Advancements of the infinite tool that is the Internet have made collaborating among musicians exponentially easier. Gone are the days where it was nearly impossible to create music without musicians being in the same studio at the same time. Now artists and producers are able to collaborate despite being in different parts of the country, or even across the globe. One can simply email over a verse or an instrumental that can be worked with, and tweaked, into a musical masterpiece. This makes any collaboration possible and has resulted in some incredible creations recently. From powerhouses such as Ye and Jay to newcomers, Childish Gambino and Chance The Rapper, to the more outlandish collaborations of RiFF RAFF and Andy Milonakis. There are many more artists we not only want to see work together but we need to. Here are ten collaborations that we NEED to be blessed with sooner than later.
Shy Glizzy and Fat Trel
Shy Glizzy and Fat Trel are both rising artists from the District who are making noise nationally as of late. Trel’s partnership with MMG and Glizzy’s recent landing spot on the XXL Freshman cover have solidified the pair as some of the best and most promising rappers from the DMV area. The two grew up in similar areas and triumphed over many of the same difficulties, which makes for similar music. Both have unique qualities about them, Glizzy’s distinct voice being forever present, but they have similar trap styles of music in which they discuss the difficult life they encountered growing up in the DMV. They use similar slang and have the same bravado that it takes to rise from the DMV area, which is arguably the most difficult place in the country to truly “make it” in the hip hop industry. Politics are not reserved for Capitol Hill, but permeate throughout the local music community. The District is small, which intensifies the already intense climate of competition. The two have had "beef" for as long as they have been on the rise and have never collaborated as a result. It’s about time to set differences aside and create a trap masterpiece that the fans deserve.
Lil B and Kevin Durant
Lil B the Based God is one of the more positive and influential artists within the hip hop community. He has given rise to many other similar artists and has made it popular to be accepting of others, which is quite an impressive feat. He has a legion of fans and a powerful curse at his disposal. If you happen to anger the Based God you are in quite some trouble, as you will be haunted by the curse until the Based God so generously lifts it. We first saw this with Kevin Durant who was cursed and warned that he will never win a championship as a result. Most recently we witnessed the demise of potential MVP James Harden as he struggled in the playoffs and the Golden State Warriors knocked out his Houston Rockets. In one game Harden set an NBA single-game record for most turnovers as he lost possession 14 times. Both curses were placed as a result of disrespect, when KD questioned the authenticity and quality of Lil B’s music and Harden blatantly stole his “cooking dance” without acknowledging the creator.
Durant has created some fairly quality music during his downtime alongside his artist Privaledge, which seems to be a more common occurrence among athletes. We're proposing that the curse be lifted and the two collaborate on a positive and inspiring record. This collaboration would be the culmination of everything Lil B preaches in positivity, forgiveness and respect. This would show Lil B's divine and forgiving nature as he forgives the one curse that started it all. Once the curse is lifted KD could get back to his winning and injury-free ways. The two could come together for that game of 21 Lil B so badly wants to play and to discuss their disdain for KD’s former teammate and Western Conference rival James Harden. After all, an enemy of my enemy is a friend. Please make this happen. KD2DC. TYBG.
Father and Gucci Mane
Father and Gucci Mane are both staples in the constantly evolving Atlanta music scene. The Atlanta scene has rapidly grown over the last decade giving rise to some of the most popular artists as of late. Gucci represents the forever-present trap style while Father has evolved into an eclectic artist and producer with one of the more unique sounds, in not only his hometown, but throughout the country. Father’s sex-laden ballads over synth-y trap-inspired instrumentals have garnered a devoted fan base in a short period of time. Despite currently in prison, Gucci continues to release a slew of projects. He announced a collaborative album with EDM super producer Diplo and yet another solo release in Trapology, which is set to drop July 1st. The two have quite an affinity for sex and drugs and could easily connect on these vices. If the old school and new school collided over a raucous Father instrumental it would be a delight.
Childish Gambino and GoldLink
Both Childish Gambino and GoldLink have shown that they can effortlessly transition from harmonizing to rapping their ass off with the best of them. The two artists come from drastically different backgrounds, as Gambino grew up in Georgia and Link in the greater DMV area. They are one in the same in the sense of not being afraid to put their emotions in their lyrics, which makes for much more relatable music. These two speak on love lost, family struggles, the fear of creating, and many more relatable topics making them some of the more authentic musicians in the industry. They also enjoy taking advantage of eclectic production. Both are capable of keeping up on dance-friendly tracks and slowing it down when necessary. As GoldLink continues to grow as an artist and continues to take the world by storm, the more likely this collaboration is.
