version

Well-known member
How comprehensively can you map hip hop via specific producers? Does every era have a standout one or two everyone takes cues from?
 

version

Well-known member
Timbaland/Neptunes seems like the obvious one, but what are the others? I remember Lex Luger being the guy for a while.
 

luka

Well-known member
you want to say premier but if you think of his peak and hes coexisting with lots of other distinct styles, like rza, havoc, the digging in the crates lot, dre in the west etc.
 

malelesbian

Femboyism IS feminism.
How comprehensively can you map hip hop via specific producers? Does every era have a standout one or two everyone takes cues from?
To the second question, yes. But remember that most great producers work in multiple eras. It's not clear that El-P's production fits neatly into ANY era. His most mainstream beats are actually his most recent. Hip hop moves so fast that most major producers sound dated a few years after their hey-day, their era. Remember DJ Mustard? Exactly.

To answer your second question, here's my most comprehensive map. Admittedly it ends early, but IDK how much I like recent producers. Young Chop is good! So are Hit-Boy and Clams Casino. And No-ID is having a career renaissance, despite beginning his career in the 90s.

70s
Kool Herc
Grandmaster Flash
Mostly forgotten legends like Grandmaster Flowers, etc.

80-88
Marley Marl
Rick Rubin
Ced Gee

Honestly I don't know that much about 80s producers.

88-96 (Golden age)

Dr. Dre
DJ Premier
Pete Rock
Prince Paul
Buckwild
45 King
RZA
The Bomb Squad

Around this time, the biggest southern producers were the Dungeon Family.

Shiny Suit Era (96-98)

Diddy's Hitmen
Trackmasters
Technically, Timbaland and Neptunes, but their sounds are so timeless that they lasted multiple eras, even remaining relevant TODAY.

Gangsta Glam Era (1998-2006)
Swizz Beats
Manny Fresh
Scott Storch
Kanye West (before his solo career took off)
Cool and Dre
JUSTICE League
9th Wonder
 

other_life

bioconfused
valiant effort but needs to be condensed, the proliferation of names argues -against- there being one or two producers that typify an era and instead for a proliferation of micro-styles. epmd also feels like a noticeable omission for the golden age, scott la rock too even if its for one LP

i'll say that i think 09-12 belonged to clams casino, 13-16 to metro boomin and 17-20 to carns hill
 

malelesbian

Femboyism IS feminism.
valiant effort but needs to be condensed, the proliferation of names argues -against- there being one or two producers that typify an era and instead for a proliferation of micro-styles.

If I had to boil down the Golden Age to two names I'd say Primo and RZA. They were probably the most influential producers ever. I think in the 2000s it gets too complicated to narrow it down to one or two producers. Maybe Kanye, but I have no clue who the second would be. If we have to narrow down the Shiny Suit Era, I would definitely say the Hitmen.

epmd also feels like a noticeable omission for the golden age, scott la rock too even if its for one LP
I was considering adding Erick Sermon as a producer, but I felt he didn't work with enough artists to be as influential as the other names. I also considered adding KRS-One as a producer, but his beats weren't that good OR influential. Wyclef Jean/Jerry Wonder would be a good choice too but IDK which era they fit into. I should've added Jermaine Dupri to the Shiny Suit Era


no heatmakerz or just blaze, either??
I never liked Heatmakerz. I did like Beatminerz, but no one else does! Atleast not as much as me lol Someone else already mentioned Just Blaze.
 

DannyL

Wild Horses
Case in point:
Heard this for the first time the other day. Lots of wild performances and freestyles to be found on this and other similar YouTube rap channels.
 
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