You can hear this snare pattern in what seems like every hip-hop song released since Tha Carter III, perhaps most notably Beyonce’s “ Diva.” In fact, I would argue that the real “hook” of this song is the dotted-8th note snare pattern. One of the most astounding things about this song is that in spite of all the fuss we make over choruses in this industry, “A Milli” simply doesn’t have a chorus.
Just a hunch, but I have a feeling the snare pattern which ends each verse phrase inspired the producer of my #3 pick.
Other non-melodic elements include tuned kicks, an “ooo” vocal line and a synth progression which plays intermittently. It is more reminiscent of a tonal language (such as Chinese) than a scale. While Snoop’s chorus vocals have pitch to them, they are not discernible notes per se. The deep drums likely inspired the tuned kicks in the next song, which uses an identical rhythm figure.Ĥ) “Drop It Like It’s Hot” by Snoop Dogg (feat. The only other element which is not entirely percussive is an “oooo” yell. They are tuned, but each hit slides downward in pitch (sometimes erroneously referred to by drum techs as “the doppler effect”), so it would be futile to try to establish a key signature for this song. The deep drum sounds in “Wait” are a mix between kicks, 808s, and toms. Getting your single in rotation at strip clubs is a right of passage in the rap world and “Wait” is a perfect example of a song written explicitly for that purpose.Īside from lyrical content, there is something raw (and therefore sexual) about sparse rap arrangements. When top producers make music today, they are imagining how a crowd will react to it in a night club environment, but even more specifically they’re thinking about strip clubs. They all are comprised almost entirely of rhythmic components, but all of them have at least some melodic content somewhere, including tuned 808s which usually will not be audible except in a night club or car stereo.ĥ) “Wait (Whisper Song)” by Ying Yang Twins (NSFW video) The following club anthems are extreme examples of pop minimalism. Particularly over the last four years, much of rap and Top 40 dance music has had no chord progression at all, only a repeating riff (“ostinato”) and/or a single note bass line.
Pop minimalism is one of the most interesting and distinct music trends of this decade.
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