20 Producers Who Are Expanding The Sound of Hip-Hop

Related: 11 Atlanta Producers Who Are Killing It Right Now

Related: 20 Alternative Hip-Hop Artists Who Are Making Things Interesting

Key collaborators: A$AP Rocky, Lil B

A large part of what made A$AP Rocky's early output so appealing was Clams Casino's production. His name has almost become a descriptor for a style of production, and it's clear he's had a lasting impression on beatmakers everywhere. As one of the producer to refine the cloud-rap sound that hovered around a few years back, his productions range from minimal spectral swirls, to towering glacier-like walls of texture.

It's a rich sound that's instantly recognizable, with few producers matching his expertise at crafting atmosphere. Even if he's been a bit less prolific as of late, we're certain that he's cooking up something pretty spectacular to make up for it.

Key collaborators: Kitty, Heems

Just like a lot of other producers, Hot Sugar centers his sound around sampling. Unlike a lot other producers, however, Hot Sugar tends to create the samples himself. Essentially, most of his music is built from found sounds and weird stuff that he records around New York City. His unique and dinky sound is both grimy, and pretty. Screeches and scratches included, his thudding beats are as cutesy as they are impactful, and no one really manages to maintain that balance better than him.

Having provided production for artists as diverse as The Roots and Kitty (formerly Pryde), there's a distinct sound running through all of his work, but it's evident that he's capable of some impressive diversity, too. Just watch this video below of him using a fireball for a snare for an idea of his esoteric and inventive process.

Key collaborators: Earl Sweatshirt, Jeremiah Jae, himself as Captain Murphy

Flying Lotus has been releasing wildly inventive music for almost a decade now, and he's showing no signs of slowing down. His work has showcased numerous influences, growing increasingly experimental as he progresses. After the nu-jazz of Cosmogramma, his hip-hop side took hold of his career. He provided production for Killer Mike and Blu, before starting a mystery rapping career himself under the name Captain Murphy.

Each project of his is easily distinguishable from the next, making it impossible to predict where he's headed in the future. With the announcement of a new album due out later this year, as well as hints of new Captain Murphy material, it seems that we won't have to wait much longer to find out.

Key collaborators: Yung Lean

Whether you think Yung Lean is a good rapper or not, it's kind of hard to deny the talents of the many producers he works with. Yung Gud is by far the biggest contributor to the Sadboys sound, and he also happens to be one of the most unique and gifted producers going right now. His intergalactic thumps feature shimmering synths, stretched and spectral vocal samples, and a healthy dose of that 'based' aesthetic we all love. It's an incredibly refreshing sound amidst the legions of producers still clinging onto trap, hoping to milk ever last drop of ratchet out of its faltering hi-hats.

Whether it's the skittering simplicity of "Ginseng Strip 2002," or the post-808s and Heartbreak clanking of "Gatorade," he frequently showcases diversity, but never abandons his core sound. His bright, Boards of Canada-inspired synths twinkle and brood in equal measure, making it easier to appreciate Yung Lean's outsider approach to hip-hop. He may be stemming from the unlikeliest of places, but its hard not to feel reenergized by his vibrant sound.

Key collaborators: DOOM, Freddie Gibbs, himself as Quasimoto

Of all the producers on this list, Madlib is perhaps the most prestigious. Having provided production for the likes of DOOM, Ghostface Killah, and copious others, the Stones Throw luminary has had his hand in some of the most revered records of the past decade and a half. His dusty, sample-heavy sound is unique among legions of other sample-fiends. The ways he cuts his slices of funk, psychedelica, and soul is remarkably singular.

No matter how hard producers try, his sound and technique cannot be recreated. Even when his beats sound old, they sound fresh. It takes a lot to make samples of old music so exciting, but Madlib makes it seem easy.

Key collaborators: Action Bronson, Smoke DZA

Harry Fraud is one of those rare producers that started producing for pretty big acts, before offering his wavy sample work to smaller acts. His floaty style has provided instrumental beds for French Montana and Curren$y, alongside Heems and Action Bronson. He still frequently works with relative unknowns, and it's just one of the reasons why it's exciting to follow his unpredictable career trajectory.

