Saturday Special: Shalamar - "There It Is"

A Lesson in Working the Bass Line and Keeping the Groove in the Pocket

By Amir Said (Sa'id)

Shalamar's "There it is" is one of those subtle pieces of genius. It has a very simple and straightforward groove that's dominated by thick, "walking" bass line and ready-steady back beat. And the vocals are characterized by what I like to call the post-1970s "harmony glide," wherein the vocalists' harmony glides with and seemingly blends into the rhythm rather dance over the top of it. This sound was mastered by groups like Shalamar, El Debarge, and the Mary Jane Girls.

For educational purposes

Shalamar - "There It Is"

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The BeatTips Manual by Sa'id.
"The most trusted source for information on beatmaking and hip hop/rap music education."

BeatTips Daily Favorites: "Run;" Ghostface Killah, Jadakiss, and The RZA

The Break is Always Inviting to True Lyricists

By Amir Said (Sa'id)

The pinpoint essence of hip hop/rap music is the "break." And here on "Run," RZA takes an enchanting, eerie karate-flick interlude sound—something that's not otherwise a break by any stretch of the meaning—and turns it into a break that draws in only the most capable rapper, as evidenced by Ghostface and Jadakiss. In addition, to the newly created break, RZA's drumwork is a clinic on break-beat drum phrasing. The syncopated snare action tumbles and rolls over, as the kick punches in and out, only doubling up at the ends of each 1-bar measure.

For educational purposes...

Ghostface Killah featuring Jadakiss - "Run;" beat by The RZA

Ghostface Killah featuring Jadakiss - "Run;" beat by The RZA (official music video)

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The BeatTips Manual by Sa'id.
"The most trusted source for information on beatmaking and hip hop/rap music education."

BeatTips Daily Favorites: "Keep It Thoro;" Prodigy and The Alchemist

A Menacing Apparatus; Song Personifies How Light and Heavy Textures Co-Mingle and Combine, Giving Beat a Powerful Sonic Impression

By Amir Said (Sa'id)

When particular names in beatmaking get tossed around with praise, it's not always easy to pinpoint exactly what all of the acclaim is for. But then, there are some names where it ain't hard to tell. For me, some names are heavy weight for a collection of songs, while others are big time for just one song in particular. Such is the case with beatmaker/producer, The Alchemist. Although The Alchemist has an impressive catalog, my favorite Alchemist beat is the joint that underscores Prodigy's (of Mobb Deep) "Keep It Thoro."

"Keep It Thoro" is an absolutely menacing audio composite. Aside from Prodigy's heavy New York slang-laced phrasings and dead-pan, masterfully confident delivery, it's the beatwork of The Alchemist that makes the song so defiantly hard. The core groove is built around a dusty, lounge-act sort of piano sample that jabs the exact same tone—in 1/8ths—for a count of 7 times, before there's a change in the phrase—a loose note kicks off, and moments before the sample loops back to itself.

For the bass parts, Alchemist doesn't go with a bass line. Instead, content with the rhythm of the hypnotic piano sample, he uses just three bass sound-stabs to anchor the groove. Two of the three bass-stabs are simply low- and high-pitch versions of the same exact sound stab; the third bass-stab—which Alchemist uses to slide into one of the others—has a slick, boom texture to it. Here, I want to point out that even though this third bass sound-stab is "different" from the others, its own texture and sonic qualities actually makes it fit perfectly with the other two bass-stabs. Alone, these other two bass-stabs are very understated. But by balancing out their spacing, and NOT overusing them, Alchemist positions them as vital pieces of the overall sonic composite.

Historical Analysis and Experience

Some beatmakers might not—at first—understand The Alchemist's arrangement of higher tones with lower ones; but reality is, this technique of clashing textures and levels is one of the most fundamental mainstays of the beatmaking tradition. Such a technique was first (necessarily) implemented with hip hop/rap's earliest DJs, who were charged with the task of mixing songs—using turntables and a DJ mixer—with varying tones, textures, and tempos. In order to mix such songs in what was then known as the "hip hop DJ style," these early sound architects learned to highlight the use of repetition in the songs they were playing and mixing, focusing specifically on the "breaks" of each song that could further be extended through even more repetition—that is to say, looping, via various turntable tricks like the "backspin" or "the spin-back."

