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Hip hop production is the creation ofhip hop music in a recording studio. While the term encompasses all aspects of hip hop music creation, including recording therapping of anMC, aturntablist or DJ providing a beat, using samples and "scratching" using record players and the creation of a rhythmic backing track, and using adrum machine orsequencer, it is most commonly used to refer to recording the instrumental, non-lyrical and non-vocal aspects of hip hop.
Hip hop producers may be credited as the record producer or songwriter; they may also supervise recording sessions.[1][2][3][4]
Hip hop instrumentals are colloquially referred to as beats or musical compositions, while the composer is called either a programmer, songwriter, or beat maker. In the studio, the hip hop producer often functions as both the composer and as a traditional record producer. They are sometimes called Orchestrators.P. Diddy is an example of one, but they are ultimately responsible for the final sound of a recording and providing guidance to the artists and performers, as well as advising theaudio engineer on the selection of everything frommicrophones andeffects processors to how to mix vocal and instrumental levels.[citation needed]
Hip-hop, the dominant turn-of-the-century pop form, gives the most electrifying demonstration of technology's empowering effect [...] [T]he genre rose up from desperately impoverishedhigh-riseghettos, where families couldn't afford to buy instruments for their kids and even the most rudimentary music-making seemed out of reach. But music was made all the same: thephonograph itself became an instrument. In theSouth Bronx in the 1970s, DJs likeKool Herc,Afrika Bambaataa, andGrandmaster Flash used turntables to create a hurtlingcollage of effects—loops,breaks,beats,scratches. Later, studio-bound DJs and beat maker's used digitalsampling to assemble some of the most densely packed sonicassemblages in musical history:Eric B. and Rakim'sPaid in Full,Public Enemy'sFear of a Black Planet,Dr. Dre'sThe Chronic.
TheRoland TR-808 drum machine was introduced in 1980, which was an analog machine with a step-programming method. The 808 was heavily used byAfrika Bambaataa, who released "Planet Rock" in 1982, in addition to the electro hip hip groundbreaking classic "Nunk" byWarp 9, produced byLotti Golden and Richard Scher, giving rise to the fledglingElectro genre. An especially notable artist is the genre's own pioneerJuan Atkins who released what is generally accepted as the first American techno record, "Clear" in 1984 (later sampled byMissy Elliott). These early electro records laid down the foundations that later Detroit techno artists such asDerrick May built upon. In 1983,Run-DMC recorded "It's Like That" and "Sucker M.C.'s," two songs which relied completely on synthetic sounds, in this case via anOberheim DMX drum machine, ignoring samples entirely. This approach was much like early songs by Bambaataa and the Furious Five.[citation needed]
Kurtis Blow was the first hip hop artist to use adigital sampler, when he used theFairlight CMI on his 1984 albumEgo Trip, specially on the track "AJ Scratch". The E-mu SP-12 came out in 1985, capable of 2.5 seconds of recording time. TheE-mu SP-1200 promptly followed (1987) with an expanded recording time of 10 seconds, divided on 4 banks. One of the earliest songs to contain a drum loop or break was "Rhymin' and Stealin'" by theBeastie Boys, produced byRick Rubin.Marley Marl also popularized a style of restructuring drum loops by sampling individual drum hits in the mid-1980s, a technique that was popularized by theMC Shan's 1986 single "The Bridge," which used chops of "Impeach the President" on two Korg Delay/sampling triggered by a Roland TR-808. TheAkaiMPC60 came out in 1988, capable of 12 seconds of sampling time. The Beastie Boys releasedPaul's Boutique in 1989, an entire album created completely from an eclectic mix of samples, produced by theDust Brothers using anEmax sampler.De La Soul also released3 Feet High and Rising that year.[citation needed]
Public Enemy'sBomb Squad revolutionized the sound of hip-hop with dense production styles, combining tens of samples per song, often combining percussion breaks with a drum machine. Their beats were much more structured than the early more minimal and repetitive beats. The MPC3000 was released in 1994, theAKAI MPC2000 in 1997, followed by the MPC2000XL in 1999[6] and the MPC2500 in 2006. These machines combined a samplingdrum machine with an onboardMIDIsequencer and became the centerpiece of many hip hop producers' studios. Wu Tang Clan's producerRZA is often credited for getting hip hop attention away fromDr. Dre's more polished sound in 1993. RZA's more gritty sound with low rumbling bass, sharp snare drum sounds and unique sampling style based onEnsoniq sampler. With the 1994 release ofThe Notorious B.I.G.'sReady to Die,Sean Combs and his assistant producers pioneered a new style where entire sections of records were sampled, instead of short snippets, à laMC Hammer’s “Can’t Touch This.”
