Top 20 Hip Hop Producers of All-Time

UPDATE – June 15, 2012 – In the thirteen months since I originally posted this article with an absolute conviction that it would never be altered, I am back with a few changes complete revision and expansion of my Top Producers of All Time. The reason isn’t because 17 was always an odd cutoff point – as much as I would like that to be the case – but more simply the deeper this blog has dragged me into the hip hop game, the more music I have been exposed to. Inevitably, along with a continually expanding library of consumed hip hop comes a different perspective of the genre. Hey, we’re all human right? 

I’ve mentioned before in my post about Just Blaze, hip hop producers are the most important, and the most underrated pieces in the construction of rap music. While rappers become household names and showcased on album covers as ‘artists’, producers engineer the sound and identity that moves the motor of hip hop and pushes it’s innovative envelop. Try this: The next time you hear a hip hop track you really like, think about whether its the catchy beat or the rapper’s lyrics which initially draws you in. If you’re not sure, consider the fact that you probably like a lot more hip hop songs that feature great production but poor lyrics (nearly all of Kanye’s College Dropout)  than vice versa (some of Big L’s old school tracks).

I’m not hating on rapping though… without a front-man spitting his heart out about his life struggles or (by album two or three) successes, hip hop would just be a bunch of instrumentals for drunk white kids to freestyle over. But the truth is, while producing isn’t as “sexy” as rapping, it is much more difficult (especially considering the perpetually changing tastes in music) and truly the backbone to any hip hop groups success. While many producers have said that they don’t mind taking the backseat, I’m going to throw the best of them out in the open to receive their due credit

Peep below for the Top 20 Hip Hop Producers of All Time:

20.) Q-Tip

The artist Q-Tip would not exist without hip hop, but would hip hop still exist as it does today without Q-Tip? As frontman and producer of the legendary group A Tribe Called Quest, The Abstract (his production alias) with help from co-producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad created a softer, mellowed sound which defied the loud, drum-heavy beats of the lat 80’s, and became the penultimate step to mid 90’s ‘Golden Age’ hip hop. The stars of this age like Nas, Mobb Deep, and Common called on Q-Tip for production help which resulted in classics like ‘One Love’ off of Illmatic. Now I could say ‘One Love’ is the best song on Illmatic (the best hip hop album of all time) but you could say that about every song on the album. Tip’s solo work has never topped my playlists, but is impressive, and he would be higher on this list but received some production help for Tribe’s revolutionary beats from Ali Shaheed Muhammad. Also, according to Kanye, Q-Tip helped with My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and  handled some of the production on his and Jay-Z’s album Watch the Throne.

Notable Tracks (click the links to listen on YouTube):

(All Songs in Chronological Order)

Can I Kick It? – A Tribe Called Quest

Electric Relaxation – A Tribe Called Quest

Sucka Nigga – A Tribe Called Quest

One Love – Nas

Gettin’ Up – Q-Tip

19.) Amp Live

Probably the least known producer on this list, Amp Live (middle) represents one half of the Bay Area underground group, Zion I. The underground status the duo holds is actually somewhat an anomaly, as Amp Live’s innovative and refreshingly energetic beats create a post-West Coast hip hop sound that more closely resembles Pop than its predecessor. Older Zion I tracks like ‘Trippin‘ are a spaced-out West coast interpretation of DJ Premier’s formal style, but as the group grew some buzz, Amp elevated his style through experimental samples and a genre defying range of sounds to the precipus of, not only hip hop, but music in general. Each uniquely sounding  track feels like a challenge this beatmaker takes on (and always wins), from the swagalicious club sounding ‘Don’t Lose Your Head‘, to reggae-influenced ‘Trigger‘, and chill-out anthem ‘Coastin‘. With two new albums dropped in the last six months (including Zion I & Grouch’s Heroes in the Healing of a Nation pictured above), Amp Live is only gaining momentum in terms of talent and popularity. Because of Amp’s innovative and impressive beats, Zion I is  well-poised for a break out, and I hope it happens because hip hop would surely be better for it.

