And so begins the great debate. The question of the greatest hip-hop beats of all time plagued each one us at some point. It’s a question that hip-hop producers, beat makers, MC’s, and fans have asked and argued since the beginning of time (or at least hip-hop history). Unfortunately, most people when confronted with the question have not had at their disposal the deep knowledge and passion of Crate Kings readers.
Now it’s your job to settle the argument once and for all?. Leave a comment with what you think were the greatest hip-hop beats of all time. Was there a sleeper that was truly underrated?
Depending on the nature of the comments, we may have a poll to determine what in fact is the single greatest hip-hop beat of all-time.
Damn, for me has to DITC – Day One or MC Shan – Juice Crew Law, with Ultra’s – Give The Drummer Some coming up hard in third place.
Too easy :
Artist: EPMD
Album: Back In Business
Track: Richter Scale
TROY.
Common-Be(intro) RIP Dilla
Pete Rock Cl Smoth-TROY
Nice and Smooth-Sometimes I rhyme Slow
Souls of Mischief-93′ til infinity(personal Favorite)
Buckshot & 9th wonder-Hold It Down
Common-The Light
Common-Forever Begins
Get at me on twitter.
DwapDwapPow… damn i agree about Souls of Mischief… also i like “Let em know”
bullocks. there is no such thing as THE GREATEST BEAT. same as there is no BEST MOVIE, BEST BOOK, BEST MEAL, BEST WHATEVA. but thats the good thing about it. thats what keeps us strivin for better stuff, honing our craft, the quest for the GREATEST. but as some famous chinese dude put it: “the journey is the reward”. so yeah there IS no greatest beat. we still gotta keep lookin for dat infamous perfect beat. ….fortunately. lol
HELL YEAH!
Second this comment! Matter of fact “Looking for the Perfect Beat” by Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force is one of those greatest hip hop beats (along with “Planet Rock”). I have it as my ringtone and its what I chase often. I think there will be no definitive list on this topic but there are certain tracks that will never be disputed as an all time great. Beats like Audio Two “Top Billin'”, Run-DMC “Sucker M.C.s”, Wu-Tang “Protect Ya Neck”, “T.R.O.Y.”, “It Takes Two”, LL’s “Jack The Ripper”, “I Need A Beat”, “Jingling Baby (RMX)” and almost every beat off of ATCQ “Midnight Marauders” & “Low End Theory” will serve forever as blueprints. And I haven’t even begun to list the West Coast classics- “Nuthin But A G Thang” ? 187 baby!
T.R.O.Y.
900 number
cant think of any others right now but these two are just quintessential hip hop beats imo
they just come on and you feel the legacy 😛
My two choices exactly!!
Too many to name ,but good luck with this one
Lord Finesse – Brainstorm / P.S.K. (No Gimmicks Remix) ft. KRS-One & O.C.
Crooklyn Dodgers – Crooklyn
Raptile – Rest Ya Head On My Chest
D.I.T.C. – Day One
Queen Latifah – U.N.I.T.Y.
J Dilla – Love
pete rock & cl smooth – T.R.O.Y.
common – the 6th sense
gangstarr – above the clouds
definately j. dilla, can’t choose 1 production. it’s too difficult.
peace.
common – be (produced by kanye)
The world is yours -Nas (prod Pete Rock)
My fav.
Peace.
I represent Belgium (Brussels to be exact) and these are some of my all time favorite classic beats:
Nas – The Message (prod. Trackmasters)
Nas – Represent (prod. DJ Premier)
Wu-Tang Clan – Ice Cream (prod. the RZA)
Mobb Deep – Drop a gem on ’em (prod. Havoc)
Mos Def – Ms Fat Booty (prod. Ayatollah)
CNN – T.O.N.Y. (prod. Nashiem Myrick)
Jay-Z – Dead Presidents (Ski Beatz)
Common – I used to love H.E.R.
Outkast – ATLiens (prod. No I.D.)
Dead Prez – Hip-Hop (prod. Hedrush)
Gang Starr – Betrayal (prod. DJ Premier)
…
But of course, I could go on & on & on …
And, I’m definitely forgetting a lot of the classics!
But, in my opinion, this list would make a good start.
Peace.
P.
outkast did atliens beat
I’m with S.P.A.M, their is no GREATEST BEAT EVER, otherwise we would all be the same person with the same personality, same likes and dislikes and that would be just wrong.
I think there would be a number of tracks which feature a lot but there is no way everyone would agree on the same ‘Greatest Beat’.
J-Dilla: Another Batch, Vintage Vol.2(Earl)- I know samples for the beat and got the guitar sample on Vinyl!:),Yancey Boys instrumentals, Turn me up some, quest productions, Pharcyde productions, the shining, and many more
Kan kick: The Truth, Interludes,
Pete Rock: Soul brother #1, T.R.O.Y., in the house, carmel city, i get physical, escape, worlwide, take you there, CHECK IT OUT, in the flesh, entire petestrumentals, we roll, tru master, strange fruit, take your time, mind blowin, soul survivor, flying, placebo, center of attention.