So on "Keep It Thoro," The Alchemist is acutely aware of the fact that it is the repetitive nature of the sampled piano phrase that actually makes the bass parts sound even more pronounced; which, in turn, gives the overall track a "booming" sonic impression.

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The BeatTips Manual by Sa'id.
"The most trusted source for information on beatmaking and hip hop/rap music education."

For educational purposes...

"Keep It Thoro" - Prodigy, beat by The Alchemist

"Keep It Thoro" - Prodigy (Official music video)

BeatTips Daily Favorites: "The Mad Scientist;" Large Professor

Unsung Hero of Creativity, Large Professor Mastered the Art of Bass-Filtering and Drum-Sound Customization

By Amir Said (Sa'id)

On "The Mad Scientist," one of Large Professor's best beatworks, it will serve you well to notice how the drums and the sample move together. Each drum sound is its own sample, yet when this song came out, many critics of sampling could not—did not—distinguish the individual drum hits that Large Professor used. Instead, in various "reviews," the drum sounds were incorrectly lumped together with the sample, and described as being simply "a part of the sampled riff." I can even remember reading one critic's assessment of "The Mad Scientist" as having a "lack" of creativity.

Well, the true fact of the matter is, there's a lot more going on with this track than many would easily recognize. First, each drum sound is customized and well-suited for the main sample, (which Large Professor uses like a break). The kick has what I like to call a rubber bottom. I use the term "rubber bottom" to describe those kicks that have significant bottom, but still manage to bounce. The snare, which sounds like a straight-forward snare sound with loose skin, snaps and suspends in mid-space, sustained by just the right amount of reverb. This is most pleasing to the ear, as it makes the snare sound much more fuller and balanced, unlike the over-compressed, "squashed" sounding snares in far too many of today's beats. Then there's the shaker-like hat that glides across the entire measure. (Underneath the main hi-hat there appears to be another light, truncated hi-hat that whispers.)

As for the main sample tha drives the beat, Large Professor speeds up its pitch, in a way that streamlines its warmth, without distorting its sonic value, or disrupting the drum framework. And the way that the sample is chopped, the beginning and end points are masked quite well, making the loop sound like two overlapping parts that dissolve into each other. Finally, there is one notable change: the ascending violin phrase (sample) that streams through the chorus section.

Looking back, I remember how I thought to myself that once critics start to challenge the creativity of drum patterns/programs, sampling would really come under attack by other beatmakers. Unfortunately, I was right. But I also believed that there would be more beatmakers who would disagree with the mostly uninformed critics of beatmaking and its various creative, often meticulous practices. Fortunately, I was right about that, too.

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The BeatTips Manual by Sa'id.
"The most trusted source for information on beatmaking and hip hop/rap music education."

For educational purposes...

Large Professor - "The Mad Scientist" (Instrumental)

Large Professor - "The Mad Scientist" (Official music video)

BeatTips Daily Favorites: "U Don't Know Me;" T.I. and DJ Toomp

Trap Music at Its Best; the Groove and Snare-Layering Techniques Makes Beat Sore

By Amir Said (Sa'id)

There's nothing like the real article. And as far as "trap" music goes, no one has—and I suspect none will—ever do better than DJ Toomp. Here on "U Don't Know Me" (Urban Legand, 2004), DJ Toomp personifies the trap music sound: a bottom heavy core groove, mid range synth accents and embellishments, and, of course, the 808 syncopated snare and hi-hat.

Unlike the most recent renditions of the trap sound, on "U Don't Know Me," DJ Toomp separates himself from the pack by not opting for an extreme minimalistic approach. Although the core groove is solid and hypnotic, it's the accents, embellishments, and masterful layering that Toomp works in that gives the entire track a broad, orchestral-like composite.