Notable Tracks:

Trippin – Zion I

Don’t Lose Your Head – Zion I

Coastin‘ – Zion I

Digital Dirt – Zion I & The Grouch

Drop It On The One – Zion I & Grouch

18.) ?uestlove

As the production half of one of the greatest hip hop groups ever, ?uestlove’s absence from the top 10 – or even top 5 – of this list rests solely on the fact that the majority of The Roots’ music features a type of live-instrumentation unique and thus somewhat immeasurable to the world of hip hop. For everything else credited to the Philadelphia’s finest – from digging in the crates for samples, producing, mixing, and of course drumming – ?uestlove, the son of  Lee Andrews, a 50’s doo wap legend, is the man responsible. This fact is surprising to most, even though the enigmatic, musically inclined drummer has remained a staple beat-maker behind Black Thought since they first formed in high school, perhaps because his humbleness even in the spotlight is a point of envy in a game teeming with boasting and bragging. Though there should be no question that ?uestlove is one of the most influential characters in the hip hop landscape, his potpourri sampling, production, and drumming techniques that so well depict the theme of a given track – or album – is, like all parts of The legendary Roots crew, just one piece of their complex and brilliant puzzle.

Notable Tracks:

Common Dust – The Roots

Double Trouble – The Roots Featuring Mos Def

 Don’t Say Nuthin’ – The Roots

Criminal – The Roots

Kool On – The Roots

17.) The Alchemist

At the turn of the millennium, hip hop was going through a significant race revolution spurred largely by Eminem’s skyrocketing success which – fortunate for all – allowed for white rappers and producers to get more credibility in the game. One of these benefactors was The Alchemist, an LA-born producer whose prior anonymity was never due to a lack of talent, but rather a lack of notoriety in a game where white, Jewish artists were automatically and unfairly compared to the Beastie Boys. First heard with the Dilated Peoples in the late 1990’s The Alchemist brought his own version of West Coast attitude crossed over with the classic New York underground feel – think Mobb Deep, for whom we would produce numerous tracks – which created a bass-heavy, melodic, and looped beats that were undeniably radio-friendly. This appeal did not go unnoticed, and perhaps the most aptly named producer on this list has worked with greats including Snoop Dogg, Pharoahe Monch, Nas, and Ghostface Killah over the past decade. While Eminem may get the well-deserved credit for blurring race lines in hip hop, The Alchemist should be regarded as a trailblazer in his own regard.

Notable Tracks:

‘Worst Comes to Worst’ – Dilated Peoples

‘Deadly Assasins’ – Everlast Feat. B-Real

‘Wet Wipes’ – Cam’Ron

‘Smile’ – The Alchemist Feat. Twista & Maxwell

‘Back Again’ – Dilated Peoples

16.) Just Blaze

Since I’ve devoted an entire post to Just Blazes ride through hip hop, I’ll be brief here. With an already all-star resume, Just Blaze is stepping out of the box and focusing his efforts towards  being the main producers for lesser known but much hyped artists like Saigon and Jay Electronica. No matter what the current tastes are in hip hop, for the past decade the mega-producer hasn’t lost any of his relevance in the game. Lesson here; don’t bet on Just Blaze becoming irrelevant anytime soon.

Notable Tracks:

Jay-Z – “December 4th”

Cam’ron Feat. Juelz Sanatana – “Oh Boy”

Fabolous – “Breathe”

Maino Feat. T-Pain – “All The Above”

Eminem Feat. Lil Wayne – “No Love”

15.) Stoupe The Enemy of Mankind

With what some call ‘the most complex, intricate, and dedicated’ production style in hip hop, Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind is by far the largest reason for the Philadelphia-based hardcore hip hop group Jedi Mind Tricks underground fame. Despite having perhaps the coolest name in hip hop, Stoupe (left in the image) seemingly likes to pass the spotlight to JMT’s emcee, Vinnie Paz, and hardly works outside of the group. This is a damn shame because his beats, which are a dark derivative of DJ Premier’s playful, simple productions that feature vocal samples in the chorus (his tracks can at times involve up to 50 samples), sound like nothing else in the industry. Tracks like A Storm of Swords  juxtapose playful samples from cartoons against deep violin sweeps that remind you the song is about murder, while Angels of Death contains classical samples and bursting horns that create an epic song you would have sworn was the intro to a heaven vs. hell feature film. Although he is not the most open to new collaborations, each song he has produced for JMT over their decade long career has its own dark, twisted, and unique personality.

