Drumless Loops, Rhythm, and Groove
Drumless Loops Defined
“Drumless loops” marks a minimalist, deceptively simplistic style, sound, and aesthetic of beatmaking that also emerges in this period. Typically with this style, sound, and aesthetic — the seeds for which appear to have begun (but did not begin) with rapper/producer Roc Marciano (2010) — the beats are drumless loops. Drumless loops are personified by an absence or minimal use of drums or percussion. And while there is sometimes a focus on using samples of melody and harmony, this should not be taken to mean that rhythm is still not the guiding light of drumless loops; it should be understood that omitting percussion does not omit rhythm. The loop (of the sample) makes the rhythm. Furthermore, just as with other beats, the groove in drumless loops based beats, which are often created by the looping of the sample, is always the anchoring presence of the beat. So the key thing to remember is that, although drums more often than not play the most dominant role in the groove, even with the drums removed you still have the groove and, of course, the rhythm.
Since there are no drums, or at least presumably not in the traditional hip hop/rap music sense, what’s happening here is a style and aesthetic that some might describe as “anti-beats.” Next, drumless loops represents the combination of “anti-beats” — i.e. beats with no added pulse to be heard in the traditional music sense — and rhymes delivered in either a laidback, slick-talk, or intense fashion. And that’s largely the appeal of this style, sound, and aesthetic. It’s liked for what it is, not for what it isn’t.
Final note before further distinguishing drumless loops, rhythm, and groove. It’s not entirely inaccurate to say that Roc Mariciano sparked the drumless-loops trend in 2010. Still, drumless loops, as an intentional style, sound, and aesthetic in hip hop beatmaking, really started with RZA in the mid-‘90s. Here, several RZA produced songs stand out. Ghostface Killah – “260” (feat. Raekwon) (1996). Ghostface Killah – “Daytona 500” (feat. Force MDs, Raekwon, and Cappadonna) (1996). Cappadonna – “97 Mentality” (1997) (on this song there’s an added snare, but for all intents and purposes, this a drumless loop). Since RZA was the first to seize on drumless loops as a style, sound, and aesthetic, this would make RZA the father of the drumless loops style and sound. And it would make Roc Marciano the leader of the new awakening of the drumless loops style and sound. And some of the other beatmakers (producers) who helped further popularize and define drumless loops include: Alchemist, Daringer, Preservation, Nicholas Craven, and SadhuGold. Still, it should also be noted that even while Roc Marciano took the drumless loops style, sound, and aesthetic and made it a key part of his overall aesthetic, other drumless loops undoubtedly appeared before Marciano zeroed in on them. For instance, listen to Papoose – “Across the Track” (feat. Nas) (2006), produced by Swizz Beatz.
Distinguishing the “Drumless Hip Hop” Aesthetic
In terms of the “drumless hip hop” aesthetic that was best popularized (not first done) by Roc Marciano in 2010, there’s some confusion about and misrepresentation of what “drumless” actually means. The garden-variety late-‘80s style of beat typically featured a loop of the sample of the main groove of a familiar soul/ funk song — with the drums still in the loop. Sometimes these beats included added drums or percussion, sometimes just hi-hats added over the top. But for all intents and purposes, these beats were never “drumless”. In other words, in stark contrast to the specific “drumless hip hop” aesthetic that grew in popularity after 2010, drums played a prominent role in the garden-variety late-‘80s style of beat. In the “drumless hip hop” aesthetic, as it’s currently practiced, drums play no role or a very minimal role; and that is the intentional aesthetic.
It must be further noted that “drumless” doesn’t simply mean “no drums” without any qualification. It’s not merely an absence of drums that’s going on with the “drumless hip hop” aesthetic heard in the music of Roc Marciano, KA, Alchemist, and the like. It’s also the very specific kinds of samples that are being used.
There’s an intentional aesthetic and stylistic choice in using a sample (a loop) that does not have drums in it or a sample (a loop) that contains minimal drums in it. Likewise, minimal drums added that are obviously not prominent in the beat also fall under the “drumless hip hop aesthetic.” On the other hand, using a sample (a loop) in which the drums are prominent — negating the need for drums — is something different. Not adding drums to a beat where the primary sample (loop) already has drums in it that are prominent is less about overall aesthetic and more about function. Point being, the drums in the sample already serve the basic function of the drums in a beat. And the thinking was (is) in this scenario, since the drums are already there and sound dope, there’s no need to mess the beat up or overproduce. Lastly, looping a melody that has no drums — a common aspect of today’s “drumless hip hop” aesthetic — and rapping over that is not the same thing as a looping a rhythmic groove wherein the drums are front and center.
Rhythm, Groove, and Drumless Loops
14 years after Roc Mariciano (re)sparked the drumless-loops trend with his album Marcberg (2010), and the drumless loops style and aesthetic has evolved into its own hip hop sub-genre that some have dubbed “drumless hip hop”. Again, drumless loops beats are typically personified by one primary sample and the absence or minimal use of drums or percussion. Also remember, “drumless” doesn’t necessarily mean that there are no drums at all; rather, it typically means that there are little to no additional drums added. In other words, it’s very common to hear so-called “drumless” loops with drums actually in the loop. A great example of this is LORD JAH-MONTE OGBON and SadhuGold – “Yeshua” (2022), produced by SadhuGold.
Next, while there is sometimes focus on using samples of melody and harmony, this should not be taken to mean that rhythm is still not the guiding light for drumless loops. Understand something: Omitting percussion does not mean omitting rhythm! The loop (of the sample) makes the rhythm. In other words, even when a sample of melody is the primary component of the beat, the melody is converted to a rhythm via the loop. One great example of this is Cam’ron – “Losin’ Weight 3” (2019), produced by CAM & REK. Another great example of the rhythmication of melody in hip hop beatmaking is the song “The Return of the Crooklyn Dodgers” (Chubb Rock, O.C., Master Ace, Jeru the Damaja) (1995), produced by DJ Premier. Although not a drumless loop per se, the beat for this song exemplifies how melody and harmony are often converted to rhythm in hip hop beatmaking. Additionally, just as with other beats, the groove in drumless loops beats, which are sometimes created by the looping of the sample, is always the anchoring presence of the beat. Here, the key thing to remember is this. Although drums more often than not play the most dominant role in a typical drumless loop, even with the drums removed, you still have the groove and, of course, the rhythm. Finally, it should be noted that drumless loops do not challenge or redefine the very essence of hip hop because the groove has always superseded the break. Moreover, hip hop beatmaking has always been flexible, particularly in terms of rhythm and groove. And drumless loops, of which the prototype actually dates back to the early ‘90s, and the conversion of samples of melody into rhythm, are mainstays of hip hop’s beatmaking tradition.
