Hip-Hop Writing and Production

Learn the techniques that hip-hop producers use to create hit songs. Learn writing and production considerations unique to hip-hop, how to analyze and recreate different styles of hip-hop.

From its beginnings in the Bronx in the 70s, hip-hop has grown into a global phenomenon that today generates hundreds of millions of dollars a year worldwide in record sales, and provides the rhythmic and vocal underpinnings for songs by rock artists such as Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kid Rock, and Rage Against the Machine. This course will teach you the techniques that hip-hop producers use to create hit songs, and how to incorporate these skills into your own music. You will study writing and production considerations unique to hip-hop—from its distinctive drum beats and bass lines to its use of vocals, samples, and instrumentation. The course will explore hip-hop's history and the artists responsible for growing the genre into what it is today, including the Sugar Hill Gang, Run-DMC, Queen Latifah, Tupac Shakur, Dr. Dre, P. Diddy, and others. You will learn how to analyze and recreate different styles of hip-hop music, and then use this foundation to produce your own songs using Propellerhead's Reason 4 software. You will develop drum and bass grooves, build arrangements, and apply the techniques that lead to complete hip-hop productions. The tools and strategies you learn in this course can be applied to the production of any musical style. You will learn to:

• Use writing and production criteria to analyze and recreate hip-hop songs
• Program your own drum beats and loops using Propellerhead's Reason 4 software
• Create bass, guitar, keyboard, and horn parts for hip-hop arrangements
• Use proper mic placement and production techniques for recording rap vocals
• Apply hip-hop mixing and mastering techniques to your songs

For more course information visit Berklee Music