For my this assignment, I created an old-school (1980s-1990s) hip-hop track, collaborating with rapper Loquil.

I was inspired by artists like Ice Cube, Nas, Salt-N-Pepa, Ja Rule, and Run DMC, as well as films like ‘Step Up‘, ‘Honey‘, and ‘You Got Served‘. This style fits the brief, particularly through its use of sampling. Hip-hop emerged as an “outside form” (Coddington, 2023) in 1970s New York as a response to post-industrial decline and economic change, serving as a revolutionary voice for marginalised communities with urban youth using art, music, dance, and block parties for “recreation” and “self expression” (Icon Collective, n.d.).

INSPIRATIONS:

• Nas – Rule
• Mark Morrison – Return Of The Mack
• Hip-hop classics – DJ Afrosia (2025)

Production & sampling:

I used Logic Pro to compose, record, and mix this track.

I began with a simple harmonic progression in G major (chords A, C, G, D) in order to prioritise rhythm and lyric delivery, aligning with hip-hop conventions. I then built texture by layering drum beats, percussion, samples, strings, synths, and piano. Since the 1990s were moving towards new production techniques and technology, including the introduction of modern DAWS, most of the instruments in this track are MIDI-based.

The mixing involved:

• Stacking piano –> using drier piano sounds (for clarity) mixed with manipulated piano sounds (including reverb and delay from the Step FX plugin) to create unique timbre
• Stacking bass and using side chain –> using a punchy bass for emphasis and rhythmic drive, mixed with sub-bass (that is side chained to a kick drum) for more ‘thump’ and low-end kick space
• Automating strings –> due to using software strings, automation was used to bring back realistic dynamics and variety
• Automating FXs –> use of risers, reverse cymbals, and crashes so automation was used to blend these details into the mix

• Sampling / quick sampler –> use of sampled ambient sounds (eg: city noise – primary source using the Zoom H5), chopped up audio to create instruments with quick sampler (eg: playground xylophone – primary source using the Zoom H5) and pre-recorded instrument samples (eg: drum apple loops including ‘deep end beat‘ and ‘cracking snare topper‘, and turntablism – secondary sources).

• Separating frequency blocks to prevent masking –> drums and bass sit in the lower frequency range (low-pass filter), piano sits in the upper middle range (2000-2500Hz), and synths, strings and risers sit in the higher range (high-pass filter).

Rap recording:

I recorded Loquil with his mic preference, the Warm Audio 87, for its retro, thick tone, adding presence to the spoken lyrics.

We set up in 422’s control room for easy communication, recording lead rap and two shout takes that we later panned hard left and right for a wider stereo image. I used a Drawmer DL241 compresser to even out levels and applied the audient desk’s parametic EQ to remove harsh sibilance and apply a low-cut at 80Hz to improve clarity.

Since I haven’t mixed rap before, I watched Sean Divine’s (2025) hip-hop vocal tutorial. The key take aways from that video I used was saturation, a de-esser, and parallel compression.

In Logic, I created a simple vocal chain, including an EQ, a de-esser, chromaglow saturation, and sending both the lead and shouts to a reverb bus and an echo bus. The chromaglow added character and thickness, which I further emphasised with the parallel compression. For the reverb, I used the space designer ‘brick wall’ with low wetness (due to using echo plugin). Just like tracks by Ice Cube, I kept the lead vocal at the fore-front of the mix.

I also automated all the breaths out manually as I wasn’t happy with the result of a noise gate.

Vocal recording:

I brought in a female vocalist to add sung elements, taking inspiration from Ice Cube’s “This Is How We Do It“.

I recorded her with a Rode K2 in 108b, but due to being unable to deactivate the air conditioning, the background noise affected the recording, especially after compression. Next time, I will just stick to the studios for vocals.

I split vocal blocks across two channels: dry (no reverb) for quieter parts (eg: humming) to maintain clarity, and wet (with reverb) for louder singing to add ambience.

