Ricardo Thomas, also known as Rick Rock, is an American record producer originally from

Montgomery, Alabama Montgomery is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Alabama. Named for Continental Army major general Richard Montgomery, it stands beside the Alabama River on the Gulf Coastal Plain. The population was 2 ...

and based in

Fairfield, California Fairfield is a city in and the county seat of Solano County, California, United States, in the North Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), North Bay sub-region of the San Francisco Bay Area. The city has a diversified economy, with government, manufac ...

.Rick Rock at Discogs
/ref> He is a founding member of the former rap group Cosmic Slop Shop and the Federation with fellow rapper Doonie Baby, and is regarded as a pioneer of the

hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...

subgenre Hyphy.

Late 1990s

Rick Rock began to make a name for himself in 1996 when well known Vallejo Producer Mike Mosley invited him to come to the studio to meet

E-40 Earl Tywone Stevens (born November 15, 1967), better known by his stage name E-40, is an American rapper. Stevens is a founding member of the rap group The Click (band), The Click and the founder of Sick Wid It Records. He has released 27 stud ...

. E-40 had originally planned on using a beat produced by Mike Mosley, however due to Mosley's tardiness, Rick Rock used that time as an opportunity to showcase his talents. He went on to produce two tracks featured on E-40's '' Tha Hall of Game'' including the song "Record Haters" a diss track directed to NYC rapper AZ and basketball player

Rasheed Wallace Rasheed Abdul Wallace (born September 17, 1974) is an American basketball coach and former professional player. A native of Philadelphia, Wallace played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels before declaring for the draft in 1995. ...

. E-40 then introduced Rick Rock to

2pac Tupac Amaru Shakur (; born Lesane Parish Crooks; June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor, regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all tim ...

where he and Mike Mosley co-produced two additional tracks "Tradin War Stories" and "Ain't Hard to Find" from the album '' All Eyez on Me''. Around that time Rick Rock also contributed heavily to fellow bay area artist Spice 1's '' Immortalized'' album.

Early 2000s

Rick Rock's popularity grew in the early 2000s after Jay-Z released the hit single " Change the Game". From there, Rick Rock went on to produce " Can't Deny It" for Fabolous, and "I Don't Do Much" by

Beanie Sigel Dwight Equan Grant (born March 6, 1974), better known by his stage name Beanie Sigel, is an American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is best known for his association with Jay-Z and his label Roc-A-Fella Records, to which Grant signed ...

. In 2002 Rick Rock reunited with Vallejo producer Mike Mosely and produced the songs "Godzilla" featuring E-40 and Pizzo and "The Sickness" by Federation. Both songs were featured on Mike Mosely's compilation album ''Major Work The Soundtrack''. In Spring of 2002, Rick Rock produced "Automatic" featuring Fabolous, which became the lead single for E-40's album '' Grit & Grind''. In 2003 Rick Rock gained more commercial success working with New York-based artists, producing hits " Make It Clap" for

Busta Rhymes Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after National Football League, NFL and Canadian Football Lea ...

, " If I Could Go" for

Angie Martinez Angela "Angie" Martinez (born January 9, 1971) is an American radio personality, podcaster, singer, former rapper and actress. Dubbed "The Voice of New York", Martinez is widely known for her 28-year run at New York City station WQHT, Hot 97 ( ...

and " Breathe, Stretch, Shake" for

Mase Mason Durell Betha (born August 27, 1975), better known by his stage name Mase (often stylized as Ma$e), is an American rapper. Best known for his work with Sean Combs, Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs' Bad Boy Records, he signed with the label in 1996 ...

. Following his commercial success, Rick Rock became a sought after producer on the West Coast producing underground tracks like Keak Da Sneak's "T-Shirt, Blue Jeans, & Nike's", "Back it Up" by

Ras Kass John R. Austin II (born September 26, 1973), better known by his stage name Ras Kass, is an American rapper. He is a member of the hip hop Supergroup (music), supergroup The Hrsmn, along with Canibus, Killah Priest, and Kurupt in 2014. He is als ...

, "Whip Appeal" by Bambino Brown and producing over half of the songs featured on

B-Legit Brandt Jones , better known by his stage name B-Legit, is an American rapper from Vallejo, California. Career Before he started his music career, he went to Grambling State University. He became a member of The Click, a rap group formed by his ...

's fourth album '' Hard 2 B-Legit''. In 2003 Rick Rock founded his own label Southwest Federation and signed the Federation featuring fellow Cosmic Slop Shop alumn, Doonie Baby and additional rappers San Diego Native Battle Locco and Harlem native El Dorado Red. El Dorado Red is the only rapper other than the Federation to release an album on Rick Rock's label with the release of ''East Side Rydah Vol. 1''.

Discography

Studio albums

Albums with Rick Rock production

*1996: '' All Eyez on Me'' by

Tupac Shakur Tupac Amaru Shakur (; born Lesane Parish Crooks; June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor, regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all tim ...

