A Music Lover's Dream Collaborations
What’s good y’all? You don’t know me too well yet. And that’s fine with me. Read this anyway; especially if you like music. In light of recent collaboration rumors, I’ve decided to do some fantasizing and compile a list of what I think would be some incredible musical collaborations. And yes, I am biased toward my musical preference, so my apologies if you don’t like it. Read. Love. Enjoy. Comment.
----------------------------
Could They Actually Bless Us?
Drake and Kanye – Album Name: “Look What I’ve Accomplished”
Rumors have been circulating that two of the biggest rap moguls of our time have a plan to release a collaboration album. If we paid attention to every rumor that the media suggested, we would all have to quit our day jobs just to have time to read up on all of the pandemonium. But this rumor has persisted, time and time again. So if it comes true, prepare for your Internet to be down for a week or so. Kanye first mentioned the thought of this some months back, when “The Life Of Pablo” was still “SWISH.” There were rumblings here or there, but before recently, the last we had heard was that Drake and Kanye (and Jay-Z?) were not on great terms (see Drake-Draft Day). As things seem to die down between the two and become more civil, they both embarked on their own independent beefs i.e. Meek Mill for Drake, and everyone on Twitter for Kanye.
Anyway, as both of their albums were approaching, we hear that the two have been assisting on each other’s albums (“Views” and TLOP) and we even see some good-spirited jabs such as Drake claiming he has a bigger pool than Kanye on “Summer Sixteen.” Next thing we know, Drake is releasing a precursor to Views, “Pop Style,” featuring The Throne, which consists of Kanye and Jay-Z. Although he broke our hearts and took their verses off for the final version of Views, it is still interesting to confirm that these brilliant musical minds have all been in the booth together. And to cap things off, Kanye was recently at Drake’s annual OVO fest teasing a more serious consideration of this album. This was followed by parallel comments made by Drake on his tour.
Drake and Kanye fans tend to take on the persona of their idols, and be over the top. But that is precisely what would make this collaboration so epic. It would be about as over the top as it gets. It would produce nothing but attention-grabbing bangers and would surely change the life of all music lovers if it actually happened.
J. Cole and Kendrick – Album Name: “Wake up and Smell the Culture”
Oh boy. In a world where the two presidential nominees for president are the esteemed Donald Trump and the revered Hillary Clinton, I’m just not sure our country is ready for this album. But ready or not, these guys have been teasing this collaboration for some time now. It is no secret that the two lyricists have a special affinity for one another. J. Cole was contributed to and produced on Kendrick’s debut studio album Section.80. It is also said that he may have contributed to Kendrick's platinum album “good kid, mA.A.d city.” Kendrick, in turn, assisted and featured on J. Cole's second studio album, Born Sinner. The two have collaborated on bangers like “The Jig is Up (Dump’n)” and their fun Black Friday releases in which Cole remixed Kendrick’s “Alright” and Kendrick remixed Cole’s “A Tale of Two Citiez.” There is no doubt that the two want to be great, possibly the greatest. One of my favorite events in the history of their public relationship is when Kendrick took shots at several prominent rappers on “No ID (Control),” and he did not leave Cole out. Jermaine snapped back on Timberlake’s TKO (Remix) with some shade of his own.
This collaboration makes the most sense to me conceptually. The two seem to hold similar values and maintain an agenda for resisting the mainstream tendencies of modern-day rap. They are both trying to make a difference with their music. So don’t be surprised if they make this happen and the result is an unconventional, AWESOME album. I think that this collaboration would have the most social impact of any on this list.
Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift – Album Name: “Love Lost”
As much as I hate to taint Ed’s good name by having him collaborate with T-Swift, this collaboration would be FIRE. The physical copy of the album would come with a tissue box and a carton of ice cream, but by the end you would be fully inspired to forget anyone who has ever done you wrong and be empowered to find your soulmate. My love for Ed Sheeran skyrocketed when DJ Khaled recently revealed that he doesn’t know anyone who parties harder than Ed. Although I don’t pride myself on heeding Khaled’s words, I thought this was a MAJOR KEY alert. This was when I knew that Ed was for sure invited to a black cookout. We also wouldn’t have to worry about any heartbreak between the two as Ed recently commented that although the two are good friends, he would never be able to hook up with Taylor because she is too tall (He also rapped a Biggie verse which was dope).
T Swift gained some major brownie points with me through her song Bad Blood. First of all, she showed me that she has a little savage in her through the content. Second, she showed me that she has a little more savage in her by putting an awesome Kendrick verse on it. As much as I hate to admit it (and with apologies to our Editor-in-Chief), Taylor is good at what she does. These two artists are known for pulling on your heart strings, and would undoubtedly drop an album to remember if they collaborated.
