Featuring...

I originally posted this poll at Culturally Ruined, but only 3 people voted (this time I'm hoping for a nice, round number of 6...one for each nominee and a tie-breaker).  I would like to talk about the lost art of the R&B/Hip-Hop collabo. I don't know if the industry is over saturated with them so we just don't notice them anymore, or they just plain suck most of the time so we don't care. I'd like to think its a little of both.

Back in the 80s they were rare because hip-hop was still thought of as fad so a lot of prominent R&B stars shied away from incorporating rappers in their music. I think it was around '87 or '88 when the first real collabo banger came out with Jody Watley's "Friends" featuring the god himself, Rakim. A match made in heaven. That just got the ball rolling. Soon we saw Heavy D. and Al B. Sure link up, Tony, Toni, Tone hook-up with Tupac's brother Mocedes The Mellow (a.k.a. MoPreme) on "Feels Good", and Father MC and a then unknown Jodeci got together a few times.

Then in 1995 came possible the ultimate style mash-up: Method Man and Mary J. Blige's "You're All I Need." One word: Classic! I mean the shit won a Grammy, man. The Grammy committee even installed a hip-hop/r&b collabo category in the yearly ceremony. After that it was full steam ahead. Every rapper needed a R&B singer on a track. Mary J. guest starred on many a hip-hop album. That was the Fugees whole gimmick. Common and Chantay Savage, Jay-Z and Babyface, LL Cool J and Boyz II Men, and the list goes on. Rappers even started to sing (Ja Rule, I'm looking your way homie). It seemed as collabos became common, the less both artists on the track seem to care about the quality of the song. It became a lost art.

So here is my challenge to all you hip-hop and r&b stars, take out Mary and Meth from the number one spot, and be in the studio at the same time so you can vibe off of each others creative energy. Right now it seems like there is a resurgence of hip-hop/R&B collabos, but it's either Lil' Wayne on a singer's track or Trey Songz singing the hook for a rapper...boring!!! Lets see Common and Alicia Keys, Kanye and Frank Ocean, Mos Def and Dwele, Lupe Fiasco and Erykah Badu, or Drake and...uh...Drake. There it is, the challenge is out there.

Here are the top 5 Hip-Hop/R&B Collabos of all-time...according to me of course:

5.) Nas ft. Lauryn Hill - "If I Ruled the World"

4.) Lupe Fiasco ft. Jill Scott - "Daydreamin'"

3.) 112 ft. The Notorious B.I.G. & Ma$e - "Only You Remix"

2.) The Roots ft. Erykah Badu - "You Got Me"

1.) Method Man ft. Mary J. Blige - "You're All I Need"

I posted a poll on the side too, so vote and let me know what you think the top dog is.  If you disagree, hit me with a comment and tell me who should be up there.  Maybe I could set up a bracket...naw, too much work.