Boom bap

Boom bap is a style of Hip Hop production that was popular during the 1990s, particularly within the eastern United States, and is most commonly associated with the ‘golden era’ of East Coast Hip Hop. The term boom bap is an onomatopoeia that describes the kick (boom) and snare (bap) drum pattern that defines this genre. The style is identified by an acoustic-sounding drum loop that uses a kick drum on the downbeat followed by a cracking snare drum on the upbeat. Typically, the drums are either sampled then chopped up and played using a sampler such as the Akai MPC or the SP1200, or played live, while the audio is equalized to emphasize the drum loop within the mix. Samples of Soul, Funk and Jazz music are often incorporated with this production style and elements of Turntablism are commonly present. Over time, more percussion instruments were added and digital sampling synthesizers were used to add to the complexity and layers of the beats.