(RAP, NOT HIP-HOP)
5. DJ Muggs
He started making latino-infused heavy beats with Cypress Hill, and then went on to make “Jump Around” with House of Pain, just one of the members of the classic Soul Assassins group. I’ve always liked the style of Muggs records, and was highly impressed when he teamed up with Wu-Tang’s Gza to record an impressive comeback record entitled “Grandmasters”. I’d say he’s one of the more underrated and overlooked producers around.
4. Pete Rock
For “Mecca and the Soul Brother” alone, Pete Rock makes my top five. He also produced one of the only Run DMC songs I really liked, “Down With the King”. Add to this his work with Wu-Tang on his solo album “Soul Survivor”, and you have one of the most consistent producers of all time.
3. Dr. Dre
Though he wouldn’t make my top 50 as an emcee, you would have to be a fool to exclude Dr. Dre from any top producers list. He is too humble to admit it, but you can thank Dre for the success and exposure of both Snoop Doggy Dogg and Eminem. He proved on “The Chronic” that he could meet and exceed the legendary status of his original group N.W.A. Dre is a machine in the studio, he just doesn’t quit. He’s got a new album coming out with Eminem, and one final solo album before he shifts his focus exclusively to other artists.
2. DJ Premier
Anyone who can make Guru sound dynamic on a track knows a thing or two about producing. He and Guru were better known as Gang Starr, and put out some of the grittiest albums of the 90’s. It doesn’t hurt that Premier kept that tonality alive with some of the most memorable tracks for artists like Nas, Rakim, Jay-Z, Notorius B.I.G., Dilated Peoples, Common and KRS-One. His best single track, however, has to be Jeru the Damaja’s “Come Clean”.
1. Rza
This one was sort of a no-brainer for me. I like to think of the Rza as the Tarantino of rap music. Which was why it didn’t surprise me when he was asked to compose some music for the Kill Bill films. Wu-Tang, when they came on the scene with their ensemble cast and ghetto music videos, changed the game as we all knew it. He took shaolin samples and the kung-fu vernacular and fused it with break beats, and the results were revolutionary. I’m still waiting for another “Enter the 36 Chambers,” but in truth, we only need one of those for a lifetime.
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