Kanye West's 50 Best Beats for Other Artists

These days, 'Ye is more likely to get hit up about contributing a verse, but his work as a producer is still highly revered. We rank his greatest moments behind the boards.

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Complex Original

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Today, Kanye West is known for his work as the starring act and main attraction. Sometimes it’s hard to remember that Kanye became a megastar by coming through the backdoor as a producer. A decade ago, Kanye wasn’t full-time rhyming yet. Instead, he was making a name for himself by crafting soul-heavy beats for classic like Jay-Z's The Blueprint and Scarface's The Fix.

Shortly after, 'Ye began his epic run as a solo artist, producing the large majority of his own material. It's from that catalog that we've witnessed many of Kanye's best productions, including era-defining instrumentals like "Stronger" and "All of the Lights." But 'Ye has still always found time to cook up a banger for another artist. The same process that put him on the map helps keep him relevant as one of hip-hop's best beatsmiths.

With Kanye's G.O.O.D. Music compilation, Cruel Summer, officially out tomorrow, it's a good time to consider all of the work he's put in to get here. We're taking a look back at the days when he was a producer for hire, working with artists like Beanie Sigel, Monica, and Nas. Of course, 'Ye produced a bunch of hits after his superstar status was cemented, too. We've taken it all into account.

These are Kanye West's 50 best beats for other artists.

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RELATED: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Jay-Z's "The Blueprint"
 

50. Lupe Fiasco "The Cool" (2006)

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49. Lil Wayne "Let The Beat Build" (2008)

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48. Common f/ Lily Allen "Drivin' Me Wild" (2007)

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47. Alicia Keys "You Don't Know My Name" (2003)

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46. Consequence f/ Kanye West "Getting Out The Game" (2004)

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45. Do or Die f/ Kanye West "Higher" (2004)

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44. T.I. "Doin My Job" (2003)

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43. John Legend "Used To Love U" (2004)

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42. Freeway "Hear The Song" (2003)

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41. Jay-Z "Some People Hate" (2002)

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40. Bump J "Move Around" (2005)

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39. Jin f/ Kanye West "I Got A Love" (2004)

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38. T.I. f/ Kanye West & Kid Cudi "Welcome To The World" (2010)

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37. Jay-Z "Girls Girls Girls (Part 2)" (2001)

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36. Kid Cudi "Sky Might Fall" (2009)

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35. Trina f/ Ludacris "B R Right" (2002)

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34. Ludacris f/ Shawnna "Stand Up" (2003)

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33. Jay-Z f/ Big Boi, Killer Mike & Twista "Poppin' Tags" (2002)

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32. Game f/ Kanye West "Wouldn't Get Far" (2006)

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31. Rick Ross' f/ Kanye West "Live Fast, Die Young" (2010)

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30. Consequence f/ Kanye West "The Good, The Bad, The Ugly" (2007)

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29. Twista f/ Kanye West "Alright" (2009)

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28. Cam'ron f/ Jim Jones "Dead Or Alive" (2002)

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27. Nas "Poppa Was A Playa" (2002)

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26. Teriyaki Boyz f/ Kanye West "I Still Love H.E.R." (2009)

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25. Drake "Show Me A Good Time" (2010)

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24. Common "The People" (2007)

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23. T.I. f/ Jay-Z, Lil Wayne & Kanye West "Swagga Like Us" (2008)

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22. Monica "Knock Knock" (2003)

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21. Dame Dash f/ Kanye West, Young Gunz, Beanie Sigel, Cam'ron & Twista "Champions" (2002)

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20. Dilated Peoples f/ Kanye West "This Way" (2004)

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19. Beanie Sigel "Nothing Like It" (2001)

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18. Shyne "More Or Less" (2004)

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17. Jay-Z f/ Kid Cudi "Already Home" (2009)

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16. Cam'ron "Down and Out" (2004)

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15. Jay-Z "Lucifer" (2003)

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14. Slum Village f/ Kanye West & John Legend "Selfish" (2004)

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13. DJ Khaled f/ Kanye West, Consequence & John Legend "Grammy Family" (2007)

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12. Jay-Z "Encore" (2003)

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11. Common's "Be" Album (2005)

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10. Jay-Z f/ Rihanna & Kanye West "Run This Town" (2009)

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9. Jay-Z f/ Beanie Sigel & Scarface "This Can't Be Life" (2000)

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8. Twista f/ Kanye West "Overnight Celebrity" (2004)

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7. Jay-Z "Never Change" (2001)

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6. Scarface f/ Jay-Z & Beanie Sigel "Guess Who's Back" (2002)

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5. Jay-Z "Heart Of The City" (2001)

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4. Game "Dreams" (2005)

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3. Talib Kweli "Get By" (2002)

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2. Jay-Z "Takeover" (2001)

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1. Jay-Z "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" (2001)

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