22. Dilemma (2002) -
Nelly featuring Kelly Rowland
"No matter what I do. All I think about is you. Even when I'm with my boo. You know I'm crazy over you..."
The chemistry between these two artists appeared so genuine that it was hard to believe there was no romantic involvement. At least none that was confirmed. If you have ever found yourself in a situation where you were already romantically involved, and someone came along and blew those feelings completely out the water, then I'm sure that you can identify with this song. It happens. And Nelly's practical rhymes combined with Kelly's beautiful voice captured the emotion, perfectly. Grammy winner.
21. Heaven or Hell (2006) -
Joy Denalane featuring Raekwon
"What do I believe in, Heaven or Hell. I don't believe in Heaven cause I'm living in Hell and that's my life. With you..."
Easily the most underrated collaboration listed. German singer-songwriter Joy Denalane provided an impressive mixture of soul/R&B while famed Wu-Tang Clan rapper Raekwon delivered heartfelt emotion. This melodramatic tune explores the complexities of a relationship that clearly died a long time ago, yet the woman struggles to keep the love alive. That is, until the truth of the matter can no longer be denied. Powerful sentiments expressed.
20. Lost One (2006) -
Jay Z featuring Chrisette Michele
"I heard motherf*ckers saying they made Hov. Made Hov say, okay, so, make another Hov..."
Til this day, there are those who surprisingly have never heard this song. Which is stunning, considering the lyrics were penned at a time of burden in Jay Z's life. The rapper had lost a close nephew in a tragic car accident, severed ties with long-time friend and business partner Damon Dash, and suffered a brief split with singer Beyonce (although actress Rosario Dawson is also rumored). In the end, Jay Z bled his heart and soul onto the Dr. Dre-produced track. Sultry singer Chrisette Michele provided a captivating chorus.
19. Why (Remix) -
Jadakiss featuring Anthony Hamilton
"Why Halle had to let a white man pop her to get an Oscar? Why Denzel have to be crooked before he took it?"
Have you ever witnessed a rap artist with exceptional lyrical ability, yet someone who never seemed to produce the one particular song that could transform his career into a mainstream success? Well, all changed for Jadakiss in '06 the moment he released this crossover hit which featured some of the East Coast rap artist's most provocative commentary. Hamilton's rich vocals carried the chorus. The single sparked controversy and condemnation from political commentator Bill O'Reilly, mainly due to one particular line: "Why did Bush knock down the towers?"
18. Soldier (2004) -
Destiny's Child featuring T.I. & Lil Wayne
"Body marked up like the subway in Harlem. Call 'em, Weezy F. Baby. Please say the baby..."
Loved this song from beginning to end. First, Destiny's Child went back to its southern roots and identified with a street credibility that had escaped the group since they first arrived onto the music scene. Secondly, the group reached out to rap artists T.I. and Lil Wayne, southern rappers on the verge of mainstream success, who represented a swagger that connected with the spirit of the song. Based on Kelly Rowland's seductive dance moves, alone, I never tire of watching the entertaining video.
17. Nicety (1989) -
Michele featuring Dr. Dre
"Some people think I'm nice. Some people think I'm nasty. But if you really want to know, just ask me..."
Old schoolers will immediately remember this effort. It featured two West Coast artists that had begun to make a name for themselves within the music scene. N.W.A rap artist Dr. Dre was regarded as an up and coming producer, while Michele - equipped with an explosive singing voice, carved her niche as a sweet and sassy R&B singer. Euphoric-like track, it elaborated upon a woman so sorely fed up with male double-talk, that she herself had assumed a complicated yet polished role. Musically, Michele was ahead of her time.
16. No Diggity (1996) -
Blackstreet featuring Dr. Dre & Queen Pen
"Rolling with the phatness, you don't even know what the half is. You got to pay to play just for shorty bang bang to look your way..."
Dr. Dre, Teddy Riley, Dave Hollister, Queen Pen. The roster of talent of this song is so thick and extraordinary that it would have served an even greater justice if an entire album had been created. Smooth melody. Check. Infectious riffs. Check. Catchy lyrics. Check. Slick Hype Williams-directed video. Check. For me personally, this bird call has always signaled the progression from gangster rap music into a more contemporary style of R&B music.
No Diggity won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group.
15. I Wanna Be Down (Remix) -
Brandy featuring MC Lyte, Yo-Yo, Queen Latifah
"About yay short. About yay tall. About so big. About so small. About this length. About this width. About this flow. About this gift..."
In '94, New School R&B met Old School hip hop. The result - a classic recording featuring four talented sistas who celebrated strong feelings of yearning towards their male counterparts. The lyrics stuck, as each female rapper offered slick narrative flow, in a sort of schoolyard manner. Of course Brandy locked the chorus and Hype Williams produced the video. I have no idea what transpired in Brandy's career from the moment she dropped this song up until the present, but, upon listening to her soulful flavor on this track, it was clear to understand why she was hailed for pop stardom.
