Want to Learn to Rap? - Follow These 6 Simple Steps

Instrumentals Beats Rap :

As a hip-hop producer I am around a lot of rappers. I am constantly working with artist that eat, sleep and breathe rap. This is one of the main reasons that I feel qualified to help those that are wanting to learn how to rap and do it well. You should definitely know that learning how to rap can be done but it will take some work especially if you are a complete newbie, but there's no need to worry it is very doable. In this article I will give you some easy to follow steps that can be used to get you rapping in a fairly short period of time.

Want to Learn to Rap? - Follow These 6 Simple Steps

There is a lot of information that is out there when it comes to learning how to rap, but if you start by focusing on the steps listed below you should be just fine. So here are six steps that you can use starting today.

Take Learning How To Rap Serious - One of the biggest reasons that I find that people fail at learning how to rap is because they do not take it serious. If you are not serious you will definitely not succeed with rapping or with anything for that matter. You must approach this with some sort of passion or you will get no where in a hurry. You should be willing to dedicate some time to learning and perfecting this craft. Once you have that you will be ready to learn to rap.

Listen To All Kinds Of Rappers - I say this because your average rap fan only listens to those rappers that they like, but when it comes to learning how to rap listening to all types of rappers will make it easier for you to learn. Why you ask? Well, listening to a variety of artist will allow you to evaluate and implement  some of their qualities that will help you to become the ultimate rhyme spitter and performer.

Read A Ton - This is definitely one of the most effective but underrated pieces of advice that I can give on this subject. Reading is a great way to open up your mind and keep the creative juices flowing. I know you may already have some favorite magazine that you may read on a regular basis but when I say read a lot I mean read a lot of different things. I'm talking everything from newspapers to long novels. Read it all. Trust me it helps a lot.

Start Writing Short Rhymes - At this point you are serious about wanting to learn to rap, you have studied other rappers and you have been reading a lot. Now it's time to start writing some rhymes. I didn't say songs I said rhymes. Start writing 8-10 line rhymes about anything. Do not try to rap them yet just write them down. After you have a couple written start to memorize them. Just get these rhymes in your head.

Rap Over A Instrumental - Get you a instrumental from somewhere. You can find tons of them all over the web. Once you have some pick one that you like and spit one of your  short written raps that you should have in your head. Now put a couple of your written raps together and really try to stay on beat with the instrumental. Now just repeat this step with the ones above and do it again and again. You will notice that your rhymes will come easier and your creativity will be greatly expanded.

Practice, Practice, Practice - Yes, there is more to learning how to rap then what is listed here but the steps that are listed in this articles are applied you will definitely be getting off on the right foot. Just make some time everyday to work on your rapping. You know what they say, "practice makes perfect".

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Are You Really a Hip Hop Producer (Part 1)?

Instrumentals Beats Rap :

It's funny these days when I go on the Internet. Since I am a producer and a fan of hip hop, I am always searching for hip hop producers that are putting out new and different tracks. I guess I get tired of listening to same kind of beats and instrumentals all of the time. Lex Luger and Drumma Boy get copied so much that it's ridiculous.

Are You Really a Hip Hop Producer (Part 1)?

With so many beat selling sites out there that sell instrumentals to the general public, there is mass confusion on what an actual producer is. Some producers don't know themselves, even though they throw out that title all of the time.

It makes me wonder if they really know the difference between a beatmaker and a hip hop producer.

Now this issue isn't contained only to hip hop, but other genres of music (R&B, Dance, Pop) have the same issue within the music production community.

But I am going to talk to the hip hop producers today.

Signs that Your Are a Hip Hop Producer

You understand the concept of mixing a track

If you listen to beats online regularly, chances are that you have heard beats that you want to fix in your mind. You start saying "I wish that clap wasn't so loud" or "You can barely hear that kick". This means that the person that made the track doesn't know how to mix or doesn't particularly care.

It seems that making beats is such an assembly line process that people pump out beats and instrumentals at record pace. They think that getting 50-60 beats up on their website should take priority over producing 10-15 quality tracks.

The fact that you are taking the time to properly adjust levels, apply eq/compression and listen to the mix is a sign that you are a hip hop producer.

Your Best Beats Fit the Artists

It amazes me to hear beats that seem to be made for other hip hop producers and not for artists. The only reason that hip hop production exists is to provide the framework for a song. If your song is too busy or is difficult to rap/sing on, it's just another beat.

I know that some producers participate in beat battles, but don't try to sell your battle beats to artists. It will only make you look bad to hear someone struggling on top of your track.

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Online Software to Make Rap Beats - What Are the Advantages?

Instrumentals Beats Rap :

If you are really serious about software to make rap beats then you should consider buyer software that will work easily from a laptop or desktop without requiring that you have a full understanding of how particular instruments work. Some software on the market these days are so complex that is seems you need to be trained at NASA in order to use them. Fortunately, there is software available today that simplifies the whole process of creating your own music or rap beats.

Online Software to Make Rap Beats - What Are the Advantages?

