Beats, beats, and beats are the heart of the party. Beats are the meat of the song, the oil in the musical vehicle every artist custom tailors to the likings of their ears and the ears of others. Good beats are hard to find, but they’ve never been hard to find in the Bay Area. From big stars to OG’s from the club scenes, it’s hard to choose.
The best beatmakers are like gold in the hip-hop industry because they’re essentially a one-man-army of musical production. Why bring in a whole band or ensemble when one fire producer can emulate a full band or even orchestral sound? As a longtime Bay Area resident, I have a lot of opinions on producers from the area. Here are my top five producers from the Bay and some of the history I have with their tunes.
Zaytoven
Number 1, I will list as Zaytoven. This man has a strong Internet presence and will pop up if you Google “the Bay’s top producers.” Zaytoven (born January 12, 1988) is famous for being a DJ and producer who has collaborated with artists such as Gucci Mane, Waka Flocka, Future, and more on his way to producing hundreds of songs.
Zaytoven’s 1st major feature was to appear on Gucci Mane’s mixtape which gave him good exposure to advance his career as one of my top 5.
A line of instumentals, drum kits, beats, funky fingers, sound kits, and Zaytoven type beats all get searched for on Google. To me, the name always stood out because of sounding similar to world-famous music producer Beethoven. Following a famous name is a well-played marketing tactic by Hip Hop artists that works. What speaks more than his name is his work.
His 1st major feature was to appear on Gucci Mane’s mix tape which gave him good exposure to advance his career as one of the top 5. Projects of mix tape production lined up with Тrар Воу, Zау Тоwn, аnd Frее Guссі. Не аlѕо раrtісіраtеd іn thе рrоduсtіоn оf Васk 2 Віznеѕѕ bу Yung Rаlрh аnd Dіdn’t Fееd thе Аnіmаlѕ bу Gоrіllа Zое.
The list goes on and on from there as I said his work speaks for itself and his wealth. As of 2019, Zaytoven’s net worth is well into the millions according to wealthypersons.com. This is one of the earliest hustlers of fire beats out of the Bay and should be on anyone’s top five.
Pharoahgahmoe
Next on the list is Pharoahgahmoe from the East Bay. You can find him flying to Milwaukee and Chicago often doing some production deal for a big check. This guy is highly sought after with his skills on the board producing SUPERFRIENDS BEATS for many local artists who recognize him as the go-to magic-maker.
You can check out his work on Spotify and see him posted in his lab on Instagram. He has been through a lot and worked with many people, even working as the DJ of Club Pink Diamonds in Oakland for a minute.
This video brings back fond memories for the 510. The only way to make this article right is by hitting back-to-back with Oaktown because it’s so dope. Visit his website to learn more about the legacy of DJ Pharoahgahmoe.
Igor Beatz
Igor Beatz is one of the recognized top 5 producers because he has produced more and done the most with the community. He ran hip-hop shows such as “What it Do Tuesdays” for over 10 years, longer than anyone I know, running the open mic from Oakland to Hayward only to be stopped when the venue caught fire. Now he continues to push his online station Bay Life Radio, and he still puts flyers out for some online events even during the COVID 19 quarantine.
Prolific Sound Studios
PROLIFIC SOUND STUDIOS is simply your professional studio, servicing most genres. It’s located in the beautiful city of Fremont, California where he strives to provide top quality and enhancement to the career musician and the corporate client media that seek him out. He has a Universal flavor in his production style that makes the artists sound really good. You can book studio time with them by emailing info@prolificsoundsolutions.com
Traxamillion
Traxamillion is a serious Bay Area legend and one of the originators of the Hyphy-era sound. Traxx is so prolific he even has his own beat pack available on his website. Some of his credits include hits from Too $hort, Keak Da Sneak, Mistah F.A.B., and more. Check out his top tracks below and put some respect on this man’s name and his contribution to the game.
