Homeschool Beats Academy · World Beat Index

Volume 1: The Foundations

12 global genres. The roots of modern music.

Hip-Hop · Trap · Dancehall · Reggae · Afrobeats · Amapiano · UK Drill · Reggaeton · Baile Funk · Lo-Fi · K-Pop · Afro-Fusion

Each card gives you the origin story, the signature sounds, artists to study, a Soundtrap tip, and a producer challenge. Pick a genre. Build the beat. That's the whole assignment.

01

Hip-Hop

New York City, USA · 1970s–present · 80–100 BPM

 ›

"The foundation. Every modern genre borrows something from Hip-Hop."

Signature elements

Boom-bap drum pattern (kick on 1 & 3, snare on 2 & 4), sampled or chopped loops, heavy bass, rap vocals.

Artists to study

DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Kendrick Lamar, J Dilla, Madlib, Nas, Jay-Z

In Soundtrap

Start with Soundtrap's drum machine. Set BPM to 90. Build a classic boom-bap: kick on beats 1 and 3, snare on 2 and 4. Add a simple bass note on every kick hit.

Producer challenge

Make a 4-bar loop using only drums and bass. No melody yet. Make it knock.

02

Trap

Atlanta, Georgia, USA · early 2000s–present · 130–145 BPM

 ›

"Dark, cinematic, heavy. Trap turned the South's street sound into a global blueprint."

Signature elements

Hi-hat rolls (16th/32nd note triplets), 808 bass (pitched and sustained), hard snare, sparse kick.

Artists to study

Gucci Mane, T.I., Young Jeezy, Metro Boomin, Zaytoven, Travis Scott, Future

In Soundtrap

Set BPM to 140. In the drum machine, build a hi-hat pattern with rolls — try 3-hit bursts every other beat. Add a long, pitched 808 bass note and let it ring out. That's the core Trap sound.

Producer challenge

Build a 4-bar Trap loop. The 808 must change pitch at least twice. Make it feel heavy.

03

Dancehall

Kingston, Jamaica · 1970s–present · 90–110 BPM

 ›

"Riddim-driven, riddim-obsessed. One beat, infinite songs — that's the dancehall way."

Signature elements

The riddim (the instrumental) is the star. Syncopated kick, heavy snare on the offbeat, digital percussion, skanking chords. Vocals: toasting (rap-singing hybrid).

Artists to study

Yellowman, Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, Vybz Kartel, Popcaan, Alkaline, Sean Paul

In Soundtrap

Set BPM to 95. Build a kick-snare pattern where the snare hits slightly after beat 2 and 4 — that offbeat "skank" is the Dancehall heartbeat. Add a short, choppy chord stab on the offbeat.

Producer challenge

Build a riddim loop. One drum pattern, one chord stab, one bass line. Keep it tight — Dancehall producers call this "the riddim sitting in the pocket."

04

Reggae

Kingston, Jamaica · late 1960s–present · 60–80 BPM

 ›

"Slow the tempo down. Let every note breathe. Reggae is patience turned into music."

Signature elements

Skank guitar/keyboard chord on the offbeat (beats 2 and 4), walking bass line, one-drop drum (kick avoids beat 1), organ fills.

Artists to study

Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Burning Spear, Toots & the Maytals, Buju Banton, Chronixx, Protoje

In Soundtrap

Set BPM to 70. The secret: leave beat 1 empty on the kick. Hit the snare on 3 instead of 2 and 4. Add a keyboard stab only on the offbeats (the "and" counts). That space IS the feel.

Producer challenge

Build a reggae loop where beat 1 is completely silent on kick. Let the bass carry the groove instead.

05

Afrobeats

Nigeria & Ghana, West Africa · 2000s–present · 95–115 BPM

 ›

"Joy as a production philosophy. Afrobeats makes people move before they even know they're dancing."

Signature elements

Percussive layers (shakers, talking drum patterns), melodic hooks, call-and-response vocals, major-key chord progressions.

Artists to study

Wizkid, Burna Boy, Davido, Mr Eazi, Rema, Tems, and pioneer Fela Kuti

In Soundtrap

Set BPM to 105. Layer two percussion tracks: one shaker running constant 8th notes, one drum playing a syncopated African rhythm pattern. The layering is the secret — it's never just one drum.

Producer challenge

Build an Afrobeats loop using at least 3 different percussion instruments. Make each one play a different rhythm that fits together.

06

Amapiano

South Africa (Gauteng) · mid-2010s–present · 100–115 BPM

 ›

"The log drum is the soul. Amapiano is house music that learned to breathe South African air."

Signature elements

Log drum melody (deep, wooden, melodic percussion), shuffling hi-hats, deep bass, piano chords. The groove is loose and relaxed.

Artists to study

DJ Maphorisa, Kabza De Small, DBN Gogo, MaWhoo, Young Stunna

In Soundtrap

Set BPM to 108. Find the deepest, most wooden-sounding percussion instrument in Soundtrap's library and use it as your melody instrument. Play a simple 3–4 note repeating pattern. That's the log drum idea.

