Producers are, in the words of the old Maoist slogan, holding up half the sky-giving rappers a sonic canvas on which to paint their pictures. It was only fitting to extend this concept to producers, as well. From Grandmaster Caz in 1979 to Kendrick Lamar in 2017, we chose who had the alchemical combination of quality, momentum, and historical importance at every moment in the genre’s development. Instead of making the list about how someone stacks up against the entire canon of hip-hop, we narrowed in on who, in any given year, was unbeatable. It was an exhaustive list inspired by a simple idea: a new way to take on the inevitable Top 5/GOAT discussions that dominate the hip-hop conversation. Thus, they are equally subject to hip-hop’s sixth element: making lists.īack in 2015, we chose The Best Rapper Alive, Every Year Since 1979. The producers who create these beats may not be as glamorous as the rappers who spit over them (at least, most of the time), but they are equally important. Great production can make even the most objectionable or cheesy lyrics sound great. But very few bars would be as memorable if not for the music that accompanies them. Rap lyrics pop into our heads at inappropriate times, end up as our yearbook quotes, and work their way into our everyday conversations.