The best hip-hop compositions. The Best Hip Hop Producers of All Time

In honor of the great artists who changed music forever, and to celebrate their success, the Billboard team has released a list of the top hip-hop/r&b singers of the last 25 years.

The list is based on the weekly Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts from January 5, 1985 to November 6, 2010. Positions are ranked according to number of weeks spent in first place.

Here you can see those artists who are successful to this day, as well as performers who have already become classics, rhythm and blues divas, whose recordings sell millions of copies all over the world, and modest geniuses who, with their talent, have revolutionized the idea of modern music. Every performer, every voice - they are all unique, and it is impossible to imagine show business without them today.

50. Tevin Campbell
49. En Vogue
48. Joe
47. Brandy
46. ​​Kanye West
45. Chris Brown
44. Maxwell
43. Patti LaBelle
42. Destiny's Child
41. Ne-Yo
40. Music Soulchild
39. Nelly
38. Eminem
37. Snoop Dogg ( Snoop Dogg)
36. Bobby Brown
35. Tony Toni Tone
34. Sade
33. Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds
32. Gerald Levert
31.LeVert
30. Jodeci
29. Keyshia Cole
28.50 Cent
27. Aaliyah
26. Stevie Wonder
25. TLC
24. Monica
23. New Edition
22. Anita Baker
21. Lil Wayne

20. T.I.

In 2001, after ranking 27th in R&B/Hip-Hop Albums with the album I"m Serious, rapper T.I. broke his contract with Arista Records and formed his own label, Grand Hustle Entertainment. His first album, Trap Muzik, released independently, took second place. place on the album chart in 2003. It was followed by even more successful chart-topping records - 2004's Urban Legend, 2006's King, 2007's T.I. vs. T.I.P., and 2008's Paper Trail, which spent a record five weeks at number one Of course, the incredible success of the musician in last years somewhat overshadowed by his legal troubles: T.I. spent a year behind bars on federal charges, and in March 2010, after his release, he became embroiled in an even more notorious drug scandal.

19. Tupac Shakur

Rapper Tupac Shakur, who tragically died in September 1996, is a true hip-hop icon. During his lifetime, he managed to release only four albums, two of which reached the top of the album chart - Me Against, released in 1995 The World(4 weeks at number one) and 1996's All Eyez On Me (3 weeks at number one). Two months after his death, his album The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory was released, where Tupac used the pseudonym Makaveli. The record topped the chart for six weeks. Shocking fact: Tupac predicted his death on this album and was completely prepared for it. The musician left a huge creative legacy; many of his albums were released posthumously, four of which became chart leaders.

18. Toni Braxton

Toni Braxton's latest success is her recent release of the album Pulse, which became an R&B/Hip-Hop Album in 2010. The singer's career has lasted for twenty years, since 1992 she has been constantly releasing hit singles. The first of the eleven chart-toppers was Give U My Heart from the movie Boomerang. Her songs You're Making Me High / Let It Flow and He Wasn't Man Enough also gained wild popularity.

17. Boyz II Men

The members of this amazing group have never ceased to amaze with their talents since their debut, which happened in 1991 with the song Motownphilly, which reached number four in the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs hit, and continued with It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday, which became the first of their five No. 1 hits, with three No. 1 albums in the group's discography, leading Billboard to name Boyz II Men in 1999 best group 90s

16.LL Cool J

James Todd Smith (real name LL Cool J) is a true hip-hop pioneer. He was one of the first artists to record on what has become one of the most respected labels, Def Jam Recordings. His debut album Radio peaked at number six on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums in 1986. The next release, Bigger & Deffer, spent eleven weeks at the top of the chart. The only leaders among rap artists were only MC Hammer's Please Hammer Don't Hurt (29 weeks in 1990) and Eminem's Recovery (13 weeks in 2010). Currently, the musician is interested in a career in film and television .

15. Beyonce

After the collapse of the singer's alma mater, the mega-successful group Destiny's Child (42nd position on this list), Beyoncé began a solo career. She has five number one singles, including hits such as Irreplaceable (nine weeks at number one ) and Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) (12 weeks). Each of her three albums became the leader of R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. But despite the success in the world charts and the status of one of the most talented artists modernity, in this list it is ahead own husband- rapper Jay-Z.

