Year in and year out it becomes ever so clear why producers should garner as much recognition as their lyrical counterparts. Would “They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)” be as heralded as it is without Pete Rock’s soulful backdrop? Would Snoop Dogg’s “Who Am I? (What’s My Name?)” turn the party out as hard if Dr. Dre’s signature G-funk drums were missing? History has shown time and time again the significance of the contributions being made by the ones behind the board, and 2012 was no different.
Not only did the usual suspects deliver some of the best records of their careers, newer talents likewise staked their claim for respect and admiration amongst their peers. In that respect, it was difficult to pick just five individuals as the entry pool was ripe with certifiable beat makers who made this year what it was. With that said, these are the five producers we feel pushed the envelope in 2012. Some are older, some are younger. Some cater more toward a mainstream appeal, while others are deep in the underground scene. And yet, what they all have in common is a mutual passion for their craft. Furthermore, they know how to elevate an emcee’s game without compromising their own abilities. These, simply put, are the best producers of 2012.
Alchemist
Just like our favorite emcees, what we expect from our most prized producers is quality control and consistency. However, to describe what Alchemist did this year in that way would be a vast understatement. It seemed like every month the veteran producer was releasing a new project, and rarely were his listeners let down by his execution. His contributions to the collaborative Vodka & Ayahuasca with fellow producer-rapper Oh No were cryptically enthralling, Russian Roulette was a seminal piece of impassioned art, and his joint effort with Action Bronson on Rare Chandeliers was the icing on the proverbially cake. With the amount of work that he put in this year, there would subsequently be too many highlights to name here. Without a doubt, 2012 was the year of Alchemist.
Harry Fraud
While he’s been producing for quite some time, Harry Fraud’s presence within Hip Hop didn’t fully emerge until last year when he laid down the backdrop to French Montana’s New York-centric club record “Shot Caller.” Ever since then, the Brooklyn-native has been on a roll, collaborating on full-length projects with the likes of Curren$y (Cigarette Boats) and Smoke DZA (Rugby Thompson), as well as continuing his musical relationship with Montana. His standout cuts for this year included “Kenny Powers,” “Ashtray,” “Bird On A Wire” and “The Zenith,” which matched him up alongside Maybach Music Group. With plans of an Action Bronson project (Saab Stories) just on the horizon, there’s no doubt that Harry Fraud will continue his success into 2013.
Mike WiLL Made It
If the club (gentleman’s included) is somewhere you frequent, chances are Mike WiLL Made It and his layered beats were the soundtrack for the night. In fact, the Atlanta-bred producer seemed to be featured everywhere this year, and his versatility likewise knew no bounds. “No Lie” had the males scheming, “Bandz A Make Her Dance” had the ladies doing exactly what the title declares and “Turn On The Lights” and its infectiously sensual beat had us doing the two step, even if Future did all he could to bury the record vocally. Club joints aside, where Mike WiLL Made It found his biggest strides were on album cuts that didn’t get the radio treatment. Built over a hazy melody and throbbing drums, ScHoolBoy Q’s “My Hatin’ Joint” was a slice of Hip Hop success while “Just a Sign” fittingly brought out a lyrically-introspective B.o.B. on Strange Clouds. When you hear Mike WiLL’s tagline next year, rest assured what’s coming is heat.
El-P
You could say 2012 was a resurgence of sorts for El-P. Seemingly languishing away as business concerns with Definitive Jux took up the majority of his time the last few years, El-P surprisingly made his return on R.A.P. Music, a collaborative album that paired him with veteran Atlanta emcee Killer Mike. While Mike received countless praise for his top-notch lyricism and execution, El-P was just as good on the production side, serving up records like “Reagan” and “Southern Fried” that showcased his knack for visceral craftsmanship. Not more than a week later he released his fourth album Cancer 4 Cure, which further solidified his presence that few could match. Even if El-P isn’t as productive in 2013 as he was this year, his latest efforts will most certainly not go unrecognized.