Records like "Warning" (Isaac Hayes's "Walk On By"), and "One More Chance (Remix)" (Debarge's "Stay With Me") epitomized this aesthetic. In the early 2000s,Roc-a-Fella in-house producerKanye West made the "chipmunk" technique popular. This had been first used by 1980s electro hip-hop groupNewcleus with such songs as "Jam on It". This technique involves speeding up a vocal sample, and its corresponding instrumental loop, to the point where the vocal sounds high-pitched. The result is a vocal sample that sounds similar to the singing of the popular cartoon singing animals "Alvin and the Chipmunks". West adopted this style fromJ Dilla and theWu-Tang Clan'sRZA, who in turn was influenced byPrince Paul, the pioneer of the style of speeding up and looping vocal samples to achieve the "chipmunk" sound. Kanye West has used the "chipmunk" effect in many of his songs, and has been used in many other artists' music in the 2010s.[citation needed]
During the course of the 2010s, many chart-topping hits revolved around music producers using Digital Audio Workstation software (for example FL Studio) to create songs from sampled sounds. Prominent hip hop producers from this time includeSonny Digital,Mike Will Made It,Metro Boomin,WondaGurl,Zaytoven,Lex Luger,Young Chop, DJ L Beats,Tay Keith, and the birth of music producing groups such as808Mafia, Winner's Circle, andInternet Money.[citation needed]
The drum beat is a core element of hip hop production. While some beats are sampled, others are created bydrum machines. The most widely used drum machine is the analogRolandTR-808, which has remained a mainstay for decades.[7] Digitalsamplers, such as theE-mu SP-12 andSP-1200, and theAkai MPC series, have also been used tosample 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[8] andEnsoniq ASR-10 are mainstays for sampling beats, particularly byThe Neptunes. Some beat makers and record producers are sound designers that create their ownelectronic drum kit sounds, such asDr. Dre,Timbaland,DJ Paul &Juicy J,Swizz Beatz,Kanye West andThe 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.
Hip hop does not simply draw inspiration from a range of samples, but it layers these fragments into an artistic object. If sampling is the first level of hip hop aesthetics, how the pieces or elements fit together constitute the second level. Hip hop emphasizes and calls attention to its layered nature. The aesthetic code of hip hop does not seek to render invisible the layers of samples, sounds, references, images, and metaphors. Rather, it aims to create a collage in which the sampled texts augment and deepen the song/book/art's meaning to those who can decode the layers of meaning.
