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The line between producer and rapper was blurred in the early '90s. More often, beat makers stopped searching for MCs and took over vocal duties themselves. When Diamond D declared himself the "best producer on the mic," the concept was still a novelty. These days, finding rappers who aren't making their own beats is becoming the exception to the rule, attesting to the influence of self-sufficient figures like Pete Rock and The Beatnuts.
Rappers who later became producers, such as Lord Finesse and MF Doom haven't been included. Artists who started out both rhyming and producing (Black Milk, DJ Quik, Erick Sermon, Havoc, Large Professor, Q-Tip, The RZA, and others) have been omitted as well. We're only talking about the best rappers who started as producers here, but of course, there are plenty of beatsmiths who fit the description. From Dr. Dre's reign to Pharrell's breakout as an MC, we've considered it all. Read on for our rankings of the very best producers-turned-rappers.
Written by Robbie Ettelson (@unkut)
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23. Jermaine Dupri
First Production Credit: 1990
Became Known For Rapping: 1998
Signature Production: Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together"
Signature Rap: Jay-Z's "Money Ain't A Thang"
The guy who claims to still be cashing Kriss Kross checks insisted on grabbing the mic more often once the late '90s rolled around. Life in 1472 was a No. 1 album, and if anything, he'll always be remembered for "Money Ain't A Thang" with Jay-Z.
22. Kid Capri
First Production Credit: 1992
Became Known For Rapping: 1991
Signature Production: Jay-Z's "It's Like That"
Signature Rap: "The Apollo”
This legendary party rocker took a stab at MC duties when he signed a deal with Cold Chillin' in 1991, and despite the fact that he seemed stuck in the Shout Rap era, The Tape proved to be an enjoyable trip down memory lane.
21. Pharrell
First Production Credit: 1996
Became Known For Rapping: 2004
Signature Production: Jay-Z's "I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)"
Signature Rap: Snoop Dogg's "Drop It Like It's Hot”
Pharrell started out writing raps for Wreckx-N-Effect and he's only gotten better in the two decades since. "Drop It Like It's Hot" was his breakout verse, his appearance on Clipse's "Mr. Me Too" showed that his rap chops were legit, and even to this day, he's killing verses, notably on tracks from The-Dream and Rick Ross in the past year. Producer and designer titles inevitably come to mind first for Pharrell, but his rhymes shouldn't be overlooked.
20. The 45 King
First Production Credit: 1987
Became Known For Rapping: 1989
Signature Production: Eminem's "Stan”
Signature Rap: "Puttin On The Hits”
The 45 King was the first producer to flip horns seriously, paving the way for Pete Rock's reign as remix king in the early '90s. He was also a great rapper, despite the fact that his bars were penned by his Flavor Unit crew.
19. Nottz
First Production Credit: 1998
Became Known For Rapping: 2001
Signature Production: Busta Rhymes' "Get Out!!"
Signature Rap: "Shine So Bright"
Repping Virginia, Nottz has established a signature chop style that has led to him work with everyone from Busta Rhymes and Scarface to M.O.P. and Kanye. He's shown a perchant for dropping bars since his first cameo with Ed OG, and most recently releases an entire project with Asher Roth.
18. Celph Titled
First Production Credit: 1998
Became Known For Rapping: 1998
Signature Production: BKNY's "Rise"
Signature Rap: "Right Now”
The Rubix Cuban may be the only rapper that Tampa, Florida will ever produce, garnering a strong following during the tail-end of the independent vinyl era for his rich production style and Gun Talk punchline rap. The Nineteen Ninety Now LP with Buckwild was his finest moment to date.
17. No I.D.
First Production Credit: 1992
Became Known For Rapping: 1994
Signature Production: Common's "I Used To Love H.E.R."
Signature Rap: "The Real Weight”
Best known for mentoring Yeezy, Dion was instrumental in helping Common make a name for himself following his work on the Resurrection album. His solo LP Accept Your Own and Be Yourself (The Black Album) showcased solid rhyme skills and a humble attitude.
16. Tony Touch
First Production Credit: 1993
Became Known For Rapping: 1993
Signature Production: "I Wonder Why (He's The Greatest DJ)”
Signature Rap: "Click Bang”
As half of the Diaz Brothers, with a couple of solid solo albums under his belt, Toca kicks a relaxed flow that keeps it simple yet effective, proving that years of flexing over his own mixtape intros has paid off nicely.
15. The Alchemist
First Production Credit: 1997
Became Known For Rapping: 2004
Signature Production: Jadakiss' "We Gon Make It"
Signature Rap: "Hold Me Down”
Despite starting out as a teenage weed carrier for Cypress Hill while he was a member of The Whooliganz, it wasn't until his production work for Dilated Peoples, Mobb Deep and Jadakiss that ALC established his rep. Most still aren't entirely sold on his microphone techniques, but his work with Gangrene demonstrates that everyone can improve over time.
14. Minnesota
First Production Credit: 1994
Became Known For Rapping: 1994
Signature Production: Big Pun's "I'm Not A Player"
Signature Rap: "Code Noir”
The founder of the Bronx's Money Boss Players is equally adept dropping gems as a lyricist as he is delivering dope beats for Sadat X, Mos Def, Grand Puba, and Big Pun. Hopefully we hear some new material from this Soundview legend soon.
13. Doo Wop
First Production Credit: 1995
Became Known For Rapping: 1993
Signature Production: "Castle To Castle”
Signature Rap: "10 Tape Commandments”
Wop was kicking verses with his Bounce Squad since his early days as a mixtape master, and he can still go toe-to-toe with the best of them with his straight-up BX technique and razor-sharp flow.