Notable Tracks:

A Storm of Swords – Jedi Mind Tricks

Angels of Death – Outerspace Feat. Immortal Technique

On the Eve of War – Jedi Mind Tricks Feat. GZA

I Against I – Jedi Mind Tricks

Blood Runs Cold– Jedi Mind Tricks Feat. Sean Price

14.) 9th Wonder

The Raleigh, North Carolina native started out as main producer for hometown hip hop group Little Brother, until he blew up after releasing an unofficial full-album remix of Nas’ God’s Son in 2002 (the first of its kind), bringing him critical acclaim and national demand. Over the next few years, he helped springboard once underground emcees like MURS (from LA), Jean Grae (from NY) and his own group, Little Brother into mainstream recognition with light and smooth productions which featured generous hi hats, bouncy bass, and soulful samples, and caught the eye of the biggest fish in the game during the process. Jay-Z contacted 9th Wonder to produce Threat on his opus, and now classic, Black Album, slating the small-time producer between beats by Timbaland and Kanye West. 9th responded with a track which featured his typically elastic baseline along with an irregularly strong piano sample which birthed a truly original beat which Jay-Z (obviously) murdered without hesitation. With one of the top tracks on arguably the most widely known hip hop album of all-time, 9th Wonder was positioned to take over the world, but instead reverted back to his roots of producing for buzzing underground emcees and teaching a hip hop class at North Carolina Central University (why didn’t I know this before I applied to college!). Not so bad of a life for this legendary producer.

Notable Tracks:

L.A. – MURS

Threat – Jay-Z

Make Your Move – Hieroglyphics (#6 on my list of Top Ten Greatest Hip Hop Songs You’ve Probably Never Heard Of)

Breakin’ My Heart – Little Brother Feat. Lil Wayne

Visionary – Median 

13.) Timbaland

You probably best remember Timbaland for when he single-handedly monopolized the music industry in 2006, with genre-crossing megahits by Justin Timberlake, OneRepublic, and Nelly Furtado under his belt. What you may not know as well is that Timbaland’s productions revolutionized and basically defined the genre of hip hop since the turn of the millenium. The Norfolk, Virginia native gained fame on tracks like ‘The Rain’ by Missy Elliott (also from VA) as well as work with the late Aaliyah, and it wasn’t long before stars like Jay-Z, Nas, and Snoop Dogg requested Timbo’s  space age sounding, pace-altering, bass-on-steroids beats for their then-to-be #1 singles. In 2001, after becoming the hottest commodity in hip hop, Timbaland introduced some local flavor into mainstream rap in the form of inventing the careers of Bubba Sparxxx and Petey Pablo (who doesn’t remember yelling ‘take your shirt off, twist it around your head, spin it like a helicopter!!’?). Considering his Genghis Khan inspired takeover of radio in 2006, it seems like every 3-4 years Timbaland returns with his typically playful and up-beat productions, slightly altered with the times, to rule the airwaves. Whenever that happens, it seems like mainstream music isn’t so bad (for at least a little while).

