walking the Dog (Stax, 1963).
1950s Rock ‘N’ Roll
Berry, Chuck. “Maybellene” (Chess, 1955); “Roll Over Beethoven” (Chess, 1956); “No Particular Place to Go”
(Chess, 1964).
Bill Haley and His Comets. “Shake, Rattle and Roll” (Decca, 1954) [originally recorded by Big Joe Turner]; “Rock
Around the Clock” (Decca, 1954).
Fats Domino. “e Fat Man” (Imperial, 1949); “Hide Away Blues” (Imperial, 1950); “Ain’t at a Shame”
(Imperial,
1956); “My Blue Heaven” (Imperial, 1956); “Blueberry Hill” (Imperial, 1956); “I’m Walkin’” (Imperial, 1957).
Soul
Brown, James. Please, Please, Please (King, 1956); Prisoner of Love (King, 1963); Out of Sight (Smash, 1964).
Cooke, Sam. Sam Cooke (Keen, 1957); Night Beat (RCA, 1963); Ain’t at Good News (RCA, 1964).
Chaka Khan, Chaka (Warner, 1978); Naughty (Warner, 1980).
Charles, Ray. Hallelujah I Love Her So (Atlantic, 1957); What’d I Say (Atlantic, 1959); Ain’t Nobody Here But Us Chickens
(Atlantic, 1960); e Genius Hits the Road (ABC, 1960); Ingredients in a Recipe for Soul (ABC, 1963).
Connors, Norman. You Are My Starship (Buddah, 1976).
Delfonics, e. La La Means I Love You (Philly Groove, 1968); Sound of Sexy Soul ( Philly Groove, 1969); e Delfonics
(1970).
Dells, e. Love Is Blue (Cadet, 1969); Like It Is, Like It Was (Cadet, 1971); Sweet As Funk Can Be (Cadet, 1972); Give
Your Baby a Standing Ovation (Cadet, 1973); e Dells (Cadet, 1973); e Mighty Mighty Dells (Cadet, 1974);
e Dells vs. e Dramatics (Cadet, 1975).
Dramatics, e. Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get (Volt, 1972); A Dramatic Experience (Volt, 1973); e Dells vs. e
Dramatics (Cadet, 1975).
Earth, Wind & Fire. at’s the Way of the World (Columbia, 1975); Gratitude (Columbia, 1975); Spirit (Columbia,
1976).
Emotions, e. So I Can Love You (Stax, 1970); Untouched (Stax, 1972); Flowers (Columbia, 1976).
Franklin, Aretha. I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (Atlantic, 1967); Lady Soul (Atlantic, 1968); Soul ’69 (Atlantic,
1969); Aretha’s Gold (Atlantic, 1969); e Girl’s In Love With You (Atlantic, 1970); Spirit in the Dark (Atlantic,
1970); Young, Gifted and Black (Atlantic, 1972); Hey Now Hey (e Other Side of the Sky) (Atlantic, 1973); Let
Me in Your Life (Atlantic, 1974); You (Atlantic, 1975); Sparkle (Atlantic, 1976).
Green, Al. Let’s Stay Together (Hi, 1972); I’m Still In Love With You (Hi, 1972).
Harold Melvin and e Blue Notes featuring eodore Pendergrass. I Miss You [aka If You Don’t Know Me by Now]
(Philadelphia International, 1972).
Hathaway, Donny. Everything is Everything (Atco, 1970); Donny Hathaway (Atco, 1970); Come Back, Charleston Blue
(Atco, 1972); Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway (Atlantic, 1972); Extension of a Man (Atco, 1973).
Hayes, Isaac. Hot Buttered Soul (Enterprise, 1969); e Isaac Hayes Movement (Enterprise, 1970); …To Be Continued
(Enterprise, 1970); Shaft (Enterprise, 1971); Black Moses (Enterprise, 1971).
Hutch, Willie. Soul Portrait (RCA, 1969); Fully Exposed (Motown, 1973); e Mack (Motown, 1973); Foxy Brown
(Motown, 1975).
Impressions, e. e Impressions (Paramount, 1963); Keep on Pushing (Paramount, 1964); People Get Ready (Paramount,
1965); Ridin’ High (Paramount, 1966); We’re a Winner (Universal/MCA, 1968); is Is My Country (Curtom,
1968); e Young Mod’s Forgotten Story (Curtom, 1969).
567
GLOSSARY
Intruders, e. e Intruders Are Together (Gamble, 1966); Cowboys to Girls (Gamble, 1968); When We Get Married
(Gamble, 1970); Save the Children (Gamble, 1973).
Jackson, Michael [also see e Jackson 5 and e Jacksons]. O e Wall (Epic, 1979); riller (Epic, 1982).
Jackson 5, e. ABC (Motown, 1970); ird Album (Motown, 1970); Maybe Tomorrow (Motown, 1971); Lookin’
rough the Window (Motown, 1972); Dancing Machine (Motown, 1974).
Jacksons, e. e Jacksons (CBS, 1976); Goin’ Places (CBS, 1977); Destiny (CBS, 1978).
James, Etta. At Last (Chess, 1961).
Kendricks, Eddie. Peoople…Hold On (Motown, 1972); Eddie Kendricks (Motown, 1973).
Gladys Knight & e Pips. If I Were Your Woman (Motown, 1971); Neither One of Us (Motown, 1973); Imagination
(Motown, 1973); Claudine (Buddah, 1974).
Marie, Teena. Wild and Peaceful (Motown, 1979); Lady T (Motown, 1980); Irons in the Fire (Motwon, 1980);
It Must Be Magic (Motown, 1981); Robbery (Epic, 1983); Starchild (Epic, 1984).
Mayeld, Curtis [also see e Impressions]. Curtis (Curtom, 1970); Roots (Curtom, 1971); Super Fly (Curtom,
1972);
Back to the World (Curtom, 1973); Sweet Exorcist (Curtom, 1974); ere’s No Place Like America Today (Curtom,
1975).
Moments, e. A Moment with the Moments (Stang, 1970); ose Sexy Moments (Stang, 1974).
O’Jays, e. Back Stabbers (Philadelphia International, 1972); Ship Ahoy (Philadelphia International, 1973); Survival
(Philadelphia International, 1975); Family Reunion (Philadelphia International, 1975); Message in the Music
(Philadelphia International, 1976).
Paul, Billy. 360 Degrees of Billy Paul (Philadelphia International, 1972).
Redding, Otis. Pain in My Heart (Atco, 1964); Otis Blue: Otis Sings Soul (Stax, 1965).
Ripperton, Minnie. Perfect Angel (Epic, 1974); Minnie (Capitol, 1979).
Rufus (aka Rufus featuring Chaka Khan) Rags to Rufus (ABC, 1974); Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan (ABC, 1975).
Scott-Heron, Gil. Winter in America (Strata-East, 1974).
