In 2020, hip-hop has no signature sound. Back in the day, the genre could perhaps be identified by distinct drum patterns and melodies that were made in a certain year, but now, anything goes. We live in a time where some of the most bold, talented producers in the game are creating beats with limitless potential. Over the last 12 months, hip-hop producers proved just how lucrative the pool of talent is as the beats they’ve crafted have been certified as streaming hits and chart-topping successes.
For some producers, full projects were the way to solidify their stamp on 2020. Hit-Boy, a Grammy Award-winning audio architect, executive produced albums for Nas (King’s Disease), Big Sean (Detroit 2) and Benny The Butcher (Burden of Proof) this year. On these offerings, he effortlessly ricocheted between different chord progressions, sample packs and drum kits to create revered collections.
The same goes for the trap savant Metro Boomin, who challenged himself to keep his sound fresh this year. Housed on the long-anticipated Savage Mode 2 album with 21 Savage are Metro’s beats like “Runnin,” which will make you want to catch a body, and “Steppin On Niggas,” a soundscape to inspire anyone to grab some cardboard and start breakdancing.
Not every producer needs an entire LP to flex their artful muscle though. For chart-topping producers like Ayo and Keyz (Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s “WAP”); KBeaZy, Omer Fedi and Blake Slatkin (24kGoldn and Iann Dior’s “Mood”); and SethInTheKitchen (DaBaby and Roddy Ricch’s “Rockstar”), their firepower came in the form of singles that went No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. All of these multiplatinum-selling songs did monstrous streaming numbers too, with infinite replay value.
Coming off the success of 2019’s “Suge” and “Bop” with DaBaby, South Carolina’s own Jetsonmade kept his hands on the boards this year by co-producing the beats for Jack Harlow’s “Whats Poppin” (and the remix), Playboi Carti’s “@ Meh” and J. Cole’s “Lion King on Ice,” among others.
And before we jump into this entire list of producers, OG’s like The Alchemist have refused to fade away as well. He’s only getting stronger with time and projects like Freddie Gibbs’ Alfredo, which recently got a 2021 Grammy nom, is a testament to that amongst the other prolific beats he’s shocked life into.
There are plenty of names that are worthy enough to crack this top 50 list, and even more aux chord go-to songs that prove why they should be in this discussion. So today, XXL highlights 50 of the best beat curators in 2020. You can peep some of your favorites below.
Hit-Boy
Heard in the jubilant co-production of Big Sean’s “Deep Reverance” with Nipsey Hussle this year, it’s evident that Hit-Boy has been in beast mode all 2020. He started the year off taking home a Grammy for Nipsey’s “Racks in the Middle” featuring Roddy Ricch, and continued to apply pressure by executive producing entire albums for Nas (King’s Disease), Benny The Butcher (Burden of Proof) and Sean Don (Detroit 2). With a run that features additional link-ups with trap rappers like Lil Baby (“Catch The Sun”) and R&B legends like Brandy (“Baby Mama”), his crown for, arguably, the producer of the year is propped up by the versatility he possesses.
Metro Boomin
Metro Boomin came back in 2020 like he never left. The St. Louis-bred, Atlanta-living producer handled the entirety of the production (and tapped a few other producers for assists) on the long anticipated Savage Mode 2, which was well worth the wait and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart in October. Among the 15 songs on the album, the haunting “Runnin,” the boombox joint “Steppin on Niggas” and the flip of 50 Cent’s “Many Men” on the track of the same name left 21 ample room to make his modern day murder music.
Jetsonmade
Jetsonmade surged to the top 10 of the Billboard charts with DaBaby’s “Suge” last year, and now, the 23-year-old producer found his way back toward the top again with co-production on Jack Harlow’s “Whats Poppin.” If that song (which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100) and its remix (which features Lil Wayne, Tory Lanez and DaBaby), didn’t convince you, perhaps it’s his co-production on J. Cole’s “Lion King On Ice” or Playboi Carti’s “@ Meh” that will do the trick.
The Alchemist
After nearly 25 years in the game, The Alchemist’s sample-based sound is still eminent. In 2020, the sonic manipulator brought to life Freddie Gibbs’ Alfredo, Boldy James’ The Price of Tea in China and Conway The Machine’s Lulu—all revered efforts on top of his own project, The Food Villian. The California native is still as good as he’s always been, further demonstrated on songs like Jay Electronica’s “The Neverending Story” with The-Dream and Jay-Z, co-production on Eminem’s “Stepdad” and Gibbs’ “Something to Rap About” with Tyler, The Creator.
SethInTheKitchen
SethInTheKitchen kept the kettle hot this year. The rising producer is most notably responsible for laying the pulse of DaBaby and Roddy Ricch’s hit song “Rockstar,” which spent seven weeks as the No. 1 song in the country in 2020, and received three 2021 Grammy Award nominations for its impact, especially during the months of quarantine. This is only the beginning for Seth, and he’s got a massive start.