Give a peek to the bidness blog today. Mannie Fresh has left Cash Money Records, and that’s a big deal to a country boy like me. Unlike No Limit, CMR was able to build a label with a long-term plan, and the foundation was the same as No Limit’s–dope beats. Somehow, Mannie was able to spin those beats off in the national mainstream for eight years–and he’s been at it for much longer–and stay relevant. He made Juve, Lil’ Wayne, and others into stars they would have never been on their own. Here’s hoping Mannie can get into something dope.
But that got me thinking…
So, who are the top twenty producers of all-time? I’m scared to try to put them in order, but here’s a list of twenty.
Dr. Dre – what more can I say?
Rick Rubin – go back and listen to License to Ill and Raising Hell
Marley Marl – the innovator.
DJ Premier – the king of minimalism…and shaking chests with kick drums.
Pete Rock – wasn’t on top for long, but who can forget those snares?
Organized Noise – if you don’t know, there’s nothing I can tell you.
DJ Quik – got lost by his refusal to produce for East Coast artists through most of the nineties, but his sound is unmistakable and undeniable.
Mannie Fresh – might be the best ever at using drums.
Ant Banks – two words–Oakland bass.
Kanye West – is it even too early to say this anymore?
Timbaland – have you ever jammed to a Timbaland and Magoo record? If so, it wasn’t for the flows. In fact, something had to be seriously dope to overcome said flows, and that something was the beat.
DJ Toomp – from 2 Live Crew to “U Don’t Know Me” and “ASAP.” What more do you need to hear?
RZA – had an unreal run from ’93-97.
Neptunes – for real, might be top five ever. They’re the Jigga of production. They’re always around, but always dope.
Bomb Squad – masterminded the best album of the ’80s and ’90s, Amerikkka’s Most Wanted, and even a BBD album. That’s hot shit.
DJ Muggs – look at what I said about Timbaland, then put in a Cypress Hill analogue.
?uestlove – he runs the Roots’ sound, so he’s here.
Hypnotized Minds Productions – say what you want about Triple 6, but the beats stay on fire, and they gave Lil Jon half the blueprint for his sound. Look too Toomp for the rest.
Pimp C – Please go get Ridin’ Dirty. You’ll be glad you did.
Da Beatminerz – got kinda hard comin’ up with twenty. Here are more cats that kept a collective jumpin.
Honorable mention–Lil Jon, Just Blaze (not enough material right now), NO ID, Mike Dean, DJ Pooh, Heatmakerz, Trackmasters, Erick Sermon, Hi Tek, T-Mixxx, Easy Mo Bee, Mobb Deep, and a bunch more that are just slippin my mind.
Up and coming – Kent and Drake Murphy, the Beatmiserz. Please don’t sleep.
Am I forgetting people? Surely…so let me know who I forgot. I figure we can have some fun with this.
12 thoughts on “All-time Producers”
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Yeah, I’m hurt that you didn’t include my beloved Teddy.
Props on Ant Banks recognition.
Bruh..you kinda forgot Beats by the Pound/Medicine Men… from “Bout it, Bout it” to Six Shot’s “It’s ya Boy”…they’ve kept crankin out beats…They were the only reason people really got into “The Old” No Limit…especially listening to Silkk the Shocker…(I be woke, but I be sleep)…
folk don’t realize how long Mannie Fresh been in the game…I remember Mannie and Gregory D coming out with “Buck Jump Time” when I was in sixth grade (1990)…I’m a few months shy of Twunnie-dayum-seven now, mane!!!
