15 New Producers To Watch Out For

Here are 15 new producers in the game right now that we think could be going places, and who you should be paying close attention to.

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Image via Complex Original
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One positive side effect of the seemingly endless supply of new rappers these days dropping songs, videos, or mixtapes is that we get introduced to a ton of new producers as well. A lot of them are just recycling sounds and offering nothing new, or even beats of particularly high quality. But some are worth checking out, so we took it upon ourselves to come up with a list of some producers we think show promise. This isn’t necessarily a co-sign, but we’re definitely interested in seeing what impact everyone on this list can have. So here are 15 new producers in the game right now that we think could be going places, and who you should be paying close attention to.

Ayo The Producer

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Twitter: @AYOtheproducer
From: Orlando, Florida

Lil Wayne "John (If I Die Today)"


Complex says: Ayo The Producer first caught our attention with his production on Lil Wayne’s “John.” Even if it sounds a lot like a remix of Rick Ross’ “I’m Not A Star,” that track goes impossibly hard and in several directions at once—from almost nothing but spacey synths to a full-on assault of trumpets and aggressive percussion. It showed diversity and creativity in a song that could have easily been dominated by the two superstars. Ayo has also tagged some other big tracks from artists like Drake, Diddy, and Soulja Boy.

B. Carr

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Twitter: @BCarr_SC
From: Pasadena, California

Wiz Khalifa "Hopes & Dreams"


Complex says: You’ve probably already heard names like Hit-Boy and Chase N. Cashe from the Surf Club, but one of the lesser known SF members is Brandon Carr, who produces under the moniker B. Carr. We first took real notice of him after he produced Wiz Khalifa’s “Hopes and Dreams.” But we must have been sleeping since he also produced Young Money’s “New Shit.” Either way, we’re excited to see what he and his Surf Club crew have planned for the future.

RELATED: WHO IS THE SURF CLUB?

Cardiak

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Twitter: @cardiakflatline
From: Willingboro, New Jersey

Wale "600 Benz"

Clams Casino

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Twitter: @clammyclams
From: New Jersey

Lil B "I'm God"

Complex says: One of the most promising producers to enter the game recently is also the most unassuming. 24 year-old Mike Volpe—better known as Clams Casino—has been producing out of his mom’s basement and had his music blow up online. All the while, he’s still been pursuing a degree in physical therapy.

His lo-fi, ethereal, and experimental soundscapes have become synonymous with “based” music as he got his breakthrough producing some of Lil B’s biggest and best songs—notably “I’m God” and “Motivation.” However, Clams has branched out and released his fantastic instrumental EP, Rainforest, on Tri Angle Records. We can’t front, we started listening to dude because of Lil B. Thank you Based God?

DJ Two Stacks

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Twitter: @DJTWOSTACKS
From: Staten Island, New York

Kreayshawn "Gucci Gucci"



Complex says: Kreayshawn took the world by storm this year, but her burgeoning popularity and major label deal are almost entirely built on one song, the undeniable “Gucci Gucci.” So it makes sense that the producer behind that monster of a track has also been placed squarely on a track to success.

There’s been plenty of discussion about the quality of Kreayshawn’s music (and V-Nasty using the N-word), but the one thing you don’t hear is anyone dissing is the beat. The UFO sound effects, fat bass, and “one big room, full of bad bitches” sample all add up to something so catchy that when Lil Wayne freestyled over “Gucci Gucci” for his Sorry 4 The Wait mixstape, the song became a trending topic on Twitter. Needless to say, we’re eager to see what Two Stacks has in the stash.

RELATED: WHO IS KREAYSHAWN?

Doc McKinney & Illangelo

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Twitter: @docmkinney, @illangelo
From: Minneapolis, Minnesota & Toronto

The Weeknd "House of Balloons/Glass Table Girls"


Complex says: The Weeknd made the best album of the year (so far), so credit must be given to his incredible producers. As compelling as Abel Tesfaye’s crooning and pained lyrics were, the buzzing synths, pounding minimalist drums, and inventive sampling techniques were a huge part of why House of Balloons was so good. From our understanding, Doc McKinney (who is a much more seasoned vet than most people realize) and Illangelo handled the bulk of the production work. Although they’re not a duo, we really can’t decide which one of their beats we like more, so we’re just gonna namecheck them both.

