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Laid back; chilled out.

Friday, October 20, 2006

SWEET SIXTEEN

Thoroughly enjoyed this week’s hot blogville topic – Psycho Chicks. [And no, Mutumia, my psycho-chick post had nothing to do with me, though it might as well have been.]

It’s been one of those weeks where I’ve practically spent 90% of the time here at work. I just knocked some major pain-in-the-ass projects out the way so I’m good – for now. I’m just BS-ing over here listening to music, reluctant to check my inbox coz I’m sure I’ll have a few nasty surprises in there which will mean I’ll have to work this weekend - AGAIN. Oh well, it’ll mean more cheddar so it’s all good.

And speaking of music, I got to thinking about who the best hip-hop producer might be. I’m sure there are real music buffs reading this including Msanii, Makanga & Magaidi, so help a brother out. I’ve listed my favorite 16 producers, the ones I know about anyway, below, in no particular order:

JD/Jermaine Dupri
This little dude is off the chain. Dude’s got hits from way back when, from the Kriss Kross & Funkdafied days. He brought Mariah back, made Usher multi-platinum & makes hits right & left. And he’s getting even better.

Timbaland
What can I even say about this dude? He made all those hits for Jay Z, Aaliyah, [RIP] Missy & EVERYBODY else, literally. He’s slowed down on the producing thing lately but still pops up from time to time. I love his rich & sometimes unorthodox beats; dude always has a gazillion instruments in his beats. Think Missy’s ‘Get Your Freak On.’

Dr. Dre
Think of this cat as the Godfather of hip-hop beats. His talent is undeniable, his beats perpetual chart-toppers. Made cats like Snoop, Eminem & 50 household names. Definitely a living legend.

DarkChild/Rodney Jerkins
I’d say this dude is one of the most brilliant producers out there. His versatility is legendary, and makes chart-topping hip-hop AND R&B beats; few others can do that.

Swizz Beatz
Swizzie is dope too, always squeezing in those signature trumpets in his beats. Makes good club-bangers & made DMX’s career. Made Busta’s ‘Touch It,’ one of the dopest beats ever.

Jazze Pha
Jazze Phizzle is off the chain, ladies & gentlemen. His beats are always perfect – no sloppiness here. Works with everyone now; I’m glad.

Lil’ Jon
Brought the South up in a major way. His Durrty South beats are always crunk. Likes to 808 all his beats. Those with bump in their trunks know what I’m talking about; a Lil’ Jon beat will give you an inadvertent massage and make your vision blur in the whip.

Pharrell
Skateboard P is one of the best, no doubt. He’s easily one of the most sought-after producers today. His beats are unconventional and often sound unrefined, though I think that’s entirely deliberate. He likes to keep his beats simple, a perfect example of how less can be more. Think ‘Grinding’ and ‘Drop It Like It’s Hot.’ He’s not incapable of feature-rich beats though, like ‘Excuse Me Miss.’

Cool & Dre
This Latino producer duo from Miami is a breath of fresh air. They made hits such as The Game’s ‘Hate It or Love It,’ Fat Joe’s ‘So Much More’ & Christina Milian’s ‘Say I.’ Can’t wait to see what they’ll put out next.

Just Blaze
He’s a household name in the NY music scene. Makes classic New York beats. Has affiliations with Roc-a-fella & has made beats for a lot of the Roc-a-fella crew and a bunch of other MCs like Talib & Fabolous.

Scott Storch
This white boy is sick. Worked with the Roots & Dr. Dre in the early days and is now a self-sufficient mainstream producer. Made most of Chris Brown’s beats & works consistently with Terror Squad – Fat Joe, Remy Ma, Tony Sunshine etc., making such hits as ‘Get It Poppin’ & Chamillionaire’s ‘Turn It Up.’ I absolutely love his new beat for Fat Joe’s ‘Make It Rain.’ That joint is pure fire.

DJ Smurf/Collipark
This dude’s versatility is only rivaled by JD’s & possibly DarkChild’s. He made such beats as Ying Yang’s ‘Wait’ & Bubba Sparxxx’s ‘Booty.’ Cool dude.

Mannie Fresh
The Cash Money Boyz wouldn’t have gotten anywhere without Mannie making the beats and that’s the truth, especially since the only ones who could rap were Lil’ Wayne & Juvenile. Probably one of the most underestimated producers in the game but now that he’s free from Cash Money Records, I’m curious to see what he’ll do next besides those few cuts for BG earlier this year.

Kanye West
He may think he’s God’s gift for the rest of us, but he really might be. Only a few producers can rap convincingly and Kanye does it without breaking a sweat. Can’t be mad.

R Kelly
Say what you will about the self-proclaimed Pied Piper but he’s brilliant. It’s a shame he has a weakness for underage tenderonis but his musical genius is irrefutable. He’s been consistent since Aaliyah’s ‘Back & Forth’ & frankly, I’m looking forward to his next album[s].

Babyface
Kenny Edmonds, though he’s slowed down quite a bit, is a musical force to be reckoned with. He sings, writes & produces – the complete package. His accomplishments, like JD’s or Dre’s, are too numerous to break down. [Kenny, look out for Tracie. You should’ve signed that pre-nupt!]

