The Art of Drumless Hip-Hop Beats: A New Era of Music Production
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ก.ค. 2024
- Dive deep into the world of Drumless Hip-Hop, where the absence of traditional drums has given birth to a new realm of musical creativity. This documentary-style video explores the journey and impact of this unique production style that has reshaped hip-hop's landscape.
Featuring insights into the works of legendary producers and artists like RZA, Wu-Tang Clan, Jay Electronica, Ka, Roc Marciano, and The Alchemist, we unravel how they pioneered and influenced this minimalist trend. Discover how artists like Westside Gunn, Boldy James, DJ Muggs, Preservation, Nicholas Craven, Billy Woods, and Earl Sweatshirt are pushing the boundaries of hip-hop with their drumless beats.
We also delve into the contributions of Mach-Hommy, MIKE, Mavi, Navy Blue, Pink Siifu, and Madlib, showcasing how this style is being embraced and evolved by a new generation of hip-hop artists.
Join us in exploring the artistry and innovation behind Drumless Hip-Hop, a genre-defining movement that continues to challenge and redefine the norms of music production.
#DrumlessHipHop #MusicProduction #HipHopEvolution #DrumlessBeats, #HipHopDocumentary, #RZA, #WuTangClan, #JayElectronica, #TheAlchemist, #WestsideGunn, and #EarlSweatshirt - เพลง
Not mentioning Madlib in here is criminal. He’s on the Mount Rushmore to all this. One of the originals and still does it today.
Roc Marciano doesn't get enough credit for how influential he is.
Facts
Another dope thing about Roc Marciano is how fun it is doing remixes with his acapellas. Hes one of the few that has such a careless and flawless flow that you can almost drop his vocals on any BPM and somehow it just sounds perfect.
Neither do you my boy
Come through yall. I got some silent hits 📀
Roc Marciano is probably the ONLY reason why I'm still listening to Hip Hop. He is a one-man Golden Age for the 2020's as far as I'm concerned. I basically stopped listening to Hip Hop (hell, American music in general) by 2010, so disgusted with how things had declined. Somehow I discovered BITTER DOSE during the Covid pandemic, and that album became tattooed to my brain (I also have a playlist of all the songs he sampled for this album). So I'm a fan of anything tangentially related to Marciano, and slowing regaining hope this genre.
Perfect example today is Alchemist and Boldy James. They’re killing it and it fits very well for both artists. 🔥
Al has a good mix of drums and drumless, so does Marci. All the greats have a hybrid style
Boldy and Al’s albums are masterpieces. So is Al and Marci’s and Al and Freddie Gibbs. Mujah Messiah’s ‘Saran Rap’ is a great Marci produced album.
Facts bro. Al kills it every time and it’s starting to seem like boldy is finally getting a bit more recognition outside of Detroit. Happy for both of them!
Ikr. I just was saying that. This guy is in tuned.
Thank you for acknowledging the RZA as the pioneer of this style. Too many times ive seen other folks given credit for this. Sub Crazy, Black Widow pt 2, 97 Mentality, All that I Got is You, Hollow Bones, Let My N***as Live, etc. RZA was next level on this style 25 years ago.
Gravediggaz - Dangerous Mindz 1997 production by Forth Disciple & RZA.
Rza ain't pioneer that shit tho
@@defcreator187 he said “unplugged rap”😂😂😂. I’m talking making records intentionally using this style. Ofc he’s not the first to ever do this in the history of mankind but he brought that style to the hip-hop masses and made it famous.
nah DJ Muggs
Save for Hollow Bones and ATIGIY, the others use drums, my guy. But yes, I see what you're saying. This style has been around for a long time though.
Back in the Myspace days I sent Armageddon from Terror Squad some of my beats. He replied (which was nice or him), and said that my beats 'needed more elements'. I was using loops with very light, simple drums. Now look! I still have those beat CD's and Zip disks.
One thing’s for sure, you can’t have a rapper with a weak flow or lyrics over a drum less beat. It’s a beautiful antithesis to the tradition of “booty-shaking” hip hop and a focus on bringing out an emcee’s presence.