— Richard Schur,Hip Hop Aesthetics and Contemporary African American Literature (2008)[9]
Sampling is using a segment of another's musical recording as part of one's own recording.[10] 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 byAfrika Bambaata, on the Soulsonic Force tapePlanet Rock, which sampled parts of dance actKraftwerk and experienced vast public acclaim.[11] This was followed up on in 1986: then-Def Jam producerRick Rubin usedBlack Sabbath andLed Zeppelin loops in creating theBeastie Boys' debutLicensed to Ill,[12] and the following year rap duoEric B. & Rakim popularizedJames Brown samples with their albumPaid in Full.[13]
The technique took a bi-coastal turn when discovered by a youngDr. Dre, whose first gig was the DJ of Afrika Bambaata-esque electrofunk group, theWorld Class Wreckin' Cru. Dre began his use of sampling in hip-hop when he produced theN.W.A albumStraight Outta Compton (1989), a landmark in the genre ofgangsta rap.[14] Also in 1989,Jazz-sampling pioneersGang Starr followed in 1991 byPete Rock & CL Smooth andA Tribe Called Quest both appeared on the scene, popularizing their brand,[15][16] and sampling took on a full role in hip-hop, spreading to prominence in high-profile projects like theWu-Tang Clan'sEnter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers,[17] Dr. Dre'sThe Chronic,[18]Nas'Illmatic[19] andNotorious B.I.G.'sReady to Die.[20]
In the 2000s, sampling began to reach an all-time high;Jay-Z's albumThe Blueprint helped put producersKanye West andJust Blaze on the map for their sampling ofsoul records.[21] 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 featuringTwista which led to the Chicago rapper'sKamikaze 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.[22] The law immediately began rarefying samples in hip-hop; in a 2005 interview withScratch magazine, Dr. Dre announced he was moving more toward instrumentation,[23] and in 2006 The Notorious B.I.G.'s 1994 debut albumReady to Die was temporarily pulled from shelves for a retroactive sample clearance issue.[24] As a result, more major producers and artists have moved further away from sampling and toward live instrumentation, such as Wu-Tang'sRZA[25] andMos Def.[26] There were often questions of originality and authenticity that followed the use of sampling.[citation needed]
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Because hip hop production revolves around sampling, asampler/sequencer combination device such asAkai'sMPC 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.[citation needed]
The most widely used turntables in hip hop arePanasonic'sTechnics series. They were the firstdirect-drive turntables,[27] which eliminated belts, and instead employed a motor to directly drive the platter on which a vinyl record rests.[28] The Technics SL-1100 was adopted by early hip hop artists in the 1970s, due to its strong motor, durability and fidelity.[28] A forefather ofturntablism wasDJ Kool Herc, an immigrant fromJamaica to New York City.[27] He introduced turntable techniques from Jamaicandub music,[29] while developing new techniques made possible by the direct-drive turntable technology of the Technics SL-1100, which he used for the firstsound system he set up after emigrating to New York in the 1970s.[27] The signature technique he developed was playing two copies of the same record on two turntables in alternation to extend theb-dancers' favorite section,[29] switching back and forth between the two toloop thebreaks to a rhythmic beat.[27]
The most influential turntable was theTechnics SL-1200.[30] It was adopted by New York City hip hop DJs such asGrand Wizard Theodore andAfrika 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 correctRPM even if the DJ wiggled the record back and forth on the platter.[30] Since then, turntablism spread widely in hip hop culture, and the SL-1200 remained the most widely used turntable in DJ culture for the next several decades.[28][30]
Synthesizers are used often in hip hop production. They are used for melodies,basslines, percussive "stabs", chords and textures. The use of hardware synthesizers was popularized byDr. Dre during theG-funk era. In the 2000s,Jim Jonsin,Cool and Dre,Lil Jon,Scott Storch, andNeptunes continued to use synthesizers. In the 2010s, software synthesizers began to gain popularity for their convenience, low cost, and small size.[citation needed]
In hip hop, amulti-track recorder is standard for recording. ThePortastudiocassette recorder was the law in the in-house recording studios in the 1980s. DigitalADAT tape recorders became standard during the 1990s, but have been largely replaced by Digital Audio Workstations or DAWs such as Apple's Logic, Avid's Pro Tools and Steinberg's Nuendo and Cubase. DAW's allow for more intricate editing and unlimited track counts, as well as built-in effects. This allows songwriters and composers to create music without the expense of a large commercial studio.[citation needed]
Generally, professional producers opt for acondenser microphone for studio recording,[31][32] mostly due to their wide-range response and high quality. A primary alternative to the expensive condenser microphone is thedynamic 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.[citation needed] 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.[citation needed] A lot of recording engineers prefer using "dry" acoustics for hip hop to minimize the room reverberation.
