Rising Rappers and Veteran Producers: 10 Collaborations We'd Love to Hear

There has been a lot of talk about the generational divide between young hip-hop artists and their older counterparts over the last couple of years. Despite lingering misunderstandings, some veteran producers like Timbaland have reached across the chasm and started collaborating with young artists like Ski Mask The Slump God and 6lack. These collaborations can pass insights along to new artists and breathe new creative energy into older producers. This made us think: What other cross-generational collaborations would we like to see? How would someone like Trippie Redd sound rapping over a DJ Premier beat? What would Noname and Q-Tip come up with in the studio together? All these young artists are doing great on their own, of course, and none of them need to collaborate with older producers—but we can't resist fantasizing about the possibilities. These are ten cross-generational rap pairings we'd love to hear.

Delivering thought-provoking ryhmes over hypnotic production, Queens rapper Deem Spencer became one of our favorite new artists of 2017. The brooding and disjointed style of songs like "soap" and "eve's titties" reflect the mysterious 22-year-old that hides in plain sight behind his music. "I don’t really like talking to people," Spencer explained to us. "I feel like I’m not ready to be in front of the world." We'd love to hear what he come up with alongside another famously enigmatic New York artist—MF DOOM. Spencer has already shown a knack for rapping over hushed, jazzy production, and we imagine DOOM would be inspired to push himself in interesting new territories by a young artist cut from the same cloth. Honestly, this one would be worth it solely for the quiet, philosophical discussions that would inevitably​ take place between recordings.

Timbaland has already reached across rap's generational divide with his Ski Mask The Slump God and 6lack collaborations, but a Denzel Curry connection is next on our wishlist. Most people know Curry for his wild energy on tracks like "Ultimate," but anyone who's heard "This Life" or "Good Night" know he's capable of putting together more traditional, melodic songs as well. Timbaland's ear for unusual (but catchy) samples and his forward-thinking approach to production and could be the perfect match for Curry's energy. Imagine Denzel going wild over a weird Egyptian sample before coming through with an exuberant hook over classic Timbaland drums. Crazy.

Watch Denzel Curry flex his incredible knowledge of Florida rappers on Trending Topics here.

Q-Tip is a true legend in hip-hop, and he's produced so much music in his 20 year plus career that it's hard to even begin to define his sound. Often jazzy and warmly melodic, but sometimes frenetic and aggressive, Q-Tip has produced for everyone from Mariah Carey to Mobb Deep, and of course, A Tribe Called Quest. Noname is one of the new generation's most talented artists, and her debut album Telefone showed off her incredible storytelling powers and ability to deliver poignant social commentary in amongst soulful,  production. Pairing Q-Tip's experience and ability with Noname's fresh approach couldn't fail to produce magic, and maybe Tip would even drop a few verses, too. 

Read how Noname's incredible 'Telefone' album came together, according to the people who made it, here.

Toronto rapper Killy exploded in 2017 on the strength of his ability to push hip-hop in weird new directions, while keeping his sounds accessible and catchy. If any hip-hop veteran knows what it's like to work with eccentric rappers and present their style in a way that's palatable for the masses, it's RZA. The Wu-Tang mastermind helped craft the sound of oddball characters like Ol' Dirty Bastard, Cappadonna, and his own Bobby Digital persona for decades—cooking up classic off-the-wall songs like "Shimmy Shimmy Ya." Killy is on his own wave right now and there's a chance he'd balk at the idea of working with anyone much older than himself (for good reason), but RZA is the kind of open-minded producer who could build on his swaggering auto-tune'd flow and push things in even weirder directions.

Watch Killy break down his approach to making music here.

Twenty years ago, Dr. Dre teamed up with Eminem for the start of a longtime collaborative relationship that birthed classics like "My Name Is," "Guilty Conscience," and "Forgot About Dre." Two decades later, we'd love to see Dre take another promising rapper under his wing. This one might actually be a little too on the nose—and Lou has already proven he has a whole lot more to offer than being an Eminem copycat—but we can't help dreaming about Dre mentoring the young Staten Island rapper. On his debut project, Humaniac, Lou showed an ability to not only rap his ass off, but do it from an interesting (often deranged) perspective that felt fresh. There's an audience waiting for a young lyrical rapper with a dark edge and a willingness to experiment right now, and Lou has shown signs that he's ready to fill that hole. It's been a minute since we've heard sharp, quick-witted rhymes from a new artist over Dr. Dre production, and Lou might be up to the challenge.

