Hip hop is a force of raw creativity, its music and dance scenes attracting other artists into its orbit. Writing, in particular, grew stronger as hip hop expanded; graffiti writing being one of its more striking manifestations.
DJ Kool Herc was one of the original pioneers of breakbeats – long percussive periods that distinguish hip hop songs – using needle-fine timing between turntables to extend these breaks further.
Marlon Williams
Marlon Williams is a New Zealand singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor currently living in Melbourne Australia. Primarily performing solo, but also participating with The Yarra Benders band; his music can be described as alternative country and folk; known for haunting yet beautiful vocals as well as its ability to tell a story through song.
Beginning his musical career by performing in Christchurch bars and pubs with his high school band The Unfaithful Ways, he quickly won several awards for his music. Additionally, he collaborated on two albums with Delaney Davidson. Since then he has become an acclaimed musician both locally and globally for his efforts.
Williams creates his distinctive musical style through blending folk, country and blues elements into his music. A talented guitarist and singer with an unforgettable voice that stands him apart from other artists in the genre, Williams has released several critically-acclaimed albums over time and remains one of New Zealand’s most beloved artists.
His latest album, Make Way for Love, is an ode to Aldous Harding, his former flame. In its lyrics he discusses their relationship and opens up about their split. According to him he wrote these songs while processing his grief over losing her.
Marlon is widely-acclaimed for both acting and directing roles. He made an appearance on The Real World reality series before appearing in A Star Is Born movie. Marlon enjoys social media fame with an active following that shares their passion for music with them.
He has appeared on multiple hit television shows, such as MTV’s The Challenge and Real World Portland and Peak of Love Challenge. Additionally, he was once an professional footballer.
Marlon Williams (known by his stage name Marley Marl) and Third Power Enterprises Inc d/b/a Songs of Marl filed a suit in February against Calvin Broadus aka Snoop Dogg for alleged copyright infringement; their suit claimed Snoop had used melody and lyrics from “The Symphony” by Williams without authorization.
DJ Premier
DJ Premier was one of the most influential hip hop producers during the ’90s. Hailing from Texas but joining Gang Starr with late MC Guru (known as Preem or Premo), Premier was instrumental in shaping its hard-edged sound – often featuring memorable scratched elements into his productions.
Premier continued his groundbreaking production after Guru’s passing, producing albums for various rappers ranging from Gang Starr’s final release, The Ownerz, to cutting-edge releases by Busta Rhymes and Public Enemy as well as younger boom bap proponents such as Royce da 5’9″ and Westside Gunn. Furthermore, Premier also dabbled into mainstream production, producing songs for Janet Jackson, D’Angelo and Christina Aguilera.
Premier’s sound was distinguished by a signature combination of short vocal samples from multiple artists to form a chorus, along with drums consisting of simple rounds of kicks and snares instead of standard hi-hat patterns commonly employed by modern hip hop producers. Furthermore, his beats often used seminal electro-acoustic music from the 1960s for inspiration.
Although many of his techniques have been copied by other producers, there’s no denying the fact that he was an unparalleled artist when it came to crafting songs. As well as being an accomplished scratch artist and record booth improviser, he also had an in-depth knowledge of Hip Hop lyrics which allowed him to speak through his hands when creating tracks.
He preferred Akai MPC60s and S950 samplers in his studio setup; although he also owned some Roland equipment. When working with artists, he typically performed all instruments himself while handling all the scratches himself; wearing a suit to give off a professional vibe was something else he did as well.
Boi 1da
Boi 1da, born and raised in Toronto and known for his expertise as a producer, is one of the premier beatmakers. A three-time winner of Battle of the Beatmakers competition, over time he has built up an impressive client roster including Drake, Kanye West, Das Racist and Kardinal Offishall to name just some.
His versatility has allowed him to work with a diverse group of rappers from commercial mainstream to underground scene, producing music inspired by dancehall, reggae and R&B styles. His production style is experimental; always searching out the next sonic wave he can discover. An avid explorer of sound who has combined hip hop with other genres to create his signature sound signature over time as a top booking producer.
As Boi 1da works towards his debut full-length album, he remains an influential force in music. His collaborations with multiple rappers – from Drake and Kendrick Lamar to Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne – has cemented him a position at the center of hip hop landscape. Notably his songs “Not Afraid” and “Work,” both reaching number one on Billboard Hot 100 charts respectively.
Boi 1da has worked with some of the biggest names in hip hop, yet still finds time to recognize his peers in production. Most recently he tweeted praise for DJ Dahi as one of his “favorite producers”. Boi 1da always finds ways to innovate and keep his creative energy flowing! This tweet serves as yet another testament of this innovation-minded producer’s desire to push himself creatively.
Matthew Jehu Samuels, better known by his stage name Boi-1da, has spent over a decade perfecting hip hop production. From early days making Fruity Loops remixes as a teenager to crafting hits for Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and Nicki Minaj; Boi-1da has become one of the most respected producers in hip hop production today. As his career advances he aspires to reach similar levels of success as his musical heroes: Dr. Dre, Swizz Beatz and Timbaland
Rick Rubin
Rick Rubin is a multi-platinum music producer who has produced some of the biggest artists of his generation. While other producers focus on producing hits, Rick emphasizes emotions and helping his artists connect with themselves musically – an approach which earned him many artists’ trust, garnering him the title “guru”. His Malibu studio was named Shangri-La in his honor.
Rubin was born and raised in New York City. In the mid-1980s he joined forces with Russell Simmons to launch Def Jam Records out of their dorm room at New York University – signing Run-DMC and Beastie Boys as their initial acts to sign. Influenced by hip-hop, they reworked rock classics to create their own genre-defying sound; Run-DMC’s cover of Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way” became one of their biggest crossover hits.
Rubin was known for producing music of multiple genres and subgenres besides hip-hop. He became an invaluable force during the early ’90s when he scored several mainstream successes with Sir Mix-A-Lot’s Baby Got Back album and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Blood Sugar Sex Magik release as examples of this work.
As the 1990s progressed, he produced more albums for other labels. He helped establish Mick Jagger’s comeback with 1995’s Wandering Spirit release and later produced Johnny Cash’s critically acclaimed Unlimited Love and Return of the Dream Canteen release in 2022. Additionally, two Grammy nominations of that year came his way: Dixie Chicks Taking the Long Way album by them and Vampire Weekend Stadium Arcadium by them both were produced during this timeframe.
American Recordings has continued to thrive under his ownership. He is best known for producing numerous high-profile acts and his unique minimalist studio approach – encouraging clients to relax during recording so their songs come naturally. This approach has cemented him a place among some of the finest music producers of his generation.