When Rappers Break Up With Their Producers
Clipse can still rap their asses off, but there is something noticeably missing from the new Clipse Presents: The Re-Up Gang album, which dropped today. That something? Good beats. You see, we fucking love Pusha T and Malice over Neptunes production. But over Sleepwalkers (very apt name, btw) tracks? Eh…not so much.
Which got us thinking: this isn’t the first time a rap act has carved out a dope sound with a certain producer and then parted ways to dismal effect. After the jump, check out our compilation of those rappers and their respective before/after track records.
RAPPER: JERU THE DAMAJA
O.G. PRODUCER: DJ PREMIER
BEFORE: “Come Clean”
AFTER: “99.9 Pa Cent” (Produced by Jeru)
Verdict: Pras said it best in his Damaja dis: “Without Premier, you couldn’t sell it.” When Pras is dissing you, you know you got a problem.
RAPPER: COMMON
O.G. PRODUCER: NO I.D.
BEFORE: “Resurrection”
AFTER: “The Light” (prod. by Jay Dee)
Verdict: We have much love for Dilla (R.I.P.) and the track has its merits, but Com’s post-No-I.D. sound is altogether soft like Twinkie filling. With a sleeveless turtleneck on top.
RAPPER: RAEKWON
O.G. PRODUCER: RZA
BEFORE: “Criminology” (feat. Ghostface Killah)
AFTER: “Live From New York” (prod. by Infinite Arkatechz)
Verdict: The sad thing is, “Live From New York” is leagues better than most rap out today. But it’s severely lacking when compared with any track off Cuban Linx.
RAPPER: SNOOP DOGG
O.G. PRODUCER: DR. DRE
BEFORE: “Gin and Juice”
AFTER: “Snoop’s Upside Ya Head” (prod. by DJ Pooh)
Verdict: His longevity has proven that Snoop can rhyme (or sing) well over virtually anything, but his entire Dre-free sophomore album was a major letdown. Probably his worst album to date.
RAPPER: T.I.
O.G. PRODUCER: DJ TOOMP
BEFORE: “U Don’t Know Me”
AFTER: “You Know What It Is” (Produced by Wyclef & Jerry Wonder)
Verdict: T.I. vs. T.I.P. is the only T.I. album without a DJ Toomp joint. It’s no coincidence that it’s also the worst T.I. album. The lesson? As always, never fuck with Wyclef. Thankfully, Toomp has a joint on Paper Trail.
RAPPERS: CLIPSE
O.G. PRODUCER: THE NEPTUNES
BEFORE: “Grindin’”
AFTER: “My Life’s the Shit” (Produced by Illfonics)
Verdict: We fucks with a couple tracks on the new LP, but overall we can’t get past the ABC production. Yo P—your boys need help.
PREVIOUS POST
Common’s the only one that doesn’t fit
half of LWFC was some hard ass shit, maybe you should do your research a lil more.
Comment by andres — August 6, 2008 #
i agree with 5 of 6.. but you need to check yourself on that common tip. get real.
Comment by senseiscommon — August 6, 2008 #
i agree with a couple of them, but the common album??
come on man that was a classsssick!!!! the prob is these rappers know that they shine harder under certain production and so does the producer, so the producer charges more because he can use the line of…”you know it’s gonna be a hit” and like a pimp and a hoe who wants to be under someone like that??
instead of putting people you grew up with in the game and saving a few bucks you are forever glued to some dude who calls you “son”!
Comment by joey bang — August 6, 2008 #
twista owns this blog post.
even tho him and traxster are supposed to get back working together.
Comment by Buddy — August 6, 2008 #
99.9% was proaly the only decent track on that album for Jeru- if i was you, making this list up, I woulda opted for the obvious: anything from the first two albums> BItches Wit Dikz! that track was the height of fuckery.
Comment by Maltoon — August 6, 2008 #
I also think that the Common point is a bit off.. One I think is missing is Guru. I mean some of the Jazzmatazz stuff was good but after the Gang Starr break up he hasn’t brought anything of substance.
