As we continue our celebration of 50 Years of Hip Hop, we turn to the iconic artists who have sometimes made things better together as duets.
Growing up whenever someone made the statement that two heads are better than one, my grandmother always added, “Unless one is a goat head.” For some reason, I can never get that out of my head and have to quietly chuckle whenever I hear the phrase now.
Still, I want to dive into a few of my favorite Hip hop duets in music history. The chemistry between two artists, their unique blends of lyrical flow and style can result in some truly unforgettable tracks. In a few instances, it appears that two heads can be better than one, even if one is a goat head.
The first song on my list was a bit overpowered in Hip Hop history by an incident that some say had a negative impact on someone’s career.
During the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, an unexpected event occurred during the live performance of the hit song “Empire State of Mind”. Rapper Lil Mama joined Jay Z and Alicia Keys on stage as they were delivering their iconic anthem.
Lil Mama’s sudden appearance was unscripted and took the audience, and the performers, by surprise. It created quite a stir in the media, sparking discussions about stage etiquette. Regardless, it remains an unforgettable moment in VMA history, adding another layer of intrigue to this already legendary performance and song.
There are some iconic collaborations with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, Jay Z and pretty much everyone, and so many more.
Duets have been such a staple of the hip hop culture from Day 1, it’s honestly hard to narrow it down to just 11 tracks. But we’re going to highlight some of our favorites here, and hopefully it’ll help inspire you to dive down a rabbit hole of hip hop duets.
