For my creative project, I decided to focus on Houston Hip-Hop, and make a beat that resembled the common themes and aesthetics of Houston’s rap style. I began to conduct research on what made Houston’s style different from the east and west coasts, and if there was a difference. From my research for the Geto Boys, I had found that chopped and screwed rap music had become popular in Houston, and the sub-genre of “gangsta rap” had piqued my interest.
As I became more educated in the sound and meaning of gangsta rap, I discovered that a lot of its differentiations came from the explicit lyrical meaning of the songs. There are still differences in the production of regional hip-hop. Although I do not have a talent for rapping or songwriting, I believe the beat that I made resembles the Houston hip-hop aesthetic. My major point of research was to decipher the differences in regional hip-hop, what they were producing in both NYC and LA were different. The main difference that I have concluded is the drug culture of the regions. In Houston, it is no secret that hip-hop was heavily influenced by lean, which is codeine and sprite, essentially. This Houston-made creation created a common theme for artists to replicate the feeling of the high that lean creates. This euphoric feeling translates into music, which often also has references in lyrical content. As I stated earlier, gangsta rap often is recognized by its explicitness in the lyrics, often discussing topics such as drugs, sex, racism and oppression. These topics may be deemed as controversial, but it creates an outlet for messages that aren’t being discussed in other music, at least not as brutally honest. This was also portrayed in West Coast hip-hop including the well-known hit “Fuck Tha Police” by N.W.A. Although the explicit and profane lyrical components were similar in the two regions, their sounds were distinctive.
In both listening and research, I found that East Coast hip-hop, specifically NYC, has a much more up-beat feel to it. NYC created a foundation for hip-hop/rap that cannot be argued. The fast tempo, uplifting, and experiential sound to East Coast rap allowed improvisation and many sub-genres of rap. Although not all East Coast rap sounded the same, the common technique was often the use samples. Sampling and up-beat tempos are rather easily detected to decipher the regional differences in rap. One of the most famous early hip-hop songs from the east coast is “Rapper’s Delight” by The Sugar Hill Gang. This upbeat tempo and melodic beat truly created a rap song that will never be forgotten. NYC and Houston rap have noticeable differences at this time.
Lyrics aside, the biggest distinction for Houston rap is the tempo. This screwed styled production has a slower tempo, and a lower pitched sound. My first course of action was to lower the pitch that was automatically set to B minor to A minor. This pitch change created a Houston feel. It wasn’t a complete start until I could change the tempo from 75bpm to 65bpm. These two adjustments set me up to begin the creation of a gangsta rap beat. My intention for this beat was to create a euphoric, drug-infused feeling. The synthesizers I used in the making had a hypnotic emotive to it, and the creation of a high-pitched buzz was in almost every Houston rap song I could find. I added a few different synths to mimic this feeling and sound. A lot of the gangsta rap production heavily relied on snare rolls, kicks, and horns. As you listen to this beat, all of these components are strategically weaving in and out of the song. With hours of listening to original Houston rap, I had also noticed that slow piano rhythmics had a strong influence in the production. I started off my project with a piano riff and an arrangement of horns to create the Houston hip hop aesthetic. As I listened and constructed this beat, I wanted to make it both hypnotic and euphoric, which contributed to the diverse inclusions throughout the length of the beat. Although it isn’t super long, any additions I made took away from the aesthetic that I had created, and so I kept it short to keep it attributable to the Houston sound.
Works Cited
Adaso, Henry. “A Brief History of Gangsta Rap.” LiveAbout, LiveAbout, 30 Mar. 2019, https://www.liveabout.com/what-is-gangsta-rap-2857307.
Bein, Kat. “A Beginner’s Guide to Celebrating Houston Rap: Discogs.” Discogs Blog, Discogs, 19 Mar. 2021, https://blog.discogs.com/en/beginners-guide-to-houston-rap-essential-albums/.
Caldwell, Brandon. “20 Years Later: Why 1996 Was Such a Crucial Year in Houston’s Hip-Hop History.” VIBE.com, 15 Mar. 2016, https://www.vibe.com/features/editorial/houston-rap-20-year-anniversary-scarface-ugk-dj-screw-410924/.
Lavoie , Alex. “22 Rap Genres That Define the Evolution of Rhyme and Beat.” LANDR Blog, 18 Dec. 2020, https://blog.landr.com/rap-styles/.
Orbock, Joeseph A. “Rap and Hip-Hop.” TSHA, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/rap-and-hip-hop.