14. Ludacris

Rapper and actor Christopher Bridges (the musician's real name) began his career as a DJ on WHTA-FM radio under the pseudonym Chris Lova-Lova Chris Lova Lova. His charisma and discovered talent for excellent rapping were embodied in his first single What's Your Fantasy, which entered the top ten R&B/Hip-Hop Songs in 2000. Ludacris' debut album Back For The First Time reached number two in the album chart that same year. chart and marked the beginning of a series of successes in the musician’s career - four of her subsequent albums became chart leaders

13. Michael Jackson

The King of Pop may well also be called the King of R&B. This title is more than deserved, considering his seven R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart-topping albums (five of which were released in the last 25 years) and countless hit singles. Despite Jackson's tragic death, his beautiful music continues to live with us - both on discs and in the charts. In 2009 year This Is It, the title track from the documentary Michael Jackson: That's It, entered the top twenty on the song chart, and the soundtrack disc topped the album chart.

12. Keith Sweat

Keith Light is one of America's most beloved artists. He is loved by fans of all ages, as his singles have become hits in almost every important musical era: in 1988, I Want Her, his first song to hit the charts; in 1991 - I "ll Give All My Love to You or in 1998 - Come and Get With Me, recorded together with Snoop Dogg. A total of 16 of his songs entered the top ten of the song chart, of which 7 reached first place. In In 2008, they added another single, Just Me.

11. Prince

Prince's career began long before the scope of this list - back in 1978. With one of his first singles, Soft and Wet, hitting R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, Prince continues to reign on the chart for a fourth decade with a seemingly endless stream albums and hits. Since 1985, he has 30 releases on the album chart, more than any other artist. Nineteen of them were in the top ten. Three it latest album– 3121, released in 2006, Planet Earth of 2007 and also the triple disc of 2009 Lotus Flow3r/MPLSound/Elixr – became leaders.

10. Alicia Keys

Alicia Keys literally burst into show business with the now legendary album Fallin', released in 2001. Each of the singer's five albums became a leader on the album chart, including the latest, The Element of Freedom, which opened 2010 for five weeks at number one. Alicia Keys, in addition to her singing talent, has a magnificent talent as a pianist. During her nine-year career, Keys' albums sold more than 17 million copies in the United States.

9. Freddie Jackson

Pop fans may not be too familiar with Freddie Jackson's hits, as he has never topped the Billboard Hot 100 at number ten in his career. But he is very well known on the R&B charts, having authored eighteen songs on the Billboard Hot 100. top ten: from Rock Me Tonight in 1985 to the 1992 hit I Could Use a Little Love (Right Now). Four of his albums topped the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, including 1986's Just Like the First Time, which stayed at the top for 26 weeks.

8. Jay-Z

Shawn "Jay Z" Carter came a long way to form his own label in 1996 with Damon Dash and Kareem Burke after record company after record company refused to sign him. Following his debut album Reasonable Doubt, which received critical acclaim and number three on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and his second disc In My Lifetime, Vol. 1, rising one line higher, his breakthrough album, Vol. 2 - Hard Knock Life, which spent six weeks at the top of the chart in 1998. In total, the musician has eleven number one albums (including two joint discs with R. Kelly).

7. Luther Vandross

This singer with a unique voice recorded 36 hits between 1985 and 2007, of which twenty entered the top ten and six reached number one on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Unfortunately, the last two positions happened posthumously - Vandross died in 2005 at the age of 54. The key to a musician’s popularity is his ability to find mutual language with a young audience. He recorded duets with Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey in the 90s, and in 2004 with Beyoncé. The song Dance With My Father, which he wrote and performed with Richard Marx, won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year that year.

6. Usher

After a more than modest start to his career in 1993 (#56 for a song called “Call Me a Mack” from the film “Poetic Justice” starring Janet Jackson and #25 for his debut album), Usher has achieved a lot - his album sales amount to more than 22 million copies. In addition to a more than successful career in music and film, Usher has an incredible sense of production - he was the one who introduced the world to the pop phenomenon Justin Bieber.

5. Janet Jackson

The legendary Janet is the owner of the largest number of singles leading the song charts. There are as many as fifteen of them: only R. Kelly and Usher can come close to this record. Even the singer's brother Michael Jackson, despite all his popularity, recorded only eight number one hits. Between 1985 and 2001, the singer became a true icon. She has more songs in the top ten of the world charts than any other artist: twenty-seven.

