free underground rap instrumentals, Beats & Loops

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Beats & Loops

Beats are the foundation of every hip-hop song. Their importance is rooted back in the days when MCs would talk over the percussion ‘breaks’ in soul classics from James Brown and other artists. It follows then, that sampled breaks are an intrinsic part of hip-hop. Now more then ever though, the original beat is what will set you apart.

When creating your own beat, the trick is to keep it sparse. Once the groove is established, try taking out percussion hits before adding more. Sometimes, less really is more.

Professional hip-hop productions rarely have two different types of percussion elements in play at the same time. If a clap and snare are used, they’ll often play together and then alternate over a bar or two. It is not uncommon to hear a single instrument played for small or specific sections of a looped bar. It creates the effect that different percussion elements are taking turns.

Creating your own beats will set you apart from the crowd. You will be taken more seriously because you were creative and didn’t do a rehash of someone else’s work. Creating you own beats also protects you from the potential legal hassle of royalties.



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