Source - Complex.com Before Illmatic came out, rap albums were created the same way albums across all genres are created: With one artist or group and one producer (sometimes a team) who create a singular vision. Think about all the classic rap albums from the ‘80s: Who produced License To Ill? Rick Rubin and The Beastie Boys. Who produced Straight Outta Compton? Dr. Dre and DJ Yella. Who produced It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back? The Bomb Squad. Take a look at the production credits of the classic rap albums immediately preceding Illmatic and you’ll see the same trend. Every song on The Low End Theory was produced (or at least co-produced) by A Tribe Called Quest. Every song on The Chronic was produced by Dr. Dre. Every song on Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) was produced by RZA. That's the way records had always been made. Just like how writers need editors, actors need directors, and Kanye needed Jesus, rappers need producers. Real producers, not just beatmakers who send instrumentals via email with a note that says, "Good luck."Illmatic wasn't created via emails, but it certainly enabled the idea that a singular vision wasn't necessary. Read the rest of this article HERE.