Make Your Own Beats - A Simple an Effective Game Plan

[Jerome White]

I found a great trick that works well to crank out rap beats. Make
your own beats fast and easy with a trick that will enable any
producer to produce bangers on call. I rotate four different styles
every time I make one. For example, the first beat I make will be a
club banger. I start the club bangers with the drums. A simple snare
to bass pattern, then I switch to a high pitched xylophone for the
melody. I'm done, instant club banger, and it's no joke.
The next one I crank out is a west coast beat. it has a straight
forward 2 kick drum pattern and then I do a synth bass that goes along
with the kick drums. Next, after Im done with the synth bass, I add a
sine lead as a little melody. After that? All that is left are a few
piano chords. Instant Crenshaw mafia worthy. Next, an East coast beat.
East coast beats are much more repetitive, generally speaking, maybe
it has to do with the fact that they have the heavy sample elements,
like when Dj Premier uses the MPC1000 or when RZA takes a straight
forward rock beat and adds a crazy woman screaming on top of it. I can
either do the sample first, and then the drums, or vice versa.
Whatever I do, I make sure that its going to be banging, tight, and
makes sense melodically.
My last beat is a dirty south beat, and this is where I really go all
out and come up with alot of layers. Sure the beat is simple, but It's
slow and has very fast 16th notes on the hi hat. I put a charm on top,
illustrating the minor key it's in, then I go all out with the low
synth that sounds like death. This is where things get really intense,
because i know i can start the beat out at the beginning with the drum
beat and the charm, but then after 4 bars I drop that low death synth
and the fast hi hat comes in with the synth as well.
Everyone has their own way of doing it, but I love performing in
succession like that. One style to the next. I guess its great because
it keeps me inspired and I don't "get tired" of any one style, they
never grow old, and I keep it going.
I use SP alot to do my beats. I guess because they give you all you
need and when everything is said & done, it sounds like you have
50 keyboards or something. In this day & age I keep thinking that
real hardware might die out, and I guess the only reason why anyone
would want to stick with one machine is because they want to utilize
their piano skills. I actually have alot of skills on piano after
studying at Manhattan school of music as a youth, but I still go with
SP because I'm in the studio, I'm not behind a Bosendorfer playing
Chopin.