Damn! 3 Great Producers With Frustratingly Brief Discographies

First off this evening, a brief apology readers for the lack of activity around these parts over the last week. The build up to the return to work and final opportunities to revel in a lack of responsibility have kept me admirably occupied in recent times, but the return of a regular routine heralds a greater level of commitment to FDB (avoiding 'proper' work is one of my most finely honed skills).

I did actually have another installment in the Jeru series lined up, but to be honest, I've kind of lost a little enthusiasm for the project that I started up at the beginning of last week and want to move onto something else. Despite being happy with the final results of the Jeru 'rhyme deconstructions', they made me realise that my strength really lies in beat analysis (I worry that my English teacher instincts may have gone a little too far this time), so I'm sticking to what I know best with today's post. What follows is a selection of producers whose work I rate exceptionally highly, but whose output in comparison to other beatmakers is minimal. Perhaps that's why I love 'em... see what you think.

Spencer Bellamy

East Flatbush Project - 'Tried By 12'
taken from Tried By 12 12'' (10/30 Uproar Records, 1996)

PreC.I.S.E. MC - 'Slowdown (My Brother)'
taken from PreC.I.S.E.-ly Done (Luke Records, 1991)

Of the three producers listed here today, there is little doubt that Mr. Bellamy is easily the most high profile. His beginnings as a DJ with Howie Tee's crew in the late '80s gives you some idea of how long this particular veteran has been a part of the game, and yet his output has been limited to just a few album production credits and a handful of 12''s here and there. The bulk of his discography is made up of his East Flatbush Project series where he provides the beats for a selection of MCs of his choice which never fails to impress. The quality of these releases is consistently outstanding, so much so, that you can't help a pervading sense that he could have contributed significantly more to the game in a career which spanned a decade. Of course, the song that will always resonate as his finest moment is the magnificent 'Tried By 12' which remains one of the dopest underground releases in hip hop history. What always got me about this tune was its simplicity: made up of little more than an obscure Japanese sample and understated drum track, it still never failed to get your head noddin' and it deserves the considerable rep that it has achieved amongst serious hip hop aficionados. Dig a little deeper however, and there is still plenty to savour, not least in his contributions to PreC.I.S.E. MC's overlooked album from '91, PreC.I.S.E.-ly Done. 'Slowdown (My Brother)' easily ranks as my personal favourite amongst his trio of contributions, the melodic piano track and bouncy drum beat joining forces to create a tasty slice of early '90s hip hop music. There's also enough variation here to keep you interested, with plenty of subtleties to the beat that bely the fact that this is one of his first ever pieces of official production work. With his last credits dating back to 2001, it's doubtful that we'll be hearing from him again anytime soon, but for me he has left an indelible mark on the culture that deserves celebration.

Rob 'Whiteboy' Lewis

Nine ft. Demastas - 'Feel No Guilt'
taken from Feel No Guilt 12'' (London, 1999)

Nine ft. U-Neek - 'Tha Product'
taken from Cloud Nine (Profile, 1996)

Rob Lewis originally cut his production teeth with DJ Chuck Chillout and Kool Chip on 1989's Master Of The Rhythm LP, although my knowledge of his involvement in this project is incredibly limited. Although I like this album, it isn't a work that has received a massive amount of airplay from me, and from FDB's point of view he really came into his own on Nine's two highly slept on albums Nine Lives and Cloud Nine, both of which were produced in their entirety by the man in question. Lewis's production style epitomises that dark, gritty New York sound as much as any other major producer in the game, and it's a damn shame that we didn't get to hear more of his work as the genre sunk into the depths of a more commercial era. Favouring bangin' drum tracks and atmospheric samples, his production style is beautifully crafted, and although 'Whutcha Want?!' is his most well known piece of work, 'Tha Product' is an (almost) equal demonstration of his production prowess. Strings soar over the 'Ode To Billy Joe' drum track below, a perfect match for the growling delivery of Nine and his temporary rhyme partner U-Neek. If you're in any doubt as to the man's quality just check the last minute of this track which allows the beat to shine, no less so than at the 3.47 mark when Lewis introduces a previously unheard sample that is truly slammin': it represents mid-'90s hip hop production at its absolute finest.

Eddie James

AK Skillz - 'One Life Ta Live (Instrumental)'
taken from One Life Ta Live 12'' (Tru Criminal, 1996)

Street Smartz - 'Metal Thangz (Remix)'
taken from Tru Criminal Records EP (Tru Criminal, 1997)

With only five individual beats listed on Discogs, Eddie James is the least prolific in this trio of beatmakers. But don't let that fool you: there's some serious quality here. James first came to my attention on the fantastic AK Skillz's 'One Life Ta Live' 12'' which deserves classic status despite enduring as the reserve of aforementioned aficionados. I've already waxed lyrical about the a-side's quality here, but such is my enthusiasm for the song that I'm throwing it up again just in case you missed it the first time around. This was so close to making my Top 25 beats post over at When They Reminisce... it's untrue, and it only failed to make the cut because of its relative newness to me. Very few beats combine grit and warmth so perfectly: if you've been sleepin' on this then you need to rectify the situation immediately. James's only other credits appear on a Tru Criminal Records EP, and it is the 'Metal Thangz (Remix)' that particularly grabs me, another fine example of his talents featuring a harmonious string sample and clean rim hits. I'm yet to hear his work on Born Suspicious' 'These Days' 12'', but if these couple of songs are anything to go by, it's going to be a banger.

Why these producers output is so limited is beyond me, but all three have produced work of the highest calibre in their irritatingly brief careers in hip hop. Perhaps it is the very exclusivity of their work that makes them so appealing: with very little to tarnish their profound ability behind the boards, the fan in me is simply left wondering what could have been. Do yourself a favour and track down their work if you can: although the term gets bandied about a little too easily, these guys are pretty much as close as you can get to the definition of slept on.