Undiscovered Gems: Ten Producers You Should Know By Now

If you consider yourself to be in-tune with the music industry, you know the stark value of producers. Although often overlooked, this area of artistry is the backbone of the industry.

In this piece, we’re looking to credit some of the best producers you may not be aware of. With so many tracks and projects dropping every day, it can be hard to stay hip to what producers are hot nowadays. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Take a peek at some of Hip-Hop’s best undiscovered producers, and catch up on some names that will leave you listening.

Andy

Andy is a producer who’s made a name for himself mainly through his work for Lil Gotit. After some impressive tracks he landed on “Hood Baby” and “The Real Goat”, Andy has made it clear that he’s not playing around. He’s collaborated with some very notable names such as AR, and our very own 10Fifty, while even landing a spot on Euro‘s track with Lil Wayne, “Talk 2 Me Crazy.” This young production aficionado has a sound that is valued highly in today’s scene, and you should expect to hear a lot more from him in the near term. I’m expecting 2020 to be a very big year for Andy.

Cor Blanco

One of my favorite producers in the scene right now hails from Teaneck, Jersey and goes by the name of Cor Blanco. I was initially introduced to the unique sound of Cor Blanco when I started listening to his fellow “Ice World” members from his hometown: ATM, Stacy Money, and PuddaH. After making his mark on SoundCloud, Cor began to really make moves by landing two tracks on Jack Harlow‘s critically-acclaimed project, Loose. Blanco actively produces for Mass Appeal Records signee ATM, and is one of the most consistent producers in the game. Once you hear a Cor Blanco beat for the first time, you’ll easily be able to spot out another when you hear it. No need for a tag.

Weach 

Based out of Long Island, New York is another hit-maker named Weach. This 22-year-old has made a name for himself predominantly through his work with Thouxanbanfauni, producing some of the Atlanta star’s biggest tracks, “Wide Awake”,  “Stupid Lil Bih”, and more recently, “Diet Plans”. In addition to his work with Fauni, Weach made even more of an impact this year when he landed on the first track of Jackboy‘s most recent album, Lost In My Head. After a busy year, I’m very excited to see what else is to come from this talented Long Island native.

John Luther

Next on the list is John Luther. John has amassed a catalog with the likes of Lil Tracy, Iann Dior, Sauve, 909Memphis, Cash Bently and Juice WRLD’s latest co-sign, The Kid Laroi. With such a notable track-record, John Luther is a hard name to miss. A couple of my favorite tracks from John include Lil Tracy’s “Tight Rope” and 909Memphis’ “JT.” He seems to be keen on using a guitar in his music-making, and it suits him well. It adds a sense of character to his music that is easily recognizable and emotionally-provoking. I can’t wait to see what this approaching year has in store for this talented producer. Stay tuned.

Dee9

Daniel Rector, aka Dee9, is a producer from Columbus, Ohio. This Ohioan talent has had a notable history and is showing no signs of stopping. With confirmed unreleased tracks alongside Juice WRLD, Trippie Redd, and Juice WRLD co-signee Seezyn, Dee9 is awaiting the spotlight to shine on him. In addition to his top-notch unreleased work, he has also produced a Father and Zack Fox single, “Family Function”.  Dee9 was an artist I really wanted to include on this piece because his catalog represents a recurring issue for many up-and-coming producers. Many people envision a producer’s career to be as easy as “this artist wants to get on one of my beats, I’ll get paid upfront and then gradually collect my royalties”. However, artists withhold releases for seemingly indefinite periods of time (based on many factors), and this can be quite an obstacle for producers trying to make a name for themselves. We’re lucky enough to have caught onto Dee9‘s ability before the bulk of his catalog has been dropped. Keep an eye out for Dee9 in this upcoming year, it should be a big one for him.

JoogFTR

I like to keep things simple, and honest, so let’s get right to it–if you’ve danced to more than 5-records from Los Angeles this year, there’s a good chance that at least 2-3 of them were produced by JoogFTR. Hailing from the City of Angels, Joog has long been a staple in the thriving LA renaissance, but this year he took it up a notch. Utilizing his versatility, Joog was the man behind the beats for Conradfrmdaaves undeniable hit, “Vintage & Adventurous,” as well as, “Ride Ain’t Free,” from AzSwaye, “Player’s Club,” from Shoreline Mafia and AzChike and, “Sucking & Fuc*ing,” from OhGeesy and 1TakeJay–all of which amassed over multiple-million listens, just on Soundcloud. With the scene growing, and him being a big part of it, you can expect Joog to take his infamous stove introduction, and make it known around the world. Take a listen to, “Vintage & Adventurous,” below.