Sly and e Family Stone. Dance to the Music (Epic, 1968); Stand! (Epic, 1969); ere’s a Riot Goin’ On (Epic,
1971).
Smokey Robinson. A Quiet Storm (Tamla, 1975).
Staples Singers, e. Be Attitude: Respect Yourself (Stax, 1972); Let’s Do It Again (Curtom, 1975).
Stevie Wonder. Innervisions (Tamla, 1973); Songs in the Key of Life (Tamla, 1976); Hotter than July (Tamla, 1980).
Taylor, Johnnie. “Who’s Making Love” (Stax, 1968); “Jody’s Got Your Girl and Gone” (Stax, 1970); “Doin’ My Own
ing” (Stax, 1972); “Cheaper to Keep Her” (Stax, 1973); “You’re the Best Girl in the World” (Columbia,
1976).
Wilson, Jackie. “Lonely Teardrops” (Brunswick, 1958); “at’s Why (I Love You So)” (Brunswick, 1959).
Pre-Hip Hop Rap/Spoken Word
Last Poets, e. e Last Poets (1970); is Is Madness (Douglas, 1971).
Lightnin’ Rod. Hustler’s Convention (United Artist, 1973).
Scott-Heron, Gil. Small Talk at 125th and Lenox (Flying Dutchman, 1970); Pieces of a Man (Flying Dutchman, 1971);
Winter in America (Strata-East, 1974).
African Soul/Afrobeat
Fela Kuti. Why Black Man Dey Suer (Wrasse, 1971); Open & Close (Wrasse, 1972); Expensive Shit (Wrasse, 1975).
Hugh Masekela. e Promise of a Future (Uni, 1968); Masekela Uni, 1968); e African Connection (Impulse, 1973).
Funk
Bar-Kays, e. Soul Finger (Votl, 1967); Gotta Groove (Volt, 1969); Black Rock (Volt, 1971).
Baby Huey. e Baby Huey Story: e Living Legend (Curtom, 1970).
Bataan, Joe. Mr. New York & e East Side Kids (Fania, 1971); Sweet Soul (Fania, 1972); Saint Latin’s Day Massacre
(Fania, 1972); Salsoul (Mericana, 1973).
Beginning of the End, e. Funky Nassau (Alston, 1971).
Blackbyrds, e. e Blackbyrds (Fantasy, 1973).
Black Heat. Black Heat (Atlantic, 1972); No Time to Burn (Atlantic, 1974).
Black Ivory. Don’t Turn Around. (Today, 1972); Baby, Won’t You Change Your Mind (Today, 1972).
Black Nasty. “Party on 4th Street” (1972).
Booker T. & the MGs. Soul Limbo (Stax, 1968); e Booker T. Set (Stax, 1969); McLemore Avenue (Stax, 1970); Melting
Pot (Stax, 1971); e MGs (Stax, 1973).
Boris Gardiner Happening, e. Is What’s Happening (Dynamic, 1973).
Brown, James. Out of Sight (Smash,1964); Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag (King, 1965); Cold Sweat (1967); Say It
Loud—I’m Black and I’m Proud (King, 1968); It’s a Mother (King, 1969); Sex Machine (King, 1970); On the Good
568
THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
Foot (Poyldor, 1971); e Payback (Polydor, 1973); Hell (Polydor, 1974).
Byrd, Bobby [also see James Brown]. “I Need Help” (1970); “I Know You Got Soul” (1971).
Carbo, Chuck. “Can I Be Your Squeeze” (1970).
Collins, Lynn. ink (About It) (People, 1972).
Counts, e (aka e Fabulous Counts). What’s Up Front at Counts (ca. 1971).
Creative Funk. “Moving World.” (ca. early 1970s).
Cymande. Cymande (Janus, 1972); Second Time Around (Janus, 1973); Promised Heights (Janus, 1974).
David Batiste & e Gladiators. “Funky Soul” (Soulin’, ca. 1971).
Dayton Sidewinders. Let’s Go Down To Funksville (1972).
Dells, e. Sweet As Funk Can Be (Cadet, 1972).
Dynamics, e. What A Shame. (Black Gold, 1973).
Earth, Wind & Fire. at’s the Way of the World (Columbia, 1975); Gratitude (Columbia, 1975); Spirit (Columbia,
1976).
Eight Minutes, e. An American Family.
Eliminators, e. Loving Explosion. (1974).
Fabulous Originals, e. “It Ain’t Fair But It’s Fun” (1971).
Fabulous ree. “Answer Me Softly” (Psycho, ca. 1972).
Freddie and the Kinfolk. “Mashed potato popcorn” (ca. 1972).
Gaturs, e. “Gator Bait” (1970); Wasted (1970).
Harvey & e Phenomenals. Soul & Sunshine (1971).
Headhunters, e. e Head Hunters (1973); rust (Columbia, 1974).
Hitson, Herman. “Ain’t No Other Way” (Sweet Rose, 1972).
Honey Drippers, e. “Impeach the President” (1973).
Huck Daniels Co., e. “Foolish Man (Pt.2)” (Kent, 1971).
Identities, e. “Hey Brother” (1970).
Jackson 5, e. Dancing Machine (Motown, 1974).
Jimmy Castor Bunch, e. It’s Just Begun (RCA, 1972).
Kool and e Gang. Kool and e Gang (De-Lite, 1969); Music Is the Message (De-Lite, 1972); Good Times (De-Lite,
1973); Wild and Peaceful (De-Lite, 1973).
Latin Breed, e. “I Turn You On” (ca. 1971).
Lucien, Jon. I Am Now (RCA, 1970); Rashida (RCA, 1973).
Majestics, e. “Funky Chick” (ca. 1969).
Meters, e. e Meters (Sundazed, 1969); Look-Ka Py Py (Josie, 1969); Struttin’ (Josie, 1970).
Mobile Blue, e. “Pun’” (1969).
Mohawks, e. “e Champ” (Contillion, ca. 1969).
New Birth. e New Birth (RCA, 1971); Ain’t No Big ing, But It’s Growing (RCA, 1971); Birth Day (RCA, 1973);
It’s Been a Long Time (RCA, 1974); Blind Baby (Buddah, 1975).
Nite-Liters, e [also see New Birth]. Nite-Liters (RCA, 1970); Morning, Noon & the Nite-Liters (RCA, 1971); Dierent
Strokes (RCA, 1972).
Ohio Players, e. Observations in Time (Capitol, 1969); Pain (Westbound, 1972); Pleasure (Westbound, 1972); Ecstacy
(Westbound, 1973); Skin Tight (Mercury, 1974); Fire (Mercury, 1974); Honey (Mercury, 1975); Contradiction
(Mercury, 1976)
Politicians, e. Psycha-Soula-Funkadelic. (ca. 1972).
Reid, Clarence. “Funky Party” (ca. 1971); “Winter Man” (ca. 1973).
