7. Jay-Z
Kendrick Lamar – “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe (RMX)”
good kid, m.A.A.d. city
(TDE/Aftermath/Interscope)
When Jay-Z gets on your song, its a big deal. Especially considering the only collaborations he’s recently done have been for artists on his label, or artists’ he has a personal relationship with, a la J. Cole, Kanye West and Justin Timberlake. That being said, when Hov reaches out across the country to hop on a song that hasn’t even been designated as a single yet, pump your chest. You did it, kid. We’re sure that’s the spiel Punch or Top Dawg gave Kendrick Lamar when they secured the Roc Nation boss’ guest verse for the remix to K-Dot’s hit GKMC cut, “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe”. Whether or not Jay-Z or Kendrick Lamar escaped the occasion alive is a debate we’ll leave for you to engage in, but no one will be mad at Jay’s focused staccato flow on this one. Not even Kendrick.