“Finding the GOAT Producer,” the third installment of Ambrosia For Heads’s annual battle series, features Hip-Hop’s greatest producers vying for the #1 spot. Thirty producers were pre-selected by a panel of experts, and two slots have been reserved for wild-card entries, including the possibility for write-in candidates, to ensure no deserving beat maker is neglected. The contest consists of six rounds, NCAA basketball-tournament style, commencing with the Top 32, then the Sweet 16 and so on, until 1 winner is determined. For each battle, two producers (or collective of producers, e.g. The Neptunes) are pitted against one another to determine which one advances to the next round.

Similar to the presentations in “Finding the GOAT MC” and “Finding the GOAT Album,” for each battle there has been editorial about each producer that contextualizes the match-up, as well as sample songs, to help voters in their consideration. There are plenty of producers that Ambrosia For Heads was not able to include among the 30 in the first 15 battles. That is why there was a wild card ballot of deserving producers vying for 2 remaining spots in the bracket. In the 24 hours since voting began, the 2 wild card producers have been determined by you in the ongoing Finding The GOAT. The 2 beat-makers with the highest votes will join the original 30, to face Mannie Fresh and Dr. Dre in the final 2 Round 1 battles, which begin tomorrow (February 2).

The two winning vote-getters actually come from the same movement. DJ Muggs and his Soul Assassins collective once mentored and included Alchemist (as did Mobb Deep’s Havoc). Two Los Angelinos, these men would work together on several Cypress Hill albums, beginning in 2002. Additionally, the Gangrene co-founder would remix some of Muggs’ work with Planet Asia on the Pain Language album. Both men are prolific, dynamic, and gifted in their ability to work with MCs, coast-to-coast.

Cypress Hill Light Up For 9th Album, With DJ Muggs At The Helm (Video)

The runner-up in the voting was El-P, of Run The Jewels, Company Flow, and Cannibal Ox fame. Alchemist’s win, including a number of write-in votes, although he was featured on the ballot.

#BonusBeat: Some vintage footage of DJ Muggs, then ALC (produced by Soul Assassins), respectively, making beats:

AZ & Alchemist Give A$AP Twelvyy Motivation To Always Strive & Prosper (Audio)

Notice Alchemist’s Soul Assassins’ gear.