Migos Thuggin, Coke Zoo, Party At 8, Whip It... What a time to be a joint mixtape, right? The past few weeks have seen a ton of collaborative project announcements, not the least of which was Drake and Future's chart-topping WATTBA. What's to blame for this flurry of artistic partnerships? It could be another case of the industry following Drizzy wherever he goes, but whatever the case, we're welcoming the new music.
The overwhelming majority of recent joint tapes have come from Atlanta natives, with their city's vibrant scene already thriving on collaboration, and titans like Gucci Mane having quite a few under his belt already, but we're starting to see more and more artists who lack regional connections link up. Beyond Future and Drake, Chance The Rapper and Lil B found the common based thread in their work on this summer's Free (Based Freestyles Mixtape), Taylor Gang cronies Wiz Khalifa and Ty Dolla $ign gave us Talk About It In The Morning, and PartyNextDoor and TM88's impending tape will connect both locations commonly referred to as "The 6." These somewhat unexpected pairings are enough to spark rampant speculation in any rap fan, especially those who've spent years waiting patiently on rumored releases as unlikely as DOOMStarks or the long forgotten Lil Wayne and Juelz Santana album that's had its name jacked by a recent Weeknd hit. So now, we're indulging our imaginations and dreaming up ten joint releases that would be almost undeniably lit. Be sure to share your best predictions/wildest hopes for joint tapes in the comments.
Lil Bibby & Lil Herb
Since breaking out in 2013, drill's more conscious duo have been viewed as a package deal, frequently guesting on each others' projects collectively being treated as a new wave of Chicago rap. Despite that, they've never actually released a full project together, with the 2013 compilation tape Heir Apparents being their only equivalent full-length. After Bibby drops Free Crack 3, the time would be ripe for them to get in the studio together and see what their ever-present chemistry produces. They've gone somewhat different ways since blowing up, with Bibby getting placed on more radio-ready hits by other artists and Herb signing with Cinematic and honing his conscious side even further, but this widening gap between their styles would only serve to strengthen a joint tape.
Tyler, The Creator & A$AP Rocky
Before Tyler and Rocky toured together this year, we never would've guessed that they were such big fans of each other. The former's always existed more on the fringes of rap culture, terrifying parents and testing the sonic (and moral) comfort zones of his audience, while the latter is a successful model and actor whose music has much more of a pop sensibility. However, you can also see similarities. Both of their 2015 albums showcase a reverence for the psychedelic rock and soul of the '60s, both rose to prominence as the leaders of rap crews, and both have gotten co-signed by Kanye. They're two of the trippiest, most singular minds in the game, and so while a collab tape is a volatile proposition, the results could be some of the most forward-thinking in modern rap. Combine Tyler's encyclopedic knowledge and instrumental prowess with Rocky's slick charm and tasteful curation and the duo may be able to reign in each others' more excessive sides. It'd certainly be a risk, but one that might strengthen both of their careers.
Earl Sweatshirt & Vince Staples
Like Herb and Bibby, these two L.A. firebrands are commonly associated, both by their history of working together and their similarly verbose wordplay. Also like those Chicago dudes, they've never done a full-length together. They've brought out the best in each other on cuts like "Hive" and "Wool," and although they both seem to be fiercely independent, they seem to see eye-to-eye with each other more than any other past collaborators. A joint tape would possibly be the most antisocial, depressing release of whatever year it comes out, but you can bet these two would be spitting fire all over it.
T.I. & Young Thug
Everything you need to know about T.I. and Young Thug's strange musical relationship can be summed up in their choice of outfits during their Jimmy Fallon performance last year. On one hand, you have Tip representing the early days of trap-rap with his stoic demeanor and big chain, and on the other, you have the wild nonconformism of Thug, whose enunciation-optional vocal style is paralleled by equally unexpected Princess Leia buns, nail polish and pink bandanas. They are the perfect yin and yang of the last decade of Atlanta hip hop, and on collabs like "About The Money," "Can't Tell" and "Peanut Butter Jelly," it translates musically. T.I.'s no-nonsense bars offer refreshment from Thug's unhinged, meandering passages, and Thug's vibrant presence nudges Tip to venture outside of the tried-and-true comfort zone he's created for himself in his career. It might be a hard sell for either of them to do a full-length together, as it'd most likely require some stylistic adjustments from both parties, but the result could effectively silence haters of both artists.