Facts
i think willyynova has some of the best instrumentals in drumless hip hop but his delivery is subpar so it kind of ruins it
@@lonelydriver8971 idk why this comment made me laugh lol about to go check it out
@@92kris lol, i recommend trying his album godislove. moscato and smedium ugly are my two favorites but everything on that album is solid
Don't tempt the universe. Before you know it, drumless mumble rap will be popular. (Drumble? Mumless?)
Great video, it’s important to note that “drumless” doesn’t necessarily mean no drums in the beat at all, it just means that the drums aren’t the most prominent part of the beat. It makes it so that you HAVE TO pay attention to every other element of a sample and really appreciate it and let the sample breathe. Nicholas Craven is probably my favorite producer rn, songs like Smokin Samson, Power Nap, Straight & Tall, Brand New Chanel Kicks, etc… his albums with Boldy… it’s just differenttt
Although Alc is known for this style, this hasn’t been his ONLY style in his career. He had drum heavy beats back in the 2000s and he managed to adapt his style to times to remain fresh. Not many producers can change their sound like Alc.
he change his style after working with Oh No... now ALC is a cheap copy of madlib
Alchemist didn't change his style though his shit still sounds like an "Alchemist Type Beat"😂😂😂
@@sourdiesel681listen to Dead Bodies from his 1st Infantry album and ask yourself when was the last time he produced anything close to that. Alchemist was smart enough to adapt to the times
@@Glol91ABCYou cant be a important man with this minimalist beats but if you already a big man like alchemist you can rest with these beats he is just enjoying with the soul beats now its Art man
No need to go in 1 direction kick snare kick snare speed up sample bla bla put trap hi hats 808s etc. Etc.
@@sourdiesel681 wtf you talking about? I didn't said shyt about minimalist beats
I definitely prefer drums over drumless, but I like the fact that drumless makes the rapper put in more effort. A lot of popular artists are completely carried by the beat.
The lyrics have to be good on a drum less.
That’s one of the things that makes Griselda great
Jail Pt 2 is the best
Apollo Brown & Planet Asia - Anchovies
A drumless masterpiece, every track, every loop, every detail… utter perfection 👌👌
+ Sardines
There is a few tracks with drums on their but very minimal, unbelievable project tho. Apollo is so slept on as a producer
Apollo Brown is amazing. An underrated producer. I could've mentioned this album in the video.
Apollo…exquisite!
And that makes perfect sense because truthfully, Apollo Brown was never known for his drum programming....at least amongst other producers so, him making a dope album with no drums is right up his lane.
"Please listen to my demo" by EPMD is my first introduction to this style and that was back in the 80's. I can still bump that track to this day and it's still sounds fresh.
Good call. Definitely no bass. Pioneers frfr.
Yes sir! I second this.
This!!
True! Erick Sermon, Definitely Under Rated!! Question, does "Power of God"- by LL, Produced by Marley Marl qualify???!
Link please 😊
KA and Marciano pushed this sound since 2010
KA is underrated
Fam I said the same shxt .... salute
I like their lyrics but their beats are lacking because of that.
you're the one lacking in here lmao@@dassolosyndikat5113
@@dassolosyndikat5113 Roc new shit on Jay worthys album is pretty nice. alc and Larry Junes great escape is great work too
To everyone bashing the drumless beats...different producers have different philosophies about how their beats are supposed to compliment an artist. Nicholas Craven has always said that his production is not about pursuing the goal of making the best beat or being considered the best producer, it's about activating his artists as much as possible. In his mind, if the beat inspires the artist to write great lyrics and the song as a whole is good, then the producer's job is done. Drumless hip hop also requires special samples which are harder to find and require a different level of digging from the producer. A lot of my drumless beats take longer to create than my percussion-heavy beats when you consider the amount of time spent looking for samples. The video explains this concept well but I think some just don't like it.
