collaborations

Jadakiss Songs: The LOX Icon’s Best Collabs

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Jadakiss is one of the most respected rappers in the game. The Yonkers rapper has had a highly prolific career, both as a member of The Lox and as a solo artist. He recently discussed the launch of his new coffee company on Drink Champs. Jada has made his fair share of street anthems and R&B crossovers, releasing five solo albums, six mixtapes, and his albums with The Lox and Fabolous. Jadakiss’s extensive solo catalog and group albums show that he is a great collaborator and when he is on a song with a guest, they bring the best out of each other.

This is a list of the best collabs on Jadakiss songs. The list includes Jadakiss’s solo catalog, his work with The Lox, and songs on producer albums where he is the only main or one of the main vocalists. He has too many iconic features to the point where his guest verses are their own separate list. The songs, listed in chronological order, look into the chemistry between Jadakiss and other artists. The songs show how he has been able to showcase his versatility over his legendary career.

“Ryde Or Die, Bitch” (1999)

It is impossible to discuss the best Jadakiss songs and his best collaborations without mentioning The Lox. Jadakiss, Styles P, and Sheek Louch have a chemistry as a group that is unmatched. Known for their irresistible street raps, the lead single from their second album, 2000’s We Are The Streets shows that they can make a hit with any kind of topic. The song features a groovy beat from Timbaland and a killer hook from Eve. The beat and the catchy chorus allow the three to spit slick lyrics about how they want a woman to hold them down in their street lifestyle. All three bring quality verses to the table, sticking to a consistent topic. Eve’s attitude on the hook perfectly fits the role of the woman The Lox are rapping about. 

“F**k You” (2000)

This ruthless song from The Lox is the perfect way to open an album called We Are The Streets. The song is also possibly the most disrespectful way to open a Verzuz battle, which is exactly how The Lox started their historic battle against The Diplomats in 2021. The song is an ultimate display of unity of The Lox as a group and how they rudely look down on their competition. Over one of Swizz Beatz’s filthiest productions, Jadakiss, Styles P, and Sheek Louch spit some of their meanest and most vulgar lyrics that still remain as one of their strongest collaborations. 

“Recognize” (2000)

Also from We Are The Streets, “Recognize” is arguably the best song in The Lox’s discography as the beat from DJ Premier allows the three to showcase their unique flows and cadences, which compliment one another. Jadakiss’s raspy voice, Sheek’s thick New York accent, and Styles P’s low voice make for a song that is quintessentially The Lox. It speaks to their chemistry as a group, which has stood the test of time.

“We Gonna Make It” (2001)

This classic song from Jadakiss’s debut solo album, 2001’s Kiss tha Game Goodbye, remains one of Jadakiss’s most popular songs and collaborations. The Lox had made plenty of classics before this song, but Jadakiss and Styles P specifically mastered their chemistry with their signature back-and-forth verses. Over a beat from The Alchemist, “We Gonna Make It” is a triumphant song about reaching success from streetlife. It is one of the best songs where the chemistry between Jadakiss and Styles P is on full display.

“Why?” (2004)

Possibly, Jadakiss’s biggest single, “Why?” sees Jadakiss asking questions about the state of the world and culture. Many of these questions are rhetorical although he does answer some of them, relating to politics, pop culture, and conspiracies. Each line may begin with “why?” but Jadakiss cleverly rhymes these questions over a Havoc-produced instrumental. “Why?” is one of Jadakiss’s best collaborations as he enlists Anthony Hamilton for the song’s chorus, providing his signature soul. The chorus is incredibly catchy and makes for an undeniable hit.

“U Make Me Wanna” (2004)

A majority of Jadakiss songs consist of bar-heavy raps over hard-hitting production, which his raspy voice goes so well with. Much like “Why?” with Anthony Hamilton, Jadakiss has made his fair share of R&B collaborations, including “U Make Me Wanna” with Mariah Carey. Though this song is more subdued and radio-friendly than a typical Jadakiss song, he does not compromise his rap style. The Scott Storch-produced beat along with Mariah Carey’s soft vocals and Jadakiss’s raps are the formula for a hit song. “U Make Me Wanna” is definitely a song for the ladies, but the song works because the collaboration is so strong.

