The Best Young Rapper/Producer Tandems
A look at today's most exciting combos.
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The Best Young Rapper/Producer Tandems - Some of hip hop’s greatest partnerships have been forged between a producer and an MC. From DJ Premier and Guru to Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg to Eric B. and Rakim, there’s something special about two forces that come together to create something memorable. Today, a fresh crop of tag team rappers and producers are creating exceptional music for a new generation. From all coasts and types of rap, here are the best young rapper/producer duos. (Photos from Left: Larry Marano/Getty Images,Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images, Adrian Sidney/PictureGroup, Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Interscope Geffen A&M)
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YG and DJ Mustard - YG and DJ Mustard have been at it together for a while, but they're really hitting their stride now. With collaborative mixtapes and singles to their name, including the current climbing hit "My N---a," these two Los Angeles natives have crafted a reliable sound that combines Mustard's playful, groovy production with YG’s street-bred rhymes. The result, more often than not, is a club favorite.(Photo: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for BMI)
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Drake and Noah "40" Shebib - As important as Drake’s rapping and singing voice are, there’s maybe no one factor more vital in creating his sound than the production of Noah "40" Shebib. From his multiple credits on So Far Gone to being responsible for the sonic cohesion of Take Care, 40 has proven that, while Drake can (and does) dismantle beats from any producer, there's nowhere he sounds more at home than over a 40 beat.(Photos from left: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images, Valerie Macon/Getty Images, Phil McCarten/PictureGroup)
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Macklemore and Ryan Lewis - No members of a young rapper/producer duo are as inextricably linked as Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. Since they joined forces in 2010, neither has released much music without the other, and Lewis produced every track on 2012’s The Heist. As much as Macklemore's raps and hooks are catchy, it’s Lewis's funky, instrumental production that has played an essential role in the duo's pop success. (Photo: Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for BET)
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Meek Mill and Jahlil Beats - Both Meek Mill and Jahlil Beats have experienced much success outside of their partnership, but that’s not how it started. As Meek has made his way from Philly mixtape rapper to mainstream force, Jahlil Beats has been by his side musically throughout (“Rose Red,” “Ima Boss,” “Amen,” “Burn”). Jahlil’s frenetic synth and aggressive percussion serve as the perfect backdrop for the Maybach Music Group rapper’s energetic flows. (Photos from left: Moses Robinson/BET/Getty Images for BET, Ben Gabbe/Getty Images)
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Chief Keef and Young Chop - There was much that came together at the right time to launch Chief Keef’s foray into hip hop’s collective consciousness, and chief among them was Young Chop’s production. Throughout the course of their work, the duo has shown that Chop’s brooding production and Keef’s lyrical belligerence are an ideal union. (Photos from left: Courtesy of YoungChopBeatz.com, 247PapsTV / Splash News)
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Future and Mike Will Made It - There's something about Future's emotive flow and Mike WiLL Made It's spacey production that makes their sonic marriage a beautiful thing every time around. From "Turn on the Lights" and "Ain't No Way Around It" to "Itchin'" and "Neva End" and beyond, when these two come together, the results are out of this world. (Photos from Left: Bennett Raglin/BET/Getty Images for BET, Bennett Raglin/BET/Getty Images for BET)
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Big Sean and Key Wane - Key Wane got a few credits on Big Sean’s 2010 mixtape Finally Famous Vol. 3, but it was with the G.O.O.D. Music rapper’s 2012 Detroit mixtape that he and Sean really coalesced sonically. Sean then tapped the fellow Michigan native for seven songs on his Hall of Fame, including singles “Beware” and “Guap.”(Photo: Key Wane via Instagram)
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Joey Bada$ & Chuck Strangers - When people say Joey Bada$ reminds them of New York’s Golden Age, they don’t just mean his delvery and content; they also mean his sound. Instrumental in the creation of that sonic layout, from the release of Joey’s 1999, mixtape until today, has been his Pro Era brethren Chuck Strangers. Grounded in boom-bap influences but sprinkling in current flavors, Chuck’s production lays the foundation for Joey’s rhymes. (Photos from left: Chelsea Lauren/Getty Images, Derek Reed / Picture Group)
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Action Bronson and Party Supplies - In his still brief career, Action Bronson has shown a tendency to collaborate on full projects with one producer. He’s done so with Tommy Mas, Statik Selektah, The Alchemist and Harry Fraud. But the Queens native never hits his stride more than when he links with Party Supplies. Their work together — Blue Chips and Blue Chips 2 — is widely viewed as Action’s strongest work. (Photos from left: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Coachella; Fernando Leon/Getty Images)
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