What was with the ’90s? All things considered, the decade might boast the best music ever. Sure, the ’60s had the soul and rock revolution and the ’70s had the birth of what would become classic rock and punk. The ’80s had Prince and Michael Jackson. But it was the ’90s that boasted an eclectic swath of genres, from grunge to boy band.Perhaps more than anything else, the ’90s offered music fans the golden age of hip-hop. But where did all those great rap songs come from? Sure, there were many great lyricists and songwriters—but what about the beats? The inspiration for the rhymes. That boom-bap or operatic or nostalgic foundation of music upon which rappers could build their bars.Here, we wanted to highlight three producers in particular. A trio of beatmakers who represented the top of the top. If you were a rapper in the ’90s, you wanted one of these producers to bring you music. And if they did, you knew a hit song was likely around the corner.Dr. DreBefore he was a household name, the Compton-born Dr. Dre came up with the group N.W.A. in the late ’80s. But with the dissolution of that outfit, Dre decided to go solo and reintroduced himself with his 1992 solo record, The Chronic.With that work, however, he also introduced the world to a new Long Beach-born rapper, Snoop Dogg. And with that came a string of more Dr. Dre musical discoveries, including Eminem. If Dre was making your beat, not only was it instantly recognizable, with its high-frequency synths and hefty beat, but chances were it was going to be a radio hit, too.TimbalandTimbaland might just be the most creative beatmaker in the history of hip-hop. Entering one of his sonic landscapes feels like you’re walking into a forest, jungle, or ocean of sound. It’s more an ecosystem than it is a piece of music at times. Timbaland helped break many solo artists, including his dear friend Missy Elliott and the *NSYNC member-turned-soloist Justin Timberlake. The Virginia-born Timbaland got so good at making other people stars that he turned around and did it himself, releasing his own solo albums in the 2000s.DJ PremierFor the Houston-born DJ Premier, music was like a signature. Every beat he put out had to be recognizable, as if bearing his own name with each note. Listeners can hear Premier’s soul in each song. He shows it off with those heavy piano lines with effervescent drum beats. Or there would be bright, luminous pianos with deep bass lines paired. Either way, however the artist decided, the songs would sound like they were brand new and completely his at the same time—truly, an amazing magic trick.The post 3 Producers Who Dominated Hip-Hop in the ’90s appeared first on VICE.