4th Disciple- The City
Madlib- Damn near all madlib
Dj Premier-Damn near all Dj premier.
Rza For Wu
i wish i had more time finish and to get super specific
This list can go on forever forever forever forever forever forever forever…………………………….
Olu, your Pete Rock list just took me there quote for quote bruh!
“Pete Rock: Soul brother #1, T.R.O.Y., in the house, carmel city, i get physical, escape, worlwide, take you there, CHECK IT OUT, in the flesh, entire petestrumentals, we roll, tru master, strange fruit, take your time, mind blowin, soul survivor, flying, placebo, center of attention.”
For me, Pete Rock just dug deep on’em! T.R.O.Y. is just a hip hop masterpiece IMO! The complexity of the track is just mind boggling! I know cats who try to remake favorites, THIS ONE HAS NEVER BEEN DONE , to my knowledge! The way he must have felt when Trouble T Roy passed just showed in the track, the feeling of it, it’s just an incredible beat! Pete’s whole catalogue is just INCREDIBLE for a hip hop producer!
Plus countless other producers beats too like… The CMA/Windows that beat was SERIOUSLY slept on, Large Pro & Main Source/Lookin’ At The Front Door, another just blow you away track! Lots of Dilla stuff, no doubt! I love the way Khrysis flipped that Michael Jackson sample , “With A Child’s Heart” for the “Watch Me” joint for Little Brother! It’s just too many!
I’m NOT going to even touch the late 70’s to late 80’s hip hop beats cause most of them are just CLASSIC!
You can just go on with this!
But in the end if I had to pick, it would be…
” T.R.O.Y.” by Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth!
Shook ones pt 2
TROY, shook ones, Nas is like, one love, the world is yours, The red(jaylib), unbelievable, 6th sense, One night(nottz), Full clip, above the clouds, xplosive, the watcher 2, still dre, kingdom come(just because of how just blaze flipped rick james), get dis money, fall in love, i still love you(nottz) love is(j dilla) lets ride(j dilla), climax, the light, half and half,
Well thats about half way there.
T.R.O.Y -Pete Rock & CL Smooth
Buck em Down (Beatminerz Remix) – Blackmoon
Return of the Crooklyn Dodgers – Crooklyn Dodgers 95
My World – OC
Takin What’s Mine – Busta Rhymes & J Dilla
Shook Ones Pt 2 – Mobb Deep
Above the Clouds – Gangstaar
Runnin – Pharcyde
93 Till Infinity – Souls of Mischief
Jazz (We Got) – Tribe Called Quest
Style Wars – Hijack
Cream – Wu Tang
I could actually sit here all day and write a list as long as the Nile, everytime I think of 1 another pops into my head……..Any Premo, Pete Rock, Dilla, Rza, Diamon D, Beatminerz the list goes on & on.
NERD / LAPDANCE / ROCKSTAR POSSE / BRAIN
MISSY ELLIOT / WORK IT / WAKE UP / GET UR FREAK ON
AMG / BOUNCE / YOUR LOVE
FUNKDOOBIEST / THE FUNKIEST /
CYPRESS HILL / COCK THE HAMMER / LATIN LINGO / PIGS
SOULS OF MISCHIEF / 93 TIL INFINITY / LET EM KNOW / ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN
DEL / AHONETWO AHONETWO / BOO BOO HEADS
THREE TIMES DOPE / GREATEST MAN ALIVE
MAESTRO FRESH WES / LET YOUR BACKBONE SLIDE
ERIC B AND RAKIM / FOLLOW THE LEADER / PUTS YOUR HANDS TOGHETER
NWA / GANGSTA GANGSTA /
NAS / MEMORY LANE
KEITH MURRAY / HERB IS PUMPIN
EPMD / THE HEADBANGER
A TRIBE CALLED QUEST / ELECTRIC RELAXATION
SLUM VILLAGE / JEALOUSLY / WHAT IF…
JAY Z / DEAD PRESIDENTS / CAN I GET A …. / BIG PIMPIN
But i agree…there is no one “greatest beat ever” … there is a lot amazing beats that was a very important part of our lives.
Here is my list in no particular order:
1.Nigga What Nigga Who Timbaland
2. The Red J Dilla
3. Life of The Party (Remix) Nottz
4. The Takeover Kanye West
5. Jesus Walks Kanye West
6. Triumph RZA
7. Liquid Swords RZA
8. NY State of Mind DJ Premier
9. Runnin J Dilla
10. Girl You Know Nottz
11. A Little Soul Pete Rock
Ice Cube – It Was A Good Day
In no order…
Pete Rock- T.R.O.Y
J. Dilla- Love Is
45 King- Hard Knock Life
DJ Premier- Represent
Dr. Dre- Dre Day
Dan the Automator- 3030
Sabzi (Blue Scholars)- Loyalty
My Mind Playing Tricks On Me-Geto Boyz
A perfect beat in my opinion.