Notable Tracks:

The Rain – Missy Elliott

Nigga What, Nigga Who/ Big Pimpin’/ Dirt Off Your Shoulder – Jay-Z

I’ll Be Around – Cee-Lo

Ugly – Bubba Sparxxx

Put You On The Game – The Game

12.) Thes One

If you want an example of how far a producer can push the boundaries of hip hop while still resembling the parent  genre, listen to a track from Thes One’s group, People Under The Stairs. The West Coast duo, made up of Thes and co-producer/rapper Double K, is one of the most respected underground groups in hip hop history, famous for their unique sound which infuses jazz with a spaced-out West Coast tempo topped with horizontal sampling of obscure artists from an array of atypical genres. Think A Tribe Called Quest on shrooms. Thes is the engineer of this chilled out sound, its not your typical go-to for club music, which is now considered classic (meaning its being sampled now by artists like Mac Miller),  for good reason. The Peruvian born producer plays the role of a magician in the way he delicately plays together complex sounds and drum sets to create the seemingly effortless and stoner-loved sound. More recently, Thes has started his own label and dropped some solo projects as People Under The Stairs have faded out of their heyday. Like Q-Tip, Thes One would have definitely reached the peaks of this list, but Double K deserves respect for laying down a significant amount of PUTS’s tracks.

Notable Tracks:

Los Angeles Daze – People Under The Stairs

San Fransisco Knights – People Under The Stairs

L.A. Song (Sensitive Mix) – People Under The Stairs

Acid Raindrops – People Under The Stairs (Feat. Camel MC)

Crown Ones – People Under The Stairs

11.) No ID

The rightly-named Godfather of Chicago hip hop, No I.D. – a clever reworking of the producer’s first name “Dion” – initially gained fame for producing Common’s landmark sophomore effort Resurrection, an album acclaimed for its relaxed yet perfected approach which reignited conscious hip hop in the mid-90’s. Tracks like the hip hop staple ‘I Used to Love H.E.R.’ exemplified No I.D.’s polished yet dynamic production featuring heavy drums and intricate basslines over a canvas of obscure and varied jazz samples. While No I.D’s production library seems sparse compared to his contemporaries, his status in the game is unquestionably elite, as he has worked extensively with Jay-Z (American Gangster, Blueprint III), Kid Cudi (Man on the Moon II), and Kanye West – for whom he was a guest producer on 808’s and Heartbreaks, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, and Watch the Throne. There’s no question that No I.D. would rank much higher on the list if producing was his sole venture in hip hop; but the legendary beat-maker occupies his time by being the current Executive VP of Def Jam and was formerly the president of Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music label. Quite a Resume I must say.

Notable Tracks:

I Used to Love H.E.R. – Common

Success – Jay-Z Featuring Nas

Heartless – Kanye West

REVOFEV – Kid Cudi

Primetime – Jay-Z & Kanye West

10.) ANT

If you’re reading this blog, chances are you like hip hop. If you like hip hop, chances are you have heard of Minneapolis natives Atmosphere, also known as Slug and Ant, who have figuratively been the leaders of alternative hip hop for the better part of the last decade. Most listeners immediately credit Slug’s sardonic and brutally honest lyric content and slick delivery for the duo’s rise to iTunes Top Ten status (and they would be right, hes gifted), but to ignore Ant’s diversely genius production ability is a true sin. Since 1997, the duo (a trio at times) have inevitably evolved album to album from angsty womanizers, to self-loathing alcoholics, to adjusted hometown heroes, to more recently retrospective adults, all told through the convincing lyrics of Slug in front of fitting tracks by Ant. The beauty of Ant’s production is that it is often unnoticed for its greatness, as each beat complements Slug’s specific mood and content so seamlessly its seems innate within the song. One could credit the Atmosphere’s consistency and authenticity to the duo’s teamwork and like-mindedness, but what separates Ant from one-group producers like Amp Live and Kno is the diversity of his work. Ant is also the sole producer for fellow legendary Land of Lakes emcee Brother Ali’s critically acclaimed Shadows on the Sun, and The Undisputed Truth, and mainly produced the first two albums by Felt (made up of Slug and Living Legend member MURS). If you don’t recognize the last two artists I mentioned, make peeping them #1 on your priority list, because their AMAZING. I’ve called Ant a hip hop producing savant before, and when considering he is always behind projects which quickly become classics, I don’t back down from that statement.