Apart from software to make rap beats that you can buy in the shops or download on to your computer, there is also online software available today that makes it far easier and quicker to get started. The advantages of online software is:

1. Its all set up and ready to go. You don't have to install or configure anything.
2. You don't have to worry about getting any updates as these are handled automatically for you.
3. You will have instant access to help & support as well as tutorials that will enable you to become an expert at using the software.
4. If you are away from home or on vacation and you have left your laptop behind, then all you need is to use another computer with internet access and your good to go.
5. You don't have to worry about accidentally deleting the software on your computer or even if it crashes and you lose all your data. When you get things back up and running again, just log in online and get back to creating those awesome rap beats.

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Beastie Boys Biography and Top 10 Songs

Instrumentals Beats Rap :

One of my first memories of hip-hop and rap was the Beastie Boys song "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)" on the radio while I was still at school. I remember saving all my money just to buy the album Licensed To Ill and I now rate it one of my top 50 albums of all time. At the time I was listening to a lot of chart music and "oldies" but the Beastie Boys helped to change my musical tastes and now hip-hop and rap is probably my favourite genre.

Beastie Boys Biography and Top 10 Songs

The Beastie Boys originated in New York, USA and consisted of Michael Diamond (Mike D), Adam Yauch (MCA), John Berry and Kate Schellenbach. There have been many contributors since then, the most popular being Adam Horovitz (Ad-Rock), Michael Schwartz (Mix Master Mike), and Wendell Fite (DJ Hurricane). The name Beastie was thought to stand for "Boys Entering Anarchistic States Towards Internal Excellence" but in a report with Mike D he said that this happened after they had come up with the name. In the early days the group were support acts for bands like The Misfits, Reagan Youth, Bas Brains and The Dead Kennedys.

In 1983 John Berry left and was replaced by Ad-Rock, soon after the Beastie Boys signed to Def Jam and released the EP Rock Hard in 1984. Not long after Kelly left the band and it is said that it was a result of their manager thinking she didn't fit the bands rap image. In 1985 the Beastie Boys opened for Public Image Ltd. (Johnny Rotten from the Sex Pistols new band),they also supported Madonna on her "Virgin" tour and on the Raising Hell tour with Run DMC.

The debut album Licensed To Ill was released in 1986 and is reported as the best selling Rap album of the 1980's and the first Rap album to goto #1 on the Billboard album chart. The album stayed at the top of the chart for five weeks and sold over 5 million copies. Paul's Boutique was released in 1989 after they signed with Capitol Records and is considered a landmark for hip-hop recordings due to its use of multi-layering and sampling techniques. Rolling Stone Magazine described the album as "the Pet Sounds/Dark Side of the Moon of hip hop." and it went on to sell over a million copies.

Check Your Head was released in 1992 after yet another change in label to Grand Royal Records (their own label) and the band played all the instruments themselves. The album went double platinum in the US. It is said in the Oxford English Dictionary that the Beastie Boys created the haircut term called the Mullet in the song Mullet Head in 1994.

When Ill Communication was released in 1994 it went straight into the US chart at #1, soon after, the Beastie Boys headlined at Lollapalooza (an American music festival) alongside The Smashing Pumpkins. They also went on a tour to raise awareness for The Milarepa Fund which deal with Tibetan human rights and Adam Yauch organised the Tibetan Freedom Concert which saw over 100,000 people through the gates of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco in 1996.

Aglio e Olio was released in 1995 and resembled a more punk style than that usually associated with their Rap style. The In Sound From Way Out! was released in 1996 and was an instrumental album consisting of jazz/funk beats.

Hello Nasty saw a new shift in the Beastie Boys music when DJ Hurricane was replaced by Mix Master Mike. The album was released in 1998 and went straight into the US chart at #1 and sold over 690,000 sales in the first week alone. The album also went into the #1 slot in UK, Australia, Germany, The Netherlands, New Zealand, and Sweden.

When To The 5 Boroughs was released in 2004 it was the first of their albums to be completely produced by themselves and reached #1 in the US chart and the single "Ch-Check It Out" was #2 on the world internet download chart. There was some controversy when the album was released as some people claimed the CD installed spyware when played on a PC but these allegations were settled as it was only copy protection software which only appeared on European copies.

Beastie Boys released The Mix Up in 2007 and prior to its release some tracks were leaked onto the internet and it was thought that the album would be purely instrumental but when the album was actually released it was soon discovered that it was just a myth.

The Beastie Boys are currently producing a new album.

My Top 10 Beastie Boys Songs are:

01. Girls

02. Brass Monkey

03. Pass The Mic

04. Time To Get Ill

05. Three MC's and One DJ

06. Body Movin'

07. (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)

08. Intergalactic

09. Car Thief

10. Skills To Pay The Bills

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Beat Maker Software - More Than Just Beats

Instrumentals Beats Rap :

The majority of people do use beat maker software on their desktop or laptop just to make some great beats for mostly rap and hip-hop music, but there is so much more that you can do with it. Yes, there are a few people making drum backing tracks so that they can use them to play over at various different instruments. But were you aware that you can create complete musical masterpieces?

