The history of rap and rock collaborations goes back to the year 1986 when Run DMC, considered one of the most influential hip-hop groups of all time, released their own version of the Aerosmith track “Walk This Way.” This song paved the way for hip-hop’s ascent in being accepted into the realm of pop, rock and other forms of mainstream music.
Both rap music and rock have their obvious similarities, such as being genres that allow artists to express strong opinions through their music. These views may be conveyed about social, political and economic issues the specific artist or group feels obligated to bring to the surface, which the public is then made aware of through their music. Korn and Xzibit’s collaboration on the Public Enemy cover “Fight The Power” displays the urge to inform society about the “abuse of power,” which the original 1989 song was meant to exemplify as well.
While rappers and rockers exude extreme passion for their beliefs, they also feel the same way about making music. However, this passion can be the result of an amazing collaboration like “Numb/Encore” by Jay Z and Linkin Park or can produce a horrific track, such as Weezer’s “Can’t Stop Partying” featuring Lil Wayne. That said, not all the collaborations on this list are matches made in heaven, but a lot of them show the brilliance of what can happen when combining genres.
Don’t see your favorite rap/rock collaboration on the list? Feel free to comment on which one is your favorite in the comment section below.