The 50 Best R&B Songs With Rap Features

Yesterday marked 10 years since Ol Dirty Bastard passed away. In memorandum we cued up a couple of his classic tracks, a playlist that included his remix to Mariah Carey’s chart-topping 1995 hit “Fantasy.” It as an unimaginable combo at the time, but it worked. His crazy style cascaded perfectly with her bubbly voice and dominated radio stations across the country when it was released. It was a shining example of the good that can come when the right rapper hops on an R&B song. There’s been a lot of talk lately R&B, especially stateside. Is R&B dead? What’s classified as alternative R&B? We’re not going to tackle those questions. Instead, we’re going to take a look at a certain type of song. Good R&B songs featuring rappers are rare these days, so we chose to chronicle the best of the best—everything from Joe and Mystikal to Jodeci and Wu-Tang. Songs where the rappers work hard not to just steal some shine, but to also improve the track already laid down by the singer. To be clear, we're not talking about songs where the singer also raps. We're talking about R&B songs made by R&B artists with a guest rap verse. Cool? Cool. Now, go ahead and check out the 50 Best R&B Songs With Rap Features.

Listen to the playlist on Bop, Spotify, Rdio, and YouTube.

Producer(s): Mario Winans, Sean Combs

Producer(s): StarGate, Kuk Harrell

Producer(s): DJ Mustard

Producer(s): Darryl “Day” Pearson

Producer(s): T-Pain

Producer(s): Raphael Saadiq

Producer(s): Mike City

Producer(s): Charles Roane, Bryce Wilson, Russell Elevado

Producer(s): DJ Clue, Duro

Producer(s): Vincent Herbert, Rob Fusari, Wyclef Jean

Producer(s): Ervin “EP” Pope

Producer(s): Teddy Riley, William “Skylz” Stewart

Producer(s): Heavy D, Trackmasters

Producer(s): R. Kelly

Producer(s): Bink!, Kay Gee

Producer(s): Ron “Neff-U” Feemstar

Producer(s): Chucky Thompson

Producer(s): Danja, Hilson

Producer(s): Jermaine Dupri

Producer(s): R. Kelly, Trackmasters, Precision

Producer(s): Timbaland

Producer(s): Robin Thicke

Producer(s): Los Da Mystro

Producer(s): Rodney Jerkins

Producer(s): Lil Jon

Up until “Yeah!,” Usher had the played role as poster child for R&B in the new millennium. He was confident, but also compassionate, sharing a vulnerability on records like “U Got It Bad” and “Nice & Slow” that made hearts melt. The lead single from his seminal 2004 release Confessions marked a new directive, as Usher linked up with the king of crunk himself, Lil Jon, and delivered a club banger that’s best described as an eye-fucking anthem at two in the morning. Ludacris, for his part, maxed out the sexually-charged vibes without missing a beat through his charisma and clever wordplay. The result: a record that spent 12 consecutive weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and a helluva retrospective impression that all these new R&B cats are Usher’s sons. —Edwin Ortiz

Producer(s): “Tricky” Stewart, Kuk Harrell

You couldn’t even think the word “umbrella” in 2007 without someone following it with “ella, ella,” but let’s not fault Rihanna for the world’s bad joke. Let’s place the blame on The-Dream, Tricky Stewart, and Kuk Harrell, those credited in the Good Girl Gone Bad booklet, as the responsible parties. Rather than saving the feature for the end, “Umbrella” starts with Jay Z rapping right out of the gate. He leans pretty heavily on that whole bad weather metaphor—no clouds in his stones, hydroplaning in banks, Rain Man, etc.—but it all works. And it continues to do so even after he hands off the song to Rihanna so she can sing about even more weather metaphors, all relating to a relationship that could very well be totally platonic. A sex-free song about rain and friendship doesn’t look like a hit on paper, but Jay, Rihanna, and that hi-hat beat sold it. “Umbrella” spent seven consecutive weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and went on to win the Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. Thank god Britney Spears turned this one down. —Christine Werthman

Producer(s): Mariah Carey, Stevie J., Sean Combs

Not the biggest Mariah song, not the boldest Mariah song, but the best Mariah song featuring Krayzie Bone and Wish Bone whispering from the backseat as she hits all those high notes. “You called yesterday/To basically say/That you care for me but/That you're just not in love/Immediately I pretended to be feeling similarly,” she sings, and we've all been there. There, there. Krayzie's got your back, boo. —Justin Charity

Producer(s): Troy Oliver, Cory Rooney, L.E.S.

