'That DJ Made My Day': The 25 best hip-hop producers of all time

Dion Wilson, better known as No I.D., made his bones in the '90s, creating beats for Chicago hip-hop impresario Common Sense, better known today simply as Common. His production skills earned his nickname “Godfather of Chicago Hip-Hop” by creating soulful beats balanced perfectly against more politically minded lyrics. While his greatest collaborations have been with Common, No I.D. provided production for Beanie Sigel, Jay-Z and G-Unit. No I.D. would go on to find mainstream success on the charts teaming with Jermaine Dupri for Bow Wow's No. 1 hit “Let Me Hold You.” 

Without question Marley Marl is the undisputed king of sampling. Perfecting the art of the sample in the early '80s, Marley is the progenitor of how hip-hop is constructed and the first of many artists to utilize James Brown in their beats, creating an entirely new sound in the process. As a godfather of hip-hop, Marley is best known as the producer of choice pioneers like Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap, Biz Markie and MC Shan, collectively known at the time as the Juice Crew. All told, Marley defined the East Coast sound and even some of the politics that would lead to the art of the battle album.

Imagine a West Coast producer with East Coast sensibilities, and you'll find The Alchemist, a bicoastal producer who laid his influence in grimy, late-'90s/early '00s NYC-based hip-hop. Some of his better tracks include work on Nas' "Book of Rhymes" and Cam'ron's "Wet Wipes,". However, he might best be known as the driving force behind the addictively sinister sound of Mobb Deep. Hearing an Alchemist beat means you are treating yourself to something theatrical and grand.

Known from their earliest days as Beats by the Pound, KLC, Mo B. Dick, Craig B and O'Dell served as the musical backbone of Master P's No Limit Records, helping the label sell well over 30 million albums from 1995 to 1999. As the house producers for No Limit, the team won accolades with multiple nominations and collectively was voted as one of hip-hop's "30 Most Powerful People" by The Source in 1999. While the group has long since moved on from heights of its popularity with No Limit, its contributions to the game are undeniable.

Since the early '00s, Justin Smith, better known as "Just Blaze," has been a silent assassin as he built a solid legacy as a go-to for hits. As a major architect for some of the best beats featured on Roc-A-Fella Records during its strongest phase, Blaze provided more than a few bangers for Jay-Z as well as the rest of the label's stable of artist. As a prolific beatmaker, Blaze rarely stays content producing middle-of-the-road beats, making him one of the better utility producers during Roc-A-Fella's best years.

The late Pimp C might be one of the most influential producers in Southern rap. As part of influential Texas group UGK, C, along with Bun B, was a constant innovator, bringing a real musicality to the production, including live instrumentation along with the southern-fried sensibilities of the duo's lyrics. C created a subgenre as a result of his experimentations that he called "country rap," but the compelling hook of his production could be found in how easily he mixed dark melodies with a soulful twang that bred a familiarity all its own. 

Best known as the producer who introduced a young M.C. named Nas onto the scene, the Prof is a large part of the hip-hop scene in the late '80s/early '90s, doing work on solid albums from Main Source and some of Eric B and Rakim's earlier albums. But his singular greatest act as producer is the work he did on Nas' "Illmatic," including one of the album's best gems, "It Ain't Hard to Tell." A master of the loop and break, Large Professor may not be the first name you think of in hip-hop, but without him the genre wouldn't be what it is.

Some may consider Cash Money Records to be either a competitor or successor to No Limit Records, but no one disputes that Mannie Fresh is responsible for the label's signature sound. Shepherding young upstarts like Lil Wayne and B.G. into the limelight, Fresh is best remembered for his work with the label's original star, Juvenile, as the pair collaborated on the crossover mega hit "Back Dat Azz Up," a track that resonated so hard that it may have single-handedly introduced the twerking craze across the nation.