While the 3-note bass line and full-bounce kick are anchoring the groove, Toomp drops in a futuristic, 1-note synth stab on "the one" of every measure. Then on every fourth bar, he works in a 3-note synth-stab. And to make the ends of the fourth and eighth bars flourish and turnover (loop) more emphatically, he breaks up this 3-note synth-stab, and uses each note to play a quick descending pattern, where the last note slides in, right before the first kick lands.

Finally, in a moment of sonic defiance, Toomp ignores the harmony and melody that he's developed, (going against less-able beatmakers' intuition), and layers in this eerie, iron-sustained synth-stab, right over the top of a clap, which is itself layered over the top of another snare. The result is a tri-layered snare that sounds like a crowbar striking up against an underground subway pipe. But Toomp doesn't stop there with his layering work. He dulls the front-end attack of the "actual" snare and the iron-synth sound-stab, while he prolongs the back-end sustain of the "iron layer." And in the mix of the song, he opts to sometimes drop the iron layer altogether, leaving the clap to fend for itself.

Taken together—the choice of the combination of sounds, the layering, and the attack and sustain effects—and this snare comes off more like it's guarding the hardness of the beat than it is helping to keep time.

For example...

T.I. - "You Don't Know Me;" produced by DJ Toomp

BeatTips Daily Favorites: "Nas Is Like;" Nas and DJ Premier

Chopping and Drumwork Again Sets DJ Premier Apart

By Amir Said (Sa'id)

The genius of the "Nas Is Like" beat comes down to how DJ Premier chopped up an otherwise light and soft harp-violin sample, and juxtaposed it with a hard 3-note bass line and a hungry drum framework.

Nas - "Nas Is Like;" produced by DJ Premier
(Easily one of my top seven favorite hip hop/rap songs of all time.)

BeatTips Daily Favorites - "Old English;" Game and Hi-Tek

Crafted Like a Horror Flick Score; Groove Engages with Its Slow-Tempo Urgency

By Amir Said (Sa'id)

Upon my very first listen of "Old English" (Doctor's Advocate, 2006) by the Game, produced by Hi-Tek, I was confused. I literally could not comprehend how that song was so well put together. It was haunting—figuratively and sonically. Nothing that I had heard from Hi-Tek had previously led me to believe that he was capable of crafting such a wonderful—powerful—piece of beatwork.

The beat is centrally characterized by the groove. First, you're welcomed by this incredibly milky smooth, deadly bass line. A measure perhaps better served for a suspense sequence in a horror flick, the bass movement that Hi-Tek goes with here is nothing less than sinister and instantly haunting. No doubt the bass line was played live originally, but I have a strong suspicion that Hi-Tek sampled it and "worked-it-over."

Then, sticking with the horror-flick theme, Hi-Tek paints in this three-note organ arrangement that crawls up the spine of the beat. Rather than over-playing the organ (a mistake most likely made by even the best beatsmiths) Hi-Tek is instead content with letting each stab sustain itself. Indeed, as if he was so entranced by its singular tonal impact that he saw fit not to corrupt its nature. Because of this, each stab of the organ—masterfully agreeable in pitch and mood with the bass—makes the bass line seemingly maneuver from side to side, weaving the groove in its own sort of rhythmic spell. And finally, for added accentuation, Hi-Tek throws in what appears to be a sampled guitar phrase that fades at the end. (Like the bass line, I'm convinced that he sampled the live guitar phrase and worked with that.) He follows the guitar accentuation up with a desolate, spaghetti-Western style whistle.

For the drumwork, Hi-Tek sets out to remind you—in case you've forgotten—that this isn't a movie score, but instead a beat...in all of its defiant glory. His use of a short-truncated stomp-kick bookends all of the action, while the cow bell knocks on the "2 & the 4" like a count down. And for the hi-hat, a difficult decision for many, here on "Old English" Hi-Tek uses a brushed half open hi-hat, which he floats politely across the entire arrangement—no gaps, no stutters, or drops.

As for the rhyme, Game (formerly the Game) rightfully so dives in for a story-style rhyme. Even though the groove is slow and steady, Game takes on the tempo and works in double couplets—four-bar rhyme schemes (abab acac). Finally, the hook, song by Dion, drags across the instrumental measure more like a cautionary tale than a hook on a hip hop/rap song.

