Creativity – Making beats is an art – no doubt about that. Most people just hear the instrumental but only real hip hop producers listen to them. Everyone has their own creative set of skills and the important thing is to understand yours. When you figure out your creative strengths and how to maximize them – the sky is the limit.
Patience – You have to be patient if you want to make beats like the top dogs. Learning how to use that MPC or MIDI Keyboard can take hours and hours…and then you gotta learn how to master the software programs with that. Perfecting this game takes time – but when you get to the point where you’re making tracks in minutes, It’ll all be worth the patience.
Detail Oriented – Every sound file is an ingredient to your recipe. If you want to cook up some serious beats then you have to be extremely detail oriented. Time is money – so stay organized.
Visionary – Producing records these days is so competitive and full of talent that really – only the strong survive. The players in the game today are visionaries. They queue up a sample, lace it with a high hat and a snare and envision a concept for the song. When you develop a new track and you already have the vision for the track – the final product will sound much better.
Be Social – Facebook, Twitter and making YouTube videos are all good and everything but Word Of Mouth is the best form of advertising. Let everyone you know, understand what you do. Get in the habit of talking about producing beats because trust me you never know where the conversation can go.
Commitment – Straight up and down – if you quit then you’re the reason you failed. It is not easy to make a platinum hit. Remind your-self why you’re making beats; is it for respect? Is it to get on 106 and park? or is it because you love music and hate sitting in a cubicle? Whatever the case, set goals and stay committed until you accomplish them.