From the thought-provoking hip hop of El-P and Killer Mike, to the glorious garage-meets-pop-meets-RnB of Disclosure,   2012 had plenty of musical highlights .  Here are my favourite ten from the past twelve months.  In no particular order - they're all number one in their own way. El-P featuring Killer Mike and Despot: ‘Tougher, Colder, Killer’   Produced by El – P  First: El – P’s opening is probably the best verse of 2012.  Not only is it incredibly disturbing and thought-provoking, but also incredibly dope.  Second: the following onslaught by El – P, Mike and Despot is electrifying.  Third: the beat is beyond epic.   What TNBM said at the time: ‘The...distorted drums after the first breakdown, which add a real sense of drama.  Wowzers.’ Source: www.youtube.com/elpossum El – P: ‘$4 Vic/Nothing but You+Me (FTL)’   Produced by El – P El – P sounds at his most vulnerable and most defiant in equ...

Mecca:83 AKA Rise is a name you're going to see on a lot of people's 'best of' lists, including ours.  His  'Sketchbook Pieces, Vol 1' , a collection of recent remixes and production work, serves both as a perfect introduction to the beatmaker and as a tasty appetizer for those fans hungry for another full-length.  He is part of the international quartet Alexis Davis , along with fellow producers Spinnerty and DJ Simon S and lyricist Replife.  He's also the man behind the Expansions Collective label, releasing music he describes as 'Future Vintage'.       An aficionado of A Tribe Called Quest and J Dilla, Mecca:83 has made his own lane by mixing jazz, hip hop and broken beat, creating a sound which is very personal and very beautiful.    The New Beat Maker had a chance to talk to the popular producer about, amongst other things, his mastery of drums, how Alexis Davis tracks come together, his favourite Dilla tracks and t...

The BeatTips Manual has long been regarded as the beatmaking Bible by many in the hip hop and beatmaking community.  Now available as a digital download, The BeatTips Manual looks set to further solidify its position as the go-to book on beatmaking, as an instructional resource and cultural document. In this exclusive interview The New Beat Maker speaks to The BeatTips Manual author, accomplished beatmaker, MC and beattips.com founder Amir 'Sa'id' Said about the book's conception, influences and value to both new and experienced producers. TNB: The BeatTips Manual is over 400 pages and is comprehensive in its exploration of beatmaking.  This must have been a massive undertaking.  Can you tell me a bit about the book’s conception and how you went about writing it? Sa'id: Writing The BeatTips Manual was certainly a massive undertaking; it’s a big book, content wise and size wise!  I wrote the very first edition back in 2001, and since then I’ve been writ...

The much loved BeatTips Manual is now available as digital download. The BeatTips Manual has been long regarded as the beat making Bible by many in the hip hop and beat making community.  Written by accomplished beat maker, MC and beattips.com founder Amir 'Sa'id' Said, the 400 page book covers five categories in great detail: history , instruction , music theory , business and interviews with hip hop legends including DJ Premier, DJ Toomp, Buckwild, 9th Wonder and Marly Marl. The BeatTips Manual earns its stripes as a legitimate textbook, accessible to students at college and students of the game alike. ( hiphopisread.com ) I'm a big fan of beattips.com and I highly recommend anyone who hasn't checked out his site - or is in doubt as to whether or not to cop the digital download - to see for yourself just how informative and well written Sa'id's work is.  Alternatively, checkout this review by another The New Beat Maker favourite, saintjo...