{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2020}} {{Infobox book | name = Behind the Beat: Hip Hop Home Studios | title_orig = | translator = | image = BehindTheBeat.jpg | caption = | author = Raph (Rafael Rashid) | illustrator = Beci Orpin | cover_artist = Rex | country = United States | language = English | series = | subject = Hip hop | genre = Non-fiction | publisher = Gingko Press | pub_date = November 15, 2005 | english_pub_date = | media_type = | pages = 168 pp | isbn = 1-58423-197-1 | dewey = 782.421649 22 | congress = ML87 .R37 2005 | oclc = 150332583 | preceded_by = | followed_by = }}
'''''Behind the Beat: Hip Hop Home Studios''''' is a book by Raph (Rafael Rashid) where the home studios of twenty-eight notable American and British hip-hop producers are photographed (such as DJ Premier, J Dilla, Madlib, and DJ Shadow), along with brief descriptions of the producers and their studios. It was published in 2005 by Gingko Press.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=Behind the Beat|url=http://www.gingkopress.com/_cata/_popk/behbe.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090626005311/http://www.gingkopress.com/_cata/_popk/behbe.htm|archive-date=2009-06-26|access-date=2009-05-26|website=Gingko Press}}</ref>
== Background == Rafael Rashid runs Crookneck, a Melbourne-based record label, and the clothing labels ''Blank'' and ''Princess Tina'', which he co-owns.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|date=November 7, 2005|title=Behind The Beat: Hip-Hop Home Studios Book With J Dilla And Madlib|url=https://www.stonesthrow.com/news/behind-the-beat-hip-hop-home-studios-book-with-j-dilla-and-madlib/|access-date=2020-10-14|website=Stones Throw Records|language=en-US}}</ref> He originally photographed skateboarding, managing to get a few pictures published. He took on shooting home studios around 1995, when some of his friends began producing techno from their houses. Rashid was impressed with the quantity of gear they had in their apartments, saying:
{{Blockquote|text=I remember being blown away by that at the time, thinking I need to take a photo of this. But I wasn’t a photographer or anything. That was my earliest memory of a home studio. I’d always been interested in, and always known, producers.<ref name=":4" />|author=|title=|source=}}
The first studio he photographed for the book was that of DJ Shadow, whom he contacted when he passed through his town. Shadow agreed to show Rashid his house for a shoot, and then introduced him to Dan the Automator.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|last=Grenrock|first=Ben|date=2017-11-06|title="I Hope These Books Will Just be These Timepieces From the Era": An Interview with Raph Rashid|url=https://www.passionweiss.com/2017/11/06/i-hope-these-books-will-just-be-these-timepieces-from-the-era-an-interview-with-raph-rashid/|access-date=2020-10-14|website=Passion of the Weiss}}</ref> Rashid explained that most of the people he met were through other people's relationships, saying: "Producers know producers, and that would keep rolling."<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|last=Gonsher|first=Aaron|date=November 1, 2017|title=Back to the Lab: Hip-Hop Home Studios|url=https://daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2017/11/raph-rashid-hip-hop-home-studios|access-date=2020-10-15|website=Red Bull Music Academy|language=en}}</ref>
== Content == ''Behind the Beat'' contains 320 black-and-white and color photographs,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2010-02-15|title=D/B BOOK REVIEW: RAFAEL RASHID – BEHIND THE BEAT: HIP HOP HOME STUDIOS|url=https://www.digitalinberlin.de/behind-the-beat-hip-hop-home-studios/|access-date=2020-10-14|website=Digital in Berlin|language=en-US}}</ref> all shot using a square-format Hasselblad camera.<ref name=":5" />
The book features photos of the following producers' home studios: Young Einstein of Ugly Duckling, Chief Xcel of Blackalicious, DJ Spinna, Thes One of People Under The Stairs, The Nextmen, Dan The Automator (Gorillaz, Handsome Boy Modeling School), The Grouch, DJ Ransom, Farma G of Task Force, Da Beatminerz, DJ Shadow, Mario Caldato, Jr. (engineer of Beastie Boys), Huw72 of Beyond There, Cut Chemist, Sereck of Def Wish Cast, Kutmasta Kurt, Skitz, Madlib, J-Zone, DJ Premier, DJ Nu-Mark of Jurassic 5, Fat Jack, deNorthwode, DJ Swamp, DJ Design of Foreign Legion, Jehst, E-Swift of Tha Alkaholiks, J Dilla.<ref name="BEHINDTHEBEAT">{{Cite book|last=Raph|title=Behind the Beat: Hip Hop Home Studios|date=November 15, 2005|publisher=Gingko Press|isbn=1-58423-197-1|pages=61}}</ref>
The book also includes an audio CD featuring music by several artists included in the book, mixed by DJ Ransom.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Crane|first=Larry|date=July–August 2006|title=Behind The Beat: Hip Hop Home Studios|url=https://tapeop.com/reviews/gear/54/behind-the-beat-hip-hop-home-studios/|magazine=Tape Op|language=en|issue=54|access-date=2020-10-14}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=DJ Ransom – Behind The Beat|url={{Discogs release|2293529|Behind The Beat|pure_url=yes}}|website=Discogs}}</ref>
== Reception == The book met with a certain success with music enthusiasts,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=November 17, 2017|title=New Book "Back To The Lab" Takes You Inside the Studios of Legendary Hip-Hop Producers|url=https://www.complex.com/music/2017/11/back-to-the-lab-hip-hop-home-studios-book|access-date=2020-10-14|website=Complex|language=en}}</ref> and has been re-printed several times by the editor.<ref name=":4" /> Rashid's pictures of J Dilla have since been acquired by the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture.<ref name=":0" />
Rachid released a sequel to this book in 2017, under the name of ''Back To The Lab'', featuring producers such as Flying Lotus, Just Blaze, DJ Jazzy Jeff et DJ Vadim.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Helfet|first=Gabriela|date=2017-09-15|title=This new book takes you inside the home studios of hip-hop's finest producers|url=https://thevinylfactory.com/news/back-to-the-lab-hip-hop-home-studios/|access-date=2020-10-14|website=The Vinyl Factory|language=en-US}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Music production|state=collapse}}{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Behind The Beat}} Category:Hip-hop books Category:2005 non-fiction books Category:American non-fiction books Category:English-language non-fiction books