Hip-hop producers out-sourcing loops production to 16-year-olds

In recent years, melody loops - snippets of original music that might serve as the instrumental hook of a song - and the musicians who create them, have become a fundamental part of the way rap music is made. For up-and-comers, supplying well-connected producers with packs of pre-made melodies has become the most effective method to get a foot in the industry’s door. And for producers working with prolific rappers, outsourcing the time-consuming work of writing a melody to a pool of dedicated loopmakers is the most efficient way to keep making hits - Pitchfork reports on the fundamentals of music production in hip-hop today.