Nina Simone. “Ain’t Got No...I’ve Got Life;” (RCA, 1970); Black Gold (RCA, 1970).
Sexton, Ann. “You’re Losing Me” (1973).
Skin Williams and the Soulfadelics. “Skins Funk” (ca. early 1970s).
Skull Snaps. Skull Snaps (GSF, 1974); “It’s a New Day.” (1973); “All of Sudden” (1974).
Sly and e Family Stone. Dance to the Music (Epic, 1968); Stand! (Epic, 1969); ere’s a Riot Goin’ On (Epic,
1971).
omas, Rufus. “Do at Breakdown Chillin’” (Stax, ca. 1973); “e Funky Chicken” (Stax, ca. 1973).
Unemployed, e. “ey Won’t Let Me” (Contillion, 1971).
Yellow Sunshine. “Yellow Sunshine” (1973).
Dub
Big Youth. Screaming Target (Gussie/Jaguar, 1972).
Upsetters, e. Musical Bones (DIP, 1975).
U-Roy. “Earth’s Rightful Ruler” (1969); “Wake the Town” (1970).
‘60s and ‘70s Rock/Progressive Rock/Art Rock/Hard Rock/Southern Rock
Allman Brothers, e. e Allman Brothers Band (Capricorn/Atco, 1969); Idlewild South (Capricorn/Atco, 1970); Eat
569
GLOSSARY
a Peach (Capricorn, 1972); Brothers and Sisters (Capricorn, 1973).
Band, e. Music from the Big Pink (Capitol, 1968); e Band (Capitol, 1969).
Beatles, e. Please, Please Me (Parlophone, 1963); Meet the Beatles (Capitol, 1964); e Beatles’ Second Album
(Capitol, 1964); A Hard Day’s Night (Parlophone, 1964); Beatles ’65 (Capitol, 1964); Beatles VI (Capitol, 1965);
Help (Capitol, 1965); Rubber Soul (Capitol, 1965); Revolver (Capitol, 1966); Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club
Band (Capitol/Parlophone, 1967); Magical Mystery Tour (Capitol/Parlophone, 1967); e Beatles (aka “e
White Album”) (Capitol/Apple/Parlophone, 1968); Yellow Submarine (Apple/Capitol, 1969); Abbey Road
(Capitol/Parlophone, 1969); Let It Be (Apple/Capitol, 1970).
Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton. Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton (Decca, 1966).
Clapton, Eric. Eric Clapton (Atco, 1970); 461 Ocean Boulevard (RSO, 1974).
Cream. Fresh Cream (Atco, 1966); Disraeli Gears (Atco, 1967).
Doobie Brothers, e. e Doobie Brothers (Warner, 1971); Toulouse Street (Warner, 1972); e Captain and Me (Warner,
1973); What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits (Warner, 1974); Takin’ It to the Streets (Warner, 1976).
Hendrix, Jimi. Are You Experienced (Track, 1967); Electric Ladyland (Reprise, 1968).
Joel, Billy. Piano Man (Columbia/Family Productions, 1973); Streetlife Serenade (Columbia/Family Productions, 1974);
Turnstiles (Columbia/Family Productions, 1976).
Jethro Tulle. is Was (Reprise, 1969); War Child (Chrysalis, 1974).
Joplin, Janis. Pearl (Columbia, 1971).
Led Zeppelin. Led Zeppelin (Atlantic, 1969); Led Zeppelin II (Atlantic, 1969); Led Zeppelin III (Atlantic, 1970); Led
Zeppelin IV (Atlantic, 1971); House of the Holy (Atlantic, 1973); Physical Grati (Swan Song, 1975).
Morrison, Van. Astral Weeks (Warner, 1968); Moondance (Warner, 1970).
Rolling Stones, e. e Rolling Stones (Decca, 1964); e Rolling Stones No. 2 (Decca, 1965); Out of Our Heads
(London, 1965); December’s Children (And Everybody’s) (London, 1965); Aftermath (London, 1966); Between the
Buttons (London, 1967); eir Satanic Majesties Request (London, 1967); Beggars Banquet (London, 1968); Let It
Bleed (London, 1969); Sticky Fingers (London, 1971); Exile on Main Street (Rolling Stones/Atlantic, 1972); Goats
Head Soup (Rolling Stones/Atlantic, 1973); It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (Rolling Stones/Atlantic, 1974).
Santana. Santana (Columbia, 1969); Abraxas (Columbia, 1970); Santana [aka Santana III] (Columbia, 1971);
Borboletta (CBS, 1974).
Toussaint, Allen. Toussaint (Scepter/DJM, 1970).
e Yardbirds [also see Eric Clapton]. For Your Lovei (Epic, 1965); Having a Rave Up (Epic, 1965); Roger the Engineer
(Epic, 1966); Little Games (Epic, 1967).
Punk/British Ska/New Wave/’80s Pop Rock
Beat, e (aka e English Beat). I Just Can’t Stop It (Go Feet/Sire, 1980); Wha’ppen (Go Feet/Sire, 1981); Special
Beat Service (Go Feet/IRS, 1982).
Clash, e. e Clash (CBS, 1977); London Calling (CBS, 1979); Combat Rock (Epic, 1982).
Duran Duran. Duran Duran (EMI/Capitol, 1981); Rio (EMI/Capitol, 1982); Seven and the Ragged Tiger (EMI/Capitol,
1983).
Police, e. Outlandos d’Amour (A&M, 1978); Reggatta de Blanc (A&M, 1979); Zenyattà Mondatta (A&M, 1980);
Ghost in the Machine (A&M, 1980); Synchronicity (A&M, 1983).
Specials, e (aka e Specials AKA). Specials (2 Tone, 1979); More Specials (2 Tone, 1980).
Talking Heads. Talking Heads: 77 (Sire, 1977); More Songs About Buildings and Food (Sire, 1978); Fear of Music (Sire,
1979); Remain in Light (Sire, 1980).
Van Halen. Van Halen (Warner, 1978); 1984 (Warner, 1984).
Western Classical
Beethoven, Ludwig van. Beethoven Symphony No. 5 in c minor; Symphony No. 9 in d minor; performed by e
Philadelphia Orchestra (2005).
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus. Piano Concerto No. 24, performed by Philharmonia Orchestra of London (1997).
Copland, Aaron. Symphony no. 3 (aka ird Symphony), performed by the New York Philharmonic (Deutsche
Grammophon, 1990).
Bernstein, Leonard. Serenade for Solo Violin, Strings, Harp and Percussion (after Plato’s “Symposium”), performed by
New York Philharmonic. From the album Bernstein: Symphony No. 2; Serenade after Plato’s Symposium (Sony,
1998).
570
THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
Bibliography
Bailyn, Bernard. e Ideological Origins of the American Revolution, Enlarged Edition. Harvard University Press:
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Berman, Marshall. All at Is Solid Melts Into Air: e Experience of Modernity. New York: Simon and Schuster,
1982.