4. Mariah Carey

Over her twenty-year career in show business, this singer has won countless records and awards. Her songs topped Billboard's Hot 100 eighteen times—only The Beatles had more. Her song One Sweet Day remained at the top of the charts for 16 weeks. With worldwide album sales of 52.7 million copies, Mariah Carey is the most successful rhythm and blues artist, and the third most popular artist of any genre, behind Garth Brooks and the aforementioned The Beatles.

3. Whitney Houston

When Whitney Houston first appeared on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in 1984 as a guest vocalist on Teddy Pendergrass's single "Hold Me", many knew that this girl would become a star. Plus, talent was in her blood: her mother, Cissy Houston, is a respected gospel/r&b singer, and her cousin, Dionne Warwick, has been a fixture on the Billboard charts for decades. The diva has eight number one singles and five mega-successful albums, including her last disc, I Look To You, released in 2009.

2. Mary J. Blige

One of the most respected musicians and producers of our time, Sean "Diddy" Combs, called her the “Queen of Hip-Hop,” and this title is not an exaggeration. The performer's most popular singles You Remind Me and Real Love marked the beginning of her dizzying career as one of the most brilliant singers of its time. Twenty hits that took first place, eight albums that top the world charts - achievements that it is unlikely that anyone will soon be able to overcome.

1. R. Kelly

R. Kelly tops this list, and it's place is not in vain. Since January 1985, he has scored 35 top 10 hits on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart (more than anyone else) and a total of 84 songs on the chart at all. Among them are eleven leaders, including Bump N "Grind (12 weeks at the top of the chart) and Down Low (Nobody Has To Know) (7 weeks). 11 albums that became leaders in R&B/Hip-Hop firmly cemented his status as one of the leading artists not only of his generation, but of the entire history of show business in general.The legendary performer does not stop there - this year his 56th top 40 single When a Woman Loves was released.

Making lists of the best songs or musicians is always a very difficult and sometimes thankless task. After all, there will always be someone who will say that in fact the best are completely different, and not those who were included in the list and will present their convincing arguments and compelling arguments. Therefore, we say right away that we do not pretend to be the absolute truth, but when selecting this list we tried to be as objective as possible.

Hip-hop has long won its strong place in show business and musical culture, giving the world excellent music and performers and proving its right to be a separate independent genre and direction.

So, who can be included in the golden pages? Which songs deserve to remain forever in the Walk of Fame of this musical movement?

And it would probably be worth starting with the founders and pioneers of the genre.

The Message - Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five ("The Message", 1982)

One of the first groups, very different from the rest, where for the first time the role of the MC was so strong and one of the very first songs that influenced the formation of the genre, where there was exactly that hip-hop rhythm that set the pace and direction for the following groups. The text is typically highly social for hip-hop and talks about life as it is - the city, its dangers, drugs, and, as a result, death on the street. (More rap songs about drugs). A lot of issues were brought to light and hip-hop claimed its right to be heard.

Nuthin' But A "G" Thang - Dr. Dre Feat. Snoop Doggy Dogg (The Chronic, 1992)

This song made Dr. Dre one of the best rappers West Coast and, one might say, brought the movement itself out of the underground. The duet with Snoopy Dog was a very correct decision - the tandem made people talk about itself and attracted the attention of listeners. One of the most iconic songs in hip-hop.

Snoop has at least a dozen more great tracks. If you like his work, be sure to listen to it on our website.

Juicy -The Notorious B.I.G. (“Ready To Die”, 1994)

One of the greatest rappers to ever live set a new standard for the entire hip-hop movement in this song, which was the single from his debut album. The amazing ability to show the subtleties of the inner world even in such tough things was the hallmark of The Notorious B.I.G.

C.R.E.A.M. — Wu-Tang Clan (“Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)”, 1993)

We decided to dedicate this short review to the most influential and famous producers in hip-hop. Those whose productions were not only loved by many listeners, but also influenced a huge number of other producers and performers. But let’s not be verbose and let’s actually start. Without giving preference to anyone, but simply in alphabetical order, here are the 19 greatest producers in hip-hop.

