FRIDAY MIXTAPE: The Best Of Kanye West (As A Producer) (Dead Prez, Jay-Z, Common, Lupe Fiasco, Kid Cudi)

by Aaron Zorgel

September 28, 2012

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When you see him on Keeping Up With The Kardashians, or Kanye-ing Taylor Swift on the VMAs, it's easy to forget that Kanye West is one of the most legendary hip-hop producers of all time (OF ALL TIME). For that reason, the best way to properly evaluate his contributions as a producer is to divorce his producing from his personal life, and his solo career. Today, we're looking at some of the best producing Kanye has done on songs for artists other than himself.

When you see him on Keeping Up With The Kardashians, or Kanye-ing Taylor Swift on the VMAs, it’s easy to forget that Kanye West is one of the most legendary hip-hop producers of all time (OF ALL TIME). For that reason, the best way to properly evaluate his contributions as a producer is to divorce his producing from his personal life, and his solo career. Today, we’re looking at some of the best producing Kanye has done on songs for artists other than himself.

Though he was rumoured be ghost-producing for Deric “D-Dot” Angelettie and Bad Boy Records in the mid-nineties, Kanye’s first breakthrough as a producer-by-name came in 1996, as he handled production duties for nine tracks on Chicago rapper Grav’s 1996 debut. The record didn’t chart well, but it gave a then 19-year-old Kanye a calling card with which he could approach more established artists. Soon after, he was producing for artists like Jermaine Dupri, Foxy Brown, and Goodie Mobb, and in 2000, he caught the ear of Roc-A-Fella records.

Kanye’s first project for Roc-A-Fella was Jay-Z’s “This Can’t Be Life” (feat. Beanie Sigel & Scarface), which featured Kanye’s signature technique of increasing the pitch of an R&B sample (in this case, it’s “I Miss You” performed by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes). Kanye and Jay-Z’s partnership would be the beginning of a creative dynasty in hip-hop — but, you already know that story.

Kanye’s work on The Blueprint is where he started making a name for himself as a producer, having to deal with what was effectively a hip-hop “bidding war” over the beat for “Izzo (H.O.V.E.).” A historic beef between Cam’Ron and Jay-Z dates back to 2001, when Jay-Z heard Kanye play the beat for Cam, and sniped it for himself.

Before Kanye even started rapping, he was a destined to become a pillar of modern hip-hop. For this edition of the Friday Mixtape, Let’s check out some of his best production work on songs for artists other than himself.


Tags: Music, Featured, News, Alicia Keys, dead prez, DJ Mix, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Ludacris, Lupe Fiasco

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