Earlier today there was a conversion on twitter about who Crate Kings readers thought was the most slept-on producer. I have to be honest. I was surprised and reminded of a lot of people that had somehow slipped my mind. By the way, if you haven’t followed Crate Kings on twitter yet, do it now.
Here’s your chance to get in on the conversation. Add your nomination to the list of most slept-on hip-hop producers in the comments section. In a few days we’ll post a poll to make the selection official.
UPDATE: It’s clear that the list has spiraled out of control and a poll isn’t going to work for a number for reasons. First, there’s been the question of the definition of “slept-on” and who actually qualifies. Second, the list has become way too long. The good thing is that this has turned out to be one of the most interesting conversations that we’ve had here in quite some time. Please keep the comments coming.
Reader nominated producers:
- Large Professor
- Beatnuts
- K-Def
- Prince Paul
- Dust Brothers.
- DJ Quik
- Madlib
- Havoc
- 45 king
- Lord Finesse
- J Swift
- EZ Elpee
- D.R. Period
- QDIII
- Thes One
- Ayatollah
- K-Def
- DJ Scratch
- Vinyl Reanimators
- Kool Moe D
- Fizzy Womack
- Paul C
- Dj muggs
- Prince Paul
- Larry Smith
- Shock G
- Organized Noize
- Pharoahe Monch
- Bomb Squad
- Bernard Edwards Jr.
- Hollywood Impact
- Ced-Gee
- Dan The Automator
- King Shameek
- Dust Brothers
- Kurtis Mantronik
- Diamond D
- No I.D.
wow out of mad comments no one mentions godfather don
and how about redman
I’d add DJ Spinna, Buckwild, Ge-ology, Joey Chavez, Kankick, E-Swift
What about Tony Dofat? the production on the Rough House Survivers was dope!
I think that a slept on producer would be defined as someone who has put out a lot of tracks, has had many placements on albums and has hit songs but haven’t got much credit for they’re work. So seeing Madlib and No I.D. I like that.
How about 9th Wonder, Nottz, DJ Battlecat, DJ Exile, The Alchemist, DJ Khalil, !llmind, S1.
I also think slept on can maybe apply to producers that have done great work but haven’t had a shot at stardom.
How about Swiff D, J. Rawls, Diba$e, Khrysis, Marco Polo, etc.
DJ Quik – when most of his contemporaties peaked Quik is still getting better as a producer. His last two projects Blaqkout and Trauma are some of his best works. His engineering rivals Dre’s clarity and noone else can say that. He has total control over sound – whatever he imagines he can create. One of his unrecognized gems is 2nd II None’s “Classic 220”.
Organized Noise has 5 classic albums they basically produced back to front Still Standing, Southernplayalistic, Atliens, Soul Food, East Point’s Greatest Hits. No one incorporated live horns seamlessly into hiphop like them. Wait did anyone even try. See Ghetto Camelot or The Way you Move.
Mannie Fresh – If Mannie Fresh had better quality control on the Cash Money assembly line he would be easily listed as one of the greats. 25 wall to wall quality albums during Cash money’s prime. If this was reduced to 5 albums they would all be classics. Totally original style. All this after coinventing a genre called bounce.
Pimp C – Gutter Nasty Funk based from the Meters tradition rather than the James brown (east coast) or p-funk(west coast). Along with DJ Paul and Juicy J, he’s the most influential producer in the southern tradition. Anybody pulling out a live organ know who did it best and first(see Front, Back, side to side). Never worked much outside UGK but oh what greatness that was.
DJ Shadow – who has ever made songs complex as classical compositions using only samples and the MPC. All this backed by crazy drum programming, shifting time signatures with some of the hardest drums ever. Endtroducing is still mindboggling to this day.
Rick Rock – Countless slappers. A master of mobb and architect of hyphy and posthyphy Bay production.
The Rapalot 90’s team – Mike Dean, NO Joe, Scarface, Joe Bido and Tone Capone. Dark sinister funk and lots of great albums.
DJ Paul and Juicy J – the hypnotic sound that eventually morphed into the dramatic trap style of production. Influenced every southern producer especially tempo and drum programming. Innumerable albums but their masterpiece is Project Pat’s Mista Don’t play.
Collipark (DJ Smurf) club music isn’t usually heavily appreciated on producer sites but nothing seems harder than making a song that can make strippers lose their minds. Collipark can do it at will. Thank you, Collipark.