The plugins I added to each track:

• DRY – EQ (high pass filter and a boost in the 6-8kHz region), de-esser, a decent amount of compression with medium release, Kiive Audio’s Warmy plugin, chorus, stereo spread, and a send to a reverb bus.
• WET – EQ (high pass filter, a decent boost in the 800Hz-1kHz region, and a small cut in the 2-3kHz region), de-esser, less compression, chorus, stereo spread, space designer EQ to create saturation, and a send to a reverb bus.

Commercial Potential:

Commercial potential refers to expected sales a song will generate (Songstuff, n.d.)

While hip-hop remains influential, its chart dominance has declined slightly, with market share dropping from 30% in 2020 to 24% in 2025 (Patrick, 2025). Despite this, major artists such as Tyler The Creator, Travis Scott, and Kendrick Lamar still perform strongly, with classic tracks remaining in circulation (eg: Salt-N-Pepa, Run DMC). Overall, a 6% decrease across five years shows a slow decline, which makes my track still potentially successful for 2026.

My track does not replicate contemporary sub-genres such as trap or drill, but instead targets a niche audience that values nostalgia and old-school hip-hop aesthetics. This includes listeners who engage with legacy artists such as Run-D.M.C. and Salt-N-Pepa, as well as younger audiences who consume “retro” sounds. Therefore, while my track may not align with current chart-dominating styles, it has potential within a more specialised market.

The use of a 2–3 minute structure fits with modern streaming trends, where shorter tracks are favoured for replayability on platforms such as Spotify. However, the track may face limitations in broader audience appeal due to its relatively minimal dynamic and harmonic variation.

In my primary research, one peer identified the “groove” and “rhythmic strength” of the track, reinforcing the effectiveness of its drum-focused production. Another peer noted the inclusion of the female vocalist introduced “elements of R&B”, creating a potential genre crossover to broaden commerciality. One listener highlighted the sense of atmosphere, saying it felt like “walking down the street with headphones on”, suggesting successful contextual immersion. Two listeners compared my track to 2pac’s “Changes” and “Keep Ya Head Up“, referring to the emotional and lyrical content, addressing social issues.

Overall, this feedback highlights the track’s key strengths in rhythm, atmosphere, and emotional depth, while also demonstrating its potential for genre crossover. Although the nostalgic focus positions it within a more niche market, the feedback suggests it could resonate with listeners who value an authentic and original hip-hop sound.

Bibliography:

Coddington, A. (2023), ‘At 50, how hip hop went from subculture to the mainstream‘ – University of California Press [online] Available at: https://www.ucpress.edu/blog-posts/64011-at-50-how-hip-hop-went-from-subculture-to-the-mainstream [Accessed 23/03/26]

Divine, S. (2025), ‘The only logic pro hip hop vocal tutorial you need (100% stock plugins)‘ [YouTube] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hPbBz3Bg7A [Accessed 20/04/26]

DJ Afrosia (2025), ‘ 90s hip-hop | golden era classics + rarities | DJ Afrosia‘ [YouTube] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEQ2Qx_HaFk [Accessed 23/03/26]

Ice Cube / Cubevision (2017), ‘You know how we do it‘ [YouTube] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvC96EaQDmU [Accessed 23/04/26]

Icon Collective (n.d.), ‘Hip hop history: from the streets to the mainstream‘ – Icon Collective [online] Available at: https://www.iconcollective.edu/hip-hop-history [Accessed 23/03/26]

Morrison, M. (2018), ‘Return of the mack‘ [YouTube] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncfwVuxlpUw&list=RDncfwVuxlpUw&start_radio=1 [Accessed 19/03/26]

Nas (2014), ‘Rule‘ [YouTube] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpPHRIWxaKs [Accessed 19/03/26]

Patrick, S. (2025), ‘Rap’s chart decline proves it’s still a radical art form‘ – THE FADER [online] Available at: https://www.thefader.com/2025/11/26/rap-disappearance-from-billboard-top-40-is-good [Accessed 19/03/26]

Songstuff (2014), ‘Commerciality, Familiarity and Originality‘ [online] Available at: https://www.songstuff.com/songwriting/article/commerciality-familiarity-originality/ Accessed 19/03/26]