01. 9th Wonder

North Carolina native 9th Wonder has become one of the hardest working producers in hip-hop and has embraced the spirit to the fullest. 9th Wonder was very inspired by the work of DJ Premier and J. Dilla, so 9th Wonder had good examples to follow, 9th Wonder subsequently developed his own style and achieved considerable success in producing. From a fantastic underground producer, 9th Wonder has become a highly sought-after producer in the mainstream thanks to his love for Hi-Hop and a lot of hard work. A striking example of this are the following compositions: Jay-Z “ Threat” from the album “ The Black Album" and Destiny's Child" Girl” from the album “Destiny Fulfilled”.

While Hip-Hop Nerds were hoping and praying that Little Brother would make a comeback, 9th Wonder collaborated with artists like Rapsody, Saigon, Murs, David Banner and Skyzoo on soft soulful samples. 9th Wonder also assembled the New York-based production team The Soul Council, which included Khrysis, E. Jones, Eric G and Ka$h. Hard work has allowed 9th Wonder to go from a beginner to a legendary producer of our time.

02. Apollo Brown

Apollo Brown is a highly sought after and intriguing producer from Detroit. He is often called the Detroit version of 9th Wonder. Rich drums, melodic samples and boom-bap have helped Apollo become a very popular producer. In particular, it should be noted working together with O.C. on the album “Trophies” and a joint project with Guilty Simpson “Dice Roll”. His other work with Ugly Heroez and Rapper Big Pooh (formerly of Little Brother) are also worth checking out.

03. Battlecat

Legendary Long Beach producer created on the West Coast. Battlecat created his signature G-Funk sound and has been one of the West Coast's coolest and most respected producers for over 20 years. “Battle Cat” has produced for such artists as: Snoop Dogg, Dazzie Dee, Kam, Bloods & Crips, Tha Eastsidaz, Kurupt, Lucy Pearl, Xzibit and many others. Battlecat is famous for its powerful and deep bass. The songs he produced are perfect for C-Walk, and many of Battlecat's works have become true G-Funk classics.

Battlecat has also released a number of production albums and mixtapes, among which ““ deserves special attention.

This album was recorded between 1994-1995, but was released as a promotional release only in 1999. In 2014, the album was re-released in Japan. The re-release includes 3 bonus tracks.

04. DJ Premier

In the review presented to your attention, of course, we could not help but mention this legendary man! DJ Premier, aka Premo, is from Texas. He made his name in particular thanks to another legendary producer - Large Professor (but more about him a little later), as well as his constant participation in the recording of projects Guru and Gang Starr. DJ Premier is simply the quintessence of the New York sound in the flesh! Premo never screwed up, established himself as a top-class professional, and also became an innovator of the “scratch chorus”, which many producers subsequently began to imitate. DJ Premier has worked with a huge number of artists, including Nas, Snoop Dogg, Bun B and even Christina Aguilera A (!). One of the kings of sound in hip-hop and a universally recognized classic of the genre!

05. DJ Quik

David “DJ Quik” Blake is another pioneer of Kalifa’s gangsta sound. Quik is a born musician; he fell in love with hip-hop since childhood and eventually made a significant contribution to its development. In 1991, DJ Quik debuted with the album “Quik Is The Name” and his style was already recognizable. It was different from the production that Dr. used on his releases. Dre was less consistent, but at the same time no less funky, maybe even more so. In addition to his own solo projects, DJ Quik has also collaborated with artists such as Xzibit, 2Pac, Eightball & MJG, and the R&B group Tony! Tony! Tone and even Talib Kweli (which partly helped the latter become famous). Quik's music is perfect for a funky party!

06.Dr. Dre

Dre almighty! He's like Quincy Jones, only in hip-hop. Dr. Dre has become renowned as one of the most influential and masterful producers in hip-hop. One of the innovators and creators of the gangsta sound on the West Coast. Although in fact Dre was a producer long before solo career(during the time of N.W.A), the real breakthrough in his career happened in 1992 after the release of the album “The Chronic”. This marked a new wave of hip-hop, especially on the West Coast. New sound, new rhythms. A year later, Snoop’s famous debut blockbuster “Doggystyle” was released. Dre later released 2001, which featured the same classic West Coast sound.

07. Eric Sermon

The legendary “green-eyed bandit” is a self-taught, another hip-hop legend. Erick Sermon is one half of the duo EPMD and produced their debut album Strictly Business back in 1988. But Erick truly found himself while working on solo projects, where he achieved fantastic results. His debut solo album, No Pressure, is a very worthy and perhaps underappreciated work. Later, together with Redman and Keith Murray, he created Def Squad. Each of the three released a good quality album. Redman - "Muddy Waters", Keith Murray - "Enigma" and all three "El Nino" as Def Squad.

