Hot Sugar, or Nick Koenig, is one of my top 3 favorite modern producers.
The guy is a true artist, and is quite the enigma. Not only does he make music in a wide range of styles including the rap beats he is best known for, but he also produces his own artwork, music videos, and even short films that he has won awards for. I think he has also acted in films and done lots of other work, but he goes out of his way to avoid the spotlight/fame so it's hard to find a lot of information on his work.
He doesn't seem to be trying to be like other people, and has a style and production technique that I think he can truly call his own, which is a major reason why I respect his work so much.
This is his most recently released track -
"Trauma". Definitely something different, though it might be hard for others to appreciate as it is solely an instrumental track. If you are looking for an example of how his production shines with a vocalist on it, check this track out;
"Leverage" feat. KOOL AD, Fat Tony, Lakutis, and Nasty Nigel. It's pretty lowkey and downplayed, but I think the way he produced a variation of the beat for each artist on the track shows off a small amount of his versatility and adaptability.
My take on "the greats" that people have been repeatedly mentioning in this thread is that they are some of the hardest working/most self-promoting. But when I look at somebody like Dr. Dre I see a very calculated, "by the book" approach to making music, where there are not many risks taken. I can definitely respect people who have mastered this approach to music, as it shows they have put in the time and effort to learn basic/intermediate music theory and have practiced certain ways of adapting that knowledge into catchy and popular songs. You also have to be socially adept to put yourself into a position such as Dr. Dre's, and that deserves a respect of its own.
edit: I forgot to mention that my views might be tinted by the fact that "Dr. Dre" is a style of beat these days, and as such his music surely doesn't sound as fresh or original as it would have when he first came out on the scene. I also haven't listened extensively to his catalog, so if I haven't heard some of his more original/interesting tracks I would appreciate links or titles that might show off his versatility.
Personally, when it comes to the music, I prefer to see people go out on a limb and take chances. I like to see people try things that haven't been done before, or to take novel approaches to things. For example, "Hot Sugar" produced an album entirely(?) with sounds/samples from broken musical equipment. For me, that is more interesting than another "by the books" banger from your favorite producer's favorite producer.
Either way, there are lots of great producers both modern and classic, and even the "by the books" producer have surely inspired a lot of the more "risk taking" ones. Whether you like your music to sound familiar or new, there's something for everybody these days. It's really a great time to be a fan of music.
