Top 10 Hip Hop Music Producers

If you’re a hip hop music fan, then you know that the producer is often just as important as the rapper. Here are the top 10 hip hop music producers of all time.

Dr. Dre

André Romelle Young, better known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper and entrepreneur. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and was previously co-owner of Death Row Records. He has produced albums for and overseen the careers of many rappers, including Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Anderson .Paak, Nate Dogg, Mary J. Blige and 50 Cent. He is credited as a key figure in the popularization of West Coast G-funk, a style of rap music characterized as synthesizer-based with slow, heavy beats. As of 2018, he is the second richest figure in hip hop according to Forbes magazine with a net worth of $770 million.

Timbaland

Timbaland is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter and DJ. He has produced for artists such as Missy Elliott, Aaliyah, Ginuwine, Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake and Madonna. He is a co-founder of the record label Beat Club Records, and a former executive producer for A&R at Eclipse Records. In 2007, he was named one of the top 20 richest people in hip hop by Forbes magazine.

He has released three solo albums: Shock Value (2007), Shock Value II (2009) and Opera Noir (2018). As a rapper, he has released two albums: Indecent Proposal (2007) and Shock Value II (2009). As a songwriter, he has written songs for Beyoncé, Nelly Furtado, Usher and Justin Timberlake.

Kanye West

Kanye West is an American producer, rapper, and entrepreneur who has been a major force in the music industry for over a decade. He first rose to prominence as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he worked with Jay-Z on some of his most iconic tracks. He has since gone on to produce for a variety of artists, including Lil Wayne, Kendrick Lamar, and Drake. West is also a successful solo artist, with seven Grammy Awards to his name.

Pharrell Williams

Pharrell Williams, popularly known as Pharrell, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, and fashion designer. He is also the lead vocalist of the band N.E.R.D. He has produced numerous singles for other artists, including “Blurred Lines” and “Get Lucky”, both of which topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. In 2014, he was featured on Robin Thicke’s single “Blurred Lines”, which also topped the charts in several countries worldwide.

Rick Rubin

Rick Rubin is an American record producer and former co-president of Columbia Records. Along with Russell Simmons, Rubin is the co-founder of Def Jam Recordings and also established American Recordings. With the Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, Public Enemy, Geto Boys and Run-D.M.C., Rubin helped popularize hip hop music.

DJ Premier

DJ Premier, born Christopher Edward Martin, is an American record producer and disc jockey (DJ) from Houston, Texas. He is also one of the founding members of Gang Starr. He has produced tracks for artists such as Nas, Jay-Z,Notorious B.I.G., Masta Killa, Mos Def, Jeru the Damaja, Snoop Dogg, and Kendrick Lamar. He is considered one of the greatest Hip Hop producers of all time.

9th Wonder

9th Wonder, born Erik James Newton, is a Grammy Award-winning hip hop producer from Raleigh, North Carolina. He began his musical career as a member of the group Little Brother, and has gone on to produce for Jay-Z, Destiny’s Child, Kendrick Lamar, and Mary J. Blige. 9th Wonder has also released several solo albums and mixtapes.

The Alchemist

The Alchemist, born Alan Maman, is a hip hop producer from Beverly Hills, California. He began his career as a DJ in 1994 and has since produced for artists such as Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Nas, and Jadakiss. He has also released several solo albums, most recently 2016’s “Thecut.”

Madlib

Madlib is a producer who doesn’t seem to get the credit he deserves. He has produced for everyone from Erykah Badu to Ghostface Killah, and his beats are some of the most innovative in hip hop. He has a great ear for both old school samples and new school sounds, and his beats are sure to get your head nodding.

J Dilla

James Dewitt Yancey, better known by his stage name J Dilla, was an American record producer who emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan. He helped pioneer the hip hop subgenre of experimental hip hop, and was among the first producers to use vintage analog synths, drum machines, and turntables as musical instruments. His innovative use of 2Pac and Busta Rhymes samples on his breakthrough album Welcome to Detroit has been cited as a key influence in the development of west coast G-funk and other subgenres of hip hop music.