Hip Hop and R&B Instrumentals

Generally, any Hip Hop song has two parts of beat and the rap. The beat is referred to instrumental and rap is called voice track. Thus, a Hip Hop without any vocals is called Instrumental Hip Hop as it uses only the instruments to get that beat. The birth of Instrumental Hip Hop took place in 1996 with the release of Endtrouding, a DJ Shadow’s Debut album. Boom-bap, Trap, Gangsta Rap, Alternative/Conscious Rap, Melodic Rap are some of the Sub-Genres in Hip Hop.

This instrumental Hip Hop is classified into trip hop, breakbeat hardcore, drum and bass among others. Boom-bap was originated in New York and was the popular Hip Hop until mid 90’s. It mostly focused on street rhymes and hard-hitting beats. Trap Music is in full force even today. 808-driven production and aggressive lyrics are the backbones for Trap. Born in California, Gangsta Rap was familiarized from the movies like Straight Outta Compton. It has got a great commercial appeal. Conscious rappers are the one which becomes controversial ones and is not named as such. In other genres, an alternative rap is filled in this place. Though it is not considered as a subgenre, Melodic rap has been very influential in the recent years.

When you hear the title, R&B Instrumentals, it includes a wide range of songs- most of them from late 40’s and mid 60’s. This list excludes many of then classics like “Honky Tonk Pt.2” by Bill Doggett. They are overlapped with other compilations on its label, mainly that in the Teen Beat Series. Several R&B Instrumentals sax players have started it with the likes of Big Jay McNeeley, Red Prysock, and Lee Allen, among which “Walking with Mr.Lee” was so popular. In 1950’s, Little Walters’s “Juke” was a huge success. As the lyrics in this genre mainly focuses on triumphs and failures in relationships, economics, sex, freedom and aspirations, the R&B instrumentals is quite difficult to carry those emotions in the beat. R&B Instrumentals has to make the listeners get the feel of the theme and get involved in the song. While this has the deepest themes involved, it makes the beat complicated. Electric Guitar Instrumental of Turner for the Album, Cubano Jump, included 2-3 clave figures in it. The R&B instrumentals or Hip Hop Instrumentals version of a normal song which otherwise features lyrics is said as -1 (pronounced as minus one).

By setting out the drum loops differently, and accessing the piano roll to arrange the different parts like bass, hi-hat, snare etc- a beat is set to run on itself on a loop. It’s easier to start with a bass drum to get these beats. R&B Instrumentals can be made by playing with a Bass line which is integrated directly into the music. After you select the mood of the song, the bass is set out conveniently and the piano is rolled accordingly. The whole R&B Instrumentals need not be in the same loop. You’re free to add any supporting parts with the help of keyboard with the layering of chords.