Preface

The 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 significant around the globe. Thus, 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 five 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. Though 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.

Third, 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 offer 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 The 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 fill 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 find a means to nurture their natural inclination for creating music. Thus, I want The BeatTips Manual to act as a gateway book, a conduit that further leads to learning more about the art and processes of music.

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 offer 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.

This book is for anyone interested in the hip hop/rap and beatmaking traditions and the encompassing hip hop culture. Though 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 aficionados, and casual hip hop supporters alike.

About The Slant of This Book

This 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 The 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. Thus, I’ve taken great effort 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 first on the needs and interests of beatmakers of course. This book is not the work of someone who spent time doing “fieldwork” (admirable as that may be), but instead, it is the product of someone who’s lived in the field all of his life.

Also, I should add that The BeatTips Manual is not meant to be a standard ethnographical look at beatmaking and/or hip hop culture. That being said, however, I must concede that many elements of this study will certainly appeal to both ethnomusicologists and musicologists alike. This book is also not an anthropological study of a culture for which I only have a fleeting 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 first 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 first 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 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 findings 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 fifteen 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. That being said, I make no apologies for my penchant for keeping a journal of notes, incredibly memorable photos, historical party flyers, vinyl records, and cassette tapes. There are a number of my personal experiences within hip hop that have contributed substantially to the production of this manuscript. Therefore, 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 outfits, 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. This 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.” This study is unequivocally concerned with and centered around hip hop/rap music in its truest, most fundamental meaning: beats and rhymes . Thus, 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), first 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).

What’s In Here?

I have designed The BeatTips Manual to serve as both an examination of and instructional guide to the beatmaking tradition of hip hop/rap music. Thus, 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 firmly established in the hip hop/rap beatmaking community.

This 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.) This book is easy to follow, comprehensive, straight-forward and very intuitive.

How This Book Is Laid Out

The BeatTips Manual ambitiously approaches three broad areas: history, instruction, and tradition. These areas are further organized into five parts: Part 1: History; Part 2: Technical Beatdown (Instruction); Part 3: Music Tradition, Culture, and Theory; Part 4: The Business of Beats; Part 5: The Interviews.

This book opens with an introduction to what hip hop/rap beatmaking is, followed by Part 1: History. The 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. Thus, 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.

The 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 find 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. This 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 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: first, 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 personifies 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

The “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 specific areas within this study, I thought I should offer 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 confidence 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. That 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 Europeanderived esthetics (and creative aesthetics) and sensibilities.

Throughout 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 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 first 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. This 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: graffiti, 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 identifiable 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. Thus, 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.” That is to say, today, “hip hop” is often used synonymously with “rap.” Thus, 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 first 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: The Illustrated History of Break Dancing, Rap Music, and Graffiti, published in 1984 uses the same spelling. My deference is to the original architects and pioneers of hip hop and the first writers to formally document the culture.

The 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 my opinion. Beatmakers literally make beats ! Moreover, the term “beatmaker” itself is a unique term for a different 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,” first and foremost. This 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 confident 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 significant amount of slang. Deliberate effort 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. Throughout 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. The 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: The setup that I use offers a variety of particular nuances that permit me to apply many different methods and techniques. However, as you will learn, the compositional and procedural aesthetics of beatmaking are nearly all universal. That 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 offers a number of sound and technical effects 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. There may be many similarities at their core, but each piece in any setup performs consistent to its design and design potential. Different EMPIs combine to produce various effects. 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. The 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. The 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

This 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. Thus, if you know nothing at all or fairly little about beatmaking and/or hip hop/rap music, you can start with the first chapter and progress confidently 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.