Top 10 Pimp C Tracks

R.I.P.

1. UGK - Diamonds and Wood
Even though he never shied away from gangster-boasts on his verses, Pimp C also often offered an incredible insight into the life of a drug-dealer. The final verse of Diamonds and Wood is easily Pimp C's best ever. I won't quote much here, you should just go listen to the track, from "Ridin' Dirty". When he repeats "I'm smokin' skunk and poppin' the trunk to make me feel good" as the hook kicks in for final time, he completes his perfect verse. P.S. It also just happens that the beat is one of greatest southern beats of all time - and yep, it was co-produced by Pimp C himself.

2. UGK - One Day You're Here
Another Pimp C production, this is the stunning opening track to "Ridin' Dirty." The instrumental is incredibly chilled and, coupled with Ron Isley's magical singing, takes you away from whatever is on your mind and transports you to Houston, Texas, where you will remain for the remainder of the album. Pimp also spits another great verse to finish this track.

And then when I got on my knees that night to pray
I asked God why he let these killas live and take my homeboy's son away
Man if you got kids show em you love em cuz God jus might call em home
Cuz one day you here but baby the next day you gone

3. Pimp C - Slow Down feat. Cory Mo
This is another awesomely chilled beat. Perhaps one of my favourites of all time. Pimp plays it perfectly too... "I used to sell weed, then I sold crack / I used to ride in a old-school gold 'llac" he informs us. Word em up...that's hood.

4. UGK - International Players Anthem feat. Outkast
This track, this time produced by Three 6 Mafia's Juicy J and DJ Paul, is many fans' favourite hip-hop single of the year 2007; and for good reason. Andre opens the track with an incredibly inventive verse, and then as the drum beat kicks in over the chorals we hear "Sweet Jones" and C proceeds to absolutely rip up the track:

My bitch a choosin' lover, never fuck without a rubber
Never in the sheets, like it on top of the cover
Money on the dresser, drive a Kompressor
Top notch hos: get the most, not the lesser

5. UGK - It's Supposed to Bubble
The amount of insanely high quality southern chilled beats Pimp C was involved in is staggering. Seemingly everything he touched, turned to gold. This is another prime example. If we are naming the top hip-hop producers of all time on quantity of quality beats, Pimp C is easily top 5.

6. UGK - Shattered Dreams
This track is also on UGK's latest album "Underground Kingz." Pimp gives a couple of highly positive verses right here, reminding prostitutes that it is never too late to change your ways, and encouraging youngsters to go for their dreams.

7. Jay-Z - Big Pimpin' feat. UGK
This has to be on this list doesn't it? UGK's relationship with Jay-Z (don't forget Jay quoted Pimp C on "99 Problems") was an important relationship in UGK's career and in the history of hip-hop. What you get here from Pimp C is a short verse, but typically Pimpalicious shit.

Uhhh, now what y'all know bout them Texas boys
Comin down in candied toys, smokin weed and talkin noise

8. Pimp C - Swang Down / 10 A Key
On this one Pimp came with a more intense type of track. And it's ill, with Chad flippin the classic "Swing Down Sweet Chariot" hook of Parliament's. Then mid-track the whole beat changes and Pimp starts declaring "Sixteen five, bitch that's too high." Oh shit, you better rethink that...

9. Pimp C - Young Prostitute
Word em up. C lays down his shit here, telling us "I need a prostitute". So you'd think it would be a dark track huh? Nah, he then adds that it needs to be a "clean" prostitute...and the almost inconceivably celebratory beat continues on its merry way. This is how Pimp C always did it. Turning a negative into a positive. Dude was a hedonistic mutherfucker.

10. UGK - Heaven
I wonder if there is a heaven up there for real Gs. I fucking hope so...Rest In Peace.

Top Ten Dr. Dre Tracks

Dre: likes nothing more than being behind the boards

It's time for another top 10 post. I was just listening to all the tracks I have produced by Dr. Dre. So I thought I'd do a top 10 Dre-produced tracks.

10. My Name Is
I'll put this here cos it was a completely new style for a new artist. On every album Eminem has released, he always has a lead single like this, with playful Dre production, where Em is just crazy. Tracks like this show Dre's versatility and show that he can change up his style depending on what the artist is attempting to achieve.

9. Break Ya Neck
Just a fucking great production. Creative and banging...perfect for some ill Busta-ness over.

8. How We Do
Word. A slower jam, it bumps nonetheless. 100% pristine production. 100%.

7. Family Affair
What? R&B?!?! Of course this has to be here. Get the fuck out of here if you disagree. That beat is mad. The orchestra notes fit in so well and are catchy as hell. Really gives a nice bounce to an R&B song which I find is too rare these days. You can't help but nod your head to this shit. Really set it up for some ill singing from Mary J.

6. In Da Club
I'll put this here cos it's probably the biggest song of the millenium. It launched not only a career, but a whole Unit's career. Simplicity at its best. Dre defined the new millenium club banger right here with this one song. Others have tried to duplicate this template. But the original is the best. Again, Dre utilizes Orchestra instruments extremely well.