Notable Tracks:

God Loves Ugly – Atmosphere

Little Man – Atmosphere

Trying To Find A Balance – Atmosphere

Forest Whitaker – Brother Ali

Woman Tonight – Felt

9.) Hi-Tek

With an ear for soulful and organic sounds and a eye for mass appeal, Cincinnati-based producer Hi Tek helped define the genuinely outstanding genre of turn-of-the-century conscious hip hop. He gained notoriety as the main producer/secret ingredient to the hip hop group Black Star, made up of underground kings Talib Kweli and Mos Def, who’s classic album Black Star (1998) dipped conscious hip hop the furthest into the mainstream it had been since the days of A Tribe Called Quest, while setting a precedent for alternative rap for the next decade. A decade, and two full-length solo albums with work with everyone from Common to Snoop Dogg, later, the ‘Nati star is still churning out intelligent but catchy beats. Hi Tek and lyrically polished Talib Kweli were more than just frequent collaborators, and the duo formed Reflection Eternal to drop a masterpiece of an album, Train of Thought (2000), where Hi Tek shows off some rhyming skills, which was followed by Revolutions Per Minute in 2010. And while he may not have been mentioned in a Jay-Z track, Hi Tek has a production resume that is surely the source of envy by many in the game.

Notable Tracks:

Definition – Black Star

Good Mourning – Reflection Eternal

Sun God – Common

Beautiful Struggle – Talib Kweli

Sharp Shooters – Dead Prez

8.) Kno

Kno, the producer half of underground hip hop group Cunninlynguists, has had to overcome perhaps the most of any producer to get onto this list. Aside from being one of a few who can legitimately claim the title of ‘wigger’ without embarrassment, Kno and his group hail from Kentucky, which has a hip hop network about as strong as an all-girls private middle school. However, talent cannot be denied, and Kno’s unique hip hop background developed a an equally unique hip hop sound which has grown to be critically acclaimed and fan respected. Each Cunninlynguists album, beginning with Will Rap For Food in 2001, features a distinctly themed sound representing a cross section in the evolution of Kno’s talent. Utilizing a backbone which forges the melancholy tones of Country music with the darker, introspective hip hop featured on Eminem’s earlier tracks, Kno’s determinant focus literally bleeds through his complex yet polished tracks. And the crazy thing is, Kno isn’t just a good sound, he has actually gotten better over time. His most recent work, Oneirology, is a masterpiece which is so holistically consistent and dramatic, it begs you to ignore the ‘skip’ button. With an already impressive library and a seemingly limitless ceiling, Kno stands a chance to climb a few more spots before hes done.

Notable Tracks:

Lynguistics – Cunninlynguists

Love Ain’t – Cunninlynguists Feat. Tonedeff

Nothing To Give – Cunninlynguists

Runnin’ Wild – Cunninlynguists Feat. E40 & Evidence

Enemies With Benefits – Cunninlynguists Feat. Tonedeff

7.) Pete Rock

I sadly admit that I did not originally add Pete Rock into my list, but was justifiably reminded (see: comments) that I should be thrown in jail for the offense. Pete is as vital to the growth of East Coast hip hop as Q-Tip and DJ Premier, first as the production half of the critically acclaimed group Pete Rock & CL Smooth, and then for producing some of the most widely known hip hop tracks of all time. Pete Rock & CL Smooth are most widely known for their infectious, infamous classic ‘They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)’ from 1992, which showcased Pete’s producer cajones with obscure funk and jazz samples, most notably the iconic wailing saxophone which became as recognizable in hip hop as the term “word is bond!”. Pete went on to produce for demigods of the ‘Golden Age’ of hip hop like Nas, Jay-Z, and Biggie, the latter for whom he produced ‘Juicy’ – a track so popular your 4-year old niece can recite the first few bars. When he and CL Smooth split ways in 1994, Pete launched a successful solo career which is still going strong today, releasing instrumental albums and doing a ton a feature work (see below). Pete surely deserves a spot on this list, and I may deserve a CATSCAN to see if my head’s still working for initially leaving him off. Oops.

Notable Tracks:

They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.) – Pete Rock & CL Smooth

The World Is Yours – Nas

Juicy – Notorious B.I.G.

