How Dope Rappers Get “Beat” Down
Ever heard of Ras Kass? He is arguably one of the greatest lyricists ever.
Seriously.
Ras Kass could kick a freestyle in Los Angeles with some other guys, and within a week people in New York were quoting him. Now, you gotta remember, this is the mid nineties, so there was no You Tube, no MySpace… in fact, the Internet barely existed. His lyrics were so frickin incredible that they traveled cross country by word of mouth.
He was that good.
So you gotta ask: If he was that good, why isn’t Ras Kass a household name?
In his own words, Ras Kass “doesn’t give a f*ck about a beat.” This is his downfall, plain and simple…
The Best MC With The Worst Beat Is Still A Crappy Song
I love lyrics. I love them to the point that I will listen to guys like Ras Kass, even though the beats are awful. This guy could’ve had anyone, anyone, produce his work, but he was so wrapped up in his lyrics that he didn’t focus on the music at all.
Nas is tight… and so are his beats.
Tupac was tight…and so were his beats.
Jay-Z is tight…and so were his beats.
Kanye West…well, his beats are tight.
So many wack rappers get props because they found themselves backed by a dope producer. I seriously believe Pharell could produce a hit with over 90% of rappers out there.
Remember, people listen to the beat BEFORE they ever hear your vocals, so make sure your beats are on point.
Here’s a brief list of where you can get quality beats for cheap:
Beats365.com has got some really good beats, though you may have to search around to find one you really like. I really like having access to the additional special sound effects, which come in handy…
Beats2Rap2 has a better variety, though that may be my personal taste. Clean production and royalty free beats.
Craigslist can be place to advertise for beats, though this route tends to be more expensive, as they generally charge by the beat.
RapBeatTips is a great resource if you want to learn to do it yourself; a great read!
Shameless plug: People who purchase my how to rap course receive over 22 free beats as a special bonus offer, which is nice…
Remember, the key thing to remember is: if your beats don’t grab peoples attention, your vocals may never get a chance to.
Where do you get your beats from?
Tags: hip hop beats, how to rap, learn to rap, rap beats
October 2nd, 2008 at 3:57 pm
I get your point..but Kanye West is good and his beats are good. He’s a huge influence in Hip-Hop right now. Look at where we are in Hip-hop. Kanye makes real music, so I don’t agree with only his beats being tight.
Peace.
October 2nd, 2008 at 4:09 pm
I dont like how u dissed kanye he a dope emcee 2
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:03 pm
sir
you are a mighty force
your thoughts and advice are golden
thank you for staying strong and never giving up
best
PLAYER ONE aka MAX NORMAL
(rapper from zuid afrika)
October 3rd, 2008 at 1:12 am
very helpful.is there a way i cud spqueese out a beat from u mc monologue..job well done!
October 3rd, 2008 at 4:34 am
yea i feel this… that’s exactly what’s messing some good lyricist out there. Anyone who needs a dope producer in Nigeria should hit me up!
October 3rd, 2008 at 5:34 am
This is proper good post, and its true, nowadays it feels like hip hop has become soley about lyrics, and that ain’t true, hip hop is music, and it needs soul and rythem, like any other form of music, which is the beat
if the beat ain’t good how you gonna work with it with your voice and lyrics?
On top of that, you can form a unique flow to every beat, because every beat is different, there are no 2 the same…>
October 3rd, 2008 at 8:18 am
Vega and Benz B:
I think Kanye came tight lyrically on his first (and to a lesser extent, second) album, though his last one was definitely a step down. Eventually, you are either an MC or a producer: Eminem produces, but is an MC; Dr. Dre raps, but he’s a producer…in my opinion Kanye West in a producer, not an MC by definition.
Having said that, of all the producers who rap (Dr. Dre, Master P, etc.) Kanye is without a doubt the best.
October 3rd, 2008 at 11:26 pm
I think there is also another reason for Rass Kass is overlooked: back in the nineties there wasn’t neccessarily MORE lyrical content, people were just more open to new ideas…a dance can make a rap seem hot too, so can some tits and ass…so can endorsements and money.
Part of it was also marketing and the failure of whoever to link Ras to the right staff…the wrong guidance if you will.
SOUL ON ICE was just s lyrically potent as ILLMATIC.
Beats are very important and nowadays so is melody and repetitive patterns…no one really wants to think too heavy.
ONE
November 16th, 2008 at 6:05 am
“…nowadays…no one really wants to think too heavy.”
-Pucali Raw
Yo P. Raw, this is a fascinating assertion and a pivotal point for some (Political Hip Hop, Nerdcore, Spiritual Rap) myself included.
Would you do me the honor of expanding on what you meant by this? Where do you see signs of shallowness? In the audience, or in the industry? Why do you think it exists? Will it remain constant, get worse or will there be a resurgence in hip hop’s intellect / conscience / purpose?
Would you agree that the essential rule is: The intellectual depth of the lyrics delivered in a given track cannot detract from or intrude upon successful tracks more direct, visceral sensory elements? (Beat, sound, flow, lyrics…) But that if only a small contingent of the audience has that level of interest, the potential exists to compose a resonant, infectious track?