BPM by genre
Boom Bap
Curated by se7en beatlab · updated July 2026
90
BPM typical
Range: 85–95 BPM
Boom bap — the sound of 90s East Coast hip hop — sits at 85–95 BPM, with 90 BPM as the classic pocket. The name is the groove: a hard 'boom' kick and a cracking 'bap' snare.
Subgenres
| Subgenre | Typical | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Classic 90s boom bap | 90 | 86–94 |
| Modern / lyrical boom bap | 92 | 88–96 |
Production notes
Program a punchy kick on 1 and the 'and' of 2, and a hard snare on 2 and 4 with a little swing. Chop a soul/jazz sample for the melody, keep the bass simple, and let the drums hit dry and upfront. SP-1200/MPC-style sampling and slight quantize swing are key to the feel. 90 BPM is home base.
Typical structure
Intro (DJ scratch optional) → 16-bar verse → hook → verse → hook → outro. Verse-driven; the beat loops with subtle variation.
FAQ
How many BPM is boom bap?
Boom bap is typically 85–95 BPM, with 90 BPM being the classic tempo.
What BPM did 90s hip hop use?
Most golden-era 90s hip hop sat around 86–95 BPM.
Related genres
Your track
Is YOUR track in this pocket? Measure it
Made your beat?
Fix the sound with The Button
Need a beat at this tempo?
Beats ready to license
Free download
Get the Se7en BPM Index (PDF)
The full BPM-by-genre cheat sheet + a gain-staging guide. Free.