In this day and age, it has become easier than ever to make music and release it on platforms used by millions each day. Independent distributors like CD Baby and Distrokid have made it so that anyone can get their music on Spotify and Apple Music. Now, all you need is a dope beat, but where do you go to find one? Well, for many aspiring MCs and myself, the answer is simple; I’m going to look up a type beat on YouTube.
For those who have never freestyled in the car with a group of friends, you may wonder, “what the hell is a type beat?” Producers who utilize YouTube have figured out a formula for getting their beats heard by the masses. They make a beat, decide what mainstream rapper they could hear on the beat, and then label the video “[insert artist] type beat.” Although this formula has been proven successful for many producers, it has been met with its fair share of criticism.
Similar to the early 2010s when artists were labeled as “SoundCloud Rappers” for using a website that let you share music for free, these skilled beat makers have been condemned for lack of creativity in their music. I hate the label these musicians get just because they figured out a way to make their art heard. Almost every song I have ever released has come from these immensely talented artists, and their craft has not gone unnoticed. New York producer Stoic says that “for [him], type beats are just a way to get more people to hear [his] music. All of the music industry is a game; you might as well play to win!”
Bvtman is an incredible producer who has made a name for himself in the YouTube music community by amassing over 130 thousand subscribers. These producers work extremely hard to put out beats that make me break my neck from bobbing my head too hard almost every single day. The question that stays on their mind is, “will these artists that inspire my craft ever hear my work?” That question was answered for Bvtman when J. Cole lacked motivation and recently decided to look up “J. Cole type beat” on Youtube.
J. Cole has always been jokingly heralded as the most humble person in a genre that is known for flexing wealth and fame. He aided the legitimacy of this claim when he made this song, helping validate the immense talent these Youtube producers possess. Stoic thinks this Cole song “reinforces what all us type beat producers already knew, which is that we make beats that can go toe-to-toe with a LOT of the industry stuff coming out right now. “
That is not to say these artists needed validation, as quite a few are incredibly successful, but this may lead to more major artists looking for beats on YouTube. For example, producer and audio engineer André Mariette says that “most of those YouTube producers are making substantial money, definitely along the lines of mainstream producers, if not even more. Now, with placements happening from those beats, it kind of goes to show that there really isn’t a large difference between the two besides the name.”
For those looking to start finding a way to get their music heard, don’t be fooled and think this is some easy venture. It is not as simple as writing “Kendrick Lamar type beat,” and streams just spawn. These producers have worked for years, some even decades, perfecting their craft and finding their sound. Mariette noted that “a lot of people that enter [making beats] believe that it’s some sort of easy thing to achieve success in this field, and it’s very far and few between. It really has less to do with talent and more to do with intelligence.” Practice and consistency mean everything in this game, and it is important to note that results won’t come about instantly.
Type beat producers are the backbone of the current hip-hop landscape. Every hungry MC who doesn’t have the resources to connect with a producer or record from a professional studio has utilized this style of beats. Although there may be a stigma around the lack of creativity, this blemish is slowly evaporating as these artists finally start to receive the praise they should have always gotten.
