By: Joseph VanBuren
Rating: 7/11

Marley Marl isn’t just a household name, but rather anyone into hip hop from the late 80s and early 90s is familiar with his work. The 46-year-old Queens-born producer is one of the pioneers of the foundation for what we now call hip hop, and arguably one of the most important and influential producers in the history of hip hop. Marley Marl has worked with many notable old school emcees: Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, Eric B. & Rakim, Kool G Rap, and even LL Cool J. Remember classic Biz Markie tracks like “Vapors?” The street-savvy remix of Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up?” The infectious groove of “Mama Said Knock You Out?” Marley Marl was the man behind all of those tracks. He was one of the first hip hop producers to use samples, a technique that continues to shape the style of many producers to this day. While most of Marley’s hits are from “the golden age of rap,” his collaboration album with fellow old school legend KRS-One, Hip Hop Lives, was released in 2007. Marley Marl succeeded in bringing an underground sound to the mainstream without compromising it, and he remains an inspiration to many cutting-edge producers in hip hop today.