Early in her career, Jennifer Lopez generally stayed away from rap collaborations, with “Feelin’ So Good” being the lone moment on her debut album On the 6 where she linked up with Bronx MCs Big Pun (R.I.P.) and Fat Joe. That song was totally eclipsed by the remix of her 2001 single, “I’m Real,” which featured Ja Rule playing her hood Romeo. Despite 2014 feelings about the Murder Inc. flagship act, Ja Rule was a lock for success back at the turn of the century, and he didn’t disappoint here by lacing the laid back duet with his signature growl. (Who else would start off a love song by shouting, "WHAT'S MY MOTHERFUCKING NAME?"?)

If you fucked with the Burberry-bucket-hat-and-no-shirt fad, this was your anthem. Moreover, the song opened the doors for J. Lo to pursue collaborations like “Jenny From the Block” and “I Luh Ya Papi” later in her career. Who said Ja Rule didn’t make an impact on rap? —Edwin Ortiz

Producer(s): R. Kelly, Barry Hankerson

R. Kelly’s sophomore album was decidedly more tempered than his debut record, 12 Play. “You Remind Me of Something” not withstanding, the album is more heartfelt. One of the most being “(You to Be) Be Happy,” a song where Kels pleads with a woman to take him back, telling her, with the assistance of a full choir, that he would give his life if it would maker her happy. Heavy shit, that. It’s deeper, though, when Biggie storms in with a slightly different take on how to handle a breakup: “You were the Reebok vandal, now you wear Chanel sandals, I made you, why would I play you?” It was the perfect yin and yang situation. In a world where rappers frequently hop on a tracks and disregard the subject of the song they’re remixing, Biggie stayed perfectly in pocket and on topic. Very rare, that. 

Producer(s): Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Nate “Danja” Hills

Is this the last instance of Timbaland not fucking up someone's album single? Might be. The beat's got that strange space-ray stutter, that creepy Pink Floyd laugh and synth howl in the background, and, of course, beatboxing. JT is a groovy angel whose pop futurism always kept him 20 steps ahead of that shaggy, shady Robin Thicke character. T.I.'s verse on this is the realest, most dignified shit a playa ever wrote: “You don't come, I ain't gonna die.” —Justin Charity

Producer(s): T-Pain

None of the other songs on this list are actually better than “Buy U a Drank,” but god forbid we rank anyone from Tallahasse over Mary J. Blige or the rest of New York circa '95-'98. [Editor's Note—Justin. Chill.]

“Buy U a Drank” is clutch insomuch as the song itself (the lyrics, that is) are an easy-to-follow primer on how to roll up on a shawty and ask if she'll let you buy her a drank. Sex noises included; actual coitus sold separately. —Justin Charity

Producer(s): Rodney Jerkins

Ma$e rapped about tucking gats on a Brandy single—when she was a teenager, mind you. Tactless, you might argue, but really Ma$e was just putting Brandy on game: “Spent half of my advance on jars from Branson/To make it through my circumstances/But you know I'm wiser now.” Unfortunately, whatever early career wealth Brandy may well have saved based on Ma$e's advice, it's likely that Ray J blew it on mid-shelf prosecco and his 3,000th pair of sunglasses. —Justin Charity

Producer(s): Jermaine Dupri, Daryl Simmons, Ralph B. Stacy

The So, So Def Remix was an institution nearly as heralded as the ones from its up north cousins Bad Boy. One of the best to ever come out of the label’s Atlanta studio came from Dru Hill, the Baltimore-bred belters who didn’t have the luxury of being signed to the same label as the Notorious B.I.G. and Ma$e. No matter, Jermaine Dupri laced the quartet with a sparse, throbbing beat that gave the love-scorned ballad even more edge and, like Dupri promised, made you move. Sisqo leading into J.D. and Da Brat’s back-and-forth is one of the most memorable moments of ’90s R&B. Just watch what happens when it comes on at a party. —Damien Scott

Producer(s): Rich Harrison, Beyonce Knowles

Get them both drunk a decade later, and they were having sex on a kitchen floor. But back in 2003, Jay Z and Beyoncé were just two kids crazy in love. Right, Jay? “Yes! So crazy right now!” Not his strongest intro, but hang in there. Perhaps challenged by the perfection that is the rest of the song under Beyonce’s direction, Jay resists phoning it in when he gets another chance. “Jay Z in the Range, crazy and deranged/They can’t figure him out, they like, ‘Hey, is he insane?’” Oh, the innocent imagery of a Young Hov in love, presumably when he still took the time to take drawers off. —Christine Werthman