After Def Squad, Erick Sermon worked with such artists as: Illegal, Scarface, Busta Rhymes, Xzibit and Ludacris, using his form style E-Double funk. Over the past few years, Erick Sermon has not been very productive in general, which is due in part to the heart attack that happened to Erick in 2012. Last August, Erick Sermon released a new solo album entitled " E.S.P.«

08. J Dilla

Art by EthanMichaeL

James Yancey, aka J Dilla, is one of the most respected producers of the last two decades, leaving behind a great legacy in music. J Dilla became famous for his arrangements and sampling, became one of greatest masters MPC. J Dilla gained his greatest popularity as a member of the Detroit trio Slum Village. The group also included his two school friends - T3 and Baatin, later Dilla decided to show his talent by working with Ali Shaheed and Q-Tip as the trio The Ummah. They produced together on A Tribe Called Quest's Beats, Rhymes, and Life and The Love Movement, as well as on Keith Murray's second solo album, Enigma.

A true genius whose work has influenced producers such as 9th Wonder, Dr. Dre, Hi-Tek, No I.D and many, many others. Even in the last days, J Dilla did not stop working on and left behind just tons of instrumentals! His instrumental albums "Donuts" and "Jay Stay Paid" clearly demonstrated his greatest talent and passion for music.

J Dilla left behind a huge amount of material. The work of this man certainly deserves respect and fond memory.

09. Just Blaze

Just Blaze hails from Jersey and kicked things up a notch in the early 2000s. Although relatively unknown at first, Blaze soon began working for Roc-A-Fella.

Just Blaze has produced albums for Jay-Z, Beanie Sigel, Young Gunz, and Freeway's debut album "Philadelphia Freeway" was especially successful. Just Blaze still makes great beats for Slaughterhouse (and will also executive produce their Glass House album, which will be released on Shady Records), and Just Blaze has worked with the likes of Saigon, Cam'ron, Talib Kweli, Kendrick Lamar and even Maroon 5 (track “Makes Me Wonder”).

Blaze production tracks are often played on repeat.

10. Large Professor

Hip-hop professor from Queens. Large Pro taught DJ Premier how to use the SP-1 drum machine, and also introduced the world to the young Nas in the composition "Live At The BBQ" on Main Source's debut album Breakin' Atoms. Large Pro is a highly respected MC and producer (especially in New York), having worked with the likes of Nas, Cormega, AZ, Torae, Jeru The Damaja and Joell Ortiz. Large Pro The's debut album “The LP” is considered a precious pearl of hip-hop; the album was officially released only almost 20 years later (though with a slightly different tracklist and artwork):

11. Madlib

Madlib is originally from Los Angeles. He stayed underground for almost 20 years. The influence of jazz music is clearly visible in Madlib's work. With a quirky and eccentric style, Madlib makes melodic stuff that makes you want to listen to it on repeat several times.

Multi-instrumentalist Madlib besides own projects, is also a member of Yesterday's New Quintet, and is also known under the name of his alter ego Quasimoto, who released the album "The Unseen". Madlib worked with Tha Alkaholiks, OGC, Lootpack. Of particular note is his collaboration with underground legend MF DOOM, which resulted in classic album"Madvillainy".

Madlib gained many more fans when he teamed up with Dilla as Jaylib to create the album Champion Sound, and his relatively recent work with Freddie Gibbs Piñata is also interesting.

12. Mannie Fresh

Mannie Fresh is one of the pioneers of the Southern sound. He became widely known for his early work on Cash Money Records for The group Hot Boy$ (Juvenile, B.G., Lil Wayne and Turk), as well as being part of the group Big Tymers with Birdman, after falling out with Birdman, he also did production for Clipse and T.I.

Rumor has it that Mannie Fresh also worked with Mos Def on his OMFGod album, which may never see the light of day. Especially considering the fact that .

Either way, Mannie was a revolutionary in the Southern sound with booming bass. And if The Hot Boy$ teamed up again, it could be a very interesting product for fans of the south this kind.

