This week, the internet was buzzing with anticipation for Justin Timbelake’s first new song in years. The added bonus: it featured Jay-Z. Timberlake has always received kudos for incorporating hip-hop and soul into his music. His newest album is executive produced solely by Timbaland. Collaborations like these is what music great.
What if we still lived in a world where music was categorized as “black” or “white” people music? Thank goodness times have changed. The first major instance of a hip-hop and white music mash up was revolutionary.
The year was 1986, RUN-DMC dropped Raising Hell and “Walk This Way” was an instant hit. Who could forget the insane guitar intro from RUN-DMC’s “Walk this Way”? The melting pot of hip-hop and rock blended into one dope song, and led many others to join in collaborating with “blue-eyed” musical acts to make memorable tunes.
Allhiphop looks at some other memorable collaborations with our ivory counterparts.
Kanye West – “Heard ‘Em Say” ft. Adam Levine
“Heard Em Say” was the third single off Kanye West’s Late Registration. Kanye is known to stretch the musical boundaries and this collaboration was no different. As the lead of Maroon 5, Levine became the new “it” white guy of 2005.
Lil Wayne – “Shooter” ft. Robin Thicke
In 2006, Robin Thicke released his second album The Evolution of Robin Thicke. The album was produced largely by Pharrell William but on it was a little song that sounded more alternative rock than the soul Thicke was pushing for. Luck would have it, Lil Wayne heard the song “Shooter” and grabbed it up for his album Tha Carter III. Thicke would go on to lend his velvety vocals to everyone from Snoop, R. Kelly, Nicki Minaj, and Rick Ross.
Eve – “Let Me Blow Your Mind” ft. Gwen Stefani
Winning MTV’s “Best Female Video” for 2001, the “pitbull” in a skirt went a different route on her second album Scorpion teaming up with No Doubt’s Gwen Stefani. This made Eve a household name and sent her to L.A to pursue acting and a clothing line.
Jay-Z-“Numb/Encore” ft. Linkin Park
Jay-Z is a trendsetter on so many levels. First the MTV Unplugged: Jay-Z, then he does a collaboration albumwith rockers Linkin Park for Collision Course.
Nelly-“Over and Over” ft. Tim McGraw
Grammy-award winning hip-hop artist Nelly takes country music and hip-hop fused it together in the most unlikely connection, creating a cross over hit.
What’s your favorite cross colored collaboration?