2020 Year End Lists Chapter 3: Top 10 Guest Verses Of The Year
are a part of the backbone of collaborative spirit and personality upon which hip hop is sustained. While every year high profile collaborations make their way more and more into other areas of the musical landscape there's nothing like two electric MC's meeting up on a song a dishing out their respective fire one after another. Each year I like to highlight some of the best guests of the year who build and improve upon the songs they're brought onto. Like every year there was an extensive list of great features I heard throughout 2020 and it wasn't easy to assemble into just 10. I even briefly considered extending it to 15 to fit solid contributions from Joey Badass and A$AP Rocky onto the list but ultimately making it into the top 10 is an achievement not worth souring.
10. Conway The Machine on Babies & Fools by Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist
Conway The Machine may not have had the loudest or most acclaimed record among his Griselda contemporaries in 2020 but he dropped a very high profile feature and hit it out of the park on the long awaited Freddie Gibbs and Alchemist collaborative project Alfredo. Like many tracks on the record Babies & Fools has a relaxed summery jazz inspired beat but that doesn't prevent Freddie from flexing his versatility and warping his gangster bars into an incredibly smooth tune. Conway matches this energy with his trademark instantly recognizable voice but doesn't stop there. He trades out gangster manifestations for often hilarious domestic storytelling. It's the ability to bounce smoothly between hip hop tropes like repping his Griselda squad and detailing his tumultuous past with these hilarious family matters that makes the verse so charming and memorable, as well as perfectly fitting on a Freddie Gibbs track.
9. Open Mike Eagle on Pinball by R.A.P Ferreira
Open Mike Eagle's creative beat selection and laser focused topical tracks are often what allows him to lure such fantastic performances out of features on his own songs. This time around he lended that ability to a standout second verse on Pinball. The lowkey beat and reserved delivery are far from new ground for Mike so it's no surprise he brought his witty wordplay and narrative abilities in spades for his moment on the track. From musings on how he uses rap to address his own personal problems to wishing he had chosen a career path with a more consistent revenue stream the verse is just as uniquely charming as everything we've come to expect from Mike and helps wrap up a standout moment on one of the better experimental rap albums of the year.
7. Pusha T on Good Morning by Black Thought
Much like last years Palmolive (to which I called Pusha T's verse my favorite feature of the entire year) when I saw that The Roots' Black Thought was releasing a track with Pusha T and Killer Mike it was hard to suppress the hype. As it turns out the song is pretty good but not quite the masterpiece it was billed to be. The tracks most premiere moment comes, unsurprisingly, on Pusha T's electric feature. While the subject matter of his verses have never changed he once again proves why he talks the talk and walks the walk with a series of sharply performed fiery bars taking on all challengers. It's hard to imagine anybody but Ty Dolla $ign coming for Pusha T's feature crown any time soon.
Damon Albarn and Gorillaz are responsible for delivering so many great features over the years. From Del The Funky Homosapien and MF Doom in the early days to a handful of De La Soul features and most recently Vince Staples, Pusha T and now Schoolboy Q. Pac-Man is as classic a Gorillaz song as they come which of course means Schoolboy Q is an essential part of the song with a multi faceted and detailed feature. He brings enough kookiness to fit into the universe of Gorillaz while maintaining his aggressive demeanor and catchy flows to round out a fantastic track.
5. Denzel Curry on Take Care In Your Dreaming by The Avalanches
Back in 2016 the first time I ever wrote this list The Avalanches provided a number of viable feature moments on their 2016 album Wildflower. Now in 2020 The Avalanches are back and they brought with them yet another standout feature when Denzel Curry jumps on the first half of the track Take Care In Your Dreaming. Maintaining the albums galactic energy the song features both a beautiful hook and a tight transition from it's dreamy introduction into the hard hitting beat over which Denzel hits his stride. Narratively Denzel's verse takes the listener on a journey of his career since 2011 with the same infectious energy that has always made him so easy to cheer for. He deserves credit for the quality of his performance just as much as The Avalanches do for the interpolation of his verse into the song and the album as a whole.
4. Doja Cat on Pussy Talk by City Girls
There were a lot of ass shaking female empowerment bangers on display in 2020 and while Megan Thee Stallion's great verse on WAP narrowly missed this list there is no denying the sheer charm that Doja Cat puts on display on Pussy Talk. It's hard to ever come off anywhere near as slick or charismatic as Yung Miami and JT but Doja Cat was up to the task. With one quotable after another in her short verse Doja Cat made everyone instantly forget about some controversy she had earlier in the year. With this verse she delivered everything you could ask for on a track like this with a personality that could fill the room and one Instagram caption caliber bad bitch bar after another.
3. Beyonce on Savage (Remix) by Megan Thee Stallion
Given that we've already discussed WAP today and Megan released both a studio album and separate EP in 2020 it's safe to say that she was a part of a lot of influential and talked about tunes. Savage was the opus of this particularly in the moment when Beyonce joined her for the tracks massively successful #1 hit remix. But this was no shallow re-working of the track or extra verse thrown onto the end. Beyonce takes the songs mission statement and creates her own interpretation alongside Megan's that works perfectly together. Not only does her contribution begin with some one of the most quotable bars of 2020 but it maintains the songs inherent swagger and confidence throughout. Megan and Beyonce absolutely set the standard for how to do a song justice with a remix this year.
2. Injury Reserve on Fetus by Amine
In 2018 Ritchie from Injury Reserve made the feature list on the Amine track Campfire. The next year in 2019 Amine made the list with a feature on the Injury Reserve track Jailbreak The Tesla. The combination has been one of the most electric and innovative in all of hip hop but Fetus is an unforgettable moment like no other for the pairing. Amine and Injury Reserve craft a song around their present and future children, stories of pregnancy scares and fears of college payments over a beautiful and rich Parker Corey beat. Each of the three MC's approach the topic of children in their own unique and personal way making each of their verses moments well worth remembering. That being said with the tragic passing of Groggs his verse in particular is incredibly poignant and difficult. His musings on his 6 year old daughter and wishes to be the best father he possibly can be are heartbreaking but delivered with premiere authenticity. This all combined for one of the best rap songs I've heard in years and it just wouldn't be the same without anyone involved. RIP Jordan Groggs
1. 21 Savage on 12.38 by Childish Gambino
My favorite feature by a supporting artist this year came from another one of my favorite tracks of the year as they so often do. While a lot of noise was made at the release of Childish Gambino's long awaited Awaken My Love follow-up earlier this year it has certainly quieted down. If one facet of the record has maintained every bit of status from the moment we first heard it on a mysterious livestream to the second I and writing and releasing this list, it's the 21 Savage verse on 12.38. The song details a night of love and drugs in a uniquely narrative way that only Gambino can and presents a pretty tough task for a featured artist. But one of the most improved rappers of the past 5 years emerged for a true swan song moment on the tracks back end. 21 Savage not only manages to rap in tight catchy flows that somehow feel relaxed and casual but also manages to drop one quotable bar after another while doing it. He sound so casual yet so cool, so commanding yet so hilarious, like one of modern raps best voices but still not taking himself too seriously. It's funny, witty, charming, infectious, memorable and the best feature I've heard in 2020.
Thanks for reading, if you liked this list check out the two prior lists about Production and Album Covers.
