10 Rap Producers You Might Not Know (But Should)

Everything you need to know about Dylan Brady can be summed up in one line—it "seems like he's been planning a sneak attack on the internet." The music on All I Ever Wanted is nothing short of astonishing, a seamless blend of dance, hip-hop, and unfiltered abrasion. For all the booming synths and trap influence, however, Brady still manages to make warm, inviting music. His production possesses a harsh beauty, drugged-out and hazy as a 19th century opium den.

The raps follow suit, pitch-shifted and Auto-Tuned at every turn. Brady is a producer intent on exploring the distant future, and his songs paint pictures of a sparse, apocalyptic landscape: sparse synths are obliterated by crashing drums, nihilistic rhymes tempered by cultural allusions that (just barely) anchor us back in the real world. The St. Louis-based producer wanted to be a filmmaker before diving into music in earnest, and it shows. Dylan Brady is making visions.

What do Kaytranada, BADBADNOTGOOD, Sango, Gravez, Wiki from Ratking, D.R.A.M., and Michael Christmas all have in common? They're all featured on Marvel Alexander's excellent Don't Die Yet album. It's an appropriate mix of producers and rappers—Alexander distinguishes himself with his ability to play both ends of the court, mixing stark synths and complex percussion with verses that swerve between comedy and wisdom, melodies and conversation.

The L.A. artist expanded on that dichotomy when we spoke to him for a Daily Discovery at the start of 2015. "I don’t want people to take me as a parody or joke rapper," he said. "I just like to have fun with records and express myself freely. And with the current state of rap either you're a cliché rapper, socio-conscious rapper, or a troll. It seems like people have a hard time understanding the common grounds. But I try not to get too wrapped up in it."

Maybe that's the key: do your best to block out all the noise, and just follow your instincts. It's certainly working for Marvel Alexander thus far.

The album cover for London O'Connor's OA album shows the producer/rapper in profile, staring down at a Zoom recorder in one of his signature gowns. It's a fitting image, one that highlights the handheld nature of O'Connor's music. He says the album came "from [his] backpack," and that's true in the best of ways. The songs have a bedroom, DIY-quality to them that's both intimate and innovative: this isn't Bon-Iver-in-the-woods DIY, but London O'Connor may be this decade's glossier, electronic version.

But the more distinct difference (besides all the synths instead of the lonely acoustic guitar) is that London's music is full of an unbridled enthusiasm. Rather than careful, perfect production, he's shooting from the hip and hitting more than he misses. OA doesn't have any features, and it doesn't need any. London is doing just fine on his own.

In 2015, Romil has continued to best his past work while bettering those around him. A talented lone wolf who can balance abrasion and solemn reservation ("Drugs"), he's also proven himself a conductor of the talent in Brockhampton—a creative team he spent countless hours of screen time in search of.

The man behind Kevin Abstract's mtv1987, a body of work that ranks among the best of 2014, is also the driving force behind the vocalist's anticipated album Death of a Supermodel.

Last year's effort glistened thanks to Romil's versatile synth work, and what we've heard so far has 20-year-old further enhancing his chops. Already recognized by the press and positioned to bring innovation and color to the rap game, Romil should be collecting credits on major studio releases soon enough.

While he's made his name as a frequent producer for big-name acts like A$AP Ferg, Stelios Phili isn't afraid to do a little SoundCloud digging. That's how he found Dev09, a Midwestern singer with just four followers (at the time) and an intoxicating sound. He's also produced Brooklyn up-and-comer Donmonique and Danny Brown on "Tha Low," and has a deep solo discography of his own on his own SoundCloud.

Stelios Phili is one of those producers you can recognize from the jump—he utilizes a unique collection of sounds that is both muted and aggressive: murky synths and pillowy cymbal taps are cut by a fierce snare, or a saxophone seamlessly transforms into an electric guitar. It's all about subtlety with SP, and he's got it down to a science.

As one of the main producers for Lucki Eck$, Plu2o Nash tapped into the rapper's style by spinning druggy, faraway webs. Considering he's from Chicago—and Lucki's lyrical content—it makes sense. His city is in dire straits, and these dark, brooding sounds are the best fit for its soundtrack.

Nash has been making waves despite (because of?) his somber realities, recently landing a song with the ascendant Tink, getting cosigned by Pharrell, and producing "JD" on A$AP Rocky's At. Long.Last.A$AP. But the fame has yet to affect his style: Plu2o Nash still makes grimy beats that sound like a modern-day Shlohmo crossed with another iconic Chicago producer, Young Chop. They're menacing productions that verge on straight evil, and it seems like he could do it in his sleep—they just might be closer to nightmares than dreams.

The one-man-band that is Frank Leone caught our eye with his magnificent EnterWILD album earlier this year, and he hasn't slowed down since. Leone produces and records all his own music, and the resulting swarm of effects and dampened percussion sound like something Leone stumbled upon accidentally, and would be hard-pressed to replicate.

But track after track, he continues to deliver. It's a unique blend of hip-hop and instrumentals, capable of flipping from stoned, meandering ripples in the water to gun-toting wordplay in a matter of seconds (see: "BUMP in the NIGHT"). And while Leone's raps are far more than passable, it's his production that steals the show. He manages to unpack continual surprises throughout EnterWILD, and with his debut album now behind him, we can only guess what else this all-in-one talent has up his sleeve.

The boy born Ciaran McDonald amassed millions of plays on SoundCloud before joining the Brockhampton ranks. He had used his time wisely, choosing to expertly rework various records already blessed by buzzing names; Childish Gambino and James Blake bootlegs, Sango remixes, and original material brought him a following even larger than that of his crew. Not bad for a kid from the rock-centric town of Belfast.

Ciaran plays an essential role in the group's restless pursuit of barrier breakage. The not-so-secret weapon in Romil's corner is tasked with outfitting the likes of Kevin Abstract, Rodney Tenor, and Matt Champion with chest-pounding synth onslaughts ("Bet I") and wildly ambitious, multi-part statement pieces ("Hero").

A quick glimpse at recent releases will show that Face has touched almost every Brockhampton song from 2015. Already possessing a diverse set of sounds, BEAR / / FACE has what it takes to cater toward audiences of all types.—Alex Siber 

Yung Gud is one of the producers behind Yung Lean's sound, with credits on eight tracks from Lean's album Unknown Memory, including standouts "Ghosttown" and "Yoshi City." The sadboy from Sweden makes beats that are equal parts delicate melody and rumbling bass, and his own Beautiful, Wonderful EP proved that his music sounded great on its own.

That said—please can more rappers (or singers) work with this guy? If you're looking for an edgy, interesting beat that still bangs hard, Yung Gud is your man. If all is well in the universe, look for more production credits from Gud in the second half of 2015.

In a city constantly bubbling with fresh talent, it feels like Chicago's Stefan Ponce manages to be everywhere at once. Since skyrocketing to prominence with his work on Childish Gambino's Because the Internet, Ponce has worked with the SAVEMONEY nucleus of Chance the Rapper and Vic Mensa from early on, has production credits with Towkio, and capped off an incredible year by producing Vic and Kanye West's "U Mad" alongside Smoko Ono, West, and Mike Dean.

Now he's branching out on his own, with the Somewhere EP due out later this summer. Ponce already released one track, and the house-inspired track is evidence that Ponce is spreading his wings. No longer confined to the production credits, he's started hitting the festival circuit this summer and even has the beginnings of a collective, performing around Chicago as Stefan Ponce & Friends.