When we hear about production greats from the almighty Detroit, in hip-hop that is, there's only one profound name, and that's the legendary James Yancey, aka J Dilla. His influence reached way beyond the city of Motown and placed him in most people's Mount Rushmore of producers and rightfully so. The legacy left behind within Detroit has spawned a few notable producers, especially Dilla student, Black Milk, who also has garnered lots of acclaim and respect for his brand of live instrumentation. However, since the mid-thousands, there has been another name that has emerged within the ranks of the D, and his name is Erik Stephens, aka Apollo Brown. Known for his signature style of minimal to thick drums and percussion underneath cleverly chopped soul samples, Apollo has clearly been under 9th Wonder's learning tree, but it absolutely works for him, as he's been considered among the most consistent producers of the past fifteen years. Clearly a fan of the golden era of hip-hop, in which clever use of samples and boom-bap was prevalent, Brown has delivered a number of outstanding projects that get plenty of bump and neck-cramping sounds. Brown has worked quite the number of artists in the game that aren't just limited to Detroit artists such as Guilty Simpson, Quelle Chris, Elzhi, and Royce Da 5'9", but also to other emcees such as Skyzoo, Stalley, Ras Kass, O.C., Che Noir, and Planet Asia to acclaimed efforts being dropped to the masses. We are going to highlight the best albums that Apollo has crafted exclusively, but this does not include his instrumental efforts such as Clouds and Thirty-Eight, nor does it include his R&B effort with Grammy-nominated singer, Raheem DeVaughn, Lovesick (although it was a great effort with much due respect). this is strictly hip-hop kiddos. At the end of the album list, you can peep several examples of his best work for further proof of his talent. With all that being said, let's get to it.
20. Apollo Brown & Guilty Simpson
Dice Game
Guests: Planet Asia, Torae
We start with a good old Detroit union, as Apollo linked up with Guilty Simpson for the album, Dice Game. Guilty has been a fixture in the underground scene for over two decades and has not collaborated with the likes of the late, great Detroit legend himself, Dilla, but also the likes of Madlib, Quelle Chris, and was one-third of the supergroup Random Axe, which was comprised of him, Black Milk, and the late, great Sean Price. With a dope discography that includes excellent outings such as his full-length debut, Ode to The Ghetto, his collab with Madlib, OJ Simpson, his collab with Madlib's little, yet damn near equally as crazy talented, brother, Oh No, The Simpson Tapes, and LSD with Leonard Charles, one has to wonder this would potentially rank amongst them. This had to be a natural fit on paper, and it absolutely was in real life. Their collab album was an album that thumped every bit as hard as Simpson's link up with Madlib for the album, OJ Simpson. Apollo's signature sound was fitting for Guilty, and he delivered in spades on cuts like "I Can Do No Wrong", "Lose You", and "Let's Play" over some astounding production from AB. One thing Guilty is very nice in and that's storytelling rap. It's in this niche in particular in which he does great jobs being descriptive with his narratives. He gets raw and vivid on "Reputation", in which he paints the picture of how his city is presented in such a straightforward way that it's impossible to overlook the soul of this cut. Even more so on "Change", Guilty presents a story of two recovering addicts struggling to make the necessary adjustments in their respective lives after they divorce each other to be better people for themselves over a rather melancholy loop by AB. Moments like this show how Guilty can be such an audio illustrator when he wants to be and not just a gangsta emcee that represents the hoods of the D. That's not to say he doesn't sound damn good being that goon, with examples such as "Let's Play" (the way he flipped the same sample Wu-Tang used for "C.R.E.A.M." was outstanding), "One Man", and "The Cook Up", but then turns around and presents introspection on cuts like the confessional "Truth Be Told" and the outstanding closer, "How Will I Go", in which he questions his mortality over murky, yet thumping, production. Guilty can go blow for blow with a lot of the best around, even if his style and delivery may not be for everybody, and damn sure isn't the most radio conscientious. Along with the stellar talents of Apollo, Dice Game is a victorious effort by two of Detroit's most prized possessions, and certainly ranks among the best from either artist.
19. Apollo Brown & Stalley
Blacklight
Guests: Skyzoo, Omari Hardwick, Joell Ortiz
Ohio's own, Stalley, is an emcee with some range within his miles in the game. The former Maybach Music Group artist delivered his debut full-length, Ohio, in 2014 to pretty good acclaim and appearances from the likes of De La Soul (RIP Dave), Ty Dolla $ign, Rick Ross, and the late, great Nipsey Hussle. Since then, he's been doing the indie route, delivering mixtapes and albums that have kept him in command of his career and music. As we were starting to move past the harrowing effects of the pandemic in 2021, Stalley collaborated with Apollo to deliver Blacklight, which is a special type of flashlight investigators use in the dark that can uncover things such as stains that regular flashlights cannot. With the concept of uncovering hard to see or hidden areas of his life and career, the title fits, and the music that followed was simply tremendous. AB's mid-tempo, mellow, soulful 808s collide with Stalley's matter-of-fact delivery and candid material in very excellent portions throughout the album. The title track, alone, spells it out for you in terms of uncovering what he's been hiding in terms of his inner most thoughts and feelings over AB's predictable, yet no less dumb dope, soulful boom-bap. Among his most personal cuts are the melancholy ode to fallen loved ones, "Lost Angels", the snapping drums of "Breathe", and the outstanding "Humble Wins", in which with the latter, he smells his own roses that he had the right to do since he had earned them. He finds time to encourage and spit jewels for his listeners on cuts like "We Outside", while also gets pretty open on the reflective "Stay Low", and even gives us glimpses of his Maybach Music days with cuts like "The Realest" and "Catch Up", in which he emphasizes his lifestyle of money and cars. Easily, Blacklight is among his best outings, if not his best one period. Stalley is a dope emcee that has been underrated for many years, but with Apollo Brown, he constructed a more open look at the man behind the artist, while appreciating the artist, his sacrifices, and the fruits of his labor.
