I'm trying to look for something to sample in my music library right now, and I decided to glance at Brandy Norwood's 2nd album, "Never Say Never". I immediately remembered how much I loved this album's production & engineering, especially compared with her other work. It stands out tonally, too... much more somber & sadder than any of her other music.
So, what are some standouts for you guys? Some of mine, or at least what comes to mind, at the moment:
So, what are some standouts for you guys? Some of mine, or at least what comes to mind, at the moment:
- Brandy - Never Say Never
- Dr. Dre - The Chronic 2001 (Dre has a rare talent in modern Hip-Hop production: the ability to take the simplest of melodies & instrumentation, and mix the S H I T out of it. This album still provides a lot of inspiration for me. Also, "The Next Episode" & "Still D.R.E." might be the best fucking things Dre's ever been responsible for.)
- 50 Cent - The Massacre (The only "ehhh" beat on this joint is the "Gatman & Robbin" joint with Eminem... that shit aged like old milk. But literally every other track has some fire production. "Candy Shop" & "Just A Lil' Bit" sound dope in the car, and tracks like "In My Hood", "Ski Mask Way", & "Guns Come Out" got that gritty sound I like from 50's music. Also, "Ryder Music" is one of the greatest beats ever fucking made, don't @ me.)
- Jaylib - Champion Sound (This album holds a special place in my heart, as it was one of the first albums that took me on a deep dive into boom-bap rap. It was also the very first time I ever heard J Dilla & Madlib. The back & forth between smooth head-nodders like "The Red" or "Raw Shit", and gritty shit like "The Official" & "Heavy" was an amazing experience for me.)
- Nas - Illmatic (I mean, I'd be dumb as fuck if I didn't mention one of the best rap albums ever made. I could pick any track on this album, really. But to me, "Life's a Bitch" is a required listen for anyone looking to get into Hip-Hop in general, as that beat is a basically a dream.)
- Gang Starr - Moment of Truth (DJ Premier is the fucking king. This album features some of my favorite beats ever... "Above The Clouds", "Moment of Truth", "What I'm Here 4", "My Advice 2 You", "Make Em Pay"... man, I get goosebumps listening to this album.)
- Kanye West - Graduation (I don't think, out of every other album I've picked out thus far sans Illmatic, there's a single album that doesn't have a single weak beat on it other than this one. Even the worst Kanye song ever made, "Barry Bonds", had a fire beat.)
- J Dilla - Ruff Draft (This is my favorite solo Dilla joint. Every beat on this shit is smooth & soulful.)
- T.I. - King (It's pretty top-heavy in terms of production, but most of the beats are great. But it's the Just Blaze joints that are particularly primetime listening. "I'm Talkin' To You", in particular, is so fucking crazy it makes me wanna bitchslap the Pope.)
- Drake - Take Care (Drake, if nothing else, has a great ear for production. He knows how to pick a sound to fit whatever he goes for on a particular track. From the softer shit like "Over My Dead Body", to slappers like "We'll Be Fine", this album has something from everyone. Also, my favorite thing to do is to skip 75% of "Lord Knows" to get to Rick Ross's verse so I can hear the godly production of Just Blaze. The whole beat is amazing, but Drake's contribution to it is basically unacceptable.)
- Jay-Z - American Gangster (This is basically one of two albums that spits in the face of the notion that Jay's post-retirement output has been garbage, and the production is probably the biggest reason why. Diddy, in particular, makes this album sing. But every beat is great, even the Pharrell joint "I Know" is good. Which says something, because PW's production can be hit or miss... he can either make a street banger or something that sounds like it belongs in a cheesy champagne commercial.)
