Focus Creates A Beat, Layers Drums, Plays Bass


The makers of West Coast Theory went in-studio with Aftermath producer Focus.  The producer offers a peek into his recording environment  and explains his approach to creating music, thoughts on software, and experience working with Dr. Dre.

Throughout the interview Focus illustrates his process of crafting a beat from working with the original sample to layering drums, recording, and playing live bass.

Sometime I do sample, but I try my best to stay away from it cuz I just know it’s a pain.

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Visit West Coast Theory for more info about the film.

1,588 thoughts on “Focus Creates A Beat, Layers Drums, Plays Bass”

  1. I like this video too. Sampling is a pain I feel him on that. I can’t get shit right I won’t go into detail. I think im going to take toomp’s advice and get a lil of both back in the crib. Reason recycle aint doin it .

  2. Semantik!! I EFFING LOVE YOU!!! I’m snowed in today and this vid, plus yesterdays vid of Toomp has givin me soooo much inspiration to just work on tracks all day!!! I LOVE CRATE KINGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  3. Damn, I gotta learn to play bass guitar.
    It just makes tracks come to life with an ill live bassline underneath.

  4. Isnt that the sample used for twista-get me off of kamikaze. Yep, I said it! I wont tell the sample though. Nice beat making video. Aftermath has a bunch of in-house talent over there. Come on with the DETOX!!

  5. In my opinion,I believe he is better than Dr. Dre just from his instrumentation alone. Don`t get me wrong,Dre is a legend ,can`t take that from him,but listen to some of Focus`s production. He is just too deep for Dre. hopefully some of his work makes it on Detox now that he`s on his own. The “Your Truly” mixtape with Marsha Ambrosia tells it all. Google it. It is definitely worth a listen.

  6. Focus is a mix between east coast with the hard smaples and west coast with the piano keys. he def my top 5

  7. Focus is dope . This video reminds me how some of us dont have that engineer at hand , so we gotta work extra hard and learn more .

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