18. Ugly Heroes
Ugly Heroes EP
Guests: Murs, Oddisee, DJ Eclipse
The trio of Apollo Brown, Detroit emcee, Red Pill, and Chi-town's Verbal Kent, came together to become Ugly Heroes, a group that comprises of three men that were as honest and transparent as any group you'd find in hip-hop, especially at that time. They dropped a wonderful self-titled debut in 2013, and it was enough for more material to get requested by those that were enthralled with their music and relatable themes. The very next year, they returned with a ten track EP that was as engaging and compelling as their prior work. They start off with the dumb dope, "Legit Worthless", which has them weathering through day-to-day struggles over a wonderful vocal sampling, while the more mellow sounding, yet equally important "Pay Attention" hits the conscious meter up a little more. They go the somewhat motivational route with "Naysayers & Playmakers", which basically has the listener questioning which one they are over a horn-laced thumper. The Murs-assisted, "Good Things Die", is especially a standout due to not just the production that Apollo presents, but the chemistry between Kent, Pill, and the LA native. In addition, Oddisee stops by (and even produces) the cut "Low Serotonin", and although it feels somewhat out of place compared to the rest of the soulful neck-snapping of the project, it's a dope enough track on its own and all three emcees come through pleasantly. The haunting chords of "Michael & Scottie & Horace" are enough to put this cut to quite high decibels in the car, as the two emcees come correct and show their talents quite well, as they also do the other cuts "Risk Brings Rewards", "Ugly", and "Me". Not as brooding or as somber as their prior effort, the Ugly Heroes EP is broader with their subject matter in terms of balancing real-life struggles and stress with just wanting to get on the mic and spit. This is quite the threesome and based on what was to come from them, they could make a case of being one of the most talented trios in hip-hop. Much like other trios that contain the formula of two emcees/one DJ/Producer such as Dilated Peoples, Cunninlynguists, and of course iconic ones such as Tribe and De La, Ugly Heroes could very well be one day considered among the best around with more material like we've heard from them.
17. Apollo Brown & Planet Asia
Anchovies
Guests: Guilty Simpson, Willie The Kid, Tristate
Fresno's finest, Planet Asia, is well revered and respected within underground hip-hop, and has been for over two decades plus. While long time heads may best receive him from his classic with Rasco as Cali Agents, How the West Was Won, he also has managed to deliver a plethora of projects totaling somewhere around fifty projects including the likes of The Medicine, Black Belt Theater, Mansa Musa, the DJ Muggs-produced, Pain Language, The Grand Opening, and the second Evidence-crafted, Rule Of Thirds. Not to mention his projects this year including his collaborative effort with 38 Spesh, Trust The Chain (The Medicine being the first), and his effort with production team, Local Astronauts, No Retirement. He linked up with Apollo in 2017 to bring forth, Anchovies, which is assumed to mean this album and its sounds won't be for everybody, and with its majority drumless production, this might just be the case. In no way, shape, or form does this minimize how mean this album is whatsoever. Planet Asia is among the most technically sound emcees on the planet, and he scorches the mic on tracks like "Diamonds", "Speak Volumes", and "Get Back". Apollo's lo-fi sound complete with crackles that display a sense of analog direction sonically helps to maintain a sense of its lack of accessibility, which works just fine. Asia knows how to float on every cut on this project, which isn't easy considering there are very minimal drums, if any, on the is project beyond an understated snare drum or two. He glides some more on cuts like "Avant Garde", the Guilty Simpson-assisted "Nine Steamin'", and the raw "Pain", in which he spits about loss and grief over a horn-laced vocal sample. Perhaps the standouts may be the moody, piano-laced "Deep in The Casket", in which this really emphasizes the chemistry they're trying to display throughout the album in its most focused. Also, "The Aura" has a jazzy, mellow vibe with a brief yet sharp vocal sample in which Asia takes advantage of this minimalizing Apollo provides for him on this track and does it justice. With its lack of percussion or drums, this will immediately throw off a lot of heads, and based upon this deliberate experimentation, it was meant to divide. Planet Asia and Apollo Brown handled their business collectively with Anchovies, and as the titles suggests, you'll either love it or you really won't. Lyrically, Asia is on one, and even in cases where Apollo's production outshines him, Asia doesn't sweat it, and still goes hard in the paint. For longtime, diehard Asia fans, the opinions are mixed, but one can't deny the lyrical ability of PA and this alone will have them very pleased.
16. Hassaan Mackey & Apollo Brown
Daily Bread
Guests: Finale, Sean Born
Rochester, NY emcee, Hassaan Mackey, has been a bubble within the underground since the early thousands. Part of the Low Budget Crew (along with the likes of Kev Brown, Oddisee, and Kenn Starr), he was an emcee that was not to played with. He collaborated with Apollo for their album, Daily Bread, in 2011, and the results were dumb dope. Brown's signature neck-snapping soul samples and understated melodies blended well with the straightforward rhyme structure of Mackey. The album has a flowing spirit of finding resolution within turmoil and struggle. Ridiculous cuts like the depressing "Something", "Elephants", and "Weak Won't Do" are soaked in a relatability that makes Mackey an honest emcee that has first-hand experience min what he spits. Getting autobiographical mis his strongest point, in which he lets us in on his insecurities and the things that make him tick. One such crazy example is "Mackey's Lament". This somber sounding cut has him putting himself out there and exposes all of his struggles over one of the single best sounding tracks on the entire project. He gets real about his financial hardships growing up, while chasing the dollar and a dream on the snapping "Dollar Bill Hill". Likewise, on the Sean Born-guested, "The Trenches", he paints pictures of the streets and the unfortunate circumstances surrounding them in a way that's both unflattering and real. Much like another entry in this list, Cost Of Living, Mackey tackles the tasks of surviving out here, while trying to find his way within the madness and bleak surroundings. Apollo presented him with production that was excellent and in his bag. With Daily Bread, Hassaan Mackey makes his name known as one to not keep overlooking.