Well, there you have it, my favorite hip-hop & R&B producers. I’ll have to say tho that JD is my favorite one.

15 comments:

Spidey/Tato said...

actually like Scotts work with Chris Bron Gimme Gimme and Run it are definitely off the hook

but shame shame shame on u for puttin babyface last.yup ur right he is a powerhouse to reckon with not many can boast winnin a grammy for singing/writing and producing.10 grammy's to his name and i think he co-shared with mariah last year for we belong together..she had added him as co-writer

its sad how he got played out of the oscar for prince of egypt but he has unleasehed great movie soundtracks

and another thing he is great at is unleashin back up vocals..forget "ya know what this is" or "darkchild"..he is the shit!
to mee Babyface should have been up there!

Spidey/Tato said...

actually like Scotts work with Chris Bron Gimme Gimme and Run it are definitely off the hook

but shame shame shame on u for puttin babyface last.yup ur right he is a powerhouse to reckon with not many can boast winnin a grammy for singing/writing and producing.10 grammy's to his name and i think he co-shared with mariah last year for we belong together..she had added him as co-writer

its sad how he got played out of the oscar for prince of egypt but he has unleasehed great movie soundtracks

and another thing he is great at is unleashin back up vocals..forget "ya know what this is" or "darkchild"..he is the shit!
to mee Babyface should have been up there!

Udi said...

Johhny J

QDIII

DJ Premier

Large Professor

Pete Rock

Warren G

Anonymous said...

Oh hell to the no....

Ati JD???

Always wikaing "This is SO-SO-DEF"

*smh*

No wonder u think Scary Movies are classic.....

Udi said...

I forgot some

Dat Nigga Daz

DJ Quik

DJ Pooh

Havoc

7Aurelius

Jam Master Jay

Organized Noise

Rick Rubin

The Alchemist

I think I need to get a hobby. Coz its ridiculous that I know all those producers at the top of my head.

Anonymous said...

Only person on that list who still has something to prove with is Mr. Collipark.


Don't sleep on Erick Sermon, and The Rza.

Msanii_XL said...

Premo..that dude

JD..i don't know man, the way he bit funkdafied off the wests steez. not huge fan of the man...Tastes are relative.

Rza, Just, timbaland is crazy as usual, neptunes too. Jdilla(RIP)

Too many good producers out there

akiey said...

The RZA, Dr.Dre, JD, Salaam Remi, Red Cafe (all day,every day!), Primo, Swizz Beatz

in R&B/Soul:
Nile Rodgers (hands down!!), Brian Michael Cox, R.Kelly,Babyface JD, & most definitely Devante Swing & Nokio.

PS: Where are the female producers?

akiey said...

PS: I hate myself for leaving out my man Mannie Fresh (Rap) & Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis (R&B)

Anonymous said...

Female producers?

I know of Coco Chanelle.

She's a dj in the NY area doing it on hot 97. Check for her on forthcoming D-Block releases. Sje did a single for Sheek Louch on his first album.

Then there's The Movement, they helped Mase out with "Welcome Back,". It's a trio, two jamaas and one chic.

As far as r&b you can't forget about Dre and Vidal. They are responsible for Glen Lewis and the first Floetry lp.

JD being the best....sijui.

Anonymous said...

Timbaland and Baby Face all the way. And I'll also say Prezzo rocks ingalau I suspect that statement might end my friendship with Msanii :(

Annnndd me thinks the laddie protesteth too much. You gotta live and learn sweetie. You're allowed these psycho-bytches rites of passage he he he

Sasa bro?

|d®| said...

>'Tato: I hear u tho; Babyface is the sh*t. That's why I snuck in that disclaimer that those producers weren't in any particular order!
Dang, didn't know he had 10 Grammys tho.

>Udi: Hot dang, u know that many?! That does it - get that hobby; start some game like name that producer! lol!

>Makanga: Yup, Collipark is nowhere as big as the others. I see him doing big things tho in future. I hope he does anyway.

>Msanii: I heard that - too many. I still think JD's the sh*t tho, if success can be judged by longevity & consistency; he's making more beats than ever lately. [tho Dre would probably take the longevity crown]

>Akiey: Yeah, anyone know any other good female producers? There's gotta be more.

>Mutumia: "Ma-fans mi nawapenda woo.." lol!
Doing OK; SSDD.
BTW, when can I claim that raincheck? :)

SisBigBones said...

Timbaland is def top on my list. That man knows how to turn any song into a hit.

|d®| said...

I concur. Hope he doesn't retire like he says he wants to. Or maybe he wants to pull a Jay Z - quit then come back!

Anonymous said...

This is like a candy jar for me, I can easily pick from the big names, funny though, I don’t feel Pharell that much because with him it’s either hit or miss. He made some tracks for Sean Paul I felt were too ‘out there’ but he’s made some magical tracks with Snoop and Jay Z. Also, don’t forget Ryan Leslie who’s beginning to be known in the hip-hop world but has been making a killing on the charts for Britney Spears, Beyonce and Jojo and more recently produced Cassies – ‘Long Way to go’. There’s also Johnny J who alongside Dre produced a lot of the chart bangers for 2Pac and also Daz Dillinger of the Dogg Pound fame. I definitely feel Babyface and Rodney Jerkins too on the R&B side.