13. Marley Marl

One of hip-hop's greatest giants! Marley Marl was the first to use sampling in hip-hop. The technique has become revolutionary and incredibly popular! Marley Marl brought more color to hip-hop.

His work with such artists as The Juice Crew, Heavy D & The Boyz and MC Lyte was popular incredible success, but one of his best creations was his production work on LL Cool J’s “Mama Said Knock You Out” album, which is still considered by many to be LL’s best album.

It’s impossible not to mention Marley Marl’s production album “In Control: Volume 1”

Song " The Symphony"simply above all praise! This epic composition featured: Big Daddy Kane, Craig G., Kool G. Rap, as well as Master Ace, all in a five-minute track!

During the heyday of the '90s, Marley Marl worked with the likes of Da Youngstas, Lords Of The Underground, Fat Joe, and also worked on the production of CNN's (Capone-N-Noreaga) classic debut, The War Report.

Marley Marl's style influenced a huge number of producers, including Pete Rock (but more on him later)

14. Pharell Williams

Pharell Williams is from Virginia. He is one of the most successful producers of our time. Pharell started out with Chad Hugo as the producing duo Neptunes, but soon their paths diverged and Pharrell became an even more sought-after producer, not only in hip-hop, but also in pop music.

Pharell Williams' biggest achievement (at least commercially) was his hit " Happy”, has sold over 14 million copies. The single became one of the best-selling singles in history.

Pharell Williams continues to produce, not limiting himself to just hip-hop.

We bring to your attention his collaboration with Snoop “Beautiful”

In our opinion, this song is much more interesting than the one mentioned above.

15. Pete Rock

Pete Rock's production is still loved and relevant today, just as it was in the 90s.

Many remember him as the producer of the duo Pete Rock & CL Smooth who had a super hit "T.R.O.Y." but don’t forget that Pete Rock also had a hand in one of Nas’ legendary singles, “The World Is Yours.”

In 1998, Pete Rock released his first compilation entitled “Soul Survivor”, on which he introduced listeners to his boom-bap production. Pete Rock has produced a huge number of people including: INI, Busta Rhymes, Smif-N-Wessun and Ghostface Killah.

Legendary producer and master of his craft!

16. RZA

RZA a.k.a. The Ruler Zig-Zag set new rhythms for New York (and hip-hop in general) in the early 90s with the arrival of his legendary 8-piece group Wu-Tang Clan.

The Wu-Tang Clan's debut album, Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), became one of the best albums in hip-hop history, thanks in part to RZA's unorthodox style.

RZA likes to sample sounds from films about kung fu and other martial arts, mix it all with drums, and also slow down or speed up soul samples (this technique was later used in the work of Just Blaze, Kanye, Apollo Brown, 9th Wonder and many others), which made him one of the leaders of the East Coast among beatmakers.

In addition to Wu projects, RZA has also produced Big Pun, Earl Sweatshirt and Talib Kweli, and has produced several films including Kill Bill, Iron Fist and Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai. Amazing man!

17. Scarface

Brad Terrence Jordan, better known as Scarface, is a rapper and producer from Houston, Texas, formerly of the iconic rap group Geto Boys. In 2012 the magazine The Source gave him number 16 on the list of the 50 greatest lyricists of all time, while the resource About.com named Scarface 10 on the list "The 50 Greatest MCs of Our Time"(for the period from 1987 to 2007)

In addition, Scarface became famous as an excellent producer. He produced the Geto Boys 5th Ward Boyz, Devin The Dude, A-G-2-A-KE and many others. But the strongest works (besides solo projects and Geto Boys projects), in our opinion, are the DMG albums “Rigormortiz” and of course Facemob “The Other Side Of The Law”. Both albums are solid works, classics of the south, in the best traditions!

18. The Alchemist

Alan Maman, better known as hip-hop producer The Alchemist, was born in Beverly Hills, California. At first he was part of a duet The Whooligans. Second member of The Whooliganz was Scott Caan. At the time Alan was known as Mudfoot and Scott Caan as Mad Skillz

Caan and Maman met when they were teenagers in the affluent neighborhood of Beverly Hills, California. They began performing as a duo throughout Los Angeles and soon gained recognition from listeners. Alan's childhood friend Evidence introduced the band to Quincy Jones III and the guys began working on a demo. As a result, B-Real from Cypress Hill became interested in the “hooligans” and invited the young talents to become part of the Soul Assassins team, which also included Cypress Hill, House of Pain and Funkdoobiest. The Whooliganz began touring the country with the Soul Assassins, which helped them subsequently land a contract with Tommy Boy Records.