15. Apollo Brown & Boog Brown
Brown Study
Guests: Sean Born, Finale
Atlanta (by way of Detroit) emcee, Boog Brown, has been a name within the underground that has garnered acclaim and props for his flow and delivery, not to mention her in-depth material and honesty. Known for being as much of a storyteller as a battle emcee, Boog goes for hers with Apollo (not sure if they're any relation) for Brown Study. The thick drums, soul samples, and intrinsic melodies of Apollo are more than evident on this album, and she comes through and does greatly on cuts like "U.P.S.", "Masterplan", and "Blink". Mostly covering issues such as relationships, love, betrayal, and women affirmations, she doesn't reinvent the wheel but does make the wheel sound good (if you will). She lets it all out with fellow women battle emcees, Miz Korona and Invincible on the bumping, "Friction", while just spitting strongly on other cuts like "Marinette" and the Ken Starr-assisted, "Play The Game". It's when she oozes in her femininity and her soulful nature that makes her shine the brightest. On "Just Be", the melodic groove and dazzling sample is such an excellent score for Boog's poetic gifts and is one that exudes a sensuality within it that makes this cut so hypnotic. On the closer, "Understanding", she sums up the album as a whole in terms of her artistic nature and her desire to make an impact through her rhyming abilities. Boog Brown remains a talented emcee with bars for days and weeks. Apollo gave her an outlet in Brown Study that presented her voice to the game and what a hell of a job they did here.
14. Rapper Big Pooh
Words Paints Pictures
Guests: Ras Kass, Lute, Marv Won, others
As one-third of NC's delightful trio, Little Brother, Rapper Big Pooh has been known as the lesser half of the rhymers between he and Phonte Coleman. Even as being seen as the Phife Dawg, Dave of De La Soul, Parrish Smith, Havoc, or Big Boi, he may not be the "star" of the duo/group, but his contributions are still extremely vital. His solo debut, Sleepers, was evidenced of just how dope of an emcee he was without the LB shadow over him. In 2015, Pooh dropped two back-to-back projects that knocked and knocked hard. The second one was his full-length with VA production phenom, Nottz, Home Sweet Home, which was dumb dope in itself. However, this followed up the first of the two projects, which was his collaborative effort with Apollo for Words Paints Pictures. The moment you look at the cover art, which depicts a drawing of an assumed young Black boy with bullet holes in his back, with his crown lying beside him and his hands cuffed behind him, you have an idea of where this project could be headed. With only nine tracks to this project, it leaves zero room for filler and average material. Not to worry, there wasn't any. The opening cut, "Augmentation" is a stellar cut that sets the tone for this effort with thick drums and the usual soul-sample that highlights the track, and Pooh gets busy over it with high effectiveness. From here, he gets to the soul of what the album is about: the Black experience and how issues such as racism, police brutality, a corrupt and greedy government, and drugs are among the most common, yet heartbreaking, issues that ravage the community. This is specially made clear on the wrenching track, "Stop", which conjures up the lives of those fallen at the hands of the law such as Michael Brown and Amadou Diallo. Also, "Promised Land" is a scathing bit of commentary with Pooh lambasting his contemporaries in the industry willing to sell out and not stay true to themselves in order to reach for the illusion of the brass ring of success. Big Pooh presents perhaps the most socially important album of his career with Words Paint Pictures, and Apollo gave him an equally compelling score to match the intensity and emotion of the tracks on the project.
13. Apollo Brown & Locksmith
No Question
Guests: DJ Los
Richmond, California's Locksmith has been highly respected within west coast's underground scene, getting props from the likes of Ras Kass and Evidence, as well as east coast counterparts such as Skyzoo and the legendary Ghostface. The Berkeley University graduate has skills and rhymes for days and months, and he collaborated with Apollo in 2018 for his project, No Question. Throughout nine cuts, Locksmith exhibits his lyrical firepower on cuts such as the title track, the snapping "Wake Up", and "In My Element". It's when he gets deep and reflective that he shines brightest to no surprise. On the melancholy-sounding "Between the Raindrops", he gets autobiographical as he details his love of hip-hop and his desire to make it in a third-person point of view, while on the outstanding, piano keys driven "Words to My Younger Self", he reflects on his life and gives advice to his younger self over a fantastic jazzy-sounding, boom-bap track. While it's debatable that this should've been longer than eight tracks, what's not debatable is that Locksmith is a wordsmith. An emcee that is as much a legit writer as he is a battler. With Apollo behind the helm for No Question, Locksmith showed and proved his verbal and mic abilities in tremendous, without one single question.
12. Ugly Heroes
Everything In Between
Guests: N/A
By the time we hit 2016, Apollo Brown is on an entire roll. He has crafted fire albums with the likes of Guilty Simpson, O.C., Planet Asia, and The Left, and wasn't even close to slowing down. Not to mention his own album with plenty of guests, Grandeur. In was in this year that he reunited with Verbal Kent and Red Pill as Ugly Heroes, a highly respected trio that were revered for their relatable subject matter and fairly dope lyrical abilities. Their debut self-titled album was an emotional, brutally honest rollercoaster ride tackling the perils of everyday life that the average American can say 'Amen' to. They followed that up with the Ugly Heroes EP, which basically picked up where they left off. In 2016, they returned with their sophomore full-length effort, Everything In Between, which is every bit as dark, depressing, and introspective as their debut, and in some cases, even more so. The first single, "Daisies" is one such example of how heavy this album is, as Apollo brings his brand of soulful boom-bap into play with carefully constructed melodies and atmospheric undertones. Lyrically, Red Pill stands out here more so than he did on their debut, and gets more confessional as well, especially on cuts like "Peace Of Mind", "Place Called Home", and the aforementioned "Daisies". While cuts such as "This World" and "Can't Win For Losin'" depict hopelessness and bleak outlooks, others such as "Fair Weather" and "Soul Searching" has them exploring making it in spite of the circumstances and trials being faced, while trying to channel inner strength to maintain. Along with other gripping cuts such as the excellently produced "Choir Practice", the peace-searching ode to their part-time fathers, "Unforgiven", and "Heart Attack", Everything In Between easily lands right up there with their debut and their follow-up EP. Ugly Heroes is a trio that give you the raw and the unfiltered, with no sugarcoating. The honesty in their material makes them emcees that don't glorify the typical subjects such as drugs, crime, sex, and money as ways to get ahead in the business. they stick to the authentic nature of what they live, and with Apollo's admittedly predictable, yet nonetheless potent, production, you'd be much better suited for the stories you relate to than the scripts you don't.
