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.