Hit-Boy
Hit-Boy has quickly become a go-to producer for many within the industry, and with good reason considering his 2012 achievements. One of G.O.O.D. Music’s in-house beat makers, the 25-year-old provided his crew with the posse cut “Clique” as well as Kanye West’s 2012 magnum opus “Cold.” The heat didn’t stop there, as work with A$AP Rocky (“Goldie”), Kendrick Lamar (“Backseat Freestyle”) and Nicki Minaj (“I Am Your Leader”) heeded impressive results. While his own debut, HITstory, was subpar on the lyrical side, he still came through with an onslaught of fresh cuts (“Old School Caddy,” “Fan”) that gave the project much-needed depth. He even blended an urban vibe with Pop sensibility on “Right Here,” stretching out his comfort zone for a record that could be enjoyed regardless of your take on Justin Bieber.
RELATED: The Most Important Rookies Of 2012
7 aurelius album pil 2, small budget great album
what about Apollo Brown & Audible Doctor !?
apollo brown should be in there. he was even nominated for album of the year, how are you not gonna feature him on here?
Cardo isn’t on here???? SMH
E-A-SKI should be on this list.
where is 9th wonder and Apollo Brown? Damn HHDX!!!!! soon you guys are gonna have to remove the Hip Hop.
Hit-Boy wins
El-P wins.
Ughhhhh… Clams Casino anyone?
APOLLO BROWN
i agree with you 100% on Apollo Brown dude is the illest on the boards
DX IS BACK ON ITS BULLSHIT WHERE THE FUCK IS YOUNG CHOP ON THE LIST? HE MADE BANGER AFTER BANGER AFTER BANGER?
Apollo Brown, Young Chop, Statik Selektah…
No Chop? These are dope producers but this list is flawed for not having one of the most talented and ubiquitous new comers, young chop. I’m not even a big fan, but shits obvious.
hes not really that talented
hes the 2012 lex luger
It’s incredible how I didn’t none of this niggas beats this year.
I would replace El-P with Cardo….there’s no way he shouldn’t have made this list!
EL-P’s 2 albums were better then Cardo’s shit this year, sorry
I like HHDX, but they didnt list enough producers here. Would have liked to see Apollo Brown, Statik, maybe even C-Lance from enemy soil since he is a rookie and a beast!!
Ummmm how about T-Minus & Nikhil S. ,noah 40 shebib and Boi-1da,how people forget whose still hot
Where’s T-Minus???
exactly
biased list. where the hell is T-Minus and Clams Casino??
where is Cardiak?
Where the fuck is Boi-1da?? He did Nas – trust, Slaughterhouse our way, n Game – see no evil…..need I say more?
T-Minus, Cardiak, Hit-Boy, and Mike Will were the hottest producers this year.
El-P, Harry Fraud, and Alchemist deserved to be on this list no doubt.. but the list was too short to put dudes like “Hit Boy” and “Mike WiLL Made It” on it. Also, you should check your facts cause El-P shut down Def Jux years ago. During the past few years, he wasn’t “too busy to put out an album”, he was busy working on the album.
I would have replaced Hit Boy with Apollo Brown on my list
Leaving Apollo Brown off this is ridiculous..
Where’s araabMUZIK???
Fuck no!
Mike WiLL Made It
Where’s Cool n Dre?
ARAAB MUZIK!!!!
No cardo, cardiak, araab, digi+phonics, or clams? Well the list was “most important” not “most talented”
sonny digital, anyone?
WHAT THE FUCK, ALCHEMIST BEATS ARE TRASH.
Apollo Brown deserved to be on here. Him, El-P and Alchemist are the top three this year.
hit boy? minaj? a$sap? is this a hip hop site or what? mentioning trash when talking about hip hop,makes no sense
No Cardo? Clams Casino? Flying Lotus? 40 Shebib? Boi-1da?
What about Khayree? HipHopDX U batches
T-Fuckin-MINUS!