*1996: '' Tha Hall of Game'' by

*1996: '' Seasoned Veteran'' by Richie Rich *1997: '' Unpredictable'' by

Mystikal Michael Lawrence Tyler (born September 22, 1970), better known by his stage name Mystikal, is an American rapper and actor from New Orleans, Louisiana. He is noted for brash, obstreperous vocal delivery, characterized by a Southern rasp. He si ...

*1998: '' The Element of Surprise'' by

*1998: '' Fearless'' by

Marvaless Marva Jean Cooks II (born August 28, 1975), known professionally as Marvaless, is an American rapper from Sacramento, California. Career In 1992, a year after finishing high school, Cooks got together with C-Bo to record her debut album, '' Gh ...

*1999: '' Immortalized'' by

Spice 1 Robert Lee Greene Jr. (born July 2, 1970), better known by his stage name Spice 1 (an acronym for "Sex, Pistols, Indo, Cash and Entertainment"), is an American rapper from Hayward, California. He began releasing albums in 1991, where he gained p ...

*2000: '' The Dynasty: Roc La Familia'' by

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...

*2000: '' Loyalty and Betrayal'' by

*2000: '' Restless'' by

Xzibit Alvin Nathaniel Joiner (born September 18, 1974), better known by his stage name Xzibit (pronounced "''exhibit''), is an American rapper, actor, television presenter, radio personality, and record executive. He began his musical career in 1992, ...

*2001: '' The Reason'' by

*2001: ''

Supernova A supernova (: supernovae or supernovas) is a powerful and luminous explosion of a star. A supernova occurs during the last stellar evolution, evolutionary stages of a massive star, or when a white dwarf is triggered into runaway nuclear fusion ...

'' by Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes *2001: '' Ghetto Fabolous'' by

Fabolous John David Jackson (born November 18, 1977), known professionally as Fabolous, is an American rapper. Raised in Brooklyn, he first gained recognition for his ability upon performing live on DJ Clue's WQHT, Hot 97 radio show. Jackson then signed ...

*2001: '' Thug Lord: The New Testament'' by Yukmouth *2002: '' Blood Brothers'' by Kastro & E.D.I. of

Outlawz Outlawz was an American hip-hop group founded by Tupac Shakur and Yafeu Fula in 1995. Originally known as Thoro Headz and Young Thugs, the group attracted attention with their appearance on Tupac's song "Flex", which was the B-side of his singl ...

*2002: '' Ghetto Heisman'' by WC *2002: '' If I Could Go!'' by

feat Sacario & Lil Mo *2002: '' Grit & Grind'' by

*2002: ''

Animal House ''National Lampoon's Animal House'' is a 1978 American comedy film directed by John Landis and written by Harold Ramis, Douglas Kenney and Chris Miller (writer), Chris Miller. It stars John Belushi, Tim Matheson, John Vernon, Verna Bloom, Tom ...

'' by

*2002: '' Hard 2 B-Legit'' by

*2002: '' West Coast Mafia'' by C-Bo *2002: '' It Ain't Safe No More'' by

*2002: '' React'' by Erick Sermon *2002: ''

Born to Reign ''Born to Reign'' is the third studio album released by American actor and rapper Will Smith. The album was released on Columbia Records in the United States on June 25, 2002 and was considered a drop from his previous level of success, having o ...

'' by

Will Smith Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, rapper, and film producer. Known for his work in both Will Smith filmography, the screen and Will Smith discography, music industries, List of awards and nominations re ...

*2002: '' Man vs. Machine'' by

*2003: '' Street Dreams'' by

*2004: '' Tical 0: The Prequel'' by

Method Man Clifford Smith, Jr. (born March 2, 1971), known professionally as Method Man, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. He is a member of the East Coast hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan, and is half of the hip hop duo Method Man & R ...

*2004: '' Welcome Back'' by

*2005: '' Block Movement'' by

*2005: '' Cash on Delivery'' by Ray Cash *2005: '' Institutionalized'' by

*2006: ''

Everready (The Religion) ''Everready (The Religion)'' is the fifth studio album by rapper Tech N9ne. The album was released in 2006 as a "Collector's Edition" CD that contains a second CD featuring 14 songs from Tech N9ne as well as other Strange Music artists. "Jellys ...

'' by

Tech N9ne Aaron Dontez Yates (born November 8, 1971), better known by his stage name Tech N9ne (pronounced "tech nine"), is an American rapper and singer. In 1999, he and business partner Travis O'Guin founded the record label Strange Music. He has sold ...

*2006: '' Tha Blue Carpet Treatment'' by

Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. ( ; born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Rooted in West Coast hip-hop, he is widely regarded as one of t ...

