Drum beat The drum beat is a core element of hip-hop production. While some beats are sampled, others are created by
drum machines. The most widely used drum machine is the analog
Roland TR-808, which has remained a mainstay for decades. Digital
samplers, such as the
E-mu SP-12 and
SP-1200, and the
Akai MPC series, have also been used to
sample drum beats. Others yet are a hybrid of the two techniques, sampled parts of drum machine beats that are arranged in original patterns altogether. The Akai MPC series and
Ensoniq ASR-10 are mainstays for sampling beats, particularly by
The Neptunes. Some beat makers and record producers are sound designers that create their own
electronic drum kit sounds, such as
Dr. Dre,
Timbaland,
DJ Paul &
Juicy J,
Swizz Beatz,
Kanye West and
The Neptunes. Some drum machine sounds, such as the TR-808 cowbell, remain as historical elements of hip-hop lore that continue to be used in modern hip-hop.
Sampling Sampling is using a segment of another's musical recording as part of one's own recording. It has been integral to hip-hop production since its inception. In hip-hop, the term describes a technique of splicing out or copying sections of other songs and rearranging or reworking these sections into cohesive musical patterns, or "loops." This technique was first fully explored in 1982 by
Afrika Bambaata, on the Soulsonic Force tape
Planet Rock, which sampled parts of dance act
Kraftwerk and experienced vast public acclaim. This was followed up on in 1986: then-
Def Jam producer
Rick Rubin used
Black Sabbath and
Led Zeppelin loops in creating the
Beastie Boys' debut
Licensed to Ill, and the following year rap duo
Eric B. & Rakim popularized
James Brown samples with their album
Paid in Full. The technique took a bi-coastal turn when discovered by a young
Dr. Dre, whose first gig was the DJ of Afrika Bambaata-esque electrofunk group, the
World Class Wreckin' Cru. Dre began his use of sampling in hip-hop when he produced the
N.W.A album
Straight Outta Compton (1989), a landmark in the genre of
gangsta rap. Also in 1989,
Jazz-sampling pioneers
Gang Starr followed in 1991 by
Pete Rock & CL Smooth and
A Tribe Called Quest both appeared on the scene, popularizing their brand, and sampling took on a full role in hip-hop, spreading to prominence in high-profile projects like the
Wu-Tang Clan's
Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers, Dr. Dre's
The Chronic,
Nas'
Illmatic and
Notorious B.I.G.'s
Ready to Die. In the 2000s, sampling began to reach an all-time high;
Jay-Z's album
The Blueprint helped put producers
Kanye West and
Just Blaze on the map for their sampling of
soul records. Kanye West himself scored early hits with "
Through the Wire" and "
Jesus Walks", often considered by West as "
chipmunk soul", due to its sped up vocals on both songs. His 2004 album,
The College Dropout, included two sampled hits featuring
Twista which led to the Chicago rapper's
Kamikaze selling platinum. On September 7, 2004, however, a U.S. Court of Appeals in Nashville changed the nature of musical copyright infringement by ruling that a license is needed in every case of sampling, where previously a small portion of the song could be copied without repercussion. The law immediately began rarefying samples in hip-hop; in a 2005 interview with
Scratch magazine, Dr. Dre announced he was moving more toward instrumentation, and in 2006 The Notorious B.I.G.'s 1994 debut album
Ready to Die was temporarily pulled from shelves for a retroactive sample clearance issue. As a result, more major producers and artists have moved further away from sampling and toward live instrumentation, such as Wu-Tang's
RZA and
Mos Def. There were often questions of originality and authenticity that followed the use of sampling.
Samplers Because hip-hop production revolves around sampling, a
sampler/
sequencer combination device such as
Akai's
MPC line of grooveboxes usually forms the centerpiece of a hip-hop production studio. Although mostly replaced by Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) today, classic samplers like the E-mu Systems SP-1200, Akai MPC60, Akai MPC3000 or Ensoniq ASR-10 still see use today due to their workflow and sound characteristics.
Turntables The most widely used turntables in hip-hop are
Panasonic's
Technics series. They were the first
direct-drive turntables, which eliminated belts, and instead employed a motor to directly drive the platter on which a vinyl record rests. The Technics SL-1100 was adopted by early hip-hop artists in the 1970s, due to its strong motor, durability and fidelity. while developing new techniques made possible by the direct-drive turntable technology of the Technics SL-1100, which he used for the first
sound system he set up after emigrating to New York in the 1970s. It was adopted by New York City hip-hop DJs such as
Grand Wizard Theodore and
Afrika Bambaataa in the 1970s. As they experimented with the SL-1200 decks, they developed scratching techniques when they found that the motor would continue to spin at the correct
RPM even if the DJ wiggled the record back and forth on the platter. mostly due to their wide-range response and high quality. A primary alternative to the expensive condenser microphone is the
dynamic microphone, used more often in live performances due to its durability. The major disadvantages of condenser microphones are their expense and fragility. Also, most condenser microphones require phantom power, unlike dynamic microphones. Conversely, the disadvantages of dynamic microphones are they do not generally possess the wide spectrum of condenser microphones and their frequency response is not as uniform. Many hip-hop producers typically used the Neumann U-87 for recording vocals, which imparts a glassy "sheen" especially on female vocals. But today, many producers in this musical genre use the Sony C-800G tube microphone, vintage microphones, and high-end ribbon microphones tuned for flattering, "big" vocal expression. Many classic hip-hop songs were recorded with the most basic of equipment. In many cases, this contributes to its raw sound quality and charm. A lot of recording engineers prefer using "dry" acoustics for hip-hop to minimize the room reverberation.