Burnim, Mellonee V. and Portia K. Maultsby. African American Music: An Introduction. New York: Routledge,
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Chang, Je. Can’t Stop Won’t Stop. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2005.
Chapple, Steve and Reebee Garofalo. Rock ‘N’ Roll Is Here to Pay: e History and Politics of the Music Industry. Chicago:
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Cherno, John Miller. African Rhythm and African Sensibility. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1979.
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Flash, Grandmaster with David Ritz. e Adventures of Grandmaster Flash: My Life, My Beats. New York: Broadway
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Floyd, Jr., Samuel A. e Power of Black Music: Interpreting Its History From Africa to the United States. New York:
Oxford, 1995.
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Hager, Steven. Hip Hop: e Illustrated History of Break Dancing, Rap Music, and Grati. New York: St. Martin’s
Press, 1984.
Hebdige, Dick. Cut ‘N’ Mix: Culture, Identity and Caribbean Music. New York and London: Metheun, 1987.
Holloway, Joseph E. Africanisms in American Culture. Bloomington: 1990.
Miller, Michael. e Complete Idiot’s Guide to Music eory, Second Edition. New York: Penguin, 2005.
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90 (2004).
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H. Raine. ‘US Housing Program in South Bronx Called a Waste by Moynihan.’ New York Daily News 20 Dec 1978,
p. 3.
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‘Taki 183 Spawns Pen Pals.’ New York Times, 21 July 1971.
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Ramsey, Jr., Guthrie P. Race Music: Black Cultures From Bebop to Hip Hop. Berkeley: University of California Press,
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Southern, Eileen. e Music of Black Americans: A History. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1971.
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York: New York University Press, 2001.
Wallace, Deborah and Rodrick Wallace. A Plague On Your Houses: How New York Was Burned Down and National
Public Health Crumbled. New York: Verso, 1998.
571
GLOSSARY
Glossary (Key Words)
Aftertouch
In regards to keyboards. is is where the signal of the keyboard strike is controlled and determined by the pressure
one applies to keys on a keyboard.
Ambiance
Refers to the “mood” of the sound. Ambiance is usually created by the addition and subsequent combination of various
sounds, eects, processors and equalization.
Arrangement
e process of creatively organizing the components, pieces, and subsequent “music blocks” into a conscious thematic
order. In simpler terms, arrangement in beatmaking refers to the approach that beatmakers take when arranging the
elements of their beats. Also, there’s two ways you can look at arrangement: (1) you can look at it as the order and
measure (length) of sounds and sequences within a song (composition); or (2) you can look at it as the pattern in which
sounds correspond sequentially within any song (composition).
Bandwidth
e specic range of frequencies passed by an electronic circuit, like a lter, etc. Bandwidth settings determine the
clarity of replicated (sampled/bounced) sounds.
Channel (in regards to MIDI)
Refers to 1 of 16 possible data channels over which MIDI data may be sent.
Channel (in regards to Mixing)
is is a single control strip of equalization. A typical channel strip on a standard mixing console has three fundamental
frequency controls: Hi, Mid, and Low, (think of it like Hi treble, Mid treble, and bass).
Chopping (Chop)
e most fundamental way in which beatmakers edit and manipulate their samples (and other sounds). It’s the altering of
a sample (or other sound) by dividing it into smaller desired segments. Moreover, it’s the process of removing or trimming
unwanted sections from a sample. Typically, it involves trimming sections from the start and end of a sample.
Chord
ree or more dierent musical notes played at the same time.
Chorus
Just like it sounds, think “doubling” or “tripling” of a sound. Chorus is typically achieved by doubling up a signal,
then adding some delay and pitch.
Clipping
When the sound signal is “too hot” and moving past the maximum (peak) level that a piece of equipment (e.g. a mixing
console) can handle, that sound is “clipping.”
Compression
e reducing, or rather evening out, of the dynamic range of an audio signal. It’s generally achieved by simply either
reducing the high level and/or increasing the low level audio signals.
Compressor
A processor (device) used for “compression,” that is, the reducing, or rather evening out the dynamic range of an audio
signal. It’s generally achieved by simply either reducing the high levels and/or increasing the low levels.
DAW (Digital Audio Workstation)
Refers to a general combination of audio multitrack software and audio hardware. It’s any system—usually software-
based—designed to record, edit and play back music tracks. A key feature of DAWs is the ability to freely manipulate
recorded sounds, much like a word processor manipulates typed words.
Decay
is is the dropping of a signal level until it reaches your preset sustain level.
Default Workow System
A Default Workow System is any stored beatmaking (production) template, like a default drum sequence (pattern)
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THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
or a default method, style, and/or technique.
“Dope”
A slang term often used in hip hop culture to describe something that is of unique style and high quality. Something
that is considered “dope” in hip hop means that it is highly respected.
Drum Shell
A very pivotal type of Default Workow System, it’s a default drum sequence (pattern). It’s any pre-made/pre-used
drum sequence extracted from beats one has already made, attempted to make, or are currently making. Once a
beatmaker creates a beat, he (or she) can always scrap the non-drum music and keep the drums. is left over drum
pattern is what I call a Drum Shell.
Dynamic Range
is is the audible (sound) range between the highest signal and the lowest signal, typically described as the range from
bass to treble. Much of today’s music lacks true dynamic range, because everything is mixed so loudly at pretty much
the same level, with very little dynamic range.
Equalizer (EQ)
is is a device used for “coloring” a sound. An Equalizer has the ability to boost or cut the Hi, Mid, and Low frequencies
of a sound. (See also Graphic Equalizer).
EMPI
Electronic Music Production Instrument.
Event (in terms of a sequence)
An event or step within a sequence is the point at which any action (programmed hit) takes place. An event can be
anything. It can be as simple as a kick-stab; it can be a sample of any length. e event (hit) serves to represent when
and where the action takes place within a sequence.
Event (in term of MIDI)
A single unit of MIDI data.
Event Strike
Every event that you actively program within a sequence is what I call an event strike. For example, tapping a drum
pad is an event strike. Playing a key on a keyboard is an event strike.
Filter
A lter is an electronic component—within a sampler, keyboard and the like—that is used for emphasizing,
deemphasizing and/or accentuating a specic range of frequencies. Generally, in beatmaking, lters are used to beef
up bass sounds and cut down high sounds, or to cut bass sounds and beef up high sounds.
“Flip” or Flippin’
Flippin’ (or to “ip” something) is the process of manipulating or modifying a sound (usually a sample), technique, or
device in a way that produces a new (creative) result that is respected in hip hop. “Flippin’” a sample usually means
that the sample is manipulated so much that you can’t even tell where it came from. Still, there are other cases where a
sample can be ipped, even while it contains its original identity. Flippin’ can also be used to as a term to describe any
reinterpretation or reconceptualization of an established style, sound, practice, and/or theme.
Gain
ink signal volume. Gain can amplify or de-amplify a signal level.
