I'm sure this will be an unpopular noob question but uhh... how does one go about making hip hop beats? What kind of software/equipment is used and more importantly, where can I start learning about it?

Aside from turntables, drum machines, and anything that makes any sort of noise at all, I'd think the classic device would be the MPC.

Any kind of sampler is probably better than a drum machine with locked, preprogrammed sounds.

Emu's SP1200 is an important 12bit sampler from the 80s.

The Korg Electribe ESX is a good sampler for under a grand. Then there are budget and limited things like the Boss SP303 or 202.

Logic is a good software program. Some people like Reason as well, but I think it's complete crap.

The thing about the samplers is you gotta load in your own samples, so it would be best to have a turntable and record collection or some other medium of sounds samples.

I think that the hardware approach of buy a machine and learn it is better to start than with software because you're less subject to upgrade syndrome, and the machines are usually a little bit more user friendly.

hmmm, hip hop is made many different ways.... theres samples, theres beats with tons of synths, theres stuff like dre beats with live instruments....

i guess at the heart of it is learning how to program drums. this can be done with software but you might want to go for a hardware sampler for the workflow and possibly a cooler sound. i like to sample drums from vinyl for the thickest possible drum samples.

collect sounds, learn an instrument, start chopping some samples, theres lots of angles to tackle it from. get some sort of hardware or software sampler, and the rest of the equipment (Synths, recording interface + live instruments, etc) is up to you....