DJ Premier and Pete Rock Visit DD172

Dj Premier and Pete Rock along with Curren$y visit DD172 to kick it with Dame Dash.  There’s some interesting commentary from Dame Dash explaining that the future of hip hop is going to be real fun with the new generation collaborating despite being from different regional areas (such as Curren$y who is from New Orleans collaborating with Wiz Khalifa, a Pittsburgh native).  Check out the video below:

DJ PREMIER AND PETE ROCK VISIT DD172, PART 1 from DD172 on Vimeo.

Dj Premier Tells The Story Behind His Classic Records

One of the best, if not the best, producers in hip hop, DJ Premier has laced many hip hop tracks in his 20+ years producing.  DJ Premier drops the science behind 38 of his classics as he kicks it with the people over at Complex Magazine. The hit producer know for his signature scratch chorus covers Gangstarr classics like “Just To Get A Rep” , “Dwyck” , “Mass Appeal” , and “Above The Clouds” and many of his hit collaborations like  Jay-Z’s “D’Evils” ,  B.I.G.’s “Unbelievable” , Nas’s  ”Nas Is Like” and Royce da 5’9′s “Hip Hop.”  This article is filled with gems like the following when DJ Premier is talking about  Nas’s “N.Y. State of Mind:”

That was just amazing because it happened in this room. Actually, anything from ‘92 and on, we did it here. It was just amazing watching him work because I was already a fan of him when he did ‘Back to the Grill,’ ‘Halftime,’ ‘It Ain’t Hard to Tell,’ and ‘Live at the Barbeque.’ So when I heard him on those records I was like, ‘Yo, I got to do something that’s on the same level.’ So I came in here, and flipped the ill, gutter, Joe Chambers sample (‘Mind Rain’). I can tell you because it’s cleared. [Laughs.] Nas watched me build the beat from scratch. And he wrote the verse in the studio. If you listen to ‘N.Y. State of Mind’ you’ll hear him going, ‘I don’t know how to start this shit,’ because he literally just wrote it. Before he started the verse, I was signaling him going, ‘One, two, three,’ and he just goes in like, ‘Rappers I monkey flip’em, in the funky rhythm.” He did that in one take. After he did that first verse, he goes, ‘How was that? Did that sound all right?’ And we were just like, ‘Oh, my God! The streets are going to go crazy when they hear this!

Head on over to Complex Magazine to check it out!

Cole

Top 11 Most Anticipated HipHop Albums of 2011

Ok with 2011 already seeing a couple dope albums dropping, including Talib Kweli’s Gutter Rainbows and the recently released Saigon album, The Greatest Story Never Told. 2011 is shaping up to be a sold year for hip hop.  Here we fill out the top 10 most aniticipated hip hop albums for the rest of 2011:

1. Dr. Dre – Detox

Release Date: Fall 2011

The good doctor has been promising us Detox for quite some time now and it looks like it will finally drop.  Ten years after the critically acclaimed Chronic 2001 and closing in on 20 years since the classic Chronic dropped, it’s hard to tell what to expect from Detox.  Already we are seeing a couple singles off the Detox album but neither produced by Dre himself; and isn’t that what you  look forward to Dre for?  Also would have been nice to see Nate Dogg on the hook of “Kush” to fill out the  West Coast vibe that Dre helped usher into hiphop. In any event we’ll have to wait to see what Detox brings.  In the meantime you can keep tabs on the what Dre is up to with Detox by checking out Dre’s site and the Detox-dedicated Detox-drDre.

2. Kanye and Jay-Z – Watch The Throne

Release Date: Sometime 2011

Kanye murdered it with his 2010 album My Beautiful Dark Fantasy while Jay-Z cleaned up on the business end. This March brings the two together for what could be an electrifying album and potentially hottest album this year. With all the internet buzzing off the first single H.A.M. and consequently introducing a new slang word to the hip hop community, the anticipation for this album is sky-high.  And if what Swizz Beatz says about the album is true, this album can be a hip hop classic. Some of the best music comes out when artists aren’t worried about singles, and how many records are they going to sell and instead just get in the studio and try to make good music. It’ll definitely be interesting to see how they use the five components of a hip hop track to arrange them to make their hits.