“Cartel Gathering” (2009)

Jadakiss’s third studio album, The Last Kiss has a more polished sound than his first two albums, which both had hit records on them. The production is not as tough but the rapping definitely is. On “Cartel Gathering,” Jadaiss recruits Raekwon and Ghostface Killah, who are known for their tight chemistry as a duo similar to Kiss and Styles. The song does not have the typical Wu-Tang or Lox sounds but Jadakiss, Ghostface, and Raekwon perform at a high level. The magic of the song lies in each MC’s vocal inflections; Ghost’s voice is high, Rae’s is low and breathy, and Jada’s is raspy. 

“By My Side” (2009)

Jadakiss has a spotless track record when it comes to collaborating with singers such as Usher, Anthony Hamilton, and Mariah Carey. “By My Side” is arguably the best R&B collaboration that Jadakiss has done as he links up with Ne-Yo for a smash single. Jadakiss spits over the uptempo groove of the glamorous instrumental. He raps about how “every good woman needs a thug.” Ne-Yo provides the perfect chorus about how he needs his lady by his side. 

“Something Dirty / Pic Got Us” (2018)

Jadakiss has an extensive history of collaborating with both Styles P and Swizz Beatz, working with both of them early in his career. That history is what makes “Something Dirty / Pic Got Us” from Swizz’s Poison album so special. The song has a classic, traditional feel from the early Lox days even though it came out five years ago. Jadakiss and Styles P go back and forth while Swizz handles the beats and adlibs. Kendrick Lamar holds down the hook. He unfortunately does not contribute a verse, his hook brings the song together nicely.

“Huntin Season” (2020)

Jadakiss’s signature rasp voice is made for menacing hip hop tracks and “Huntin Season” is a perfect example. The drums on the beat are knocking and Jada’s voice goes perfectly with it. “Huntin Season” is one of his best collaborations as he teams up with Pusha T, who keeps the same energy with his high-level street raps. They set themselves apart from the rest as “when [they] think of these rappers, it’s huntin season.” 

“Gov’t Cheese” (2020)

On this standout track from Jadakiss’s Ignatius album, everyone on the song understands the assignment. It is a song about pain and struggle and every feature does their part extremely well. Dej Loaf stands out with a heartfelt hook then Nino Man sets the bar with a killer verse. Boston rapper Millyz steals the show as he captures the listener’s attention with his imagery and melody. Jadakiss finishes the song with an effortlessly sincere verse. It stands out among the best Jadakiss songs and collaborations.

“America Is Canceled” (2020)

Released following the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, this song from Statik Selektah’s album is quite powerful in its messaging. The verses from Jadakiss, Termanology, and Styles P felt very urgent in the context of America’s political landscape in 2020. Over a jazzy beat, the three cover different serious topics about the state of the country. Termanology raps about police brutality, Jadakiss discusess racism, and Styles P covers topics of gentrification and Black education. 

“King Kong Riddim” (2021)

The lead single from The Harder They Fall is a monumental collaboration between Jadakiss, Conway The Machine, JAY-Z, and BackRoad Gee. Each rapper brings a unique flow to the song’s off-kilter and minimal instrumental. BackRoad Gee’s aggressive hook sets the tone for the three rappers to spit. Jadakiss sets the bar incredibly high, effortlessly flowing over the beat’s unorthodox rhythm. Conway The Machine spits braggadocious bars before JAY-Z finishes the song with magnificent extended metaphors. “King Kong Riddim” is not only a exceptional song, but marks a historic collaboration between different generations of hip hop.

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City Girls’ Best Collaborations, From Doja Cat To Moneybagg Yo

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Miami-based hip hop duo City Girls has been making waves in the music industry since their “Act Up” debut in 2018. One of the key factors contributing to the Quality Control artists’ success has been their impressive collaborative efforts. The ladies responsible for Miami-Dade’s musical revival blessed Megan Thee Stallion with braggadocio bars on “Do It On The Tip.” The 2022 track went on to chart at No 92. Other popular joint records include their “Shisha” feature on the bounce-heavy Saucy Santana track and “Female Goat” with labelmate Lakeyah.

