Abraham Orellana, best known in the world of hip-hop as AraabMuzik, is a young record producer and beat maker from Providence, RI. Araab got his start in 2006 with DukeDaGod and Dipset, providing his distinctive beats to artists like Cam’ron and Hell Rell. Garnering attention for his lightning fast skill with the MPC 2500, AraabMuzik brings high energy instrumentals and machine gun barrages of hi-hats, and he’s recently been transitioning into the world of electronic dance music, opening his audience up even more.
We previously brought you a list of Clams Casino’s 10 Best Beats, and considering that Araab is another one of the most in-demand and innovative producers doing it right now, it only made sense to highlight his work. For any unfamiliar with AraabMuzik, below is an introductory video of him performing a live show in Warsaw, Poland. Check it out, then dig in to read our picks for The 10 Best AraabMuzik Beats.
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10. “I Remember”
Sometimes the terms “best” and “most popular” can be interchangeable. On “I Remember,” Araabmuzik sampled one of the most popular mainstream dance songs in recent memory, Kaskade and Deadmau5’s song of the same name. What makes this beat one of his best is his ability to deconstruct and thin down elements without reducing the original’s quality. Araab’s version manages to stay just as dreamy as the prototype while still carrying his signature production watermark.
9. “Ryde On da Regular”
The instrumental for “Ryde On da Regular” first popped up on Styles P’s Master Of Ceremonies LP, and again on AraabMuzik’s Instrumental University release earlier this year. It is a far cry from the lighting fast MPC production Araab is known for, displaying his diversity. The first thing you notice is the relaxed pace of the piano hook, an instrumental method that gives “Ryde On da Regular” its more introspective, grim tone. This clearly isn’t a beat to party to. It’s meant for sharing lessons.
“Now what you know ’bout the street life? You can lose your life any night you don’t creep right.” – Styles P
8. “Curve”
Performed by: Cam’ron and Royce Da 5′ 9″
This beat has been used a few times by a number of spitters, first by Cam’ron on 2009’s Crime Pays, and most recently by Royce Da 5’9″ for his track “Random Bars.” The instrumental is a key-heavy, bass-blasted sample of the Manfred Mann’s Earth Band 1981 hit, “For You.” It’s a solid example of how Araabmuzik can develop hard edged rap beats from nearly any sample palette. All of the best producers and DJ’s are skilled in that area, and with this older beat Araab proves he was equipped with that talent even at a very early stage in his young, developing career.
7. “Molly Ringwald”
Performed by: Danny Brown
Danny Brown is one of the most eclectic rappers in the game today. His style and sound are both wildly unique, and generally work best when paired with an equally energetic instrumental. For “Molly Ringwald,” Danny and Araab were asked to team up as part of Adidas Originals’ “Songs From Scratch” series. This presented an opportunity for the duo to feed off each other’s creative energy and craft a pounding audio assault that bounces and kicks in all the right places. This song is way out there and perfectly represents the kind of love child that only this odd couple would be cable of creating.
6. “Rubberband Stacks”
Performed by: Cam’ron, Vado and Busta Rhymes
“Rubberband Stacks” has all of the essential elements necessary for a standard AraabMuzik beat. The energy level is keyed up to 11, synth lasers are firing all over the place, and the hi-hats are in full effect. This instrumental oozes pure intensity, and when Busta Rhymes is introduced into the equation on the third verse of his collaboration with Cam’Ron and Vado, all hell breaks loose.
5. “Hammer Dance”
Performed by: Slaughterhouse
You will never catch the Interscope/Shady Records rap supergroup Slaughterhouse going in on a pancake beat. Needless to say Araabmuzik’s instrumental for “Hammer Dance” is built around a punishing series of sharp drum and bass punches. It hits with a level of aggression matched only by the lyrical content and precise delivery of the group’s four emcees.
4. “A Diamond Life”
When you think classic samples flipped into ridiculous beats, one of the first names that comes to mind is Kanye West. His sample work on Jay-Z’s Blueprint, and countless other mixtape singles, is predominantly what earned him recognition and respect in the world of music well before he found an emcee spot on the Roc-A-Fella roster.
Now it’s hard to justify liking something by someone because it reminds you of something someone else does (follow that?), but when you listen to Araab’s “A Diamond Life,” you’d be hard pressed to not feel like it was a track left somewhere on West’s cutting room floor. Because of this similarity, the beat sounds as if it were crafted specifically with Jay-Z in mind, just like so many of Kanye’s early nostalgic beats.
3. “Electronic Dream”
Dipset fans were likely familiar with the name AraabMuzik well before the release of his debut studio album, Electronic Dream, in 2011. His production work for artists like Cam’Ron, Vado, Hell Rell and others carried a very street ready attitude, and although Electronic Dream was clearly inspired by Araab’s transitioning interests into the realm of dance music, that hardened sound profile is still very much present in his more recent works. The album’s title-track is a suitable example of this blended product. Sampling from Ocean Lab’s “Satellite,” he seamlessly marries a trance-laced, airy vocal hook with a healthy beat and intermittent MPC smacks that keep the record floating along.
2. “Street Knock”
Performed by: Swizz Beatz ft. A$AP Rocky
When “Street Knock” dropped, most assumed that Swizz both rapped on and produced it. This would have been a completely logical assumption. When an artist has the word “beat” in their name, it’s expected that they also create all of their own, beats. Why would Swizz Beatz have someone else produce his track? That’s like Martin Scorsese calling up Steven Spielberg to direct him in a movie. However unnecessary this pairing may seem, it completely worked. Hearing A$AP on the track was an added bonus and it gave us a little taste of what we might be able to expect on the “A$VPMUZIK” project that the pair are rumored to be working on.
1. “Streetz Tonight”
“Streetz Tonight” could be the best example of AraabMuzik’s keen ability to fuse together the worlds of electronic dance and trap-rap music. It never sways too far to one side of the genre spectrum, always finding a perfect balance somewhere in between the club and the parking lot. Those looking for a way to ease themselves into his catalogue may find this to be a suitable starting point. The sampling of Kaskade’s “4am” gives it a very familiar and welcoming vibe and is arguably one of his most digestible beats to date.