I love this statement “activating the artist” it’s so true. Hip-hop/ rap is not a monolith, some artists really know how to paint a picture and sometimes deep sounds without the clutter of 808s and heavy drums are needed to score a song or message. I’m a huge fan of Nicholas Craven and Alchemist for realizing this.
no drum beats are ok but i feel its being over done lately.
Opposite for me since I mostly make sampled beats. Its actually harder to add percussions to samples because it has drums already, not to mention most boom bap style has been over done, so one criticizes themselves like "naw thats already been done before", causing me to do drumless beats.
It is lazy. And it seems like nothing we add to it works. Because the sample is THAT good. So we settle with drumless beats.
@@seanfrance3182its common sense and music production 101. They literally teach this everywhere.
A producer works for the artists not the other way around.
@@prototype8137They're supposed to work together seeing as the producer is an artist as well.
Ice Cube, Today Was A Good Day. Perfect example of no added drums, just a fire loop. Not even chopped just straight up. Madlib is also heavy into this style. It’s been around for a while but definitely Roc Marci and the Alchemist plus all the other artists like Earl, MIKE, Boldy etc are just pushing that wave. I’m sure to some it might seem “Lazy” in terms of production but it’s the same as not understanding Picasso painting a masterpiece in five minutes. It’s the ear and the work that was put in years before that adds up to that skill and there’s a feeling of catching lightning in a bottle when you find that loop. Haters will always hate but there’s enough styles in hip hop alone to please everyone’s taste. 👍
Great post! Did you know they've figured out the actual day that song was written about?
@@treyhudson73tell us !
This Ice Cube song Is a Semi-Drumless song...but i get what you mean ...
That’s what I meant by no added drums, it has drums in the sample but no added layered drums. 👍🙂
Although it’s not the full song and just the intro,
Int’l Players Anthem with 3 Stacks’ verse over it is one of my favorite parts in any song without drums.
🔥🔥🔥
The Rza is responsible for a few genre's and styles The Rza clearly is the godfather of this movement
RZA got some ideas from Ced Gee Ultramagnetic MCs. Sampling movies for one.
@@b-boycastertroysampling dialogue wasn't exclusive to Ultra magnetic if That's the case credits should go to The Bomb Squad as well you remember producers back then they use to sample anything like they didn't have to pay for it 😂
Bomb squad, Prince Paul all over the De La records, KMD had word collages etc, I mean…Diamond D when he used the same sample as Busta’s NY York shit doesn’t have added drums. People always been doing drumless loops…I just never thought producers would just make those 😅
Am I missing something here? Loads of us were making drumless tracks in the 80s. It was out of necessity because our samplers couldn’t play a sample and a beat at the same time so we had to find samples that worked with no beat accompaniment. This technique was definitely around before the producers mentioned in this video. Sure, they may have become famous for it, but they didn’t invent it.
Disclaimer: drumless here means without an added drum, not without drum. The example made - RZA beat - has a drum.
That's right. Drumless here doesn't necessarily mean that there's no drums. Sometimes the drums are light or minimal.
@@RhymeReport When Is like that ...some people called Semi-Drumless
Roc Marciano. Nuff said ‼️
To see Roc, Alc and Ka on the thumbnail already let me know this video would be 🔥. Drumless hip-hop has become a favorite of mine since my first time actually listening to Ka back in 2020 which led me into Roc since they have tracks together (first heard him in 2017 but I was fresh out of highschool, hadn't experienced enough to really feel it then). Listening to Alc made me search for others too and its taken me on such an incredible journey through music. I couldn't be happier that I've discovered their music
Earl, Mike, Mavi and and everyone else have been creeping into and cementing their place in my rotation since last year. Earl solidified it this year when I listened to "Some Rap Songs" earlier this year and couldn't stop listening to "The Mint" with him and Navy Blue. Mike and Wiki made an incredible statement with the Alchemist profuced "Faith is a Rock" and the standout track is easily "Mayors a Cop". Idk what was going on in the studio when that song was made but I NEED a behind the scense explanation
I feel like it’s the opposing answer to the current era of heavy trap style 808s. It’s enjoyable as long as the artist delivers on the mic. If the artist fails short, the track falls apart.