Literally Impossible…But Wouldn’t It Be Nice?
Tupac and Michael Jackson – Album Name: “Hear the Tears of the People”
First of all RIP. I’m convinced that if somehow this collaboration would have happened before their passing, we would have no more poverty, no more war, and Black Lives would matter for damn sure (Black Lives Matter). Surface-level music lovers probably think I’m crazy for this, but all my real music people out there will feel me. Remember the way MJ helped engineer the earth shattering collaboration “We Are The World” to help combat hunger in Africa? How about the way that Tupac tore our hearts out by his candid, heartfelt narrative about life in the hood on “Changes”? The legends both cared deeply about the status of our society and our world, and they spoke for the marginalized.
The key to this though, is that they both also make incredible music. Their musical prowess would bring concern from fans of all walks of life and with all sorts of musical taste. Cross-genre collaborations can work. As a matter of fact, strong rap verses are almost always better when complemented by stunning vocals. Alas, the world will never be lucky enough to have this. Hopefully they’ve got hard speakers in heaven.
Bob Marley and Rihanna – Album Name: “Irie, B****”
As much as we all have a guilty allegiance to Sean Paul, if you want real Caribbean vibes no one compares to Bob Marley. And simply put, Rihanna is a star. She gives music the edge that youngsters love nowadays. For those of you who think that Bob was just a calm, chill, hippy, content to smoke and sing all day, you’re wrong. Bob was against the system and stood up against corruption and injustice. Rihanna would only augment this; but in an awesome, soothing, catchy way. They both have an immense amount of pride for their Caribbean roots and have made music that touches all sorts of demographics.
As far as musical cohesion, Rihanna can mold her music to just about any style. We know that based off of the fact that she has collaborations with people all the way from Eminem to Paul McCartney. And let’s be real, get Bob enough ganja and he will engineer something beautiful. We’ve all wished we were sitting in the sunshine of the Caribbean listening to music that is calm, but has just enough edge to make you crack open another Red Stripe and think about life.
I’m a Genius. Why Haven’t These Happened?
Chance and Vince Staples – Album Name: “Immoral Morality”
I think we can all appreciate the rare artists out there who could care less about the money, the fame, and the mainstream agenda. We’ve already touched on J. Cole and Kendrick, who have looked to enter into the world of music and change the status quo. These two guys have also done this, but instead of entirely entering in to the world of music and doing it their way, they have simply refused certain aspects of the music industry. Those of you who are original Chance the Rapper fans know that he has hung his hat on not making his fans pay for his music. Vince Staples, the emerging star from the west coast, has been very vocal about resisting the urge to fall in to the materialistic, “corny” (as he says it), chain-hanging, money-flaunting lifestyle. Which is why if you follow Vince Staples’ performances, you will never see him with overpriced, designer named fashion.
If you can’t already tell, I absolutely adore these two guys (is that weird? Who cares). From my perspective, they offer a breath of fresh air to the increasingly stale culture and content (or lack thereof) that has enveloped hip-hop of late. You want a breakdown of 99% of hip-hop songs nowadays? Okay: money, b******, p****, weed, alcohol, and related topics. It’s a shame, and although we are all guilty of listening to this type of music, I think that we can agree that this is not hip-hop at its finest. The greats like Tupac, Biggie, Jay-Z, etc. all have their moments of talking about these subjects as well, but used these subjects as a means of furthering a cultural or societal agenda; not just to show off or conform to what sells as these topics are used nowadays. These guys (Vince and Chance) have figured out a formula for relating to the hip-hop audience, while holding on to their values and trying to make a positive societal impact. So I suppose what I’m saying is this: a collaboration between Vince Staples and Chance the Rapper includes the key ingredients of a cultural agenda, a resistance from lackluster content, an apathy for the popular, a passion for music, a passion for fans, and a hell of a lot of musical talent. This equals a recipe for success. If you need further convincing, please check out Chance’s “Coloring Book” (or even earlier mixtapes, for that matter) and Staples’ “Summertime ’06.”
Bieber and Big Sean – Album Name: “B.Y.D.H. (Breaking Your Daughter’s Heart)”
First, the obvious: this is a teenage girl’s paradise. This is quite evident due to the fact that both of the artists at hand have engaged in high profile relationships with graduated Disney Channel stars (Selena Gomez and Ariana Grande). Although there was a brief moment of tension between Bieber and Sean at the end of Sean’s relationship with Ariana Grande, the two are also money motivated, and this album would undoubtedly sell. Think I’m lying about that motivation? Big Sean’s two biggest mentors are Kanye West and Jay-Z, two of the most business-oriented artists in the game. And the Biebs prides himself on being a part of Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s posse, The Money Team (TMT). I’m confident that they could put their differences aside, because as Big Sean says “There’s nothing more important than the Mula.” So, call me politically incorrect if you want, but this is like the best of both worlds. We’ve got a white guy with a little hood in him and a black guy with a little preppiness in him.