Graphic Equalizer
is is the visual manifestation of an equalizer, whereby multiple segments of the audio spectrum are represented by
individual faders or knobs.
Headroom
is is the safety range between the highest peak signal that’s being passed and the maximum signal level a piece of
equipment can handle.
High Pass Filter
is is a lter used for accentuating or emphasizing high frequencies. It works by cutting o or detaining low frequencies,
while letting high frequencies pass through.
Interface
573
GLOSSARY
is is simply a device that acts as a intermediary, a “connector,” if you will, between two or more pieces of equipment,
e.g. a sound card that allows audio to be recorded into a computer.
Latency
e delay (generally in milliseconds) of a signal from any hardware device to another. For example, the signal delay
from a hard drive to sound card, or drum machine and keyboard.
Layering
e process of combining two or more sounds into one. It is typically achieved by taking one sound and placing it
on top of the other. Layering is an excellent example of the high level of musicianship and application of advanced
audio/sonic concepts in beatmaking.
Limiter
A limiter controls the gain (volume loudness or lowness) of an audio signal. It prevents a signal from exceeding a preset
level. A limiter is similar to a compressor, but without the danger of “squashing” the signal.
Loop
A sound or measure of music of any length that is programmed to play for a predetermined amount of time before
it returns—loops—back to it’s beginning and repeats. e loop is the cornerstone structure of beatmaking. It’s the
repetitive instruction for a sequence and/or series of sequences.
Loop Point
In regards to sequencing and structuring a loop, the “loop point” is the audibly dead point, right before the loop turns
over to the next sequence.
Low Pass Filter
is is a lter used for accentuating or rather emphasizing low frequencies. It works by cutting o or detaining high
frequencies, while letting only low frequencies pass through.
Memory
Regarding computers, both personal and within EMPIs, there are two types of memory: (1) the standard hard drive
memory; and (2) RAM. Standard hard drive memory is the permanent memory used by a computer to store programs
and data. Here, all data is saved when the computer is turned o, whereas RAM (Random Access Memory) is the
type of memory used by the computer for the temporary storage of programs and data. Here, all data is lost when
the computer is turned o!
MIDI
e abbreviation stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. MIDI is the standard language by which all MIDI
devices communicate and send data (instructions) to each other. ere is NO audio involved with MIDI. MIDI is
simply the instructional data for audio.
Octave
is is the 8th tone above a given pitch, with twice as many vibrations, or below a given pitch, with half as many
vibrations.
“Out Front”
Regarding sound and sound placement, “out front” refers to the pre-recorded (sampled) drums (kick, snare) being
amplied and/or higher up in the mix. Hip hop/rap is often characterized as a music that has the drums out front.
Placement (aks “Music Placement”)
A placement is a conrmed beat and/or song on a commercially released album. e term has been around for some
time now. It actually comes from the phrases: “Placed tracks and placed songs.” During the 1980s and the mid- 1990s,
these terms were not prominently used. But as beatmakers (producers) were increasingly marginalized, often only
getting just one beat on a commercial release (rather than multiple beats), the use of the term “placement” increased.
Polyphony
Refers to the ability of an instrument to play two or more notes at the same time (simultaneously).
Pre-Mixing
e process of modifying your beats by using basic mixing concepts, before your beats and music are tracked and
recorded into multitrack recording systems.
Processor
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THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
is is a device such as a compressor, gate, equalizer and the like. It’s used for manipulating the dynamics or frequency
of an audio signal.
Progressive Sequencing
e practice of programming sections into a song that are based more on progression rather than repetition.
Quantize or Quantizing
“Quantizing” involves moving notes recorded in a MIDI sequencer so that they line up (match) with the desired time
values of a bar and/or sequence. Basically, it smoothens out the bumps when mixing two or more sounds together.
It’s particularly associated with lining up drums with non-drums so that the combination is right on time and not
o line.
Resonance (in regards to low/high pass lters)
Resonance works as a “warming” or “fattening” agent of the audio signal selected for ltering.
Reverb
Reverb is the result of the sound reections that occur in any given room. A reverb processor is used to give distance
and space to a sound. It makes a sound last longer than it is, similar to an echo, but it’s not necessarily delaying it,
where you can hear it twice. Adding reverb also aects the way in which a sound resonates.
Sample Placement
e process of mapping samples out across the drum pads of a Drum Machine/Sequencer and/or across the keys of a
keyboard or keyboard controller.
Scale
A scale is seven notes all in a row.
Sequence
A sequence is a program of chronological musical events (steps) within a measure of at least 1 bar.
Sequencing
Sequencing actually carries two meanings in beatmaking (hip hop/rap production). e rst meaning of sequencing
deals with structure, that is to say, the actual process of programming the structure of a beat. So a sequence is the
recorded, arranged program data within a measure. e second meaning of “sequencing” refers to the process of linking
up multiple EMPIs together.
Production Setup or Setup
e collective gear, equipment, and other instruments that a beatmaker (producer) uses to create his or her beats and
music.
Timbre
e distinctive properties — characteristic, quality, or substance — of a sound or sound produced (made) by a particular
instrument or voice.
Timestretch
A function/feature on an EMPI that changes the length of a sample (sound) without changing its tempo. Hence, it
permits you to mesh together multiple pieces of music that contain slightly o-setting beat patterns. It’s really a form
of BPM matching. More specically, it’s useful for matching drums with non-drum music.
Track (In regards to recording/sequencing)
A track is an individual section on a mixing console, a virtual mixing console, and/or a sequencer, whereby audio data
is recorded on (in) to.
Track (In regards to a complete composition)
A track is also another name often used for an entire beat, instrumental, or even a completed song.
Tracking
e process of recording audio data onto individual tracks within multirecording (multitracking) system.
Triggering
e process of playing a pre-programmed sound from one EMPI, via another; for example, using a drum pad from
a drum machine to trigger a sampler or sound module; or likewise, using a keyboard or keyboard controller keys,
computer keyboard keys, and the like.
