The 20 Greatest Hip-Hop Producers of All-Time

I now present to you the Greatest 20 Producers of All-Time. This list was a lot of fun to make, but it was also incredibly hard to make. Where do you place the legends among today's greats? I looked at both personal favorites and the impact of songs or albums they produced in hip-hop's history. Unlike my Best Of lists for songs and albums of a given year, I tried to keep impact and time in perspective to deliver this list instead of just personal taste. So without further adieu, here it is....

20. DJ Muggs

Muggs is responsible for the Cypress Hill catalog which includes great albums like Cypress Hill and Black Sunday, as well as his Soul Assassins I & II projects and MC/producer collaborations with GZA on Grandmasters and Ill Bill on Kill Devil Hills. The only drawback to his career is he hasn’t branched out to many other artists. Muggs has done a song here and there for artists like Apathy, Funkdoobiest, Goodie Mob, House of Pain, Ice Cube and Xzibit, but otherwise his impact has remained limited to the success of Cypress Hill.

Top 5 Muggs tracks: “How I Could Just Kill A Man” – Cypress Hill; “Insane In The Brain” – Cypress Hill; “Jump Around” – House of Pain; “Check Yo Self” – Ice Cube; “The Foundation” – Xzibit

19. 9^th Wonder

The producer who has best created the Native Tongue sound in the 2000’s, 9^th Wonder brought back that vintage hip-hop feel along with Phonte and Rapper Pooh as Little Brother. 9^th also branched out with Murs to create four different albums, he teamed with Buckshot for a pair of albums and really impressed me with his David Banner collaboration Death of a Pop Star. 9^th has also made a big splash with his remix albums of Jay-Z’s Black Album and Nas’ God’s Son. While 9^th has already put together quite a catalog, his work is far from over. Don’t be surprised if he ends his career as a top 10 producer of all time.

Top 5 9^th Wonder tracks: “Threat” – Jay-Z; “Love Joint Revisited” – Little Brother; “Still Lives Through” – Little Brother; “Silly Girl” – Murs; “The Life of Kings” – Phonte

18. Alchemist

Alchemist has married his sound perfectly with the artists he’s produced for. He collaborated with Curren$y for the terrific Covert Coup as well as this year’s Gangrene album that he co-produced with Oh No. His best known work has come with Mobb Deep and Dilated Peoples as he’s produced some of their best songs. He has certainly left an impact on hip-hop over the past 10 years with production credits for Defari, Terror Squad, Pharoahe Monch, Royce da 5’9”, Smut Peddlers, Ghostface Killah, Slaughterhouse, Raekwon and Reks among others.

Top 5 Alchemist tracks: “Keep It Thoro” – Prodigy; “We Gonna Make It” – Jadakiss feat. Styles P; “Worst Comes To Worst” – Dilated Peoples; “Got It Twisted” – Mobb Deep; “Bang Bang” – Capone-N-Noreaga

17. Just Blaze

One of the men responsible for producing Jay-Z’s classic Blueprint, Just Blaze burst on the scene in 2001 and has been a staple ever since. He did a fantastic job handling the production for Saigon’s debut The Greatest Story Never Told which dropped last year. And he continues to pile up his production credits working with Jay-Z, Cam’ron, Freeway, Fabolous, Fat Joe, Kanye West, Ghostface Killah, Talib Kweli, T.I., Maino, Eminem, Joell Ortiz and Jay Electronica, just to name a few.
Top 5 Just Blaze tracks: “Girls, Girls, Girls” – Jay-Z; “What We Do” – Freeway feat. Beanie Sigel & Jay-Z; “Public Service Announcement” – Jay-Z; “Breathe” – Fabolous; “Live Your Life” – T.I. feat. Rihanna

16. Da Beatminerz

Much like Muggs, Da Beatminerz biggest drawback is a lack of branching out to other artists. They are responsible for a pair of hip-hop classics with Black Moon’s Enta Da Stage and Smif-N-Wessun’s Dah Shinin’. Da Beatminerz crafted the classic N.Y. underground sound of Da Boot Camp Click during the golden age of hip-hop. They also produced tracks for O.C., Black Star, Afu-Ra and Apathy.

Top 5 Beatminerz tracks: “How Many MCs” – Black Moon; “I Got Cha Opin (Remix)” – Black Moon; “Bucktown” – Smif-N-Wessun; “Let’s Git It On” – Smif-N-Wessun; “Leflaur Leflah Eshkoshka” – Fab 5

15. Bomb Squad

Longevity is the biggest thing missing from the Bomb Squad’s career, but holy shit did they have an impact during the time they were in the game. This is the production team responsible for Public Enemy’s It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back, Fear of a Black Planet, and Apocalypse 91…The Enemy Strikes Black as well as Ice Cube’s AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted.

