Browsing Category
Beatmaking
The Art of Sampling MusicStudy: Bobby Boyd Congress – “Dig Deep In Your Soul”
Early funk from obscure, little-known band from Long Island, New York offers a great education on the relationship between the drum patterns of modern beatmaking and that of those found in early funk music.
MC Lyte – “Paper Thin”: An Example of Avoiding Overproducing
You’re in the lab making a new beat. You’re nodding your head to it. The beat is dope — almost, you think. You just have to add one more thing.
Hold up, wait a minute!
Before you add that “next thing,” always consider whether or not…
Main Source – ‘The Science,’ the Follow-Up Album to ‘Breaking Atoms’
Most of the foundational hip hop beatmaking icons belonged to and made their name in groups before they became known separately as top beatmakers (producers). Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest. DJ Premier from Gang Starr. Dr. Dre from N.W.A.…
MusicStudy: Talking Heads – “Once In A Lifetime;” Rhythms In Motion
When I first heard the Talking Heads classic “Once In A Lifetime” (1981), I immediately knew that it would have a profound effect on me musically (and culturally). Although at that time I’d only had some minimal familiarity with African…
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…
Sample-Based Beatmaking As Learned Through Soul Music
Sample-based beatmakers (producers) draw inspiration from a variety of music forms and sources. So it should probably go without saying that each of those sources has both a direct and indirect influence on the way in which a beatmaker…
Nottz – “Shine So Brite,” A Demonstration of Rap Music’s Impenetrable Force Field
Here’s a simple truth. Within the beatmaking tradition (of the broader hip hop/rap music tradition), the more beatmakers who make beats, the more fluid the notions about what constitutes a dope beat. But hip hop/rap music, perhaps more than…
Madlib Made All the Beats for ‘Bandana’ On His iPad
Madlib shook up the beatmaking community Saturday when he announced that he'd made all of the beats for Bandana, the stellar collaborative album with Freddie Gibbs, on his iPad:
As I've said in my book The BeatTips Manual, if you…
Beat Breakdown: Main Source – “Looking At The Front Door”
Oliver Wang breaks down Main Source’s “Looking At the Front Door” and points out why Large Professor’s production work on this song exemplified sophisticated leaps forward in hip hop song structure.
The first album I ever bought on the…
BeatTips List Of Great Records For Drum Sounds, Vol. 1
Record gems with open drum sounds.
I’m a strong advocate for using custom drum sounds. Although I have no issue with stock drum sounds (I’ve used stock drums in the past, and I have no problem with using them in the future), I believe…