Don’t Over Cook The Beat: Overproducing and How to Avoid It

By Amir Said On Sep 29, 2023

Picture this. You’re in the lab making a new beat. You’re nodding your head, the beat is dope — “Almost!”, you say to yourself,” Just have to add one more thing…”

But hold up, wait a minute! Before you add that one more thing (or two), always consider whether or not the beat is good as is. In other words, ask yourself does the beat really need anything else?

Overproducing is an issue that has, at one time or another, plagued all beatmakers (producers). Knowing when to stop, knowing when the beat is just right or when you’ve found the feel that you were going for, is not always easy. But over time, with practice, experience, and serious study of some of the many of the most recognized beats, you learn how to simplify things and make beats that contain only the ingredients that they need.

At some point or another, all beatmakers come to “the middle of the road” with certain beats. This is the point where they question whether or not they should add something else. When this moment comes, many beatmakers can’t resist and they proceed to add something. In some cases, this is because they have a production setup that contains multiple pieces of gear, and so they want to include every piece of gear in their beats (just because they can). But in this scenario, they ignore the fact that dope beats are not measured by the number of pieces of gear that you use for a beat. In other cases, some beatmakers (producers) chase the phantom notion of making an “epic” beat. But here again, the issue of more does not always mean better; an epic beat is not the product of a high number of elements but rather those elements that complement each other.

Whatever the case may be, an (ill-advised) tendency to want to add more to a beat (seemingly for the sake of doing so) is counterproductive to a beatmaker’s (producer’s) development, as it can become a bad habit to develop, as it results in a beatmaker’s (producer’s) inability to properly evaluate his beats..

No matter what type of beat that you’re making, whether it’s a sample-based beat, non-sample-based beat, or hybrid, it’s important to remember that beats are, first and foremost, based on rhythm. As such, anything you do that enhances — i.e. further magnifies — the core rhythm is likely a step in the right direction. Likewise, anything that you do that disrupts the core rhythm of the beat, is asking for trouble— as it likely leads to overproducing. (Note: Most skilled rappers, especially serious lyricists, do not like to rhyme over beats with a core rhythm that’s constantly disrupted.)

How to Avoid Overproducing

So how do you avoid overproducing? The best thing that you can do is to approach your beatmaking style from a need context rather than an add-something context. What I mean is, avoid taking the default “grand approach” to every beat that you make. Instead, recognize the fact that beats are woven together piece by piece and then linked together through composite sections (sequences). Each section has its own say (or voice) in the matter of the feel and mood of the beat. Therefore, once you’ve programmed the fundamental sections of your beat, each individual section must be respected for the role that it plays.

And always remember that just because you can add another element doesn’t mean that you should. For instance, a lot of beatmakers (both new and veterans) get drunk off of making/adding unnecessary chops. But overdoing it with too many chops does nothing but flatten the beat at best; at worst to many chops make a beat sound like a bad DJ Premier or 9th Wonder type-beat. Remember, hip hop is competitive, but when it comes to beatmaking, competition Is not about how much you can add to a beat or specifically how many different chops you can program into a beat. Often, a straight loop, with or without drums, is dope. Bask in the glory when you find a loop like that; there’s no shame in not adding something to it. In fact, there’s honor in respecting that loop for the feeling that it already gives. Hip Hop/rap music was built on breaks, keep that in mind.

Also, while there are some types of beats that are intentionally not for rappers to rhyme over but rather for the instrumental to be celebrated as the lone featured music, most beatmakers (producers) make beats with the purposed of a rapper rhyming to it. Thus, in this regard, the beat is supposed to be an equal partner with the rapper, it’s not suppose to overshadow the rapper. Instead, the beat should be a bed of music that inspires and allows a rapper to perform at their best. The idea is to give a rapper the musical inspiration and space to comfortably express themselves. Thus, if a new element doesn’t enhance the feeling and connection between the beat and the rapper, don’t add it. Incidentally, this is one reason why in the mixing phase, many beatmakers (producers) and engineers strip out elements in an effort to make the song more cohesive.

Finally, one practical way to avoid overproducing is to always began from what I call a minimal programming context. This means that you that remain conscious of the fundamental aim of any beat: A dope core rhythm, with or without a dominant melody, that moves well with a solid backing beat. When you start from a minimal programming context, once you’re unsure about whether to add something or not, just consider the movement of the rhythm and the backing beat. If the rhythm is working (changes and all) and the backing beat (i.e. the drum work) is solid, there’s usually no need to add anything.

An Example of Minimal Programming Context

For Example…

With the MC Lyte classic “Paper Thin,” producer King of Chill opts for a minimal programming context that’s effective and, at the same, deceptively simple. Using a heavily syncopated drum arrangement, capped off by unique timbre of the wood block snare, he establishes one rhythm; this is the solid backing beat. He then loops up some sort of winding, bass kazoo sound (also syncopated at the beginning and end) that faces off directly with the drumwork. This creates a calm but chaotic tension that is only resolved every fourth or eighth bar by a sustained horn-stab. The result is an aggressive groove that allows MC Lyte to find the right tone as well as her own aggression in the subject matter of the rhyme.

Below, I have included “Paper Thin” for your examination. I have also included a number of other songs (from sample-based to non-sample based) that aren’t over produced.

Editor’s note: For a deeper examination of this issue, see “Quality Parameters: Use the Right Ingredients, But Don’t Overcook the Beat,” located in Chapter 6 of The BeatTips Manual

The music and video below is presented here for the purpose of scholarship.

NOTE: As you listen to and study these songs, ask yourself this: “What could you possibly add that wouldn’t disrupt the core rhythm?” Also, try to imagine where things were stripped down.

MC Lyte — “Paper Thin” (prod. by King of Chill)