5. Still D.R.E.
Over a keyboard riff kindly supplied by Scott Storch and a funky bassline from Mike Elizondo, what did Dre really do here? Well, first he recognised that shit could be a worldwide hit. Then he added those cool little guitar lines at the end of every stanza, and made the drums bang. Bang...a classic beat is produced.

4. California Love
Perhaps the best known song in the current era of music to utilize the Talk Box, Dre enlisted Roger Troutman (R.I.P.) of Zapp to sing this one. Yeah yeah EPMD already used Joe Cocker's "Woman to Woman" but come on...Dre made it a worldwide hit. The synths and shit he added on top...and the Talk Box effect, are what set this song apart. Peace to EPMD though, but that's what Dre does.

3. Who Am I? (What's My Name)
The incredible synth bass line in this track is impossible not to love. Originally created by Funkadelic, it was seemingly genetically engineered to get people grooving. Add some hand claps, some Snoop and some Atomic Dog and you got the best track on one of the best albums of the decade. Not bad, that...

2. Fuck Tha Police
This song will always be remembered. DJ Yella and Dre produced this for N.W.A.'s "Straight Outta Compton" in 1988. I think it was way ahead of it's time, production wise. The bass hits hard. For that era, the sampling quality is crazy. It was not uncommon to sample James Brown's "Funky President" at the time butDre used it better than anyone else...

1. Nuthin but a G Thang
Number 1, without a doubt. It's too chilled. It affects you know matter if its the 1st, 10th or 1000th time you've heard it. Snoop comes effortless on this...and it's hard not too, so chilled is the beat. Just reminds of the beach...reminds you of L.A. Dre really captured a mood here and this will forever be one of the greatest hip-hop tracks of all time.

Top 10 Producers of All Time

Sorry Quik...your Number 11 on my list!

Waddup ya'll. Here check this here post out I'm about to make. I was thinking, "What to write about?" Yeah why not list my top 10 hip-hop producers of all-time.

10. Just Blaze

The dude sneaks into the top 10. Top effort for a young cat. Man this guy can produce some bangers. Most recently he has produced some fire with "The Second Coming" for Juelz and Nike. But the cat has produced some real nice tracks in this century: "Breathe", "Flipside" and "Pump It Up" being just a few examples. Cat likes the MPC and can whip shit up bloody quick on that. Always brings that big sound.

9. Pete Rock

Ok so some people might have him higher. Yeh, maybe as far as contribution to hip-hop goes, this guy should be higher. But the 8 guys above him on this list, I just enjoy their music more. Ya dig? That said, I really dig Pete's shit. There are producers who wouldn't even be in my top 20 producers who I still enjoy. So this is a pretty high position anyway. But chances are you know all about Pete Rock. Mr Soul Man. The Soul Survivor. This dude produced straight up classic shit for CL Smooth in the early 90s. The music he created, fusing Jazz and Hip-hop, seemed to fit CL Smooth's style perfect. Then, after falling out with dude CL, his solo "Soul Survivor" LPs proved that he can produce that quality with all kind of cats. A living legend.

8. The Neptunes

Hugo and Pharrel are quite a match made in heaven. They have been making music together since high school, which is quite remarkable if you think about it. Two talents of that magnitude ending up together by chance is akin to the four Beatles ending up together by chance in Liverpool. Or all the Wu-Tang Clan fools ending up around each other. Anyways, point is, these guys are fucking talented. They're a collective hit-factory, but can stay critically acclaimed at the same time as they manage to sell records without compromising quality. That is a rare gift. They have a real ear for interesting sounds and have no hesitation in sharing their ideas with the mainstream public. Sometimes it fails. Mainly it works...My favourite joints are the two Clipse albums they produced, "Hollaback Girl", Lupe's "I Gotcha", Noreaga's"Superthug" and T.I.'s "Goodlife".

7. Timbaland

There was a time where I didn't really dig Timbo that much. But recently dude has won me over with an incredible amount of quality productions. The guy's drum programming is quite simply the best I have ever heard. The percussion he brings to his songs can be varied...but always sounds immaculate and interesting. He is very creative with sounds. Not afraid to use his own vocal chords to bring you the sound he's thinking of, he remains ahead of the game creativity wise. His production for Justin Timberlake's "FutureSex/LoveSounds" is the best he has done pop wise, and some of the best pop production I've ever heard. And then you realise he released Nelly Furtado's "Loose" in the same time it's astonishing the quality and quantity he keeps up. Other classic cuts of his are Ginuwine's "Pony", Aaliyah's "Try Again", Jay-Z's "Big Pimpin" and "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" and Jeezy's booming "3 A.M."

6. Kanye West

Kanye just brings his heart and soul to the production table. His perfectionism is matched only by Dr Dre of producers on this list. He always brings a nice feel to his songs. His strength is definitely in utilizing soul samples extremely well and incorporating memorable melodies into his songs. My fav productions of his are Kweli's "Get By", his own "Never Let Me Down" "Two Words" and "Heard em Say", Jay-Z's "Lucifer" and "Heart of the City" and Keyshia Cole's "I Changed My Mind". Kanye can do it with strings, piano, anything.

