Need some input about reggae dancehall.

A childhhood friend of mine rolled through today. He is making reggae mixtapes..basically just mash-ups and selling them, and he's doing alright with it. I let him know I make beats and let him hear some stuff, and he likes. Now here is the thing...

I have just been making Hip Hop. He wants me to try making dancehall beats and see what I can come up with. He's into underground hardcore reggae dancehall, and I know nothing about that, and not sure where to start.

I'm looking for some pointers when it comes to this stuff, maybe some recommended listening etc. I have no problem with trying something different and expanding my repetoire, so let me know what's good with this reggae business.

No comment?

Study up on the basic riddims, and how they have been used throughout time. Here's a good first step, this should put you in the right direction. http://www.djkaas.com/riddimz.htm

My favorite riddims: Sleng Teng, Stalag, Diwali, 007, Egyptian

Ones even a newb will recognize instantly: Bam Bam, Coolie Dance, Stalag

Basically, Dancehall is built around "riddims" which are essentially drum/melody samples. There are classics, and new ones. When a new riddim is created, it will be sold to and used by several different artists. Sometimes they will put out an entire album with 15 different singers over the same riddim. Imagine if you bought an album with Busta Rhymes, Eminem, Jadakiss, Outkast, and Rakim all rhyming different tracks over the EXACT SAME BEAT.

When you go to buy dancehall records, sometimes instead of being organized by label or Artist, they are arranged by riddim.

Once you understand the basic riddims, then you can start listening to dancehall and picking out which songs are built on which riddim. Its sorta like recognizing samples in hip hop, except much more obvious.

Also, dancehall wont make a whole lot of sense unless you are up on your roots, reggae, and the like. Gotta understand the evolution to understand whats going on today, seen?

heres one that can give you a hand
http://www.interruptor.ch/default.htm

Cool! Thanks guys. I'm going to look into those. Hearing those riddims gives me an idea what to go for. I think I will try some stuff on the Triton and see what I can come up with. I'll defintely check out that dub forum too.

youre misunderstanding...

you dont replay the riddim...you sample it.

TicToc wrote:youre misunderstanding...

you dont replay the riddim...you sample it.

I'd prefer just to do my own ish and use the riddims as a basis.

whatever.

oh shit....oooh shit!!!

TicToc wrote:whatever.

Yeah pretty much. I think I'll just go ask my friend to slide me some CD's.

FLUENT wrote:oh ****....oooh ****!!!

I see...

Dont ask for advice if youre just gonna do what you want anyway.

TicToc wrote:Dont ask for advice if youre just gonna do what you want anyway.

Making music is doing and creating what you want. Asking advice is just that advice. Don't twist things.

OK. Just rewrite the traditions of dancehall, Mr. pioneer.

Yeah, rules are meant to be broken... but if you made a hip hop song at 300 bpm, it wouldnt really be hip hop would it?

ONE wrote:

TicToc wrote: Don't twist things.

A lot of that stuff is programmed with synths. Read above quote. Thanks Tic Toc.