XXL has made a list of its 15 greatest rapper-producer duos of all time.
“From Eric B. & Rakim to Prodigy and Alchemist, these one-two punches offer a different variety, one in which a single rapper has developed such a chemistry with a producer that they became, in a way, synonymous with each other,” XXL says of its unranked list.
“For the most part, this means that the duo has worked together for more than one album,” XXL continues. “We’ve made exceptions to include dynamic twosomes such as Marley Marl and Big Daddy Kane, who laid the groundwork for Kane’s fantastic solo career, as well as KRS-One and Scott LaRock, who were the minds behind Boogie Down Productions before LaRock’s untimely death robbed them of further collaboration. But when it comes to this list, we made one major distinction: the two must have, at one point in their careers, been synonymous with each other. 9th Wonder may be more well-known from his work with Jay Z and Little Brother, but his five albums with Murs can’t be ignored, either. Timbaland and Missy Elliott may have gone their separate ways, but without Timbo’s beats we would never have had Missy’s flair; Snoop and Dr. Dre, for all their collaborations on The Chronic and Doggystyle, always identified as individuals first, rather than partners.”
Eric B. & Rakim, Gang Starr, Blackalicious, Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth, D.J. Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Madvillain, KRS-One and Scott La Rock and Atmosphere are among those named in the list.
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