3. Jay Electronica- Act II: Patents of Nobility

Release Date: Sometime 2011

Steadily building up hype since 2007 with is nine-minute long drumless Act 1: Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge), Jay Electronica has been wetting listeners appetites for his full length album Act II: Patents of Nobility. To date he hasn’t dropped a wealth of music like some emcees do to build a hype witch makes him appear somewhat elusive.  We’ve seen the Just Blaze produced Exhibit A and Exhibit C. We’ve also seen Jay bless Kweli’s album as well as a couple mixtapes of his work.  The biggest buzz for Jay Electronica has been the signing to Roc Nation in November 2010 and the Jay-Z assissted “Shiny Suit Theory” track.  We’ll have to wait until Act II drops to see if he lives up the hype.

4. J. Cole – Untitled

Release Date: Spring 2011

J. Cole has steadily been building buzz for his 2011 release. After having a 2010 filled with touring and dropping one of the best mixtapes last year with Friday Night Lights and building more buzz with the video for In The Morning featuring Drake, there’s a lot of heads waiting for his RocNation album to drop.  Will his album live up to the hype of the mixtape?

5. Snoop Dogg – Doggumentary

Release Date: March 29th, 2011

Snoop has been in the game for quite some time and says he still has he same passion as when he first started. With collaborations with Swizz, Wiz Khalifa, Lil John, Kanye, Daz Dillinger, Too Short, John Legend and  several others this will surely shape up to be a solid disc from Snoop.  He’s already blessed Wiz Khalifa’s remix to Black and Yellow and laid down a verse for Kush off of Dr. Dre’s Detox and has his single WET burning up the internet. Doggumentary should leave is with some solid raps, dope beats, tight basslines, and overall good music – it’s sure not to disappoint.

6. Raekwon – Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tang

Release Date: Spring 2011

While Cuban Linx II was definitiely the same classic as the orignial Only Built For Cuban Linx it still manged to impress Raekwon continuing to  ride the success into his next major project Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tang.  With a number of collaborations ranging from Lloyd Banks to Nas and Rick Ross this could potentially be a solid album with plenty of replay value.  And with producers such as Mathematics, Erick Sermon, the Alchemist, and Havoc, the beats on this tape could be insane.  We’re just keeping our fingers crossed for a couple RZA-laced tracks.  If you haven’t already, check the slick video for his Shaolin Vs Wu-Tang.

7. Phonte – Untitled

Release Date: Fall 2011

Arguable one of the most slept on lyricists in the game, Phonte has been dropping ill rhymes since the early days with his group Little Brother. After the split with producer 9th Wonder, the subsequent break up of LB and a couple efforts dabbling more on the R&B side of things as one half of the group Foreign Exchange, Phonte is set to drop a more hip hop album (expect some singing to be mixed in there). In any event, if you haven’t really paid much attention to Phonte make sure you go check Little Brother’s albums Getback and the Minstrel Show to start. Not sure who is on the production side, but hopefully 9th Wonder will bless a few tracks and perhaps we’ll see a collabo with Big Pooh to give us that vintage Little Brother feel.

8. Wiz Khalifia – Rolling Papers

Release Date: March 29th, 2011

Wiz has steadily been killing the hip hop scene with numerous mixtapes and appearances. It wasn’t until the radio-hit Black and Yellow and the remix with Snoop and T-Pain that’s got Wiz the mainstream buzz every artists craves. Riding high off the success of Black and Yellow comes Rolling Papers in March.  ”Uh-huh you know what it is!”