11. Apollo Brown
Grandeur
Guests: Westside Gunn, Sean Price, Ras Kass, Your Old Droog, Chino XL, Planet Asia, Evidence, M.O.P., Rasheed Chapell, O.C., others
It's 2015, and the game is starting to be CRAZY with phenomenal releases from the likes of Kendrick Lamar (To Pimp A Butterfly), Dr. Dre (Compton), Scarface (Deeply Rooted), Lupe Fiasco (Tetsuo & Youth), Joe Budden (All Love Lost), The Game (The Documentary 2/2.5), and A$AP Rocky (At. Long. Last. A$AP). Pretty tough competition. Apollo wasn't worried about any of that. The searing Detroit producer was ready to unleash his compilation album, Grandeur. With heavyweight names such as Ras Kass, M.O.P., Westside Gunn, the late Sean Price, Evidence, and the late Chino XL, one would be hard pressed to believe this would be anything but a scorcher, and it certainly was. Take for example, the bumping "Yesman Shit" by Sean P and Boston rhyme slicer, Reks. The horn-laced, thick percussion of this track thumps hard through your speakers. He continues the trunk rattle with bumpers such as "Money" by Masta Ace & Wordsworth of eMC, "Triple Beams" by Planet Asia and Westside Gunn, and the fiery-yet-soulful "Detonate" by M.O.P. What he manages to do with this album is place different eras and generations together in some cases to serve as a bridge of sorts. Take the aforementioned cut by Gunn and Asia. Another great example is "Brass Tacks" by Detroit spitter, Finale, and the late, great Chino XL, as Finale tries his best to hold his own with the legendary Jedi emcee, himself. Chino was usually a superbly hard act to follow, and very few emcees could even hang in his league, but Finale handles his own business here. Also, the dumb dope "The Hard Way" by Saga and another Detroit rhyme animal, Ty Farris, is an example of two outstanding emcees that come from similar eras, but different generations. The Brooklyn-meets-Detroit pair, nonetheless, wreak havoc on this tremendous thumper. Other standouts include the Barrel Brothers' "Neva Eva", the slick neck-snapper by Ras Kass, "Enemies With benefits", Evidence's "there's Always Radio", and the crazy closer with his group, Ugly Heroes, "Checkered Flag". This album by Apollo is a wall-to-wall banger and is certainly an album for those who would really like to get a broader grasp of his talent with different emcees rhyming over a whole album of exclusive Apollo production. It's no doubt Grandeur elevated Apollo up to the upper echelon of hip-hop producers over the last fifteen years.
10. Ugly Heroes
Ugly Heroes
Guests: DJ Eclipse
Apollo has been doing stellar production work on projects from various artists within hip-hop, but he's also part of a trio that often times goes underneath many radars within the game. This trio goes by the name of Ugly Heroes, which consist of himself behind the boards, and emcees Red Pill and Verbal Kent. These Detroit talents are fairly praised within the underground, and rightfully so. Both are pretty dope spitters and lyricists, and when you add Apollo's consistent and scintillating production, the results are quite grand. Repping the city referred to as the "Motor City", the blue-collar aesthetic is synonymous with the city, and these three as a group represent that same imagery as the under-recognized, yet vitally important, piece of the hip-hop game, especially from the D. Their 2013 self-titled debut is quite the example of examining the hard, gritty life of Detroit, while also examining themselves through introspection and honesty. Real world issues and emotions are the driving force behind this effort, thus giving exemplary tracks such as "Good Things Die
, "Long Drive Home", and "This Is Life" a candid and relatable spirit for those that know a thing or two about struggle and strife. With the track, "Desperate", they examine the ever so identifiable reality of being broke and trying to find ways to make ends meet, yet not giving up on yourself. In today's economy, with inflation continuously bringing burdens upon the average household and not enough increases in cost of living, this cut is especially poignant. While other tracks such as "Sweet Love" and "Never Go" are filled with the hope of love and how it can inspire and encourage, others such as "Graves", "Heart & Soul", and "Take It or Leave It" are so relevant to the average person, they're almost tear-jerking in their resonance. We get a little more hopeful near the end with cuts such as "Push" and "Just Relax", but everything within the range of this album is something we can all be empathetic and sympathetic with, as well have been through the things they cover on this album or know people that have. One particularly gripping cut is "Impaired Judgment", which tackles how we tend to abuse drugs and alcohol as means to escape our problems instead of facing them head on in what could impossibly be the most powerful cut on the album, which is saying a lot. Apollo's emotional and stirring production is highly effective in keeping the listener engaged with its clever sample usage and thick percussion handling. This trio is the average everyday trio of men trying to make it through life one day at a time, and it's in this self-titled debut that reminds us of our humanity and our vulnerabilities. It's not often we come across rap albums this poignant and raw, but whenever we do, we're damn glad we have access to hearing them. Albums like this aren't ones you just listen to, they're ones you feel.
9. Apollo Brown & Planet Asia
Sardines
Guests: Marv Won, Tristate, Ty Farris, Sick Jacken
Earlier, we highlighted the first collaborative effort between Apollo and Planet Asia, Anchovies. There's no denying how sizzling that pairing was for that album. However, they not only recreated their magic, but put it on another level with the follow-up, Sardines. Seen as a sequel of sorts to Anchovies, Planet Asia got in his bag even heavier, and Apollo provided production that was even better than on Anchovies, if you can picture that. Just based off the first single alone, "Get The Dough Off", you can tell this will be an entire fool, and boy was it ever. With more of a drumless or minimal drum sequence this time around, as opposed to most other Apollo Brown albums, the soulful samples and melodic textures with addictive basslines is the majority rule here and is done with precision here. On cuts like "Fly Anomalies", "Acid Run" with a nice verse from longtime west coast figurehead, Sick Jacken, and "Wide Awake", the emphasis on the lack of hard, thumping drums is apparent, but the soulful chops of Apollo within these cuts is effective, nonetheless. The ever-soulful sample of "stones" has him clapping back at people that just find reasons to want to hate on him and show their filthy hands towards him, while the Tristate-assisted "Wizardry" has a hypnotic flute sample that is as compelling as it is lyrical. The sinister, yet highly effective, melodic vocal samplings of "88 S-Curl" has him and Detroit lyrical clapper, Ty Farris, doing a great tag in-tag out chemistry. However, it's the outstanding sounds of "Peas & Onions" that has Asia on some other shit. Using the same sample Harry Fraud used for Dave East's "Diamonds", Planet Asia spits about everything from his woman nagging him about his lack of time for her to addressing haters with the "That's what I do" completing his thoughts and sentences in such excellent manner. It's no secret that Asia is among the most respected, yet underappreciated, emcees of the last two plus decades, but Sardines is another example of his fantastic penmanship and Apollo's craft of being soulfully aware, and while he may not be a huge fan of expanding his range production-wise, his signature sound is quite dope and continues to shine on projects such as this.