It’s a production approach built on a precarious foundation imo.
Rip people waiting for the drop.
Real music lovers have no issue with this
You mean Cats who don't need Adderall 😂
@@jawnkandy This is so GD accurate 💀💀💀💀🤣🫡💀💀💀💀
This style definitely derived from best tapes from producers back in the day. Madlib and Dilla do some of the best drum-less beats on their 2000s tapes
Too many beatmakers on here sniffing their own fartery complaining about how "easy" drumless beats are to make. Hip Hop snobbery has got to go.
💯
Wordd! I remember when it was about what was felt! Overall we're so outta touch with ourselves it's not even funny
Thank you for giving RZA is props for pioneering this sound
Muggs makes some ot the dopest drumless tracks I heard so far. It’s slowly growing on me.
Love that style when done right! You failed to mention 3 of the originators Madlib, J Dilla and MF DOOM
All of them definitely contributed to the style. If I went more in-depth, there were lots more artists that I could've mentioned.
@@RhymeReport Yep but Madlib and DOOM were 2 who made that style popular! Their track 'Rhinestone Cowboy' is like a blueprint to that style!!
Love it. It’s a gem of its own. Alchemist, Conductor Williams, Roc Marci, Daringer etc.
Conductor is 🔥🔥🔥
@@charismatickidd yesss, Frank Murphy is a fckn masterpiece
I can honestly say my music is evolving hip hop. 💪🏽 💯
And what a brilliant way of describing the sounds of Hip Hop. Spot on!!!!! 🎉
Thank you thank you for this vid bro. I love the many flavors and styles of hiphop, but this one has always had a special place in my heart. Just Blaze’s Dear Summer pushed me absolutely over the edge in love with HipHop, and those beats will always find rotation in my playlist, regardless who’s rapping over them. You the real MVP for this one!
Thank you!
This reminds me of when Prince dropped one of the only Pop songs to not have a bassline. “When Doves Cry” i watched an interview with his engineer she said “it got really big then during mixdown he kind of removed a lot of things and unproduced it. Then the last thing he did was remove the bass and said “ain’t nobody gonna beleive i’d do this.” At the end of the day he trusted his musical instinct to fit the feel he wanted and it ended up becoming arguably his most successful song.
Just earned yourself a new sub. This piece was as much a work of art as the music it discussed 🙏🏽
Thank you! Appreciate the sub 🙏🏽
We're here. Salute. It is revolutionary. The breathing room it brings when done proper.
"Let the rhythm hitm!!!"...not just the beat. We sometimes find ourselves "hypnotized by the drums" and miss the lyrics. Some productions do that on purpose to sell content. They drown out the lack of lyricism by a banging/catchy beat. Most times when people say they like a song is because the best and the hook are catchy. Without the beat yet using the music to put the lyrics at the for front is brilliant, if you are blessed enough to find a pure lyricist/poet to carry the project.
The algorithm was right on with this video right here! Love the drumless wave
Finally! Somebody made a video on the Art of ILL Loops. One of my favorites is Cappadonna's 97' Mentality off of Wu's Killa Bees The Swarm Compilation that came out in 1998, Produced by Rza.
Great Video. Thank you! Finally a Video that acknowledges RZA with this sound (Ghost: All that I got is You '96). As well modern Boom-Bap/Goon-Bap was influenced by the Cuban Linx/Purple Tape sound. Also Dailek doesn't get enough love for their influence on Drumless Hip-Hop
Honest question: Goon bap?
@@Dreso87 Term I use for that "Modern Boop-Bap"/Griselda sound. Slow Looming Heavy Drums. Doesn't actually sound like Boom Bap (DJ Premier-ish) to me
Sounds more like an Evolution of that Slow Hard Grim sound RZA was using back in the day. Ex. PLO Style (Method-Man)
@@wahyagabriel6167 Got it, love the term. Its definitely a sound of its own
@@Dreso87 I agree, hey kept refining it to make it something it's own
A Major Team and Producer is LNDN DRUGS!!!! Jay Worthy, Gworthy, Sean House, Larry June to name a Few are always Rockin his Beats
Thanks for this video. I knew I wasn't the only one who noticed this trend. Super interesting to see "true" hiphop change to a wave of no drums hiphop.
