It's 2016, and producers are finally getting some respect. Songs are being valued more for their beats than their lyrics, and sometimes the producer drop that begins a track is a good predictor of whether it'll be a hit. They're getting more exposure now, but the truth is, producers have always been just as vital to the game as the rappers who rely on their beats. Can you imagine how different Jay Z's career would be if he didn't have Just Blaze? If DMX didn't have Swizz Beatz?
The aforementioned hall-of-fame beatmakers recently got back into the spotlight when they decided to engage in the forgotten sport of beat-battling. What ensued was a thrilling show of the history they've each made and the skills they both still have. Swizz ended up as the de facto victor mostly due to the record he finished with -- an unreleased collaboration involving DMX, Jay Z, Nas, and Jadakiss. Some will debate on whether premiering the vaulted super-collab was a fair move, though it was an unquestionably legendary moment for the culture -- made possible by putting the two veterans in such a competitive forum.
Their beat battle was so exciting that it has already paved the way for more rumored contests involving top producers, young and old. We have put together the 6 producer duels we would most like to see go down. You can choose a winner in each gallery, and then in the comments, tell us who you think would be the ultimate champion if these 12 guys entered the same tournament.
Lex Luger vs. Southside
Swizz' battle with Just Blaze showed that hip-hop is ready to embrace all-star producer showdowns again. Though a whole new generation of fans -- whose musical coming of age coincided with the rise of trap music, rather than the glory days of DMX and Jay Z -- showed an interest in beat-battling when Lex Luger issued a $50,000 challenge to Southside, who laughed off those stakes and raised them to $100,000.
According to Swizz Beatz himself, the battle between Luger and Southside -- who both showed up on Waka Flocka's seminal Flockaveli in 2010 and have since each played iconic roles in the trap music takeover -- is officially on. No date has been set for the matchup yet, though the Southern 808 kings will apparently be part of a bill that includes a contest between NYC radio rivals Funk Flex and DJ Clue.
Timbaland vs. Pharrell
Just Blaze took the initiative to commission this one, a face-off between two heroes of the early-to-mid-'00s. Blaze revealed yesterday that he had spoken to both Timbaland and Pharrell and that both of them are down to challenge each other on the decks. What a dancefloor experience this could be. Blaze noted that he "might shed a tear" if Chad Hugo showed up by Pharrell's side. Could Timbo take on The Neptunes on his own, or would he have to bring out Aaliyah's hologram to make it a fair fight?
Just got off the phone with @Timbaland. He said he's down for Tim vs. @Pharrell and they just talked about it. Wooooooo!
Cc @THEREALSWIZZZ
Tim vs Neptunes would be the real deal. If @ChadHugo showed up I might shed a tear.
Mike Will Made-It vs. Zaytoven
Upon thinking of today's hottest producers, most of them are young and many of them are from the trap epicenter of Atlanta. Out of all the ATL guys who are dominating right now, Mike Will and Zaytoven -- who both started alongside Gucci Mane -- have the most storied careers. They both possess such a signature style -- Zay with the keys and Mike with the bass and filters, and they're both deeply familiar with each other's work. Last year, they collaborated on many of the tracks on Gucci Mane's comeback album, Everybody Looking.
You know what, it turns out Mike Will is just 28. That's some wild shit. Still, he'll have to bring his best if he wants to out-maneuver Zay, who's now 37 years young.
Metro Boomin vs. DJ Mustard
Some will say that young Metro should first go up against one of his ATL contemporaries, but I think the dominance he's experiencing now is akin to the streak that Mustard was on in 2012-14. It's not as if Mustard is cold right now, and nor was Metro inactive earlier in the '10s, but it's interesting to see how the industry's prevailing sound has gone away from something like "Rack City" and toward songs like "No Heart" and "Mask Off." How enjoyable it would be to see "Mustard on the beat, hoe" go up against "Metro Boomin want some more, n*gga" and see who has more missiles in his arsenal.
Boi-1da vs Noah "40" Shebib
Both producers have been so important in building Drake's sound and the consummate OVO Sound -- and for making Toronto (and Canada) such a crucial destination on today's hip-hop map. Each of OVO's leading producers has his own sound -- 40 carries with him his deep knowledge of '90s hip-hop and R&B, while Boi-1da more freely incorporates pop, trap, and dancehall into his beats. Going head-to-head, they would provide some insight into OVO's full spectrum of influences, and most importantly, fans would get to see which man has created more classics for the 6 God.
Mannie Fresh vs Mike Dean
Here we have two guys -- one from NOLA and the other from H-Town -- who both helped bring the Dirty South to the world. If Mannie Fresh's bag full of Cash Money classics is more crowd-pleasing than Mike Dean's records with UGK and the Geto Boys, then Dean's recent work with Kanye, Travis Scott, and Beyonce could help him get even. Though don't forget about the ColleGrove banger that Fresh produced last year. Never outdated, always relevant, these vets would give us battle for the ages.