Jhené Aiko and A$AP Ferg
Jhene Aiko is arguably the most popular songstress in all of hip hop. Her angelic voice soothes and makes the phrase “eat the booty like groceries” sound appropriate. She continues to build her discography and garner fans through two solo albums in Sail Out and Souled Out and numerous successful singles and features. While A$AP Rocky is the clear-cut leader of the Mob, A$AP Ferg is second in command. He is arguably just as talented, but has yet to make that breakout hit that propelled Rocky to the forefront. Fergenstein is more underground and we kinda hope it stays that way. Ferg simply creates brash in-your-face music that legions of fans have come to love. This collaboration has the potential to be a lead single off a future album for Ferg. Aiko’s mass appeal could bring a new audience to witness the greatness that is A$AP Ferg. Her crooning would perfectly complement the gritty nature of Ferg’s voice and style. His questionable lyrical content would seem acceptable alongside the innocent Aiko.
Danny Brown and Skepta
The U.S. has finally taken a liking towards British rappers. It took some time but the fast-paced grime scene has trickled across the pond. One of the most popular amongst them is Skepta, who is best known for his in-your-face lyrics and his mile a minute flow. The accent and the unique slang are captivating to many of us American listeners, which is refreshing and new. We have seen the British artist collaborate with more and more American rappers as he continues to garner fans here in the US of A. Danny Brown has been relatively dormant recently as he is likely working on his next album. These two could come together for an upbeat and gritty record that would set the world on fire. Their raucous flows and unique voices would perfectly compliment each other, as would their drug and sex-laden rhymes. I could here these two collaborate over a sporadic synth-laden grime instrumental or something from Bruiser Brigade producer Skywlkr, who is father to classics such as “Kush Coma,” “Dip,” “Dope Fiend Rental,” “Witit,” and several other massive tunes. The two could help further branch the divide between British and American hip hop.
Migos and ScHoolboy Q
The West Coast meets Atlanta on this slightly left field collab as we would see Top Dawg’s resident druggy wit hoes, ScHoolboy Q, join forces with the three Migos. These are two of my personal favorite acts and would be a dream come true to see them come together for a raucous record. They all have a trap-inspired sound that they attribute to their respective upbringings. We have learned much about Q’s rough past through his lyrics, from growing up a hungry gangbanger to a fully-fed internationally-acclaimed rapper. The same goes for Migos, who find themselves on the rise and still recording from the basement of their house, surrounded by much of the gangbanging lifestyle. Not to mention the recent arrests of all three, but this minor setback will not hold the trio back. We need at least two records from Q and Migos as one would not be nearly enough. One trap-inspired record produced by Zaytoven or TM88 and one funky-yet-gritty banger produced by Nez and Rio (responsible for Q’s hit single “Man of the Year”).
Action Bronson and Guy Fieri
The best chef-turned-rapper could come together with one of the current most popular chefs. It’s a brilliant concept and could make for one of the best artisanal collaborations of the 21st century. The Internet loves trolling Guy Fieri, the bleach blonde-white-haired, sunglasses-wearing chef on the Food Network; and who doesn't like Action Bronson? The highly-skilled former chef lives for delicious food and weed, which sounds like the perfect lifestyle. His latest album, Mr. Wonderful, was damn near flawless.
This outlandish collaboration could be just the release we need to hold us over until the next Bronson album. They could easily do a full-length mixtape in which Guy Fieri contributes captivating food related hooks and ad-libs. "We in the kitchen, brisket grillin, reduction sizzlin! It’s lit (so lit)," we can imagine Fieri boasting. Hopefully Bronson sees this and decides to reach out because this could be one of the more entertaining musical collaborations ever. They could call it "Drive-ins, Diners, and Drugs" as hat tip to Fieri's successful show and one of Bronson's favorite vices.
Future and Fetty Wap
Future and Fetty Wap are undeniably two of the hottest hip hop acts out right now. Both have a slightly different sound of harmonizing that works surprisingly well and has created some of the more popular records over the past few years. Future drops melodies and raps, and effortlessly transitions between the two. He has grown as a musician since the whiny days of “Turn on the Lights” and his sound continues to mature. He is now one of the more influential artists in the industry and seems to have given rise to Fetty Wap himself. From the purple love ballad in "Codeine Crazy,” the money making anthem of “Fuck Up Some Commas” and numerous other singles to Fetty's hits "Trap Queen" and "My Way" these two are incapable of making duds. They both seem to have a knack for making music that the masses gravitate towards and the radios play into the ground. Imagine if they came together for a record. It would easily be the summer smash that we NEED but don’t necessarily deserve. One could argue it would go down as a classic and be analyzed by college professors for years to come.
Chance the Rapper and The Roots
Chance the Rapper is one of the most promising up-and-coming artists. He took the hip hop scene by storm, unlike any other artist in recent memory. His rise to the forefront seemed to happen in the blink of an eye. We have seen what Chance can do with a full band alongside his Chicago brethren The Social Experiment. Why not collaborate with arguably the best hip hop band of all time? Chance and Philly outfit The Roots could possibly create one of the best albums of the last decade. The Roots have been fairly quiet as of late, aside from their work on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. The contrast between the varied voices and flows of Chance and front man Black Thought would work well. Chance’s would effortlessly complement the impressive live instrumentation of the band.