Drumless beats have been hot from day, it's not that new but I'm glad people are recognising the art of it now. Just because a tracks has no drums, that doesn't mean it doesn't have a "beat"
Outkast's song E.T (Extraterrestrial ) was one of the first songs I heard with no drums.
Rza is one of the best, ever. I dont think Black Widow Pt. 2 had drums.
What The F*ck Is A Jay Electronica is a stellar project.
Thank You for sharing.
Yeah, that Outkast song is dope! I love it.
Yea black widow part 2 had no drums he just brought them in at the end of the track
Out of this world....are you alien?
Thanks for putting this together. I'll be back to follow up on some of the names new to me.
amazing as always. great breakdown of technique . appreciated it
Damn, Eternal Sunshine is a classic.
Simply put , the drum-less beat is the last bastion of the MC 💯
Cypress Hill's "Scooby Doo" produced by Muggs back in 93! No kicks or snares! Just a muhfuckin ride cymbal and a Scarface score sample! Genius!!
I’m just glad to see KA mentioned side by side with other drumless pioneers like Roc Marciano and Alchemist.
Been following him for years and KA doesn’t get nearly enough flowers 🙌🏾
My algorithm is pumping! This is spoken art my friend 10 stars.
This definitely needs to be talked about more in today's Hip-Hop! This is important. Great video
Simply throwing KA in the pic is enough 🙏🏾
Rs Drumless hip-hop makes the rappers lyricism and delivery stand out a lot more so u really gotta be spitting on it. That’s why I’m one of the best on it
I love drumless beats man, been listenin to the likes of Madlib, ALC and the rza along with the griselda producers I started makin drumless stuff too, although I do feel guilty sometimes cause after u find the right sample u just gotta find the loop and das the entire beat still I love makin drumless stuff along with chopped up good old style of beats too ofc
Metoo I like making olschool beats, I think it depends on if the artist is feeling drums or no drums
I agree. I feel like making drumless beats is probably more palatable when you’re working directly with an artist. The loop becomes part of the final product instead of just being the product. Whenever I’ve tried making them in the past, I always feel the need to add extra instrumentation or fx that probably end up ruining the vibe.
@@ryjt3736 honestly man fuck what the people think, u can make cool and crazy stuff and u can find an insane sample and just loop it too, if they ask for skillful shit then show em the beats that u made that way, simple solution
Not just loop the sample you can manipulate the sample
Like E. Coli from ALC People think its straight loop but it isnt or Elizabeth from ALC aswell or Devil in a new Dress from kanye west (producer isnt kanye)
@@baL88537 Manipulation isn't just changin the pitch of the sample bro, what they did was just change the pitch, and devil in a new dress is a bad example, kanye literally put drums on it while we're talking about drumless here
That eternal sunshine riff from the soundtrack has its own fantastic breakdown on how Jon Brion made it. There's a behind the scenes that had came out shortly after the movie was released. The technique uses a very old instrument, called a Optigan.
it's an instrument much like a mellotron, but instead of tape, it's an organ that plays back samples from discs.
Thank you for that information 🙏
Animoss work on orphues vs sirens was immaculate
The most superb thing about drum less soul is you can focus on everything the MC says more 💯💯💯💯
First beat I heard like this as a kid was “all that I got is you” ghostface killah. That Shit was so fresh to me at the time! 🔥
Mary J. Blige slayed the hook too
@@yomelo biggg facts!
Let's start giving Prince Paul his flowers y'all don't do it enough.
Awesome, thanks. Subscribed right away. Looking forward to more
Thank you! I appreciate the sub!
fantastic report! loved this
Well researched video, props.
Great video! A really in depth look into the figures influencing the evolution of this style.
Thank you!
Still remember playing Ka's "Honour Killed the Samurai" so, so, so, so many times when that came out.
