"this hip hop ain't that hard"

Seems like i'm always hearin that from "made" cats. Not sayin that it is hard or easy. But these dudes in production videos, for instance the Heatmakers, say it only takes them 10 minutes to make a beat, which is really a loop with a couple variations. It takes me several hours to make one beat, but it has many changes and usually doesn't have any sequences loop.

How long does it take y'all to make a full beat?
Do you sample or use synths, or both?
How much time do the greats put in, like a dilla or shadow?

What's your take on "This hip hop ain't that hard"?

if it takes the heatmakers 10 minutes to make a beat, perhaps that should tell you something about the hip hop they are making.

maybe that it ain't that hard?

BEATS can take as few as 10 minutes. INSTRUMENTAL SONGS can take entire seasons to finish.

For me it all depends, because I'm lookin for samples, then I'm chopping them up, and then looking for drums..Then sequencing everything,filtering maybe, coming up with with basslines, or adding some keyboards to the samples, but at the same time tryin to mix it some what making sure volumes are cool, eq, compression stuff of that nature.....Sometimes it only takes 30 mins, sometimes it takes a couple of hours.....For me I believe in Quality not Quantity...I may not have hundred upon hundreds of beats, but the ones I do have are good ones none the less...

Antonym wrote:BEATS can take as few as 10 minutes. INSTRUMENTAL SONGS can take entire seasons to finish.

thank you.

that's exactly what i needed to hear... for so long i always thought this but thought maybe it was just me that had the 'terms' confused... thank you for clearing that up fam...

i make beats everyday, the best ones i make are the ones that take me longer, it means i put more work in, i never make more htan 2 a day, i dont like to get to repetitive

that's the point I meant to make in the 20syl beat thread

when working with samples, if making a beat involves all the research, sampling, chopping, layering phases, it can take much more time (even if you already have the beat playing in your head - although that's a real gain of time)

depending on the complexity (an instrumental song, or just a beat with variations), it can take me anywhere from 4hours to 40 hours...

having your own drum libraries on the shelf (custom made!) does help still

Antonym wrote:BEATS can take as few as 10 minutes. INSTRUMENTAL SONGS can take entire seasons to finish.

And that's the truth. Along with perfecting some vocals placed WITHIN that instrumental can take forever also.

I prolly spend about 40hrs per beat, but I make 'em all for me and my boys, so it's most def quality over quantity. I do need to get in the lab more, tho

Man it takes me maad long to finish a beat cause Im always on the hunt for tha sickest drum sounds. Once my sample is chopped da fuk up then I start going through my crates looking for bass and guitar licks and shyt piano or strings. Then I sample myself playing drum sounds. Last night i Caught myself banging on my spagetti pot to get a dope high hat sound.

Jacpot wrote:Last night i Caught myself banging on my spagetti pot to get a dope high hat sound.

Don't feel bad, I understand where you are coming from, I do that all the time.

A 3/4 empty salt box with a mic ducktaped to it is my 100% authentic salt-shaker, literally. I feel you on that though AND I love spaghetti.. lol.

good to hear we're all on the same page.

that statement makes me question who's finding the sample for these guys, where they get their drums, etc. i just finished the initial stages of a beat (before my crew gets their hands on it and needs fine tuning) and it took roughly 7 hours in 3 sessions, but it's ill.

yes quality over quantity.

to be honest man when I watched the videos, it seemed like they already had all the sounds and stuff loaded up. then they just jumped right into it. it may take 10 minutes to make the beat, but what about after? post mpc...

yea man in the heatmakerz video i saw he already had the sample laid out just the way he wanted it in multiple sequences..who knows how long it took him to do that...then it took him like 10 minutes to lay the drums down...big **** deal...anybody could lay down a lil boom bap in 10 minutes if they wanted to
this is why i dont like those videos and refuse to watch them anymore...its not like he made the beat from scratch in 10 minutes...that would be a different story....not saying its not possible to make a beat in 10 minutes it definately is but saying its easy and that u can make a beat in 10 minutes and then having it 50-75% done and then it takes u 10 minutes to finish it aint 10 minutes no matter how u slice it

Jacpot wrote: Last night i Caught myself banging on my spagetti pot to get a dope high hat sound.

Lol @ jacpot runnin around his house drunk and poundin on pots and pans!

I can whip up a sampled beat in about 2 hours(I chop when i sample)

WHen i compose i talke a longer casue i tweak sounds...

I never make more then 3 or 4 beats in a week, but they are all keepers though.