From Cardi B to Usher, City Girls have shared the mic with some of the biggest in the game to produce hits. Now, fans await more feature-riddled anthems from the two after they previewed a new single at Rolling Loud California. Recently, Yung Miami said their forthcoming project is “gonna hit different.” Revisit their hottest collabs the beauties have blessed us with as we await yet another City Girl Summer.

“Flewed Out” ft. Lil Baby (2020)

Released in 2020, “Flewed Out” celebrates the luxurious lifestyle City Girls and Lil Baby have attained through their music careers. The lyrics center around the theme of being “flewed out”: getting flown out to exotic locations and indulging in high-end shopping and dining experiences. The City Girls’ verses are filled with confidence and sass. Lil Baby’s offering provides contrast with his more laid-back flow. The term “flewed out” became one of the most popular phrases for months following the single’s release.

“Pussy Talk” ft. Doja Cat (2020)

City Girls tapped rapper and singer Doja Cat for “Pussy Talk,” the lead single off their highest-charting album, 2020’s City On Lock. The Southside-produced track sees the artists trading verses about their sexual prowess and independence with an equally colorful visual. The title refers to their frank and explicit lyrics about sex and power dynamics. Those bars were delivered with the utmost confidence from all three. Overall, “Pussy Talk” is a bold and assertive anthem that celebrates female sexuality and empowerment. It showcases the unique and distinctive styles of City Girls and Doja.

“Said Sum (Remix)” Moneybagg Yo ft. City Girls & DaBaby (2020)

Moneybagg Yo’s “Said Sum” is arguably one of the Memphis rhymer’s most viral songs. It gained significant traction on social media and streaming platforms through the beginning of the pandemic lockdown. This led to a remix with City Girls and DaBaby, who contributed their signature styles to the track with bold, unapologetic verses about financial independence. The track’s infectious piano riff creates the perfect backdrop for calling out those who try to dim the rappers’ lights. Additionally, fans of City Girls songs have also called JT’s verse on the remix one of the best in her career as she switches up her flow.

“Good Love” ft. Usher (2022)

The ladies bring Miami heat to Atlanta with this Freaknik-inspired single. Yung Miami and JT trade flirtatious verses with R&B legend Usher on “Good Love,” sampling Lathun’s 1997 hit “Freak It.” The Georgia native’s smooth vocals balance out City Girls’ explicit bars as they talk to potential prospects. Yung Miami even echos Uncle Luke’s unforgettable “Don’t stop, get it, get it” line from 91’s “I Wanna Rock.” The accompanying music video was filmed at Atlanta’s iconic Cascade Skating Rink, adding another nostalgic touch to the party tune.

“Throat Baby (Go Baby) [Remix]” – BRS Kash, DaBaby, & City Girls (2021)

Relative Atlanta newcomer BRS Kash flooded the airwaves with his fast-spreading track “Throat Baby (Go Baby)” with DaBaby. The song catapulted even more once City Girls hopped on the remix nearly six months later. The women’s sultry, suggestive lyrics shocked listeners as they boasted about their oral performance skills, adding another XXX-rated singalong to their racy catalog. City Girls’ feature premiered on Kash’s debut mixtape, Kash Only, to the praise of many-including rapper Boosie. After its release, the Louisiana hip-hop vet alerted fans that she “made the rawest line on the remix.” 

“Top Notch” ft. Fivio Foreign (2022)

City Girls’ “Top Notch” followed the monumental success of 2021’s “Twerkulator.” It also sees the girls in the concrete jungle for their second collab with a New York native. The duo teamed up with Fivio Foreign for the bop, making it their first release of 2022. It also marked their first with the Brooklyn spitter. “Top Notch” was the start of a new era for Miami and JT, who appeared on the drill-infused beat with intense attitude as they warn their haters to steer clear. Though the single didn’t reach much commercial success, fans of the women praised the two for their versatility.

“Twerk” ft. Cardi B (2018)

Contestably in City Girls’ Top 5, “Twerk” grew to become their second-highest charting song on the Billboard Hot 100. The sexual innuendos on the “Choppa Style”-sampled hit were celebrated by wxmen galore during their inaugural City Girl summer. After Yung Miami raps, Cardi B reflects on nights as a dancer in her verse, with an extra assist in the NSFW music video. Yung Miami and Cardi flaunt their derrières in animalistic body paint amongst other talented dancers while JT served the remainder of her federal prison stint. “Twerk” peaked at No. 29 shortly after and eventually became certified platinum.

