One of the foundations/elements of Hip Hop & Rap music is the debate. Because of this, I just can’t wait see what fisticuffs this latest list will spark. Here for your reading enjoyment is my personal list of the Top 50 Greatest Producers In Hip Hop. I already know that a few West Coast heads are going to have a few heated words for me, but that’s ok, the hostilities are welcomed. The first 10 producers are presented in order, with the remaining 40 there to round out the list.
Enjoy!
1. DJ Premier
2. J Dilla
3. Pete Rock
4. RZA
5. Timbaland
6. Dr. Dre
7. Q-Tip
8. Large Professor
9. Havoc
10. Diamond
11. Showbiz
12. Beatnuts
13. The Neptunes
14. Ski
15. Buckwild
16. Prince Paul
17. Da Beatminers
18. The Alchemist
19. Eric Sermon
20. Madlib
21. Marley Marl
22. DJ Muggs
23. DJ Spinna
24. Eric B.
25. DJ Scratch
26. Minnesota
27. SD50’s (Stimulated Dummies)
28. Lee Stone
29. Kanye West
30. 9th Wonder
31. Hank Shocklee & The Bomb Squad
32. Organized Noize
33. Just Blaze
34. D.R. Period
35. Hi Tek
36. Lord Finesse
37. O Gee
38. NOID
39. E Swift
40. Herbie Luv Bug
41. Peanut Butter Wolf
42. EZ LP
43. Scott Storch
44. Dan the Automator
45. MF Doom
46. Easy Moe Bee
47. DJ Quick
48. DR Period
49. Salaam Remi
50. DJ Jazzy Jeff
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{ 122 comments… read them below or add one }
Top ten, pretty much unassailable, although I am not as high on J-Dilla as most. He probably would have been number 15 or so. I also would have put Easy Mo Bee higher.
Some big omissions:
Sheila Robinson (Sugar Hill house producer)
Pharoahe Monch
Afrika Bambaattaa
El-P
What, no Chris Webber???
Dilla over Dre? Thats ridonkulous.
Dilla over Dre everyday…and i’m from L.A., born & raised
Madlib should be top 5…move Timbo down
Count Bass D (so underrated it fucking kills me)
J. Rawls
?uestlove
Jneiro Jarel
Organized Konfusion
Ayatollah
Waajeed
S1 (from SFP)
Trackezoids (OneBeLo, Decompoze & Majestik Legend)
Ced-Gee
Paul C
Nujabes
Rick Rubin
DJ Shadow
Chief Xcel
RJD2
Joe Money aka Usef Dinero
Wyclef Jean
Oddissee
Kutmasta Kurt
Lyrics Born
Thes One
Amp Live
if you Ski there you have to have Clark Kent
I agree with Rob…
Dilla > Dre = RIDONKOLOUS and I say that as a Dilla fan.
Marley not in the Top 10 (if not really the top 5) = DOUBLE RIDONKOLOUS !!
Why o why is Rick Rubin not on this list??? Go find an old Def Jam record and flip it over, nuff said!!!
PS, move Timbo down a little, he is amzing but he is not that high on the list!!
sick jacken (of the psycho realm)….needs to make that list
I have to say it: Dj Premier is OVERRATED. He uses the same drums for MOST of his songs, it just gets boring. I love his stuff though, but he’s not the best. All those guys like DJ Spinna/Kanye/Automator/Hi-tek behind Marley Marl? No no.
Matter of opinion really.
Marley Marl is very important IMO.
Prince Paul on 3 ft high is crazy.
Laurence Goodman produced ‘Three times dope’ they were pretty good beats back in 89.
Whoever made this list must be crazy or still wet behind the ears… Wheres T-ray at for a start he should be top ten and dilla shouldn’t even be on there… also beatnuts unquestionably deserved a top10 position
Crazy list! Where is DJ Polo?
Yoo this list is soooooooooooooooooooo wrong… why kanye not in the top ten?
because he is a cock
Clark Kent NEEDS to be there and Warren G.
marley marl is is top 5! salaam remi is top 15!
Where’s marco polo and stoupe the enemy of mankind!
Yo what about illmind!