Holdin’ It Down – Big L

Be Easy – Ghostface Killah

6.) Organized Noize

Okay, so you’re probably thinking: who are these guys, which one is the producer, and how are they ranked higher than Pete Rock and Dre????? Meet the masterminds behind Outkast’s and Cee-Lo’s fantastic Grammy riddled careers, Atlanta-based production group Organized Noize. Getting a start in the 1991 with southern legends Goodie Mob (of which Cee-Lo was a member), the beat-making trio first received significant acclaim after producing Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, the debut album by Outkast which crowned the Andre 3000 and Big Boi with a Grammy for ‘Best New Artists’. Organized Noize remained connected to both Goodie Mob and Outkast (all three groups formed a larger collective named Dungeon Family) throughout their careers, adapting their brand of dirty south laced with G-Funk to the evolving styles of the two groups. Outkast, specifically, took on the identities of pimps (Southernplayalistic), aliens (ATLiens), futuristic astrologists (Aquemini), and funky superheroes (Stankonia) through their first four albums (all of which are amazing), and Oranized Noize molded their deeply layered, harmony focused style to each concept so well it competed with the lyrics for the listener’s attention. If you haven’t guessed yet, Outkast is my favorite hip hop group, and Organized Noize is a huge reason for my unwavering adoration. Add in their production work for other Atlanta stars like Ludacris and TLC, and I can rest my case for placing them #3 all time.

Notable Tracks:

Black Ice – Goodie Mob (Feat. Outkast)

Two Dope Boyz – Outkast

So Fresh, So Clean – Outkast

Saturday (Oooh Oooh) – Ludacris

Fo Yo Sorrows – Big Boi

5.) Dr. Dre

Dr. Dre has caught a lot of flak in the hip hop community recently, mainly for taking over half a decade to release his latest album Detox and then releasing two sub-par, played out singles as reparations, but being easily the most successful commercial hip hop producer of all time carries pretty high expectations. Forget for a moment his blatant celebrity endorsements and product placements in his new videos, or the entrepreneurial dive into headphones (both have added a pretty penny to his already mountain size stack of money), the Compton producer really has had three separate careers. In the late ’80’s, he engineered revolutionarily heavy and complex beats for N.W.A. as they laid down the foundation for ‘gangsta rap’ which would later engulf the entire genre of hip hop. After a highly publicized feud with Eazy-E, Dre left N.W.A. and met up with Snoop Dogg and Warren G and dropped the now infamous hypnotic and melodic grooves (called G-Funk) on legendary albums like The Chronic (1992) and Snoop’s Doggystyle (1993). After G-Funk ruled the airwaves for about a half a decade, Dr. Dre came back with The Chronic 2001, an album which rivaled the excellence and popularity of its predecessor, and featured an addictive sound which can only be described as ‘G-Funk on steroids’ which you literally could not avoid for the next few years. After starting his own label, Aftermath, Dre “kept his ear to the streets and signed Eminem” (like what I did there??) and later 50 Cent, producing for the both on their way to multi-platinum statuses. So, although Dre hasn’t output the best of work in the past few years, the producer, known for his perfectionist approach while in ‘the lab’, has worn several different suits and mastered them all during his two-decade reign over the game.

Notable Tracks:

Express Yourself – N.W.A.

