Making this hip-hop cue was extremely fun, and I've always been drawn to this genre of music. I feel that drums are my specialty in making beats so I spend the most time on that. Making the melody of this cue was challenging, from finding the sound that fits, and also making a catchy type of beat. I started off with laying out 5 - 6 tracks and finding sounds that I felt could work together.     

     Kicks, Snares, Hi-Hats, Pads, Synths etc. Making the intro I started off with subtle drums and snaps. This gives a nice vibe to the start of the song, and allows for a beat drop. Later on in the song I mix up the instrument used for my melody so it doesn't feel so repetitive. Along with this, shifting between octaves is a good way to change the feel of a song.

     I incorporated a pad to add a harmonic feel to the song, and switched up the beat with a counter melody. My drums are heavily influenced by my cousin. Being in 130 BPM, this allows me to use faster paced drums giving a hip-hop type feel rather than maybe an R&B feel.

     Overall, for writing hip-hop, I feel that drums carry most of the beat, whereas the melody and harmony help with the phrasing of the song.