14 Producers That Could Win at Hip-Hop

"Producers we'd love to hear make hip-hop" - what does that mean? It means in addition to covering all things electronic music that we also like to th

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"Producers we'd love to hear make hip-hop" - what does that mean? It means in addition to covering all things electronic music that we also like to think about how our electronic music world might sound if it merged with others. We at DAD particularly love the sound of hip-hop and electronic music together, even beyond trap. So in thinking about the two worlds, I came up with a list of 15 producers we'd love to hear make hip-hop. I went ahead and disqualified any producers in the trap world at all, as that list would grow to about 50 (trust, we tried to do it justice, but that's for another time), and put together a diverse list of producers I felt could and would make some beautiful, if not a bit more traditional, hip-hop.

Joker

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From the surreal and eerie soundscapes of "Psychedelic Runway" to the funky 8-bit purple collabs with Rustie like "Play Doe," Bristol dubstep producer Joker is a hip-hop star waiting to happen. His beats, while sufficiently tasty and mind-bending on their own, could be elevated to the next level with the right MCs. Purple don Joker already notes the West Coast G-Funk sound as one of his primary influences, he samples Busta Rhymes' "heh" enough, and his track "Do It" has appeared as a mashup all over the Internets with Bricksquad founder Gucci Mane dripping his thugged out flow all over it. We're thinking that needs to become an official thing.

SBTRKT

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Not the most obvious choice until you hear Drake's remix of "Wildfire." The original was one of the tracks that had hipsters turning their head as the mysterious, African-masked SBTRKT emerged from out of nowhere with his bass-y r&b cut. SBTRKT is another one of those guys whose sound has been impossible to nail down. Post-dubstep, future garage, UK bass, it's all wrong really. Even "Wildfire" sounds like it has trap elements. Perhaps Drake can hop on one of these beats and make some bass-fueled magic.

Brodinski

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Bromance Records might be more known for their acid-inspired french techno, but if you've listened to any Brodinski sets lately, you know that he's definitely down with hip-hop. He's also dropped entire hip-hop mixtapes on his soundcloud, so we're wondering who will be the first rapper to really jump on a Brodinski beat. Just check out his remix of Danny Brown's "Die Like A Rockstar" to get a taste of his potential to send shockwaves throughout the game.

Andrew Bayer

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He tasted broken beats on his debut It's Artificial and he dove in on his most recent album If It We're Up To You, We'd Never Leave, so Andrew Bayer knows a thing or two about thinking outside of the box and making his own beats. He sampled Sufjan Stevens in a J Dilla style and he said he was always jealous of hip-hop producers for the sampling culture, so we're waiting for when he ultimately dives in to that realm. Maybe Jay Electronica could ride one of those Bayer waves…

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Ratatat

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We might be a few years removed from any Ratatat releases, but the dudes delivered some avant-garde tapes in their "Ratatat Remixes" mixtapes. They co-produced "Pursuit of Happiness" with MGMT for Kid Cudi and they were confirmed for production on Kid Cudi's Indicud album (although it seems that never happened). They can bring the big time electronic rock stuff, the poppier aesthetics, or the laidback introspective beats, all with a unique flavor. With big time remixes of The Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Young Jeezy, we can't help but wonder what would be the case now if they hooked up with a dude like Le1f or Joey Bada$$. Perhaps they can resurrect 50 Cent's career with a new angle...

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DJ Rashad

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Footwork might not be your thing, but there's no denying that DJ Rashad has the chops to make some absolute bangers. His flip of Rick Ross's "Hold Me Back" was absolutely nutty and definitely made me believe in the sounds coming out of Chicago these days. Makes you wonder though if he can do that with just a sample, what he could do with a live rapper to work with...

Justin Martin

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Dirtybird Justin Martin was once rumored to be the secret behind UZ, but even though we know that's not true doesn't mean we aren't thinking about the possibilities. Providing a bass-heavy techy remix to UZ's "Trap Shit V13," Martin flexed his hip-hop sensibilities turning it into a ridiculously groovy house remix. It's the sort of beat that De La Soul could certainly flow over, and that's not all that crazy, as De La Soul was the special guest at the Dirtybird Pool Party this past Miami Music Week, so maybe this can happen? Well, we can dream.

Lockah

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Lockah brings a certain spacey melodic vibe yet soulful vibe that is just missing from hip-hop these days. Perhaps the Das Racist co-signed Lakutis or the Cleveland-bred Kid Cudi could drop some bars over a Lockah beat. Lockah is already one of those guys who blends the two worlds, but right now, we're thinking he just needs a phat MC to hop on and ride his beats. Lockah even knows it too. His last release title was a play on the landmark Raekwon debut Only Buit 4 Cuban Linx... titling it Only Built For Neon Nites. It makes too much sense!

Madeaux

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DAD loves LessThan3's Madeaux. From his magnificent debut EP to his recent killer remix of Kendrick Lamar's "Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe," Madeaux's downtempo styles are highly conceptual and full of warmth and emotion. Madeaux has the ability to fine tune his concepts and make tailor-made alterations that'd be fit for just about any rapper looking to explore their feels that they never really feel. How about Kid Cudi x Madeaux?

High Contrast

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Liquid funk might be his thing, so you know he's got soul and funk records all up in his crates. The esteemed producer did music for the 2012 London Olympics and is routinely seen as one of the best in drum & bass circles, but what if he could bring back some of that '90s jazz rap flavor? Maybe a young gunner like Joey Bada$$ could keep up with his pace or maybe he could do it a bit differently to accomodate the throwback flows of Q-Tip. The possibilities are endless.

Claptone

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Just listen to their biggest tracks, "Cream," "Shook," and "Wrong" and you'll immediately know why. With each one, the German deep house producer Claptone reaches into American hip-hop to draw inspiration, recreating and reinterpreting melodies from the likes of the Wu-Tang Clan, Mobb Deep and Dr. Dre. The producer could bring some of the old-school flavor that so many heads are yearning for, but they could do so with a twist that it'll keep it fresh.

Keys N Krates

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The Toronto trio made their name initially remixing EDM anthems from the likes of Zedd, Bassnectar, and Zeds Dead, but now as they've moved on to their own productions, the group has taken on even more of a hip-hop electronic flavor. The trio provides a melodic side often missing from hip-hop beats. Remixing Madeon's "Icarus" and linking up with Dim Mak's up-and-coming rapper Will Brennan gives us a taste of what could be. We'd definitely like to hear more from these guys in this vein!

Laidback Luke

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He routinely drops hip-hop edits and mashups like his version of DMX's "Party Up" and he collaborated with London MC Pogo for the vocal mix of "Pogo." He cuts and scratches with the best and we're hoping we hear more his dutch house electro rhythms with another rapper.

Boys Noize

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Snoop Dogg knew what was up when he got with Berlin producer Boys Noize. The techno/electro/acid/can't-quite-nail-it producer has one of the most recognizable styles in all of electronic music. There's no question that he can bring some serious flavor with his tracks.

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