6 Steps on How to Create a Rap Beat

This guide will explain the essential steps you need if you want to create a rap beat. Being able to create cool rap beats will give you opportunities to work with rappers in your neighborhood or more know rappers when you get better at it and people start to talk about you.
1 - An Idea
The basic for a great rap beat is an idea. When you have an idea you want to work with it will become easier to get it started. This might be a baseline that is going through your head, or a melody that you feel rocks.
2 - A Baseline
It is your choice if you want to start with the drums and base, or if you want to start with the tune. I prefer to start with the drums and base because I feel that this is will give the best starting position to add guitars and other instruments and sounds.
3 - Something Original
A baseline can be original, but it is easier to produce an original rap beat if you have some fresh tunes to accompany the baseline and drums. In the beginning I will suggest you spend some time imitating your favorite producer, but if you want to sell your beats it is necessary that it is something new.
4 - Personality
Together with originality comes personality. If you want to make a carrier creating rap beats it is a necessity that people know who produced the beat the moment they hear it.
This might not be easy in the beginning. You need to learn the basics first, but once you find a sound that is yours it will be much easier to sell it. You have to start with what you already love listening to, and add your sound to it. Be innovative.
5 - Rappers
Another important element of creating a rap beat is to have a rapper who can use the beat. You might choose to do the rapping yourself, but if you have friends that is already working on some texts or flows, I would suggest you burn out your beats on a CD and give it to them.
You will also find acapella songs from many on your favorite rappers online. This might be good for practice. After you have made an original track with your favorite acapella you can remove it and have your friends to use the song instead.
6 - A Rap Beat Production Software
The last step if you want to great a rap beat is software for doing it. There are many on the market, some are advanced with a high learning curve. Others you will find simpler to understand and easier to use.

If you have less experience I recommend you try out Sonic Producer. It is a relatively simple but yet very effective beats production software that will take you from newbie to skilled in a relatively short time span. The software also comes with great learning material on how to create a rap beat.
Read my Sonic Producer review to get more information.