Run This Song: Kanye West’s 10 Best Scene-Stealing Guest Verses
Rappers have always been quick to put Kanye West on a song. Early on some probably did it as a means to getting one of his beats. Later, maybe ’cause he was a nice guy. Then, obviously, it was because he was a superstar and selling point. But we always secretly thought a part of it was that these rappers, competitive as they are, just didn’t feel threatened by ‘Ye, lyrically. Take Jay-Z, for example, who just threw out “Run This Town”, the new single off Blueprint 3 featuring none other than Kanye West. Well guess what, Big Homie? Lil bro here fucked around and murdered you on your own shit!
But then, really, should Jay be surprised? We started thinking about all the other times rappers invited Yeezy onto their songs, and we noticed a trend. Every time ‘Ye has a chance to shine next to your favorite rapper he goes in and goes in hard! (Pause) Whether you’re in agreement or disbelief, keep reading to check out Kanye’s 10 Best Scene-Stealing Guest Verses (rap songs only) complete with audio clips and our favorite lines. Apologies to those who got laid out, but stop sleeping on the kid!
Young Jeezy – “Put On” (2008)
BEST LINE: “When the Jesus pieces can’t bring me peace / Yo, I need just at least one of Russell’s nieces”
• We were all thinking it, but he said it.
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The Game – “Wouldn’t Get Far” (2006)
BEST LINE: “Since they all fall in my palm, I’ll take a Treo”
• The Game starts beef so much, we’re surprised he never dissed Kanye for sonning him on this track.
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Clipse – “Kinda Like A Big Deal” (2009)
BEST LINE: “I guess I’m like the black Marshall meets Jay”
• Pusha and Malice didn’t really show out on this one, but that didn’t stop ‘Ye from reminding heads that he’s more than 808s & Heartbreak.
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Stat Quo – “Oh Drama” (2004)
BEST LINE: “Sometimes I wanna say fuck my bitch, but I don’t want nobody to fuck my bitch”
• Proof that the College Dropout was breaking necks long before he graduated.
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Lil’ Wayne – “Lollipop (Remix)” (2008)
BEST LINE: “This a song with Wayne so you know it’s gon’ melt / But you ain’t finna murder me like everybody else”
• This one’s probably a tie, but given the way Wayne had been bodying the competition, there’s no question that Kanye beat the point-spread even if there was no clear victor.
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Slum Village – “Selfish” (2004)
BEST LINE: “If y’all fresh to death, then I’m deceased”
• To keep it a hundred percent, these guys woulda gotten bodied by Lil Romeo, so ‘Ye probably needn’t brag about this one.
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Rick Ross – “Maybach Music 2″ (2009)
BEST LINE: “Talking ’bout how ya boy clothes extra tight / I just remembered that my limelight extra bright”
• Kanye’s lucky that Officer Ricky didn’t turn him in for stealing the show.
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Dilated Peoples – “This Way” (2004)
BEST LINE: “We saying the same thing like a synonym / I wasn’t really spitting game, I was scrimmaging”
• Scrimmage or no, we have, er, evidence that Dilated clearly lost that match.
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88 Keys – “Stay Up (Viagra)” (2007)
BEST LINE: “Try imagining something passionate between you, Cassie, and Kim Kardashian / Maybe that’ll work when you get to hit that ass again”
• Kanye’s verse definitely left 88Keys impotent.
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Jin – “I Got A Love” (2004)
BEST LINE: “I got a love that’s better than you ever was”
• Kanye only did the hook on this song and still merked Jin. SMH.