DJ Premier is not overrated. I personally prefer Pete Rock’s production style…but Primo’s cuts are always wicked and he mastered the ability to adapt to any artist seamlessly and that is what makes him a cut above all challengers. So he uses the same base drums…remove his scratches and sampling of an emcee’s previous work, multiple samples of differing MCs to make the ‘DJ chorus’ and guess what…….watered down hip-hop. Don’t get me wrong Pete Rock is ill, Stoupe is ill (don’t see him there and he kills Jedi Mind Tricks albums), J Dilla is dope (and he deserves his position…anyone that doesn’t realise this doesn’t know how much he has produced…listen The Roots- Dynamite). I could mention so many others that have made great contributions.
Regarding dilla as a great only started after he passed on…….His beats were wicked….but not enuf to hammer pete en em. Personally……my top 5 ain’t tht different from yours………in no specific order whatsover……Premo,Madlib,Pete,Rza,Dre. I’m 23 years old.
Dilla has some great work, but I must say some pretty average work. In my own opinion I strongly prefer ATCQ pre Dilla.
jd was a prolific overachiever, but much of his output was un-inspired and formulaic. ATCQ was much nicer on my ears pre diznilla toooo. THES ONE FOR PRESIDENT
WHys D.R. Period on there twice?…either u covered just about everone except Nottz.and I hope the list wasnt in any paricular order cuz quik tek and sallam remi are way up there
Timbaland, Dre (IMO), Havoc (though one of my fav producers), & Tip coulda been removed from top 10.
43. Scott Storch?????
.. incredible
alchemist, 9th wonder and dan the automator would be higher on mine.
marley marl definitely would be top 5
remove q tip? definitely not. his stuff with ATCQ is ridiculous
Looks alright to me, i would have Dan the Automator top 20 for me. Timbaland is more of R&B than hiphop in my opinion, but I Dig your choices.
Madlib is deff top 5, give danger mouse some love and MF Doom’s Metal Fingers shit is nasty… Special Herbs earns Doom at least a top 20
Would’ve had Marly Marl in the top 5.I would move J Dilla,and Q-Tip farther down.Timbaland is WAY to high!Knock him back about 20 spots at least.Storch is a joke.He should’nt even be on here imo.Eric.B didn’t actually produce the beats.Rakim did and he confirmed it himself.
What is your list based on homie. The #1 spot should go to someone that has broke artist into the game, has a successful lable,that has produced classics in every era{ World class wreking cru early 80s- NWA Late 80s early 90s J.J. Fad, Above the Law- any meanful album from the death row era Mid-Late 90s-Snoop Dog- Eminem- 50cent ohhh and also himself. Nobody on this list comes closed to this guy. The One and Only DRE.
Dr dre should havn been on top,he existed frm old school till nw new school still making hits.Just gv respect him
where the hellis Juicy J/DJ Paul??!?!?!?! three 6 mafia had some of theeee COLDEST beats IMAGINABLE!!! think of all the classic project pat joints, lord infamous joints!! and u cant forget international players ANTHEM!!!
TIMBO THE KING!
Why 9th wonder 30th??
The dude brings beats ALIVE with sooo much soul in em, u can nod 2 em all daaay!
Where’s Ced Gee?
Madlib will climb to the top of this
list when it’s all said and done!
Move MF Doom up at least 40 places
where the fuck is K-DEF???? and timbaland is not eveen top 10…the neptunes not even top 20….beatnuts def. produced some ill classics!..no dout…marley marl is top 10!!…dj premier is god, dilla & pete toooo……u can’t comparing them….they have different styles….so u cant campere BIGGIE and 2PAC…PEACE
I realize that this list is specific to hip hop but, I often wonder what it would be like to see where Timbaland, Dr Dre, Dilla or any other producers on the top ten end up on a list that included the greatest producers of the late 20th Century.
Next to influential producers like Norman Whitfield, Gamble & Huff, Giorgio Moroder, Arthur Russell, Patrick Adams, Arthur Baker, Paul Hardcastle, Larry Levan, just to name a few from a countless number of other producers. Where do they stack up next to these guys?
you crazy son…dilla should be #1 for real …..madlib, mf doom, kanye, and 9th wonder should way higher on this too
TIMBO SUCKS!!!! Premier and Dre are my personal favorites and Kanye is definitely one of the greatest hip hop producers
ATTENTION: 2-MAN PRODUCTION TEAMS NOT INCLUDED
TOP FIVE HIP-HOP PRODUCERS
1.DJ Premier
2.Pete Rock
3.Rza
4.J Dilla
5.Kanye West
Based on Creativity, Timeless Material and Work Ethic…
Yeah…No Dr.Dre…Why? Because DJ Yella and later Daz has production on alotta classics credited 2 Dr.Dre only.
