Beat Breakdown: Prodigy – “Keep It Thoro” (Prod. By Alchemist)

When certain names in beatmaking get tossed around with praise, it’s not always easy to pinpoint exactly what all of the acclaim is about. But then, there are some names where it’s not hard to tell. For me, some names are heavy weight for a collection of songs, while others are big time for just one song in particular. Both apply to Alchemist. Although Alchemist has an impressive catalog, my all-time favorite Alchemist beat, the one I point everyone to first, is the beat that underscores Prodigy’s (of Mobb Deep) “Keep It Thoro.”

“Keep It Thoro” is an absolutely menacing audio composite. Aside from Prodigy’s heavy New York slang-laced phrasings and dead-pan confident delivery, it’s the beatwork of Alchemist that makes the song so defiantly hard. The core groove is built around a dusty, lounge-act sort of piano sample that jabs the exact same tone — in 1/8ths — for a count of seven times before there’s a change in the phrase, a loose note kicks off, and moments before the sample loops back to itself.

For the bass parts of the beat, Alchemist doesn’t go with a bass line. Instead, content with the rhythm of the hypnotic piano sample, he uses just three bass-stabs to anchor the groove. Two of the three bass-stabs are simply low- and high-pitched versions of the same exact sound stab.  The third bass-stab, which Alchemist uses to slide into one of the others, has a slick, boom texture to it. Here, I want to point out that even though this third bass sound-stab is “different” from the others, its own texture and sonic qualities actually make it fit perfectly with the other two bass-stabs. Alone, these other two bass-stabs are understated. But by balancing out their spacing, and not overusing them, Alchemist positions them as vital pieces of the overall sonic composite.

Historical Analysis and Experience

Some beatmakers (producers) might not (at first) understand Alchemist’s arrangement of higher tones with lower ones, but the reality is this technique of clashing textures and levels is one of the most fundamental mainstays of hip hop’s beatmaking tradition. Such a technique was first (necessarily) implemented with hip hop/rap’s earliest DJs, who were charged with the task of mixing songs — using turntables and a DJ mixer — with varying tones, textures, and tempos. In order to mix such songs in what was then known as the “hip hop DJ style,” these early sound architects learned to highlight the use of repetition in the songs they were playing and mixing.  By focusing specifically on the breaks of each song, DJs could further extend the breaks through even more repetition. This was manual looping, via various turntable tricks like the “backspin” or “the spin-back.” (For an in-depth look at the early history of beatmaking as well as beatmaking’s compositional techniques, read my book The BeatTips Manual.)

So on “Keep It Thoro,” Alchemist is acutely aware of the fact that it’s the repetitive nature of the sampled piano phrase that actually makes the bass parts sound even more pronounced; which, in turn, gives the overall track a “booming” sonic impression.

The music and videos below are presented for the purpose of education.

Prodigy – “Keep It Thoro”  (Prod. by Alchemist) [instrumental]

Prodigy – “Keep It Thoro”  (Prod. by Alchemist)