Searching "rap covers" online is like walking into a minefield of acoustic guitars and webcams, leftovers from a war that began with Ben Folds' famous version of Dr. Dre's "Bitches Ain't Shit." An earnest-sounding white dude with a guitar and an angelic backing choir singing things like "Lick on these nuts and suck the dick" was (believe it or not) novel at some point, but now that approach has been beaten to death. Last year, for example, a ten year old covered "Trap Queen."
But Punk Goes Crunk aside, the more interesting version of a "rap cover" is the flip side, when contemporary hip-hop and R&B artists decide to cover classics from the past. Sure, plenty of rappers sample originals from 20th century greats, but attempting a full cover goes a step beyond that. There are plenty of horrible examples of this, most notably Jay Z's god-awful (albeit tongue-in-cheek) "Wonderwall" cover from Glastonbury several years back, but also plenty that have turned out great. Just yesterday, in fact, Trey Songz delivered a show-stopping version of David Bowie's "Life On Mars?"
Here are ten more solid covers from some of our favorite artists. Let us know if we missed any of your favorites.
The Fugees - "No Woman No Cry" (Bob Marley)
The Fugees' magnum opus and final album, 1996's The Score, contains some amazing originals, but the record's best songs may actually be its covers. There's the funked-up version of The Delfonics' "Ready Or Not," Lauryn Hill's "Bonita Applebum"-sampling take on Roberta Flack's "Killing Me Softly," and last but not least, a stirring cover of Bob Marley's legendary "No Woman, No Cry." Wyclef gives one of his best-ever vocal performances and weaves his own narrative into the classic Trenchtown anthem.
Frank Ocean - "At Your Best (You Are Love)" (The Isley Brothers)
Frank would sound good covering just about anything, but hearing him take on this 1976 hit is straight up incredible. Released as a tribute to Aaliyah, who also recorded her own version, Ocean stripped this one down to its core, leaving only his pristine falsetto and the tastefully minimal sounds of a Wurlitzer keyboard.
The Weeknd - "D.D (Dirty Diana)" (Michael Jackson)
The Weeknd's MJ fantasies weren't fully realized until last year's Beauty Behind The Madness, on which "I Can't Feel My Face" and "In the Night" became the two most exciting King of Pop-inspired hits released since the legend's passing in 2010. But Tesfaye has always been a massive fan, and on 2011's Echoes of Silence, he made his own grimy version of MJ's classic "Dirty Diana," with the song's themes fitting in quite nicely with his own Lothario shtick.
Kid Cudi - "50 Ways to Make a Record" (Paul Simon)
Cudi's star-making Kid Named Cudi tape did a lot of interesting things with previously-existing tracks, whether it was freestyling over OutKast and Nosaj Thing instrumentals or rewriting a Band of Horses hit, but the only true blue cover on project is this one. Paul Simon's '70s original "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" is an ingenious look at breakups, and using the same writing format, Cudi made his version an homage to the process of making music itself. What a tribute.
Tinashe - "Genius Of Love" (Tom Tom Club)
Most might recognize this squiggly beat from Mariah Carey's "Fantasy," but that '90s hit actually gets its backbone from a song that dropped a decade earlier. Tom Tom Club was made up of two members of the legendary new wave band Talking Heads, and the duo's debut album is a revolutionary turning point for the merging of the hip-hop and rock worlds, featuring not only "Genius Of Love" but also the essential "Wordy Rappinghood." Just a few weeks ago, Target (of all people) commissioned a cover of the former from none other than Tinashe, who did it unquestionable justice.
JMSN - "Rape Me" (Nirvana)
It doesn't get much more confrontational than naming a song "Rape Me," but then again, it doesn't get much more confrontational than Nirvana's gritty swansong, In Utero. JMSN is one of Kurt Cobain's many fans in the hip-hop/R&B world, but last year, he proved he was one of the few worthy of his own cover with this understated take on one of the deceased singer's best vocal performances.
The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy - "California Uber Allies" (Dead Kennedys)
This political Bay Area duo included Michael Franti, who actually went on to become a reggae/jam band staple with his band Spearhead, but before that he was raging against the machine. This one comes from a covers compilation that legendary punk group Dead Kennedys released in 1992, with The DHOH being the only rappers featured on it. What an honor.
Janelle Monae - "Heroes" (David Bowie)
As impressive as Trey Songz's new Bowie cover is, Janelle Monae might have topped it with her own from 2014. Recorded for the World Cup, the Atlanta singer's take on one of the Thin White Duke's best songs, "Heroes," adds some danceability to its already existing epicness.
Mac Miller - "Lua" (Bright Eyes)
Mac Miller has revealed himself to be a big fan of indie singer/songwriter Conor Oberst on multiple occasions, also covering his track "First Day of My Life" in the past, but his take on the depressive "Lua" is his finest tribute. As the song came out in 2004, it's a little early to be calling it a classic, but my guess is that it'll still sound as arresting in 50 years.
Andre 3000 - "All Together Now" (The Beatles)
Three Stacks also has one of the most unexpected covers in hip-hop history under his belt (a mind-boggling instrumental cover of The Sound of Music's "My Favorite Things" on The Love Below), but we decided to opt for one that actually had him singing. This cover of the Yellow Submarine classic was featured by Nike in a great basketball ad a few years back, with Andre's quirky vocals and Southern stomp making for quite an intriguing take.