And to mention someone who didn’t lose it though one would really expect it: The Game.
And to a degree Kanye West if that counts.. At least I think that the best tracks of Graduation are “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” and “Barry Bonds”
Comment by Klaus — August 6, 2008 #
Top 3 in my opinion
1. C.L. Smooth needing Pete Rock
2. The entire Wu-Tang Clan going outside the Wu-Tang family tree of producers
3. Group Home & Guru over Premiere
Comment by Deity Allah — August 6, 2008 #
Attention Common stans: Like Water For Chocolate was a boring-ass neo-soul turd.
Comment by Fred Savage — August 6, 2008 #
CL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!HOW THE FUCK IS CL NOT NUMBER ONE ON THIS LIST!!!!!!HE IS IRRELEVANT WITHOUT PETE.
GURU!!!!!!!WHERE IS GURU? HOW CARES ABOUT GURU WITHOUT PREMIER. GURU IS GAY NOW.
Comment by HAHA — August 6, 2008 #
This might not be that major but….CAM’RON first two albums were crazy and DIGGA produced both of them! After Cam got wit the Heatmakerz wit that Blam, Blamin ‘em shit, it was overrrrrrrrr.
Comment by Long Slong — August 6, 2008 #
I have to reiterate the point of Guru without Preemo. In my humble opinion, Guru was in my top 5 MC list while with Preem. He spoke about real topics and had swagger before it was a word. Post Preemo, as my man said, hes gay now. He needs to hang it up. Trying to remake a classic Black Moon track, he sounds like he took one too many Tylenol PM’s, call it a day brutha.
Comment by Shawamar — August 6, 2008 #
I agree with maybe four of the six. Jeru without Preemo was still nasty. And even if you without the throw-away Wyclef beats, TI vs TIP was still trash. Stay away from ‘Clef? Get the fuck outta here! Stop hatin and get money.
Comment by Peter Fallow — August 6, 2008 #
What about 50 Cent without Dr. Dre?
Or Game w/o Dre?
Or DMX w/o Swizz?
Or De La w/o Prince Paul?
Or…. The saddest of ALL CANIBUS w/o Wyclef????
Comment by I'llbedat — August 6, 2008 #
This whole post could be called irrelevent because of this:
Your taking the “producer sound” and putting up against individual tracks. Perfect case-in-point is T.I. Yes, his last album was his weakest, but the fact that one single Toomp beat would have saved is just mad stupid. That album was ass no matter how you look at it.
And Common being on this list is just a crazy dumb reach.
Comment by CMDeep — August 6, 2008 #
^^^
Watch Common’s Kanye-less album suck donkey cock thru a crazy straw. Stretch that, homie.
Comment by I'llbedat — August 6, 2008 #
althought it pains me to say it….little brother post-9th doesn’t seem to fit like lock and key anymore. i still got love for lb though.
Comment by muscles marx — August 6, 2008 #
wow! just terrible…this couldve been a really good article..
Comment by jeff — August 6, 2008 #
wow you dilla dorks are still alive???
Comment by pancakes — August 6, 2008 #
ll cool j + rick Rubin! challah atcha bearded jewish sonic genius.
Comment by jab zoota — August 6, 2008 #
Imma have to cosign on that comment about Little Brother. They are still on point, but some of the fizz has left the soda….
Comment by fearlesshyena — August 6, 2008 #
Like Water For Chocolate is Com’s best album and the sound on that album is the epitome of Dilla’s sound so if you don’t like it, YOU DON’T LIKE DILLA!!! Don’t say you like or respect Dilla if that album ain’t in you top 5. That’s Hip Hop blasphemy. I expect more out of you Complex. For real!
