Pierce Freelon

Articles

Bring It: A Challenge to Make a Beat Sampling for a Fijan Chant

Making a beat out of this sample is a challenge we're issuing worldwide.

Pierce Freelon

Aug 23, 2013

Articles

Beat-Making in Fiji: Bringing Art and Activism Together

Making tracks in Fiji.

Pierce Freelon

Aug 03, 2013

Articles

Hip-Hop University: How the Genre Is Taking Over Higher Learning

Right now, we are at in an interesting historical moment in hip-hop.

Pierce Freelon

Jul 19, 2013

Articles

This Week in Beat Making: A Mashup of 'The Star Spangled Banner' and 'Lift Every Voice and Sing'

"Lift Every Spangled Banner" is a mashup that addresses independence for all.

Pierce Freelon

Jul 05, 2013

Articles

This Week in Beat Making: Major Lazer and a Crowd-Sourced Dancehall Competition

May the best riddim win!

Pierce Freelon

Jun 30, 2013

Articles

This Week in Beat Making: Sabar Drumming Deep in Dakar

How Sabar drummers sample their drum sounds and created a one-of-a-kind West African drum kit to use for Beat Making Lab's electronic production.

Pierce Freelon

Jun 14, 2013

Articles

This Week in Beat Making: Hip-Hop Made in a Senegalese Hospital

Here's a crazy experiment: visit a hospital and try to make a beat using only sounds that you find at the facility.

Pierce Freelon

Jun 08, 2013

Articles

This Week in Beat Making: Crowdsourced Dancehall 'Riddims'

This week in beat making: a challenge to create dancehall riddims.

Pierce Freelon

May 31, 2013

Articles

This Week in Beat Making: An All Female Hip-Hop Crew From Dakar

Beat Making Lab builds studios in cultural centers around the world and trains youth musicians in the art of beat making.

Pierce Freelon

May 24, 2013

Articles

This Week In Beat Making: The Four Steps to Hip-Hop Success

Some suggestions on how to achieve international success in music.

Pierce Freelon

May 19, 2013

Articles

Global Beats: Producing Hip-Hop in a Blackout

How Beat Making Lab and a street artist named Yomira John made music in the dark.

Pierce Freelon

May 10, 2013

Articles

This Week in Beat Making: Sounds from a Notorious Panamanian Prison

Beat Making Lab builds studios in cultural centers around the world and train youth musicians in the art of beat making.

Pierce Freelon

May 03, 2013

Articles

From the Congo to Panama, Beat Making Labs Creates Sustainable Music Studios in Unlikely Places

The Beat Making Lab is a new model for building musicians and community.

Pierce Freelon

Mar 19, 2013

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Making a beat out of this sample is a challenge we're issuing worldwide.

Making tracks in Fiji.

Right now, we are at in an interesting historical moment in hip-hop.

"Lift Every Spangled Banner" is a mashup that addresses independence for all.

May the best riddim win!

How Sabar drummers sample their drum sounds and created a one-of-a-kind West African drum kit to use for Beat Making Lab's electronic production.

Here's a crazy experiment: visit a hospital and try to make a beat using only sounds that you find at the facility.

This week in beat making: a challenge to create dancehall riddims.

Beat Making Lab builds studios in cultural centers around the world and trains youth musicians in the art of beat making.

Some suggestions on how to achieve international success in music.

How Beat Making Lab and a street artist named Yomira John made music in the dark.

Beat Making Lab builds studios in cultural centers around the world and train youth musicians in the art of beat making.

The Beat Making Lab is a new model for building musicians and community.