5. J Dilla

The late Detroit producer was really making strides before his death in early 06. The thing is, if it wasn't for his illness, "Donuts" might not have been so personal, so special, so beautiful. Without the illness he may have never looked within himself so deeply and never unlocked such inspiration and shared it with us so candidly. Or maybe he would have...who knows. Its a shame we will never know. We are lucky that J Dilla made such dope music. We are all blessed with many great recordings thanks to him and should be thankful not just for him, but every artist on this list. Dope cuts he produced for other artists are "Verbal Clap" for De La, the album "Fantastic Vol 2" for Slum Village, Kweli's "Stand to the Side" and Common's "The Light."

4. Madlib

Madlib will just put anything down on the MPC and loop it up. Anything. Any type of sample. The result is a shit load of recordings...some of which are shit. However, a high proportion are brilliant. Fucking creative cunt. I guess that's what happens when you smoke weed all day. He is the first one to remind us that weed brings out creativity, either telling us through rap or inserting samples regarding the matter. The guy can sometimes go overboard with the vocal samples, disrupting songs halfway through by stopping the music and playing the sample, sometimes multiple times. This puts some people off, but I love it. He does it so it actually fits in if you think about. If your on weed...

Lol anyway the shit on Quasimoto's first record "The Unseen" is straight up classic jazz hip-hop style shit. One of the best collection of beats I've ever heard. Madvillain with MF Doom is on the same level. Other dope cuts are "Shopping Bags" for De La, "Nightlife" for MED, and "What Can I Do?" for Kweli.

3. Dr Dre

Dre! The most famous hip-hop producer of all time no doubt. This guy just lives by his music. He wants to make high quality shit. It all starts in the drums for him. Everyone knows Dre has the best drums. But on top of that, he just keeps it real chill. Guitars are popular. Synths. Anything chilled. "Nuthin But a G Thang" is one of greatest hip-hop songs of all time, and easily the most chilled. Then he just brings out stupidly simple classic shit like "Still D.R.E." - yeh Scott Storch came up with the chords but the fact is, Dre brought it all together. You can come up with some dope shit when Dre is around. He doesn't just make the music - he produces. He'll make you a hit. He'll make sure you bring what's appropriate. Recently I have enjoyed his laid-back Piano Chord jams "Lost Ones" for Jay-Z and Young Buck's "U Ain't Going Nowhere" although others haven't been impressed. Don't worry...Detox is gonna be so hot you'll forgive him for the years of delays. His track record suggests so anyway...

2. DJ Premier

This is New York hip-hop right here. Premo always brings it raw. Using his trusty MPC 60 this guy will give you a great platform for you to rhyme over...always. It all starts with those Boom Bap drums. It's real hip-hop...the beat doesn't dominate and allows you to listen to what is being said...but you will always be nodding your head regardless. Check out all them Gangstarr cuts. Or Jeru's shit. Dude fucking sampled water drops on "Come Clean." Ridiculous. Other 5 star shit he produced is Nas' "NY State of Mind," J-Live's "The Best Part", Jay-Z's "Bring It On" and recently Termanology's "Watch how it go down." All allow the MC to shine while being incredibly hot beats...that is no mean feat.

1. RZA

Just can't help it. Can't resist those beats he made back in the mid 90s. Can't help but be seduced by those minimalistic gems. GZA, Raekwon, Method Man and Wu-Tang Clan are always at the top of my most played list. While the lyrics are often dope, the main reason is RZA's production. That's real production - producing whole albums. That's where you can bring that real shit. You can create a whole MOOD. On Wu-Tang's debut, shit was incredibly raw. Straight from the streets. Just a gritty, tinny beat, and some hardcore spitting over it. The use of samples was ingenious too. "C.R.E.A.M." is just an impeccable track. The nursery rhyme piano line just stays in your head, and Deck and Raekwon brought some real shit over that - the point is yet again, its a dope beat without taking away the lyrics of the MC. When he progressed in the next few albums, he didn't really progress at all. He'd bring in some dirty bass lines maybe. But he'd keep that shit simple, on his Ensoniq keyboard. The debut full-length GZA and Raekwon albums are just all perfectly produced in addition to his classic shit on the Wu-Tang debut. The other albums he produced in full are also high quality (when the name Bobby Digital was not involved lol).

This guy is thus my number 1 producer. A combination of quality and quantity which is hard to beat. Ask me tomorrow I migth say Premo again those two are neck and neck to me. Shout out to cats like DJ Quik, 9th Wonder, Prince Paul, Hi-Tek, Alchemist, Eric B, Havoc, Large Professor, Bomb Squad, Pimp C, Oh No, Black Milk, Muggs, DangerMouse, Will.I.AM, DJ Toomp and Scott Storch who would be on the next level down.