Producer challenge

Build a 4-bar Amapiano loop. The log drum melody must be the most memorable part — it should feel like a hook you can hum.

07

UK Drill

South London, England · 2012–present · 140–145 BPM

 ›

"Ice-cold and heavy. UK Drill took Chicago's aggression and made it darker, slower, more cinematic."

Signature elements

Sliding 808 bass (portamento), heavy kick, rolling hi-hats, minor key melodies, trap-influenced drums. Distinct from US Drill: slower tempo, more melodic samples.

Artists to study

Headie One, Skepta, Central Cee, Dave, Pop Smoke (US influence), Digga D

In Soundtrap

Set BPM to 142. Build a sparse drum pattern — UK Drill leaves a lot of space. Add a minor key piano or string melody that feels cold and cinematic. The 808 bass should bend or "slide" between notes.

Producer challenge

Build a UK Drill beat using only minor notes. No happy chords. Make it feel like a movie scene at 2am.

08

Reggaeton / Dembow

Puerto Rico & Panama · early 1990s–present · 90–100 BPM

 ›

"The dembow rhythm is one of the most replicated drum patterns in music history. Once you hear it, you can't unhear it."

Signature elements

Dembow rhythm (kick on beat 1, snare on beat 2, secondary kick/snare on the "and" of 2), 808 bass, Spanish-language vocals.

Artists to study

Daddy Yankee, Bad Bunny, J Balvin, Ozuna, Anuel AA, Karol G

In Soundtrap

Set BPM to 95. The dembow pattern: kick on 1, snare on 2, then a second snare hit on the "and" of 2 (the half-beat after 2). That extra hit is the entire genre. Program just that pattern and feel it lock in.

Producer challenge

Build a dembow loop. The pattern must be clearly heard. Then add a bass line and a simple melody on top.

09

Baile Funk

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil · 1980s–present · 130–160 BPM

 ›

"High energy, relentless percussion, bass that hits your chest. Favela-born and globally unstoppable."

Signature elements

Tamborzão drum pattern (syncopated kick-snare), 150+ BPM, call-and-response vocals (MC + chorus), heavy bass.

Artists to study

MC Kevinho, Anitta (funk-influenced), Ludmilla, MC Fioti, DJ Marlboro (pioneer)

In Soundtrap

Set BPM to 150. The tamborzão: kick on 1, snare on the "and" of 1, kick again on the "and" of 2, snare on 3. It's fast and syncopated — program it slow first, then bring the BPM up.

Producer challenge

Build a Baile Funk loop at 150 BPM. It should feel chaotic but controlled. Add a bass hit on every kick.

10

Lo-Fi Hip-Hop

Internet / Global · 2010s–present · 65–85 BPM

 ›

"The sound of studying, late nights, and nostalgia for a time you might not have actually lived."

Signature elements

Vinyl crackle and tape hiss, jazzy chord samples, mellow boom-bap drums, soft bass, slow tempo. Intentionally "imperfect" — slightly off-tempo and warm.

Artists to study

Nujabes (pioneer), J Dilla (influence), Lofi Girl playlist, ChilledCow, College Music

In Soundtrap

Set BPM to 75. Build a slow, soft drum pattern. Find the warmest, most mellow piano or Rhodes sound. Add a vinyl crackle loop if available. The vibe is intentional imperfection — don't quantize everything perfectly.

Producer challenge

Make a lo-fi loop that feels like a rainy afternoon. If every beat is exactly on time, you've done it wrong. Let something sit slightly early or late.

11

K-Pop Production

South Korea · 1990s–present · 90–145 BPM

 ›

"Engineered perfection. K-Pop is the only genre where the production formula IS the art form."

Signature elements

Layered vocals (soloists + harmony), genre-blending (pop + EDM + hip-hop + R&B), impeccable mixing, BPM changes within one song.

Artists to study

BTS, BLACKPINK, TWICE, aespa, NewJeans (production teams: HYBE, SM Entertainment, JYP)

In Soundtrap

Pick a BPM (try 120). Build a beat that combines two different styles — maybe a hip-hop verse rhythm that switches to a synth-pop chorus. K-Pop is about the transition and the drop.

Producer challenge

Build an 8-bar loop where bars 1–4 feel like one genre and bars 5–8 feel different — but they connect. That transition is K-Pop's superpower.

12

Afro-Fusion

West Africa / Diaspora · 2010s–present · 95–115 BPM

 ›

"Not one thing. All things at once. Afro-Fusion is what happens when African rhythm meets every other sound on the planet."

Signature elements

African percussion + electronic production, diaspora influences (R&B, hip-hop, pop), melodic African vocals, genre-fluid structure.

Artists to study

Burna Boy (pioneer), Wizkid, Tems, Black Sherif, Gyakie

In Soundtrap

Set BPM to 105. Layer traditional-sounding percussion (congas, shakers) with a modern trap-influenced kick and snare. Add a melodic R&B-style chord progression. The fusion is the whole point.

Producer challenge

Build a loop that uses at least one African percussion element AND one Western production element. Make them feel like they belong together.