Disagree…Do Ur Research.
** Producers NOT 2 Sleep on…
9th Wonder
Black Milk
Hi-Tek
Madlib
DJ Toomp
Danger Mouse
i want to buy a good professional million dollar beat
i want to buy a good professional million dollar beat,if you have any i can sample or have 1 for sell e-mail me and we can do business
@ Mista Mister
what about dres production on the chronic, chronic 2001 and after that?
i researched and your kind of wrong
@ Mista Mister
what about dre’s production on the chronic, chronic 2001 and after that?
i researched and your kind of wrong
1)DJ PREMIER
2)PETE ROCK
3)J-DILLA
4)DR.DRE
5)JUST BLAZE
6)KANYE WEST
7)9TH WONDER (NORTH CAROLINA’S OWN)
8)THE ALCHEMIST
9)STATIK SELECTAH
10)TIMBALAND
AND OF COURSE YA’LL FORGOT ABOUT “SIR JINX” THE ALBUM HE
DID WITH KOOL G RAP WAS KRAZY ILL!!! PLUS YOU CAN’T 4 GET BOUT TRACKMASTERZ…
RJ has the best applicable omissions, specifically:
Count Bass D (so underrated it fucking kills me)
J. Rawls
Jneiro Jarel
Organized Konfusion
Trackezoids (OneBeLo, Decompoze & Majestik Legend)
Nujabes
RJD2
Lyrics Born
Thes One
I think we should mention Samon Kawamura, and K-Murdoch, and Flying Lotus too though, they haven’t been around long enough though.
Beatnuts – #1, competition is none!
crazy lists…
From a South African born perspective here is my opinion list so far:
1. Pete Rock (EDO G, INI, CL + Hip Hop)
2. Large Professor (Main Source & The LP)
3.DJ Premo (Cut + scratch)
4. Marly Marl (LL Cool J)
5. Paul C (RIP)(Extra P files)
6. Dre Dre (NWA + Snoop + Chronic)
7. DJ Jazzy Jeff (Placid)
8. RZA (The WU)
9. J Dilla (Dope Beats)
10.Q-Tip (pre 2000)
ha dude really kanye over rza? kanye constantly praises rza…states him as probably his biggest influence as a producer. i guarantee you kanye, even with his ego, would disagree with any list that had him above rza. talkin to watkinzdageneral here. i do like that you have 9th wonder higher. mf doom is too low on here…haha he was drunk at soundset 09 (minneapolis), threw up all over the stage and fucked everything up…
ha dude really kanye and blaze over rza? kanye constantly praises rza…states him as probably his biggest influence as a producer. i guarantee you kanye, even with his ego, would disagree with any list that had him above rza. talkin to watkinzdageneral here. the roc-a-fella guys, kanye and blaze, definitely look up to rza. i do like that you have 9th wonder higher. mf doom is too low on here…haha he was drunk at soundset 09 (minneapolis), threw up all over the stage and fucked everything up…
HAHA this list is hilarious.. Timbaland and Dr. Dre are 5 and 6. That is too much, lol thats soo crazy its funny to me.
Two problems I see with this list… both Fat Jon (Five Deez) and Ant (Atmosphere/Rhymesayers) should be included somewhere in this list.
None of you mentioned Godfather Don?
the fuck?
1. J Dilla (he developed, PR, Premo’s & Marley Marls style with his OWN dopeness and made a style of music better, he added something to it that gave another sound.
Premo, sorry but i cant say he is number one, same old looping every track, no real musical talent compared to Dilla, Pete Rock and even the new cat Black Milk, he just loops, and loops, nohting special to bring in a hook or a bridge like many others do it.
top 10 in no order (cept for Dilla Dog at no1)
J Dilla
Dr Dre
Pete Rock
Just Blaze
Marley Marl
Large Professor
The Alchemist
Havoc
RZA
9th Wonder
neptunes, mannie fresh, timbo, all wack, couldnt produce an entire hip hop album if they tried, jus album filler beats. but i aint gonna front, neptunes have some dope beats now and then.
Hi Tek, Madlib and Kanye (not his own stuff, like when he makes his own beats) are also honorable mention too dont sleep on them.
you don’t recognise premo’s contributions to this thing of ours. In the 90’s his reputation for consistent dopeness was legendary. You sound young