Play around with different amounts until the groove sounds right. Bringing an element slightly forward before the kick creates a sense of urgency, whilst nudging an element back a touch makes the groove stagger. Try nudging some elements slightly off grid to give them a more human feel. ‍Hip Hop is a genre of groove and feeling, so be careful not to come across too robotic by quantizing your track too much. The image below shows an example of a rolling hat pattern.Ĭlassic Hip Hop focusses on more standard 16th patterns, with the hi hats playing a less prominent role in creating groove but helping to maintain the energy – as seen in the image below.ĭon't forget to edit the velocity of each note to give your pattern a more human feel. More modern Hip Hop and Trap tends to focus on Triplet patterns, also using rolling patterns and pitching techniques to accentuate transitions. The right hi hat pattern is vital to giving your beat rhythm and flow. It's important to get a good groove in your beat.

One of the most notable was Schoolly D - 'PSK, What Does It Mean?', widely seen as the first Gangsta Rap record and an inspiration to the likes of NWA, Notorious BIG and many more.

The 909 is often overshadowed in Hip Hop by it's relative the 808, but it has found it's way on some important Hip Hop records.

The Linn LM-1 was a big favourite of Prince and was the first drum machine to use samples of a real drum kit. Used on countless hit records from the likes of Run DMC and Public Enemy, the DMX has a soul all of its own. A good 808 sample is can be the difference between a good beat and a great beat. This one needs no introduction and is possibly the most important drum machine of all time. There are plenty of emulations and samples out there, with your DAW more than likely having a few of their own included. There are so many royalty free sample packs out there now that's there is no need to sample from copyrighted material (and face a potential legal battle!).Įven if you don't use a loop for your track, you will want to use high quality one shot samples of the best drum machines. Whether it's a melodic part or a drum loop, pick something high quality and make it your own with different creative effects. Sampling has always been a huge part of Hip-hop production.

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