TRILLip Brooks
New member
agree with everybody minus alchemist
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Can ya'll truly differentiate between some of these underground producers?
dr. zero_ahh
New member
Good thread.
However, I can tell the difference because I listen to a lot of work from those producers. Between the aforementioned, Madlib and Jay Dee have the closest sound most likely because they heavily worked together and have a similar base rhythm. To the unfamiliar ear, they do sound very similar. (The example is in the music they produced for Williams Street and the old Adult Swim in the early 2000s. If you never heard a Madlib or Jay Dee track, you couldn't tell the difference). As time move forward, they had VERY different sounds. Shades of Blue vs. Angels Without Edges for Madlib while Jay Dee refined that sound. The others...each have a musical signature. What hurts them (and produced this thread) is the fact that these artists lack range not because of skill, but because of their penchant for working with select artists. Working with select artists is a plus and a minus. The chemistry on a track will be there because they know what they expect. However, working with select artists who stick within a specific themes of music leaves them limited to produce different sounds; unless you're a heavy hitter like Madlib, Pete Rock, Premo, etc.
However, I can tell the difference because I listen to a lot of work from those producers. Between the aforementioned, Madlib and Jay Dee have the closest sound most likely because they heavily worked together and have a similar base rhythm. To the unfamiliar ear, they do sound very similar. (The example is in the music they produced for Williams Street and the old Adult Swim in the early 2000s. If you never heard a Madlib or Jay Dee track, you couldn't tell the difference). As time move forward, they had VERY different sounds. Shades of Blue vs. Angels Without Edges for Madlib while Jay Dee refined that sound. The others...each have a musical signature. What hurts them (and produced this thread) is the fact that these artists lack range not because of skill, but because of their penchant for working with select artists. Working with select artists is a plus and a minus. The chemistry on a track will be there because they know what they expect. However, working with select artists who stick within a specific themes of music leaves them limited to produce different sounds; unless you're a heavy hitter like Madlib, Pete Rock, Premo, etc.
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usmarin3;2013310 said:Dude please, you know what the fuck i mean. They all have a underground sound (chopping up samples, soulful and minimalist beats). How the fuck am i discrediting myself, you are seriously not gonna sit here and tell me any of these dudes have a commercial sound like a Timberland. I don't give a fuck if they produce for mainstream artist, their sound is underground.
thats a boxed-in mind post
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TRILLip Brooks
New member
i don't get into madlib
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jackthemack
New member
Damn I must listen to too many instrumentals and beat tapes cuz I can tell the difference from all of them.
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jackthemack;2015934 said:Damn I must listen to too many instrumentals and beat tapes cuz I can tell the difference from all of them.
ptowndonte;2013079 said:Pete Rock's sound is just as distinctive as Premo's
EXACTLY
this dude reaching further than Reed Richards
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Disciplined InSight
New member
riddlerap;2014427 said:Needlz the goat
He has laced a majority of heaters for Rakim ("Walk These Streets"), Lupe Fiasco ("Pen And Needlz") 50 Cent ("Piggy Bank") Young Buck ("Let Me In") and Jada ("Letter To B.I.G"). All dope, but he still has a long way before become a G.O.A.T. producer.
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georgia boi
New member
A lot of those guys are difficult to differentiate because they don't have a signature. Hi Tek has become a very versatile producer to the point where it's necessary to read the credits to find out he did a track. The stuff he does for The Game, his own projects, or the stuff for 50 sounds nothing like what he does for Reflection Eternal. Alchemist is like that too. The track he did for Wayne's Carter 3 sounds nothing like what he was doing before. The song he had on Rae's OB4CL 2 was also different. Pete Rock has also changed his sound b/c I would have never guessed he did those songs on Fishscale like "Dogs of War". 9th Wonder is probably the easiest out of those guys to distinguish out of the bunch because his sound is pretty much the same and he has signature drums.
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bkkbully;2013760 said:Thats the thing, you don't just listen to snares and claps. You also listen to how they chop samples, basslines, hi hats, and the overall mix of the sound which when added together makes it pretty damn easy. And as for Ron Brown, I never checked for him so you got me there. Ether to me wasn't a fire beat, and a lot of his stuff I don't consider fire so I never checked for his production.
So if like you said, they all go outside their lane and produce shit I could NOT have guessed, then whats the point of this thread? Didn't you just contradict yourself?
Nah the thread is a loaded question. Its framed where there r 2 answers; either u think 1)they all sound alike, thus you CANT tell EACH OF THEM apart from another, OR 2)you think they have distinct sounds in which once you hear a beat you know exactly who made it
I dont agree wih either. I think 1) they are different from each other, but 2)not just b/c they have dinstinctive, formuliac sounds. All these guys step out the box and create atypical beats.
So, i admit that sounds confusing, but the thread is based on the premise that these guys always make the same sounding beat, and except for Premo that is incorrect.
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NAWLEDGE_REIGNS
New member
They All Have Distinct Signature Sounds ....I Can Usually Tell Before The First Hook Who Produced The Cut....Whether Its A Chopped Up Chorus (Premier) Laid Back Horns (Pete Rock) Or Menancing Keys (RZA)....Or Chaotic Samples (Bomb Squad)....
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mryounggun
New member
Yeah, I can tell shit that Alchemist made. Also, I'm not even sure I would even consider him an underground producer. But I see why you say he is.
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9th, Alchemist, preme and Ski(just now becoming a big fan) have pretty distinct sounds.
9th and preme you can usually tell within a few seconds. All producers have distinct sounds if u listen long enough. Just like most rappers have a few flows(or less if ur drake or ross)
9th and preme you can usually tell within a few seconds. All producers have distinct sounds if u listen long enough. Just like most rappers have a few flows(or less if ur drake or ross)
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usmarin3;2013042 said:Like Madlib, J Dilla, Pete Rock, Ski, Hi Tek, Doom,NO ID, 9th Wonder, Alchemist, etc. Premo is about the only underground producer who's sound is distinctive and that's because his scratching and sampling is unique.
What seperates alot of these producers on the undergound, often times mainstream producers get knocked for having the same sound but how is the underground different.
Hi Tek:
[video=youtube;scZ0y82zGFY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scZ0y82zGFY[/video]
[video=youtube;xOKROODcPZI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOKROODcPZI[/video]
Completely different. I can't agree even with 9th Wonder on this one, SMH. These aren't independent/underground producers that you have mentioned either though.
Here's an underground producer that will ruin your thread: KNO:
[video=youtube;3xi_amm31Wg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xi_amm31Wg[/video]
[video=youtube;dupwpHSjADM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dupwpHSjADM&feature=related[/video]
From the same album, Kno's a better producer than most producers in the mainstream.
Eligh as well:
[video=youtube;y4LdlwBS1lM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4LdlwBS1lM[/video]
[video=youtube;TFyOT3RyEuM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFyOT3RyEuM[/video]
Yeah... they all sound the same, SMH. Search and learn.
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