In 1993, The Whooliganz recorded their debut album, Make Way For The W, the first single of which was the track "Put Your Handz Up" with production from DJ Lethal. It was also planned to release the second single "Don't Mean Nothin"", but Tommy Boy decided to end cooperation with the group and not release new album. In 1995 the song "Whooliganz" was released. This single was released in England on Positiva/EMI Records, but since then everyone has decided that time The Whooliganz has passed. Caan followed in the footsteps of his father James Caan and became a successful actor.

Alan also went his own way, becoming one of the outstanding producers in hip-hop. The Alchemist has worked with artists such as Dilated Peoples, Mobb Deep, Defari and Nas, and his melodic production is in high demand. According to The Alchemist himself big influence His work has been influenced by the work of DJ Premier and Pete Rock, so it is not surprising that he is often compared to these prominent producers. This is the alchemist of hip-hop.

Timbaland is from Virginia. Grammy winner who has worked in many genres. In 1996, Timbaland became famous for producing Ginuwine's debut album, Ginuwine...The Bachelor (1996), and later worked on Aaliyah's One In A Million and Missy Elliot's debut album, Supa Dupa Fly. Both albums were commercially successful.

Since then, Timbaland has continued to work with hip-hop and pop artists including Madonna, Britney Spears, Jay-Z, Nas and many others.

To summarize, I would like to add that there are a huge number of equally talented producers who are not as widely known as the ones we mentioned above, or who were simply not mentioned above. Many of them are no worse, and some may even be cooler in fact! In addition to those we mentioned in our small review, we also advise you to pay your attention to the following producers in hip-hop:

• 8-Off a.k.a. Agallah
• Akhenaton
• Ant Banks
• Ayatollah
• Black Milk
• Buckwild
• Celly Cel
• CJ Mac
• Cool & Dre
• Da Beatminerz
• Dan The Automator
• Danger Mouse
• Daz Dillinger
• Diamond D
• DJ Babu
• DJ Jazzy Jeff
• DJ Kheops
• DJ Muggs
• DJ Pooh
• DJ Scratch
• DJ Toomp
• Easy Mo Bee
• Eminem
• EZ Elpee
• Figub Brazlevič
• G-Man Stan
• Havoc
• Hi-Tek
• Irv Gotti
• Jam Master Jay
• K-Def
• Khrysis
• Killa Tay
• L.E.S.
• Lex Luger
• Lil' John
• Lord Finesse
• Marco Polo
• Mike Dean
• Missy Elliot
• N.O. Joe
• Nick Wiz
• No I.D.
• Nottz
• Oddisee
• Organized Noise
• Phonk Beta
• Pimp C
• Precise
• Prince Paul
• Rockwilder
• Ron Browz
• Q-Tip
• Rick Rubin
• Scott Storch
• Sir Jinx
• Snowgoons
• Statik Selektah
• Stoupe
• Streetrunner
• Swizz Beats
• Terminator X
• Terrace Martin
• The Bomb Squad
• Trackmasters
• Troy D. White
• Wyclef Jean

Of course, this is NOT a complete list of hip-hop producers who deserve attention and respect, but we tried to present to your attention the most influential and interesting ones.

A harsh and groovy representative of the so-called industrial hip-hop from San Francisco. Lots of power, anger and unconventional moves. In particular, the album contains an excellent cover version of the Dead Kennedys track “California Über Alles” (originally recorded for the Virus 100 tribute album).

14. Kwan
Dynasty, 2001

Finnish, but not Nordic, hot and moving hip-hop. The band is terribly popular in their homeland (“Dynasty” became a platinum album there), but almost unnoticed on the international stage. MAXIM corrects this misunderstanding.

13. Bloodhound Gang
"Use Your Fingers", 1995

01. Ice Cube
Death Certificate, 1991

An unkillable, bulletproof gangsta rap classic. However, the same can be said about the previous album of a native of the Californian group NWA nicknamed Ice Cube - “AmeriKKKa"s Most Wanted". These are the two records for which you want to buy a white Caddilac with a giant multi-ton subwoofer. And nothing else from life No need.