Top 5 Bomb Squad tracks: “Public Enemy No. 1” – Public Enemy; “Rebel Without A Pause” – Public Enemy; “Fight The Power” – Public Enemy; “Can’t Truss It” – Public Enemy; “Shut ‘Em Down” – Public Enemy

14. Prince Paul

No one gets overlooked worse than Prince Paul. His impact on hip-hop music is undeniable. He produced classic albums in De La Soul’s 3 Feet High & Rising as well as De La Soul Is Dead, and the Gravediggaz’ 6 Feet Deep. He also produced my favorite concept album in A Prince Among Thieves. And you can’t forget his collaborations with Dan The Automator for the Handsome Boy Modeling School albums. While Paul hasn’t produced a whole lot of hip-hop songs in a while, his contributions to the game can’t be overlooked. The dude produced for De La Soul, Big Daddy Kane, Boogie Down Productions, Slick Rick and Biz Markie. That’s a Hall of Fame line-up right there.

Top 5 Prince Paul tracks: “Me, Myself & I” – De La Soul; “The Gas Face” – 3^rd Bass; “Ego Trippin’” – De La Soul; “1-800-Suicide” – Gravediggaz; “The Truth” – Handsome Boy Modeling School

13. Timbaland

I didn’t know where to place Timbaland as I’m not always a fan of his sound. But after looking at his production discography, it was impossible to leave him off this list. I’ve moved him around on this list a few times, but I think No. 13 is the right choice. His biggest contributions to the game have come in his production for Missy Elliott and he’s had a ton of crossover success with his production for Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado and Aaliyah among others. But he has worked with quite a list of hip-hop artists and his sound is definitely distinctive and unique to him. And he produced “Big Pimpin’” for goodness sake. That beat is a monster.

Top 5 Timbaland tracks: “Big Pimpin’” – Jay-Z feat. U.G.K.; “Deliverance” – Bubba Sparxxx; “Work It” – Missy Elliott; “Get Your Freak On” – Missy Elliott; “Is That Yo Bitch” – Memphis Bleek feat. Jay-Z, Missy Elliot & Twista

12. The Neptunes

The Neptunes sort of fell in the same category as Timbaland for me. They have had such an impact on hip-hop over the past decade-plus, but I don’t always love their production. If I were to name my personal favorite producers, I’m not sure they’d make the list. But in terms of impact on the genre, they can’t be denied. They have impacted the careers of The Clipse, Noreaga, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Mystikal, Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes and Snoop Dogg. Again, to have an impact on artists like those tells you something.

Top 5 Neptunes tracks: “Grinding” – The Clipse; “Superthug (What What)” – Noreaga; “Drop It Like It’s Hot” – Snoop Dogg; “I Just Wanna Love U” – Jay-Z; “Southern Hospitality” – Ludacris

11. J. Dilla

Alright, so I had a difficult time with Dilla. He has had a huge influence on hip-hop and was a part of the Ummah and Soulquarians, as well as the producer for Slum Village. But I have to admit I’ve never really followed Slum Village. And I’m not really sure why. They’re dope, I just never got any of their albums. I also don’t have any of his instrumental albums or his collaboration with Madlib. I don’t know why. I’m embarrassed to say that I don’t have any of these in my collection. I just never got any of them. He’s also got co-production credits as part of the Ummah and Soulquarians, so did he produce those songs? Or did he mix them? I’m not sure who to give the official production credit to. So I’m gonna keep him at No. 11 and realize that I’m probably making a mistake by not having him in the Top 10.

Top 5 Dilla tracks: “Runnin’” – The Pharcyde; “1nce Again” – A Tribe Called Quest; “Stakes Is High” – De La Soul; “Find A Way” – A Tribe Called Quest; “The Light” - Common

10. Havoc

The man behind the beats for Mobb Deep for the most part (Alchemist has definitely put his stamp on the Mobb Deep sound as well). The Mobb never recaptured the magic that was The Infamous, but Hell on Earth and Murda Muzik were both really solid albums. Havoc’s outside production credits include Mic Geronimo, Nas, Notorious B.I.G., Method Man, Capone-N-Noreaga, Lloyd Banks, Jadakiss, Eminem and Bad Meets Evil, which gives him a helluva lineup. The Infamous had so many incredible beats that Havoc’s legacy was already stamped.

