DRK Proudly Presents...

Hip-Hop!!!

How y'all doing today? Hope you don't have a foot of snow in your area of residence like we do here in northeastern Ohio. My name is Esco, and I represent the "Rhymes" wing of Dogs, Rhymes, and Karma. Anyways, apologies to chrono for never posting before this.

So, today I suddenly had the urge to write about producers in the hip-hop world. Now, in the beatmaking world, there are plenty of stars, just as in the emceeing world. Old timers like Kanye West, DJ Premier and the late J Dilla are always a treat to listen to, especially when paired with the right rapper, like say Eric B. & Rakim and Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth. Of course, as time goes on, more beat makers come into the light. Lately, Don Cannon has become this unabashed Pete Rock stan's favorite producer. The man's work is amazing. From Young Jeezy's "Go Crazy" and "Mr. 17.5" to Ludacris' "Everybody Hates Chris" and "Undisputed", Cannon has produced some of the most infectious songs in the last five years.

Anyways, off of Cannon for a second, production adds a certain mystique to a song. Any song that gets blessed by a Andre 3000 verse is special, but the dreary, almost eery beat in "The Art of Storytellin' Pt. 4" by Don Cannon (maybe we're not off him) adds a certain braggadocio to the song. Laid back yet in your face, the beat excels at showcasing the amazing lyrical skills of the two OutKast members. Whilst my rock-fixated brethren may find lack of change in chords or whatnot boring, hip-hop heads would certainly appreciate the beat for the purpose it so aptly serves, that as a platform for the emcee to showcase his skills. This, I believe, is a fundamental difference between rock and rap fans, the former thriving on the diversity and variety of sounds found in a certain song, while we hip-hoppers are simply satisfied by a beat that sounds nice and helps listen to listen to the performer's message. For example, the Nas song "The Message", deemed a classic by most rap fans, and would potentially bore most stereotypical rock fans. But that's neither side's fault. We're both products of our environment.

When it comes to pure beatmaking, another one of the greats around these days is Black Milk. His 2008 album "Tronic" was one of the best all year, but extremely slept on, right up there with Killer Mike's "I Pledge Allegiance To The Grind II" and Ice Cube's "Raw Footage. The song "Give The Drummer Sum" has a beat might actually have the cross-over appeal to rock fans, due to the captivating drum beat in the back ground and an amazing horn sectin on the chorus. (While the rapping and hook may be annoying to those who aren't fans, keep in mind the beat is what I'm talking about.)

Well, I unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your point of view) have to cut this short.

One love,

Escobar Caesar III