The hip-hop scene is saturated with hundreds, if not thousands of beatmakers who make hits and seem to vanish just as mysteriously as they materialized. But occasionally, there are some who stick, coming back for an encore or two, and definitely some who should be sticking. Here are seven hip-hop producers who either are rightfully gaining traction or who I feel should be given more of a shot.
1. Teddy Walton
Teddy Walton's made a few recent hits, but he really took off in 2017, when he produced Goldlink's popular single "Crew" and Kendrick Lamar's smash hit "LOVE." His style is unique, some sort of vaporous take on trap production, and the results both have pop appeal and layered soundscapes.
Best tracks: "Crew" by Goldlink, "LOVE." by Kendrick Lamar, "Redemption" by Zacari and Babes Wodumo
2. KAYTRANADA
Kaytranada's breakthrough was really a couple of years ago, with his fantastic dance-jazz-electronica debut 99.9% making a vibrant splash in the music industry. He went on to produce a plethora of tracks which each stood out within their respective projects. His beautiful creations are individual journeys, every single one worth taking.
Best tracks: "Girl" by The Internet, "All Night" by Chance the Rapper, "P's and Q's" by Mick Jenkins, "Alexys" by Freddie Gibbs, "Uptempo" by The Celestics
*Note: I only included his productions for other artists, but his solo album is absolutely amazing, and you should definitely check it out.
3. Paul White
English producer Paul White's work is incredibly eccentric. I can guarantee you've never heard anything like a Paul White beat in your life. He's probably best known in the hip-hop world for his work with the equally eccentric Danny Brown, whose amazing 2016 album Atrocity Exhibition relied heavily on Paul White's haunting and bombastic production. It makes Danny's descriptive hell-scape of addiction just that much more vivid. I don't know if he'll be able to work with many other artists besides Danny, but his musical creations speak for themselves.
Best tracks: "Tell Me What I Don't Know", "Ain't It Funny", "Dance In the Water" and "From the Ground", all by Danny Brown
4. Frank Dukes
It's a huge shame that Frank Dukes is not a household name. He's the genius behind Camila Cabello's "Havana", Kendrick Lamar's "Levitate", and a solid selection of Lorde's brilliant new album Melodrama. Uniquely, he makes his own samples, so he doesn't actually use another artists' work. Which isn't to besmirch sampling at all for that reason, but Frank Dukes's work is entirely built from scratch.
Best tracks: "Havana" by Camila Cabello, "Sundays" by Aminé, "Homemade Dynamite", "Hard Feelings/Loveless", and "Sober II (Melodrama)" all by Lorde, "Levitate" by Kendrick Lamar, "Real Friends" by Kanye West
5. Pasqué
In terms of high-profile production, he's only really worked with Aminé, but he really has the ability and potential to branch out. Pasqué's beautiful synth-based sweet beats are the perfect mix of catchiness, fun, and good vibes. The most notable beat he's produced is easily "Caroline", but, come on, that's one of the best instrumentals I've heard in a long time.
Best tracks: "Caroline", "Money", and "Baba", all by Aminé
6. Ludwig Göransson
He's really rising the ranks in terms of film scoring, having been given the opportunity to score the films of Ryan Coogler (who, with Fruitvale Station, Creed, and Black Panther, is also rising the ranks). Göransson is also a very adept hip-hop producer, working primarily with Childish Gambino, who, even if his verses are a little questionable, does rap over some beautiful instrumentals. If anything, the sheer power of Childish Gambino's latest effort, Awaken My Love!, which was a transcendent R&B/soul experience, just goes to show the expansively creative abilities that comes naturally to Göransson.
Best tracks: "Worldstar", "The Worst Guys", "Redbone", "Me and Your Mama", "Riot!" and "Sweatpants", all by Childish Gambino, "Opp" by Kendrick Lamar, Vince Staples and Yugen Blakrok
7. Sounwave
Sounwave is another producer who a lot of people aren't too aware of, but they really should know the man who has crafted and spearheaded so many iconic musical moments. He's an in-house producer for TDE which means he has worked with some of the best and brightest in hip-hop today, but his sonic versatility and creativity continues to shine and bolster each and every creative product that these amazing rappers put out year after year.
Best tracks: "m.A.A.d City", "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe", "Complexion (A Zulu Love)", "King Kunta", "Untitled 05", "YAH.", and "ELEMENT.", all by Kendrick Lamar, "JoHn Muir", "Ride Out", both by ScHoolboy Q
