If 2015 was the year of Metro Boomin, 2016 might go down as the year of Mike WiLL Made-It. On top of executive production credits on Gucci Mane's Everybody Looking and Rae Sremmurd's SremmLife 2, the Atlanta-based producer has put out two Beat of the Year candidates in Young Thug's "F Cancer" and "With Them" and produced Beyonce's "Formation," arguably the biggest record of the last twelve months. He has given rap fans more than enough to chew on as they impatiently wait on his anticipated Ransom 2 mixtape. We can't wait to see what he does next.
Click through the gallery to listen to 10 of Mike WiLL's most important works.
Beyonce - "Formation"
The origin story of "Formation" begins like this: EarDrummers disciple A-Pluss sends Mike WiLL a rough sketch of the "Formation" beat. Mike WiLL blasts the sketch while driving to Coachella with Swae Lee, and Swae Lee comes up with the seed of a woman empowerment anthem: "Okay ladies, now let's get in formation."
Young Thug - "With Them"
Kanye West was passing around the aux cord towards the end of his Madison Square Garden premiere of Yeezy Season 3 and The Life of Pablo (one week after the release of "Formation"). After a solid Vic Mensa Track, an incredible, never-before-heard Young Thug banger started playing and nearly stole the entire show. It would be released a month and half later as the leadoff track on Slime Season 3.
Future - "Move That Dope" feat. Pusha T & Pharrell
Mike WiLL's revolutionary garbage disposal bass boosts "Move That Dope" to unforeseen heights. The only problem is that it doesn't appear throughout the entire song.
Future - "Turn on the Lights"
The biggest song on Pluto, "Turn on the Lights" was an important turning point in Future's career. Mike WiLL's beat connotes pure luxury and foreshadows the smoky production he would later pursue on certain portions of SremmLife 2
Ciara - "Body Party"
Mike WiLL's rap beats overshadow his R&B chops, which are prodigious. With all due to respect to Jeremih's "773 Love," his greatest accomplishment in the realm of R&B is his restrained, shimmering production on Ciara's "Body Party."
Ace Hood - "Bugatti" feat. Future & Rick Ross
Ace Hood has regained his footing with his Starvation 5 mixtape (perhaps the best installment in the Starvation series). For a while, it looked like he would never top "Bugatti," a highly explosive single that projects all the bluster of a blockbuster action film.
Juicy J - "Bandz A Make Her Dance" feat. Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz
On "Bandz A Make Her Dance," Mike WiLL injects a note of seriousness into the act of making it rain. It is a burden Juicy J must carry alone: "Say no to ratchet pussy, Juicy J can't."
Rick Ross - "Tupac Back" feat. Meek Mill
Rick Ross and Meek Mill together shared the two most legendary beats of 2011. The first was "Imma Boss." The second was "Tupac Back," an absolutely titanic banger that elevates Rozay and Rahmeek to the status of gods.
Rae Sremmurd - "No Type"
"No Type" is a testament to the power of the iterative process. Mike WiLL seemingly stripped down the production over time, casting off the extraneous parts until only the essential elements remained.
Rae Sremmurd - "No Flex Zone"
The song put Rae Sremmurd on the map in the summer of 2014, "No Flex Zone" is the exuberant younger brother of "No Type." The beat is highly elastic and it is the perfect compliment to Swae Lee and Jxmmi's untouchable swagger.