Nothin’ But A G Thang – Dr. Dre Feat. Snoop Dogg

Gin And Juice – Snoop Dogg

California Love – Tupac

Nas Is Coming – Nas

Forgot About Dre – Dr. Dre Feat. Eminem

My Name Is – Eminem

In Da Club – 50 Cent

How We Do – The Game Feat. 50 Cent

Lost One – Jay-Z

4.) RZA

As executive producer and a de facto leader of hip hop trailblazers, the Wu Tang Clan, it could be argued that RZA is the most influential figure in hip hop history. While Dr. Dre, Timbaland, and Kanye West altered the face of mainstream hip hop as we know it today, RZA and the Wu Tang Clan heavily popularized the underground (ironic, but true) and influenced generations of artists in as many ways as there were unique artists in the group. After releasing the landmark album Enter the Wu Tang (36 Chambers), where RZA debuted his kung-fu-influenced gritty and minimalist production style,  nearly every single of the nine group members achieved fame to one degree or another. RZA, who also released solo albums and formed horrorcore group Gravediggaz, was the executive producer for all of the group’s cohesive work and nearly all individual projects. The sheer number of songs RZA produced is impressive, but when you consider the stark differences between Method Man’s braggadocio delivery, Raekwon and Ghostface Killah’s mafioso angle, and Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s controlled chaos, his ability to be dynamic and fit to each artists strengths is remarkable. And unlike many of the above mentioned producers, RZA has not altered his production sound more than through marginal tweaks, mostly because his style, which Kanye West credits for helping develop his own identity, is thus far inimitable and seemingly timeless.

Notable Tracks:

C.R.E.A.M. – Wu-Tang Clan

Liquid Swords – GZA The Genius

Shimmy Shimmy Ya – Ol’ Dirty Bastard

Fatal – RZA

New Wu – Raekwon Feat. Ghostface Killah & Method Man

New Day – Jay-Z & Kanye West

3.) J Dilla

The late J Dilla is truly an enigmatic character in hip hop; his name is generally respected and recognized by most avid hip hop fans (or anyone who has ever listened to The Roots), yet his music is largely unfollowed and unknown outside of his hometown, Detroit. When I started listening to Dilla, mainly peeping his alternative Detroit-area group Slum Village (you might recognize them from that song with Kanye), I sought to figure out why this critically and rapper-beloved – check out the average emcee’s end of song shout outs, hes probably mentioned –  producer lacked mainstream notoriety. What I found was that Dilla’s perpetually dynamic, insanely creative productions, have subtly yet surely became a driving influence in modern hip hop production. Similarly to Nas’s lyrics on Illmatic, you could be listening to a J Dilla cut, like ‘Get Dis Money‘ featured on Office Space, the 100th time and still recognize something new through the intricacy of Dilla’s craft. Juxtaposing his meticulous construction with thumping complex bass-lines, Dilla outputs a holistically unique sound which, although you may not be able to pick it out as a “Dilla cut”, you definitely wouldn’t skip to the next track. Sadly, J Dilla passed away from a blood disease in 2006, fittingly about the same time that Nas claimed that ‘hip hop is dead’.

Notable Tracks:

Runnin‘ – Pharcyde

Tainted– Slum Village

The Light – Common

Raw Shit – Jaylib Feat. Talib Kweli

Much More – De La Soul

2.) DJ Premier

DJ Premier’s hip hop career can be summed in Masta Ace’s bars from ‘Seasons‘: “Ain’t nobody start at the top, until Preem [DJ Premier] learned the art of the chop“. The ‘start’ Masta Ace (a legend in his own right) was referring to was in 1990, when DJ Premier hooked up with Guru to create Gangstarr, the NY-based group whose groundbreaking style was the direct influence for the ‘Golden Age of Hip Hop‘ in the early-to-mid ’90s. The ‘art of the chop’ was Premo’s specialty and Gangstarr’s identifying sound; a cocktail of jazz, funk, and soul samples cut (or scratched) together and looped perpetually, with a variety of short vocal samples (from DJ Premier’s seemingly encyclopedic memory of rap lyrics) combined via scratches and chops to form the chorus. Sound familiar? The chop-styled chorus and looped breakbeat is easily the most often imitated production technique in hip hop. Hell, some of the producers on this list; Stoupe The Enemy of Mankind, 9th Wonder, Thes One, and Kno have borrowed Premo’s style, while all the others have incorporated at least some of his elements. The beauty behind DJ Premier’s production, which is arguable THE defining sound of hip hop, is that his minimalistic and looped beats never over-extend themselves, allowing the rapper’s lyrics to come through clearly and understandably, and his vocal samples that are cut into the chorus construct cohesive phrases which are relevant to the song’s topic. Here’s an example of one such chorus, from Mos Def’s ‘Mathematics‘:

