// blog
in the lab
Hip hop news, producer gear drops, and production knowledge. Three posts every three days.
2026-07-15
4 min read
Hip Hop & Rap News: What's Moving in the Culture
Hip hop news roundup - Tory Lanez drops a 23-track double album from prison, Nicki Minaj fires back at iHeartRadio, and Travis Scott lands in hot water.
2026-07-15
3 min read
New Producer Drops: Plugins, Gear & DAW Updates
New plugins for producers this week - a free lo-fi rack from UJAM and Rhodes, Reyes Amplifonics' Harmony H303 recreation, and Baby Audio's SubCulture.
2026-07-15
5 min read
Sampling and Chopping: How to Flip Without Getting Caught
How to chop samples for trap and hip hop production so your flip sounds original, not lifted - practical beat-making advice.
2026-07-09
4 min read
Hip Hop & Rap News: What's Moving in the Culture
Hip hop news roundup - 50 Cent's Diddy doc lands three Emmy nods, Bone Thugs get their Walk of Fame star, and J. Cole assembles a legend-packed magazine.
2026-07-09
3 min read
New Producer Drops: Plugins, Gear & DAW Updates
New plugins for producers this week - a free clipper from NoizLabs, a free bus compressor from Analog Obsession, and Strymon's new flagship delay.
2026-07-09
5 min read
The Rap Vocal Chain: From Raw Take to Radio-Ready
A practical rap vocal chain that turns a raw take into a radio-ready vocal - EQ, compression, saturation, and delay in the right order.
2026-07-08
5 min read
808 Sound Design: Building Bass That Moves Air
808 sound design tips for beat-making - tune your 808, shape the transient, and mix bass that actually translates.
2026-07-08
4 min read
Hip Hop & Rap News: What's Moving in the Culture
Hip hop news roundup - Diddy's possible early release, a Walk of Fame moment for Bone Thugs, and one lawyer walking away.
2026-07-08
3 min read
New Producer Drops: Plugins, Gear & DAW Updates
New plugins for producers - a free analog-style bus compressor, upgraded stem separation, and 50+ free plugins in one bundle.
2026-06-16
4 min read
Hip Hop & Rap News: What's Moving in the Culture
Hip hop news roundup - Rick Ross, Future, and Ye dominate the summer while UK bans TikTok for teens.
2026-06-16
3 min read
New Producer Drops: Plugins, Gear & DAW Updates
Free VST plugins and producer tools hitting the market this week - tape emulation, vocal splitting, and AI co-writing.
2026-06-16
5 min read
Sidechain Compression in Trap: The Pump You Actually Need
Master sidechain compression to lock your 808s and kicks. Essential trap production technique for that signature pump.
2026-06-14
4 min read
Hip Hop & Rap News: What's Moving in the Culture
Championship wins, family drama, and the independent grind - hip hop culture keeps it real off the court and in the booth.
2026-06-14
3 min read
New Producer Drops: Plugins, Gear & DAW Updates
Free synths, tape machine vibes, and a bigger MiniLab - what's worth your time this week.
2026-06-14
5 min read
Trap Drum Programming: Patterns That Actually Hit
Master trap drum programming with layering, swing, and velocity tricks that make beats bounce. Real techniques for 2026 hip-hop producers.
2026-06-04
~7 min
Mastering Beats for Streaming: Stop Chasing Loudness
Streaming platforms normalize loudness, so the loudness war is over and most people are still fighting it. What LUFS actually means for your masters, and the chain I use to make beats translate everywhere.
2026-06-01
~8 min
Getting a Vocal to Sit in the Mix
The vocal is the record. Here's the order of operations I use to take a raw take and make it sit on top of the beat without fighting it - gain staging, subtractive EQ, compression, and the space around it.
2026-05-28
~7 min
Starting a Beat: Sound Selection Over Everything
The blank project is the hardest part. Here's the workflow I use to get from nothing to a loop that's actually worth finishing - and why sound selection matters more than the notes you play.
2026-05-20
~6 min
808 Tuning: The Practical Version
Why your 808s are clashing with the melody, how to fix it, and the workflow I use to get them sitting right in the mix every time.