Shabbam Sadiq – Arabian night
Aesop Rock -Bent Life
j dilla – only 1 win
gangstarr – jfk to lax
A Tribe Called Quest – Get a Hold (produced by Jay Dee)
The Pharcyde – Splattitorium
MC Shan – The Bridge
Marley Marl, y’allllll
Now Semantik if you’d asked what Era in Hip Hop history would “We” classify as the greatest production done & by what producer at the time, it could have been easier to pinpoint but then again…Their are way too many producers & production {Beats}to name but one of my favorite five is Marley Marl,Large Professor I had the luxury of going to h.s. with him he put a album out “While in High school”.Easy Mo B,Evil Dee,Havoc,Eric B& Rakim “Ghetto”…I could go on for days & days….
By looking at most comments there lacks some knowledge in History. I guess my age is showing but I can tell who is over thirty by certain mentions.
…Alchemist hold you down,Scarface: yes he does his own tracks,Devin Da dude.Cold Crush Brothers,Jungle Brothers,Paul C.{ R.I.P}…Far as the eye can see not even a satellite….
J DILLA- The entire Donuts Album
Raekwon- Ice Cream (Rza)
Wu Tang Clan- C.R.E.A.M. (Rza)
Gangstarr- Betrayal (DJ Premiere)
Ghostface- Daytona 500/Motherless Child (Rza)
Gza/Genius- 4th Chamber (Rza)
Common- I Use to Love Her (No I.D.)
Common- Be Intro (Kanye)
Wu Tang- For Heaven Sake (Rza)
Mos Def- Ms. Fat Booty (Ayatollah)
Jay-Z- Dead Presidents (Ski Beats)
Jay-Z- Hard Knock Life (45 King)
Jay-Z- PSA (Just Blaze)
B.I.G.- Juicy (Trackmasters)
Nas- I Gave You Power (DJ Premiere)
Pete & CL- TROY (Pete Rock)
and theres many more that deserve mentioning..
Looking at all the nominations everything is mainly bewteen 91-97…are we saying that there has not been any good productions lately?
I agree that many songs listed skew towards the Golden Era and I think that is largely due to an overwhelming burst of creativity and uniqueness during that period in hip hop (“The Benjamins” stayed on repeat!). There are a few joints from this time that need to be on that list but they may not hold the same reverence yet. No one can front on Kanye’s “Jesus Walks”, Jay-Z (Just Blaze!)”P.S.A”, Outkast “So Fresh So Clean”, Jay-Z “Give it to Me” (Neptunes!), Outkast “Elevators”, M.O.P. “Ante Up” (DR Period)..are we forgetting some of Dame Grease’s and Swizz Beats’ heaterz?? “Where My Dogs At?” “Imma Hustla” anyone??
Actually the list should be based on the most influential beats. Beats that changed the sound of hip hop, that encouraged cats to sample and learn from them like they were breakbeats. How many hit records were made that had “PLanet Rock” at its core? Without Kraftwerk there would be no “Planet Rock”. Without “Planet Rock” there would be no Miami Bass!
NWA – DOPEMAN
Troy
10 Crack Commandments
Xxpolsive
Diamonds Are Forever
Unbelievable (RIP Chris Wallace)
Cream
Around The Way Girl
PSA
Spaceships
Passin Me By
Running (RIP J Dilla)
The Light (Rip J Dilla)
Some of these answers are hilarious. I know it’s a matter of personal taste, but still…
And your pick is?
“Hey Young World” by Slick Rick or “Welcome To The Terrordome” by Public Enemy (Bomb Squad!).
I guess I’m just thrown off when the someone’s “greatest beat of all time” is a mediocre album cut that most people don’t give a sh*t about that’s come out in the last 4 years. But to each his/her own i guess. Don’t mean to be an old fogey.
Schooly D “P.S.K” and “Gucci Time”!! Ya’ll got me buggin! Lol
Damn I’m suprised I havent seen FALL IN LOVE many times in the comments!!!
