With Tech N9ne gearing up for his biggest album of all time, we put together a list of producers he has yet to collaborate with that we think would take his sound up another notch.
With music certain combination of musical elements are combined, what would be normal to most, could prove to be incredibly Strange when combined with Tech N9ne’s unique brand of lyrical mastery.
Hit-Boy
Undoubtedly one of the hottest producers in the game, this California native broke out with probably the most played song in 2012, Jay-Z and Kanye West’s “Ni**as In Paris”. Since then he’s produced heater after heater, including GOOD Music’s “Clique”, A$AP Rocky’s “Goldie” and Kendrick Lamar’s “Backseat Freestyle”. Unlike many producers who also opt for soundscapes full of unidentifiable blips and beeps, Hit-Boy combines the abstract new school with the melodic and groove-oriented old school, resulting in a new sound that doesn’t get played out. – Jeff Nelson
DJ Premier
Icon, wizard, greatest of all time…what else can you say about DJ Premier that hasn’t already been said? The master on the boards and musical encyclopedia has been producing classics for more than 20 years and shows no signs of stopping. To pick examples of his sampler mastery and knack for drum patterns that break your neck would take forever, but here’s a few: Nas “Nas Is Like”, Royce Da 5’9 “Boom”, Gang Starr “Above The Clouds”, Jay-Z “So Ghetto”, and Notorious B.I.G.’s “Unbelievable”. One thing that DJ Premier is known for is scratching in vocals from the artist’s previous songs in the chorus. Given Tech N9ne’s long catalogue, Premier would have a lot of samples to choose from. We’ve seen what happens when Tech hops on east coast beats with the Bad Season mixtape. DJ Premier would take that to the next level. – Jeff Nelson
Big K.R.I.T.
Over the last couple years, Big K.R.I.T. (which stands for King Remembered In Time) has made quite a name for himself among Hip Hop heads and casual listeners alike with his southern drawl and meaningful lyrical content, but a surprising amount of people don’t know that he’s produced the majority of his own music, as well as tracks for some pretty notable rappers (Ludacris, Wiz Khalifa, and T.I. among others). K.R.I.T.’s production style is obviously influenced by the sounds of the south, and I think the laid-back, lush soundscapes K.R.I.T. constructs would give Tech the opportunity to slow things down. But I also think Tech’s rapid-fire delivery would sound incredible over one of these slowed-up beats. – Brent Bradley
Alchemist
Alchemist is another producer who’s considered to be one of the best of all time, and for good reason. His beats are sinister as fuck, a sound that would pair perfectly with Tech’s equally sinister rhymes. Alchemist has produced for damn near everyone, and more than likely has production credits on some of your favorite albums (Prodigy’s H.N.I.C., Nas’ God’s Son, and Slaughterhouse’s S/T just to name a few). – Brent Bradley
Just Blaze
Another innovator of the sampling game and a veteran producer responsible for a plethora of hit singles, Just Blaze is arguably the baddest producer to ever hook up with Jay-Z, contributing to classics like The Black Album and The Blueprint.
From clean and elegant string samples to bouncy cuts that can border on grimy, Just Blaze has flexed his versatility with some of the best including Eminem, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, and XV. Much like the Kansas City King, you can’t really place Just Blaze in a box and personally, we wouldn’t mind hearing a “Just Blaaze!” and “Tech N999ne!” exchange. – Victor Sandoval
Rick Rubin
The most decorated producer on this list, Rick Rubin is largely responsible for the success of the hip hop industry and has worked with just about every artist in every genre imaginable including Jay-Z, The Beastie Boys, Johnny Cash, Metallica, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Geto Boys, Slayer, and Run D.M.C.
As the co-founder of Def Jam, no one has a better understanding of hip hop’s meager beginnings and it’s his often bare-bones production style that perfectly reflects this. Known to completely re-invent an artist’s sound and direction, Rick Rubin is who people go to for fresh ideas. Having explored so many sounds and deliveries, we can’t even imagine what would happen if Rick Rubin pushed Tech N9ne to revamp everything he’s ever known and start from scratch in the studio.
This is not just a beatmaker kids. – Victor Sandoval
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