Beat Maker Software - More Than Just Beats

Many of the good programs that are available online can be put to a lot more use than what you first think. When you see the title of some of these different programs you can mislead you into thinking that they can only be used to create drum sounds and percussive effects but that is just the beginning.

Once you are inside the software and you see the main interface where you begin your composing it is very simple to lay down more than just a drumbeat. Most of the good programs will also include lots of different instruments that can be added to your beat.

Usually you will see some kind of keyboard graphic. By simply selecting an instrument ranging right from a bass guitar all the way up to a piccolo for example, you can simply use the keyboard just like a piano and play in the melodic line you want.

Imagine laying down a great percussive track, adding a catchy bassline, including some piano chords and topping it all off with a couple of guitar riffs at the start of every chorus. Bingo you have a complete musical tracked professionally produced from the comfort of your own home

Just think how easy it is to use a synthesiser keyboard. You can select hundreds of different voices and then use the keys to play them. Good beat maker software literally has a virtual synthesiser as well as all of the usual drumbeats. Just make sure it has the all important features.

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The Tools of the Beat

Instrumentals Beats Rap :

Picking the right production tools is a very important part of any producer's journey. The sound that you have as a producer will greatly depend on the tools that you use. So when picking your tools the first thing you have to decide on is what you want to sound like. If you want to have a grimey old school underground hip hop sound, similar to Nas's illmatic in the early 90's than you should consider using a old MPC or ASR-10. You are going to want to get a large collection of vinyl records, and drum breaks. You will also probably want to have a synthesize of some sort that has a good bass patch to write your basslines with. If you are trying to make beats of this style and using a triton extreme you will find yourself wondering why you can't get your beats to sound like what you want them to sound like. Similarly if all you are using is a bunch a vinyl records and a mpc, and you're trying to make pop records like Timbaland you will find yourself scratching your head. But this is common sense.

The Tools of the Beat

Let's talk about about specifics details. First let's start with your drums. If you are doing anything in the pop world you are going to want to make sure you have a great 808 kit. The Roland 808 has been around in popular music since the 80's and it doesn't look like it is going anywhere. As the Black Eyed Pea's put it, the 808 is that Boom Boom in your trunk. There are tons and tons of crappy 808 sounds floating around the internet, make sure you spend the time to sort through them to find a good 808 kit that is specific to you. They all technically come from the same sound source but if you listen closely you will find little idiosyncrasies in the different sounds. Not all 808's are created equally.

The problem with the 808 is that everybody uses it. I feel like the best way to incorporate the 808 in your production is using it sparingly, use the 808 kick underneath a different kick, or use the clap as a percussion instrument rather than your clap. Obviously there have been many producers who have made a lot of money using the 808 kit as their main source of drums but to every beat that gets placed with the 808 as the dominant sound source there are ten thousand others that sound exactly the same.

This is part 1 in series of articles about production tools. Visit my blog at http://www.gimmethattrack.com/blog for more production tips and hints.

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Hip Hop Beats - Choose the Right Hip Hop Beats and Rap Beats and Instantly Sound Like a Superstar

Instrumentals Beats Rap :

As a hip-hop artist, you may find that your beat is the most important part of your new project. It is the beat that will drive your song giving it the edge to go platinum and that will have your listeners up off their chairs and out on the dance floor.

Hip Hop Beats - Choose the Right Hip Hop Beats and Rap Beats and Instantly Sound Like a Superstar

There are many different genres of beats. It is crucial for you to determine what style of beat that you need to match with your lyrics and vocals. Some of these genres are the east-coast beats, the dirty-south beats, the west-coast beats to name just a few. Using quality current rap, pop and hip hop beats in your projects will have you sounding like the top artists of today!

Once you have determined your style you want to listen very carefully to the different beats available. You want to make sure that they complement and add to your project as well as show the talent that you have. If you are going to buy hip-hop beats, you want to make sure that you have found the newest and hottest sounds so that your new project will bring a new and fresh sound to your listeners. A fresh new song with a fresh new beat or combination of beats may take you and your talent to a major level.

Listen to what is at the top of the charts today, because that is what people are listening to. Pattern your project after the top beats, but at the same time do something so that you will stand out and be unique. Make sure that your melody and lyrics fit well with the rap beats that you choose. Remember that your new song will be played in a lot of different venues. The venues may include clubs, concerts, radio and television. So be sure that they sound good in all venues.

After you have selected what genre of hip-hop beats to buy, you want to try different ones with your song to see which instrumental beats takes it to another level.

Making sure that the instrumental beats have the correct mastering will enhance your performance and let your music be as loud and with as much presence as the major hip hop, pop and rap stars.

If you are a hip-hop artist, buying hip-hop beats or rap instrumental beats, or even some pop instrumental beats will allow you to try different varieties and and let you grow as a artist. Make sure that the beats that you choose will show your creativity and style. Choose hip-hop beats that will help you to establish your career and help you to become the next up and coming hip-hop artist.

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