****After a discussion of the top 11 producers/dj's in hip-hop, Eric Morse (Editor of Trampolinehouse.com) and I challenged each other to justify our choices. Discuss. Comment. Enjoy.****
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DJEZI
Gentlemen, I present my top ten producers in the art and craft we know as hip-hop. Before we get started, I’ll tell you the questions I asked myself when making this list, according to the criteria set forth by Brother Eric.
Originality – How different is his sound from everyone else in his era?
Versatility – How many different styles did he display in his own work?
Sampling/Technical Skill – Did he use well-known or obscure samples at the time? How did he use his samples? Did he clearly demonstrate exceptional skill at programming and mixing with the technology he had to work with?
Body of Work – In addition to quantity, did the quality of his work stand out? Did it span multiple Golden Ages? How many different artists did he work with?
Industry Impact – To what degree is he evolutionary or revolutionary? Are we still feeling the effects of his work? Important note: Industry respect was not taken into consideration.
11 – ERIC SERMON - 79
Originality – 75
Versatility – 75
Sampling/Technical Skill – 80
Body of Work – 85
Industry Impact – 80
Eric Sermon is responsible for the careers of Redman, Keith Murray, Das EFX, and most importantly EPMD. Not incredibly original or versatile, but is responsible for many of hip-hop’s greatest hits and has a lot of songs to his credit.
10 – MANTRONIK - 83
Originality – 90
Versatility – 75
Sampling/Technical Skill – 95
Body of Work – 80
Industry Impact – 80
In retrospect, Mantronik was a one-trick pony. But he had a hell of a trick. Fresh is the Word? Cold Gettin’ Dumb? Bass Machine? I’ll take phat-ass tracks as my trick any day. Timbaland needs to send this dude a third of his earnings. Today.
9 – PETE ROCK - 84
Originality – 85
Versatility – 75
Sampling/Technical Skill – 90
Body of Work – 90
Industry Impact – 80
It never fails to anger me when I realize how underappreciated Pete is now. This cat virtually invented bringing the beat back in on the 2 and 4. How many times have you waited for the Pete Rock Remix? I thought so.
8 – A TRIBE CALLED QUEST - 89
Originality – 90
Versatility – 75
Sampling/Technical Skill – 90
Body of Work – 90
Industry Impact – 100
Living Legends. Who popularized using jazz samples? Quest. Who produced three classic albums? Quest. They never produced for anyone but themselves, and that’s why their union of beats and rhyme is beyond reproach.
7 – ORGANIZED NOIZE - 89
Originality – 90
Versatility – 85
Sampling/Technical Skill – 90
Body of Work – 90
Industry Impact – 90
It is enough that they are responsible for all of Outkast’s and Goodie Mob’s albums, but there’s more. Ludacris, Cee-Lo, Bubba Sparxxx to start. If there is some “southern hip-hop” worth listening to, more than likely they are behind it. And largely without samples.
6 - J Dilla aka Jay Dee
Originality – 90
Versatility – 85
Sampling/Technical Skill – 95
Body of Work – 80
Industry Impact – 80
1/3rd of the Ummah ('96-'98). Slum Village's, "Fantastic Vol. 1 & 2". Jaylib. Three solo albums. Seriously hot joints for De La ("Verbal Clap", "Itsoweezee", "Stakes is High"), Pharcyde ("Runnin'", "Drop"),
and many others. This may sound like revisionist history, but when you run the numbers...well, the numbers don't lie.
Oh. The new joint, "Donuts"? Fucking brilliant.
James Yancey aka J. Dilla aka Jay Dee.
Act like you know.
5 - BOMB SQUAD - 93
Originality – 95
Versatility – 85
Sampling/Technical Skill – 100
Body of Work – 95
Industry Impact – 90
Public Enemy. Walking with a Panther. Amerikkkaz Most Wanted. The Great Adventures of Slick Rick
4 – MARLEY MARL - 95
Originality – 90
Versatility – 90
Sampling/Technical Skill – 95
Body of Work – 100
Industry Impact – 100
The man is responsible for the hottest hip-hop song for at least 10 years by anyone’s count. Y’all know the history: Shan, Kane, Cool J, Kool G, Craig G., Masta Ace, Biz, Shante, TLC (!), Heavy D, and L.O.T.U.G. What?!?
3 – PRINCE PAUL - 96
Originality – 100
Versatility – 90
Sampling/Technical Skill – 100
Body of Work – 100
Industry Impact – 90
De La Soul. Handsome Boy Modeling School, Gravediggaz, 3rd Bass, Stetsasonic. Oh, and three of his own joints. Genius.
2 – DR. DRE - 96
Originality – 90
Versatility – 90
Sampling/Technical Skill – 100
Body of Work – 100
Industry Impact – 100
Come on.
1 – RICK RUBIN - 98
Originality – 100
Versatility – 90
Sampling/Technical Skill – 100
Body of Work – 100
Industry Impact – 100
From It’s Yours to 99 Problems, this dude is fucking amazing. The only thing pushing him past Dre is his incredible range and breadth of work, due to his BEING IN THE CULTURE SINCE IT FUCKING STARTED AND STILL MAKING HOT SHIT. Run-DMC, King of Rock, Raising Hell, Licenced to Ill, Yo, Bum Rush the Show.
So there.
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ERIC MORSE
I guess it’s my turn. As I was enthralled and inspired last night by the first in VH1’s hip-hop miniseries, And You Don’t Stop, I’m finally getting around to writing up my list.
