10 Essential Terrace Martin Productions

You might not know his name, but you've heard his sensuous sax soaring over tracks by Kendrick Lamar, YG, and other top-tier Los Angeles rappers. Or you saw him as the caged bird, shrieking and squawking on his horn from behind bars in Lamar's stupendous 2016 Grammy performance.

Terrace Martin, 37, is slowly gaining recognition as one of the most cerebral producers in hip hop. A child prodigy saxophonist, he possesses the floral tone of Kenny G, though he plays with a bit more taste than Yung Gorelick. He is a capable multi-instrumentalist and an integral member of the exciting LA scene currently exploring the boundary between hip hop and jazz.

Click through the gallery to listen to 10 essential Terrace Martin tracks.

Martin produced the back end of "m.A.A.d. city" -- Sounwave produced the front end. The product of the diverse array of sounds employed by Martin here is quintessential L.A. On top of that, his subtle arrangement heightens the spazzy, just-smoked-a-blunt-laced with-PCP Kendrick verse.

It's true, "Sorry Momma" has it all. Between jazzy piano harmonies, soulful G-funk synth, succulent sax riffs, the My Krazy Life standout weaves such a rich sonic tapestry that barely any percussion is needed at all, save for the occasional spare kick-and-snap groove.

A recurring theme in Martin's production is a no-frills kick-on-1, snare-on-2 drum groove that provides a solid foundation, on top of which he slathers a bunch of luscious harmonious layers. On "These Walls," his production is neither minimalist nor maximalist but rather effortlessly balanced, ever-present but never a threat to overshadow the main attraction, Kendrick Lamar.

"Twist My Fingaz" is the type of song that sounds better under the influence of drugs. (Don't do drugs, kids.) Martin is a mod wheel shaman, using his hair-raising take on the G-funk whine to conjure the one of the most authentic musical rendering of what it feels like to be stoned to date.

On "For Free?", possibly the most *swingin* hip hop track ever, Martin's sax wail signals the arrival of a feverish jazz trio. McCoy Tyner-ish piano stabs, a scintillating ride, and walking bass line support not Coltrane, but the equally virtuosic Kendrick.

This. Dick. Ain't. Freeeeeeeee.

One of the most underrated party bangers of the '00s, "Upside Down" features a flanged snare that feels like a military drum major's call to battle -- the dance floor. Martin knows that less is often more, and the "Upside Down" beat somewhat resembles Pharrell's "skeleton" style of production that has formed the backbone of some of extremely head-bobbin' rap tracks ever, e.g. Snoop Dogg's "Drop It Like It's Hot" and Clipse's "Grindin."

"Real" is probably the most-slept in song on good kid m.A.A.d. city, partly because it's seven and half minutes long, and partly because it exists as a sort of coda that exists outside of the album's main storyline. Kendrick arrives at a moment of clarity, and Martin helps the listener know that its much more serene than Jay Z's Moment of Clarity.

Not only is Terrace Martin a fantastic producer, he seems like the homie. In the video, for "You're the One," which appeared on his 2014 album 3ChordFold, he gets continually roasted by his friends Fat Ty$ and Tone Trezure for his poor fashion choices. Dude doesn't take himself too seriously.

Another 3ChordFold standout, "No Wrong, No Right" features Robert Glasper and James Fauntleroy, who are both incomparable in their own ways. It also features some bold harmonic choice which Martin renders in a pleasing manner, such that listening to the song feels taking a bath with water at the exact perfect temperature. He raps about "how sometimes in relationships, no one wants admit when they are wrong....and men have a hard time admitting when they are right, for fear of the backlash."

A single off Martin's recently released album Velvet Portraits, "Valdez Off Crenshaw" harkens back to the good ol' Isaac Hayes days. This song is best played riding down the Los Angeles throughfare that is Crenshaw Blvd on a 78 degrees on a peaceful Saturday morning.