Whodini – One Love
soulja boi – crank dat
wu-tang – triumph
camp lo – coolie high
nas – ny state of mind
pharoah monch – simon says
dre – xxplosive
royce 5 9 – the boom
tribe called quest – electric relaxation
Aaliyah – Are you that somebody (i don’t know man, this is a fuckin hip hop beat)
Doom – Meatgrinder
m.o.p. – cold as ice
busta rhymes – gimme some mo’
goodie mob – cell therapy
ol dirty bastard – brooklyn zoo
mobb deep – hell on earth
xzibit – paparazzi
dmx – get at me dog
cotdamn, like everyone else said, i can go all day… let me wave this nostalgic air away from me and name a few that came out more recently that fucked my head up..
lil wayne – a milli (i don’t know if you readers are anti-wayne/commercial but let’s not deny bangladesh affinity for composing some of the ugliest, meanest, unfit for radio shit)
TI – what you know (don’t front like this shit ain’t make you cry)
nerd – everyone nose (this beat just takes you to so many different places with the energy, transitions and combination of instruments… od)
jay electronica – exhibit c (just blaze, ahh..)
mobb deep – pearly gates (how did this exile shit even appear on this mobb deep album lol unfukinberievable)
guilty simpson – new heights (madlib spazzed on this one making one of the hardest beats by layering the oddest vocal samples over stupid basslines)
rick ross – bmf (they say lex luger is a one trick pony, but he does that one trick well, throw this on in the club and even the chicks start mean muggin’, that’s hip hop)
redman – buck buck (illmind, nothing to say here)
kanye – can’t tell me nothing (you can’t understand the magnitude of this joint without the windows down speeding on the highway)
laws – hold you down (who are these nobodies on the beat? jp but cotDAYm khalil is sucha beast)
man, i’m sucha fanboy of production..
oh and i co-sign what edaye said. this list should be judged by beats that changed the game. otherwise, we’d be here 12 angry men’ing the shit all day because we all got different tastes.
i know all my choices don’t all fall in that category but i was just giving my little opinions and shit lol
Peter Pipper Run DMC and JMJ
jeru-come clean
nas-ny state of mind
wu-triumph
rea ghost n nas-verbal intercourse
lil wayne-CANNON
diddy-benjamins
Rampage Feat. Busta Rhymes – Wild For Da Night
Busta Rhymes – Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See & Party Goin’ On
Over Here
red n meth-rockwilder
clipse-grindin
Grandmaster Flash -The Message
Had to think for a while but this came out on top.
who gives a shit?
who’s the best mc?…the best producer?….whats the best beat?…..at what point do ppl get tired of these lame ass questions?…..this is like eating vomit after a while….
Lame
This is just a “traffic” question. ?s like these generate traffic on the site. Always a good thing for the site owners. If you don’t like the questions or if it’s like eating vomit don’t participate.
Gucci Time – DJ Code Money
Rock Box – Rick Rubin
Brass Monkey – Rick Rubin
Ugly People Be Quiet – DJ Cash Money
La Di Da Di – Dougie Fresh
Pigs – DJ Muggs
Egypt, Egypt – The Egyptian Lover
The Entire Above The Law Album “Livin Like a Hustler” – Dr. Dre (along with LayLaw)
I know I could place more, but I’m at work and have to act like I’m interested in it!!!! LOL!!
xPEACE goes out.
My choices were based on relevance to the scene, production skills needed/used and equipment used that changed the way producers did they’re thing… and yes, mouf beat boxing is included.
Mouf beat boxing? Ok… Biz Markie, Fat Boys, Skinny Boys (anyone remember them?!), Dougie Fresh, etc. It’s a few of them out there!
My choice is mass appeal…guru rest in peace!
The Cool Kids- Good Afternoon
Souls of Mischief- 93′ Til Infinity
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth- T.R.O.Y
Notorious B.I.G.- Who Shot Ya
Pete Rock CL Smoth-T.R.O.Y
Wu Tang – C.R.E.A.M
Raekwon – Rainy Dayz, Ice Cream
CamRon – I Really Mean It
Gangstarr – Mass Appeal
De La Soul – Stakes Is High
Common – 6th Sense
Jay-Z – Hovi Baby, So Ghetto, Million and One Questions, U Don’t Know
JDilla – Won’t Do, Waves
Dr Dre – Deep Cover
Mobb Deep – Shook Ones Pt 2
Nas – Nas Is Like, NY State Of Mind, Phone Tap, It Ain’t Hard To Tell, The World Is Yours
KRS-One – MC’s Act Like They Don’t Know
CNN – T.O.N.Y, Drivers Seat
Big L – Platinum Plus
Pete Rock – The Game
PE – Rebel Without A Pause, Shut Em Down
BIG – Niggas Bleed, My Downfall, Nobody Till Somebody Kills You
Madvilliany – Accordion, Rhinestone Cowboy
I could go on & on but the list will never end…
tupac: lord knows,only god can judge me, pour out a little liquor, the hearts of men
biggie:warning,machine gun funk, ready 2 die
Dr Dre: let me ride,light speed,
Wu: brooklyn zoo,shadowboxin,bring the pain,Incarcerated Scarfaces
to be continued…