For example...

BeatTips Daily Favorites - "Mass Appeal;" Gang Starr

Deceptively Simple Loop Drives Groove; Complex Timing Managed Through Drums

By Amir Said (Sa'id)

"Mass Appeal" was a turning point for DJ Premier. I remember the first time I heard it. It was on Gang Starr's 1994 LP, Hard to Earn. I played this song over and over...Seriously: repeat city! What caught my attention the most was how Premier chopped the sample, and then arranged it in a way that the ends exploded every time the loop turned over. What's more, at the point where the loop turns, there isn't a dominate kick, which was typical of most hip hop/rap songs of that period.

The absence of the kick on the loop turning point convinced me that Premier was in the midst of a sound change. Having heard his beatwork on Illmatic just a couple of months before, I was wondering if his beats would be in the same vein or take a different direction. Two songs into Hard to Earn, I knew Premier was going for a new sound. And what tipped me off was his experimentation with his drums.

I was paying extra close attention to Premier's use of the kick drum. Specifically, I was studying the ways in which he was starting to "relax" the punch of his kicks while still coming up with non-conventional drum frameworks. On "Mass Appeal," it was if Premier had challenged himself to devise a moderately syncopated kick pattern underneath a deceptively simple sample arrangement. Indeed, if you listen to "Mass Appeal," pay careful attention to how the end of the sample seems to speed up. Truth is, it doesn't. By chopping the end of the sample the way he did, and by easing up on the attack (the front-end) of the sample, an otherwise simple 1-bar measure is transformed into something akin to break in a record being "pushed" forward by the DJ. And what makes this all more complex than most people realize is the fact that the tempo—which stays the same throughout—is managed thoroughly by the kick pattern and shuffling hat pattern.

Gang Starr - "Mass Appeal"

Gang Starr - "Mass Appeal" (Official music video)

BeatTips Daily Favorites: "Beautiful;" Snoop Dogg/Pharrell

Non-Sampled Beat with Well-Thought Out Arrangement; Rhythm Track Flanked by Unique Percussion Scheme Serves up Warmth in Typically Cold Style

By Amir Said (Sa'id)

When The Neptunes (Pharrell and Chad) first burst on the scene with Noreaga's "Superthug" (1998), it was clear that they would soon be a production force to be reckoned with. Using the non-samples featured style as their base creative beatmaking medium, The Neptunes carved out a new sound, and in the process they created an alternative lane for other budding beatmakers to follow. Unfortunately, far too many beatmakers moved into this lane with Neptune knock-off tracks rather than original interpretations of the sound that The Neptunes created. Indeed, within four years of Nore's "Superthug," the level of Neptune "biters" was so widespread that some began openly questioning the genius and contribution of The Neptunes themselves. Then January, 2003 hits, and Snoop Dogg drops "Beautiful."

To understand how Pharrell might have come up with the guitar arrangement for "Beautiful," all you need do is listen to The RZA's work on "Liquid Swords," or perhaps even the beatwork of True Master—Pharrell no doubt studied them both. Although Pharrell doesn't use sampled sound-stabs to construct the core guitar-based groove of "Beautiful," his use of a shuffling, semi-closed hi-hat and tambourine—which spread throughout the composition like a multi-layered shaker—shades the otherwise brightness of the first generational (non-sampled, module/keyboard/live) guitar sound. And with the shine of the brightness dimmed by his masterful use of percussion, Pharell is able to work in organ bridge phrases that bookend every fourth bar. And it should be pointed out that these organ riffs, which are subtle and relaxed, are used more to sure up the rhythm and groove of the beat than they are to firm up the main melody—itself a secondary product to the rhythm.

For the drumwork, Pharrell is intent on letting us know that this beat comes from the stratosphere of The Neptunes. Therefore, he uses their trademark stomp-kick as the most forceful percussive element in the track. Often in most beats, it's the snare that gets the top billing while the kick co-stars. But with "Beautiful," Pharrell reverses the roles, giving full priority to the appropriately placed stomp-kick while opting for a short-truncated snare that's barely more than a snap.