8. Apollo Brown & Philmore Greene
Cost Of Living
Guests: Evidence
Chicago emcee, Philmore Greene, has been a fairly unknown emcee within the ranks of the underground. However, in 2022, the westside of Chi-town spitter got up with Apollo Brown for the dropping of Cost Of Living in hopes to expand his light to more people, and he does a damn good job of it. Apollo provided Greene with a very appropriate score of melancholy arrangements, moody melodies, and highly engaging production that fits the narrative Philmore is presenting to the world. The imagery of struggle, pain, hustling, and making it in life day to day is heavy within this album, as the album title suggest. Brown's brand of soul sampled percussion and minimized, obscure instrumentation was in phenomenal form here on cuts like "Time Go", the brutally honest standout "Steep Life", and the ever soulful "Immaculate". Greene has no problem getting raw, being transparent, and letting you into his mind and heart on this one. It's authentic rhymes and imagery that is his biggest draw, as amazing cuts like the autobiographical "This Is Me", in which he courageously details the trauma of seeing his brother murdered in front of him at the age of fourteen and the mental effects of how that has stayed with him all these years later. Likewise, on the emotionally-sounding "Just Imagine", Greene eloquently details a true event that had dire consequences due to poor street choices and has him making you imagine how their mamas feel. On the stellar, "It's Different", Greene flows about the realities of his westside Chicago streets and environment over a wonderfully chopped vocal sample over a nodding snare, while the Evidence-assisted "Paradise" presents a bleak outlook of what the Chi is like at night as well as the plight of his community at large. Philmore Greene does an exceptional job of painting raw, unapologetic, unsettling and depressing images of the world around him over what can be considered Apollo's most mesmerizing production to date. The production matches the emotion and sorrow of the album, and indeed Price Of Living examines the consequence and the paid price of trying to do better for yourself in the midst of the everyday hell you're surrounded by. Somehow, Greene manages to rise above the tears of his childhood trauma and adult anxieties to, along with Apollo, deliver one highly captivating project.
7. The Left
Gas Mask
Guests: Hassaan Mackey, Marv Won, Guilty Simpson, Finale, others
One of Apollo's earliest acclaimed projects was his collaboration with Detroit emcee, Journalist 103 and DJ Soko as The Left. Their debut album, Gas Mask, was a raw, unfiltered, and gritty look at the streets of the D and the state of how emcees in the game needed to step their games up. More haunting than soulful is Apollo's production here, and backed by Soko's impressive scratching techniques, Journalist 103 has his own particular spotlight to shine underneath, and does so nicely. While cuts like the title track, the Paradime-assisted, "Chokehold", and "Battle Axe" knocks the listener on their asses with its throbbing production and dope ones and twos mixing and J103's sharp lyricism going after wack emcees, it's when the group go in the meat and potatoes of the album highlighting the more personal aspects of the game and the world of Detroit at large. On the Marv Won-assisted, "Real Detroit", he highlights why Detroit was, at one time, considered the murder capital of the U.S. and the other perils that plague Detroit. Likewise on cuts like the Guilty Simpson-collaborated "Reporting Live" and "Statistics", J103 does a great job showing why his city is so acclaimed, but also how real the city can be with crime, drugs, and other issues that permeate within the community. It takes a somber turn with "Homage", as J103 salutes those that have fallen and that he keeps close to him over a moody, soulful beat that's reflective of the aura of this cut. Along with other snappers like the visceral "Funeral", "Fooled For Thought", and "Get in Where Ya Fit In", Gas Mask is an underground knocker that deserves way more props and praise. Apollo designed some tremendous production to provide background for Journalist 103's matter-of-fact delivery and no-frills rhymes and Soko's dope sample-scratching. Such a very raw-ass album is this.