A very well done video, can’t wait to see more from this channel.
Thank you! I'm working on a few videos right now. I had a look at your channel too. It looks interesting.
I was gonna sub off rip but once I seen Ka I knew this was the deep vein of culture. Great video.
Algorithm hooked it up.
Appreciate the sub!
I like these smooth sounding soulful melodies
4:32 when i was getting my fine arts degree, there was one thing i learned that has really fascinated me ever since. it is how major shifts in art are usually a response, and a direct opposite, of what is popular at the time. this drumless response to the drum heavy style of the time is another example of this being the case.
“Iron Age” Ka ft. Roc Marciano is one of the hardest songs ever
Hi everyone! I just wanted to take a moment to thank each and every one of you for your time spent watching, commenting, and subscribing to my channel. Honestly, I'm overwhelmed by all the attention this video has gotten in such a short period, it's beyond what I expected! This is the reason I started this channel, to create dialogue and discussions like this about hip-hop.
What types of videos or content would you like to see more of in the future? Your feedback is important. Thank you!
Thank you..
I thirdly
Thoroughly enjoyed it..
Ka is the artist that got me into drumless hip hop
The fist drumless beat I know is Sparkle (Mr. Midnight Mix) by Camp Lo, which dates back to 1997. Sure, it’s not based on a film score, but it is drumless. And nobody remembers that.
One of my favorites for sure
Thank you, I was trying to explain this to a friend. I started getting bored of hi hat 808s all the time in every song, but there’s a balance with everything I guess.
Maaannn same!!! Especially with me living in the south. I’m so tired of trap drums I don’t know what to do.🤦🏾♂️🤦🏾♂️🤦🏾♂️
@@MarkHallOfFamebulldoze the trap house
Thank you for being these artists to my knowledge!
My pleasure!
KA's drumless beats gives off a Silent Hill ambience, which is 🔥 asf imo
Love to hear about it! Been super interested in the idea of beatless hiphop since I heard Kendrick Lamar's Savior Interlude ft. Baby Keem, hits so hard with the added space of not having thumping beats.
This was a great video!
Thank you!
Thank you so much! I love drumless samples. I think it's one of the best styles of sampling I've heard so far
Straight and Tall by Boldy James and Nicholas Craven is my favorite song like this I can think of. Super dope.
Great video!
Great video and history! Thank you
Thank you!
What about Madlib?! He been rockin that style for a while
This is a great video! Well informed and full of knowledge keep it up mane
Thank you! I'm just a fan who appreciates this amazing art form called Hip Hop. I'll keep pushing more content like this!
I love the Roc Marciano mention wish he got his just due. Dude is a monster.
Dj Quick is the forgotten hero.
which song?
lyrical rappers got so tired of hearing "i like the beat" "you like the beat fucc the beat! now what!!" "...i like the sample!"
Drumless is so clean. The new wave fs
We NEED that ROC and KA album, This is a dope vid
Beautiful
That style is dope asf
Ransom and Nicholas Craven joints be hard as well
First time I heard Gangrene's "Play It Cool", I was blown away by how intense a beat can be while without drums
Great video. If I had to pick one beat that bests describe drumless hip hop I would choose the first part of Dreams and Nightmares by Meek Mill.
i used to have a problem with this style years ago, but nowadays, i love it. been making beats for 11 years, ive always prefered my drums to be soft, light, whatever u wanna call it. sometimes i like bumpin a track with no added drums. idc if its lazy or not. if its organic, ill f*ck with it. funny the same people saying its lazy likely wont say this to rza, madlib, even outkast when they did the e.t. (extraterrestrial) track thats on their atliens album
Such a clean style of music, I love it
Ever since Ka's Sirens from HATR I have been looking through the discographies. Plus with EVERY song out now, like LITERALLY using the same trap beat snares, it made it easy to appreciate the lyrics more.
Dear Summer - Jay-Z
Roc-A-Fella 2005
Producer: Just Blaze
Man this type of beats are super great
Hollow bones has been one of my fav beats ever since hearing it
Dope to see this