Hey there! This last month we got a lot of requests on how to become a hip hop producer. I love that question! It’s a genre that I create a lot of and I’m more than happy to write about it! Let’s dive right in.

What are the elements of Hip Hop?

Hip Hop is a pretty simple genre. It’s definitely one of the genres that focuses on feel more than technicality. Hip hop came from funk, soul, and disco music, and pull a LOT of ideas from those styles. Your favourite Hip Hop songs probably don’t have too many elements in them, but it’s the attitude that sells you on the song. That being said, let’s talk a little bit about the actual foundational elements of a Hip Hop song though. That way you have a place to start off!

Kick/Snare

Every song has a Kick and Snare pattern. It’s pretty foundational to music. Within Hip Hop, the kick usually falls on beat 1 and the offbeat right before 3, and the snare usually falls on 2 and 4. With both elements, you’ll add ghost hits as well. These are times when the kick or snare is played outside the standard pattern.

Hi Hats

Hi Hats are generally used to keep time. In Hip Hop, you’ll generally stick with a closed hi hat to mark the time and an open hi hat to add accents. The hi hats in Hip Hop also have ghost notes and these are generally to assist in transitioning from one part to the next.

Bass

One of the most recognizable characteristics in Hip Hop music is the 808 bass. It’s the sound that goes like “BWAAHHHHHH”. These generally follow the kick and add hype to the track.

Melody

The last thing you’ll need to add to complete the skeleton of your hip hop track is a melodic element. This can be anything from a synth to a pluck or even a guitar. It’s something to sit on top of the foundation created by the drums and bass and to add variation on top of the song.

I also recommend signing up for an account at splice.com. Splice is a website that provides royalty free samples and loops to its members. It’s something that’s incredibly useful when starting off in producing any genre of music!

Honing Your Skills

Now that we’ve covered the various elements of Hip Hop music, let’s talk about how to hone your production skills. The best way to learn how to create something you’ve never done is by copying the stuff you like first. There’s a four step process that I generally use whenever I try to learn how to produce a new genre. It goes as follows:

Listen and Copy
Listen and Reference
Create and Compare
Create and Reference

Let’s break this down!

Listen and Copy

The first step in learning how to create Hip Hop music would be to find Hip Hop tracks that you love and to copy them note for note. Do your best to recreate the sounds and rhythms of the track. Do it a few times for a bunch of different tracks you like and you’ll start to get the hang of the genre.

Listen and Reference

The process in this step is very similar to the last one. The only difference is that you would be using other songs as references instead of trying to copy them exactly. This allows you to explore some artistic liberty and start to create from ideas in your head.

Create and Compare

This step is probably going to be the hardest to transition to. It would be establishing a general direction of track and then creating from scratch. After you’ve finished the song or gotten it to about 80%, you would then compare it to a reference track to see how each song (your original creation and the reference) feel. You would then take note of adjustments and try it again!

Create and Reference

This is by far the most fun step. This is where you’re pretty comfortable with the genre and you start creating original ideas with general references in mind. Your songs have your own feel and style, and you can create from scratch from your ideas, or reference a bunch of tracks and create off of the feel and attitude of those tracks.

Wherever you are in your process, just know that growth takes time! It might be frustrating at the start, but you’ll develop skills in no time if you prioritize practicing and developing your skills. As always, I’m down to hop on lessons to help point you in the right direction too.

Happy creating!

Spike

How To Become A Hip Hop Producer