I should comment beforehand, however, that I went at this with more of a DJ-bent than Ivan did. So, while my criteria in the categories were very similar to Ivan’s, producers who were notable turntablists tended to rate higher in the Sampling/Technical Skill category. (And I think you’ll find a surprise or two). Also, after looking at Ivan’s list and realizing he eschewed the heavy weighing of Body of Work, I did the same – which changed a few rankings on the list. You’ll find some newcomers right up there with the Old Guard.
At any rate, tell me what you think. You might be surprised, and perhaps angry. But that’s what this is about, right??
First, Honorable Mention:
Pete Rock
RZA
Jazzy Jeff
Now, for the top 10:
10 – Neptunes / Pharrell Williams 81
Originality – 80
Versatility – 80
Industry Impact – 85
Sampling/Technical Skill – 80
Body of Work – 80
I know, I know. I hate to throw such a new jack into the all-time canon. But if the shoe fits, put that shit on. This list is full of the men behind hip-hop’s various movements and creative growth, and Pharrell is one of those men. I will never confuse sales with artistic merit, but you have to admit that all these men were hitmakers as well. Their appeal and influence is part of what made their particular styles into hip-hop movements. And you can’t discuss hip-hop in 2004 without mentioning the name of the man (or group, if you want to be charitable) with the most influence and appeal. Rating an 80 in almost every category, he’s only moderately strong – but he’s consistent (has he ever made a flop?) and multi-talented. Bottom line: if you’ve got Common AND Jay-Z calling your name, you must be doing something right.
9 – ERIC B. 81.4
Originality – 80
Versatility – 72
Industry Impact – 90
Sampling/Technical Skill – 85
Body of Work – 80
The year is 1986. Your favorite album is Raising Hell, although those obnoxious white kids the Beastie Boys have gotten into your head, and you’re not sure if you’re going to be able to get them out. You pick up ‘Paid In Full,’ and put it on the turntable. Track 1: that 808 kick and clap, the horns, and DAMN, that MC! ‘I Ain’t No Joke’ blows your mind, and then track 2 comes on, ‘Eric B. Is On The Cut,’ and you realize that scratching is an art form, not a gimmick. This guy can make vinyl samples sound like an instrument. A lot of stuff was amazing back then, but Eric B.’s beats sound new, fresh and powerful almost 20 years later. I’m listening to it right now, and it’s still in the upper echelon. He’s as timeless as Rick Rubin.
8 – DJ PREMIER 84
Originality – 78
Versatility – 75
Industry Impact – 85
Sampling/Technical Skill – 92
Body of Work – 90
Maybe he’s no Pete Rock in terms of underrated DJs, but Premier doesn’t get the name recognition he deserves. Gang Starr was the hard answer to Tribe and De La, and Premier is still turning out some ill shit.
7 – TIE: PRINCE PAUL / TIMBALAND 84.4
PAUL: TIM:
Originality – 80 Originality - 85
Versatility – 75 Versatility - 77
Industry Impact – 92 Ind. Imp. - 85
Sampling/Technical Skill – 85 S/T – 90
Body of Work – 90 BoW – 85
What can I say about Prince Paul that you don’t already know? But let me say this about Tim: in keeping with my theory that we’re currently experiencing a Golden Age III, Timbaland was instrumental in engineering it. His beats did for hip-hop production what Rakim (and later Eminem) did for rhyming – took it completely out of its contruct, warped it, added to it. His syncopation and irregular rhythms gave the world a new concept of what hip-hop could be. No major producer since Bambaataa has created such an ambitious cross-section of hip-hop and contemporary underground electronic music.
6 – A TRIBE CALLED QUEST 85.6
Originality – 83
Versatility – 85
Industry Impact – 90
Sampling/Technical Skill – 80
Body of Work – 90
MCs act like they don’t know.
5 – BOMB SQUAD / HANK SHOCKLEE 86
Originality – 85
Versatility – 80
Industry Impact – 90
Sampling/Technical Skill – 85
Body of Work – 90
You know the deal.
4 – JAM MASTER JAY 87
Originality – 85
Versatility – 75
Industry Impact – 95
Sampling/Technical Skill – 90
Body of Work – 90
I’m tired of writing these. The man needs no introduction.
3 – DJ SHADOW 87.4
Originality – 85
Versatility – 85
Industry Impact – 87
Sampling/Technical Skill – 98
Body of Work – 82
Believe me, I was as surprised as you are. I went over and over the numbers, tried to adjust them so that I thought they made more sense, but ultimately, the numbers don’t lie. Does he really deserve to be rated with Dre, JMJ and the Bomb Squad in Originality? I have already argued that hip-hop is in the middle (maybe an end) of a third Golden Era, and a large part of what makes this era as Golden as eras past is the creative and technical breadth. Shadow is the poster boy for an entirely new genre of hip-hop, and Abstract Hip-Hop has made its presence felt throughout hip-hop’s mainstream as well. In many ways, the abstract DJs and producers have much more in common with the original b-boys than their mainstream counterparts. Versatility? The man doesn’t just make pretty downbeat tracks or sample collages, he’s made more than a few all-out bangers with MCs like Mighty Mos Def and Latyrx. In Sampling/Technical Skill, he’s unmatched among this group. His turntable skills are ridiculous – he could run from DMC battle to DMC battle if he wanted, but he’d rather rip the shit out of some obscure samples. He brings a musicality to beats, samples and scratches that few of his peers have been able to muster. As hard as I try, I can’t put this guy down below #3. He’s among the best in every category.
2 – DR. DRE 87.6
Originality – 85
Versatility – 80
Industry Impact – 90
Sampling/Technical Skill – 88
Body of Work – 95
You heard the man: Come on.
1 – RICK RUBIN 89.2
Originality – 88
Versatility – 880
Industry Impact – 95
Sampling/Technical Skill – 88
Body of Work – 95
I was surprised to find that Ivan got this one right…