if u lookin for sum ill unheard beats u can use, u shud try the various pages on mp3.com or soundclick.com if u e-mail sum ppl they may let u use them for non profit use or sumthing, i dunno you'll have to chat to the producers, if u are lookin for instrumentals of existing hip hop tracks and stuff, try kazaa/grokster/morpheus , emule is quite good as well, if not those try IRC there are sum instrumental channels on there, needless to say you should have no trouble finding some.

If you wanna start makin beats, start with fruity (not because it is good but because it is easier to start up with) then move on to sumthing more advanced like Cubase SX or Reason 2.0 or sumthing. If you wanna make good beats i reccomend you use samples other than those included with the programs, you can buy/download full sample cds from tons of places, u can rip stuff from vinyl (you'll need a deck to do this), this is the best option cause then you can find exactly what u want to use from teh track and use it (watch out for sample clearance here, i wouldn't use a full loop or a large clip from a track, unless your willing to pay so you can use it).

hope that helps