Wax/On, Reviewed: The Grittiest Noir Hip-Hop Sounds

Hip-hop hasn’t always been about extravagant lifestyles and cultural dominance. From the dimly lit studios where beats are crafted to the raw street corners that birthed anthems — it was born in the shadows, where raw beats and untold stories echoed through the streets. The Wax/On: Grimey Noir Hiphop sample pack by X10 taps into this underground essence, blending cinematic grit with classic boom-bap sensibilities. Let’s dive into what makes this collection a must-have for producers chasing that rugged, vintage feel.

Sonic Textures: The Sound of Gritty Storytelling

From the first listen, Wax/On pulls you into a soundscape that feels like it was ripped straight from a '90s crime thriller. The live-recorded drum breaks are thick and unpolished — fat snares crack, dusty kicks thump with character, and swinging hi-hats shuffle off-grid with an unmistakable human touch. Each hit sounds like it’s been pulled from a forgotten crate, run through the MPC60 or SP1200, and pressed to wax.

The melodic stacks are where the “noir” influence really shines. Haunting piano chords, ghostly Rhodes, soulful strings, and jazzy riffs evoke the kind of atmosphere you’d expect from a classic heist flick. There’s a cinematic tension baked into each loop — dark but not overbearing, emotional yet gritty. It’s the kind of mood you’d find in a RZA-produced Wu-Tang joint or a DJ Muggs Soul Assassins instrumental.

The one-shots are just as impressive. Classic stabs, vinyl crackles, and atmospheric textures make it easy to build custom beats from scratch. Each sound carries that imperfect, analog vibe — the kind of warmth and grit modern digital processing often misses.

Usability: From Lo-Fi Introspection to Street Anthem Swag

While Wax/On feels extremely versatile, it makes no apologies for being organically raw. For producers working in lo-fi or downtempo styles, the moody melodic loops paired with dusty drums practically arrange themselves into introspective head-nodders. Meanwhile, the gritty textures and hardware-treated one-shots feel right at home in harder, street-centric beats — think Griselda’s eerie, minimalist production style.

The pack’s layout also makes it easy to navigate. Here’s a quick breakdown of some key tags — click any of the links then audition the sounds yourself:

• Drums: One-shots and loops that bring punch and character to your beats


• Breaks: Loops for those classic hip-hop rhythms


• Fills: Perfect companions for breaks, great for lively transitions


• Melodic Stack: Elements stacked together to create unique melodies and starting points


• Songstarters: Fully formed melodic compositions, ready to be flipped


• Resampled: Compositions that have been flipped and reworked — aka — "just add drums"


• Vinyl: Elements processed with that signature vinyl crackle and warble

The pack’s layout also makes it easy to navigate. Whether you’re dragging full loops into a DAW or chopping up one-shots on an MPC or SP-style workflow, everything feels primed for quick inspiration.

Channeling the Greats: Classic Noir Meets Modern Grit

It’s impossible to talk about a pack like this without acknowledging the legends who pioneered this sound. Wax/On captures the same tonal DNA that producers like RZA, DJ Muggs, Madlib, and Apollo Brown built their empires on. The chord progressions are  and haunting strings echo GZA’s Liquid Swords era, while the punchy drum textures wouldn’t feel out of place on a Cypress Hill record.

For modern comparisons, you can hear echoes of Daringer’s signature sound, or Alchemist’s off-kilter, crate-digging aesthetic — both key architects of the current gritty, noir-tinged hip-hop resurgence, especially through the work of Griselda’s Westside Gunn, Benny the Butcher, and Conway the Machine.

Who Should Grab This Pack?

• Producers cooking up moody, soundtrack-ready beats: If you’re drawn to atmospheric, storytelling-style instrumentals that feel like they belong in a modern noir film or a classic martial arts flick, Wax/On delivers.


• Beatmakers chasing raw street anthems: For those who love the gritty, loop-based minimalism championed by Griselda and similar artists, the drum and one-shot sections alone are worth the grab.


• Lo-fi, Boom-bap, Sample-based producers: The warmth, crackle, and melancholic melodies make it a natural fit for those cooking up more introspective, downtempo hip-hop.

Final Take

Wax/On: Grimey Noir Hiphop is more than a sample pack — it's an invitation to continue one of hip-hop's most timeless cultural dispensations. It’s a time capsule of hip-hop’s grimiest era, filtered through the lens of classic noir cinema. Whether you’re looking to channel the spirit of RZA’s dusty chambers or spend time in the Alchemist’s ominous playground, this pack has the tools to bring that vision to life.

So, are you ready to step into the shadows and create something raw? Wax on, my friend.