Hip-hop beat-makers are usually unseen. Not all sample-based producers are as reclusive as the torch-bearing loop artist Madlib, but even the most prominent among them are part of the backdrop. After ...

In June 2007, Rihanna reached the No. 1 spot on the Hot 100 for what was then only the second time in her career. “Umbrella,” written and produced by The-Dream and Tricky Stewart, was originally meant ...

For at least a decade now, rap beats have been getting fiercer every year. The biggest producers in the genre largely abandoned traditional acoustic instrumentation, instead embracing the abrasive ...

Trip-hop is a style that’s highly dependent on its laid back feel and this is often achieved using slowed down sampled loops and breaks. Building your track from loops is definitely a valid approach, ...

Hip-hop at it's core is lyrics on a beat, with both being vital for the final product. Throughout the genre's history, there have been some truly incredible beats that turned producers into stars, and ...

Ever noticed how the same beat can hit differently each time you hear it? That’s the magic of repetition. It's not just doing something repeatedly; it’s turning it into something new. Whether it's a ...