Hip Hop & R&B fans have much to celebrate about the 59th Annual Grammy Awards set to take place this Sunday.
Streaming-only projects including Chance The Rapper’s Coloring Book or even The Life Of Pablo from Kanye West prove The Grammy Academy is making up for the years where Macklemore won over Kendrick Lamar or Naughty By Nature’s Poverty’s Paradise beat out Bone Thugs-n-Harmony’s E 1999 Eternal. That doesn’t even include the countless independent releases nominated, which proves the major label machine isn’t the end all be all.
This year, there are also a slew of West Coast artists, producers and songwriters either nominated or featured on projects receiving the honor. Available in full detail on the site, DX breaks down how far those tentacles go for both Hip Hop and R&B categories.
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In the first edition of “From The Westside,” a series of dedicated discussions and conversations regarding West Coast Hip Hop, we’ve taken some of our favorite West Coast individuals and discussed their role in helping shape several Grammy nominated projects. Everything from ScHoolboy Q’s Blank Face LP, Malibu from Anderson .Paak, BJ The Chicago Kid’s debut album In My Mind, Mya’sSmoove Jones, Terrace Martin’s Velvet Portraits, Rihanna’sAnti and more have some West Coast influence woven in them.
First up is THX. With producer placements for legends including Snoop Dogg, Chris Brown, Erykah Badu, Warren G, E-40, Ne-Yo and much more, the Los Angeles-based producer is featured on BJ The Chicago Kid’s In My Mind album. He’s one of the point guys who came up with the idea for this edition alongside music executive Bryan “Money” Sallis, who is known as an important cog in the Home Grown Radio machine as manager for celebrated radio personalities DJ Hed and Chuck.
This means we had no choice but to have THX kick things off. In fact, he essentially gave us the segment’s big question. Why is the West Coast winning?
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THX and Sallis would later introduce us to a handful of the artists and producers including Mars of 1500 or Nothin, J.Lbs, Mike & Keys, Terrace Martin, Like and Willie B, who all have placements on Grammy nominated efforts.
Starting off with Mars of much sought-after collective 1500 or Nothin, DX covered his criminally underrated mixtape No Days Off last year and even had him on our DX Live, which for some of you guys out of the loop, runs every Thursday 6-9 p.m. EST. Mars received placements on both BJ The Chicago Kid and Mya’s albums.
Also receiving placements on both BJ The Chicago Kid and Mya’s albums are Mike & Keys. The duo, formerly known as The Futuristiks, also share a multiroom North Hollywood recording studio space with Mars, BJ The Chicago Kid and Nipsey Hussle.
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Known for churning out tracks for R Kelly, Dom Kennedy, Jay Rock, Casey Veggies and Tink, J.Lbs’ production is featured on the “Kno Ya Wrong” track featuring Lance Skiiiwalker from the Grammy-nominated Blank Face LP.
Fans of Anderson .Paak’s Malibu track “Room in Here” featuring The Game and Sonyae should already be familiar with Like. The producer, also a member of groundbreaking LA group Pac Div, has made a name for himself on the production end after getting a placement on good Kid m.A.A.d City track “Sing About Me / I’m Dying of Thirst.” Last year, he dropped the pretty amazing Songs Made While High.
A member of TDE in-house production team, Willie B has produced for a lot of artists outside of his home label. This year, many heard his production on Blank Face LP track “Black Thoughts.”
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Last, we couldn’t do this Grammy Edition without sir Terrace Martin. Last year, everyone watched Kendrick Lamar scoop up golden gramophone after golden gramophone for To Pimp A Butterfly, a project Martin was featured heavily on as a producer. This year, not only did he have a role on Blank Face LP, but his album Velvet Portraits is nominated for Best R&B Album.
Here are several other West Coast artists, producers and songwriters making noise during this year’s Grammys.
DJ Khalil
Twitter:@DJKhalil
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Album(s):
BJ The Chicago Kid’s – In My Mind (Best R&B Album)
Track: “Man Down” Featuring Buddy & Constantine
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Anderson .Paak – Malibu (Best Urban Contemporary R&B Album )
Track: “Heart Don’t Stand a Chance” & “Your Prime”
Since the early 2000s, DJ Khalil has steadily earned placements with the likes of 50 Cent, Eminem, Aloe Blacc, Logic, Dr. Dre and more. Not his first time being a part of a Grammy-nominated project thanks to 2015’s Compton: A Soundtrack By Dr. Dre, this year he’s featured on two projects with one for Best R&B Album and Best Urban Contemporary R&B Album.
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Dem Jointz
Twitter: @demjointz
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Album(s):
ScHoolboy Q – Blank Face LP (Best Rap Album)
Track: “Groovy Tony / Eddie Kane” Featuring Jadakiss
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Anderson .Paak – Malibu (Best Urban Contemporary R&B Album)
Track:“Silicon Valley”
Dem Jointz has crafted pop hits for Christina Aguilera, Rihanna, Janet Jackson and others. Mr. Dwayne Abernathy also has some serious rap records in his catalog as well, this includes placements on Dr. Dre’s Compton album. This year, he has placements on two Grammy Nominated projects in two separate categories.