Top 5 Havoc tracks: “Survival of the Fittest” – Mobb Deep; “Shook Ones Pt. II” – Mobb Deep; “The Burn” – Mobb Deep; “Back At You” – Mobb Deep; “Why” – Jadakiss

9. Organized Noize

These guys made the best Southern hip-hop of all-time. Period. They are the production team behind OutKast’s Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik and ATLiens, as well as Goodie Mob’s Soul Food, Witchdoctor’s A.S.W.A.T. Healin’ Ritual and Cool Breeze’s East Point’s Greatest Hits. They’ve also linked up with Kurupt, Ludacris, Bubba Sparxxx and Big Boi on his solo venture. I’ve always been a fan of Scarface, but no one made me like Southern hip-hop like the Dungeon Family and Organized Noize was the leading production team behind that.

Top 5 Organized Noize tracks: “Player’s Ball” – Outkast; “Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik” – Outkast; “Hootie Hoo” – Outkast; “Cell Therapy” – Goodie Mob; “Watch For The Hook” – Cool Breeze feat. The Dungeon Family

8. Marley Marl

Marley Marl is a legend in the rap game. He produced so many classic cuts, it’s not even funny. He hasn’t been a major player of late, but his influence is unquestionable. His early work included production for MC Shan, Craig G, Masta Ace, Biz Markie, Big Daddy Kane, Kool G. Rap and LL Cool J. Again, you’re looking at a Hall of Fame line-up when you look at the rappers Marley Marl produced for. And he produced some the biggest hits of those MCs careers.

Top 5 Marley Marl tracks: “The Bridge” – MC Shan; “The Symphony” – Masta Ace, Craig G., Kool G. Rap & Big Daddy Kane; “Nobody Beats The Biz” – Biz Markie; “Ain’t No Half Steppin’” – Big Daddy Kane; “Mama Said Knock You Out” – LL Cool J

7. Rick Rubin

Along with Russell Simmons, Rick Rubin changed the music business with Def Jam Records. This dude put out some of the all-time classics with records by Run-DMC, LL Cool J and the Beastie Boys. That means he produced or co-produced LL’s Radio, Run-DMC’s Raising Hell and the Beasties’ License To Ill. That’s three classic albums by three different artists. He also executive produced Public Enemy’s first albums. Rick turned more to rock and heavy metal putting his production stamp on groups like The Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Black Crowes and Nine Inch Nails, but his influence on the music that we listen to now is unparalleled.  

Top 5 Rick Rubin tracks: “Rock The Bells” – LL Cool J; “It’s Tricky” – Run-DMC; “Paul Revere” – Beastie Boys; “Going Back To Cali” – LL Cool J; “99 Problems” – Jay-Z

6. Erick Sermon

EPMD. You can say that and end the conversation. But E-Dub’s career goes beyond that. He has his solo albums, his production for Redman and Keith Murray, he’s produced for Method Man, Eminem, Raekwon, Scarface, Xzibit, and Ludacris. Erick Sermon’s sound is unforgettable and his production catalog is so damn impressive. EPMD put out enough great music to put Erick Sermon in the Top 10 alone.

Top 5 Erick Sermon tracks: “You Gots To Chill” – EPMD; “Crossover” – EPMD; “Time 4 Sum Aksion” – Redman; “The Most Beautifullest Thing In The World” – Keith Murray; “4,3,2,1” – LL Cool J feat. Method Man, Redman, DMX & Canibus

5. Pete Rock

Pete Rock has always been known as a legendary producer. And most of that is off the strength of his albums with CL Smooth and his knack for making amazing remixes. I know Diddy released an album called We Invented The Remix, but Pete Rock was making dope remixes years before Bad Boy. Pete has also released two installments of his Soul Survivor series, an instrumental album called PeteStrumentals and produced last year’s Monumental with Smif-N-Wessun. He doesn’t have the same amount of work as the next four producers, but he’s definitely a Top 5 producer of all-time.

Top 5 Pete Rock tracks: “T.R.O.Y.” – Pete Rock & CL Smooth; “The World Is Yours” – Nas; “Down With The King” – Run-DMC feat. Pete Rock & CL Smooth; “The Bitch In Yoo” – Common; “Shut ‘Em Down (Remix)” – Public Enemy

4. Kanye West

This man has a pair of classic albums under his belt, a near classic, another great album and he was one of the lead producers for Jay-Z’s classic Blueprint. Nobody has had a bigger impact on the game in the past 10 years behind the boards than Kanye. He’s produced for Jay-Z, Beanie Sigel, Scarface, Talib Kweli, Ludacris, Twista, Dilated Peoples, Jadakiss, Mobb Deep, Slum Village, Mos Def, Cam’ron, The Game, Common, Rhymefest, Lupe Fiasco, Nas, Lil Wayne, Kid Cudi, Drake, Rick Ross, Saigon and Snoop Dogg. That’s a who’s who of hip-hop over the past 11 years. I don’t even know where to begin picking the top 5 Kanye tracks, so I’m just gonna spread it around a little. I could honestly pick 5 songs off Kanye albums and be perfectly fine with it. So I’m just gonna pick my five favorite songs that he produced, and I’m sure I can second guess it all day long.