6. Apollo Brown & Ras Kass
Blasphemy
Guests: Royce Da 5'9", Pharoahe Monch, Sean Price, Bishop Lamont, Rakaa Iriscience, Xzibit, Slaine, Sick Jacken, others
One of the west coast's most legendary lyricists is Carson, CA native, Ras Kass. He hit the game hard with what many call the "west coast Illmatic", Soul On Ice. A lyrical masterpiece filled with themes of socio-political plights, conspiracy theories, religious inquiries, and racism narratives, this was an album that was not for your average listener. Ras Kass was something different. Something special. Perhaps there's no better example of this than the EPIC nine-plus minute opus, "Nature of The Threat", which breaks down the history of Whites within society that is scathing, alarming, angering, and outright frightening. He returned a couple of years later with his sophomore effort, Rasassination. Although this wasn't on the level of Soul On ice, lyrically, he still brought the damage, although sounding more accessible than his prior gem of an album. After his label issues with priority shelved his follow-up albums of Van Gogh and Golden Chyld, he struck back with several mixtapes that were quite acclaimed, therefore keeping his name in the streets and his rep of being one of the game's best emcees alive. Projects such as his project with Kurupt, Killah Priest, and Canibus, The HRSMN Project, Barmaggedon, Eat Or Die, Institutionalized, and others kept him extremely busy putting out music to remind us of his lyrical arsenal. However, he linked up with Apollo Brown in 2018 to deliver Blasphemy, and quite honestly dropped off his best full-length album, since Van Gogh and Golden Chyld. The theme basically centers around religion and the tropes that cause organized religion to be so controversial and is all executed from an atheist's standpoint. One such example is the extremely controversially titled, "How to Kill God", a menacing look at how holidays we celebrate are historically more indulgent in Pagan ideals and practices, which makes for quite the unsettling listen. He also tackles racism quite profoundly here as well, much like "Nature of the Threat", and it comes mainly in the form of "Deliver Us From Evil", in which he goes for the jugular, denouncing White civilization in such a way that is almost just as settling as the aforementioned prior cut. Vices tend to be his biggest issue, and how sins such as lust, hate, envy, and greed are all represented here. He serves his lust addictions up on tracks like the Xzibit-assisted "Giraffe Pussy", "Strawberry", and "Francine", while on "Please Don't Let Me", he basically compartmentalizes all his vices into one track and basically spits in the face of any Christian that feels the need to want to judge him for his actions. While other cuts like "Humble Pi", "48 Laws", and the Pharoahe Monch/Rakaa Iriscience-assisted "H2O" all bump, the closing track, "Bon Voyage", may be the most fitting cut in terms of his humanity giving props to those no longer here with us. Over a somber cut by AB, Ras salutes fallen emcees that have made an impact on him, personally and professionally. Apollo did his thing providing Ras Kass one of the single best albums of his career with Blasphemy. His brand of boom-bap soul and melodic thumps went excellently with Ras Kass' fiery, yet eloquent and thought-provoking, rhymes. While Soul On Ice remains his complete magnum opus, Blasphemy isn't too far behind, and much like Apollo did with O.C. and the Trophies album, he reminded the game that Ras Kass is one of the deadliest emcees around, and that the production he provided was the cherry on the sundae.
5. Apollo Brown & Joell Ortiz
Mona Lisa
Guests: Royce Da 5'9", KXNG Crooked, DJ Los
When we mention modern day mic animals from Brooklyn, if you're not speaking the name Joell Ortiz among them, get back to Taylor Swift homie! The "lyrical warship" has been a fixture within the game since the mid-thousands when we first heard him drop the impressive The Bricks: Bodega Chronicles album. The former Aftermath signee was making more and more noise, and he ended up being one fourth of the MONSTROUS supergroup, Slaughterhouse, along with Royce Da 5'9", KXNG Crooked, and Joe Budden. He quickly emerged as one of hip-hop's most ridiculous spitters, and albums such as Free Agent, House Slippers, and Human further defined this fact. Once the group broke up, he still kept collaborating with Crooked and delivered dope albums such as H.A.R.D., JFKLAX, and the controversial Rise & Fall of Slaughterhouse. However, in 2018, he got up with Apollo Brown to make Mona Lisa, and the results were magical. There's no denying Ortiz' ability to devour any track that's handed to him, so it was just a matter of how hard he would go over Apollo's signature brand of soulful boom-bap. This question was answered profoundly with cuts such as "Cocaine Fingertips", "Word...", and the excellent "My Block". Ortiz' highly articulate, yet venomous, penmanship is impeccable on these tracks. When he gets introspective and personal, he especially stands out. On the fantastic, "Grace Of God", he revisits his Brooklyn upbringing much like the aforementioned "My Block" only more personal and therefore more gripping. Similarly, he shines on "Reflection", in which he speaks on his life in terms of his regrets and his triumphs over an extremely formidable beat from Apollo. Meanwhile, he reflects on his career on the exquisite "Come Back Home". It's not hard to also understand how much he revels in his witty wordplay and how his reputation of being a lyrical monstrosity is something he lives up on other cuts like the rugged, Royce-assisted, "Timbalan'd Up" (the remix with these two and KXNG Crooked is just as much of a beast), the GP Wu-sampled "Decisions", and "That Place". Never afraid of being vulnerable and personal on wax, Ortiz delivered one of his absolute finest efforts, solo or collaborative, with Mona Lisa, and with Apollo Brown behind the boards providing him with snapping production, Ortiz furthered his legacy as one of today's craziest lyricists and respected emcees.
4. Skyzoo & Apollo Brown
The Easy Truth
Guests: Westside Gunn, Conway The Machine, Stalley, Joell Ortiz, Patti Crash
At some point, it was only right and destined for Apollo to link up with Brooklyn phenom, Skyzoo, to do a whole project together. First collaborating with each other on the track "Got It From here" with his Barrel Brother, Torae, they also worked with each other on his dumb dope effort, Music For My Friends, on the track "Things I Should've Told My Friends". They dropped their collaborative effort, The Easy Truth, just over a year removed from the aforementioned Music For My Friends, and the chemistry between the two was natural. Theme wise: basically, not allowing the vices and temptations of life to dictate your character and get you unfocused from yourself. He tackles the excess on tracks such as "Jordans & A Gold Chain", "Innocent Ambition", and "Care Package", in which he highlights the dangers of getting caught up with the hustling life and the consequences of it at the end. He pauses for a bit with his concept to deliver true school spitting on "On the Stretch & Bob Show" over an old school break beat that he just glides over effortlessly. He gets back in his bag with cuts like the Westside Gunn & Conway-assisted "Basquiat on The Draw", the old school, 80s drum beat of "The Vibes", and "The Flyest Essence", with images of wanting to be a hood movie star by seeing the excess and the riches surrounding his otherwise struggling community. Very similarly on "They Parked a Bentley on the Corner", Skyzoo envisions himself being a boss just by what he sees and observes over a nostalgic soul beat. Perhaps the most exemplary moment of this album and the focus of it comes in the form of "Visionary Riches", in which Apollo provides Sky with arguably his most thumping production with some chords and horns. Sky seemingly personifies ambition by having him embrace this personification and this idea of ambition being needed and powerful. Very similarly on the equally knocking "Spoils to The Victor", Sky has dreams of being where Oprah is seated at and having dinner with the (then) Bliges over Apollo's sampling of The Carpenters' "We Only Just Begun". Clearly, Sky's point was to live in his own street dreams and how it would end up affecting his outlook and his status. With The Easy Truth, Skyzoo delivered another grade A performance with Apollo delivering stellar production that backed up Sky's vision to excellence.
