Timbaland maintains that Dr. Dre deserves top three billing.
List fever may not be at an apex as it was a few weeks ago, but the symptoms are still kicking around. Yesterday, Timbaland found himself analyzing a viral “Top 50 Producers” list, which he deemed to be full egregious takes. By his estimation, a complete re-evaluation was necessary. In its current state, the list’s top ten features: Quincy Jones, Teddy Riley, Babyface, Robert Kelly, Prince, Timbaland, Pharrell, The Dream, Tricky Stewart, and Jermaine Dupri. It doesn’t take long for Timbo to highlight a deal-breaking flaw in the list’s design – which is to say, Dr. Dre clocking in at sixteen overall.
“I think dr Dre should b n the top3,” suggest Timbo, prompting a response from Snoop Doggy Dogg. “Way f. Dre. At. 16. who made this,” asks the Dogg, inserting a hand-slap emoji for emphasis. Timbo continues with a few notable snubs, including RZA, J Dilla, Pete Rock, DJ Premier, Rodney Jerkin, and Devonte Swing. Pi’erre Bourne chimed in with his shock that Dilla was left f the ballot entirely, a testament to the listmaker’s ignorance to hip-hop’s history storied producers.
At this point, it’s difficult to provide a Top 50 that can effectively service as a binding truth. Yet some omissions are so foul that they deserve further notice – the idea that Dr. Dre can be deemed by anyone as ill-fitting the top ten, for instance. Perhaps Timbaland oughta fashion his own list, if only to pay homage accordingly. While not quite a list, Timbo made sure to highlight five the genre’s defining sonic influences, a group many still hold in high esteem: himself, Dre, Pharrell, Swizzy, and Kanye West. Is that the holy grail hip-hop production?