brooklyn August 6, 2009 at 10:32 pm
this is exactly why I dont read complex cuz of stupid ass shit like this article. the magazine that specializes in over-hyping the most mundane and overrated verses, songs, albums, rhymes, and rappers would be on ye’s jock extra hard. not that i don’t like kanye, but some of the lines they cite in this article are his worst. BEST LINE: “Sometimes I wanna say fuck my bitch, but I don’t want nobody to fuck my bitch” honestly is that a joke? how can anyone who enjoys and appreciates hip-hip claim that that is a good line?? furthermore as has been stated ad nauseum, elzhi is one of the illest lyricists of all time and would merc ye on any track, any beat, accapella, w/e, its a no contest. whether whoever wrote this was joking or not is irrelevant, since clearly most who read it did not take it as a joke, and it certainly doesn’t seem insincere in any way. finally, this list mostly sucks because it doesn’t include some of his best guest verses, such as on ‘Wack Niggas’ (kweli) and ‘the good, the bad, the ugly’ (consequence if u aint know).
sociopath August 10, 2009 at 10:27 pm
Kanye killing Jay? Oooooook. What the hell meds you on?
CanITalkMyShitAgin? September 17, 2009 at 7:14 pm
Nah he def kills Jay. “It’s crazy how you can go from being Joe Blow
To everybody on your dick, no homo
I bought my whole family whips, no Volvos
Next time I’m in church, please no photos”
doooope!
Dj Freak August 13, 2009 at 2:30 am
On the Real Kanye is one of the dopest, he did get down on that run this town track,
So stop hating.
Luque August 13, 2009 at 5:58 am
@sociopath To be fair, Kanye killed Jay on Run This Town, but Jay clearly wasn’t at his best.
rob September 1, 2009 at 12:59 am
to be fair to jay, kanye was off on the topic
i mean he never killed jay on any record like slim shady did on renegade… now that was a real steal
3rdwardtx August 17, 2009 at 9:58 pm
kanye bodied wayne on lollipop remix. Are you serious?!!!!!!!!!!!! apparently complex magazine never heard waynes second verse on that ho
Black/Cloud September 16, 2009 at 3:39 pm
I love you complex, but overrating the most overrated rapper over and over again … that bullshit has to stop folks. Get Of Ye´s dick already !He aint killing shit …
DaKatalog September 16, 2009 at 5:02 pm
Ye’s verse on run this town was the highlight of that song in my eyes! But I do have to agree that some of these highlighted lines that complex put in this article sucked!! Y’all did a good job at bringing up all of the songs that he did have a good verse, but the lines y’all cited is absolutely horrible! As much as I like Ye’s music, he really hasn’t been killing anybody’s song! He’s just been outshining a lot of people, which isn’t hard to do these days(especially since he’s only outshining commercial artists! He wouldn’t last a minute if he was on a track with Joe Buddens, or anybody from slaughterhouse! So everyone that’s amazed by Ye, please take some time out and listen to some real Hip Hop artist;PLEASE! If you listen to some real Hip Hop, you’ll find that Jay, Eminem aren’t the best rappers either! Those are the artists that are glorified in the commercial game, please don’t get REAL HIP HOP and this commercialized bullshit that they call Hip Hop confused! I’m out!
Kiss my kicks September 20, 2009 at 8:36 pm
Say what you will about Ye and his crazy antics but the talent Is definently there.
EastNewYork September 26, 2009 at 2:03 am
I gotta agree with Brooklyn, Kanye is nice I’m not saying he’s not, but this article was garbage. I’m a bit of a fan, but those are not his best line by far. He’s said way tighter shit then those line put up. Who ever wrote that article needs to pay more attention, or complex can give me and BK the job. i’m not gonna go on and on, BK and DaKatalog said it the best.
EastNewYork September 26, 2009 at 2:09 am
Oh, and complex be dick ridin’ Ye. Note to complex…there’s no more room in those jeans for u, or two pennies…..maybe one penny, but not two.
Uristocrat September 26, 2009 at 6:11 pm
this is very good list.. a lot of truthage… you coulda left the jin song off though..
Mr.Daniel J Streeter September 28, 2009 at 12:06 pm
He muuuuurders Rhymefest in Brand New.
BE November 7, 2009 at 4:46 pm
Pretty good list.. however, Elzhi is one of the best lyricist in the game and to compare him with the likes of “Lil Romeo” compromises the whole list lol.