1. Pete Rock - Basslines and penchant for good melodys
2. Premier - His chops and the way he works his drums around them
3. Alchemist - Not afraid to use different types of samples
4. Dilla - Very experiemental in some of his later works & his chop game was incredible
5. Madlib - Just the volume of work and willingness to try new stuff; intensely creative
6. Erick Sermon - Funky and didn't venture away from his style and what worked
7. Just Blaze - Maybe not the most consistent but when on few better
8. Hi-Tek - Really really made makes sure his drums knock
9. DJ Jazzy Jeff - Real laid back style post-Fresh Prince, actually got better
10. Dr Dre - Slightly overrated but beats are usually catchy

...

in no particular order
dj krush - sometimes simplest is best
little people - arrangement can get you across points you wanna point out
nujabes - sometimes these melodic arrangements can really touch your soul
emancipator - get crazy with build ups and arrangements
prefuse 73 - sample anything
dilla - manipulate any sound to break necks
pete rock - simple chops,heavy bassline and kickass drums can last a millenium
rza - bong bong! lol
kutmasta kurt - keepin it funky with the chops
premo - might be overrated but he keeps his signature sound and the first
2 bars youll know its a premo beat.

I am on page with this here. Love these artists you mentioned, but not as influenced by Mndsgn. I can talk better in terms of eras, as it took each period for me to appreciate the next one.

Basically, I used to worship RZA, Timbaland (old version), DJ Premier, DJ Scratch, etc (Portishead and the Dust Bros were influential, too). I like sample-based aesthetic and these folks took what caught my ear about hip hop and explored the rawer/dirtier side. I basically can't hang with stuff as much if doesn't have the raw factor these artists laid the bedrock for. Timbaland blew my mind back in the day with the found sounds and original-ass rhythms.

Dilla will always be an influence to me. He was before I even really knew who he was though listening to Tribe, Q-Tip (solo album), Common and Slum V. The hard ass drums with the unique swing, the crazy basslines that would push and pull you into and away from the beat.

The Anticon/Def Jux dudes blew my mind at the time they were putting a lot of stuff out. El-P, Alias, Jel....loved the lofi experimentation that was going on. Inspired me to get a sp-202 back in the day.

I did go through a phase of appreciating Dr. Dre, Neptunes and Kanye production, but while they got me though that time, it didn't age well at all for me.

Then Madlib caught my ear with the Madvillain/Quasimodo stuff. The unique sampling/sequencing and heavy compression plus the coveted "raw/dirty factor" made me worship all this dude's stuff. Still do.

Then Dilla again reinspired me with the Donuts LP. Its like he was reborn as a whole different artist. Beats that stood on their own that ignored the 16 bars format. Sample chopping/sequecing that ignored sticking to the same time signature and didn't sound like they were made in a grid. Huge.

Which brings us to the artists I like now. FlyLo, Dibiase, Samiyam, Knxwldge, Teebs and a shitload of others. All things I liked before brought me here. We have the technology to record clean and high quality, but nothing sounds better to me than dirty, raw, sloppy and psychedelic. I love music more now than ever as its all about the textures and capturing a vibe. Crazy how the radio hip hop is as sterile and predictable as possible, while we have some of the most experimental renaissance beat culture fueling itself and celebrating weirdness going on and getting stronger.

Word.

I feel all you guys. I am truly a late 80's to mid-90's hip hop head. As much as I try to get into this new stuff it's hard to because it lacks a certain feeling. Some of the new producers that service the Rick Rosses and Drakes make good music at times but majority of it doesn't have the same redeemng qualities of "the era" to me.

Can't say I have an absolute favorite but those are my 10. There ar many others, Dibiase is doing some great work, I like his swingology 101 joint.

Cheers fellas

my chiropractor is gonna hate
dibiase for breaking my neck so
many times.lol

"Crazy how the radio hip hop is as sterile and predictable as possible"

and-o I feel you here for real man. Copy cat industry ....

.

I feel you, I'm looking forward to releasing a EP soon on bandcamp. BOLO for Soulful Noyze (my settled on production name) No Frills EP, tentative tracklist
...
Authentic (Intro)
Street Food
Bettermade
From Scratch
Special Seasoning
Baked Goods (Outro)

Just basic dusty ole Golden Era style beats...I make stuff for me but hope yall like it too...One

Haven't neccesarily stuck with "hip-hop" producers

1) DJ Shadow - This guy got me into sampled music. His first two albums are untouchable imo. Shown me what you can do with just records and an mpc. The first Unkle album was class too!
2) Flying Lotus - First artist to get me into this beat music. His production is always so nice and his percussion. I always get the impression that he tries to push the bar all the time
3) Dibiase - Second artists to get me into beat music. Always so tight. I love the way he makes it look so simple and his arrangements are so sick!
4) Dilla - Everyone knows why!
5) 3D (Massive Attack) - showing the fact that I'm English here. Everything he touches is just so nice. Love the darkness of Mezzanine, so well done
6) Richard D James (Aphex Twin) - Pure Genius! End of.....

I'll need to think a bit harder about the other 4......

tuxedo kamen x10

dilla and pete rock are my two favs. they got everyone beat on basslines and their drums are real snappy and crunchy, especially dilla. in my opinion dilla has most people beat in every aspect of beat making. His chops are insane. Like the ringo starr sample he used for the "in the streets" beat, is just one of a ton of examples of how crazy that dude was at flipping records.

i think lord finesse is one of the most slept on producers of all time. he's real smooth. Finesse and E Sermon really don't get the love they should. I think those two should be on every top ten list. finesse freaks those filters and gets some real dreamy shit going. And there aren't many dudes that have the catalogue that sermon has. Between his joints with epmd and records like muddy waters, whut the album, keith murrays first two records...he should easily be known as one of the greats, but he's rarely mentioned.

its real hard to make a top ten list but dilla, pete, finesse, sermon, primo, easy mo bee and rza would all be on mine for sure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0LAlO5XoKo

as far as hip hop,my top 10 would be pretty much the same,give or take,as most on here...preem,pete rock,rza,marly marl,dilla,muggs(don't know if he's been mentioned,actually),q-tip,large pro,etc...as far as experimental type stuff,i really don't have enough knowledge to comment- i will say that the two dudes that produced Portishead basically created a new genre,and inspired not only "trip hop" and other experimental type producers,but the best hip hop producers of the late 90's/early 2000's as well..gotta put tricky & shadow in that category too.

as far as the best right now-for me it'e easilly Oddisee-- absolutely nobody's doing it like he is..combining the sound of golden age break based beats and modern production techniques-his stuff is amazing,and he's mad versatile.real nice on the mic too.

oh yea,gotta add prince paul as well-- ahead of his time with sampling and broke a lot of ground for artists of all genre's