Musically, if the two collaborated they would be looking at a gold mine of radio hits. Sean loves to give catchy verses made for the radio and Bieber has spent his career dominating iHeartRadio stations. Neither of the two has shied away from featuring on music across genres, and they have both done well when they have done so. When the two have collaborated in the past, it has lacked energy and seemed a bit uninspiring. Thus, this relationship, as with every relationship, would require effort from both sides. But if they succeeded, it would take the popular music world by storm.
Wiz Khalifa and A$AP Rocky – Album Name: “Let’s get H(igh)peeee"
This collaboration has a very particular target audience, and their favorite color tends to be green. Regardless of your thoughts on marijuana and other recreational substances, Wiz and A$AP have made very successful careers out of entertaining fans with their lifestyle. Although their target audience might be the stoners of the world, it’s become increasingly clear that these two make music that appeals to a large population. A Wiz or A$AP feature can be found all across the world of entertainment and music. From movie soundtracks, to radio hits, to underground EDM tracks these gentlemen give off a vibe that people are drawn to. Regardless of whether or not an individual engages in the same lifestyle has these two, Wiz and A$AP represent a culture many people long for: that of not giving a shit and enjoying your circumstances, I think it is this mixture of curiosity and intrigue that makes their music so impactful.
So as far as music goes, this collaboration is sure to have a captive audience. The two of them hang their hats on lighter beats with a smooth, flowy, and trippy feel. Let me break down the scene for you: when either one of these guys hop on the beat and I’m in the general vicinity, I slowly and unconsciously stop what I’m doing. Stare blankly at something in the room. Develop a small grin. Begin a light but defined head bob. And then I enjoy. This is the epitome of vibing for me, and these guys are second to none at creating this mindless enjoyment of life. If this collaboration were to happen, it would be the greatest call toward living Young, Wild, and Free since, well that song.
Anderson .Paak and D.R.A.M. – Album Name: “For Those Who Love Soul”
This is my wildcard pick. I went out on limb and designated two up-and-coming artists who I’m quite fond of. These two gentlemen may have the smoothest vibe in the game, and there is always a market for that as far as I’m concerned. Drake has blazed the way for artists who want to mold their vocal ability with a hip-hop song and create a hybrid of hip-hop/R&B/Soul music. A clear example of this trend is the highly esteemed debut album by Bryson Tiller, “Trapsoul.” Paak and D.R.A.M. are still making a name for themselves and I’m here to advocate on their behalf. The first thing I must say is that these guys are ALWAYS happy, and that happiness seems to be somehow contagious through their music. To me, their music is pure expression. Expression of emotion, creativity, and vibes (that’s my favorite word if you can’t tell).
Let me just tell you a little bit about each of these artists and hopefully you will see why I think this would make a great partnership, and a pleasure to your ears. Paak hangs his hat on a style that molds R&B, Hip-Hop, and what I would describe most closely as contemporary jazz. He is often found performing with a conventional band accompaniment, and at times he is even found behind the drum set. He has also produced a fair amount of music. Attention to detail is what makes him stand out; hence his stylized way of spelling his name Anderson .Paak. As far as D.R.A.M. is concerned, I have been very impressed with his innovative style of music. Apparently, so has Drake, who basically hijacked D.R.A.M.’s song “Cha Cha,” and turned it into one of his biggest hits ever, “Hotline Bling.” The track was originally titled “Cha Cha (Remix) (see this or this).” D.R.A.M. rebounded from this controversy light heartedly by releasing the summer banger “Broccoli” with fellow up and comer Lil Yachty. This song is made even better if you watch the comical hyperbole of a music video they released. He is a talented vocalist and creative song maker with a strong future. I like the vision and lightheartedness that these two represent, and I feel that their music would mix well together. For more music try Paak’s “Malibu” album or D.R.A.M.’s recent single “Cute”.
----------------------------
Well, shit. That was a lot of writing, and I feel like I could have kept going, but too much of a good thing can turn it bad. And as is the case with me, you all should probably stop doing fun things (like reading this) and get back to work. But before I go, I want to say a few final things. I feel bad for leaving out exciting artists like Travis Scott, Young Thug, Beyoncé, Bryson Tiller, G-Eazy, etc. I have so much love for so many artists out there and I am confident that I could have found a perfect collaboration partner for all of them (because clearly, I am a genius). So if this post is received well, there may be a part two at some point. Thanks for reading, and I look forward to diving further into hip-hop culture with y’all!