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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
@@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.
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.
@@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.
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.
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
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.
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.
"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.
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!
@@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 😅
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. 🔥🔥🔥
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.
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 🙌🏾
"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.
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
@@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)
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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
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.
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.
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!
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
Im so glad they mentioned Brownesville Ka and Roc who are the Gods of drumless beats but yes RZA started it so Rza is the Lord orlf drumless production but Roc and Ka took it else where
I'd say that these types of beats are a double edged sword. On one end the lyrics tend to be more in focus and can sound really cool if done right either by chopping or by looping an obscure and hard to find sample and breathing new life into it either by mixing it or manipulating the sound of it, but on the other end it looks lazy when you just slap on a sample loop and call it a day, especially if there is room for dope drums and other elements to be added or the sample could be flipped a lot better. I was on the fence a couple of years ago and didn't like the style in the beginning, but now as I've gotten older I've started to appreciate this style more cause it's more soothing to my ear and I can really focus on what rappers talk about in their songs. I recently made a beat with just a sample and I really dug it, but once I tried to add some drums to it, it didn't sound the same, and I'm a drums first kind of guy. It just depends on the vibe and the sample you're flipping. Great video, mate! Salute!
While I appreciate that you mentioned Rza as the Pioneer of this sound, and the song "Hollow Bones", you failed to mentioned the one song that truly is the genesis of this genre: "North Star" (Jewelz) by Raekwon.
@larrylicavoli The purpose of this video is not to find every single hip-hop song in history that has this style of production. Back then, there wasn't a name for this style. In the last decade or so, this style has become more popular in that there is a name for it now. So, the main focus is on some of the artists that made it popular today.
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.
The thing that you all who are in your feelings need to realize is, the dudes you want to call "old school" are not bashing or hating on this style.....They are the ones who introduced this style to you. Primo, Pete Rock and everybody else who made pause tapes in the 80's/ 90's were already doing this. Pete Rock did it as interludes on his first 2 albums. The "old school" dudes are basically just asking "where's the rest of it " "that's all" ?
Been having this idea of drumless songs, since I was in high school. 15 years ago. Also did some songs like that. Moral of the story: JUST DO YOUR THING, HOW YOU FEEL, WHEN YOU FEEL.
2:50 Escuchar Eternal Sunshine de Jay Electronica (2007), canción de 15 minutos que se considera la pionera del hip hip "drumless", con loops de samples. Aunque antes RZA ya había experimentado con este estilo en Wu-Tang > 2:09 - Wu-Tang: Hollow Bones. Este movimiento "drumless" tomaría más fuerza en los 2010's. Con artistas como Ka y Roc Marciano, con beats que se enfocaban más en la atmósfera, y esto permitía al oyente centrarse más en la letra. Esto le daba un toque de originalidad y profundidad. 4:40 > Ka - I whish. Después, artistas como West side gunn y Boldy James hicieron más popular este estilo en los 2020's. 6:25 - Boldy - Beldevere. ESCUCHAR. Escuchar The price of tea de Boldy James. Otros artistas actuales que experimentan con su sonido "drumless" son Earl Sweatshirt, Navy Blue, Billy Woods, Mike, Mavi...
@@oldlangleypark6070better example would probably be Ghostface - All That I Got Is You which is probably 1 of my first times hearing a hip hop song with no drums
@@oldlangleypark6070bro drumless is not meaning no drums in the song Maybe you just sample a song and it already have drums in it its again drumless beat you just dont add anything
Awsome content. There's always a rhythm in music even without a "beat". The notes are crafted with timing in mind. Poetry has a rhythm even without music. The writer or reciter finds the rhythm in the rhyme or lack there of(haiku) to emphasize the importance of the words spoken. Often at times leaving the rhythm up to the reader. Beats are emphatic giving the listener cues to recognize changes in the subject(s) involved, but the rhythm/cadence has always been the focal point. Not "the beat", The Rhythm. Awsome content Bruh. Keep up the great work.
RZA and Madlib aka Lord Quas are the pioneers. Roc Marciano pick up the flag and carried it through the battle when all hope was lost. Roc is in my top 5 but let's be real.
@@MH-kr2odpioneer means found or started it. Roc didn't have anything close until 9-10 years after it was introduced. They dabbled because it was way to ahead of the times.
