There are no popular "household name" female hip hop producers.

[JustCKing]

This thread illustrates that there is far more to production than just making beats. One of the reasons why female producers aren't popular is because Hip Hop is still very male driven. A key element of production is direction. A lot, and maybe even most, are not going to be comfortable or vulnerable enough to trust their art in the hands of a woman. Just being honest. I mean, just look at the egos involved as is even among just us men. One comment, or piece of advice, no matter how constructive, gets taken the wrong way and that's it. Both parties go their separate ways.

The other element that nobody's addressing is that in order for a woman to break through, she's going to have to break a popular artist similar to how Dre introduced the world to Snoop. That or a Diddy type giving her a shot on an album. The Neptunes weren't known, but their first credit as The Neptunes was on Total's debut. They also did "Lookin' At Me" on Harlem World, which was their first hit record.

Missy's name is being brought up, but there's a story behind her even being a producer. She and Devante used to get into physical fights and arguments about writing and production.

 

[CrimsonTider]

What??? Producer tags have nothing to do with household names. The biggest producers rarely used tags, they all had popularity outside of producing as well. Dre, Swizz, Puffy, Missy Elliot, etc

Your references are musty

There’s only one bug produced now that doesn’t have a tag and that’s because he does a lot of work for the biggest artist

 

[JustCKing]

Your references are musty

There’s only one bug produced now that doesn’t have a tag and that’s because he does a lot of work for the biggest artist

Explain.

 

[Street Knowledge]

I remember Trina talking about this years ago in an interview on the subject of women having to fukk to get on in the industry. Basically a handful of male producers run top 40 radio, and you have to go through them to get the popping beats. There’s no girl super producer that women in the industry can go to.

 

[JustCKing]

I remember Trina talking about this years ago in an interview on the subject of women having to fukk to get on in the industry. Basically a handful of male producers run top 40 radio, and you have to go through them to get the popping beats. There’s no girl super producer that women in the industry can go to.

Does this still apply today though? I mean

1. Does Top 40 radio even matter in an era where everything is streamed?
2. Which producers even have monopoly over Top 40 the way we saw in the early '00's-2010's?
3. Who would even qualify as a "super producer" now?

 

[CrimsonTider]

Explain.

Bo1da is the only current producers that’s up and doesn’t have a production tag but that’s because he’s mostly works with Drake

If Timbo cam out in the last 10 years he would’ve had a producer tag

I thought CC on the beat would be a big deal after making a beat for Drake

That’s a litmus test to show female producers really have a hard time in the industry

 

[JustCKing]

Bo1da is the only current producers that’s up and doesn’t have a production tag but that’s because he’s mostly works with Drake

If Timbo cam out in the last 10 years he would’ve had a producer tag

I thought CC on the beat would be a big deal after making a beat for Drake

That’s a litmus test to show female producers really have a hard time in the industry

Boi-1da never had a production tag though and it really has nothing to do with him working with Drake. I mean, even with "Best I Ever Had", which was Drake's first real hit, we didn't hear a producer tag.

I don't know why bring up Timbo. He never needed a production tag because he always had a distinct sound. Even during his reign, producers were using tags. David Banner, Polow Da Don ("1,2,3,4"), Jermaine Dupri ("ya'll know what this is"), Nitti ("this a Nitti beat"), Jazze Pha ("this a Jazze Finzell product-shizzle").

 

[Piff Perkins]

Wondagurl is prob the most popular right? She's gotten a lot of placements over the last few years, most recently on Certified Lover Boy. Outside of that, Syd comes to mind. She's on Beyonce's new album and is/was part of Odd Future.

On the underground level there's Moor Mother, who is dope as fukk.

 

[CrimsonTider]

Does this still apply today though? I mean

1. Does Top 40 radio even matter in an era where everything is streamed?
2. Which producers even have monopoly over Top 40 the way we saw in the early '00's-2010's?
3. Who would even qualify as a "super producer" now?

Super producers don’t exist anymore.

Producer tags help the brand

Boi-1da never had a production tag though and it really has nothing to do with him working with Drake. I mean, even with "Best I Ever Had", which was Drake's first real hit, we didn't hear a producer tag.

I don't know why bring up Timbo. He never needed a production tag because he always had a distinct sound. Even during his reign, producers were using tags. David Banner, Polow Da Don ("1,2,3,4"), Jermaine Dupri ("ya'll know what this is"), Nitti ("this a Nitti beat"), Jazze Pha ("this a Jazze Finzell product-shizzle").

Ok this is my point If these where new producers they would have a tag

 

[JustCKing]

Super producers don’t exist anymore.

Producer tags help the brand

Ok this is my point If these where new producers they would have a tag

Tags help the brand, but my point is that they aren't necessary. Tags have been around longer than the past 10 years and I can list new producers who came up since tags became popular who were bigger without them.

 

[CrimsonTider]

Tags help the brand, but my point is that they aren't necessary. Tags have been around longer than the past 10 years and I can list new producers who came up since tags became popular who were bigger without them.