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Tiffany Gouche
Twitter: @TiffanyGouche
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Album: Terrace Martin – Velvet Portraits (Best R&B Album)
Track: “Never Enough”
When Tiffany Gouche isn’t making some of the most mature and sensual R&B to come out of the West Coast, she’s still winning as a songwriter and producer even when she’s collaborating with other songwriters and producers. There isn’t a better example than her work on “Never Enough” from Terrace Martin’s Velvet Portraits album.
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Larrance Dopson of 1500 Hundred Or Nothin
Twitter: @Rance1500
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Album: ScHoolboy Q – Blank Face LP (Best Rap Album)
Track:“Neva CHange” Featuring SZA
Alongside the other members of 1500 Hundred Or Nothing, Larrance Dopson has spent his time crafting classic after classic with everyone from Kendrick Lamar, Jeezy and Game to J. Cole. This year, he lent his production hand to “Neva CHange” featuring SZA from ScHoolboy Q’s Blank Face LP.
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DJ Dahi
Twitter: @DjDahi
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Album: Drake – Views (Best Rap Album)
Track: “U with Me?”
Many folks complained about Drake’s bar game on Views. However, many didn’t find a problem with the soundtrack pushed by 40 himself. This meant a few significant co-production credits as well on the project, including DJ Dahi who is also known for his work with Drizzy on “Worst Behavior.” Alongside 40 and Kanye West, the Inglewood native is featured on “U with Me.”
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James Fauntleroy of 1500 Hundred or Nothin
Twitter: @fauntleroy
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Album: Rihanna – Anti (Best Urban Contemporary R&B Album) Composer, Vocal Arrangement, Vocals
Tracks: “Higher,” “Desperado,” “Close to You,” & “James Joint”
James Fauntleroy continues to become modern music’s most prolific songwriters. Like really, there are very few touching him. Already receiving a Grammy Award for his work on Justin Timberlake’s 20/20 Experience album, he’s set to probably go home with an award for his work on Rihanna’s best album to date, Anti. Doesn’t hurt that he has a track on the album featuring his name through “James’ Song.”
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Hitboy
Twitter: @Hit_Boy
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Album: Rihanna – Anti (Best Urban Contemporary R&B Album)
Track: “Woo”
Album: Beyoncé – Lemonade (Best Urban Contemporary R&B Album)
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Track: “Sorry”
Chauncey Hollis, Jr. could be considered one of the most underrated, yet much sought after producers of the decade. Beyoncé, Jay Z, Drake and a host of others have gone to him for instrumentals and that continued with Rihanna getting him for the Travis $cott featured “Woo” from Anti.
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DJ Mustard
Twitter: @DJmustard
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Album: Rihanna – Anti (Best Urban Contemporary R&B Album & Best R&B Performance)
Track: “Needed Me”
Known for turning out some of the biggest radio hits of the modern era, DJ Mustard tried his hand at pop some time ago with Fergie on “L.A. Love (La La La)” featuring YG and it didn’t work too much. Then “Needed Me” drops from Rihanna’s Anti album, which is probably his most sonically distinct production since “Rack City.”
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Tae Beast
Twitter: @taebeast
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Album: ScHoolboy Q – Blank Face LP (Best Rap Album)
Track: “Groovy Tony / Eddie Kane” Featuring Jadakiss
One of several in-house TDE producers featured on this list, Tae Beast has also lent production to the likes of Mac Miller and Logic. His co-production credit alongside Dem Jointz for Blank Face LP track “Groovy Tony / Eddie Kane” proves he’s at his best when on the home turf.
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Sounwave
Twitter: @SounwaveTDE
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Album: ScHoolboy Q – Blank Face LP (Best Rap Album & Best Rap Performance)
Tracks:“THat Part” Featuring Kanye West, “Ride Out” Featuring Vince Staples, “JoHn Muir,” and “Blank Face” Featuring Anderson .Paak
With the most placements on Blank Face LP, Sounwave is also responsible for the album’s biggest hit “THat Part” featuring Kanye West.
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Madlib
Twitter:@madlib
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Album: Kanye West – The Life of Pablo (Best Rap Album)
Track: “No More Parties In LA” Featuring Kendrick Lamar
The oldest veteran in the list, Madlib has also become one of the most legendary West Coast producers of all time simply due to the untouchable respect his collaborative Madvillainy project with MF Doom earned. It’s no secret of ‘Ye’s fanship for anything relating to Stones Throw Records and Madlib’s production work on The Life of Pablo track “No More Parties In LA” is as good as King Kendrick’s guest verse.
