The Instrumental

Ever since Kool Herc introduced the percussion based instrumental in the seventies, hip-hop producers have taken note and introduced new technologies and techniques. This list, albeit short, contains five of my favorite hip-hop producers (I know the title is misleading). I love the instrumental, today’s hip-hop beats are complete shit. Now anyone can throw together some samples and add some shitty auto-tune but these guys are true musicians. I can’t mention all the greats because there are simply too many but here are five:

5. Ant (of Atmosphere)
One half of the amazing duo, Atmosphere, Ant is a beast. While never speaking much to reporters, his beats say it all. His synthesizer-based production on When Life Gives You Lemons is a far call from Atmosphere’s debut in 1997 when both members had to work overtime to afford equipment. Today, Ant has established himself as a premier producer. Most producers tend to rely on kick and snares way too much but Ant seems to strike the perfect balance, allowing samples to carry the beat rather than traditional percussion based instrumentals.


4. Dr. Dre
I think Dr. Dre is the most influential producer but not the best. His unique style of production, using live studio musicians rather than samples, allows Dre to command a beat like no other. There is no other producer who can mimic his style or production. By using the classic Akai MPC3000, Dre commands the drums while other musicians can build their instrumentals around him. Of course, his biggest contribution was the landmark he left through G-Funk. The slow grooves, deep bass, and harmonic progressions that we hear today can all be attributed to Dr. Dre. No doubt he’s influential, but like I said, not the best.


3. Kanye West
Kanye West is a garbage rapper. Anyone who thinks that Kanye is a good rapper doesn’t know hip-hop. But it’s sad that most people do not recognize West for his true talent- production. Hip-hop production is what Kanye got famous for, not wack lyrics. Using pitched-up samples from old soul records, Kanye managed to enter the hip-hop scene with a blast. Unlike most producers, Kanye is also constantly adapting and getting better. Not afraid to fail (and would deny failure anyways), his use of string arrangements, horn riffs, and piano loops makes this dude an awesome producer. But like I said, not an awesome rapper. I love his willingness to experiment, that's what makes him a great producer.



2. Pete Rock
The legendary man behind jazz rap, Pete Rock is one of the living legends in hip-hop. Rock rose to prominence as one half of the duo Pete Rock & CL Smooth. After the two split, Rock continued to produce and make classics for Public Enemy, A Tribe Called Quest, and The Roots. His use of samples from jazz, funk, and R&B records in his beats makes the unmistakable Pete Rock sound. By throwing in resonant basslines, horns, and heavy percussion, Rock manages to create a sick groove. No doubt, Pete is one of the best producers ever, not just hip-hop. This guy seriously altered the hip-hop sound for the better. Otherwise we’d be listening to more garbage. Luckily he managed to introduce jazz and alternative beats to the lame beats that are dominating music today.


1. DJ Premier
If Pete Rock is Jesus, DJ Premier is God (sorry for the weak allusion). Every hip-hop head knows who the true king of production is and it isn’t P. Diddy. Primo has been making hip-hop ever since he first entered the hip-hop scene in the early nineties. If you were to ask me what hip-hop is, I’d say a Premier instrumental. His two-bar break, a scratched chorus, and vast knowledge has changed music, not hip-hop. One way to know you’ve “made it” is to have a Primo personally make an instrumental for you. Known for producing some of the top heads in hip-hop (Nas, Rakim, Biggie, Jay-Z, Mos Def, Common, Kanye, KRS-One, and many more), Premier is just what his name says. This man is hip-hop.


Michael