Mass Appeal: 10 Rappers Who Would Make Great A&Rs [GALLERY] - Page 4

Rappers and their A&R’s haven’t always seen eye to eye. Case in point, GZA’s on the record animosity to mountain climbing electric guitar players with record label gigs. In fact, there are plenty of Hip-Hop artists that would make excellent beat solicitors for artists whose selection when it comes to production has historically been suspect [insert Nastradamus era Nas slander here].

Here are 10 artists who if they should ever choose to lay their mics down, would make for excellent artist & repertoire reps. The only criteria is that they couldn’t be more noted for their production before they were respected as MCs (Pete Rock, RZA and Kanye West for example). Also, you should be an actual rapper (sorry DJ Khaled).

Let us know who you think should or should have made the cut after you peep the list in the gallery.

MORE ON HIP-HOP WIRED!

• Ballers Ternt Actors: The 10 Best Actors In NBA History

• 7 Things Rihanna Wants You To Know Based On Shots From Her 777 Tour [PHOTOS]

• Did Chief Keef Curve His Own Video Shoot With 50 Cent & Wiz Khalifa? [PHOTOS]

• The Afro Struggle aka A Timeline Of What In Thee F-ck Is Up With Andrew Bynum’s Hair? [PHOTOS]

• Wired 25: Nobody’s Perfect – The 25 Biggest Fails From Rap Superstars

• In Their Falsetto: The Struggle-Voiced Singers That Hip-Hop Can’t Do Without [PHOTOS]

• 15 Things Beyoncé Wants You To Know Based On Her Tumblr & Instagram Shots [PHOTOS]

• Rihanna Opens Up For GQ Magazine, Talks Drake/Chris Brown Fight [PHOTOS]
—
Photo: Lisa Leone

Rick Ross

Rozay stays rapping over choice beats. No doubt Wale and Meek Mill—and others not named Pill—have reaped the benefits of having the Miami rapper in their corner.

J. Cole

Jermaine Cole was a kid trying to get his rhyme on and when he could find beats, he made them himself. The dedication paid off when you notice that he produced the lion’s share of tracks on his debut, Cole World: The Sideline Story, by his damn self.

Drake

Say what you will about Drizzy’s Charmin soft reputation, son stays getting plush production. See what we did there? OVO’s own made Noah “40” Shebib and Boi-1day household names. ‘Nuff said.

Ghostface Killah

Ghost Deini’s catalog is one of the strongest in Hip-Hop. Even when he relegated RZA to handling few if any beats on his albums (The Pretty Toney Album, Fishscale), their quality remained consistent.

Q-Tip

Unless you were an inquisitive rap journalist or an ATCQ obsessive, before the Michael Rapaport directed documentary few people really knew that the Abstract created most of the beats on A Tribe Called Quests first few albums himself. Why do you think Kanye West recruited him to the team?

Buckshot

Besides rocking with Black Moon, who were stomping through BK in backpacks before it was all trendy, Buckshot has been steadily steering the Duck Down ship. With a roster that sports Smif-N-Wessun, 9th Wonder, Skyzoo, Sean O and more, he knows a thing or two about minting quality control.

Scarface

Name a genuinely wack Scarface record. We’ll wait.

Busta Rhymes

Say what you will about wanting that Native Tongue Busta Rhymes back, his longevity is certified. While the Flipmode Squad didn’t break through, alumni like Roc Marciano and Rah Digga as well as murderer’s row of his records, proves Bussa Bus has an ear for beat talent.

E-40 

Same deal as Scarface goes for E-40 can you name a weak record he put together? Can you say you have been in the game at anything for over 20 years? Didn’t think so.