He, 40 and nikhil S runs the game since i’m on one went on top. You want some hit record, call them. Really, and i don’t see any place for el-P or alchemist in ranking like this in 2012. Maybe few years ago, but not now.
what a shit list
Where is my Dick and your Butt. My Dick and Your butt should be there. Thats how you faggots sound when yall say someone should be there.
I don’t know how Apollo Brown was left off of this list
Hip Hop DX really hates Chicago. First Chief Keef doesnt make freshman of the year, and now Young Chop doesnt make this list? Youtube Videos with Young Chop on the beat come close to or exceed 100 mil views. thats probably more than half of these guys put together. He literally came up from the hood n now is THE GO TO GUY for street smash records. EVERYBODY wanna Chop beat: Big Sean, Kanye, The Game, 50, Rick Ross, Jeezy, all of raps BIGGEST acts wanna chop instrumental. All these foolie ass websites dont like Chicago cause dey dont like wat we doin even tho we more popular than these nobody’s. Alchemist is a dope producer, but where did his production rank on the charts?? Did he ever make top 10 on the billboard?? Win a soundscan award lately?? Cause Young Chop went from pushin dope to pushin beamers in under 12 months THATS YOUR PRODUCER OF THE YEAR!!!! A HELL OF HARD WORK
But we dont need your fukk boi recognition, theres a reason all the labels are running to chicago, cause the FUTURE IS RIGHT HERE
NO LIE, NO LIE, NO LIIIIIEEEEEE
hahahahahahahahahaha, young chop? more like fat pork chops HAHAAAAAA *jadakiss laugh* u can’t compare a legend like Alchemist to a amature like young chump *nice nickname i know :)* so please, stop commenting before i mothafu**ing embarrass you *kanye west voice*
What the fuck is this, a white boy’s list? No 7 Aurelius?! PIL2?! HipHopDX loves to hate on the Mighty Ja. But don’t worry though. February 2013, RULE’s gonna show all these fuck boys how it’s done.
RULE! It’s Murda!!!
Yes because Ja Rule is definitely a producer.
50 would ya ever fuck off
let ja die out
ja is peer pressure
if i liked him hed be a lot more famous
meaning every one i know would like him to instead of thinking its hiphop not to like him
The article reads ‘most important producers’ of the year, not to be mistaken with most popular, those are 2 completely different things. Before bashing at this list ask yourself the question…what is the role of a producer? how does his contribution stand out and is not overshadowed by the artist?
I think this is decent list, my only regrets is that Apollo did not make the cut, (maybe because he had just one outstanding project this year), but I think if you judge from overall imput of this producers and the output they achieved this year, then the list is pretty much on point.
CLAMS CASINO
RIGHT HERE WAS FUCKING DOPE THOUGH…
WHERE IS T-MINUS???? T.I. (GO GET IT), DRAKE ( SO PROUD OF YOU) KENDRICK LAMAR ( SWIMMING POOL) he produced it….C’MON MAN!
I don’t really know if they hate on Chicago, but Chief Keef?! LOL Terrible.
Leaving Apollo Brown off that list should be considered a crime. Give credit where credit is due. I’d put Audible Doctor in there as well.
CO SIGN
trade hit-boy for audible doctor
All wack dudes apart from Al. Three hip-hop classics in one year have cemented his title as a modern day GOAT.
Cool and Dre was the most important missed, also 40 should be there. T-minus imo deserves a mention aswell.
First of all, Ryan Lewis should be on this list, and leaving him off of it is definitely a crime; his production was far above anything else put out this year. Second, where the fuck is Apollo Brown? Who the fuck is Harry Fraud?
Apollo Brown, Clams Casino, DJ Dahi could have made this list too !
alchemist sucks
my music stays sucka free
ima try and get someone famous see if i can do it
be on the look out for somthing whack
Wrong Gangrene member on here – Oh No’s the one fuck-faces…
Apollo Brown – [Dice Game’s beats were better too]
Exile – “..flowers..” was mellow smooveness; and he can make a banger as well as anyone…