Top 5 Kanye West tracks: “Through The Wire” – Kanye West; “Heart of the City” – Jay-Z; “Get By” – Talib Kweli; “Stand Up” – Ludacris; “This Way” – Dilated Peoples feat. Kanye West

3. RZA

The best production you’ll find from 1993-1997 belongs to this man. He has six classic albums under his belt, including my favorite album of all time with Wu-Tang’s Enter The 36 Chambers. Everything the Wu put out for four solid years was classic material and RZA was behind the boards for all of it. And if Wu-Tang Forever was compounded into a single disc, he’d have seven classics on his resume. That’s sick. He has also produced for Cypress Hill, The Notorious B.I.G., Big Punisher and Kanye West and Jay-Z. That’s a line-up you can’t mess with. Much like Kanye before him, picking 5 of his best tracks is going to be damn near impossible. I could just say Enter The 36 Chambers and be done with it. But I’ll try anyway.

Top 5 RZA tracks: “Protect Ya Neck” – Wu-Tang Clan; “C.R.E.A.M.” – Wu-Tang Clan; “Bring The Pain” – Method Man; “Shadow Boxin’” – GZA feat. Method Man; “Ice Cream” – Raekwon feat. Ghostface Killah and Cappadonna

2. DJ Premier

I debated between No. 1 & No. 2 for a while. I flipped them both and could argue either as the No. 1 hip-hop producer of all time. I’ll give my reasons for No. 1 in a minute, but know that if you put DJ Premier at No. 1 I can’t really be mad at you. The dude is a hip-hop legend. Premier is responsible for every Gang Starr record, Jeru The Damaja’s first two records, Group Home’s debut and his recent collaboration with Bumpy Knuckles on 2012’s The Kolexxxion. He has also produced for the following MCs and this list goes on forever: KRS-One, Nas, The Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, M.O.P., O.C., Rakim, Brand Nubian, Mos Def, Big L, Common, Capone-N-Noreaga, Black Eyed Peas, J-Live, Royce da 5’9”, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, AZ, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Ludacris, Reks, Bun B, Apathy, Evidence and Torae. Look at that again. Biggie, Jay-Z, Nas, KRS and Rakim? Oh, and Snoop, Mos Def, Big L and Common? Don’t forget all the underground favorites on that list. That shit is ridiculous. So here’s to finding his 5 best tracks. Where do I start?

Top 5 DJ Premier tracks: “Code of the Streets” – Gang Starr; “The Militia” – Gang Starr; “N.Y. State of Mind” – Nas; “Unbelievable” – The Notorious B.I.G.; “Boom” – Royce da 5’9”

1 Dr. Dre

Looking at Premier’s tracklist, you gotta be someone pretty damn special to claim the No. 1 spot. Look no further than the mighty D.R.E. Here’s who he’s produced for: Eazy-E, N.W.A., The D.O.C., Snoop Dogg, 2Pac, Scarface, The Firm, Ice Cube, Xzibit, Eve, D-12, Busta Rhymes, Knoc-Turn’al, Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Obie Trice, G-Unit, The Game, Nas and Raekwon. You have legends all over that list. He didn’t produce for Biggie, but he did produce for Pac, so that’s a wash. Like Premier, he also produced for Snoop, Jay-Z, Nas and Xzibit. But you add Eminem, 50 Cent, N.W.A., Busta Rhymes, Scarface and Raekwon to that list and it’s a HOLY SHIT kind of list. The biggest difference between Dre and Premier though is albums. Gang Starr has a few albums that can be considered classics. But there’s nothing in Premier’s catalog that stacks up to Straight Outta Compton, The Chronic, Doggystyle and 2001. That’s four classics (which is less than RZA), but 3 of the 4 are among the most influential albums ever made. I wish he would stop teasing us with albums (Dre & Cube’s Helter Skelter, the N.W.A. reunion, Rakim’s Oh My God (which would’ve been co-produced by Premier), and now Detox), but when he releases an album, it’s something special. I’m gonna list his top 5 tracks and I already know I’m omitting “Still D.R.E.”, “Deep Cover,” “My Name Is,” “The Real Slim Shady,” and one of my favorite songs “Fight Music.” This shit is so hard sometimes.

Top 5 Dr. Dre tracks: “Straight Outta Compton” – N.W.A.; “Nuthin’ But A G Thang” – Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Dogg; “Gin & Juice” – Snoop Dogg; “California Love” – 2Pac feat. Dr. Dre; “In Da Club” – 50 Cent