14. Hey Lover (1995) -
LL Cool J featuring Boyz II Men
"I gotta take you from your man. That's my mission. If his love is real, he got to handle competition..."
Caught between the well known sentiments of chance and affection, this collaboration worked for both artists. Boyz II Men had long been known for their penetrating ballads while LL Cool J. had carved his niche as a master of hip hop love songs. In a sense,
Hey Lover portrays the romantic quest of a man who finds himself engaged in a passionate crush and sets out to take the woman from her man. In the end, both LL's and Boyz II Men's contemplations vibrate with mature fantasy. Hard to ignore sentiments. Grammy winner.
13. What These B*tches Want? (2000) -
DMX featuring Sisqo
"You're thinking Life, I'm thinking more like, 'What's up tonight?' C'mon Ma, you know I got a wife..."
However offensive the question itself - it is a legitimate response to the confused ideology shown by many women involved with married men. Only DMX, a brash New York rapper known to keep it real in the most unimaginative fashion, could perform such misogynist and confrontational honesty. I am not so sure another rapper would have garnered the same effect. But DMX pulled it off with relative ease. That said, I should have known that DMX smoked crack. Former Dru Hill R&B artist Sisqo opposed DMX's hardness with a soul-stirring chorus. Blazing track. Hype Williams video.
12. How Do Want It? (1996) -
Tupac Shakur featuring Jodeci
"Honey just meet me at the strip club, bring a thong. Look how they shaking for that cash, once again it's on..."
Death Row's finest. Tupac had just been released from a 10-month prison stint and politely responded with a quadruple platinum double album, which, at the time, was unheard of. The East Coast versus West Coast rivalry and gangsta rap, in general, was in full swing, and all the world was a stage. So what does Pac do? He ironically flipped the script and dropped a massive pop hit that balanced his entertained qualities as a thug, gangsta rapper, player. Jodeci members K-Ci & JoJo responded with a soulful chorus that summed up the song's undeniable sentiments. Producer Johnny J. showed out on this track. The video also featured an
adult entertainment version.
11. You Got Me (1999) -
The Roots featuring Erykah Badu & Eve
"If you were worried 'bout where I been. Or who I saw. Or what club I went to with my homies. Baby don't worry you know that you got me..."
As the case with Lost One, there are those who haven't heard this particular song either. I shouldn't be too surprised, considering The Roots weren't exactly mainstream artist at the time, although their album became a breakthrough success.
You Got Me went on to win a Grammy award. Dope track, dope rhymes, and a riveting Erykah Badu chorus which gives loving reassurance amidst the insecurity that exists in relationships from time to time. Ms. Badu is her eccentric self and Rapper Black Thought is as underrated emcee as they come.
"It took awhile to get me here. And I'm gonna take my time. Don't fight that good ish in your ear. Now let me blow your mind..."
10. Let Me Blow Your Mind (2001) -
Eve featuring Gwen Stefani
Dr. Dre, Eve and Gwen Stefani completely outdid themselves on this critically-acclaimed and Grammy award winning song. Fueled by an ingenious beat and equally contagious chorus,
Let Me Blow Your Mind launched Eve's career into a whole new realm. From the beginning verse, Eve confirmed her status as one of, if not the top, female rappers in the game through articulate and self-assured lyrics. Stefani brought home the chorus in paralleled fashion. If this song doesn't make women everywhere get up and dance, then you just cannot dance.
9. Crazy In Love (2003) -
Beyonce featuring Jay Z
"Got me looking, so crazy, my baby. I'm not myself lately, I'm foolish, I don't do this..."
Like many, I have the slightest idea what transpired from the moment that Beyonce ended the group Destiny's Child to pursue a solo career, til the time she unleashed this Grammy award-winning single upon the world. Whatever happened, I am glad that it did happen, it signaled a new era in the music industry and placed the pop singer into iconic status. In fact, her music became so potent that her group efforts no longer represented her overall talents. Raw sexuality mixed with admitted vulnerability,
Crazy In Love redefined her career and locked up the game, all in one setting. Jay Z dropped a sweet 16 on the track.
8. Can't Knock The Hustle (1996) -
Jay Z featuring Mary J. Blige
"You ain't having it? Good. Me either. Let's get together and make this world believe us..."
One of the best that has ever done it, by far. Before this classic single dropped, hardly anyone had heard of rapper Jay Z. After every major radio station in America finished playing the song, the Brookyln-born rapper was viewed as a major force in the rap game. Due largely to his slick rhyme schemes, mafioso lyrics and accompanied Godfather-like video. It would also serve as a collab which led to singer Mary J. Blige becoming a hot commodity as far as hip hop/R&B collaborations. In time, Jay Z would take the game where no other rapper had gone beforehand.
7. Friends (1989) -
Jody Watley featuring Eric B & Rakim
"Friends will let you down. Friends won't be around. When you need them most where are your friends?"
