25 of the best rap-sung collaborations

No one knows if Mariah Carey and O.D.B. truly “go back like babies and pacifiers,” but their collaboration on “Fantasy” helped spark more of a crossover of R&B and hip-hop. Carey already scored her ninth No. 1 single on the original track, but called on Sean “Diddy” Combs to produce the remix. Her remix with O.D.B. was just the beginning for Carey adding hip-hop artists to her discography. 

A standout in the music industry, The Roots have developed their name as a hip-hop band that blends elements of soul, R&B, and jazz with live instrumentation. One of the band’s most popular records is “You Got Me,” a collaboration with Erykah Badu and Eve. The track is all about one having trust their significant other.

On Nelly’s sophomore album Nellyville, the second single, “Dilemma,” was a completely different sound from the album’s lead single, “Hot In Herre.” Nelly teamed up with Kelly Rowland, as they described their desire for love while being enamored with someone who’s already in a committed relationship. “Dilemma” sampled Patti LaBelle’s 1983 hit song, “Love, Need and Want You.”

Timbaland has always been a standout producer because of his use of sounds that went against the grain. It was evident when he produced Aaliyah’s single “Are You That Somebody.” If there’s anyone who could make a hit record by using a baby coo on the production, it’s Timbaland. In addition to Aaliyah and Timbaland being a perfect music match, the choreography in the music video had many fans trying to emulate it. 

The early 2000s saw a lot of rapper-singer collaborations, and Ja Rule had the pefect raspy tone to blend with Ashanti’s smooth vocals. “Always On Time” was the first introduction of Ashanti on the Murder Inc. record label. Not only did fans get to know Ashanti from this record, but it sparked timeless collaborations between the singer and Ja Rule.

Brandy already had a hit record with her debut single, “I Wanna Be Down.” However, she teamed up with Queen Latifah, Yo-Yo, and MC Lyte on the all-star female remix. This version was also peak ’90s since it showcased a time in which remixes had completely different productions than the original track.

When Destiny’s Child announced they were going to focus on solo projects, many fans were curious how their respective sounds and successes would play in comparison to the group’s dominance. On Beyoncé’s debut solo album, Dangerously In Love, she teamed up with future husband Jay-Z on the lead single “Crazy In Love.” Produced by Rich Harrison, “Crazy In Love” became a No. 1 hit and was just the beginning of Bey’s superstardom. 

When hip-hop and R&B combine, some artists prefer recording rap love songs. That’s exactly what Method Man and Mary J. Blige did on their single, “I’ll Be There For You / You’re All I Need to Get By.” During the ’90s, rappers would sample songs from the ol’ school era, which was evident here as Method Man used the Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell hit “You’re All I Need to Get By.” Method Man and Mary ended up winning a Grammy Award for best rap performance by a duo or group.

By the time Rihanna released her third album, Good Girl Gone Bad, she showed a more edgier side to her image. It was evident when she teamed up with Jay-Z on the album’s lead single, “Umbrella.” The track is all about staying down with people, as she says on the hook, “When the sun shines, we’ll shine together / Told you I’ll be here forever / Said I’ll always be your friend / Took an oath, I’ma stick it out ‘til the end.”

Mary J. Blige and Lil’ Kim have always supported each other throughout their careers. In 1997, they teamed up on Blige’s single “I Can Love You.” The Rodney Jerkins-produced track showcases Blige describing how she’s the best lover for her partner and that no one else can compare.

For listeners who need a song defining how a crush makes them feel, Donnell Jones has it covered on his hit song “U Know What’s Up.” With assistance from Left Eye on the remix, Jones is expressing to a potential lover his admiration for her and is hoping they can take it further.

In March 2000, Mya joined forces with Jadakiss on “Best of Me,” the first single from her second album Fear of Flying. A few months later, she teamed up with Jay-Z on the remix, and that version was released as the lead single to DJ Clue’s album Backstage: A Hard Knock Life. 

The ‘90s was the perfect era when rappers recruited R&B crooners to sing the hooks. A perfect example is Big Pun teaming up with Joe on “Still Not a Player.” The song had fans singing Pun’s key line, “I’m not a player, I just crush a lot.” The single reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

On Wale’s second album Ambition, he teamed up with Miguel for the lead single “Lotus Flower Bomb.” Wale and Miguel present this love ballad as trying to convince a potential lover that they can see some type of future together.

Lil Jon, Usher, and Ludacris are a triple threat team known to make hit songs. They already had a hit record with Usher’s party anthem “Yeah!” However, “Lovers and Friends” was an unexpected slow jam from the iconic trio. The song went on to receive massive airplay, even though it was never accompanied by a music video. 

In the ‘90s, Boyz II Men was the biggest-selling R&B group in music history. Something that stood out about this group was the harmonies and different tones among the members. LL Cool J teamed up with them on his rap ballad “Hey Lover” as he tries to convince a potential partner that he’s the perfect match.

Janet Jackson didn’t always have a lot of collaborations with other artists on songs, but when she did, it worked. Busta Rhymes teamed up with Jackson on his hit single “What’s It Gonna Be. The song reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, and it was one of the most expensive music videos in history.

In 2004, Lloyd received mixed reviews on his debut album, Southside. So, he had to bring a big hit on his next project. His sophomore album, Street Love, was led by the first single, “You.” On the Lil Wayne-assisted track, Lloyd shows his infatuation for someone that caught his eye and desires to spend more time with her. “You” became Lloyd’s first top-10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. 

While The Neptunes were in the midst of making hit records for other artists in the early 2000s, one-half of the production duo, Pharrell, decided to release a one-off single, “Frontin.'” With some assistance from Jay-Z, Pharrell describes how one can put up a front in order to impress people. 

After The Notorious B.I.G. passed away, Diddy was inspired to write “I’ll Be Missing You” in memory of his late friend. He teamed up with Faith Evans and 112 as they sampled The Police’s 1983 hit song “Every Breath You Take.” Diddy uses the song to describe the good times he had with his friend, but knows they’ll meet again someday.

Sometimes a good collaboration turns out to be the perfect party track. That’s exactly what Jagged Edge had when they teamed up with Nelly on their hit single properly titled “Where The Party At.” The song is all about describing the club scene and the production from Jermaine Dupri makes for an essential weekend anthem.

On SWV’s original “Anything,” fans heard an R&B ballad. However, the group switched things up when they joined forces alongside the Wu-Tang Clan on the remix. The more upbeat version was featured on the Above The Rim soundtrack and became a top-20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. 

When Lauryn Hill joined Nas on his single “If I Ruled The World,” it was the first time fans saw Hill make some music outside of The Fugees. Produced by Trackmasters, the song sampled “Friends” by Whodini. The song became a top-20 hit on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

Sometimes, the most unlikely collaborations turn out to be a perfect combination. Gwen Stefani was dominating the pop-rock scene with her band No Doubt, while Eve was proving her prowess in the hip-hop world. Eve teamed up with Stefani on their hit single “Let Me Blow Ya Mind,” which earned them a Grammy Award for best rap/sung collaboration.

In the 2000s, Kanye West was known for producing hits for other hip-hop and R&B artists. His production style stood out on some of his work because he would sample songs from the ol’ school era. It was no different when he worked with Twista on the single “Slow Jamz” that sampled Luther Vandross’ version of “A House Is Not A Home.” With additional vocals from Jamie Foxx, “Slow Jamz” tells the story of women complaining about fast songs being played in the club.