In most realms of the entertainment industry a producer's main job is to make sure the finish product is more or less polished and ready for the mass media. The music industry at a certain time was no different. Recently, the role of the producer has become a lot larger and in some regards has started to include some of the duties that were primarily relegated to other notable positions. Twenty years ago when an artist was about to start a recording project they would hire a producer who would then be in charge of booking studio time and finding the right songs and back up singers to fit this artist style. Their final duty was to pick which of the finished songs should make the artist's album. Skip forward to present day hip hop and you'll see that a producer in most cases is not only the song writer but in a lot of cases the recording engineer as well. They write and produce the song from its inception to its final cut. Hip Hop has coined the term "super producer" and any producer who makes it to this elite level makes no less then $50,000 for each song they sell. In most cases the producer is even more vital to the success of a song than the artist who is recording the song. Below is a list of the top 5 producers in hip hop. Teddy Riley - When you single handedly create a new sound you have to be considered one of the all time greatest. In the late 80s Teddy Riley created a sound known as the "New Jack Swing" which had artist lining up to hire him for his services. He was responsible for creating hit songs for Bobby Brown, Guy and Black Street. Teddy Riley is universally regarded as the first super producer. Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis - This duo is also known for a unique sound that they created in the early 80s! Creating hits for notable artists such as Janet Jackson, New Edition and Whitney Houston to name a few. The unique sound they developed while growing up along side Prince in Minneapolis Minnesota is credited for many of the hits in the 80s and 90s. Dr. Dre - When it comes to the rap side of hip hop music there's no debating the credentials of Dr. Dre. As one of the founding fathers of gangster rap in the early 90s this hip hop legend created a sound that to this day has never been duplicated. The fact that he charges $500,000 to $1,000,000 a song should say it all. I don't think you can name any hip hop artist that hasn't enlisted the services of Dr. Dre. Known as a perfectionist, there may be no other producer responsible for as many hit records as Dr. Dre. From his earlier accomplishments in hip hop during the 90s to his present discography which include Eminem and 50 cent, Dr, Dre clearly stands head and shoulders above all other hip hop producers. |