DOPE and Thorough dude…But People ALWAYS NEVER mention T-MIX From SUAVE HOUSE…8BALL& MJG/ MR. MIKE/ TELA/ SOUTH CIRCLE .That cold ass beat he did on Foxy Brown’s Chyna Doll(Ride (Down South)(featuring Eightball & MJG, Juvenile, and Too Short)/ SCARFACE CLASSIC “THE FIX”(What Can I Do?)/ LIL WAYNE(Hustler Musik)/ all of 8 BALL’S classic solo album LOST and COUNTLESS OTHERS…PEOPLE DON’T even know how dude looks…..no pics of him…..So this is THE MOST SLEPT ON PRODUCER, PERIOD!!!!! NON-BIASED
T-Mix produced alotta dope shit and I have never seen him mentioned. In-house producers often get ignored in these discussions. Also southern producers don’t appear much either. So T-mix who is southern and a house producer for Suave House and Cash Money has caught the short end of the stick and can be considered the most slept on.
How about Easy Mo Bee? Although respected, so many folks sleep on him when it comes to producer lists. “Flavor in Your Ear” totally changed the sound of Hip-Hop when it came out. His minimalist approach and use of space within that track was next level. Dude was way ahead of his time.
Also, don’t sleep on Shawn J. Period. Dude had the Rawkus camp on smash back in the late 90’s.
Let’s not forget about Daz too. That “Dre” sound of the early-mid 90’s can be thanked in part to Daz.
I don’t know if someone mentioned Johnny J. He produced a lot of 2Pac’s tracks!
J-ZONE J-ZONE J-ZONE JZONE J ZONE !!!!!!! Get it yet? Damn, this guy is an mpc monster, and a real creative dude who never gets mentioned in these types of polls. Just givin the nod to Captain Backslap himself….
Wow, not that many people able to understand the meaning of ‘slept on’ then?
Whoa, so many names on that list but no Exile? Or J-Zone? No Oddissee? No Easy Mo Bee?GTFOH!
My vote goes to KNO from Cunninlynguists though! Dopest producer in the game at the moment and so little people know his work, its a shame! Exile and Oddissee are close 2nds.
Agreed about Kno. He is easily one of the top 10 greatest producers of all time yet he (and Cunninlynguists) are criminally unknown.
BY FAR THE MOST SLEPT ON PRODUCER IS GOTTA BE MADLIB MAN HE IS ONE OF THE MOST ILLEST CREATIVE PRODUCER/GENIIUS WE HAVE LEFT MAN APPRECIATE THAT MAN
minnestoa money boss players
NO DOUBT!!!
Prince Paul >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Diamond D >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
45 King >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
SID ROAMS (Joey Chavez and Bravo)… best production duo out right now… way sicker than a lot of dudes on that list no question.. that list is kinda wack actually… pharoahe monch? dude has made a few good joints but is by no means an accomplished producer.. for example.
WTF is slept-on producer???… Can someone help me with dat…
WHERES THE LOVE FOR ?UESTLOVE??
i was just about to say DAZ…classics…and BATTLECAT…skilled and experienced
nottz, kan kick, sf perkele, nujabes, ras-g
Nicolay & Hazel
How can you all forget about Johnny J!!? He was to 2pac, what Kanye was to Jay-Z and Rocafella!! He produced MOST of Pac’s BIGGEST hits!!!
Check the credits on all eyes on me!!! All bout U, All eyez on me, How do you want it. Not to mention Pour out a little liquor on the THUGLIFE album, Hit em up (arguably the best diss song in rap history, certainly the best of the 90s era) as well as over a dozen unreleased classics like When thugz cry and When we ride on our enemies. Did I mention the work he put in on Candyman’s debut album. He’s definitely one of, if not THE most slept on Hip Hop producer of ALL TIME!!! R.I.P. Johnny J
Marley Marl.
if you are a true underground hip-hop head on that list Finesse, Diamond D, and my 3rd pick id honestly go with Havoc I’d say them cats are slept on to an extreme Finesse is crazy if you take the time to think about it, along with Diamond. And Havoc made some sick ass beats people dont take the time to appreciate. Diamond and Finesse are in my top 5 no doubt dont get me wrong that whole list is almost slept on and beyond more than half the world dont even know who them cats are. This game of hip hop drives me crazy in 2012 thank God for the 5% that are still true to their roots. Should make a most slept on MC poll!!!! And clarify the definition and such Im new to this site i just discovered it so much love to those who know whats good
Oddisee! Exile! Kev Brown!