Producer(s): Bryan-Michael Cox, Jermaine Dupri, LeMarquis Jefferson, Phil Tan

I’ve never been married, but I have friends who are. I’ve even been fortunate enough to witness some of the proposals. And each time I’ve seen a friend drop to a knee and ask their significant other to spend the rest of their corporeal time together, the reaction has always been jubilation. Everyone’s smiling and clapping and dancing (with or without music). It’s no surprise then that everyone’s favorite version of Jagged Edge’s “Let’s Get Married” is the up-tempo remix with Run-DMC. Where the first version was lovingly longing, the remix is immediate and volatile. It helps that Rev Run provides one of the most memorable verses ever committed to song about getting hitched. It makes everyone want to find someone who they could tell “your last name’s ’bout to change.” —Damien Scott

Producer(s): Janet Jackson, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis

If you caught the premiere of the “Got ’til It’s Gone” video on MTV in 1997, then you too probably had a similar “What the hell is going on? Is that Joni Mitchell?” moment. The video was set during South African apartheid, or maybe it wasn't, and it was the first taste we got of The Velvet Rope, Janet Jackson's first album in four years. Regardless of the video's intention, the song was about Jackson regretting her dismissal of a guy and Q-Tip, acting as said guy, saying too bad. Jackson cocooned her wisp of a voice in record scratches and muted drum hits that felt decidedly more hip-hop than anything she’d ever done previously. Q-Tip’s presence certainly helped that, as he danced around the sidelines before his solo, responding to the sad truth of the “Don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone” sample with “Joni Mitchell never lies.” —Christine Werthman

Producer(s): Trackmasters, Precision

Just the quaint shock of reading the song credit “f/ Jay Z, Boo & Gotti” is one of those ugly Buzzfeed nostalgia trips, but ya love it tho. Many a nightclub restroom was rocked to the “Fiesta (Remix),” yet it's best played in a jeep, in the summer, windows down so the homies can relive it, too. —Justin Charity

Producer(s): Mariah Carey, Sean Combs, Stevie J., the Ummah

What’s better than hearing Mariah Carey sing over infinitely groovy ’80s samples arranged by Q-Tip, Puff Daddy, and Puffy’s Hitmen brethren, Stevie J? Adding some Bad Boy flavor to the mix. Just like her 1995 single, “Fantasy,” Mariah’s 1997 smash hit “Honey” received an upgrade thanks to Puffy and company by balancing out her superb vocals and playful tone with a swagged out ambience from Ma$e and the LOX. The last verse delivered by Ma$e is the standout here, where the Harlemite plays it extra cool while still getting his flaunt on. In terms of R&B meets hip-hop soul, “Honey (Bad Boy Remix)” is a crown jewel of the genre. —Edwin Ortiz

Producer(s): Daryl "88" Young, Kenny "Smoove" Kornegay

18 years and the party still goes up whenever this beat drops. Men and women alike know Foxy's lyrics by heart even though she's off topic. And let's not forget the Queen Mary J blessing the hook with her sweet voice. Case is definitely a forefather in the R&B thug movement, singing sweet nothings into shorties' ears with a jersey, Timbs, and fitted on. —Angel Diaz

Producer(s): Trackmasters

Jigga has always been petty. He showed up Boo & Gotti on the “Fiesta” remix, and he did the same to Jadakiss. The original “Best of Me” was quality and, most importantly, fire. However, Tone and Poke's version featured Hova, a harder beat, and was attached to one of the biggest rap tours to date. Backstage: A Hard Knock Life was the soundtrack to Backstage, a documentary about Def Jam's 1999 "Hard Knock Life Tour." Jigga's quotables along with the memories of Mya's jersey dress in the video and Clue's signature ad-libs always add to the nostalgia factor when this comes on nowadays. —Angel Diaz

Producer(s): Roy “Royalty” Hamilton, Teddy Riley, Soulstar

Essentially, this is Joe's trill remix reply, from a cuckhold man's perspective, to Whitney Houston's “It's Not Right But It's Okay,” a superior song, but does it feature Mystikal stutter shouting a third verse? Alas. The fact that Joe and Mystikal executed this R&B savagery over a Pharcyde sample and jack of Fatlip's verse from “Passin' Me By” is 10 additional points for Gryffindor. —Justin Charity

Producer(s): Dre & Vidal

Ciara dropped her debut album, Goodies, in 2004. Where the first single, “Goodies,” taunted and the second, “1, 2 Step,” instructed, the third, “Oh,” seduced with a slowed-down beat that came in waves on the low end and something like a snake charmer’s whistle on the high. With temptations like that, no one paid much attention to the fact that this was and ode to Atlanta. But so it was, and Ciara called on fellow Atlantan Ludacris to contribute images of multicolor whips and wheels for the bridge, so picture perfect you might wanna take a flick flick flick flick flick. The song didn’t quite reach the platinum status Luda boasted in his verses, but “Oh” did get to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. —Christine Werthman

