Veteran producer Sonny Digital went on a Twitter rant in mid-July about the lack of respect and public appreciation for producers. He felt the beatmakers are integral to a musical landscape where lyrical content isn’t necessarily the focus.

With that in mind, the age of music distribution in the digital age has affected artists, but producers face a shady industry as well. In our special report, we speak with veteran producer J Wellz, hit-maker Mike Free and 1Mind — the producers of French Montana’s “Unforgettable” — about the current state of Hip Hop production.

Think a producer’s union is needed? Let us know what you think in the comment section below.