9. Pusha T – Untitled

Release Date: Fall/Winter 2011

We’ve been waiting for a mixtape from Pusha but he’s apparently been busy in the studio with the likes of Kanye and Lloyd Banks. Not much has been touted about his upcoming album thus far but it’s safe to bet we’ll see Kanye on there in some form.  We wouldn’t be surprised to see a Lloyd Banks collabo neither as it’s not uncommon for rappers to return guest appearance favors when they both have album out.  Other than that, perhapd we’ll see some Pharrell on there and some classic Clipse tracks.

10. Lupe Fiasco – Lasers

Release Date: March 8th,  2011

After taking a little bit of a hiatus from dropping two slamming albums, Lupe is back with Lasers.  His first single “The Shows Goes On” was released late last year.  His latest single “Words I Never Said” featuring Skylar Grey hit the internet and we see Lupe in prime form dropping knowledge and intelligence over banging beats and tight production. Lasers is shaping up to be another solid Lupe album – expect dope beats, solid production, and some of the best lyrics from Lupe every 16 bars.

11.  Pharoahe Monche – W.A.R. (We Are Renegades)

Release Date: Spring 2011

We’re not sure what to expect from Pharoahe on his next endeavor but it’s sure to have some dope tracks on it with M-Phazes holding down some of the production and you know Pharoahe going to drop some razor sharp lyrics. Pharoahe always struck as an underground emcee that could have success in the mainstream ala Mos Def. We’ll see where he takes it for his next album but you can be sure there will be some real hip hop on this album.

But there’s more…

Of course these are not the only albums dropping this year.  Others worthy of keeping an eye on:

Big K.R.I.T. – Return of 4eva

Cali Swag District – The Kickback

GZA – Untitled

Ghostface Killah – Supreme Clientele 2

Jean Grae – Cake or Death

Lil Wayne – The Carter IV

Rick Ross – God Forgives, I Don’t

Slaughterhouse – Untitled

Busta Rhymes – E.L.E. II

Drake – Take Care

Nas – The Lost Tapes 2

50 Cent – Untitled

Murs – Unitled

Evidence – Cats & Dogs

Common – The Dreamer, The Believer

Q-Tip – The Last Zulu

Elzhi – Elmatic

-Cole

This post was written while listening to: The Greatest Story Never Told – Saigon

Drum Patterns: 005

Our fifth beat in our drum series designed to inspire, motivate and get ya creative juices flowing to create a dope drum track!

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

and this is how it looks programmed into a drum sequencer (here we used iDrum):

Make sure to check us out on twitter and check out our website for beats!

Making The Beat | Three Different Techniques (Pt.3)

In part one of our 3 part series on how to approach making a beat, we talked about sampling.  In part 2 we detailed the Keyboard Approach to making hip hop beats.  In our third and final installment of how to approach making a hip hop beat we talk about the Composite Approach.

What is the Composite Approach?

Essentially, the Composite Approach is the combination of the first (Sampling) and second (Keyboard) approaches to beat making. Instead of relying on one method, the Composite Approach offers a versatile option by combining the two.  It is called the Composite since the Samples and Keyboard sounds are melded together to create a cohesive sounding track.

How’s it done?

The Composite Approach in hip hop production combines Sampling and the Keyboard Approach – so basically part of your beat comes from sampling and part comes from sounds you played. That’s really the only requirement for a beat to be considered a Composite Beat. There are no real guidelines for how much of the Composite Beat needs to be sampled and how needs to be played from the keyboard. Perhaps you have some skills on the piano but need to step your drum production game up – you just can’t seem to get your snares to sound so rich and crisp. So you’ll sample some drum sounds from one of your favorite producers, or from an old 70’s record, or wherever you hear a snare that appeals to you. The rest of your beat you could lay down with your keyboard skills. Or maybe you have a sick drum pattern laid out, some killer keys on top, and some viscious violin stabs…all you’re missing is a nice bassline.  So you might sample a bassline that you like to round out your beat.

Similarly you may use samples for your whole record and just add a simple hi-hat from your keyboard. Or your beat is all samples but you need but you feel like you need a nice vintage 1920′s brass sound on top  to complete the hook.

