The Koalition and Knights of the Turntable assemble for 2015 Collaboration of the Year! Every now and then some incredible music is put together courtesy of teamwork; some expected and some not so much. Check it out as we all list or favorite collabs and let us know what you think in the comments below. Also check out yesterday’s Song of the Year list.
Kels
Jay Rock ft. Kendrick Lamar and SZA – “Easy Bake” [90059]
Yes, I’m a TDE stan. And a fight go with that. But this track will get played weekly if not daily forever, ever. Not only is the back and forth between Jay Rock and Kendrick Lamar enough to make me jump on your grandma’s couch, SZA does her best singing, ever in my opinion. As a label, TDE has artists that work REALLY well together and “Easy Bake” is one of the best I have heard from them.
Dom
The Game ft. Drake – “100” [The Documentary 2.5]
“100” is the song that I learned about one month after the hype around it died down. The song is arrogant and I like that about it. It’s also kind of the way I roll. Keep it 100 at all times and we’re good. I also like the way the beat drops in this song. The differences in the flows of Drake and The Game were perfect for me, in this song. I think most people might forget this one when thinking about collabs for the year, but it’s definitely my favorite.
Gary Swaby
50 Cent ft. Sonny Digital – “I’m The Man” [The Kanan Tape]
I chose this song because although the original concept was drafted up by Sonny Digital ahead of time, 50 Cent added enough authenticity and aggression to it to it to make it a potential hit. To be clear, “I’m the Man” was created by Sonny Digital before 50 hopped on the track; but as he’s done so many times before 50 took an already existing song and added a whole new dimension to it. The differences in both artists niche creates a nice contrast that feels fresh.
Richard Bailey
Snoop Dogg ft. Stevie Wonder – “California Roll” [BUSH]
While Drake & Future both made headlines this year with their unexpected album What a Time to be Alive, I was more impressed by Snoop Dogg and Pharrell’s collaboration with Stevie Wonder on “California Roll”. This definitely doesn’t sound like you typical hip-hop song, yet it fits perfectly with the whole theme of Snoop’s BUSH album. I also personally wanted to give this song props for making Los Angeles sound appealing when in reality most parts of the city are easily more ratchet than most cities.
Joe Hova
Travis Scott ft. Young Thug & Justin Bieber – “Maria I’m Drunk” [Rodeo]
This is easily the best song on Rodeo, one that I played several times during the listening before our First Impression for the album. Justin Bieber has a verse that’s fully transitioned him to “Biebervelli” and Young Thug bends melodies in such a beautiful way. “Call yo friends lets get drunk” should be the slogan for all single people in 2016.
CSJR
Jay Rock ft. Black Hippy – “Vice City” [90059]
First and foremost, Schoolboy Q had the best verse. No debate. Beyond that, “Vice City” was exciting for me even before I heard the song. Once I saw the track list, my eyes lit up at the re-convergence of the Black Hippy crew. We know Jay Rock, Ab-Soul, Kendrick Lamar, and Schoolboy Q can all bring rapid fire heat on the mic, but “Vice City” saw the crew adopt a fun rhyme pattern and just float right on through. The music video is equally as fun and one can only hope Schoolboy Q’s verse closer was legit hint at a future Black Hippy project. Fingers crossed.
Boom! Another one. What did you think of the list? Your favorite collabs make the cut? If not, drop links and your reasons down in the comment section below. Stay tuned for Rookie of the Year before we rank the Albums/Eps and Mixtapes of the Year on Knights of the Turntable #50. Also, check the End of the Year Preshow.