-Marcus
Comment by Marcus Bridges — August 6, 2008 #
I like Dilla, but I don’t think Like Water For Chocolate was as appealing to me as some of his later works. I love Primo, but I don’t like Hard To Earn as much as I like Moment of Truth. Truthfully, Resurrection and Be are my favorite Common albums. Jeru (along with Guru AKA The Luckiest Rapper on Earth) was never great he only sounded dope because of Primo. I always skipped Pras’s verse on the Fugees album (why do you think they mostly placed in him on the third verse?). And seriously what did Clef made that was hot in the last 6 years or so?
They did slip on CL though.
PS. The upcoming Kanye-less Common album…Wait until ya’ll hear it. Ya’ll get black balled.
Comment by Metrocard — August 6, 2008 #
This was a great idea that was horribly executed. If I feel like it I might flip it and provide you a link to show you how it should’ve been done instead of the way you obviously half assed it here.
For the sake of Hip Hop heads everywhere…use your whole ass (or just outsource/ask for help so embarrassing Hip Hop “blogging” like this doesn’t happen again) next time.
SMH.
One.
Comment by Dart_Adams — August 7, 2008 #
Jeezy without shawty redd
The Inspiration was not as good as Thug Motivation 101!!!!
Comment by brian — August 7, 2008 #
I said the same thing about TIP and Toomp! So bad that I had to call someone and make sure Toomp was going to be on Paper Trail. Shit was that real…and brian^^^ congrats Shawty Redd’s got some ignorant tracks on “The Recession,” I love it.
Comment by Steely D — August 8, 2008 #
Do I dare say it ? U mutahfuckas is blind if you dont put NaS and Jay w/o Premier up here. Or Dialated w/o Alchemist. I also concur with the little brother statement. Vast Aire really needs a all madlib lp. Was up with that new blackstar album? Talib is doin okay without mos, but man mos last 2 albums he took an L on them shits.
Comment by CuRtain$ — August 8, 2008 #
Of all the Snoop albums, you’re gonna try to say that Dogfather is the worst? How about any of that shit on No Limit? Y’all crazy.
Comment by HBeez — August 9, 2008 #
Yo Common with Kanye CLASSIC Be was Dope. That isnt No I.D but I have a feeling it was a dependent relationship.
As for the Clipse and Neptunes… This is a Re-Up Gang album the Clipse are on it basically to get you to listen to Ab-Liva and Sandman. Not to mention it’s basically an extention of their “We Got It For CHeap” mixtape series. As for their new album although not entirely done by neptunes they are most def on there so calm down.
CL and Pete def needs to be on this list too.
My 2 cents.. put in a little work before you start talkin crazy
Comment by Morph — August 9, 2008 #
Or…. The saddest of ALL CANIBUS w/o Wyclef???
Ha, Ha!
Comment by sev — August 11, 2008 #
“Be” was still dope, although I liked “It’ll all make sense” & “Resurection” better. Co-sign on Guru.
Nas is extremely dope, but the consistency of his beats has been dropping since the pre-illmatic mixtape. The only beat I’m feeling on “Nigger” is the Sly Fox instru.
That doesn’t mean there are not at least 2 bangers on (almost) every album he dropped ever since. Plus his lyrics stay on-point; that’s why “God’s Stephson” was such a revelation to me. It turned some before left-alone tracks into classics.
On top of that: I hope NaS does what he was talking about and drops the Premo/LargePro-produced double LP. (In fact: 2 seperate albums released on the same day!)
Peace
Comment by Bricks — August 17, 2008 #
“Be” was still dope, although I liked “It’ll all make sense” & “Resurection” better. Co-sign on Guru.
Nas is extremely dope, but the consistency of his beats has been dropping since the pre-illmatic mixtape. The only beat I’m feeling on “Nlgger” is the Sly Fox instru.
That doesn’t mean there are not at least 2 bangers on (almost) every album he dropped ever since. Plus his lyrics stay on-point; that’s why “God’s Stephson” was such a revelation to me. It turned some before left-alone tracks into classics.
On top of that: I hope NaS does what he was talking about and drops the Premo/LargePro-produced double LP. (In fact: 2 seperate albums released on the same day!)
Peace
Comment by Bricks — August 17, 2008 #