The 20 Best Rapper and Singer Duos of All Time
From label mates like Kendrick Lamar and SZA to real-life couples like Jay-Z and Beyoncé, these are the best rapper and R&B singer duos of all time.
As hip-hop has grown into a billion dollar industry, hooks from R&B singers have helped rappers take over the pop charts, and hip-hop has, in turn, influenced the changing sound of soul music.
Rakim’s 1989 guest verse on Jody Watley’s top 10 hit “Friends” and Rhonda Parris’s singalong hook on Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock’s 1988 summer jam “It Takes Two” were early demonstrations of the commercial potential of the fusion of rap and R&B. And over the next few years, rap labels like Bad Boy and singers like Mary J. Blige would turn that cross-pollination into the dominant sound of the ‘90s. Using R&B melodies to increase hip-hop’s crossover appeal was once a controversial practice—De La Soul sneered about “rap and bullshit” in 1991—but it’s become a permanent corner of the genre with its own rich canon of classic records.
As rappers and singers began making hits together more regularly, some duos would team up time and time again. 2Pac and R. Kelly first hatched the novel idea of a “best of both worlds” collaborative album in the mid-’90s. And after Pac’s death, Kelly eventually pulled off the concept with a different collaborator, Jay-Z, for a pair of albums. Two thousand two’s Best of Both Worlds and 2004’s Unfinished Business proved that two platinum stars from different genres could make an entire album together. Since then, many duo albums and mixtapes have followed suit—including another Jay album with his wife Beyoncé.
The latest duo making waves is Kendrick Lamar and SZA who kicked off their co-headlining Grand National Tour in Minneapolis last weekend, as their duets “Luther” and “30 for 30” are riding high on the charts—reaching their respective pinnacles together in a way that few, if any, genre-blending pairs ever have before. So we figured now would be a good time to look back at the greatest duos to bridge the worlds of hip-hop and R&B.
This is a list of two solo acts coming together—no acts who started as a group are here. And we limited our list to artists that have made at least three songs together, which means legendary pairings like Method Man and Mary J. Blige and Nelly and Kelly Rowland weren’t eligible.
Check out our list of the best rap and R&B duos of all time below.
20.Young Thug and Chris Brown
Notable collaborations: “Go Crazy;” “City GIrls;” “High End” Feat. Future
Chris Brown has a couple of collaborative projects with Tyga, and multiple hits with a number of rappers including Lil Wayne and Kid Ink.
But he didn’t have a long history with Young Thug when they joined forces, for 2020’s Slime & B, which had been preceded only by the Atlanta iconoclast’s guest appearance on “High End” from Breezy’s 2017 album Heartbreak on a Full Moon. On Slime & B, however, the Virginia singer tapped into his longtime affinity for southern rap, sounding right at home on posse cuts with Thug’s YSL and Bankroll Mafia sidekicks Gunna, Lil Duke and Shad da God. And of course we have to mention the lead single, “Go Crazy,” which was a massive multi-platinum hit and one of the biggest songs in Thugger’s career.
19.DeJ Loaf and Jacquees
Notable collaborations: “At the Club;” “Red Light;” “Favorite One”
DeJ Loaf and Jacquees are the only female rapper/male singer team on our list, though we must tip our hats to their predecessors (including Lil Kim and Sisqo, Da Brat and Tyrese, and Nicki Minaj and Trey Songz).
The Detroit MC, then primarily known for the casually menacing gun talk of “Try Me,” showed a softer side when she and the self-proclaimed “king of R&B” first linked up for the 2017 collaborative mixtape Fuck a Friend Zone. Few were surprised to hear that the two have reportedly dated, given their chemistry on tracks like the platinum single “At the Club.” DeJ also appeared on “Red Light” on the Atlanta singer’s 2018 album 4275, and in February they reunited for Fuck a Friend Zone 2, although DeJ recently said that she won’t attend Jacquees’s upcoming wedding to Deiondra Sanders out of respect for his current relationship.
18.2Pac and Danny Boy
Notable collaborations: “I Ain’t Mad At Cha;” “Toss It Up;” Feat. Aaron Hall; “What’z Ya Phone #”
Chicago singer Daniel “Danny Boy” Steward was still a teenager when he signed to Death Row Records at the height of the label’s mid-‘90s dominance.
While Danny Boy, like a lot of Death Row role players, never got to release his own album on the label, he became a frequent 2Pac collaborator, guesting on five songs on All Eyez On Me and The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory as well as Pac's MC Hammer collaboration “Too Late Playa.” The first two 2Pac singles released after the rapper’s 1996 death, “I Ain’t Mad At Cha” and “Toss It Up,” both prominently featured Danny Boy’s vocals, although they didn’t lead to bigger things for him at a time when hook singers on rap hits were often unsung heroes.
