DJ Premier, one of the most critically acclaimed producers in the genre, recently listed five of his favorite producers today.
Drake’s main producer, Noah “40” Shebib is on the list, which was published on XXL. 40 has been working with Drake throughout the Canadian rapper’s career. Recently, 40 spoke about Drake’s breakout project, So Far Gone, and his “Best I Ever Had” single.
“I didn’t know it was going to be big,” 40 said regarding “Best I Ever Had” in February. “I thought it was kind of corny. I thought it stuck out on the tape and I was a little nervous whether or not it should be on there. Oliver [El-Khatib, OVO co-founder, producer and manager] was a little nervous about it. That being said, I kind of asked for it. And I was like, ‘Yo, we need a record on here that might work at radio. We have nothing on here that might work at radio. Okay, please give me one song.’ It gotta be feel-good. It got to be major chord progression and give it to me three-and-a-half minutes. Please just something. I got 10-minute minor chord progressions on here. Give me a three-and-a-half minute song that at least feels good. So he cut ‘Best I Ever Had’ in one night. One of the biggest songs in his whole career. Then I knew, because my sister is the one who hit me up and said, ‘Oh my God, that “Best I Ever Had” song is amazing.’ I was like, ‘Wait a second, I didn’t even think you would like the mixtape, and that’s the song you like?’”
DJ Premier also lists the following producers as the remaining Top 4 in the game right now: Buckwild, Marco Polo, Statik Selektah and !llmind.
In March, !llmind spoke about how some producers don’t receive proper credit.
“I’m blessed to be able to say that it doesn’t happen to me anymore, but we’ve all gone through it,” !llmind said. “I think a lot of it has to do with that, as a producer, you don’t have a real relationship with the artist you are creating with and that’s due to the fact that you’re e-mailing beats. The most important relationship you can curate with someone is directly with the artist. It’s not with the A&R, it’s not with their manager. You need to have a direct relationship, a working relationship with the artist you are working with. A lot of times, up-and-coming producers don’t get credit because the guys on the other side just don’t care. The artists don’t care. For all you know they don’t even know what your name is or probably forgot your name and the A&R’s working in-between are juggling a million things. You are probably not getting paid much money and if it’s a mixtape placement, you probably aren’t getting paid anything so you are left in the dark. You did the beat, but you’re still a stranger. They aren’t gonna go that extra mile to do you any favors because they simply don’t care about you. So that’s the difference between having a real, true working relationship with an artist as opposed to being a beat maker and e-mailing your shit out, getting a placement, and getting pissed off you didn’t get credit.”
RELATED: Noah “40” Shebib Says He Thought Drake’s “Best I Ever Had” Was “Corny”
Mustard lost
I was surprised. Yeah, right. =DDDDDDDDDDDD
I’m surprised this washed up hasbeen didn’t brown nose the game by saying “Dj Mustard, Young Chop”
You cyber kids are hilarious.
Faggot…
That’s what’s up! 40 is already one of the all-time greats. Even legends like Premo know. Good to see legends respecting true talent and originality.
40 is wack. He has no talent or originality. He’s far from a great.
Never heard of this DJ before…doesn’t seem that talented anyway.
YMCMB
Who wants to take the troll bait?
I’m assuming you’re 14 since you don’t know one of the greatest producers of all time
I thought Best I Ever Had is Boi 1da’s track. 40 is great though.
These KIDS doggin’ Premier have NO idea what they are talkin’ about. This dude in my eyes IS the GOAT producer, a REAL DJ at heart, from scratchin’ to the boom bap he provided for YEARS, Premier is THAT DUDE.
These kids will bash any producer who doesnt make that trap shit. According to them lyricist and dope beats is for old people. Trap beats and short bus rhymes are the thing now.
Thank god he didn’t say young chop or mike will made it.
Fuck Statik, but !llmind is seriously dope!
Statik is dope too fuck you talkin bout
No, he’s not. His beats sound too cheap. Premier’s worst beat ever > Statik’s best.
I like Statik but he’s still the poor man’s Premo.
HAHA what do you hipster homos have to say now?? Drake keeps winning. 40 is GOAT even this washed up nigga says so. OvO
You’re still wrong, groupie. Your faggot idol couple, Drake and 40, ain’t shit.
NWTS > Illmatic
An ant’s life>>>your existence on earth
i agree illmatic sounds like my 5 year old made them beats during his drumming lessons
i agree as well. nwts is 1000x’s better than shitmatic.
These two comments are obviously the same troll comments. No rap album is better than Illmatic.
Fuck 40, Michael “Seven” Summers is the best producer.
Is that the guy who makes a lots of beats for Strange Music? If his the same guy, can’t agree with you… Mostly mediocre producer.
Marco got classics!!!
Old ass hating nigga didn’t mention DJ Mustard