About Course

Producing and Mixing Hip-Hop walks you through producing, arranging, and finishing hip-hop beats in both classic and modern styles. You start with a full section on classic hip hop, learning how to build boom bap drums, flip samples and melodic ideas, shape the low end around the kick, and arrange beats that feel gritty, musical, and ready for a rapper. From there, you move into a complete modern hip-hop section focused on 808 driven production, hard hitting drums, melodic loops, and the mixing choices that keep everything clean and heavy at the same time.

Throughout the course, Eric builds beats on screen while explaining his decisions in plain language you can apply in any DAW. You will see how to use EQ, compression, saturation, distortion, reverb, delay, stereo width, and master bus processing to get loud, punchy results without relying on complicated chains. By the end, you will know how to produce both classic and modern hip-hop instrumentals from a blank session to a finished master, and how to export streaming ready bounces, clean two tracks, and clearly labeled stems that artists and engineers can use right away.

What You’ll Learn

Hip Hop Foundations

Build classic style beats using sample driven ideas, gritty drums, and arrangements that feel natural for rappers.

Sampling and Creative Flips

Find usable samples, chop them into musical pieces, and flip them into new ideas that still feel familiar.

Drum Selection and Groove

Choose the right kicks, snares, and hats, program off grid patterns, and dial in swing that gives your beats real feel.

Basslines and Supportive Sections

Write basslines, counter melodies, and supporting parts that leave space for vocals and glue the beat together.

Modern Melody Loops and Textures

Create modern melody loops from scratch using layered instruments, ear candy, and simple FX chains.

808 Tone, Tuning, and Impact

Shape, tune, and gain stage 808s so they hit hard, sit with the kick, and still translate on phones and laptops.

Beat Mixing Essentials

Use levels, panning, EQ, compression, and saturation to balance your beat and place each element in the stereo field.

Mastering, Loudness, and Artist Delivery

Build a simple master bus chain and export loud two tracks and clearly labeled stems ready for artists and engineers.

Meet Your Instructor

Eric Diamond is a New York based independent musician, producer, composer, engineer, and sound designer who has worked with artists and brands including Curren$y, Ski Beatz, Snoop Dogg, Berklee College of Music, Roland Global, Jim Jones, Busta Rhymes, G Perico, and Wiz Khalifa. Trained in jazz piano, alto sax, and theory, he blends hip hop with jazz-fusion and soul using synthesizers and acoustic instruments. He teaches at SoundCollective and has been on faculty since 2022.

Is This Course for You?

This course is ideal if you want a clear process to produce hip hop in any DAW without guesswork. Beginners will gain a structured path from first loop to finished mix. Intermediate producers will sharpen drum feel, sample chops, and 808 control while leveling up mix decisions that translate outside the studio. If you collaborate with rappers or plan to pitch beats, you will learn arrangement cues, transitions, and file handoff practices that make sessions smooth and professional.

What’s Included

Step-by-step lessons for classic and modern hip hop
Project briefs to practice arranging for vocalists
Mix walkthroughs using the class compositions
Mastering and artist handoff guidelines

Classic hip hop fundamentals: sample discovery, creative chopping, and swing-driven drum programming
Modern production skills: melody loop design, textures, FX layers, and arrangement for today’s sound
Drum selection and feel: kicks, snares, hats, off-grid timing, and hi-hat rolls that groove
Low-end control: building basslines and tuning, shaping, and mixing 808s for clear translation
Mix workflow: levels, panning, EQ, compression, saturation, and time-based effects for polish
Song flow: transitions and section building tailored for rappers and vocal sessions
Practical mastering: loudness, tone, and final export prep plus clean artist handoff
Repeatable frameworks for going from blank session to release-ready bounce