The Hip Hop Deal

Dr. Dre

Dr. Dre began his career in music as a member of the World Class Wrecking Crew and he later found fame with the influential gangsta rap  group N.W.A with Eazy-E and Ice Cube which featured the use of explicit lyrics in rap to detail the violence of street life. Dr. Dre produced tracks like “Straight Outta Compton”, “California Love” , and”Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang in which all he featured on. Dr. Dre has 2 solo albums, The Chronic, and 2001, Dre’s detox album has yet to be released.

Havoc

Havoc is one half of Mobb deep Havoc produces most of the tracks on every Mobb Deep album, and has produced songs for MCs such as Method Man, Nas, Foxy Brown, Onyx, The Notorious B.I.G.The most notable hit that he co-produced with his other group member prodigy was shook ones. The song samples “Kitty With the Bent Frame,” released in 1972 by Quincy Jones, “Dirty Feet,” released in 1979 by Daly Wilson Big Band, and “Thackeray Meets Faculty” by Ron Grainer.

Kanye West

Kanye West started out producing tracks for Roca-Fella Records but really came popular with Jay-z’s “The Blueprint”. Kanye produced “Never Change”,” Heart of the City”(Ain’t No Love) and “Takeover” to name a few. At first many doubted that Kanye  could actually rap until he released the first single single off “The College Dropout” album “Through The Wire”  which was sampled by Chaka Khan’s “Through The Fire”.  The plot of “Through The Wire” was about Kanye’s near-fatal accident and had his jaw wired to his face in reconstructive surgery. Two weeks after being admitted to hospital, he recorded the song at the  with his jaw still wired shut.The song’s title refers to the wires used to hold his broken jaw together.

J-Dilla ( R.I.P)

J-dilla started out around the mid 90’s producing tracks for  De La Soul, Busta Rhymes, A Tribe Called Quest  but is mostly known as the producer for the hip-hop group Slum Village.   Some of the most notable tracks he produced are Common “The Light” and “Running” by Pharcyde. Dilla’s debut as a solo artist came in 2001 with the single “Fuck the Police”.J Dilla died on February 10, 2006, three days after his 32nd birthday.

Pete Rock

Pete Rock came on the scene around 1987 as a dj in New York City. In 1990 he joined with CL Smooth to released the “All Souled Out”. The most notable track that he produced and featured on was ” They Reminisce Over You” (T.R.O.Y) inspired by the death of their close friend Troy Dixon Aka  “Trouble” T. Roy.