I changed the kick and messed around with the EQ. Before you make a beat for a rapper,, I've been told that you shouldn't mix/master. Isn't EQ'ing and putting effects part of the mixing, though? Thanks as always, fam.
The kick is good, really good. Now that you've adjusted the kick you have to adjust the snare and hat. If you listen to them they sound very similar too similar. The snare should be fine but the hat during the blues riff is too similar sounding to the snare.
Eq-ing, mixing is all apart of sound design/music. Your going to alter whatever it is you are using playing but then once everything is put together and completed you eq the final track.
Since the beats are yours you have the unedited unfiltered access therefore if a rapper says "I want to rap on this" you can give them the beat then once you get the vocals you can layer them and eq the total finished song.
You'll have or should always have access to the skeleton (the beat prior to mixing / finalization. Therefore if you want to go back and change something or a rapper wants to alter it (take a sequence out, add one in) or rap on it you can do so.
For this 3 min song I could say this is dope I want just 1:45 to make an interlude or an intro and you cut it down.