One of the more popular beat making programs out there is the Virutal beat maker or Beatthang by BeatKangz. Acclaimed recognition by some heavyweights in the industry including Rockwilder music producer.

This virtual beat making program has it all. It combines sampling, sequencing, and a massive sound library to give you that edge to make pro sounding beats. Check out the specs: Cd quality 16bit sampling, playback and export to your PC or MAC. MIDI controller integrate without any effort to the Beat Thang machine. You can also add velocity sensitivity to each pad to control the sound definition and remix control.

You can also add and record your own samples and voice through your computer’s microphone or uploaded sound. It also has a nifty feature called auto chop that allows you to slice and dice sounds to recreate your own custom kits and beat samples and instrumentals for your listening pleasure. Real-time and step sequencing is also added, etc…

It even includes a Song mode so you can compile your songs as verses, hooks, vamps, intros, etc…
Starting out as a hardware beat machine, the beat thang virtual beat making program has rocked the hip hop and rap beat world for its quality and professionalism. The bar has been raised when it comes to virtual beat programs.

One site in particular allows you to purchase a complete collection of beats from every genre imaginable all ready to go for you to use. This site is Beats365. Just check out some of the genres they offer: club bangas, reggae, dance hall, dirty south, east coast, hard core, old skool, funk, gangsta, etc… over 39 types of beats!

This is the best way for the young hip hop artist looking to make some cool beats to mix and match with. They even offer a rolodex of industry contacts and how to get started making and selling your own music and beats. That is over 100,000 royalty free beats included in their massive database.

The other way to hop and the rap bat bandwagon is of course to start with anonline beat maker from your computer. With all the beat making software out there, there are a handful of options and platforms to choose from; from the beginner to the most advanced track master.

The recommended software for the new beat maker artist is Sonic Producer. It is loaded with quality & custom sounds to make beats. We guarantee you will not leave your computer for 3 days straight!… Just check out this video on getting started with Sonic Producer:

It appears simple, but is not as easy as it sounds. Understanding how music flows with rhythm and groove takes time and practice and cannot be learned overnight as some would have you believe. Instruments that complement each other, drums, kicks, snares, high hats, all have a certain ‘feel’ that goes well with other sounds and instruments. A skilled producer can mix these sounds together in the right order, tempo, and rhythm to make some awesome sounding beats.

On the other hand, for those young musicians who are just starting out on their beat making career, these flows and instruments will take some time to understand how they complement and work together as one continuous beat.

Start with the basics when learning to make beats on your computer or MAC, verse, chorus, bridge, drums, kicks, high hats, etc… Take your time to listen to different instrumentals, chords, riffs, kits, and begin to develop your own style of beat making. Most famous beat makers have their own style or signature sound or pattern in their music. This can also be seen in the genre of hip hop, such as east coast, reggae, crunk, dirty south, etc… So begin with an artists you like or whose style you admire and try to make your own pattern of rap and beats. Developing your ‘own sound’ is critical to begin to get noticed in the hip hop scene, just listen to some of your favorite artists and you will begin to see this.

So how do we go about making beats on our computer? Beat making software such as Sonic producer, fruity loops, or pro logic, are great for the beginner to begin making beats… so what are you waiting for, start cranking out those beats!

What distinguishes east coast from its counterparts is the intense focus on the complexity of the lyrics involved and the rhythmic interjection of words, rhymes, and verse to give it a unique flavor of hip hop.

Another distinct style of east coast is the continuous hard hitting drums and kicks throughout the music. Most people would agree that the drum or kick is the foundation of the beat, and establishing this rhythm is essential to get your beat to flow and groove. A great example of an artist that was beat making heavy was Public Enemy

Other artists that focused more on wordplay and mixing and rhyming of the lyrics were Boogie Down, Daddy Kane, and DJ Kool Herc. The evolution of east coast changed from the 70′s and 80′s to the mid 1990′s when its cousin west coast rap would enter into the mainstream by none other than Dr. Dre himself.

This intense rivalry between east coast and west coast was famed largely in part of the tragedy slayings between Tupac Shakur and Notorious BIG. The most famous label coming out of the east coast during this time was Bad Boy Records backed by Puff Daddy.

If you are looking for some east coast flavor, listen to the sample east cast beat below by Sonic Producer:

One reason underground rap beats and music are so popular is that most of these artists are non-commercial and are not in the spotlight with signed contracts. The let their music and beats do the talking as well as send a message. The path of fame and being backed by a major record label is not common for the individuals in the underground scene.

The style of music as well as the lyrics also tend to be more objective with a clear message in talking about underground rap and hip hop. More often than not, there are undertones of social injustice, political ideals, and even unity among the global community.

Many underground rap beat artists feel that they are the true bearers of hip hop and rap and that the artists that sign major deals and go commercial have to slant and alter their style and music just to sell albums. Independent and underground artists don’t have this pressure and are free to experiment and express themselves regardless if they are liked or not. This is the true beauty of underground rap beats.

Underground was mainly started on the college campuses in the late 80′s and early 90′s. These pioneers in rap music were the guys selling their music on the street and out of their cars to make a living.

Some of the more popular underground artists include: Aesop Rock, Ugly Duckling, Akir, Planet Asia, Tech N9ne, Jurassic 5, Binary Star, Brother Ali, People Under the Stairs, and Zion I. We all love underground hip hop and rap beats, whether their music and lyrics are mainstream or not, alternative hip hop will always be a driving force of culture and music.