3. Apollo Brown & O.C.
Trophies
Guests: N/A
One of the nineties most esteemed and respected emcees was Brooklyn's O.C. The D.I.T.C. representative dropped an undisputed classic in '94 with his debut, Word...Life, and was the emcee responsible for one of the game's most unapologetic cuts dedicated to fake emcees and those looking for stardom more than respect, "Time's Up", as well as the underrated gem, "Born 2 Live". Having an album that some compared to the likes of Illmatic and Resurrection of that year is extremely noteworthy, but O.C. did so with his debut. He followed that up with '97's Jewelz, which was more cohesive and polished, but every bit as lyrically on point as his debut with gem after gem. Many put it as great, if not better than, Word...Life. Since then, albums such as Smoke & Mirrors, Bon Appetit, Starchild, and his collab with fellow D.I.T.C. member, A.G., Oasis, have been decent to dope but not quite hitting the wonderful acclaim of his first two outings. Enter Apollo Brown to change that with his 2012 offering, Trophies. The veteran emcee sounds refreshed, hungry, and focused on this album in a way we hadn't heard since his early album days, and it's evidenced on cuts like "Disclaimer", "The First", and the super dope, "Just Walk", which incorporates a small bit from Isaac Hayes' "Walk On By" on the hook. O.C. is not about nonsense. He's about putting respect on his name, and his back-to-basics approach to emceeing is welcomed and refreshing. he displays more of this on other scintillating cuts like "Options", "Anotha One", and "Angels Sing", in which this cut makes Biblical references to illustrate his points of not believing everything you see or hear over snapping drums and a Sam Cooke-sung sample for the hook. Perhaps the best example of how incredible this pairing is gets shown in the forms of the minimalist-sounds of "Prove Me Wrong" and the beautiful keys of "The Biggest Loser". the former has him confidently exposing the ills of the music business and stars that fall for the okeydoke Meanwhile, the latter is more melancholy in nature and may be the most introspective moment we get from him throughout this album with a matching melancholy track. Capturing a magic not heard from him since Jewelz, Trophies is a triumphant return to form by one of hip-hop's most pure emcees in O.C. With Apollo providing him the most consistent album of his since the aforementioned Jewelz, O.C. showed that indeed, the more emotion he puts into it, the harder he rocks.
2. Apollo Brown & Che Noir
As God Intended
Guests: Ty Farris, Black Thought, Planet Asia, Skyzoo
Within a span of seven to eight years, Buffalo has become a legit fixture within the hip-hop scene based off the strength of Griselda alone. What Westside, Conway, and Benny did for the city put them in a situation where it's to be considered among the most in-demand boroughs of NY. Another emcee aiming to make their mark within Buffalo and put on for her city is Che Noir. 38 Spesh's TRUST Gang-affiliate has been putting in work over the last few years. Since dropping her Thrill of The Hunt 2 in 2019, her skills as an emcee have been praised and acclaimed highly. With her almost baritone-like cadence and confident delivery, Che Noir put the game on notice. She continued with her mixtape, Juno, right in the middle of the pandemic in 2020. Her streetwise aptitude and excellent penmanship helped make Juno a favorite within the underground. However, it was her collaborative effort with Apollo Brown for As God Intended that officially put the young Buffalo upstart on more people's radar. While Spesh's production for Thrill of The Hunt 2 was very raw and had gritty feels, Apollo presents to her soulful boom-bap that contain melancholy symphonies and atmospheric undertones to fit the aura of this album. Much like fellow Buffalo soldier, Conway, Che has a flow that's in no rush. In fact, it's free-flowing, smooth, and matter of fact in its delivery. She also places heavy emphasis on her penmanship through making you walk in her shoes. This is evident on cuts like the Black Thought-assisted, "Hustle Don't Stop", the Ty Farris-collaborated "Hold It Down", and "Live by the Code". What she especially shines with is her ability to narrate and tell vivid stories that depict pain, violence, struggle, and oppression. Take for instance, the cinematic "12 Hours" that has her killing her boyfriend in a case of mistaken assumptions of him cheating. Over a haunting track by AB, you sense her paranoia as she realizes the wrong, she did as well as her remorse in captivating fashion. She also expresses the consequences of not having her father around on the gripping "Daddy's Girl", while on the melodic piano driven "Money Orientated", she highlights the issues with the root of all evil and how lots of money isn't all it's cracked up to be. As we get closer towards the end, we hear some of the absolute finest moments as evidenced on the powerful "Freedom", where Che examines the plights of the Black community within society and the social impact of it. Over a hypnotic instrumental that contains spoken quotes from the likes of Dr. Umar Johnson, Che displays social commentary in ways beyond her young years. Also, on the closer, "'94", she reflects on the year she was born (as she states she was born the very same day Illmatic dropped) and the state of hip-hop she grew up on over a wonderful track that samples "I Used To Love H.E.R." in the hook. Che Noir took her seat amongst the best around with As God Intended, as we got a little more open and honest rhymes from her, as well as Apollo providing some of his most delightful and fitting production for a project ever that he was behind. While she has since delivered very dope albums since then, As God Intended stands as perhaps the best of her entire discography.