575
Index
A
A Tribe Called Quest, 84-86, 88, 224, 467, 470, 475,
480, 559, 562, 564
African American (Black) Music Tradition, 40,
69, 154, 161, 228-30, 241, 301, 309, 312, 313,
332-34, 337, 344, 345, 348, 534
Afrika Bambaataa, 3, 30, 36, 41-43, 50, 60, 66, 67,
69-71, 74-77, 220, 231, 241, 246, 447, 520, 539,
559, 562
Akai, xv, xxi, 82, 89, 91-96, 101, 104, 105, 108,
113-16, 121, 129, 130, 134, 137, 138, 140, 141,
146, 160, 178, 179, 181, 184, 185, 214, 230-33,
251, 253-57, 260, 279, 455, 456, 464, 468, 473,
474, 477, 482, 490, 496, 509, 510, 521, 543
Anchor Technique, 172, 194, 293
Arrangement, 10, 82-87, 91, 93, 94, 97, 131, 137,
138, 147, 148, 152, 154, 157, 164-83, 186-88,
191, 193, 195, 197, 199, 201-05, 207, 209-11,
213, 217, 219, 226, 234, 235, 248, 249, 254, 258,
259 (see Chapter 6)
Arrangement Schemes, 202, 203, 205, 267
Assigning Sounds, 154, 159
Atonality, 212
Audio Bandwidth, 230, 260
B
B-Boy/B-Boying, xix, 1, 35, 37, 39, 40-45, 50, 54,
62, 66, 67, 70, 74, 77, 78, 221, 355, 356, 359
BPM matching, 183, 574
Bass Fill-Ins, 263, 264
Bass Filtering, 84, 88, 107, 108, 132, 141, 211, 251,
285, 256, 257, 411, 509, 512, 574
Bass Music, 67, 80, 81, 461, 471, 494
Beastie Boys, e, 78, 494, 562
Beat Broker, 373, 377-82, 386-89, 419-21, 545, 546
Beat CD, 317-20, 323, 324, 356, 406, 414, 434
Beat Prices, 374-77, 385, 389, 398, 400, 405, 407,
409, 421-27, 429, 439, 441, 451, 481, 494, 503,
504, 514, 517, 544-48, 551
Beat Structure, 181, 184, 186, 192, 219
Beatnuts, e, 69, 89, 559, 562
Benign Neglect, 23-28, 30-32, 62
Big Daddy Kane, 51, 53, 83, 456, 462, 469, 516, 562
Biz Markie, 83, 458, 514, 562
Blues, e, 1, 5, 9, 33, 47, 65, 69, 161, 229, 242,
259, 291, 292, 295-99, 309, 316, 318, 321, 333,
337, 342, 361, 528, 534, 536-38
Bomb Squad, e, 69, 81, 82, 232, 469, 478, 559
Boogie Down Productions (BDP), 52, 478, 480, 562
Break-Beat, 62, 63, 69-72, 79, 83, 87, 148, 238, 239,
247, 248, 269, 340, 449, 450, 453, 485
Break-Beat Period, 69-72, 79
Break Dancing, (see B-Boy/B-Boying)
Brown, James, xviii, 41, 48, 54, 60, 63, 65, 69, 133,
193, 294, 321, 450, 454, 455, 466, 471, 482, 485,
495, 527, 566
Buckwild, 69, 82, 89, 237, 238, 464-81, 503, 520,
528, 559
Bumpin’-the-Sample, 210, 211
C
Chopping, 10, 52, 71, 80, 84, 107, 108, 127, 136,
153, 155, 170, 174, 197, 228, 233, 234, 249-55,
258, 261, 267, 271, 272, 274, 275, 281, 368, 449,
453, 471, 509, 525, 559, 571
Chopping, Basic, 252
Chopping, Complex, 252, 253, 258
Chopping, Mental-Intuitive, 249
Chopping, Phrase, 252
Chopping, Stab-, 252
Click-Fix Approach, 103
Clock eory, 43, 71
Cold Crush Brothers, 48, 49, 51, 71, 492, 562
Complete Phrase, 191, 196, 209, 235, 248-50, 258,
260, 261, 274, 293
Compositional Ethic, 91, 309, 327-29, 349-52, 357,
358
Compositional Styles of Beatmaking, 169-78, 192,
195, 196m 200, 201, 209, 211, 225, 227-29, 235,
288-90, 293, 337, 540
Compositional Process, xvii, 1, 5, 8, 70, 95, 101,
166-68, 212, 229, 232, 306, 358, 359, 541
Consonance, 318, 336
Contracts, (see Chapter 13)
Core Drum Sounds, 82, 134, 140, 141, 218
Core Track, 205, 250, 258, 259
Counter-Melody, 211, 319
Crazy Legs, 44, 78
Cross Bronx Expressway, 18, 19
Culture of Sampling, 35, 54, 225, 226, 350
Cut/Cutting, 42, 43, 71-75, 79, 83, 85, 86, 116, 156,
167, 175, 182, 203, 215, 225, 234, 252, 253, 257,
261, 262, 279, 280, 333-35, 345, 347, 350, 449,
450, 452, 465, 466, 474, 484, 511, 516
D
DJ Premier, 69, 82, 84, 85, 87, 88, 89, 91, 93, 120,
121, 127, 129, 131, 139, 148, 193, 203, 220, 225,
232, 237, 238, 250, 254, 256, 261, 287, 300, 305,
341, 347, 419, 425, 450, 461, 481, 495, 509-18,
520, 523, 548, 559 (see interview with)
DJ Toomp, 64, 69, 80, 81, 89, 91, 92, 93, 95, 104,
120, 127, 129, 131, 148, 239, 287, 341, 418,
490-508, 548, 559 (see interview with)
DJ’ing, xix, 1, 10, 36, 37, 40, 41, 43, 48, 50, 59-61,
67, 70, 71, 74, 79, 81, 82, 90, 127, 169, 177, 225,
230, 231, 314, 447, 451, 456, 464-67, 491-94,
503, 505, 507, 527, 540
D.R. Period, ix, 89, 482-89 (see interview with)
Default Drum Programs, 162
Diamond D, 467, 468, 559, 562
Diggin’ In e Crates, 82, 85, 86, 229, 234, 236,
237, 239-46, 450
Disco, 9, 41, 47, 63, 65, 69, 70, 72, 127, 169, 230,
231, 299, 300, 450, 538
Dissonance, 318, 336, 337
Downbeat, 259, 274, 320, 321, 432
Dr. Dre, 69, 77, 85-89, 91, 93, 120, 148, 177, 199,
203, 220, 232, 341, 426, 470, 471, 475, 477, 479,
506, 514, 521, 522, 547, 559, 562
Drum Framework(s), 82, 89, 91, 95, 97, 141, 154,
156, 157, 162, 168, 198, 218, 258, 274, 275, 338,
350
576
THE BEATTIPS MANUAL
Drum Pattern(s), 81, 91, 97, 142, 147, 149-53, 157,
162, 168, 185, 258, 259, 269, 273, 281, 335, 482
Drum Programming, xvii, 84, 86, 87, 131, 133, 135,
137, 222, 223, 248, 264, 272, 273, 350, 414, 454,
478 (see chapter 5)
Drum Programming
Break-Beat Blend, 148; Hit-Stab, 148
Drum Sound Library, 134-36, 164, 485
Drumwork, 84, 199-201, 203, 218, 223, 299, 497
Duke Bootee, 50, 75, 76
E
E-diggin’, 128, 237, 240-45
East Coast Sound, 88, 287
Electronic Drum Machine Period, 69, 77, 80, 81,
94, 233
F
Fletcher, Ed, 50, 69, 75
Frequency Response Level, 260
Funk, 9, 41, 42, 44, 49, 60, 62, 63, 69, 70, 74-77,