One of the best/worst kept secrets in hip-hop is that the driving force behind A Tribe Called Quest's production was none other than its lead lyricist, Q-Tip. While the band generally shared credit, with Ali Shaheed Muhammad thought to be the silent partner who drove the group's sound, it was actually Tip who served as the architect for ATCQ's more memorable tracks, including "Bonita Applebum" and "Award Tour." Tip's influence went beyond his own group, as he produced cuts for Nas, Mobb Deep and Janet Jackson.

Before breaking out as a solo act with a penchant for tall hats, Pharrell Williams was one half of one of the hottest production teams in hip-hop known as The Neptunes. Creating futuristic beats with partner-in-crime Chad Hugo for a variety of performers from Gwen Stefani to Justin Timberlake to Britney Spears, the Neptunes were instrumental in bringing hip-hop beats into a pop mainstream. Before Williams branched off as a solo performing act, the duo would put out an album of its own under the name N.E.R.D., becoming an underground hit in its own right.

The driving force behind Cypress Hill, the first group to successfully meld cannabis and hip-hop culture, DJ Muggs also set a tone for 1990s West Coast hip-hop largely free of the antagonism of their contemporaries, creating music that was meant to be bounced along to. Outside of Mary Jane melodies of Cypress Hill, Muggs also produced classics for groups like House of Pain ("Jump Around"), Ice Cube and Goodie Mob. 

As the '90s gave way to a new millennium, Timothy Mosley was hard at work creating a sound that would only elevate hip-hop to new heights of popularity. Better known as Timbaland, his beats were the heart and soul of a number of classic tracks from stars like Aaliyah and Ginuwine, but his collaborations with Missy Elliott and Magoo made his staccato synthesized sound — sampling Indian and Middle Eastern music — a household name in the hip-hop community. Timbaland would parlay his popularity into gigs outside of hip-hop, producing tracks for Madonna, Justin Timberlake and Beyoncé. 

In the early '80s, Eric "Vietnam" Sadler and brothers Hank and Keith Shocklee teamed up to form The Bomb Squad, the production team behind Public Enemy, creating street-conscious sounds that served as the perfect soundtrack to the politically charged lyrics of PE leader Chuck D. The Bomb Squad's popularity would spread, as Ice Cube employed the group on his debut album, "AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted," and interestingly enough, Bell Biv Devoe. 

Scott Storch had his beginnings as a keyboardist for Philadelphia hip-hop pioneers The Roots, serving as a collaborator on classic albums "Do You Want More?" and "Illadelph Halflife." But his aversion for touring shifted his career more toward studio production, and from that Storch became the go-to producer for a number of hip-hop's finest, including 50 Cent, The Game, T.I., Dr. Dre, Nas, Snoop Dogg and Lil' Kim. Unfortunately, Storch's penchant for cocaine got in the way of his work, causing him to fall with almost the same speed as he rose. 

Possibly the most underground of all the producers on our list, Prince Paul didn't just ignore the rules of hip-hop, but he also created new subgenres along the way. A musical dumpster diver of sorts, no sample was off limits, and even some of the more obscure sounds would find themselves woven into hits. Prince Paul is simply unafraid to experiment; while many producers found inspiration in jazz, Paul could weave gold from rock, pop and hippie soul, making him a rarity in the game not soon to be duplicated.

Since 1986, EPMD's sound man, Erick Sermon, has balanced both deft production skills with honey-smooth, laid-back lyrics. Serving as the driving force behind the Def Squad, Sermon, known as the "Green-Eyed Bandit," introduced audiences to soon-to-be household names Redman and Keith Murray. From seminal tracks like "You Gots to Chill" and "Crossover," Sermon, along with EPMD co-founder Parrish Smith, created a sound that stands the test of time and can be listened to as easily today as it was during their heyday. 

Known more today for his classic collaborations with Johnny Cash at the tail end of his career, Rick Rubin, along with Russell Simmons, was half of the powerhouse that created Def Jam Records. Rubin's collaborations with the Beastie Boys, Run DMC and L.L. Cool J led to not only classic albums but also to seminal moments in hip-hop history. Today Rubin still keeps a toe in hip-hop, producing tracks for Jay-Z and Eminem.