17.Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign
Best collaborations: “Real Friends;” “Fade” Feat. Post Malone; “Carnival” Feat. Rich the Kid and Playboi Carti
Ty Dolla Sign had already been one of the industry's top hook singers for a few years when he became a key part of Kanye West's rotating cast of regular collaborators on The Life of Pablo. Ye Ty are often at their best when drawing on house music for tracks like “Fade,” “Ego Death,” and “Time Moving Slow.” Their creative chemistry even spawned a group, ¥$, with Ty fleshing out the melodies on some of Ye's most aggressive and confrontational songs to date on last year's back-to-back albums Vultures 1 and Vultures 2. Judging from Ye's recent tweets about Ty, though, it's unlikely we'll get the third installment of their planned trilogy.
16.Common and Erykah Badu
Notable collaborations: “Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop);” “All Night Long;” “Jimi Was A Rock Star”
It’s become something of an urban legend that Erykah Badu’s influence on rapper boyfriends like André 3000 and Common led them to more artsy, offbeat tastes in both their sartorial choices and their musical output.
Regardless of the veracity of those theories, Common and Badu made beautiful music together both before and during their relationship, including the remix of his classic “The Light” and a couple of the more avant garde tracks on his divisive 2002 album Electric Circus. That same year, Badu’s single “Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop)” featured a Common verse calling back to his 1994 breakthrough “I Used to Love H.E.R.,” and the Brown Sugar soundtrack hit earned Common his first Grammy and his only top 10 single on the Hot 100.
15.Big Sean and Jhene Aiko
Notable collaborations: “Beware” Feat. Lil Waybe; “On the Way,” “None of Your Concern”
Lots of rappers have dated or married R&B stars, and sometimes the musical chemistry doesn’t match the personal propinquity—Nas and Kelis, for instance, never made their best music together.
Jhene Aiko had already appeared on two Big Sean hits, 2013’s “Beware” and 2015’s “I Know,” before the pair, both of whom were born in March 1988, officially became a couple in 2016 and released an album as a group, Twenty88, that marked a turning point in Sean’s increased maturity and honesty as a lyricist.
Over the past decade, the couple had a son together and have continued to regularly appear on each other’s albums, although a second Twenty88 album that Sean said was “in the works” in 2020 has yet to surface.
14. Jadakiss and Mary J. Blige
Notable collaborations: “Back 2 Life 2001” Feat. DJ Clue; “Family Affair (Remix)” Feat. Fabolous; “Sexy”
The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul worked with nearly every major rap star for decades, but her best run of collaborations is with a fellow Yonkers native. Jadakiss and Mary J. Blige made a couple of club classics in 2001, DJ Clue's Soul II Soul-sampling “Back 2 Life 2001” and the remix of Mary's chart-topping “Family Affair.”
Mary has co-headlined tours with Nas and Jay-Z, but on tracks like “Sexy” and “Need You More,” Kiss’s raspy punchlines and Mary’s soulful harmonies have that classic sandpaper-and-silk contrast that defines many of the best rap and R&B collaborations.
13. Warren G and Nate Dogg
Notable collaborations: “Regulate;” “Ain’t No Fun (If the Homies Can’t Have None)” Feat. Snoop Dogg and Kurupt; “So Fly” Feat. Snoop Dogg
Snoop Doggy Dogg, his cousin Nate Dogg, and their friend Warren G formed the Long Beach rap trio 213 in the early ‘90s, before Snoop signed with Dr. Dre and ascended to superstardom.
Snoop brought his friends along for Death Row posse cuts like The Chronic’s “Deeez Nuuuts” and Doggystyle’s “Ain’t No Fun (If the Homies Can’t Have None).” But they didn’t become stars in their own right until Warren’s plainspoken flow and Nate’s sticky melodic hooks defined the G-funk era with “Regulate” from the Above the Rim soundtrack, one of the biggest songs of 1994.
Nate sadly passed away in 2011, but by then, he and Warren had already made more music together than any other pair on this list, totaling about 50 songs, including 213’s sole group album, 2004’s The Hard Way.
12.Missy Elliott and Ciara
Notable collaborations: “Lose Control” Feat. Fat Man Scoop; “1, 2 Step,” “Work”
Every time Missy Elliott and Ciara get together, they make something kinetic and uptempo for the dance floors.
After the Princess of Crunk’s “1, 2 Step” and Missy Misdemeanor’s “Lose Control”—with the late great Fatman Scoop—were both massive top 5 hits, they’ve reunited periodically on Ciara’s songs “Work” and “That’s How I’m Feeling.” They even reformed the “Lose Control” trio with Scoop for a remix of CiCi’s 2018 single “Level Up.”
Ciara has revealed in interviews that Elliott is the first person she goes to for feedback every time she makes an album, whether or not they end up collaborating on a song for the project.
