DITC producer and MC Lord Finesse recently uploaded a SP 1200 tutorial to YouTube where he chronicled the technique behind the making of "Hip 2 Da Game" from his 1995 album The Awakening.

"Analog sound versus digital is different," he points out early in the video. "You hear how warm that kick sounds?" The "Strictly For The Ladies" MC then proceeds to program a beat from drums chopped from various records to display the dominant production style for 1990s east coast rap records. The SP 1200 and the Akai S950 samplers were the go-to sampler/sequencers for the "Boom Bap" style of production that Marley Marl, DITC, DJ Premier, Pete Rock and other producers used most often.

Near the end of the tutorial, Finesse explains how he felt once he made the beat for "Hip 2 Da Game," which was originally intended for someone else.

"It sounds so good that I'm keepin' this for me," he said of the beat.

He explained that he sampled two xylophone notes and manipulated them for the main melody of the song. "That's the classic of 'em all. 'Hip To The Game' was the first single from The Awakening, and probably the most popular out of my whole collection."

Lord Finesse will make an appearance this Saturday (2/18) at 7 p.m. for a private VIP birthday party hosted by The National Hip-Hop Museum's Hip Hop Shop at 1919 18th St NW, Washington, DC. The purchase of a ticket to the museum's March 11 induction of Dres of Black Sheep, Special Ed and CL Smooth will grant access to the Lord Finesse event. Tickets can be purchased here.