year of the superproducers

12/23/2004 03:03:00 PM
Much of the discussion about the music industry today is about the impact of digital technology on marketing, distribution and revenue. Yet an area of music that is radically changing is happening inside the studio: the producer. And in hip-hop, it's reinventing what it means to be a musician.

Producers of the past got credit for their craft from the musicians and studios they worked with. But publicly, credit is isolated to the liner notes. The last few years, however, has been about coming out of the shadows and emerging as a Superproducer.

It's not good enough to just rap, sing or play an instrument, because 'real' respect appears to lie in crossing over from behind the scenes to an album cover. Given this dual role, the style of Superproducer has become pervasive in music as a whole. When Missy Elliot's Under Construction was released last year, you knew after a few bars that Timbaland produced it. Similarly, it's easy to spot the distinctive production style of the Neptunes.

The Neptunes have produced Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and Nelly. They're also known as the group, N.E.R.D. and have two albums under their belt. Front man Pharrell recently teamed up with Snoop in, Drop it like it's Hot.

learn more about N.E.R.D.

But the biggest sensation this year is from preppy-style Kanye West, who has produced Jay-Z, Mos Def, Alicia Keys & Ludacris. He scored 10 Grammy nominations for his album, Through the Wire. He is also building numerous brand relationships, including Boost Mobile.

learn more about Kanye West

Kanye's recent Grammy nominations

In hip-hop, the ultimate success is moving from musician to mogul, like Jay-Z and Russell Simmons. This is where you become a brand - and fashion, politics, cell phones, even banking become part of your empire.
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