11.Rick Ross and John Legend
Notable collaborations: “Magnificent;” “Who Do We Think We Are;” “Maybach Music VI” Feat. Lil Wayne
Rick Ross has made a lot of opulent R&B-flavored hits with hook singers including Ne-Yo and Usher.
But he really hit it off with John Legend after they made the 2009 hit “Magnificent,” and kept elaborating on that exaltant, majestic sound of braggadocious raps and soul samples on songs like “Maybach Music VI” and “Who Do We Think We Are.”
Over the years, the MMG boss and the G.O.O.D. Music piano man have appeared on each other’s albums half a dozen times, as well as guesting together on tracks like DJ Khaled’s “God Did,” Meek Mill’s “Maybach Curtains,” and French Montana’s “Touch the Sky.”
10.Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR
Notable collaborations: “Come and See Me;” “Somebody Loves Me;” “Preach”
PARTYNEXTDOOR has been Drake’s most crucial protégé and collaborator since he was signed to OVO in 2013, and together they've developed moody, atmospheric grooves that we’ve come to think of as the Toronto R&B sound.
More often than not, they're both singing on their tracks together, including on this year's duo album $ome $exy $ongs 4 U. But occasionally they've operated in a conventional rapper/singer formation, with Drake providing bars and Party providing melodies on songs like “Preach,” “Recognize,” and $$$4U's “Glorious” and “When He's Gone.”
9. Future and The Weeknd
Notable collaborations: “Low Life;” “Comin Out Strong;” “Young Metro” Feat. Metro Boomin
Atlanta rapper Future and Toronto singer The Weeknd are both masters of brooding melodies and “toxic” morally gray fusions of hip-hop and R&B. So it felt like a natural combination the first time they teamed up on Future’s 2016 single “Low Life,” which has since gone platinum eight times.
They’ve collaborated on a few occasions since then, but it was still a slight surprise when Abel Tesfaye sang on four different songs on Future and Metro Boomin’s 2024 albums We Don’t Trust You and We Still Don’t Trust You, doubling the amount of music they have together and reaffirming their alliance while both were turning their backs on former friend Drake. Between Starboy, the soundtrack to The Idol, and Hurry Up Tomorrow, it’s starting to feel like no Weeknd project is complete without a Future verse.
8.Snoop Dogg and Charlie Wilson
Notable collaborations: “Beautiful” Feat. Charlie Wilson; “Signs” Feat. Justin Timberlake; “Snoop’s Upside Ya Head”
The legendary Tulsa funk group the Gap Band hadn’t had a hit in a few years when Snoop Dogg sampled their 1980s song “Oops Up Side Your Head” for the lead single to eagerly anticipated The Doggfather.
Snoop asked Gap Band frontman Charlie Wilson to sing on “Snoop’s Upside Ya Head” and five other songs on the album, and nicknamed him ‘Uncle Charlie’ as Wilson began touring with the rap superstar and appearing on nearly all his subsequent albums. After lending his distinctive voice to Snoop hits like “Beautiful” and “Signs,” Wilson had a second wind as both a solo artist and one of the most revered hook singers in hip-hop, gracing many Kanye West and Tyler, the Creator tracks as well.
7.Jay-Z and Beyoncé
Notable collaborations: “Crazy in Love,” “Part II (On the Run),” “Apeshit”
Jay-Z has a long line of hits with singers like Alicia Keys, Rihanna, R. Kelly, and Mariah Carey, but his most significant duet partner will always be his wife.
The public weren't even really sure if Jay-Z and Beyoncé were a couple when they first collaborated on the hits “’03 Bonnie & Clyde” and “Crazy in Love,” but soon enough it became clear that this was more than a musical connection, and they’ve been popular music’s top power couple ever since they tied the knot in 2008. From hits like “Deja Vu” and “Part II (On the Run)” to deep cuts like “Summer” and “Friends” from The Carters’ 2018 collaborative album Everything is Love, they have a large and varied catalog of music together in addition to all the amazing things they’ve done individually.
And while Jay is just about the last rapper you’ll ever hear sing in earnest, Bey has soaked up more than a little of her husband’s rapping ability when she talks her shit on collaborations like “Upgrade U” and “Apeshit.”
6.Lil Wayne and T-Pain
Notable collaborations: “Can’t Believe It;” “Got Money;” “I’m So Hood (Remix)” Feat. Busta Rhymes, Big Boi, Ludacris, Rick Ross, Birdman, Fat Joe, and Jeezy
T-Pain’s innovative use of AutoTune transformed him from an unknown Tallahassee rapper to an R&B star on 2005’s Rappa Ternt Sanga, and Lil Wayne was one of the many rappers who started utilizing autotune in his wake.