Vastly underrated when compared to contemporaries like Dr. Dre, DJ Quik was every bit as important and influential in crafting a signature Southern California hip-hop sound. While the lion's share of his production skills were for his own music, with classic albums like "Quik is the Name" and "Safe + Sound," there's no questioning Quik's bona fides. Outside of his own discography, Quik produced tracks for 2Pac and Snoop Dogg, cementing him as a godfather of West Coast hip-hop and a name still vital today.

The backbone of Atlanta-based hip-hop in the '90s, Organized Noize — the production team of Sleepy Brown, Rico Wade and Ray Murray — planted their flag in the game with classic productions for OutKast, Goodie Mob and TLC. Best known for OutKast's 1994 debut, "Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik," their trademark sound signified the best in southern-fried, laid-back grooves that were instantly infectious and designed for tape decks and dance floors.

So much of classic hip-hop has been about creating the perfect sample, and few have done it as well as Pete Rock. With his signature melding of obscure jazz melodies with an eclectic mix of soul and funk, Rock created a sound that laid the groundwork for an entire generation of hip-hop. While he made his mark with his partner, C.L. Smooth, on the classic "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)," Rock also was a heavy contributor on Nas' debut, "Illmatic," and a silent contributor on Kanye West's "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy."

Prior to cementing himself as an M.C., fashion mogul, Kardashian husband and all-around pop culture oddity, Kanye West was simply a damn good producer. Putting himself on the grind in the late '90s producing mixtapes for a number of Chicago-based rappers, West got his big break in 2000 when he signed with Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records, placing him front and center as he produced a number of cuts for Jay's "The Blueprint," making himself a household name almost overnight. West produced bangers for Common, Alicia Keys, T.I. and a long list of others, paving the way for his own solo career that made him into the superstar we know and sometimes love today.

Before his tragic death after a string of illnesses in 2006, James "J Dilla" Yancy was well on his way to becoming one of the greatest producers in the game, crafting expert beats for a litany of hip-hop's best and brightest, including The Pharcyde, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul and Busta Rhymes. Dilla's hypnotic beats and silky smooth backing tracks benefited from constant experimentation, featuring heavy jazz elements along with live instrumentation. A tireless producer, even as he was dying, Dilla produced a wealth of material that we still have yet to hear the total sum of in the decade and a half since his death.

Robert Diggs is not only the producer who is largely responsible for bringing attention back to East Coast hip-hop in the '90s but he is also known as RZA, leader of the Wu-Tang Clan. He succeeded in creating a unique sound so specialized, sampling scenes from Kung-Fu movies and Eastern music, that he's almost impossible to duplicate. Despite many of his productions following a similar blueprint, RZA has never been afraid to innovate, even going so far as to create new musical personas like Bobby Digital to stretch his musical legs. 

Save for the No. 1 producer on our list, no one has a resume as rock solid as that of DJ Premier. Originally half of landmark duo Gang Starr, along with dusky-voiced lyricist Guru, Premier created jazz-infused albums that would serve as inspiration for a number of upcoming acts like Nas, The Roots and A Tribe Called Quest, groups that would all, at one point or another, seek out Premier's beats for their own hits. Like contemporary Pete Rock, Premier's reliance on jazz would set the tone for what many consider the golden age of hip-hop.

All hail the king. From his early days as part of the World Class Wreckin' Cru on through his time in the genre-defining N.W.A. and into a solo career that produced the West Coast's greatest album, "The Chronic," Dr. Dre firmly put Southern California on the hip-hop map and he exists to this day as its most prolific producer. Not only did Dre create a signature sound, but he is also responsible for introducing some of the best talent the game has ever seen, launching the careers of luminaries like Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Eazy-E, Eminem, The Game and Kendrick Lamar. He is the GOAT for a reason, and he doesn't look to relinquish that title anytime soon.