Mixing Mixing is the process of blending audio elements together to create a cohesive sound that clearly conveys the artist’s intended experience for the listener. This process is the final step of music production, after songwriting, arrangement, and recording have been completed. Mixing involves adjusting audio tracks and applying tools such as equalizers, compression, and effects. The purpose of this is to produce a final product where all the elements in the song complement each other to create an intended listening experience. Mixing is considered a creative process, as there is no definite right or wrong way to mix a song. Each mixing engineer mixes with their own style and inputs their own creative intent to the track. Rhythm and vocals are the most important aspects of the hip-hop genre, and it is crucial to consider this when mixing. Vocals are one of the most essential elements to the overall sound of hip-hop tracks and attract the most attention. They are often mixed with heavy processing, including equalization (EQ), compression, and the use of effects such as reverb and delay. In modern hip-hop, auto-tune has become a defining characteristic and adds a stylized, almost robotic effect to the artist's voice. Occasionally, vocal mixing can also include effects such as saturation or pitch modulation to bring a certain stylistic sound. Mixing the beat in hip-hop involves having a strong low-end that complements the vocals. Having a good mix means every element should be distinguishable with its own place in the sonic soundscape. Each element should complement the others, with the sub-bass frequencies in particular. The sub-bass frequencies, which include the 808 and the kick, can often clash and cause muddiness when they play at the same time. To avoid the clash, EQ and sidechain compression are often used to carve out distinct spaces for each element, allowing the kick to punch through between the sustained 808 bass. Panning and managing the stereo field are important in creating space in the mix. Typically, instruments such as hi-hats, cymbals, and other various background elements are panned to different parts of the stereo field. preferably on digital marketplaces to rap artists from all around the world and caused the creation of a new niche market. Some Beatmakers oppose complete reliance on DAWs and software, citing lower overall quality, lack of effort, and lack of identity in computer-generated beats. Sequencing software often comes under criticism from purist listeners and traditional producers as producing sounds that are flat, overly clean, overly compressed, and less human because it's all computer-generated. Popular DAWs used in hip-hop production include the following: •
Ableton Live • Acoustica
Mixcraft •
Adobe Audition •
Apple's
Logic Pro •
Avid Technology's
Pro Tools •
Cakewalk SONAR •
Steinberg Cubase •
Image-Line's
FL Studio •
PreSonus’s
Studio One •
Reason Studios •
Sony ACID Pro •
Apple's
GarageBand •
Motu Inc. Digital Performer •
Cockos REAPER •
Ardour Live instrumentation Live instrumentation is not as widespread in hip-hop, but is used by a number of acts and is prominent in hip-hop-based fusion genres such as
rapcore. Before samplers and synthesizers became prominent parts of hip-hop production, early hip-hop hits such as "
Rapper's Delight" (
The Sugarhill Gang) and "The Breaks" (
Kurtis Blow) were recorded with live studio bands. During the 1980s,
Stetsasonic was a pioneering example of a live hip-hop band. Hip-hop with live instrumentation regained prominence during the late-1990s and early 2000s with the work of
The Goats,
The Coup,
The Roots, Mello-D and the Rados,
Common,
DJ Quik,
UGK and
OutKast, among others. In recent years, The
Robert Glasper Experiment has explored live instrumentation with an emphasis on the instrumental and improvisational aspect of hip-hop with rappers such as
Mos Def,
Talib Kweli,
Q-Tip, and
Common as well as
neo-soul singer
Bilal Oliver.
Drumming and hip-hop Throughout history, the drum set has taken numerous identities. It is the instrument that makes
jazz "swing" and
rock 'n' roll "rock." With a new age of pop music on the rise within the past decade, it is easy to assume the drum set has been replaced by electronic sounds produced by an engineer. In reality, the drum set is the reason behind the production of these electronic beats, and live drummers contribute to modern-day hip-hop much more than what meets the ear. An example of a drummer recording on a hip-hop record is
Kendrick Lamar's album titled
To Pimp A Butterfly, which was released in 2015. Robert Sput Searight, drummer of
Snarky Puppy, performed on the tracks titled "For Free" and "Hood Politics." When performing live, Lamar would often employ a live band as opposed to most live hip-hop that use a pre-recorded backing track. The non-musician may find the use of a live drummer on a hip-hop recording unnoticeable, however, these musicians should receive credit for their work. The list below names some of the most influential drummers of the
hip-hop genre.Other hip-hop drummers include the following: •
Questlove •
J Dilla •
Pharrell Williams •
Tony Royster Jr. •
Chris Dave •
Karriem Riggins •
Adam Deitch •
Papi Yerr == Instrumental hip-hop ==