For today’s independent hip hop artist, one of the hardest choices that they have to make is choosing what beats to rap to. With there being so many websites on line selling beats, it could get a little confusing.
But I’m here to help.
I’m a former radio and party DJ who also has been producing or a few years. I wan to give you some information that could help make you an informed consumer.
First, you should figure out what your style is and find a producer that fits your style. I hear too many independent rappers that rap off of instrumentals that are in the trendy style of the moment. The instrumental may be hot and your lyrics up to par, but the two don’t fit together. If you have a hard NY style, a hip hop instrumental from a west coast producer won’t fit.
Second, try to become familiar with the difference between a beat maker and an authentic rap producer. You may get a few instrumentals from a beat maker, but an authentic producer can give you music to make your lyrics come alive.
A good producer doesn’t use the same drums on every track.
A good music producer doesn’t have just 15 beats on his website or Soundclick page. Every one of their tracks may not fit every person’s style.
A good rap producer will not make an instrumental in a style that really doesn’t fit them just to make a quick buck online.
A good producer will make it easy for you to buy beats. They will deliver your product quickly, if not instantly. You shouldn’t have to wait 3 days to get a beat that you bought online.
Finally, I would like to warn you about trying to do a song using a free hip hop downloads. If your goal is to buy a quality beat, you should never settle for a free download.
-Too many people have the same beat. You better record your song as soon as you download the instrumental. Somebody will record a song to it by the end of the night.
-Some beat makers don’t always use their best tracks for free downloads. They will give it to you with slightly lower sound quality.
-The free download is not for your benefit. It’s totally used to promote the producer. That’s why they tag their instrumentals so heavily.
In the end, the independent hip hop artist should be very careful while searching for hip hop beats to buy.