Category: Music

Making Music: Back to the Bap

The last time I wrote about making music, I mentioned how I started thanks to rap. I started making music on my mom’s Windows Pentium 4 computer in the early 2000s with a loop arranger called Hip-Hop EJay. I loved making beats. Sure all the loops were in the software and all I needed to do was pick and mix them to get the beat I wanted. Later on, I used FL Studio. FL is today’s number software for beatmaking and Trap producers. As much as I love that, I do not really enjoy making that type of beats. Sure, every once in a while I’ll make one for the laugh, but that’s pretty much it.

When it comes to beats, I really dig the Boom Bap isht. If you don’t know what Boom Bap is, think of it as what rap beats sounded like in the mid-’90s. A lot of low end, some swing and a lot of Jazz samples. That’s where I’m at. Jazz samples, knocking drums and horns. I even worked on a project with just horn samples that I named So Horny. I’ve never released it. There are a lot of things that I haven’t released. Yet, I enjoy making beats, even though it is not my main focus. However, things have changed.

Thanks to discussions with my colleagues at work, I felt the need to get back into making beats. So I did. That same night, I ended up making three beats with Cookin Soul’s Lo-Bap Life Vol.3 sound pack. I have to say that it was pretty inspiring working with that sample pack. The drums are good and so are the chops and vocals. Plus it has some cool little horn samples which are hard to come by. Overall, it has a very jazzy vibe. Now, do you need to buy that sample pack per see to make beats? No, but if you want to make some proper Boom Bap isht, it is definitely worth it. If you don’t believe me, you can check the video above with Marlow Digs playing around with some of the chops from the pack. You can also take a listen to my latest release: Bap Life. It features the 3 beats that I made with the Lo-Bap Life Vol.3 sample pack.

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On making music

Making music is reasonably one of the greatest things you can do. I don’t say that because making music is cool. It sure is, but that doesn’t really matter. Nor do I believe that we start making music for the sake of being famous or being signed on a record label. Of course, being signed changes everything. We feel super happy, proud, grateful if someone ever recognizes our talent, our sound, ourselves.

Ourselves… That is what truly matters when making music. The first reason why we start making music is for ourselves. In my case, this started around 2001-2002. I really got into rap and the whole Hip-Hop culture at that time. Little did I know how taking that deep dive would impact the rest of my life.

As I was listening to my newly beloved musical genre, I started to feel the urge to do something myself. I wanted to rap. I needed to rap. I couldn’t just listen to it. I had to be a part of it. I remember spending hours at my desk listening to Nas, Wu-Tang and Jay-Z while writing. The beats they had were so inspiring to me. I wrote my own version of Girls, Girls, Girls and of Nas Is Like.

Hip-Hop E Jay interface

My main issue was that I didn’t have any instrumentals or beats to rap and record my raps over after writing my songs. One day, while making my Christmas list gift, I discovered what I was missing. Hip-Hop EJay! Hip-Hop EJay was a software filled with loops that you could put together to make beats. Thanks to that Christmas gift, I was able to make beats. Fast forward 20 years later, even though I do not rap anymore, I still make music. Electronic music that I infuse with a lot of… Blackness. More about that another time.

If you are wondering if you should start making music, the answer is yes. Plus, a lot of software developers offer free trials to help you get started. For that reason alone, I feel like everyone should try making music. See how it goes. We have all learned to draw as kids. Whether it is something that we wish to pursue as adults or not is entirely up to us. Unfortunately, we do not teach making music the same way, which is a shame. This is why I urge you to give it a try. You may love it. You may hate it. In either case, you would’ve tried it. This is important. Trying out new things. This can shape you into becoming your full self.

I also realise that what I love most about making music is the actual process of making music. Being in the zone and vibing to a track I am making is a great feeling. When that happens, I feel empowered. Because making music is a great way to explore your inner self without needing to put words on it. You can but don’t have too. This is why I really want you to try making music. Not playing music, but making music. Creating your own. If not music, draw, paint, take pictures, write stories. Do something creative or artistic. As long as you remain true to your self. And if you do not know who you are, it’s ok, because, sooner or later, you will find out.

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Noticing Tammy Lakkis

Tammy Lakkis is the daughter of Lebanese immigrants. She grew up in Windsor, Ontario and Dearborn Heights, Michigan and is now based in Hamtramck. She is a singer, songwriter, producer, and DJ. Lakkis is also known for her all-hardware sets and singing bilingually in both English and Arabic.

I first heard of her last summer when she did a live show on Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide FM with Shigeto. The show was very eclectic and filled with great gems. Ever since that show, I follow Tammy Lakkis on Instagram.

The other day, I saw one of her posts on IG that caught my attention. It was a cool looking video teasing her new release Notice. As I am getting more involved in making videos at work, I try to stay in the loop of what is being made.

Released on Portage Garage Sounds, Notice is her first vinyl release and consists of 4 tracks exploring dance music. As it is a pre-order, we can only preview 2 out of the 4 tracks. The opening track Hello?? is a percussive banger. The closing track Notice is a less aggressive track and more of a house ballad with beautiful vocals by Lakkis.

Have a sound day.

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