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.
The list that follows is by no means complete, but it represents some key themes in his music that really made him stand out as a hip-hop producer. Today, it is harder to understand the impact of his because much of his signature sound has become embedded in mainstream music. However, the best way to get an appreciation of his sound is to listen to R&B and hip-hop before and after he arrived on the scene and listen for these key elements:
Groove: Before him, the sound of hip-hop was boom-bap. The drum sounds were longer and heavier and the beat was more steady. He changed all of this by introducing hyper-syncopated kick drums, blazing hi-hats, and crispy snares. His sound would pave the way for other southern producers to follow. For an example of this new groove, listen to "Let Me Know" by Aaliyah and then compare it to "4 Page Letter" by Aaliyah and notice how the vibe has changed completely.
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 hallmark of his is his ability to find exotic samples. Whereas the traditional staple of hip-hop sampling was jazz, soul, and funk records, he broadened those horizons to include TV themes, video games sound tracks, and world music. Some examples of these exotic sounding tracks include "Get Ur Freak On" by Missy Elliot and "Call Me" by Tweet. His creative use of other-worldly samples would inspire other producers to start doing the same thing in hip-hop.
There is much to be learned from the great producer Timbaland. Listen, learn, and incorporate some of his ideas into your next production.
The list that follows is by no means complete, but it represents some key themes in his music that really made him stand out as a hip-hop producer. Today, it is harder to understand the impact of his because much of his signature sound has become embedded in mainstream music. However, the best way to get an appreciation of his sound is to listen to R&B and hip-hop before and after he arrived on the scene and listen for these key elements:
Groove: Before him, the sound of hip-hop was boom-bap. The drum sounds were longer and heavier and the beat was more steady. He changed all of this by introducing hyper-syncopated kick drums, blazing hi-hats, and crispy snares. His sound would pave the way for other southern producers to follow. For an example of this new groove, listen to "Let Me Know" by Aaliyah and then compare it to "4 Page Letter" by Aaliyah and notice how the vibe has changed completely.
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 hallmark of his is his ability to find exotic samples. Whereas the traditional staple of hip-hop sampling was jazz, soul, and funk records, he broadened those horizons to include TV themes, video games sound tracks, and world music. Some examples of these exotic sounding tracks include "Get Ur Freak On" by Missy Elliot and "Call Me" by Tweet. His creative use of other-worldly samples would inspire other producers to start doing the same thing in hip-hop.
There is much to be learned from the great producer Timbaland. Listen, learn, and incorporate some of his ideas into your next production.
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