808 Melo

For most of us in the states, our introduction to U.K. producer, 808 Melo was connected to him lacing rising New York rapper, Pop Smoke, with the beat for, “Welcome to the Party.” Bullying it’s way to, “Song of the Summer” status in NYC, the song spurned two remixes–one with Nicki Minaj, and one with Skepta. As you can imagine, this made Melo more in demand than ever, especially for those looking to hop on to the Grime Rap bandwagon, in which Melo and Smoke coined in America. Subsequently, Melo became one of the hottest producers in New York, all the way from London, by producing more regional hits for Pop Smoke, as well as other rising artists in the scene like Sleepy Hallow and Sheff G (“Panic Part 3”). With new projects coming from the aforementioned artists, you can expect more anthems from 808 Melo sooner, rather than later, and if you’re looking for an example of him working with actual Grime rappers in London, listen to, “Know Better,” below.

Popstar Benny

It’s well documented that Atlanta is running the game right now, and it looks like that’s not stopping any time soon. Hailing from Mableton, Georgia, rising beat-maker, Popstar Benny is one of the hottest underground producers in the country. Utilizing his versatility, Benny has showcased a vast arsenal of sounds, producing for a interesting spectrum of artists including: Rod Wave, Lil’ Wop, UNOTHEACTIVIST, THOUXANBANFAUNI and more. While he’s amassed millions of plays between those records, it’s his work with the underground, rising acts that’s solidified him with the people. Producing regional hits for guys like, Tony Shhnow, Larry League, Pollari and more, Benny has become sort of a cult hero in the underground. With his work starting to span beyond that, don’t be surprised to hear him with your favorite artists in 2020. Listen to, “Let Me Down” below.

Skhye Hutch

One thing I’ve seen a lot in this industry, is producers getting a big placement or two, basking in the glory and then disappearing off of the face of the earth. It always confuses me, because often times those beats are the best. Hailing from Southern California, Skhye Hutch is not one of those guys. Far from undiscovered, but definitely a gem, Skhye is the man behind many of your favorite TDE songs like: “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst,” “Feelin’ Us,” “Easy Bake,” and more. While that would be enough streaming dough, plus a Grammy, to feel validated for most, not for Skhye. Instead, he doubled down and kept going, producing for many of today’s rising artists over the last few years including, Isaiah Rashad, Sylvan LaCue, Logic and more. Just this year, he continued his blossoming career by snagging placements on IDK‘s brilliant album with, “42 Hundred Choices,” as well as Daylyt2k and Ichiban Don‘s new project, Heroes. With a resume like that, Hutch should be more universally known, and he’s well on his way to accomplishing that. Listen to, “42 Hundred Choices,” below.

Real Hits

I have to admit, there’s something about producer collectives that I just can’t get enough of. Think about it, what better way to come up with undeniable music, than by surrounding yourself with a team of like-minded creatives who all want to accomplish that goal as well. Comprised of CMPLX, SDot, J Cash and Blair Norf, Las Vegas production crew, Real Hits is just that. Kicking it off, CMPLX first put the group on the map in 2015 with the Roy Woods, Drake featured single, “Drama,” which earned the collective it’s first gold plaque. Since then, CMPLX has produced for Woods, Robin Thicke and Chris Brown, who fellow RH member, Sdot also produced for on his 2019 album, Indigo, with the songs, “Let’s Smoke” and the Tory Lanez-assisted, “Lurkin,” which helped to bring the group another plaque. For Blair’s part, he’s the man behind many Freddie Gibbs classics including, “Freddie Gordy,” and “Rearview,” which appeared this year in an Under Armor ad featuring Cam Newton, and he’s also responsible for, “Troublesome” off of the brilliant Radamiz debut. While the industry resume is stout, the group’s legacy will probably rest in the hands of their local work, lacing some of Las Vegas’ rising artists with industry quality beats that they may not be able to get otherwise. One of those artists has been Impact RH, who totes the Real Hits flag as it’s only vocal artist with his CMPLX-produced singles, “In Rotation” and, “Brand New,” both of which have been regionally captivating with a national buzz. Listen to, “Lurkin'” below and get familiar with Real Hits.