His style is very malleable, but his productions usually feature a mix of futuristic synthesizers and more traditional hip-hop samples. It's the perfect mix between nostalgia and the new wave, with his influences clearly residing outside of hip-hop norms.

Harry Fraud has also been taking on non hip-hop remixes as of late, including this excellently atmospheric Sam Smith remix.

Key collaborators: Deniro Farrar, Shady Blaze

Strictly speaking, Ryan Hemsworth isn't a hip-hop producer. He made his name through his shimmering productions for the likes of Shady Blaze and Deniro Farrar, but ever since he's been drifting off into a different direction. However, he maintains a heavy hip-hop influences, even when working with singers.

He's unafraid to embrace a cuter aesthetic, and it makes him stand out all the more. He's even mixed Mr Muthafuckin' eXquire with Kyary Pamyu Pamyu; there isn't another DJ or producer that's bold enough to even attempt something so ridiculous. He's a real character, and he injects that into his music too.

Key collaborator: Danny Brown

Rustie had been flirting with hip-hop for years, but it wasn't until Glass Swords that he did it his way. His debut record featured crystalline synths, booming bass, and samples of The Legend of Zelda. It's a strange take on hip-hop, but it's distinctively his own. His bouncy castle of sounds hits hard, even when he's effortlessly trying to be playful.

It's a refreshing change from dance-oriented production that tries to sound evil and colossal; and whilst Rustie can be both of these things at times, there always seems to be a focus on fun, sounding as vivid and colorful as possible. He's also shown versatility since collaborating with Danny Brown on OLD, and his upcoming album Green Language looks to show the growth of his talents even further.

Key collaborators: Jimmy Johnson, Bones

With an endorsement from Drake, Eric Dingus is enjoying a rapid ascent. His apocalyptic sound is oddly attractive, captivating with its huge washes of lo-fi sound. His singular brand of ambience thuds one second, and stuns the next. It's a blend of pretty and menacing that you seldom hear, but that's what makes his music so interesting.

Key collaborators: Antwon, Yung Lean

Love or hate the aesthetic he usually works within, Suicideyear's syrup-in-a-church sound is undeniably imaginative and entirely his own. His echoey productions leave a lot of space for rappers, but they work just as well without vocals. His disconsolate tones breathe life into the rappers he works with, regardless of style. Hopefully we'll be seeing much more of him now that he's signed to Software Records.

Key collaborators: Kanye West, G.O.O.D. Music

Hudson Mohawke is one of the producers best placed to bring interesting, experimentally minded production to the masses. With his G.O.O.D. Music publishing deal and placements on three of 2013's biggest rap albums (Drake, Kanye, and Pusha T), the Scottish producer is keeping mainstream rap from getting stale. Although no one would classify HudMo as an "alternative hip-hop producer," he makes this list thanks to his work on one of the most alternative hip-hop albums in recent history (Yeezus), and his potential to help give anyone in hip-hop that forward-thinking sound with his production.

Key collaborators: Danny Brown

Danny Brown's DJ, Skywlkr, has become an integral part of his live show. Not only his he an incredibly talented producer, but he really knows how to get a crowd going, too. Having produced some Brown's best material, he's built his name on a heavy, widescreen style of production. He never sticks to one sound for too long, and he knows how to change it up when necessary.

Whether it's the dusty samples of "Die Like a Rockstar," the room-shaking bass of party starter "Dip," or the heady and strange atmospherics of "Outer Space," Skywlkr is always keeping things interesting. It's no wonder he and Danny Brown work well together.

Key collaborators: Nacho Picasso, Deniro Farrar

Blue Sky Black Death have produced for a hugely varied list of rappers, mostly thanks to their versatility. From shoegaze to trap, they've covered a wide spectrum of genres in their eight-year history. It's got to be tough work maintaining their high standards across so many disparate elements, but the duo manage it no matter who they're working with. They've been ahead of the curve every step of the way, so keep that in mind when you're trying to anticipate the next big movement in rap production.

Key collaborators: Killer Mike, Cannibal Ox

As far as rappers that self-produce go, El-P's in a league of his own. Maintaining relevancy over a decade is difficult, but thanks to his ever-evolving production relevancy has never really been an issue for El. From his early days in Company Flow to his recent output in Run the Jewels, El has consistently been putting out some of the most interesting, chaotic, and unique beats around. His sound can range from hard-hitting accessibility to dystopian walls of noise, but you usually know an El-P beat when you hear it, because it usually sounds something like the hip-hop version of the end of the world.

