Artists like DJ Premier

Patrick Denard Douthit, better known as 9th Wonder, is an American record producer, record executive, educator, and DJ who is the CEO of Jamla Records, distributed and marketed by Roc Nation, and Empire Distribution. As of Fall 2022, Douthit is Professor of the Practice in Residence in the Program in African American Studies at Wake Forest University. He also continues to teach courses at Duke University alongside his longtime collaborator, Professor Mark Anthony Neal.

Demond Price, known professionally as Conway the Machine, or simply Conway, is an American rapper and co-founder of the hip hop label Griselda Records, alongside his paternal half-brother Westside Gunn, and Mach-Hommy. Acclaimed for his 1990s inspired, dark and gritty lyricism, he rose to prominence following his mixtape Reject 2 (2015) and debut studio album From King to a God (2020). His second album, God Don't Make Mistakes (2022), was released by Shady Records, and met with universal acclaim.

Patrick Owen Baril, known professionally as Statik Selektah, is an American DJ and record producer from Boston, Massachusetts. He is also the founder of Showoff Records. In 2010, he formed the hip hop group 1982, alongside American rapper Termanology. He has resided in New York City since 2004.

Daniel Domingo Carrillo, better known by his stage name Termanology, is an American rapper and record producer. He first gained major attention with the 2006 single "Watch How It Go Down". A solo album, Politics as Usual, was released in 2008. He has made a number of collaborative albums, such as 1982 and is known also for his prolific mixtape output. He is of Puerto Rican and French descent.

Peter O. Phillips, better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapper. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time, and is often mentioned alongside DJ Premier, RZA, and Q-Tip as one of the mainstays of 1990s East Coast hip hop production. He rose to prominence in the early 1990s as one half of the critically acclaimed group Pete Rock & CL Smooth. Early on in his career, he was also famed for his remix work.

Nathaniel Thomas Wilson, better known by his stage name Kool G Rap, is an American rapper. He began his career in the mid-1980s as one half of the group Kool G Rap & DJ Polo and as a member of the Juice Crew. He is widely considered to be one of the most influential and skilled MCs of all time, and a pioneer of mafioso rap/street/hardcore content and multisyllabic rhyming. On his album The Giancana Story, he stated that the "G" in his name stands for "Giancana", but on other occasions he has stated that it stands for "Genius".

William Paul Mitchell, better known by the stage name of Large Professor, is an American rapper and record producer. Based in New York City, he is a founding member of the underground hip-hop group Main Source, and is credited with having discovered and mentored fellow New York City-based rapper Nas. About.com ranked Large Professor at No. 13 on its Top 25 Hip-Hop Producers list.

Lamont Coleman, known professionally as Big L, was an American rapper and record producer. Emerging from Harlem in New York City in 1992, Big L became known among underground hip-hop fans for his freestyling ability. He was eventually signed to Columbia Records, where, in 1995, he released his debut studio album, Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous. He was fatally shot in a drive-by shooting in Harlem in 1999.

Mobb Deep were an American hip-hop duo formed in Queens, New York, in 1990. Consisting of rappers/songwriters/record producers Prodigy and Havoc, they are considered to be among the most influential artists in East Coast hip-hop. Mobb Deep are one of the most successful rap duos of all time, having sold over three million records. Their best-known albums are The Infamous (1995), Hell on Earth (1996) and Murda Muzik (1999), and their most successful singles were "Shook Ones, " and "Survival of the Fittest". They were known for their dark and hardcore delivery.

Chauncey Alexander Hollis Jr., known professionally as Hit-Boy, is an American record producer, rapper, and record executive. A three-time Grammy Award winner and eleven-time nominee, he is the founder of Surf Club Inc., an independent label, publishing company, and entertainment company.

The Beatnuts is an American hip hop group and production duo from New York City. Its current members are JuJu and Psycho Les. JuJu is a Dominican American from Corona and Psycho Les is a Colombian American from Jackson Heights, Queens. Although only peripheral members, they are routinely acknowledged by Q-Tip as being members of Native Tongues. The Beatnuts were originally a trio before Fashion, now known as Al' Tariq, left the group to start a solo career. V.I.C. was also a member of The Beatnuts' production team for a while.

James Rencher, known professionally as Meyhem Lauren, is an American rapper from Queens, New York. He is a founding member of the Smart Crew collective. He has collaborated with the likes of DJ Muggs, The Alchemist, and Harry Fraud. He stars in Fuck, That's Delicious with Action Bronson, The Alchemist, and Big Body Bes.

Pete Rock & CL Smooth were an American hip hop duo from Mount Vernon, New York. They made their debut with their 1991 EP, All Souled Out and followed that with their 1992 LP Mecca and the Soul Brother.

Jeremie Damon Pennick, known professionally as Benny the Butcher, or simply Benny, is an American rapper and songwriter. He came to prominence in 2018 following the release of his debut album, Tana Talk 3. Along with his cousins and fellow rappers Westside Gunn and Conway The Machine, with which he forms the collective Griselda, he is known for his '90s inspired rap songs and is often credited with leading a revival of the so called 'grimy' and 'gritty' hip hop music, influenced by mafioso and drug dealing themes.

James Clay Jones III, better known by his stage name Boldy James, is an American rapper. He is a member of the hip hop collective Griselda. Recognized for his deep voice and laid-back delivery of vivid stories, he often explores themes of drug trade and street life. After his debut album My 1st Chemistry Set (2013), James has since released a wide discography of both studio albums as well as mixtapes and EPs, often releasing multiple projects in a year.

Boogie Down Productions (BDP) was an American hip-hop group formed in the Bronx, New York City, in 1986. It originally consisted of KRS-One, D-Nice, and DJ Scott La Rock. DJ Scott La Rock was murdered on August 27, 1987. The name of the group, Boogie Down, derives from a nickname for the South Bronx.

Talib Kweli Greene is an American rapper. He is one half of the hip-hop duo Black Star, which he formed in 1997 with fellow Brooklyn rapper Mos Def. Their 1998 single, "Definition", entered the Billboard Hot 100 and preceded their eponymous debut album (1998), which entered the Billboard 200. The duo then began pursuing solo careers, although one further Black Star album — No Fear of Time (2022) — was released thereafter.

EPMD is an American hip hop duo from Brentwood, New York. The duo's name is an initialism for "Erick and Parrish Making Dollars", referring to its members: emcees Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith. During an interview on college radio station WHOV in 1987, Parrish Smith stated that the name evolved from the original: "We were originally known as "EEPMD", but chose to go with EPMD because it was easier to say." He also stated that they dropped the two "E's" because N.W.A's Eric Wright was already using "Eazy-E" as his stage name. The group has been active for 39 years.

People Under the Stairs was an American hip hop duo from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1997 and disbanded in 2019. Since their inception, the group consisted solely of Christopher Portugal and Michael Turner. The group employed a DIY work ethic of sampling, MCing, DJing, and producing all of their output.

Jeffrey Allen Townes, better known by his stage name DJ Jazzy Jeff, is an American DJ, music producer and actor. He was one half of the hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, along with Will Smith. He is credited, along with DJ Spinbad and DJ Cash Money, with popularizing the transformer scratch.

Keith Edward Elam, better known by his stage name Guru, was an American rapper, record producer and actor. He was a member of the hip-hop duo Gang Starr, along with DJ Premier. He was born in Boston.