Watch Lou The Human talk Danny Brown, 'Humaniac,' and more on Trending Topics here.

At first glance, Trippie Redd and DJ Premier appear to be on completely opposite ends of the hip-hop spectrum. Premier made a name for himself by crafting classics like Nas' "N.Y. State of Mind" and Jay Z's "D'Evils." Trippie, meanwhile, represents a new breed of rappers who take inspirations from rock and pop-punk to recontextualize rap in ways that become barely recognizable in comparison to the stuff Premier was making in the early '90s. Anyone who's heard Trippie's "Can You Rap Like Me?" knows he can do both, though. So, what would happen if these guys met in the studio? Could they find an interesting midway point between "Love Scars" and "N.Y. State of Mind?" Would that take on a form unlike anything we've heard before? There's only one way to find out.

Watch our uncut interview with Trippie Redd here.

It wasn't an accident that Rapsody's Laila's Wisdom was nominated for the Best Rap Album of the Year Grammy alongside Kendrick Lamar, Jay Z, Migos, and Tyler, The Creator. Pairing sharp storytelling and clever lyricism with a soulful, shape-shifting vocal delivery, the North Carolina artist showcased a well-rounded skillset. She has it all. That's why we're drooling over the thought of a collaboration with The Neptunes: a production duo with a similarly wide range who are just as comfortable making songs with Britney Spears as the Clipse. Depending on the day, these guys could approach this collaboration from any angle, but we imagine Rapsody sounding particularly good delivering powerful rhymes over a hard-hitting "Grindin" type beat.

Ski Mask The Slump God has already shown signs that he has the makings of a star. Of all the rappers to emerge from South Florida's wild underground scene last year, he may have positioned himself better than anyone at long-term mainstream success. With overflowing charisma and a distinct way of attacking beats, he's developed a loyal following and has already worked with a veteran producer in Timbaland. What still eludes Ski Mask, however, is a true crossover hit. A collaboration with Scott Storch could do the trick—the Canadian producer has a resume full of mega-hits like 50 Cent's "Candyshop" and Fat Joe's "Lean Back." Storch's most successful days are years in the rearview, but occasional clips of him behind the keys keep popping up on social media, convincing us he's still got it. A session with a surging young rapper like Ski Mask could be beneficial for both artists: They might just end up with a hit.

Watch Ski Mask get interviewed by puppies on Hounded here.

Some of the best moments on J.I.D's excellent 2017 album The Never Story came when he was rapping his ass off over warm, guitar-heavy production on songs like "8701" and "General." His clever wordplay and vivid storytelling stole the show, but J.I.D's quiet ability to play with melody and adjust his flow to fit unorthodox beats is his (somewhat) hidden talent. A collab with Danger Mouse could be a great pairing. While he's strayed away from rap projects in recent years, the New York producer did come up with the kind of organic, guitar-based beats that J.I.D sounds great on with his AT.LONG.LAST.ASAP work for ASAP Rocky. The Never Story positioned J.I.D as somewhat of a rapper's rapper in 2017, but a Danger Mouse collaboration could be an opportunity to show a wider audience that he has a lot more to offer.

Kamaiyah's swaggering presence is impossible to teach. From the very first song on her breakout 2016 project A Good Night in the Ghetto, it was clear she had hit-making potential. Over the right beat, her sing-rap approach and charismatic energy is a winning formula. That's where No I.D. comes in. The Chicago producer has a way of coming up with the right production for the right artist at the right time. As a result, his production discography spans from Bow Wow's "Let Me Hold You" to Jay Z's "The Story of O.J." We picture him borrowing from his early house music roots and taking things in a bouncy direction with Kamaiyah—laying an upbeat, funky foundation for her to deliver urgent raps and a catchy hook from her distinctly Oakland perspective.