RELATED: WHO IS THE WEEKND?

ID Labs

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Twitter: @idlabsmusic
From: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Wiz Khalifa "When I'm Gone"

Kevin "K-Mac" McCall

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Twitter: @kevinmccall
From: Watts, California

Chris Brown "Deuces"

Lil Lody

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Twitter: @LodyLucci
From: Memphis, Tennessee

Young Jeezy "Shake Life"


Complex says: Lex Luger was the breakout producer of 2010 thanks to his genre-defining “B.M.F.” In his wake, a ton of Lex Luger wannabes have popped up. And there’s no denying that Lil Lody is seen as one of them. At the very least, he’s the best of the bunch, and as the very best, he’s got a style all to his own that’s just waiting to emerge. After Lody produced “Shake Life” and “Ballin’” for Young Jeezy, we’re willing to bet on the latter.

Mike Will

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Twitter: @mikewillmadeit
From: Atlanta, Georgia

Meek Mill "Tupac Back"


Complex says: Mike Will makes this list simply because “Tupac Back” is one of the best songs of this year. A lot of that comes down to the monster of a beat Mike Will gave to Rick Ross and Meek Mill. Part Lex Luger, part Drumma Boy, Mike Will is tapping into the sound that’s creating success stories left and right these days, and doing it better than a lot of his competition.

Miykal Snoddy

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Twitter: @msnoddy
From: Atlanta, Georgia

Lupe Fiasco "Out Of My Head"


Complex says: Lupe Fiasco may have hated his third album, but that didn’t stop us from admiring some of the beats on Lasers and thinking about how those full-bodied synths would have worked a lot better for rappers that weren’t Lupe. One of those beats was “Out Of My Head,” which has quietly become a Top 40 hit. Contrast that with the minimal R&B Miykal Snoddy laced Diddy with for Dirty Money’s Drake-featuring single, “Loving U No More,” and you’ve got yourself a diverse catalog already.

Sap

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Twitter: @THEREALSAP
From: Delaware

Mac Miller "Donald Trump"


Complex says: For a while there, Mac Miller was a slept-on rapper with a dedicated fanbase. It wasn’t until he got his hands on that “Donald Trump” beat that things shot to another level for him. Courtesy of up-and-comer Sap, a no-name out of Delaware, the vocal samples, strings, and banging bass on the track caught our attention. Although Mac seems determined to work closely with the previously mentioned ID Labs, we wouldn’t mind if he hooked up with Sap once again.

Sonny Digital

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Twitter: @SONNYDIGITAL
From: Atlanta, Georgia

YC "Racks"


Complex says: There’s a clear-cut reason why the remix of YC’s “Racks” was able to amass an impressive-by-numbers-alone 15 guest spots. And that reason was not YC (Sorry YC!). The real reason was Sonny Digital’s beat, which was catchy enough for the likes of B.o.B, but still street enough for the likes of Waka Flocka Flame. One ridiculous, 13-minute song later, and there’s a producer who has proven he can produce for literally anyone in the game, all in one fell swoop. Sure, YC may go down as a one-hit wonder, but we’re hoping Sonny Digital doesn’t do the same.

Sounwave

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Twitter: @SOUNWAVETDE
From: Los Angeles, California

Kendrick Lamar "Michael Jordan"


Complex says: As the in-house producer for Top Dawg Entertainment, Sounwave has produced a ton of Kendrick Lamar material including the bulk of his excellent new mixtape, Section.80. He also serves as one-third of the producing group Digi+Phonics. Sounwave’s versatility as a producer is obvious when you compare his songs and notice how club cuts like “Michael Jordan” exist right next to smooth joints like “Hol’ Up.”

Will Power

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Twitter: @SUPAHOTBEATS
From: Columbia, South Carolina

Yelawolf "Pop The Trunk"

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