Producers who rely on Composite Approach do not have to always follow this method, of course. If they feel like it they can make a record done entirely with samples, or a record done straight from the keyboard sounds. In fact at times it’s good to switch it up.

Another option, which arguably is the Keyboard Approach, is to sample yourself. Typically you may sample something like a piano melody, or a couple horn stabs. You can always play a sample yourself, then chop it up, add some effects, and loop it just like you would with a typical sample.  It’s a great way to go about beat making and something producers should consider trying.

Why Would You Use The Keyboard Approach?  The Advantages

The Composite Approach offers the same advantages and disadvantages as that comes with Sampling and the Keyboard Approach.  Since we already outlined those in detail we will skip it here. We will say, however, the more your beat uses samples, the more of the advantages/disadvantages of sampling you will experience. The reverse holds true for the Keyboard Approach.  That being said there are still some advantages specific to the Composite Approach

1. You’ll be a More Versatile, and Prepared, Producer.

Imagine this: You’re getting your once in a lifetime shot. There you are chilling with Jay-Z and his engineer Young Guru.  Your playing beats for Jay and he’s nodding away, feeling what you got. But then he tells you he has this idea for a track and wants  you to flip a sample off a record he just handed you.  If you only play your beats and don’s sample, what do you do?  Panic.  But if you are versatile and know how to sample, you’re in luck.  Think this is made up?  How do you think 9th Wonder got the chance to produce Threat off of Jay-Z’s Black Album?

2. It Can Spark Your Creative Side

Since you are not reliant on one method, you have different ways to go about approaching your beat-making.  This can come in handy if you are stuck in a creative rut. Can’t quite lay out a melody you are satisfied with?  Try sampling.  Tired of digging through crates of records to come up short finding a horn sound you like?  Play your own.

3. They Complement each other

Digging through crates looking for samples will give you inspiration for melodies that you may want to use, or certain sounds you may want to create.

What are the Drawbacks?

1. You Still Have to Create a Cohesive Sound

Combining old school samples with some of today’s modern sounds can make for some interesting mixes – and not necessarily for the better. You want your beat to sound cohesive, and not like a mish mash of random sounds with different effects and feels to them. This requires some knowledge of producing to blend the sounds to make a nice beat. Likewise, to really create a sound beat you’ll have to have a good ear and understand what blends well together. If you sample a flute from a record, it will pay to understand what key it was played in so that when you play the complimentary keys you know what key to play in.

2. Tons of Options

With lots of options to go about producing it can be overwhelming and a challenge. Many producers get caught up in all their sounds, and all their records that it can actually hinder performance. Being able to manage going through all your records and sounds on your computer takes time and discipline.

3. Jack of All Trades, King of None

Trying to master both sampling and playing the keys takes a lot of time and can be discouraging to producers. You’ll probably never be as knowledgeable and skilled on the MPC as someone who is 100% dedicated to sampling. Likewise for the keys. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but if you really want to be seen as the guru in either field, it may be worth sticking to the one approach that works for you.

The Composite Approach gives you even more freedom, control, and versatility then either the Keyboard Approach or Sampling. It allows you to start from scratch, create some of your own unique melodies and rhythm and fill in the rest with samples. Or, create a solid beat with samples, and take it to the next level by playing on top of it. It requires understanding sampling and music theory to be done right and a decent amount of time to invest in both approaches.  However, producers who have a handle on the Composite Approach are some of the most versatile and face the least limitations to producing.  When done right, it can be the most rewarding of the three approaches.

This is the third and final installment of our Three Techniques to Beat-Making series and we hoped you enjoyed it. That being said, we’ll end off on the same note we ended the first two posts. Whatever approach you choose, the most important way to produce is one that represents you. No one approach is going to all of a sudden make you a hit-maker. Just pick what works for you and produce beats that are representative of you, not someone else.

Till next time,

Cole

This post was written while listening to: Tical – Method Man