I made this using FL Studio!
This was part of my challenge to myself this weekend to make two songs. This was the second one, built entirely from samples. Every old-school hip-hop producer knows how to chop up vinyl from jazz, soul, and just about anywhere else to create the beats you hear on albums like Nas’ Illmatic.
I think my inspiration mostly comes from the production on albums like Wu-Tang Clan’s Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), but I’m not really sure.
Finding the Samples
Everything in this track is sampled. There are no original recordings. No live drums, no played instruments. Just things I found, chopped up, and arranged until they sounded like something new.
The Bruce Lee clip opens the track. I cleaned it up a little in FL Studio and let it sit right at the front with almost nothing behind it.
The Guitar
The wet guitar is the backbone of the whole thing. It runs through the track, chopped a few different ways depending on where you are in the song. I didn’t want it to feel like a loop.
Building the Track
The drums were the weird part. I wanted them to sound like they were coming out of a stereo or a radio. Most producers try to avoid that.
There’s a roll about halfway through that leads into some synths. I was messing around with a transition by cutting the drums up and it just worked, so I kept it.
Be Yourself is available to stream for free on YouTube or the Music page.
Interested in licensing or collaboration? Email me at nickstambaugh@proton.me