Hip Hop & Rap music beats has got an audience and an appeal that’s larger than most people realize. Rap and hip-hop are a natural pairing, so it’s not unusual to see artists crossing between these genres to produce unique beats. Without a doubt, some of the most intriguing rap songs have been inspired by samples, remakes and reinventions from other music genres.

The Versatility of Rap

Rap music is more than just beats and lyrical monotones that extol the virtues of the dark side of life. It has the ability to stretch and in doing so, it has the ability to appeal to non-traditional rap audiences. One of these “stretch” pieces – found here – is a hybrid sound called “Gangstagrass” by rap artist Rench, who first combined rap and bluegrass. The sample here is actually a theme song for a television show on F/X, but in 2008, Rench assembled an album (Gangstagrass) of this unique sound.

Here’s another sample: Steels Gonna Be The Death Of Me

The music form has an almost comfortable, Deep South feel to it and – as impossible as it sounds – some of the tracks on the album make bluegrass and rap seem like they were made for each other.

If you’re just getting into rap or self-produced music and you think that rap has to take the “street” approach to be genuine, you’re missing out on a great opportunity to introduce new beats, new ideas and new faces to the rap music scene. Rap music has music fundamentals that are strong enough to take even the most unlikely musical partners along for the ride. Better still, these unusual combinations lend themselves to prime exposure in other media like television and movies.

If you’re a rap traditionalist, there’s no reason to stray from what’s worked for the past 25 years, but if you’re into creating a new sound or want to move the rap music scene in a new direction, consider making a hybrid music sound. It’s a great way to introduce new fans of other musical genres to rap, and vice versa.

If you’re looking for a tool to help you self-produce the hybrids you have in mind, check out Sonic Producer. There’s no better, easier and less expensive way to get the tools you need to make tomorrow’s hit music today!

Photo Credit: Whitney Waller, via Flickr