Rise of the Super Producer

OK. Soapbox time. I have to admit that one of my pet hates in talking to people about popular music is how often people feel the need to slag off on Kanye West. “That guy’s such an asshole!”… I mean seriously, let’s think about this. The guy is clearly better than each and every one of his peers, he’s constantly kept moving and changing his sound and he’s made loads of other people famous in the meantime. I’m pretty sure if he wants to act like an asshole he’s entitled to it.

People hit back with the MTV awards incident as some sort of proof that he’s a loser. For starters, was anyone actually surprised? I mean, he’s only done it what, three times before? Secondly, has anyone actually seen Taylor Swift’s video? Let’s just say it’s not exactly high art. And how immensely famous did Taylor get after Kanye pulled his stunt anyway? Most of my circle had never even heard of her prior to the ceremony. Kanye’s comedy routine was publicity for both of them. He knew what he was doing, he was noticeably not even serious and both of them came out of it with wider exposure as a result.

West is an interesting case, as he’s one of a new wave that seemed to emerge out of Hip-Hop in the nineties: the Super Producers. Never before in music history has something like this occurred… Sure, certain producers have been called out as a big deal before (Phil Spector, George Martin, David Axelrod, Giorgio Moroder etc) but never have they been treated like the actual star of the show, put on the main stage with their name in lights. Now we have producers who are more famous than the artists they produce, who can guarantee sales with a guest appearance and who - most crassly of all - can participate in the same product endorsement carnival that was previously exclusive to the “artists”.

Pharrell Williams, Timbaland, Will.i.am and Kanye are the four major players in this scene. The four of them have been elevated to a near God-like status by the music rags and the MTV posse. They’ve all undoubtedly made or resuscitated other people’s careers, and they’ve all had cracks at their own but, funnily enough, only Kanye can lay claim to being any good in the frontline. Pharell borders on brilliant when making tunes for other people but even a cursory listen to his only solo record reveals that he just doesn’t cut it on his own. He can barely write a song, let alone an album.

Timbaland was fresh and inventive back when he was working with Missy Elliott. He made some truly crucial stuff back then, and he obviously knows it, because he’s spent the rest of his career aping that work. And Will.i.am… What can you say? I don’t even understand why this guy is famous. At least Pharrell and Timbaland have shown greatness at one point or another, which is more than can be said for Will.i.am and his thoroughly unremarkable work.

Then there is Kanye. He has his off moments but his song writing is generally very, very good, his productions are powerful and most importantly, he varies his style to suit the track, unlike Timbaland. But perhaps most tellingly of all, none of his peers would have dared make an album like 808s and Heartbreak. Breaking the Hip-Hop trend of perpetually acting the tough-guy, 808s is sleek, uncluttered and vulnerable. It kicks off with a six-minute opener that has more in common with Peter Gabriel than Hip-Hop. It does Pop better than the rest of them with ‘Paranoid’. And most surprisingly of all, ‘Streetlights’ is so perfect that it’s almost difficult to conceive even West as being its creator. 808s was a masterful record. Compare that to what his mates are doing… I think he should be as arrogant as he wants.

Greg Reason