Timbaland is widely considered one of the greatest producers in hip-hop, and for good reason. His innovations to the hip-hop production game have included hyper-syncopated grooves, new sounds, and exotic music beds. In today's article, we'll take a look at some of these innovations and we'll talk about what every beat maker can learn from him. By paying attention to these innovations, you'll in turn become a better producer.
When he first burst onto the music scene, his productions were a fresh new sound that nobody had heard before in hip-hop. The funk beat of hip-hop was stretched to its limits with the hyper-syncopated kick drum falling on beats that were unheard of before. Sounds that were traditionally used in cartoons or TV shows began popping up and forming the basis of beats in commercial songs. Today's list will highlight some of his top contributions to the beatmaking game that producers can learn from:
Groove: Without a doubt, he has changed the groove and feel of hip-hop. He took hip-hop out of the boom-bap era and paved the way for the southern sound to become mainstream in music. When you listen to a song such as "Are You That Somebody" by Aaliyah, listen to his use of syncopation. Then listen to a song such as "Back and Forth" by Aaliyah to get an appreciation of how much swing and groove can change the feel of a song.
Sampling: Before him, hip-hop producers mainly sampled jazz, soul, and funk records in order to make tracks. He would change all of this by sampling almost anything within his reach such as TV Show theme music, video game music, or even world music. One of the key themes in his work is to blur genres. No longer was hip-hop limited to sampling only a few genres. He proved that almost any genre could be flipped and made into a hip-hop beat.
Sampling: One final lesson that every producer can learn from is his choice of exotic samples. Traditionally, hip-hop producers sampled old school funk, soul, and R&B for their productions. However, he expanded the bounds of sampling to include Indian music, Arabian Music, TV Show Themes, and Video Game themes. Any sound put in front of his ears was a prime candidate to be sampled. To listen to some of the beats incorporating these exotic samples, listen to "Do It" by Nelly Furtado for his use of a Commodore 64 sample. You can also check out "Call Me" by Tweet for his use of an Arabian sample.
Without a doubt, there is a ton of lessons to be learned from one of hip-hop's all time greats. Next time you listen to one of his beats, study it carefully and incorporate some of his innovations into your music. Along with classic producers like Dr. Dre and DJ Premiere, his innovations will always be a part of hip-hop.
When he first burst onto the music scene, his productions were a fresh new sound that nobody had heard before in hip-hop. The funk beat of hip-hop was stretched to its limits with the hyper-syncopated kick drum falling on beats that were unheard of before. Sounds that were traditionally used in cartoons or TV shows began popping up and forming the basis of beats in commercial songs. Today's list will highlight some of his top contributions to the beatmaking game that producers can learn from:
Groove: Without a doubt, he has changed the groove and feel of hip-hop. He took hip-hop out of the boom-bap era and paved the way for the southern sound to become mainstream in music. When you listen to a song such as "Are You That Somebody" by Aaliyah, listen to his use of syncopation. Then listen to a song such as "Back and Forth" by Aaliyah to get an appreciation of how much swing and groove can change the feel of a song.
Sampling: Before him, hip-hop producers mainly sampled jazz, soul, and funk records in order to make tracks. He would change all of this by sampling almost anything within his reach such as TV Show theme music, video game music, or even world music. One of the key themes in his work is to blur genres. No longer was hip-hop limited to sampling only a few genres. He proved that almost any genre could be flipped and made into a hip-hop beat.
Sampling: One final lesson that every producer can learn from is his choice of exotic samples. Traditionally, hip-hop producers sampled old school funk, soul, and R&B for their productions. However, he expanded the bounds of sampling to include Indian music, Arabian Music, TV Show Themes, and Video Game themes. Any sound put in front of his ears was a prime candidate to be sampled. To listen to some of the beats incorporating these exotic samples, listen to "Do It" by Nelly Furtado for his use of a Commodore 64 sample. You can also check out "Call Me" by Tweet for his use of an Arabian sample.
Without a doubt, there is a ton of lessons to be learned from one of hip-hop's all time greats. Next time you listen to one of his beats, study it carefully and incorporate some of his innovations into your music. Along with classic producers like Dr. Dre and DJ Premiere, his innovations will always be a part of hip-hop.
About the Author:
Want to find out more about hip-hop beats for sale then visit Frank Lubsey's site on how to purchase beats.