Far as the rhyme goes, lyricism takes a vacation...literally. But then "Beautiful" isn't the sort of song that you even want to hear a complex rhyme scheme on. The beatwork invites a straight-forward rhyme, and Snoop delivers something that's steady and not to hard to follow. And because of the strength of the chorus—sung surprisingly well by Pharrell—any ambitious rhyme structure and/or theme would only have distracted, not enhance, the well thought out arrangement of the instrumental.

"Beautiful," perhaps more than any other song from either Pharrell or Chad, proved that although a beatmaster's style could be bit and copied, true beatmasters are able to rework their sound into something even more unique.

For Example...

Snoop Dogg feat. Pharrell - "Beautiful"

Snoop Dogg feat. Pharrell - "Beautiful" (Official music video)

BeatTips Daily Favorites: "Liquid Swords;" GZA/RZA

RZA Uses Customized Sound Stabs to Make Unique Soundscape; Slow Dragging Composition Gives GZA Room to Breathe

By Amir Said (Sa'id)

As far as my favorite hip hop/rap songs go, "Liquid Swords," by The GZA and The RZA, remains steadfastly in my top five. It is truly a genius piece of work.

The song starts with a clip from a martial arts film—a non-music intro that clocks in at about 1 minute and 20 seconds. The movie clip dissolves into the atmosphere of a down-home juke joint, complete with a slow, intoxicating soul rhythm and party-goers talking out loud to the music. Next we hear RZA as a teacher, reminding us,"Sometimes we gotta flash 'em back, cuz niggas don't know where this shit started." And then, the kick and the first sound-stab drops, right when RZA and GZA—in the natural unison of family—both begin with the chorus: "When the M.Cs.s came, to live out they name..." Incredible.

From my first listen to the last, what impresses me the most about "Liquid Swords" (from a beatmaker's point of view) is the way in which RZA plays the truncated sound stabs that he's sampled. First, these sound-stabs, which are some sort of multi-layered guitar strum, are untraceable. There is no one who could ever accurately identify the source music RZA used to sample them from, which means that RZA guaranteed himself an one-of-kind, original, bonafide custom sound. Second, RZA plays the sound-stabs like he's strumming them right off the guitar of a Stax records session guitarist. Third, the bass-sound stab that RZA layers with the guitar sound-stab is pitched at a level just low enough to boost the punch of the guitar licks. The result is a sonic impression that makes the track sound ever so sinister and menacing...like a big ass sign that reads: "Hip hop/rap frauds enter at your own peril!"

***EDITOR'S NOTE (1/23/10) Recently, it was brought to my attention that the sampled sound-stabs that the RZA "played" were actually NOT sound stabs at all, but instead, a 3-second measure of the sounds played in chromatic succession. I closely listened to the original alleged sound source and "Liquid Swords," and there is no doubt in my that the sounds on 'Liquid Swords" came from this record. Thus, although RZA did indeed program the sample, it is likely that the sample itself was not cut into individual sound stabs and replayed. Side note: As is the case with a number of beats, sometimes what you thought was individual stabs actually turn out be the arrangement within the original sample. Either way though, "Liquid Swords" is dope. Good job, RZA and GZA.
— Sa'id***

Finally, there's the drums. If you've ever studied RZA's beatwork then you know that RZA usually tucks his drum sounds in the mix, and he never overstates their volume. In the case of "Liquid Swords," that's exactly what's going on. But I should point out that even though the kick is indeed tucked, the kick pattern that RZA uses is a syncopated assemblage that sets up the snare, then "hugs" it wherever it lands in the measure.

As for the rhyme...The GZA never disappoints. On "Liquid Swords" GZA's lyrical confidence shines, and his lines merge with rather than cut through the soul and the smokiness of the composition. In fact, GZA adds a sort of drawl and sustain to each word in every bar, closing each measure with a rhythm that snaps in line with the turnover of every snare hit.

Indeed, for a lesson in "out of the box" hip hop/rap music, be sure to study "Liquid Swords."

For example...

The GZA - "Liquid Swords"

The GZA - "Liquid Swords" (Official music video)