For decades, there has been one thing that defined the laws of musical technology and made itself known throughout music history. The continuous development and elemental value of this product strongly adapt to the changing world around it and create a whole new reality with its various sounds and techniques. Music Production. That is what changed the entire perspective of music for the years to come.

The first question we must ask ourselves is what exactly IS music production? How do the musical minds of many individuals create something special? Well, The Talon says that music production is the process of creating a song, or a piece from start to finish. This involves, composing music, arranging sounds and instruments, recording vocals and instruments, editing, mixing tracks together, and mastering the final mix to enhance the sound completely. Music production is the very thing that evolves music into a greater version of what it already was, as it was utilized by millions of fantastic musical minds of normal human beings around the world to create songs or albums that would change the perspective of one person, or a vast amount of people in the world because of how infectious the themes and production are in those projects. 

But we couldn’t have music production without the minds that implemented it into the music industry and our lives –- The Music Producers. Music producers are the people in charge of everything related to a song, or an entire album/mixtape. An example of an exceptional music producer that many people began to admire, was Quincy Jones. Born in Chicago, Illinois on March 14, 1993, Jones was an American producer, composer, arranger, conductor, trumpeter, and bandleader. Throughout his seven-decade career, he has received many accolades, including 28 Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Tony Award, as well as nominations for seven Academy Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. Jones came to prominence in the 1950s as a jazz conductor and arranger before producing major pop records for Lesley Gore in the early 1960s, serving as an arranger and conductor for several collaborations between Frank Sinatra and Count Basie. Continuing into the 1980s, Jones has also produced three of the most successful albums by Michael Jackson. These include, Off The Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), and Bad (1987). As for his music, his 1981 album The Dude yielded the hits “Ai No Corrida,” “Just Once,” and “One Hundred Ways,” both of which were sung by James Ingram. By producing masterclasses of albums and mixtapes, and leading and arranging bands as a conductor, Jones has certainly made a name for himself as one of the most notorious producers in music history. 

Another producer/artist who is admired yet critiqued by many, who shocked the world with their exceptional and alternative production, is Tyler, The Creator. Tyler, The Creator (also known as Tyler Gregory Okonma), was born on March 6, 1991, in Hawthorne, California. He is the son of a Nigerian father with Igbo ancestry, whom he has never met, and has an American mother of mixed African-American and Canadian descent. At the age of seven, Okonma would always take covers out of CDs and replace them by creating his covers for imaginary albums, and even tracklists with song lengths before he began making music. At 14, he would begin his journey by teaching himself how to play the piano. From that moment, his desire to create music only grew, never fading. Taking a look into his production, it’s been described as Alternative Hip Hop, Neo Soul, West Coast Hip Hop, Jazz Rap, and Hardcore Hip Hop, while his earlier music has been described by many as horrorcore. When Okonma emerged in the rap game as “strange” and one of the leaders of the group collective Odd Future, his musical production became immediately noted for resembling Pharrell Williams during the 2000s, which Okonma has said was one of his greatest inspirations and references.

From Okonma’s release of his third studio album Wolf, critics have noticed a significant change in his production style, venturing into more melodic sounds through fusions of jazz, R&B, and soul, including collaborations with artists such as Erykah Badu, Charlie Wilson, and Frank Ocean. He also decided to take a more intimate approach in his lyricism, talking about his father’s abandonment in the song “Answer”.”However, when Okonma released Cherry Bomb in 2015, it had a mixed reception from fans and critics for its experimental production, in which Okonma decided to create songs without any `zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzconnection between them, with a more aggressive and noisy aesthetic. The Medium would write an analysis, stating that Cherry Bomb solidified Okonma’s change and would pave the way for future albums to build upon, in terms of his production and lyricism. It was around this time that Okonma stepped away from his responsibilities with Odd Future, before signing with the label Columbia Records. His fifth studio album Flower Boy marked the beginning of a new era of production, emotions and vibes in his music. This album was a getaway from the controversial and offensive image that Okonma has built up for himself, and it gave listeners and critics very different opinions on his music, his image, and him as a person. Flower Boy was when Okonma found his new sound, a new perspective to look into. As this album became a huge success for Okonma, fans across the country couldn’t expect another album that would exceed their expectations. 

On May 17th, 2019, Okonma released his fifth studio album Igor. This was the absolute turning point for Okonma’s career. The album includes Hip Hop and Neo Soul elements, also influencing R&B and Funk sounds as well. Critics have noticed and commented on the album’s use of synthesizers and lo-fi vocals, and the constant distortion of synths and vocals used in this album stood out a lot. Igor follows a persona of Okonma’s that is fairly darker, and apathetic than the Flower Boy archetype. The persona, in particular, is named “Igor”, and throughout the album, he pours his heart out for his love interest, though his love interest does not reciprocate the same love for him. The production emphasizes the themes to a greater extent, utilizing different sounds and distortions to direct a message through each song on the album. It was his first Grammy-winning album, including the single “Earfquake” which reached number 13 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming his highest-charting single in its first week of release. 

Both producers/artists are incredibly talented, and have progressively shown themselves to be a great addition to the music industry. Their unique ways of making their crafts are the sole reason for their popularity and praise, and their legacies continue to thrive as their names live on through the hearts of many. For them, music production isn’t just a hobby, it’s a lifestyle.