List Week Chapter 1: Top 10 Guest Verses Of 2017
Every year this list gets closer and closer to being the "Top 10 Guests SPOTS", as the mainstream catches up with the feature trend that's been in rap as long as there's been rap. Lana Del Rey/The Weeknd, Iglooghost/Mr. Yote and Charli XCX/Carly Rae Jepsen all made solid cases but for likely the last year ever the "Guest" list is limited to rap features. And in a time when there's more rap than ever before it was exciting to know that any day there could be a 200th Young Thug/Travis Scott song or exactly as likely something wildly new like DRAM/Neil Young. This year's list isn't quite as full of surprises as years prior but it's no doubt full of just as good performances.
10. J. Cole - "Legendary" by Joey Bada$$
Who'd have thought that in 2017 J. Cole would be less corny, what a time to be alive. Joey's VERY low key approach made it easy for Cole to hop in and ride along a jazzy, smooth beat and deliver his trademark "woke" lyricism. Even though Joey certainly doesn't deliver one of his most exciting performances this feature is a refreshing addition that turned out better than most anyone could have expected.
9. Lil Ugly Mane - "Zeltron 6 Billion" by Denzel Curry
Arriving at the end of Denzel's brief 13 EP you get an unexpected guest verse from Ugly Mane. It varies greatly from the cutthroat supersonic delivery every time Curry is mic'd up. The whole song is a rap standard exersice in talking about how cool, ruthless, savage, (you name it) they are which pulls away a big burden that Denzel's features typically have to stand up to and Ugly Mane is up to the challenge.
8. Danny Brown - "Accelerator" by Paul White
Danny Brown re-teams up with Paul White who produced much of Danny's masterpiece "Attrocity Exibition" but to expect that the song would be anything like the albums sound is simply a misunderstanding of the two's chemistry and style. They go WAY up-tempo from what most of Attrocity sounded like and Danny brings his wild and shrieky flare as strong as ever. Coming off a year that he released an instant classic album and following it up with a number of fantastic collaborations with Gorillaz, Your Old Droog and Dabrye made it hard to pick which ones really belonged on this list, and makes Danny a hot favorite for 2018.
7. Killer Mike - "Kill Jill" by Big Boi
Two great Atlanta MCs from two fantastic rap duos that already have a history of great collaborations, Kill Jill was a slam dunk from the start. Unconventionally Mike opens the song up and also provides it's highlights but it speaks to the nature of these two. Their styles blend so perfectly and the bangeresque production is right at home off of Run The Jewels. Mike who felt uninspired at times in the deeper cuts off of RTJ3, shines as bright as ever here.
6. Meek Mill - "Homie" by Young Thug & Carnage
Thugger has NEVER been more abstract, crazy, or hard-hitting as he is on "Homie", so how could he and producer Carnage possibly find somebody to keep up with his pace. Danny Brown? MC Ride? The guy from IDLES maybe? But Meek Mill? Meeks crystal clear pop rap history seemingly doesn't mesh well with this type of aggression, but against all odds the now jailed rapper certainly holds his own. His brief interlude from Young Thug's throat melting bars is a welcome addition and the muddier and heavier production surprisingly does Meek a lot of justice and goes a long way to make you think some what iffs about his underwhelming career thus far.
5. Kendrick Lamar - "Yeah Right" by Vince Staples
I've said it before in my review and spoiler alert, I'll say it again on another list, Yeah Right is disappointing. On January 1st if you had told me Vince Staples, Kendrick Lamar, Flume, SOPHIE and Kucka were going to collaborate on a track I'd have saved a spot on my top 10 from day one. Vince isn't his trademark catchy yet ruthless, Flume sounds like a knockoff of himself and SOPHIE's influence is nowhere to be found. So what makes this song even noteworthy? Kucka's unmistakable bridge is only the beginning of what I can almost call Kendrick's best guest verse of his career. What makes it so compelling is that as versatile as Kendrick is four albums into his career his biggest fans can essentially say they know most of what he has to offer, not anymore. Kdot sounds more extravagant as ever while walking the line between Gambino's flare and Andre's speed, somehow? Nothing Kendrick SAYS is all that impactful especially when you consider that it's Kendrick, but the verse has enough sonic appeal to easily make the list.
4. Pusha T - "Enough" by Flume
Pusha T is the most UNDERRATED rapper in the game, all caps for the people in the back. While the wait for King Push chugs on we were not only provided with a fantastic highlight on the newest Gorillaz album but also the unlikely and criminally overlooked "Enough" off of Flume's Skin Companion EP2. Flume brings the house with one of the hardest banger beats of his career and Pusha T stands up to the line of fire and triumphs. You wouldn't believe this, Pusha raps about selling drugs, racism, money and success, and its absolutely as infectious as ever. It's just another verse to pile on the ever growing mountain of Pusha's success and if King Push isn't out come this time next year, expect to see Pusha back here again in 2018's guest list.
3. A$AP Rocky - "Who Dat Boy" by Tyler, The Creator
Tyler's Flower Boy is watered with a number of great features including great contributions from Frank Ocean twice, Jaden Smith, Red Orange County twice, Lil Wayne, Kali Uchis and even Estelle of all people. But who wasn't excited to hear about a new A$AP Rocky and Tyler song? And they pulled through. To make it this high on a list for a song that shares 2 MCs you typically have to seriously kill your competition and while Tyler hangs on pretty well with a spectacularly catchy chorus Rocky's effortless flow and cool as ice demeanor steals the show throughout the songs second half. Rocky makes a good song great by doing everything you can ask a good feature to do, but due to some VERY stiff competition found himself on the pedestal, just at the bottom.
2. Danny Brown - "Horror Show" by DJ Shadow
Compared to the other Producer/Rapper splits on this list and a good amount of the songs that are out there ever, Horror Show is amongst the highest caliber that doesn't have Madlibs name in the liner notes. DJ Shadow provides his best instrumental in years, possibly since Entroducing.., and Danny captures the opportunity with ease. His wild outside the box flow and charisma is as omnipresent as ever and even though he has struggled writing his own choruses before he nails is this time around. Danny gets the credit when you read the headline for this list but this is easily a collaboration for the ages that is about as close to 50/50 you can get, without being the song at #1, that is.
If you read my review you'll know Vince won't find himself anywhere near #1 this time around for Album of The Year and certainly not for Song of The Year, but raps most hilariously intelligent personality found a way to win regardless. The newest Gorillaz album has taken a lot of heat, and we will get there I promise, but Vince straight up owns his moment in the spotlight his vicious and cutthroat flow made us long for what Big Fish Theory could have been after great singles BagBak and Big Fish, but we have to settle for chanting along at the top of our lungs "The skys falling baby, drop that ass 'fore it crash". Nobody not named Josh Tillman does a better job of capturing Trump's America better than Vince's closing line. "You can live your dreams, long as you don't look like me, a puppet on a string, hanging from a fucking tree". And Damon holds up his end, providing an infectious backing set to complete all the means for a phenomenal song from two incredibly talented people.
Honorable Mentions:
Nicki Minaj - "Swish Swish" by Katy Perry
Young Thug - "Ice Melts" by Drake
A$AP Rocky - "Groupie Love" by Lana Del Rey
Kendrick Lamar- "Power" by Rhapsody
Offset - "Wedding Crashers" by Amine
