Beat Club WPA #2 : The Cloud Rap Wave

[Deafheaven]

I figured it would be best to talk about a type of production I both love and make quite a bit of. Cloud Rap. IIRC there was a thread on here a few weeks ago with some people asking what the genre is about, look no further.

Cloud rap in my eyes is just shoegaze in hip hop form. I wall of haze and sound with simple melodies deep in the mix. For an example of what I am talking about peep this track first



As you can see the hazy, subdued aesthetic is there. There is also a light guitar melody amidst all the fuzz. Now unto an example of cloud rap from what many view as the forefather of it



Obvioulsy more tuned toward hip hop but you wouldn't be surprised to find a vocalist on something such as this.
I really wanted to make this comparison because your chops can be amazing, melody dope, everythings right. But if you can't encapsulate the feeling from the first track its largely meaningless in making this type of music. Its really a atmosphere more than anything.

The biggest thing about this type of music is the utilization of effects, by far. Its pretty much what gives everything that huge sound.



regardless of your DAW there is a lot pertinent info in that vid. The huge sound comes from messing with reverb, delay, filters, distortion, and modulation. Freaking all those till the sample sounds right is key. Its honestly very difficult to craft cloud rap without effects.

A few more beats for reference











any tips or questions don't hesitate to ask!

 

[Im Kemet Rocky & I like penis]

i use nexus leads and i add reverb 2 ..

is there another synth i could use to get more better cloud sounding pads or rythems..?

 

[doublenegative]

Good job my G. @LauderdaleBoss Up This....

 

[doublenegative]

Great post Zeu$. This is relatively a new style to me and I'm interesting in capturing that feel. I'm gonna try out some stuff.

 

[Deafheaven]

Great post Zeu$. This is relatively a new style to me and I'm interesting in capturing that feel. I'm gonna try out some stuff.

the biggest thing like I said is getting that dreamy ass feel. once you got that down its cake.

 

[doublenegative]

does this qualify?

 

[Deafheaven]

does this qualify?

definitely. pretty much the thing I notice with a lot of cloud rap tracks is that even without the mc on it the music alone is dope enough to stand on its own. This is usually not the case with a bunch of trap shyt tbh tho some is amazing. Mike will honestly could make some dope cloud shyt if he tried i'm guessing, his beats have that feel already.

 

[BlackDroog]

Great post. I am becoming more of a fan of this sub genre.I got a lot of Blue Sky Black Death albums a while ago haven't dug too deep into them. I downloaded some free clams beattapes as well.

 

[ryshy]

This genre comes naturally to me, but ive grown out of it because its like musically insanely basic. Sorry if i offend someone but most cloud rap is weak besides clams.

 

[ryshy]

definitely. pretty much the thing I notice with a lot of cloud rap tracks is that even without the mc on it the music alone is dope enough to stand on its own. This is usually not the case with a bunch of trap shyt tbh tho some is amazing. Mike will honestly could make some dope cloud shyt if he tried i'm guessing, his beats have that feel already.

Nooooooo mike will and cloud have nothing in common theyre almost opposites. Mike wills style is spacey and animated, while very hard in many aspects. Colorful, yet menacing with some transformer elements. Cloud is none of these except mayb menacing sometimes. And its sooooooooooooooo slow.

I think if u like melodies and ambiance weed beats or whatever are cool

 

[Deafheaven]

Nooooooo mike will and cloud have nothing in common theyre almost opposites. Mike wills style is spacey and animated, while very hard in many aspects. Colorful, yet menacing with some transformer elements. Cloud is none of these except mayb menacing sometimes. And its sooooooooooooooo slow.

I think if u like melodies and ambiance weed beats or whatever are cool

a few of mike will tracks have an insanely dense and zoned out sound. like if his shyt was slowed down 20 bpm and then giving delay it would totally fit the bill. You say cloud rap is simple, its only really as simple as someone makes it, like most beats. I've heard a myriad of dope ass cloud rap beats from randoms. Hell I even got a playlist with like 100 of them shyts off youtube for work...

aint shyt simple about something like this imo



throw up some of your work?

 

[ryshy]

theres like 2 i think on my soundcloud key and something about your eyes

oh and if what this is what cloud rap is then i dont make cloud rap beats

 

[nineteeneightysix]

I have been making similar beats without even being in tune with this "cloud wave" thing...I actually thought I created my own genre/lane...

 

[Why-Fi]

I'm learning something here, this is a new style to me. with the clams joints at least its basically sounds like trip hop with the wider higher end out front more than everything else. and the stereo field is like all outdoors instead of a room. id like to experiment with huge spaces like this, lot of potential for modulation and free movement. shyt is dope

 

[Mass]

sometimes simple >>>> everything else.