So you want to be a sample producer?  Well it's time you learned the first step: Chopping the sample.  You want to see how it's done? Well, the wait is over!!  You requested video so Jimmy Natural provides a video tutorial on chopping a sample and manipulating that sample in Reason 6.  He then goes a step further by taking that sample and making a beat right before your eyes! 

Today's Hip Hop production market has expanded drastically compared to the market 20 or even 10 years ago. Advances in technology have made it quite easy to make beats so the market is swamped with "Beat Makers".  This has led to an abundance of beats for artists to choose from.  How is a producer supposed to stand out amidst all of this beat making you ask?  One way is by developing and sticking to flawless techniques!

If one studies hip hop production diligently one will discover a set of passed down and copied techniques for hip hop music production.  In part 1, we'll briefly take a look at some of these timeless techniques I use regularly in an attempt to make artists and listeners crave the beats they hear from me. 

I think it's pertinent to enlighten those who read this blog post on some of the many factors that must be taken into consideration when deciding to become a beat maker or better yet, a producer (believe me, there's a huge difference).  If you're like me, you have no clue what you're getting yourself into.  Besides thinking that I was freaking awesome after my first 14 beats, I thought the "Game" would just open itself up to me.  Even when I finally got to a place in my journey where artists were willing to pay money for my beats, I discovered that neither of these were the case.

Greetings my fellow music makers! Often times in this music industry that is ever changing we tend to lose focus or get complacent in our accomplishments way too often. With the software industry now in full effect in the aspect of making, distributing and recording music, things should be easier right? Well not exactly. You see with all this technology comes a  lot of cloudiness in the process of music making nowadays for both the producer and the artist. Newbies struggle with the creation aspect, what software to buy, what other gear they may need while old seasoned veterans of the game often times have their workflow set but fail to adapt completely to the technological aspects being pressed upon them by the industry. Given both of these facts this is why its important to remember the basics of the process no matter how old or young you are. If your desire is to become excellent and skilled in your craft (producer or artist) then below are 7 basic rules you absolutely need to know and continue to revisit as you proceed to succeed in this industry!

I can't tell you how many people told me to stop using samples in my music. I heard it from every where and all walks of life. There gripes ranged from "Its not right to use secular samples in Christian music to, it's too hard to clear them and the top artists are not going to want to clear them, to if you sample music then you're not really a good producer." Hogwash!! first of all, samples are cleared daily all across the world. It takes a little time but its not that difficult to clear if you're willing to pay them ;-). Who is them? Ok, when clearing a sample there are typically two entities you have to contact: The publisher and the record label that owns the masters to the recording. How do you find this information? Typically, you can find that information at either ASCAP's Or BMI's website database or whichever Performance Rights Organization the artist you sampled belongs to.

Now, let’s talk about music and my overall view of production. To me, it’s all about emotion. What made the Blueprint a classic?  Or what makes any album a classic?  The album has to have a central message and theme that connects with the listeners on a deep level.  Whether it’s the lyrics or the production, the listener must connect with the songs emotionally.  Classics are made when the music and the lyrics both connect with listeners on a deep, almost spiritual, level.  We call this a “marriage” between the artist and the beat.