12. Mannie Fresh
First Production Credit: 1987
Became Known For Rapping: 1998
Signature Production: Juvenile's "Back Tha Azz Up"
Signature Rap: Big Tymers' "Get Your Roll On"
The man behind the sound of Cash Money Records made Birdman a very rich man, and as part of the Big Tymers created the some of the finest examples of "bling bling" era hip-hop, delivering some of the most ignorant raps since the glory days of Willlie D and Disco Rick.
11. Showbiz
First Production Credit: 1990
Became Known For Rapping: 1991
Signature Production: "Fat Pockets (Remix)”
Signature Rap: "Still Diggin'”
Showbiz and Diamond D recorded a track called "Where's AG?" while they were waiting for The Giant to hit the studio. It turns out that they were both kind of nice with the mic device. Unfortunately, Show decided to retire from rhyming duties after the first album, despite being one of the best producers to ever rap.
10. Oddisee
First Production Credit: 2002
Became Known For Rapping: 2006
Signature Production: DJ Jazzy Jeff's "Muzik Lounge”
Signature Rap: "They Need Superficial”
DJ Jazzy Jeff gave Oddisee his first shine on The Magnificent album, and since then this Washington, D.C. native has been prolific with solo releases and ones with the Low Budget Crew and Diamond District. Atmospheric, layered beats and a conversational vocal style make Odd one of the DMV's finest contributions to the game.
9. J-Zone
First Production Credit: 1998
Became Known For Rapping: 1998
Signature Production: Old Maid Billionaires' "Live From Pimp Palace"
Signature Rap: "No Consequence"
Zone's first release was an abridged version of his final project for senior year in college, and the remainder of his output has consisted of some of the most amusing rap since the early '90s. His penny-pinching digging technique resulted in a unique sound as he chopped-up piano accordion samples instead of soul records.
8. Madlib
First Production Credit: 1993
Became Known For Rapping: 1996
Signature Production: Madvillain's "Rhinestone Cowboy"
Signature Rap: Jaylib's "The Red"
Following his humble beginnings as a member of Lootpack, Madlib the Bad Kid has become the poster child for left-field L.A. rap. His vocal work on the Quasimoto and Jaylib projects have been highlights, but for the most part he's better suited for getting his fingers dusty than spitting bars.
7. Pete Rock
First Production Credit: 1991
Became Known For Rapping: 1991
Signature Production: Public Enemy's "Shut 'Em Down (Remix)"
Signature Rap: "Till I Retire”
Not content with being one of hip-hop's greatest producers of all time, Pete has continued to try and prove that he can hold his own in the booth on his numerous solo projects ever since he parted ways with CL Smooth. He's done well, but he'll never match the verse Grand Puba gave him for the first album that: "Tie your girl to the back of my Jeep, butt-naked." Indeed.
6. Diddy
First Production Credit: 1992
Became Known For Rapping: 1997
Signature Production: Notorious B.I.G.'s "One More Chance (Remix)"
Signature Rap: "It's All About The Benjamins”
If ever there was a record executive who was born to be a star in his own right, it was Sean Combs. After Biggie passed, he had to step up to the plate as an MC, and since, has proven to be one of the most entertaining fixtures in the rap game. He's had a laundry list of talents help him write, from Biggie to Nas, so it's only right that so many of his verses came out awesome.
5. J Dilla
First Production Credit: 1994
Became Known For Rapping: 1997
Signature Production: Slum Village's "Players"
Signature Rap: "Fuck The Police”
Jay Dee was renown for putting in more work than most in the studio, which included surprisingly good rapping. As with most producers who rhyme, Dilla didn't ever pose a threat to guys like fellow Detroit rapper Eminem, but the skill offered another dimension to his too-brief time on this planet.
4. Dr. Dre
First Production Credit: 1985
Became Known For Rapping: 1990
Signature Production: "Ain't Nuthin' But A G Thang"
Signature Rap: "Still D.R.E.”
Following Ice Cube's untimely departure from the "World's Most Dangerous Group," Andre Young decided to step in and fill the void. Thanks to well-chosen ghostwriters over the years, and a charmingly awkward delivery, he's become an MC who's actually enjoyable in the booth. Anyone as familiar with the nuances of rap music as Dr. Dre should be able to spit a great verse, and he's proven it countless times.
3. The Beatnuts
First Production Credit: 1990
Became Known For Rapping: 1993
Signature Production: "Watch Out Now”
Signature Rap: "Reign Of The Tec”
When lead MC, Fashion (a.k.a. Al' Tariq) was sent on an up north trip during the recording of the first EP, JuJu and Psycho Les stepped to the plate and let us know that they wanted to "fuck, drink beer, and smoke some shit." They delivered entertaining, anti-social lyrics over some of the finest beats of the day.
2. Diamond D
First Production Credit: 1989
Became Known For Rapping: 1991
Signature Production: The Fugees' "The Score"
Signature Rap: "Best Kept Secret"
The original "Best Producer On The Mic" captured the ears of rap purists when Chemistry Records offered him a solo deal while he was shopping demos for his group Ultimate Force. His straight-forward delivery was a refreshing change of pace from the tongue twisting antics of the era, while his outstanding taste in beats made Stunts, Blunts and Hip-Hop a certified classic.
1. Kanye West
First Production Credit: 1996
Became Known For Rapping: 2002
Signature Production: Jay-Z's "Takeover"
Signature Rap: "Can't Tell Me Nothing"
Love him or hate him, 'Ye has produced some of the greatest records of the past decade and has gotten really good at rapping in the process. These days, we know he's still behind the boards, but Kanye is thought of as a solo artist first and foremost, and he has the catalog to support that. No artist who started as a producer is more accomplished in the field of rapping.