I think Lil’ Jon co-opted a lot of bounce and a lot of the Three-Six/Memphis underground sound to develop his sound…
the thing about the Neptunes I like is they can conjure a specific sound to wrap around the song’s topic or the artist… Basically, “Supathug” doesn’t sound like “Just Fronting” and “Grindin” doesn’t sound like “Rock Your Body” and “Girl Dem Sugar” doesn’t sound like “Drop It Like It’s Hot”
Man…I fucks with Organize Noize…I remember I had a roomate from Atlanta..and he kept playing that danged Kilo CD (this was about 97-98)…Man that Organ-O-I-z-e song was off the hook…
What about Earthtone III for producers…Dre/Boi/DJ Scratch… they almost single-handedly created the most creative sounds in black music in what, the last couple of decades..
Third member of Earthtone III was Mr. DJ, not DJ Scratch. They missed it because of a small catalog. I snoozed on BBP,though.
i think david banna has a nice lil collection, nothing that will really become greatness but he’s working with something. swizz was the shit back when being a ruff ryder meant something. i also wanna throw out hi tek, rza, jay-dee, alchemist, and 9th wonder.
since this is about all time producers and you didn’t specifically limit it to hip hop…i’ll throw out some more names. quincy jones, jimmy jam/terry lewis, teddy riley, babyface. that list could go on forever norman whitfield, the corporation, holland-dozier-holland. okay, i went back a bit. i’ll stop.
some of the people i listed deserve to be in the top, um, 50. some just deserve props from a chick on a piece of cyber space.
Don’t forget Prince Paul. He defined the East Coast sound of the late 80s/early 90s, and now he’s doing his thing with Handsome Boy Modeling School.
hmmm… some that I think that are poised to take a place in the history in hip-hop that you haven’t mentioned:
9th Wonder – need I say more…
Jazze Pha – His stuff on Slim Thug’s album is too ill
Jay Dee – Come on man…
Madlib – Madvillian anyone?
Rockwilder – What ever happened to this dude?
Battlecat – whatever happend to this dude too? He was bringing the West back
R&B cats?
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis are may favorite of all time
Teddy Riley had his moments
Rodeny jerkins is cool
Rich Harrison is on the come up (Thanks to Beyonce and Amerie)
Other vets:
Wyclef Jean – No matter what you say, you can’t front on his prduction skills
Will.I.Am – I know, some folks may think he’s too poppy, but you should hear his Beat Generation albums
Large Professor – When he’s on the beat achine something fresh comes out…
Yeah, on the west tip, Battlecat and FredWrcck,
Whassup Fred? (heard on many a kurupt track)
If Kanye is on the list then I don’t see why Just Blaze couldn’t make it. “Breathe” that was something else.
Jazze Pha – played a key role in the uprising of the south.
Easy Mo Bee – helped craft the GREATEST ALBUM of ALL TIME…B.I.G’s Ready to Die.
The Hitmen – P Diddy’s crew put it down. Don’t Hate
list is laughable
ant banks?
muggs?
toomp?
you might as well put san (chez) holmes on the list…
Alchemist is sick (his best – “We Gon’ Make It”)…you gotta mention him if you gonna name Just Blaze. David Banner deserves a mention if only for “Rubberband Man” otherwise he still comes with the niceness on the tracks. Havoc steadily comes with the niceness too. Jermaine Dupri definitely shoulda be near the top somewhere. Quincy also yes. Dapping you up for feeling the heat coming off of 3-6 tracks. May be some of the sickest I’ve ever heard. And just for good measure – Free Pimp C!
I think 9th is nice, but not TOO nice. Jazze makes catchy beats, but honestly, will something that you’ll remember along the likes of the first time you popped in “Ready to Die” or even that first listening of Pete Rock & CL Smooth? I’ll make a vote for Jay Dee — ’nuff said. Madvillian is the truth — but can you say anything else?
Bo — I don’t know if you were just keeping it in the Hip-Hop genre, but a cat who you could include who was down with it in the early to mid-eighties, but has such a vast catalog that it doesn’t really make sense to not include him period is… Quincy Jones. “Soul Bossa Nova” — kill’t it.
I agree with this list. Very nicely done.
pete rock wasnt on top for long? You have no clue about hiphop.