Kaytranada Brings Out H.E.R., Tinashe & Anderson .Paak At Coachella

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Kaytranada brought out H.E.R., Tinashe, and Anderson .Paak for a star-studded Coachella performance on Friday night. With H.E.R., the two performed their collaboration, “Intimidated.” For Tinashe, they handled “The Worst In Me” from Kaytranada’s 2019 album, Bubba. Finally, Anderson .Paak performed “Glowed Up” from 99.9% with Kaytranada.

Fans on social media were ecstatic about the set. “@KAYTRANADA seeing you last night @coachella reminded me when I saw you LIVE @LIVmiami with Abel @theweeknd & The AHTD tour opening as well. It was [fire emojis] you did WONDERFUL !! I have videos but I know they will be removed so yeah I’m not going to post them” one user wrote. Another added: Kaytranada never fails to impress! This Cuff It flip is straight [fire emoji] and reminds me why his set at Coachella is a must-see.”

Anderson .Paak During Kaytranada’s Set

INDIO, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 21: Anderson .Paak performs with Kaytranada at the Outdoor Theatre during the 2023 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 21, 2023 in Indio, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Coachella)

As for future collaborations, Kaytranada and Aminé will release an album together called Kaytraminé, next month. The project will be the first for Aminé since dropping TwoPointFive back in November 2021. As for Kaytranada, he released Bubba in 2019 although he’s produced music for several other popular artists in the time since, including Ravyn Lenae, Joyce Wrice, and PinkPantheress. He also handled IDK’s 2022 album, Simple.

While Kaytranada’s Coachella performance went over smoothly, not everyone’s appearances have gone so well. Frank Ocean dropped out of his week two performance after fans were upset with his effort at the first go-around. It was later reported that he suffered an ankle injury beforehand and was unable to go through with the set that he had planned. In a statement shared with Rolling Stone afterward, he said: “It was chaotic. There is some beauty in chaos. It isn’t what I intended to show but I did enjoy being out there and I’ll see you soon.” The festival has yet to announce a replacement headliner in Ocean’s stead, although Blink-182 was originally reported to do so.

Tinashe With Kaytranada

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Juelz Santana Teases Tracklist For New Album, “We In Motion”

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Juelz Santana has shared the tracklist for his upcoming album, We In Motion, by posting a picture of a whiteboard full of tracks and features on Instagram. Among the artists Santana is set to collaborate with are A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Lil Wayne, Meek Mill, Jim Jones, Lil Durk, Dej Loaf, and Young Thug, among others.

It’s unclear whether the list of songs is the final cut for the project, but he teased that the album is coming soon in the caption. ”We In Motion….. Visual album Soon… #ICFMF #BackOutSide” he wrote. On the production side, the new album will be released in collaboration with DJ Drama as a Gangsta Grillz project.

Juelz Santana With Jim Jones

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 19: Jim Jones and Juelz Santana attend Fat Joe Birthday Celebration at Brooklyn Chop House on August 19, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images)

The post left Santana’s fans excited about the new music. Some fans, however, feel that the list features too many other artists. “Looking like to many features as much as I like Juelz,” they wrote. Another echoed their sentiments: “To many features just wanted to here you almost every dam track got a feature smh.” Others complained that Cam’ron doesn’t seem to be making an appearance on the project. “Where A Cam Or JR Writer Feature At?” one user asked.

Back in January, Santana discussed working with Jadakiss on a song for the project. Speaking on Instagram, he said, “Yo, I’m telling you right now, me and my man Jada got a fucking banger you heard. Yo, Flex all that motherfucking what New York sound like shit, this is what New York sound like. I guarantee you this is what New York sound like. We got what New York sound like.” He added: “This that what New York Sound like that n****s outside of New York gonna fuck with too though. Like, nah, We In Motion, this shit is a good project, man.” Check out the tracklist for Juelz Santana’s We In Motion album below.

The “We In Motion” Tracklist

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