The best and worst producer-rappers of all time (part 2 of 3): The Best

Disclaimer: Let me be very clear what I’m judging on here. In making these rankings, the criteria I looked for were creativity (talent), originality, and strength of catalogue. This list is completely independent of sales, although I had to discriminate based on legacy; for example, despite the fact that I think J-ZONE is one of the best producer-rappers, and has been for six or seven years, I can’t bring myself to put him in the top 5 simply because most of you, at best, have probably only heard his name. I added the honorable mentions at the bottom for people who deserve recognition in this category but don’t make the top 5 cut. To review what a producer-rapper entails, see my part 1 article.

1. André Benjamin & Antwan Patton (Outkast)
The most creative group to ever grace the stages of hip-hop began producing its own music on ATLiens, and went on to produce for other Dirty South associates like Killer Mike. After they projected “’96 gon’ be that year” on “Elevators,” it seemed like every year since has been Outkast’s, garnering international attention, Grammy awards, and ever-expanding clout in the hip-hop world. Outkast broke from traditional hip-hop boundaries with Stankonia in 2000, to worldwide acclaim. Nowadays they possess the Midas touch of hip-hop, and their unorthodox contributions to hip-hop and black music continue to captivate hip-hop audiences everywhere.
Best Cut: “Wheelz of Steel” (1996); “Humble Mumble” (2000)
2. DJ Quik
As a friend of mine pointed out recently, Quik’s career may not be the most consistent out there. It would be hard to call any of his albums classic because they always seem to lack fluidity, variety, and uniformity. Nevertheless, it becomes very clear from reviewing his career greatest hits that Quik belongs in the top 2. He is the perfect embodiment of west coast hip-hop, and is responsible for dozens of self-produced hits, from “Sweet Black Pussy” to “Pitch In Ona Party” to his newest, “Can U Werk Wit Dat.” His voice is one of the most recognizable, and while it lends to his comic charisma, we have to take seriously his unparalleled knack for poppy production and rhymes to match.
Best Cut: “Hand In Hand” (1998)
3. Dr. Dre
The fact that Dre employs the writing of others doesn’t shake his position as one of the greatest producer-rappers ever. He, perhaps more than anyone still making hip-hop, has proven that he can adjust with the times—at least three decades worth. He has a reputation for being a meticulous figure in the studio, and his perfectionism manifests in his well-polished music. Dre is one of hip-hop’s great business minds and a genius musically, always a student of music and searching out a new way to do things. I can’t justify his accomplishments here in one sitting—somewhere down the line we will have to designate a real Dre Day.
Best Cut: “Let Me Ride” (1992)
4. Lord Finesse
Damn it feels good to see people up on it. An unbiased listening of The Funky Technician will convince anyone that, even in 1990, Finesse was a great producer of his time, and a rapper way ahead of it. Emerging from the hardcore depths of East Coast hip-hop, Finesse influenced the entire region’s musical output for years. I always forget how influential he is until I go back, listen to this album, and realize how many of his lines have been straight jacked by later rappers. Finesse’s may not survive prominently in the public eye, but he left his mark on D.I.T.C., as well as going on to produce for legends like The Notorious BIG, The Artifacts, Jay-Z, and Big L.
Best Cut: “The Funky Technician” (1990)
5. MF DOOM
DOOM is the only underground character to make this list, and unlike his stagnation in the underground caste, he made the list for good reason. Building a cult following since the late 1990s, which I proudly call myself a part of, MF (Metal Fingers) is an anomaly of his time, when rappers must be flossin’, blingin’ criminal replicas of one another. He is an imperfect, vulnerable portrait of a beaten black man, a street poet whose production bleeds emotions of the highest human capacity. He received probably his greatest exposure on his last projects, including an appearance on De La Soul’s last album, the highly acclaimed Madvillainy (with Madlib) and a collab with Danger Mouse, Dangerdoom. While lately his rapping has been his more foregrounded talent, the production he demonstrates as early as Operation: Doomsday is outstanding.
Best Cut: “Doomsday” (2000)

Honorable Mentions/People to watch out for (Descending order): Madlib, Cee-Lo, J-ZONE, Devin the Dude, El-P, Cool Calm Pete