Most rappers’ careers hinge on their bars, flow, and general sound, but the most important and most overlooked piece is the production. However, great producers are finally starting to get their flowers due to the recent resurgence of the jazz and boom bap scene in hip-hop.
Industry kings who lack musical talent, like Drake, 21 Savage, and TheKidLaroi, are revered by the masses. But they offer little artistic value because they’ve only been the face for ghostwriters, engineers, and producers. These artists instead should make their own beat tapes and instrumental projects, so they can understand what it truly takes to make music.
Possibly one of the best examples of actually doing this is Devon Hendryx’s first tape, Dreamcast Summer Songs. His whole philosophy behind becoming a rapper was that despite initially wanting to produce, no one liked his beats – so he decided to rap on his own beats. Dreamcast Summer Songs consists of melodic, jazzy art-pop beats that create a baseline for his musical abilities.
Beat tapes and instrumentals can form an amazing foundation for up and coming artists willing to display their versatility. But releasing a collection of tapes over time can show both transitions in style and growth in technique.
This is best seen in the case of the Virginia rapper Lil Ugly Mane, who released a series of tapes called the Three Sided Tape from 2013 to 2015. The trilogy of tapes range from Southern trillhop and DJ Screw type work to an eventual dive into ambience and experimental hip hop.
The growth shown from the hours worth of beats, samples, and chopped snippets – ranging from classic Southern trillhop to ambient industrial noise – is impressive.