Key collaborators: Flatbush Zombies

As Flatbush Zombies' in-house producer, Erick Arc Elliott is the primary contributor to the trio's druggy sound. Sure, Juice, Meech, and Erick are all good rappers in their own right, but Flatbush Zombies just wouldn't be the group they are without the architect's signature sound.

There are his more laid back, drugged-out tracks, his creepy, lo-fi, zombie-like sounds, and then there are his unique takes on the traditional banger. His unpredictability is the only reliable aspect of his output.  He's sampled Pink Floyd, Black Moth Super Rainbow, and Baths among others, citing Portishead as one of his core influences. His love for music as a whole is evident in each of his instrumentals.

Key collaborators: Childish Gambino

Ludwig Goransson, at least for a while, was primarily known as a composer, having provided music for Community, and more recently the critically acclaimed indie darling Fruitvale Station. That has changed thanks to his work with Childish Gambino, especially as Gambino's rise as a respected artist continues. Ludwig made a mark on Gambino's latest effort, the surprisingly experimental Because the Internet. It's a record unafraid of pushing boundaries, and without Ludwig's compositional knowledge, it probably wouldn't flow as well as it does.

It's quite obvious that he comes from a composer background, as there's a very cinematic feel to his instrumentals, even when they're intimate. There's a sense of scope and narrative that few other producers can offer, making it easy to see why Gambino chose him as his partner in crime.

Key collaborators: Kanye West

It's funny, Evian Christ was one of the producers who benefitted most from working on Yeezus, in terms of exposure, hype, and the growth of hip-hop audience interest in his shows, but he is only credited with production on one track from the album—"I'm In It." Part of the reason for the hype was the incredible promise of his first work, collected on the free Kings & Them mixtape and part of it surely came from his interesting back story, going from a trainee teacher to a Tri Angle-signed underground sensation to being in Paris with Kanye in a short space of time.

Although Evian Christ delivered on his early promise with this year's pummeling Waterfall EP, his inclusion in this list is based solely on his Yeezus work and the expectations of whats to come. He is signed to G.O.O.D. Music for a publishing deal, he has talked about working on beats for Kanye's next album, and he now lives in New York to more easily work with rappers. Working with the right artists, Evian could be a powerful force in the hip-hop world in the near future.

Key collaborators: Raider Klan

It's hard to tell what Raider Klan represent, but it's always fun to try and figure it out. He may have stepped away from the spotlight for the most part, but the group's head honcho, Spaceghostpurrp, is still very much a producer to be reckoned with. His lo-fi aesthetic has been cleaned up somewhat, but his style is no less gritty. His beats sound like they were mastered in a small shack by a swamp somewhere in Florida, providing a mysterious and intimidating quality to his sound.

He hasn't really produced much for outside rappers recently, but hopefully that changes soon. His frothing atmospherics and Three 6 Mafia-indebted percussion is very much needed right now, as there aren't enough producers successfully achieving that grimy sound hip-hop needs.

Key collaborators:  Mac Miller, Odd Future

While he hasn't done much outside of his own music yet, Earl Sweatshirt's production abilities have been impressing already. Having provided instrumental work for around half of Doris, it's beginning to look like Earl will not only be a threat to fellow rappers, but producers, too.

His sound doesn't stray too far from the sound that Odd Future made its name on, but there are a few key refinements to his approach. Synths swirl and stretch themselves back and forth, melodies slowly deteriorate, percussion skips unpredictably. It's anything but traditional, and it makes sense—traditional really doesn't suit Earl.

Key collaborators: Shabazz Palaces

Forward-thinking is a term that's thrown around a lot, but it genuinely applies to Tendai Maraire's production. His style is wholeheartedly progressive, sounding like nothing else. Psychedelic one moment and melodic the next, if it weren't for the rapping on Shabazz Palaces' tracks, you'd be hard-pressed to call it hip-hop production.

No rules are followed as samples are thrown around and guitars and synths dance. It's almost like the result of aliens visiting our planet, listening to hip-hop, trying to recreate it, and instead making something a lot more original-sounding in the process.