Selected Recordings – Hip Hop
Selected Videos – Hip Hop
Selected Credits – Hip Hop
Album: Take Care by Drake
Label: Young Money / Cash Money / Universal Republic
Song: “Lord Knows”
Credit: Drums
Awards: Certified 2x Platinum in the US & Canada
#1 in the US (Billboard Top 200) & Canada
Grammy Winner, Best Rap Album
Album: Yeezus by Kanye West
Label: Def Jam
Song: “On Sight”
Credit: Drums
Awards: Certified Platinum
Billboard Top 200 #1
Grammy Nomination, Best Rap Album
Album: Watch the Throne by Jay Z and Kanye West
Label: Roc-A-Fella
Song: “Prime Time”
Credit: Drums
Awards: Certified Platinum in the US, UK & Canada
#1 in the US (Billboard Top 200), UK, Canada, Switzerland, Norway & Australia
Grammy Nomination, Best Rap Album
Album: Revival by Eminem
Label: Aftermath Entertainment / Shady Records / Interscope
Song: “Arose”
Credit: Live Drums
Awards: Billboard Top 200 #1
Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums #1
Album: Dime Trap by T.I.
Label: Grand Hustle / Epic
Song: “Laugh At Em”
Credit: Live Drums
Awards: Billboard Top 200 #13
Album: Shady XV by Eminem
Label: Shady Records / Universal
Song: “Detroit Vs. Everybody”
Credit: Drums
Awards: Certified Gold in the US
Billboard Top 200 #3
Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums #1
Single: “Power (Remix)” by Kanye West featuring Jay-Z and Swizz Beatz
Label: Roc-A-Fella
Credit: Drums
Album: Self Made Vol. 1 by Maybach Music Group (feat. Rick Ross)
Label: Maybach / Warner Bros.
Song: “Self Made”
Credit: Drums
Awards: #5 Billboard Top 200
#1 Top R&B/Hip-Hop Album
#1 Top Rap Album
Single: “I Love My Bitches” by Rick Ross
Label: Maybach / Def Jam
Credit: Drums
Awards: Billboard #72 Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs
Single: “So NY” by Fabolous
Label: Island / Def Jam
Credit: Drums
Album: I Am… (Future Black President) by Novel
Label: Capitol
Song: “Wild West”
Credit: Drums
FAQ
What makes hip hop drums different from other styles?
Tight, dry, punchy. Often there’s a great deal of 70s influence in the sounds – lots of muffling, single-headed drums, the close sound of a small drum booth. Cymbals are pretty thin, in line with what was around in the 60s and 70s. Usually a fair amount of percussion is added as well.
Recreating old breakbeats is somewhat of a specialty here at Indie Studio Drummer (see the credits above).
How do you record hip hop drums differently?
Often for recording hip hop drums, we’ll use lots of gobos and packing blankets to recreate the sound of a 70s drum booth (which would have been covered in dense shag carpeting, naturally). Microphones will usually be classic dynamic models on the close mics, SDCs on overheads, and one or more crusty old mics to explore some grit and dirt for the sound.
Of course, this style of setting up the room and mixing can be really useful in a whole bunch of styles.
Have a question? Ask us!