How do you make your own hip hop beats?

There are many ways to make a Hip Hop beat.

Some use computer software such as Fruity Loops, but more commonly used throughout Hip Hop history is the Akai MPC line of samplers, and the EMU SP-12 and SP 1200. There are also keyboard workstations that have the ability to record samples, and some of Hip Hops Big name producers use them.. example: Dr. Dre is known for using the Korg Triton.

Some choose to record samples of various sounds, others prefer to use synthetic sounds by way of drum machine and synthesizer. It's not uncommon to combine samples and synthesis in the same beat.

Most Hip Hop beats share some common features, but nothing is written in stone, and Hip Hop encourages creativity. Some common features include: A drum track, a main melody, a bass track, and sometimes a different melody for the chorusline. Sometimes a Deejay will add scratches to a beat to give it extra flair.

There is no set method of structuring a Hip Hop beat, but a very common structure is: An Intro 4-8 bars long, A Verse 16 bars long, A Chorus 8 bars long, and repeat the Verse and Chorus until it reaches the desired length. Some will add an Outro if desired. Again, Hip Hop is about creativity, so all of this can vary, this is just a "common" structure.