They’re necessary in 2022

 

[O.Red]

Boi-1da never had a production tag though and it really has nothing to do with him working with Drake. I mean, even with "Best I Ever Had", which was Drake's first real hit, we didn't hear a producer tag.

I don't know why bring up Timbo. He never needed a production tag because he always had a distinct sound. Even during his reign, producers were using tags. David Banner, Polow Da Don ("1,2,3,4"), Jermaine Dupri ("ya'll know what this is"), Nitti ("this a Nitti beat"), Jazze Pha ("this a Jazze Finzell product-shizzle").

David Banner is the reason producers use tags and he also had a distinct sound

The problem with your rhetoric in here is you're conflating producers having tags with not having a distinct sound which implies lack of creativity

Tags are used for branding and matter now more than ever because these days your distinct sound can just as easily become a "type beat" tutorial on YouTube

 

[dora_da_destroyer]

This thread illustrates that there is far more to production than just making beats. One of the reasons why female producers aren't popular is because Hip Hop is still very male driven. A key element of production is direction. A lot, and maybe even most, are not going to be comfortable or vulnerable enough to trust their art in the hands of a woman. Just being honest. I mean, just look at the egos involved as is even among just us men. One comment, or piece of advice, no matter how constructive, gets taken the wrong way and that's it. Both parties go their separate ways.

The other element that nobody's addressing is that in order for a woman to break through, she's going to have to break a popular artist similar to how Dre introduced the world to Snoop. That or a Diddy type giving her a shot on an album. The Neptunes weren't known, but their first credit as The Neptunes was on Total's debut. They also did "Lookin' At Me" on Harlem World, which was their first hit record.

Missy's name is being brought up, but there's a story behind her even being a producer. She and Devante used to get into physical fights and arguments about writing and production.

to your first point, not sure i agree in today's climate. i posted that the way shyt was set up back in the day with one, needing to know dudes/people with studios to practice on equipment and being surrounded by (older men) was an issue, and yea, when real producers were both making beats and EP'ing albums, this would've been true. but these new producers just emailing beats to nikkas to rap on, they not directing the music (it's evident artists don't have outside direction either from A&R or producers who also executive produce), all that to say, that's not the barrier.

i also don't think they need to break anyone new, even missy didn't break anyone new when she first established herself, guess you can say her and tim collectively relaunched aaliyah, but missy worked with artists signed elsewhere, many who didn't do much on the charts, then manned her solo career, before giving people like tweet and nicole wray a little bit of success. a chick just needs a couple hits to build demand, could be with a new artist or could be having a fan fave song on an album from someone like lil baby.


i also agree with @CrimsonTider music has shifted, artists can't demand attention spans like they used to, and producers definitely can't. the past was helped by physicals (cassette and CD booklets where credits were easily accessible, i never look at the credits on streaming unless i hear something that i want to confirm who the producer is), producers being artists, producers in videos, producers owning labels, producers having as much media coverage as artists, music being more curated (gate kept). i don't know if someone who doesn't listen to the 10 artists cardo works a lot with would know a cardo beat, same as someone who aint listen to carti, they wouldn't know pierre's beats. we just in a very segmented music environment where tags are necessary

 

[JustCKing]

to your first point, not sure i agree in today's climate. i posted that the way shyt was set up back in the day with one, needing to know dudes/people with studios to practice on equipment and being surrounded by (older men) was an issue, and yea, when real producers were both making beats and EP'ing albums, this would've been true. but these new producers just emailing beats to nikkas to rap on, they not directing the music (it's evident artists don't have outside direction either from A&R or producers who also executive produce), all that to say, that's not the barrier.

i also don't think they need to break anyone new, even missy didn't break anyone new when she first established herself, guess you can say her and tim collectively relaunched aaliyah, but missy worked with artists signed elsewhere, many who didn't do much on the charts, then manned her solo career, before giving people like tweet and nicole wray a little bit of success. a chick just needs a couple hits to build demand, could be with a new artist or could be having a fan fave song on an album from someone like lil baby.


i also agree with @CrimsonTider music has shifted, artists can't demand attention spans like they used to, and producers definitely can't. the past was helped by physicals (cassette and CD booklets where credits were easily accessible, i never look at the credits on streaming unless i hear something that i want to confirm who the producer is), producers being artists, producers in videos, producers owning labels, producers having as much media coverage as artists, music being more curated (gate kept). i don't know if someone who doesn't listen to the 10 artists cardo works a lot with would know a cardo beat, same as someone who aint listen to carti, they wouldn't know pierre's beats. we just in a very segmented music environment where tags are necessary

Production isn't what launched Missy's career nor was it her bread and butter. Production was secondary.

 

[dora_da_destroyer]

Production isn't what launched Missy's career nor was it her bread and butter. Production was secondary.

that wasn't the point, the point is missy is the most known female producer, and even if you pin her as a writer first, she got there by helping established artists and artists signed to various labels, not by breaking her own artist. if the most known female writer/producer can do it by working with artists signed elsewhere/already established, so can a new woman, they don't need to break a new artist to get on.