*2006: '' My Ghetto Report Card'' by

*2007: '' Ultimate Victory'' by

Chamillionaire Hakeem Temidayo Seriki (born November 28, 1979), better known by his stage name Chamillionaire (), is an American rapper. He began his career in Houston's hip hop scene in the late 1990s. He was briefly signed with the local record label Swishah ...

*2007: '' T.H.U.G.S.'' by

Bone Thugs-n-Harmony Bone Thugs-n-Harmony (formerly known as B.O.N.E. Enterpri$e and also referred to as simply Bone Thugs or Bone) is an American hip hop group formed in 1991 in Cleveland, Ohio. Consisting of rappers Bizzy Bone, Wish Bone, Layzie Bone, Krayzie ...

*2008: '' Ego Trippin''' by

*2008: '' T.O.S: Terminate on Sight by

G-Unit G-Unit (short for Guerilla-Unit). was an American hip hop group formed by longtime friends and East Coast rappers 50 Cent, Tony Yayo, and Lloyd Banks. After amassing a string of self-released mixtapes in the early 2000s, the group released ...

*2009: '' Custom Cars & Cycles'' by Triple C's *2009: '' Before I Self Destruct'' by

50 Cent Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and television producer. Born in Queens, a borough of New York City, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 1996. In 1999–2000, ...

*2010: '' Revenue Retrievin': Night Shift'' by

*2011: ''

Doggumentary ''Doggumentary'' is the eleventh studio album by American West Coast hip hop recording artist Snoop Dogg. It was released on March 29, 2011 on the Priority Records record label. The album was hip hop production, produced by Battlecat (producer), ...

'' by

*2012: '' The Block Brochure: Welcome to the Soil 1'' by

*2012: '' The Block Brochure: Welcome to the Soil 2'' by

*2012: '' The Block Brochure: Welcome to the Soil 3'' by

*2012: ''

Napalm Napalm is an incendiary mixture of a gelling agent and a volatile petrochemical (usually gasoline or diesel fuel). The name is a portmanteau of two of the constituents of the original thickening and gelling agents: coprecipitated aluminium ...

'' by

*2012: '' History: Function Music by

Too $hort Todd Anthony Shaw (born April 28, 1966), better known by his stage name Too Short (stylized as Too $hort), is an American rapper. A pioneer of West Coast hip-hop, Shaw was among the first acts to receive recognition in the genre during the late ...

*2012: '' History: Mob Music by

*2013: '' Demonstration'' by

Tinie Tempah Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu (born 7 November 1988), better known by his stage name Tinie (formerly Tinie Tempah), is a British rapper and singer. He has been signed to Parlophone since 2009, now a subsidiary of Warner Music Group. He created his ...

*2014: '' Sharp On All 4 Corners: Corner 1'' by

*2014: '' Sharp On All 4 Corners: Corner 2'' by

*2015: '' Mudface'' by Redman *2016: '' The D-Boy Diary: Book 1'' by

*2016: '' The D-Boy Diary: Book 2'' by

*2017: ''

Neva Left ''Neva Left'' is the fifteenth studio album by American rapper Snoop Dogg. It was released on May 19, 2017, for digital download and July 7, 2017, for purchase on CD, by Doggystyle Records and Empire Distribution. Snoop Dogg enlisted a variety ...

'' by

*2017: ''Trillionaire Thoughts'' by Droop-E *2019: ''Rick Rock Beats'' by Rick Rock *2019: '' Madden 20'' by

*2019: ''

I Wanna Thank Me ''I Wanna Thank Me'' is the seventeenth studio album by American rapper Snoop Dogg. It was released on August 16, 2019, by Doggy Style Records and Empire Distribution. It was supported by an eponymous single, " I Wanna Thank Me", released on Ju ...

'' by

*2019: ''Black Man In America'' by Redman *2020: ''Summer of Sam'' by Serial Killers *2020: '' Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath of God'' by

*2021: ''Blue Castle'' by Battle Locco *2022: '' Snoop Cube 40 $hort'' by

Mount Westmore Mount Westmore is an American hip hop music, hip hop Supergroup (music), supergroup composed of California-based rappers Snoop Dogg, E-40, Too Short, and Ice Cube. Formed in late 2020, the group's debut album, ''Bad MF's'' (2022) was initially r ...

*2023: ''Rule of Thumb: Rule 1'' by

*2024: ''W.A.W.G. (We All We Got)'' by

Tha Dogg Pound Tha Dogg Pound is an American hip-hop duo composed of West Coast rappers Kurupt and Daz Dillinger. They were among the first acts to sign to Death Row Records in 1992. Kurupt and Daz went on to release solo albums starting in 1998; they left th ...

*2024: '' Muddy Waters Too'' by Redman

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rock, Rick Living people Record producers from California Year of birth missing (living people) Rock musicians from Alabama Place of birth missing (living people) People from Fairfield, California Musicians from the San Francisco Bay Area