81, 82, 85, 86, 89, 97, 107, 120, 127, 161, 169,
174, 230, 231, 242, 263, 291, 292, 297, 299, 300,
321, 342, 344, 361, 522, 534, 536, 538, 567
G
Gang Starr, 84, 85, 261, 509, 510, 513, 515, 563
Gangs, Street, 28, 29, 30, 35, 37
Grati, xix, 1, 37-40, 42, 43, 45, 50, 54, 55, 66, 67,
78, 94, 407
Grandmaster Caz, 48-51, 53, 78
Grandmaster Flash, 3, 30, 36, 41, 42, 43, 49, 50,
66-71, 74-77, 148, 220, 231, 240, 241, 304, 305,
363, 447, 449, 465, 466, 492, 493, 516, 539, 559,
563
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, 49, 50, 71,
74, 75, 563
Grand Wizard eodore, 69, 71
Group Map Assignment (GMA), 144, 178, 179
H
Harmonic Analysis, 317
Harmonic Rhythm, 318, 319
Harmony, 3, 6, 98, 114, 127, 172, 211, 267, 304,
315-318, 323, 324, 327, 328, 333-38, 343, 347,
349, 352, 357, 358, 360, 427, 491, 535, 538
Hathaway, Donny, 292, 566
Hip Hop Attitude, 54, 56, 57, 351, 352
Hip Hop DJ Style, 41, 59
Hip Hop Sensibility, 54-56, 67, 75, 77, 225, 226,
237, 310, 350, 352
Hip Hop/Rap eory, 310, 332, 333
Housing Act of 1949, 20
Hustler’s Convention, 48, 50, 52, 60, 63, 65, 567
Hybrid Beatmaking, 169
Hybrid Compositional style, 177
I
Image Line, 92-96
J
J Dilla, 69, 84, 86, 90, 91, 93, 120, 139, 148, 220,
283, 300, 388, 389, 510, 559, 564
Jazz, 5, 9, 33, 46, 49, 65, 69, 87, 107, 120, 127, 186,
229, 241, 259, 270, 284, 291, 292, 295, 304, 316,
320, 342, 361, 383, 478, 480, 508, 513, 516, 522,
525, 526, 528, 534, 536-38, 543, 565
Jones, Quincy, 33, 366, 367, 471, 493, 502, 509, 565
K
King Tim, 57, 72
Kool Herc, 3, 30, 36, 37, 41-43, 48, 49, 55, 59-66,
69-71, 231, 241, 447, 528, 539, 559
Kool G Rap, 51-53, 83, 389, 450, 456, 469, 516, 563
KRS ONE, 51, 52, 563
Kurtis Blow, 50, 51, 69, 74, 76, 78, 563
L
Large Professor, 69, 83-85, 87, 121, 148, 193, 220,
224, 232, 283, 449, 481, 509, 512, 526, 527, 559,
563
Layering, 80, 137, 138, 141, 213, 251, 261, 262,
267, 272, 322, 573
LL Cool J, 51, 78, 373, 458, 459, 492, 563
Lightnin’ Rod, 48, 50, 567
Linear Progression, 3, 93-95, 186, 189, 312, 327-29,
333, 337, 344, 347, 349, 352
M
MIDI, 102, 108, 109, 111, 113, 134, 161, 173, 178,
179, 181, 193, 194, 214, 230, 234, 497, 499, 509,
522, 574, 572, 573
Main Source, 83, 85, 196, 512, 563
Marley, Bob (and e Wailers), 282, 295
Marley Marl, 1, 52, 58, 69, 74, 77, 79-83, 88, 89,
131, 148, 232, 282, 283, 285, 294, 305, 341, 373,
388, 389, 447-463, 469, 478, 495, 496, 514, 516,
527, 548, 559, 563 (see interview with)
Marketing Plan, 409-12, 416
Material Growth, 94, 95, 186, 327, 329, 347, 349,
350, 352
Mayeld, Curtis, 292, 490, 526, 567
Melendez, Benjy, 15, 22, 27, 30, 64
Melody, 3, 6, 41, 51, 70, 76, 85, 93, 98, 114, 127,
152, 170, 172, 173, 186, 187, 194, 195, 205, 208,
211, 216, 258, 267, 274, 288, 291, 292, 315-320,
323, 326-28, 333-36, 339, 340, 344, 347, 352,
357, 358, 427, 453, 475, 497, 500, 522, 535, 538
Meter, 50-52, 55, 320-22, 329
“Merry-Go-Round” Technique, 41, 71
Miami Bass, 69, 80, 81, 98, 494
Moses, Robert, 17-23, 26, 31
Moynihan, Daniel Patrick, 23-27, 31, 570
Music eory, (see Part 3, Chapter 10),
xvii, 10, 170-73, 194-96, 204, 212, 219, 265, 266,
305, 307-313-17, 327-29, 332, 333, 341-44, 351,
352, 354-56, 359, 361, 363, 501, 528, 539, 570
N
Nas, 52, 87, 203, 346, 347, 464, 469, 482, 490, 509,
513, 563
Native Instruments, 94, 96, 519, 543
Needle Dropping, 42
Neptunes, e, 60, 90-93, 120, 139, 148, 220, 287,
426, 479, 484, 507, 547, 559
Nigger Twins, e, 41, 43
577
INDEX
Nuriddin, Jalal, 48
O
O-Beat/O Beat, 86, 87, 146, 153, 223, 320
P
Paul C., 69, 83, 449, 559
Pete Rock, 69, 82, 84, 87, 139, 148, 193, 232, 250,
300, 388, 389, 463, 468, 475, 499, 508, 512, 520,
523, 525, 529, 559, 564
Pioneers/Avant-Garde Period, 69, 81, 82, 86, 88, 89,
94, 96, 107, 148, 181, 232, 233, 239
Post-Pioneers Period, 69, 89, 90, 93, 148, 357
Publishing, 373-78, 395, 427-437, 449, 505
Punch Phase, 43, 71
Q
Quik Mix eory, 38, 63
R
Rand Corporation Fire Project, 22-24
Rapping, the Art of, xix, xx, 1, 37, 43-53, 67, 72, 73,
82, 334, 345, 346, 354, 355, 401, 477, 491, 536,
542, 543
Retro-Eclectic Period, 69, 93, 94, 97
Robinson, Sylvia, 58, 74, 75, 77, 175, 495
Rock ‘n’ Roll, 1, 161, 186, 231, 259, 295-98, 305,
308, 309, 321, 333, 361, 459, 533, 538, 543, 566
Rock Steady Crew, 43, 44, 78
Roland, xi, 81, 91-93, 104, 109, 114, 115, 119, 131,
147, 179, 214, 231-33, 484, 490, 496, 499, 543
Run-DMC, 50, 51, 458, 480, 493, 494, 516, 564
RZA, e, 69, 85-88, 139, 148, 193, 224, 232, 300,
341, 457, 525, 526, 529, 559
S
Sample-Based Beatmaking, 169, 227, 236, 237
Sample-Based Compositional Style, 170, 171, 176,
196, 209, 228, 229, 235, 540
Sample, Bumpin’-the-Sample, 210, 211
Sample Blending, 261
Sample Editing, 262
Sample Mapping, 114
Sample Placement, 574
Samples, Primary Samples, 180, 209, 210
Sampling, Forms of, 239, 247, 248
Sampling, Full Listen, 247
Sampling, Multi-Sampling, 261
Sampling, Paper-Clipping, Major/Minor, 258
Sampling, “Piggy-Back” Form, 247, 248, 284, 399
Sampling, e Sampling Equation, 234, 269
Sampling, Section Pieces, 248-50
Sampling, Spot-Listening, 247
Sampling, Spot-Note, 261, 262
Sequence Templates, 162
