subject: Hardcore Rap Beats [print this page] A lot of producers will differ in their opinion of what is a good hardcore rap beat. Some will say the the track must make you move, be smooth and have a great hook. Some others will say that the track itself is not that important and that what you rap over the track is what truly makes it a good hardcore rap beat. I believe that this is also the case. If you have a decent beat and really good lyrics, what you say on the track is what truly determines the direction of the song.
Take this old school example: Eric B and Rakim's "Paid in Full" had a very cool beat and although we wouldn't necessarily consider it a hardcore track let's assume for this example it is. Then remember PM Dawn's "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" or Milli Vanilli's "Girl you know it's true"?. Well all three songs use the same beat. The musical arrangements are all different but the main drum track is the the same. This is my point. The track is not what makes the beat hardcore, it's the lyrics.
This creates a very good scenario for an up and coming hip hop artist to really expand their creativity and use very unique sounds. Whatever beat your lyrics flows well over is the beat that you should use and if your lyrics are hard core then the song will be hard core regardless of the style of music that you use. This means you're musically you have no limits which is key to true artistic expression. You can potentially redefine the genre by being true to what you feel your music should sound like. If your expression is real people will 'feel' it. Let's not forget the term "keeping it real".
You have options when it comes to creating your hardcore rap beats. You can go to a studio, you can download beats online or you can make your own beats using a beat making software. Regardless of which option you choose you should not be limited in any way so that your creativity is fully expressed in your music.