“The Mighty Mos Def…” (from Mos Def‘s “Body Rock”),

“It’s simple mathematics” (from Fat Joe‘s “John Blaze”),

“Check it out” (The Lady of Rage‘s vocals from Snoop Dogg‘s “For All My Niggaz & Bitches”),

“I revolve around science…” (Ghostface Killah‘s vocals from Raekwon‘s “Criminology“),

“What are we talking about here…” (dialogue from the film Ghostbusters)

“Do your math..” (from Erykah Badu‘s “On & On“), and

“One, two, three, four” (from James Brown‘s “Funky Drummer“)

Contrast Premo’s style, which rules classic albums such as Illmatic, Ready to Die, and Reasonable Doubt, to the overproduced nonsense on the radio with beats to loud to comprehend the lyrics and unrelated, R&B choruses. Fittingly DJ Premier has perhaps the most impressive discography in hip hop, working with nearly every heavyweight, and his surprising work with Christina Aguilera? and Limp Bizkit? if anything grabs Preem even more respect. If aliens invaded earth and demanded an epitomized sample from various parts of our culture (it could totally happen…), our deliverable for hip hop music would undoubtedly be a DJ Premier produced track.

Notable Tracks:

You Know My Steez – Gangstarr

N.Y. State of Mind – Nas

Me or the Papes – Jeru Tha Damaja

D’evils – Jay-Z 

The 6th Sense – Common

Unbelievable – Notorious B.I.G

Above The Clouds – Gangstarr Feat. Inspectah Deck

Its Been A Long Time – Rakim

Doobie Ashtray – Devin The Dude

Clockwork – Dilated Peoples

1.) Kanye West

Okay, so you’re probably pissed and wondering how I could ever put Kanye West, the infamous douchebag and auto-tune abuser ahead of greats like Dr. Dre and DJ Premier. Well, despite the fact that Dre and Premo have more impressive resumes and have been in the game longer (much less been around back when hip hop was at its best), West proves that sometimes quality wins over quantity with his ability to produce beats no one else can touch in terms of musical complexity and pure appeal (I know your Mom loves ‘Golddigger’, don’t even front). The Chicago native got his first real break by producing ‘This Can’t Be Life‘ on Jay-Z’s Dynasty- Roc La Familia in 2000, and over the next half decade utilized his sped-up soul samples and distinctive, intricate string arrangements to spread through the hip hop game like a virus. While you may think of Kanye West as being “mainstream” his self-claimed two major influencers were RZA from the underground collective Wu Tang Clan and British trip hoppers Portishead. While his full-length debut College Dropout (2004) infuses accelerated soul with light pop (excellently, by the way), and his sophomore project Late Registration (2005) centers on symphonic piano and string combinations, his subsequent works, especially 808’s & Heartbreaks, explore irregular samples and seemingly unrelated cacophonic elements to somehow output a smooth, melodic sound (see: ‘Amazing’ feat. Young Jeezy). Perhaps less known is that Kanye has extensively guest produced for a variety of artists from The Game to Talib Kweli to DMX, occupying the Billboard charts in one way or another for most of the last half decade. His latest project, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010), pushed the boundaries of what hip hop can be with extended intros, deep complexity, and contrasting elements to further justify Kanye as the best producer of all time. Maybe the best compliment to Kanye West is that he has been able to top the rap charts without being good at rapping. Would I be vain to say Kanye isn’t so much a producer in the sense that the other 15 artists on this list are, but instead a musician? Yes, I would. But would I be wrong?

 

Notable Tracks:

Izzo (HOVA) – Jay-Z

Get By – Talib Kweli

Stand Up – Ludacris

Overnight Celebrity – Twista

Jesus Walks – Kanye West

This Way – Dilated Peoples

Dreams – The Game

Go – Common

The Cool – Lupe Fiasco

Make Her Say – Kid Cudi Feat. Kanye West & Common

(full list here)

Consider Yourself Peeped!

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