It’s that time of year again… Black History Month!!! To celebrate, we want to show some love to a few of our favorite black producers. At FLOPPY, we recognize most, if not all, of the music we love today wouldn’t exist without the contribution of black artists throughout history. So it’s only right for us to pay tribute in our own way.

It’s challenging making a list like this so just know there were MANY artists we would have loved to have included. The people featured in this list are those whom we consider to be at the intersection of legend and yet of slight obscurity to the ears of the general music listener. We sincerely hope you’ll find some tunes to be smitten with from these folks. Please enjoy and check out all the artists below!

JEFF MILLS

“The Wizard” of Detroit, Jeff Mills, has been making tracks since the early 80s. He is seen as a pioneer in the realm of techno and was one of the founding members of Underground Resistance. Among many other things, he is a master DJ most notably known for his dexterity in juggling up to 4 turntables at once during his sets.

TOMMY WRIGHT III

Memphis legend Tommy Wright III was heavily influenced by predecessors and mentors like DJ Spanish Fly and DJ BK. He further synthesized the sound that is Memphis horrorcore and is a progenitor of the expansive Memphis rap scene we know today.

JAYDA G

Vancouver based British Columbia native Jayda G is a relatively late blooming producer. What started as a hobby for her as she took the traditional university route, brought her all the way to a Grammy nomination in 2019. Her subdued yet undeniably infectious production style is sure to have you listening closed eyed and smiling before you even realize it.

DJ RASHAD

For a producer whose original exposure to music was centered around his involvement in the dance crews of Chicago’s outskirts, it is of the upmost poetry that the late DJ Rashad would become a godfather of the Chicago footwork genre. DJ Rashad’s music is made for movement; pressing play is a perennial invitation to get down.

DELROY EDWARDS

The son of Hellboy himself (Ron Pearlman), grew up as a musician exposed to genres spanning the entire auditory spectrum. He eventually found himself co-workers with the would be founder of the iconic L.I.E.S. record label. Through this auspicious connection, Delroy Edwards first blessed the world with his ever evolving experimental sound that incorporates his expansive musical inspiration sources into electronic tracks that hypnotize.

DJ HOLOGRAPHIC

Another Detroit native on our list, DJ Holographic is a world renowned track spinner who also runs her own label. Her newest record is one of experimentation and introspection. It takes the listener on a journey through the sprawling soundscapes she has crafted.

YOUNG CHOP

A young legend in his own right, South Side Chicago native Young Chop is the producer behind some of the greatest songs of the burgeoning Chicago drill scene in it’s early development. On the power of his beats alone he helped lift himself and many of the people around him out of obscurity.

DJ ASSAULT

The founder of THREE record labels, DJ Assault is a producer who puts his hometown of Detroit at the forefront of his music. Simply put, DJ Assault does not give a fuck and displays this proudly on every track. His music is an authentic embodiment of who he is and where he comes from. Audiences around the world love this about him and we hope you do too.

HONEY DIJON

Another South Side Chicago native on our list, Honey Dijon spent her youth immersed in the Chicago club scene. There she was exposed to all of the newly developing electronic sounds coming out of the American Midwest in the 80s and 90s. Starting as a DJ and eventually moving on to become a full blown producer, her music hearkens back to her days in the Chicago techno scene with a sultry spin. She produces sounds that can be at home in everything from clubs to fashion runways.

RP BOO

Last but most definitely not least in the slightest we have another Chicago footwork pioneer, RP Boo. RP Boo had much the same upbringing and was involved in some of the very same dance crews as the formerly listed DJ Rashad. He helped solidify the sound of footwork in a way that inventively pushed the bounds of the coalescing genre.

As always thank you so much for reading! We hope you found some new music to fall in love with!

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