A moral education. A breakthrough collaboration between the two genres, and personal favorite of mines. But then I am a huge fan of both artists. Extremely underrated and sensual singer Jody Watley set the bar with this hard truth concerning the sometimes gritty and imbalanced portrait of friendship. Not to mention the fact that her lyrical sentiments are identifiable from beginning to end. Rap legend Rakim dropped his usual poignant rhymes. Loved his priceless intro on the song's bridge which included a sample of one of his popular hip hop tracks.
6. Ready Or Not (1996) -
The Fugees featuring Lauryn Hill
"So while you're imitating Al Capone, I be Nina Simone and defecating on your microphone..."
Lauryn. Wyclef. Pras. If, for whatever reasons, you have wondered the mass appeal of Lauryn Hill, then look no further than the diverse talent being displayed on this particular song. There is no other song in the history of music which features a female artist delivering a chorus so flawless, as well as a rap verse so fierce. The Jersey native offered a unique gift.
For example, take the song
Hey Lover, a Grammy winner. Imagine Lauryn performing the hook and verses. Even then it doesn't serve any justice, considering that she is a much better rapper than LL and arguably a better sing than Boyz II Men. A compounding element which leads one to believe Lauryn when she proclaimed, "Voodoo, I can do what you do, easy." Significantly, the song pushed L Boogie to the forefront of both multi-platinum group and the music industry.
5. If I Ruled The World (1996) -
Nas featuring Lauryn Hill
"Open their eyes to the lies. History's so foul. But I'm as wise as the old owl. Plus the gold child..."
Black diamonds and pearls. An instant classic long before the single ever hit the airwaves. Hip hoppers knew from the very moment it was announced that Queensbridge rapper Nas and songstress Lauryn Hill would collab, the result would be rather profound. True enough, it was. From L. Boogie's soulful chorus to the sophisticated verses of Nasir Jones, the song is infinite in its ability to not only offer critical thinking, but rediscover fellowship amongst brothers and sistas. In many ways, it is a response to conflicts over morality, behavior and politics in Black America. The bar was raised.
4. Whatta Man (1994) -
En Vogue featuring Salt -N- Pepa
"So here's to the future, cause we got thru the past. I finally found somebody that could make me laugh. You so crazy. I think I wanna have your baby..."
Helluva song and collaboration. Moreover, it provoked a much-needed response to gangsta rap's nihilism. This star-studded collaboration featured both crowned hip hop and R&B queens coming together and celebrating their appreciated kings. A forgotten gem - the ultimate compliment I can pay such a timely recording,
Whatta Man paid homage and disconnected brothers from the cultural idea of suffering and struggle. The lyrics envisioned not only togetherness, but the immeasurable love which exists in honest and healthy relationships as well. A rare fist raised.
3. One More Chance (Remix) -
The Notorious B.I.G. featuring Faith Evans
"Heartthrob never. Black and Ugly as ever. However, I stay Coogi down to the socks. Rings and watch, filled with rocks..."
When this song and video dropped in '95, Brooklyn's finest The Notorious B.I.G. sat atop the hip hop throne. He signaled a new era, one in which flamboyant gangster-laced rhymes combined with stylish presence would serve as the formula. Biggie Smalls was a masterful lyricist, probably the best ever. R&B Singer and his soon-to-be wife Faith Evans supplied the vocals. In perhaps one of the most star-studded hip hop videos ever produced (Hype Williams) - a presentation which reads like a who's who among the music industry, the rap artist proved exactly why he was hailed King of New York amongst his peers. Everybody loved Biggie.
2. All I Need (1994) -
Method Man featuring Mary J. Blige
"Like sweet morning dew. I took one look at you. And it was plain to see. You were my destiny..."
Word to life. A genuine example of the struggles often found in pre-adolescent relationships where hardly anyone approves of the union. I fell in love with this song the very first listen, as did most listeners. It speaks of inner peace amid the disparaging atmosphere. Through Method Man's profane yet reaffirming tone, and Mary J. Blige's soothing chorus,
All I Need connected the pain and redemption felt during such a most criticized yet unbreakable bond. For the longest this classic song and video had stood alone as far as hip hop/R&B collaborations. Grammy winner.
1. Love of My Life (2003) -
Erykah Badu featuring Common
"Y'all know how I met her. We broke up and got back together. To get her back, I had to sweat her..."
For me, this Grammy award-winning
ode to hip hop has always resulted in a bittersweet listen. At heart, it's a generational rift which reminds me of a funeral process, one in which the genre was spiritually laid to rest. The song and video takes viewers back to an appealing place in time where hip hop was young and represented possibility. The lyrics speak of feelings that will never be experienced again. If you really really love hip hop and it's spirit remains within yours, Erykah Badu's closing chorus - where she emphasizes her words, tugs indelibly at one's heart.