1. Apollo Brown
Sincerely, Detroit
Guests: Slum Village, Royce Da 5'9", Boldy James, Finale, Marv Won, Crown Nation, Elzhi, Guilty Simpson, Black Milk, Phat Kat, Ty Farris, Paradime, others
It's no secret Apollo is steadfast dedicated to his hometown of Detroit, and always to put on and work with Detroit artists whenever he can. He does one better and bring a great deal of local Detroit artists together for his third compilation album, Sincerely, Detroit. Whether nationally known emcees (Slum Village, Elzhi) or underground (Phat Kat, Black Milk, Guilty Simpson, Crown Nation), they all fit on this outstanding album, which highlights the ruggedness and raw talent of Detroit emcees over some of the finest AB production to date, and that's saying a great deal. One such example of this lies with Crown Nation for the track "Commas & Apostrophes", in which we hear Denmark Vessey and Quelle Chris spit over a beautiful vocal sample with minimalistic snares. If you're familiar with Quelle and his abstract lyricism and his stoner-type vocal cadence, you already know Quelle fits a cut like this perfectly. Likewise, on "Oh Lord" by Valid, his Left-partner, Journalist 103, and longtime local favorite, Fatt Father, the three emcees get busy expressing the hard ships and struggles to make it out here over slow, yet snapping, drums and a guitar string loop that presents a moody atmosphere that fits. His brand of soulfully sampled boom-bap shines through exquisitely on cuts like "God Help Me" by Black Milk and Ketchphraze, with DJ Los doing pretty dope scratching, "Over Do it" by Wu-Tang producer/affiliate, Bronze Nazareth and Boldy James, and "Lettin' Go" by Finale, Illa J, and Leaf Erikson. He also brings incredible subtlety on certain cuts by removing the samples and just implementing thick percussion and basslines on fantastic cuts like "Thoughts In Mind" by Chris Orrick and Magestik Legend, the tremendous "Deception & Woes" by Clear Soul Forces (wouldn't mind one more album from them), and "365" by Ty Farris, Ro Spit, and Nametag Alexander. Of course, he gets rugged with the cut "Can't Lose" by highly respected Detroit vets, Phat Kat and Royce, who obliterates the track as only he can. As excellent and ground-shaking of a producer as AB is, it's very possible this may be his most cohesive album to date, and perhaps his best produced as well. Brown delivered Sincerely, Detroit with the heavy opportunity of carrying the soul of the home of Motown on his back and dropped arguably his career best effort. With many hungry, focused, and gifted emcees helping him out, Apollo Brown moved further up the ranks of best producers with this marvelous project that shows once more that it is in fact, "So cold in the D".
Apollo Brown has created his rightful niche in the greatness of Detroit producers over the span of the past fifteen years plus. The Michigan State University alumnus has garnered respect from producers deep in the game, including the likes of Pete Rock, 9th Wonder, Alchemist, and DJ Premier, and those are some very heavy co-signs. He has projects coming soon such as a possible collab with NY spitter, CRIMEAPPLE, but one thing is for sure, Apollo Brown isn't slowing down no time soon, nor would we want him to. As promised, here are several tracks to convince you of his talent and why he's among the dopest producers of this modern age of hip-hop. Until next time folks!
Check out some of Apollo Brown's finest moments behind the boards:
Apollo Brown & Skyzoo "Nodding Off"
Apollo Brown & Planet Asia "Deep in The Casket"
Apollo Brown & Skyzoo "Visionary Riches"
Mello Music Group feat. Paradime "The Reign"
Apollo Brown & Skyzoo "Spoils to The Victor"
Apollo Brown & Che Noir "Freedom"
Apollo Brown feat. Crown Central "Commas & Apostrophes"
Apollo Brown & Planet Asia "Peas & Onions"
Mello Music Group feat. Murs, Apollo Brown "The Pain Is Gone"
Apollo Brown & Planet Asia "Get the Dough Off"
Mello Music Group feat. O.C. "Prestige Of a King"
Apollo Brown & Planet Asia feat. Ty Farris "88 S-Curl"
Apollo Brown & Guilty Simpson "How Will I Go"
Apollo Brown & Che Noir "94"
Apollo Brown & O.C. "Prove Me Wrong"
Apollo Brown & O.C. "The Biggest Loser"
Ugly Heroes "Desperate"
Mello Music Group feat. Finale "Protocol"
Ugly Heroes "Long Drive Home"
Ugly Heroes "Good Things Die"
Ugly Heroes "Graves"
Apollo Brown & Planet Asia "The Aura"
The Left "Homage"
The Left feat. Guilty Simpson "Reporting Live"
Mello Music Group feat. Ras Kass "PNT"
The Left feat. Marv Won "Real Detroit"
Stik Figa "Holding Back Tears"
The Left feat. Paradime "Chokehold"
Apollo Brown & Philmore Greene "Just Imagine"
Westside Gunn "Mr. T"
Apollo Brown & Philmore Greene "Steep Life"
Verbal Kent feat. Freddie Gibbs "Suitcase Switch"
Apollo Brown & Philmore Greene "It's Different"
Apollo Brown & Ras Kass "How To Kill God"
Mello Music Group feat. Masta Ace "Troubles"
Apollo Brown & Ras Kass "Bon Voyage"
Apollo Brown feat. Sean Price, REKS "Yesman Shit"
Ugly Heroes "Daisies"
Apollo Brown feat. Barrel Brothers "Neva Eva"
Apollo Brown & Locksmith "Words to My Younger Self"
Rapper Big Pooh "Augmentation"
Rapper Big Pooh "Promised Land"
Apollo Brown & Boog Brown "Just Be"
Verbal Kent "Illustrate"
Apollo Brown & Boog Brown "Understanding"
Apollo Brown & Hassaan Mackey "Something"
Mello Music Group feat. Rapper Big Pooh" "No Future"
Apollo Brown & Hassaan Mackey "Elephants"
Apollo Brown & Stalley "Lost Angels"
Apollo Brown & Locksmith "Between the Raindrops"
Apollo Brown & Stalley "Humble Wins"
Mello Music Group feat. Cambada "Nightmares"
Apollo Brown & Stalley "Stay Low"
Apollo Brown & Guilty Simpson "Truth Be Told"
Apollo Brown & Guilty Simpson "Let's Play"
Ugly Heroes "Soul Searching"
Apollo Brown feat. Valee, Journalist 103, Fatt Father "Oh Lord"
Apollo Brown feat. Clear Soul Forces "Deception & Woes"
Verbal Kent feat. Ugly Heroes "Save Face"
Apollo Brown & Che Noir "12 Hours"
Apollo Brown feat. Royce Da 5'9", Phat Kat "Can't Lose"
Apollo Brown & Joell Ortiz "Grace Of God"
Mello Music Group feat. RJ Payne "Black Man"
Apollo Brown & Joell Ortiz "Come Back Home"
Apollo Brown & Ras Kass "48 Laws Pt. 1"
Apollo Brown & Joell Ortiz "Cocaine Fingertips"
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