Wayne and T-Pain’s first collaboration was the underrated “Know What I’m Doin’” from 2006’s Like Father, Like Son, but they soon made back-to-back top 10 hits in 2008 with “Got Money” and “Can’t Believe It.”
They hyped up a duo project called, what else, T-Wayne, in 2009, but sessions from the unfinished album didn’t see the light of day until 2017, when eight songs were finally released as a mixtape.
On tracks like “He Rap He Sang,” both Weezy and Teddy Pain get to show off how fluidly they move between rap and R&B, and on “Breathe” they trade rhymes over the Bangladesh beat that would eventually become the Nicki Minaj hit “Did It On ‘Em.”
5. J. Cole and Miguel
Notable collaborations: “Power Trip;” “All I Want Is You;” “Come Through and Chill”
The title track to Miguel's 2010 debut, All I Want Is You, was both his and guest rapper J. Cole's radio breakthrough.
And while Cole has often been reluctant to put features on his own albums, he wisely listened to Jay-Z’s suggestion to put Miguel on the hook for the Born Sinner lead single “Power Trip,” a song that helped Cole's career to the next level in 2013.
And in 2017 they both reunited with “All I Want is You” producer Salaam Remi for “Come Through and Chill” on War & Leisure, with Miguel telling Zane Lowe that “Cole is the perfect person to collaborate with.”
4.Drake and Rihanna
Notable collaborations: “Work;” “Take Care;” “What’s My Name?”
Drake and Rihanna first met fatefully in 2005, when the Barbadian singer shot the video for her debut single “Pon de Replay” in the Degrassi actor’s hometown of Toronto.
The pair began an on-and-off romance a few years later, after both were fully established superstars, and Drake got to No. 1 on the Hot 100 for first and second time on Rih’s hits “What’s My Name?” and “Work.” Meanwhile, Rihanna helped Drake embrace more Caribbean sounds on his own albums, including on Take Care’s title track and “Too Good” from Views. Given that Rihanna is now settled down with A$AP Rocky and Drake has aimed some salty subliminals at both of them, though, it’s unlikely that we’ll hear Drake and Rih on record together again.
3.Ludacris and Usher
Notable collaborations: “Yeah!” Feat. Lil Jon; “Lovers & Friends” Feat. Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz; “She Don’t Know”
Nobody was referring to Usher as “Ursher” until Ludacris did it on the remix to the R&B superstar’s 2002 hit “U Don’t Have to Call.”
Then the duo linked up with producer Lil Jon for “Yeah!” and created the biggest song of 2004, cementing crunk’s takeover of R&B with big 808 beats and ATL attitude, and that trio reunited later that year for Lil Jon’s slow jam “Lovers & Friends.”
Ursher and Luda have continued to work together on tracks by Justin Bieber and David Guetta, but one of their best collaborations never saw an official release: Usher’s “Dat Girl Right There” was leaked in 2007 and got enough radio play to chart, but was left off his next album, 2008’s Here I Stand.
2. Kendrick Lamar and SZA
Notable collaborations: “Luther;” ‘All The Stars;” “30 For 30”
Kendrick Lamar and SZA began working together on her first EP for Top Dawg Entertainment, 2014’s Z, and after she became a chart fixture in her own right, they collaborated on the hit “All the Stars” for the 2018 Black Panther soundtrack.
And even though K-Dot has branched out from TDE to start his own company, pgLang, he’s worked more closely with SZA than ever lately, including two songs on GNX, and another on her SOS Deluxe: Lana, and their performances together at Super Bowl LIX and on the Grand National Tour.
They have a special way of absorbing each other’s talents and blending their very different voices together, whether SZA is getting off punchlines like a rapper on “30 for 30” or Kendrick is experimenting with subdued melodic flows on the massive chart-topper “Luther.”
1. Ja Rule and Ashanti
Notable collaborations: “Always on Time;” “Mesmerize;” “Down 4 U” Feat. Charli Baltimore and Vita
Ja Rule was already hip-hop’s tough guy sweetheart, dueting regularly with divas like Christina Milian and Lil’ Mo, before he introduced his Murder Inc. labelmate Ashanti Douglas to the public with his chart-topping 2001 single “Always on Time.”
Over the next few years, they kept returning to the charts together over and over, with Irv Gotti-produced hits like “Down 4 U,” “Mesmerize,” “Wonderful,” and Fat Joe’s “What’s Luv?”
Ashanti also famously had a hand in Ja Rule’s hits with Jennifer Lopez, “I’m Real (Murder Remix)” and “Ain’t It Funny (Murder Remix),” and you can hear her background vocals in the mix on both tracks. Murder Inc.’s reign at the top was relatively short, but it marked a key moment when hip-hop laced with R&B really became pop music’s central sound, and a whole lot of the label’s era-defining success rested on the on-record chemistry of Ashanti’s sweet melodies contrasting with Ja’s growl.