Sequencing, xvii, 10, 107, 108, 127, 163, 181, 193,
197, 234, 235, 368, 440, 472, 496, 500, 573
Setups, (see Chapter 4)
Shading Samples, 261, 262,
Shopping Beats, 373, 374, 419
Showbiz, 69, 82, 84, 232, 466-68, 509, 515, 559
Signal Chain, 234, 251, 266
Signature Sound, 84, 114, 139, 221-23, 409, 557
Slick Rick, 51, 53, 478, 480, 564
Smith, Larry, 69, 74, 76, 78, 81, 469, 495, 559
Sonic Quality, 64, 211, 214-16, 262, 263
Sonic Wall, 223
Soul (Music), 9, 16, 45, 48, 62, 63, 69, 82-89, 120,
127, 161, 169-74, 213, 217, 218, 230-33, 242,
269, 287, 290-92, 295, 297-300, 333, 342, 359,
361, 388, 466, 475, 480, 520-22, 534-38, 557, 566
Sound Frequencies, 136, 222, 223
Sound Rendition, 343, 344
Sound Signature, 114-16, 133
Song Structure, 89, 155, 186, 190, 191, 296
Sound-Stab, 83, 88, 170-72, 196, 199, 218, 227,
235, 248-53, 261, 266, 268, 281, 335
Sound-Tone, 248-50, 261
Southern Bounce Period, 69, 91-95
Spare-Part Phrase(s), 209, 235, 248-50
Spin Back, 42, 43, 71
Starr, Roger, 22, 25, 26, 31
Studio-Band Period, 50, 69, 72-77
Sugar Hill Gang, 50, 57, 58, 73, 492, 564
Sugar Hill Records, 57, 58, 73, 74, 77, 175, 492, 495
Syncopation, 91, 147, 153, 154, 159, 160, 171, 218,
322, 334, 339
Synthetic-Sounds-Based Compositional Style, 90,
154, 169, 172-77, 192, 195, 198, 201-03, 211,
214, 216, 222, 274, 292, 293, 336, 339, 340, 371
T
T La Rock, 51, 52, 78
“Tempo-ing Your Loop”, 197
Timbre, 100, 104, 160, 173, 213, 215, 230, 263,
315, 322-26, 336, 343-46, 574
Time Signature, 148, 184, 191, 291, 321, 322
Time Stretch, 153, 516
Tonality, 212, 328, 352
Trap Based/Performance-Experimental Period, 69,
95-97
Triggering, 107, 108, 129, 161, 178, 179, 185, 234,
454, 574,
Tucking, 224
U
UDD (User Degree of Diculty), 110
V
Velocity, 133, 136, 149, 155, 156, 160, 162, 263,
340, 341
Versioning, 46, 55, 228, 229, 238
W
West, Kanye, 69, 87, 90-93, 148, 220, 287, 470, 490,
499, 500, 504, 520, 527, 559, 563
West Coast Sound, 86-88, 98, 521
Westerm Classical Music, xxii, (see Chapter 10)
White Flight, 19
Williams, Alonzo, 69, 77, 81
Wonder, 9th 69, 94, 139, 237, 250 (see interview
with)
Wu-Tang Clan, 82, 86, 87, 428, 563
Y
Yamaha, 113-115, 119, 231, 464, 490, 496, 543
Acknowledgements
Amir and Qamar, Salaam Aikum wa Rahmatullah, wa-Baraktahu.
ank you for talking with me about hip hop culture and hip hop/rap music, as well
as science, philosophy, culture, mathematics, politics, and history. e discussions we
shared helped give me new levels of clarity. e support, patience, advice, and, most
importantly, the love and respect of both of you, was/is critical to me. I thank Allah
for you both.
Amir Ali Said, my son, best friend, and Superchamp co-founder — ank you for
your friendship, knowledge, courage, and curiosity. And thank you for copy editing
this manuscript. Remember, all the answers are in three places: Q, S, and YT. Samir
Arts next.
Qamar, my son’s mother — Your love, belief, and support through the years has
meant, and will always mean, something incredibly special to me. ank you.
I thank Allah for making you my son and best friend; and I’m grateful to Allah for
having blessed you with such deep understanding and accurate insight.
Insight and information has been contributed to this study by many individuals.
erefore, I have not attempted to cite in the text all the authorities and sources
consulted in the preparation of this study. To do so would require more space than
is available. e list would include various beatmakers (producers), recording artists,
recording engineers, A&Rs, lawyers, librarians, music retailers (owners, managers,
associates), music writers, and other well-known “music people”.
However, I would like to single out the following individuals, in particular, for
their continued help, thoughts, encouragement, and overall support:
Mariella Gross, thank you for your unwavering commitment.
To EVERYONE I’ve ever interviewed, you have my deepest gratitude. Among
those that I’ve interviewed, I would especially like to thank: DJ Premier, good-lookin’
out, Preme. Your word is gold with me; Buckwild; Bangout (Salaam Alaikum wa-
Rahmutallah); Minnesota; True Master; D.R. Period; John King (founder of Chung
King Studios); Rsonist (of e Heatmakerz); Dame Grease, Marco Polo, Rich Keller;
EZ Elpee; DJ Clark Kent; Steve Sola; 9th Wonder; DJ Toomp; and Marley Marl.
Finally, I would also like to extend my respect and gratitude to Eileen Southern
and to every unknown architect and pioneer who played a role in hip hop’s foundation.
ank you.
About The Author
Amir Said is a writer, publisher, musician, and father
from Brooklyn, NY. In addition to writing and
managing the BeatTips Network of music education
websites, Said also runs Superchamp Books, an
independent publishing company. He is the founder of
BeatTips, the leading resource for beatmaking/hip hop
production education; and he has written a number of
books, including e Truth About New York, e Art
of Sampling, Ghetto Brother, and e Truth About Paris
(co-written with John McNulty). His new novels,
Going Down to the Bungalow Bar and Feed the Meter,
are forthcoming in 2016 and 2017 respectively.