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.[33] 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 to 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.[34] 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.[33] Most hip hop beats consist of elements such as the 808 bass, kick, snare, hi-hats, and melodic instruments such as synths or samples.[35] Having a good mix means every element should be distinguishable with its own place in the sonic soundscape. Each element should complement each other, 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 is 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.[33] The vocals, 808, kick, and snare are left in the center. This arrangement of panning will avoid clashing between the vocals and main drums, while creating width and immersion.
Special effects such as reverb, delay, and distortion are at times, used sparingly.[33] Reverb is used to add depth and space, while delay is used to create rhythm between the vocal and instrumental elements. Small amounts of saturation can be applied to the drums for more presence, or vocals to add warmth and harmonics.
DAWs and software sequencers are used in modern hip hop production for the composer as software production products are cheaper, easier to expand, and require less room to run than their hardware counterparts. The success of these DAWs generated a flood of new semi-professional beatmakers, who license their beats or instrumentals[36] preferably on digital marketplaces[37] 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:
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 asrapcore. 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 ofThe Goats,The Coup,The Roots, Mello-D and the Rados,Common,DJ Quik,UGK andOutKast, among others. In recent years, TheRobert Glasper Experiment has explored live instrumentation with an emphasis on the instrumental and improvisational aspect of hip hop with rappers such asMos Def,Talib Kweli,Q-Tip, andCommon as well asneo-soul singerBilal Oliver.
Throughout history the drum set has taken numerous identities. It is the instrument that makesjazz "swing" androck 'n' roll "rock." With a new age of pop music on the rise within the past decade[when?], 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 isKendrick Lamar's album titledTo Pimp A Butterfly which was released in 2015. Robert Sput Searight, drummer ofSnarky 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.[38] 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.[neutrality isdisputed] The list below names some of the most influential drummers of thehip-hop genre.
Other hip hop drummers include the following:[39][40][41][42][43][44]
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Instrumental hip hop iship hop music without vocals. Hip hop as a general rule consists of two elements: an instrumental track (the "beat") and a vocal track (the "rap"). The artist who crafts the beat is the producer (or beatmaker), and the one who crafts the rap is theMC (emcee). In this format, therap is almost always the primary focus of the song, providing most of the complexity and variation over a fairly repetitive beat. Instrumental hip hop is hip hop music without an emcee rapping. This format gives the producer the flexibility to create more complex, richly detailed and varied instrumentals. Songs of this genre may wander off in different musical directions and explore various subgenres, because the instruments do not have to supply a steady beat for an MC. Although producers have made and released hip hop beats without MCs since hip hop's inception, those records rarely became well known.Jazzkeyboardist/composerHerbie Hancock and bassist/producerBill Laswell'selectro-inspired collaborations are notable exceptions. 1983'sFuture Shock album and hit single "Rockit" featuredturntablistGrand Mixer D.ST, the first use of turntables injazz fusion, and gave theturntablism and record "scratching" widespread exposure.
The release ofDJ Shadow's debut albumEndtroducing..... in 1996 saw the beginnings of a movement in instrumental hip hop. Relying mainly on a combination of sampledfunk, hip hop andfilm score, DJ Shadow's innovative sample arrangements influenced many producers and musicians.
In the 2000s and 2010s, artists such asRJD2,J Dilla,Pete Rock,Large Professor,MF DOOM,Danny!,Nujabes,Madlib,Damu the Fudgemunk,Wax Tailor, Denver Kajanga,DJ Krush,Hermitude,Abstract Orchestra, andBlockhead have garnered critical attention with instrumental hip hop albums. Due to the current state of copyright law, most instrumental hip-hop releases are released on small, independent and underground labels. Producers often have difficulty obtaining clearance for the many samples found throughout their work, and labels such asStones Throw are fraught with legal problems.[citation needed]
In contemporary hip hop production, the title producer has become a catch-all term that could indicate one or many types of contributions to any particular project. It is further complicated by the fact that the music industry has only three main categories to identify musical contributions – artist, producer, and songwriter – which often overlap in 21st century music production. Below are some of the different facets of the contemporary hip hop producer; a single production credit can involve any number of these roles.
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