Producer(s): Sean Combs, Rashad Smith

Total was the female answer to Jodeci. Kima, Keisha, and Pam dressed in leather motorcycle suits with their eyes hidden behind black shades and yearned for your love. How could you turn them down? Also, Big's versatility is what makes him one of the greats. He was able to rap on any kind of track, and his presence always gave a song validity. We wish Puff would try to find the next Total rather than give the world Danity Kane. —Angel Diaz

Producer(s): Timbaland

Let’s get this out of the way: Timbaland is not a good rapper. His talk-rap at the near-end of this classic Aaliyah single is serviceable. But that’s besides the point. Listen to the beat. Try to wrap your head around it. This was the pinnacle of Timbaland’s powers. Back when it came out it was said it sounded like the future, a platitude proved false due to the fact that it's nearly 20 years later and nothing has come close to it. Then there’s Aaliyah. Blessed with a song written by the late Static Major, Baby Girl weaved her voice perfectly through the pops, clicks, and baby coos. The song is so good, not even Timbo’s verse could hamper it. —Damien Scott

Producer(s): DJ Premier

DJ Premier gutted Raphael Saadiq and D’Angelo’s original production when remixing “Lady,” the highest-charting single on the Billboard Hot 100 from D’Angelo’s debut, Brown Sugar. Removing Saadiq’s rhythm guitar and thick bass, and Tim Christian's piano runs, Premier’s take is stark and nasty. D’Angelo’s angelic voice is suspended above big drums lifted from Procul Harem’s “Repent Walpurgis” and jabbing keys that emphasize the remix’s excavated space. AZ drops in to address his beloved and speak out against the men “pushing up, persuading you with conversation/That consists of solicitation, false information.” (Sounds a bit like street harassment, no?) By capping his verse with a timestamp, AZ ensures you’ll never have to wonder about when hip-hop remixes of R&B greats sounded so good. Then D’Angelo floats away on his charm and voice as the keys stab one last time. —Ross Scarano

Producer(s): Mariah Carey, Dave Hall, Sean Combs

Fuck Columbia Records for nearly forbidding this remix's existence. In 1995, Mariah sneaks into a few Bad Boy studio sessions at the behest of Puffy and Stevie J, and next thing you know she's got Dirt McGirt on a track howling about Shaolin, pacifiers, and parole. My god. A nation that had fetishized her sanctity may well have feared for her life, if only the “Fantasy” remix weren't so essential and charming and dope. Those drums are the soundtrack of every sunny walk I've ever taken, every kiss I've ever stolen. Cheers to Mariah Carey, the jiggy cupid. —Justin Charity

Producer(s): Tony Dofat, Sean Combs

Puffy and Uptown Records started this hip-hop soul shit, and Mary J. is its undisputed champion. This particular cut shifted R&B into a grittier aesthetic—"ghetto love" as Puff once dubbed it. The beat was a variation of the Ohio Players' “Pride and Vanity,” and the hook was a cover of Debra Laws' “Very Special.” If you're old enough, you remember Mary and Grand Puba's classic performance on Yo! MTV Raps. Puba had on the rare Alpine rugby while the Queen came through with hoop earrings and a Cross Colors outfit singing and rapping like a ghetto bae. —Angel Diaz

Producer(s): DeVante Swing, Mr. Dalvin

The Wu were better known for kung fu-inspired, angel dust-laced raps than for anything romantic. Still, Ghost and Rae had the ability to make soft rhymes sound hard. This was the perfect combo at the time. The Wu were hip-hop's street kings while Jodeci were R&B's thug lovers. However, it's the beat that's the star of the show. Two-stepping is an automatic reaction when that beat drops. If you're 19, chances are you were conceived to a mix this song was on. —Angel Diaz

Producer(s): Sean Combs, Stevie J

A good number of the songs on this list are remixes, because for the past 25 years or so, labels and producers believed the best way to remix an R&B song was to simply tack a rap verse to the end of it. We can all agree that it’s safe to blame Puffy for this. After all, according to him, he invented the remix. Not that that’s a bad thing. Before remixes devolved into shameless publicity plays carried out by yet-to-blow rappers hijacking popular songs, Puffy took tracks, kept the best parts, strengthened the weak bits, and presented something fresher than the original. 112’s “Only You” is a perfect example. The first pass worked well enough with a shuffling beat that made you want to Diddy bop. With the remix, the bass dropped allowing for a more pronounced bop, Biggie’s infallible verse about milked-out Diablos and cats named Pablo was moved up front, and the newest Bad Boy, Ma$e, was allowed to introduce himself to the world as the slick-talking thug more concerned with buying foreign goods and making women orgasm than meddling in beef. This all melded together perfectly perhaps because each of the artists were signed to Bad Boy and therefore each played an integral part in Puff’s vision to make everyone dance. —Damien Scott