Kendrick Lamar & J. Cole
Unlike the majority of other options on this list, a Kendrick/J. Cole project has actually been rumored for a while. The "Hiiipower" co-creators have dropped hints here and there, with the most recent of these coming in March when Kendrick said that an album with Cole was still a possibility, but had been held up by both of their busy schedules. If ever completed, you can bet it'd be the stuff of rap nerd dreams, as you'd have arguably the two most respected lyricists in the game pushing each other to new heights on every track. The "Who had the best verse?" debates that would come out of this project would be more heated than ever, and stans everywhere would rejoice. After Kendrick's upcoming tour, perhaps they'll find some time to work together again?
Chief Keef & Young Chop
More so than anyone else, these two were responsible for popularizing the first wave of drill music outside of Chicago. Nearly all of Keef's early big hits came courtesy of Chop, whose pummeling adaptation of trap spread like a wildfire via gun-heavy Youtube videos, and they're still responsible for each others' most successful tracks. Following Keef's exodus from Chicago, as well as the start of his own production career, their collaborations have slowed, with Chop focusing on his Chop Squad label and Keef finding likeminded new talent like DP Beats. They've still popped up with the odd collab, the most recent being July's "Lil Dummy," but it's been far too long since we've heard them on the same page. Keef's somewhat moved away from his original sound, gradually getting weirder and less violent, but with his brighter, less aggressive work with guys like Johnny May Cash, so has Chop. Getting them back in the studio for an extended period of time might be a hard sell, but day one Keef fans would definitely appreciate it.
Beast Coast
Since forming around 2012, the loose collective that comprises Flatbush Zombies, Pro Era and The Underachievers have all more or less gone their own separate ways and formed their own staunchly loyal fanbases, but the music has remained remarkably similar. Why not double down on all the hallucinogens, third eye talk and conspiracy theorizing for a full-length Brooklyn odyssey? It'd be a great opportunity to showcase the under-appreciated Pro Era undercard, let Joey Bada$$ let his weirder side out, and get some fire beats from Erick Arc Elliot and Chuck Strangers. A joint Beast Coast tape would present a completely different side of NY then the A$AP Mob, LOX and Diplomats joint releases of the past, and one that would accurately represent the city's younger generation.
Goldlink & Kaytranada
Although Goldlink's go-to producer, Louie Lastic, is more than capable of generating electronic-flavored cuts for him to get groovy over, last year's collab with Montreal's Kaytranada, "Sober Thoughts," is still among the DC native's best tracks. Despite hailing from different locations both seem to be on the same wavelength, jump-starting new scenes led by four-on-the-floor beats that stand out in the current rap landscape. Kaytra's found success working with Chicago artists like Vic Mensa and Mick Jenkins, but whereas his sound is a little bit outside of the norm for them, it seems like second nature for Goldlink to spit over beats with that quick, dancey pacing. It seems like they wouldn't have to make any stylistic adjustments to achieve perfect chemistry with each other, so what's to stop them from hopping in the studio together?
Yelawolf & Eminem
Arguably the two most respected white rappers in the game, both of these Shady Records cohorts could also offer the other what they've sorely been lacking their music. Yelawolf, with his restlessly eclectic Love Story, clearly has enough musical and thematic ideas for the both of them, but the high-octane rapping that initially got him attention has somewhat fallen by the wayside in favor of folky singing. Em, on the other hand, is as technically impressive as ever with his bars, but seems to have lost the quirky storytelling edge that he had in his heyday. A collab tape from these guys could be as ambitious as a white trash hip hopera or as low stakes as an all-out battling showcase-- either way, we'd be interested to hear it.
YG & Ty Dolla $ign
These two L.A. guys both got their start with "Toot It & Boot It," the 2010 track that was YG's first single and Ty's first big-deal production job. Since then, their work together has, with the exception of My Krazy Life's "Sorry Momma," pretty much been relegated to posse cuts (such as Game's recent "Up On The Wall"), and that needs to change. What with all the L.A. in his DNA, YG's much better suited for accompanying Ty than Wiz Khalifa, and a resulting tape could cast them as the successors to Snoop and Nate Dogg's thug balladry. Hell, throw their Pushaz Ink partner DJ Mustard in the mix and make this a Cali party for the ages. If Ty's Free TC turns out to be a big success, he'll have some more breathing room with his label, so we'd expect this to be an all-out block party of a tape, hopefully arriving in time for Summer 2016.