No artist ever wants to get outclassed on their own records. At the end of the day, there is still some sense of competition within hip-hop. Every great rapper has tried to have the best verse on a given song. However, sometimes, the features end up doing the primary artist, leading to some of the most iconic moments in rap history.
We’re here to look at four instances where rappers were completely outdone by their feature verses.
Four Features That Were Actually Better Than The Main Artist’s Verse
Paul Wall on “Drive Slow” by Kanye West
Paul Wall has a seemingly endless capability of describing his car collection and shining grills. He calls the platinum shining out of his mouth a disco ball; it merely insinuates he’s ballin’, though. There’s incredible alliteration to say “ridin’ something candy-coated, crawling like a caterpillar.” My favorite line is undoubtedly “it’s a star-studded event when I valet park/open up my mouth, and sunlight illuminates the dark.” Paul Wall’s verse on “Drive Slow” might as well be rapping 101.
Jay-Z on “Go Crazy” by Young Jeezy
Something about Jeezy just brings the best out of Jay-Z. The Atlanta legend was known to oscillate between blisteringly hard and hilariously simple punchlines that made him such an alluring presence on records. One moment, he’ll say “like horseshoes, I was tossin’ them O’s” even though they’re not O’s. But then he’ll embody Ghostface Killah just because of how much he loves money.
But the record belonged to Jay-Z once he said “More than a hustler, I’m the definition of it/Master Chef, lord of the kitchen cupboard.” Hov’s verse on “Go Crazy” distills his entire ethos. Having any form of dollar bills won’t suffice—“his favorite hue is Jay-Z blue.”
He says that he is the pure embodiment of success, to come from nothing, grind, and bathe in the spoils of your riches. He’ll even teach you Reaganomics and master the system of capitalism to your benefit. After Jay’s “Go Crazy” verse, dozens of men bought self-help books and started launching LLCs.
Future on “Pardon Me” by Lil Yachty
Lil Yachty is known for laying the groundwork to have his features steal the show. In a sense, he’s taken over DJ Khaled’s spot as a tastemaker for modern hip-hop. Rising rappers like Veeze or Fox BD and established greats like Lucki get to spotlight what makes them such refreshing, invigorating presences in hip-hop.
But on “Pardon Me”, an established great like Future came on board with one of the wildest, most creative verses of the 2020s. He breaks up his rhyme pattern with off-kilter whistles, sometimes filling in the places of words. Over deafening 808s that encompass the whole record, it’s like he creates the pockets himself to rap on. Additionally, with some funky inflections and rhyme schemes, Lil Yachty never stood a chance.
50 Cent on “Hate It or Love It” by The Game
As much as “Hate It or Love It” is a big coming-out party for The Game, this song belongs completely to 50 Cent. It’s not just the sticky hook, though. 50 takes a rare moment to be actually vulnerable, succinctly recalling childhood confusion, street woes, and rap dreams in just four bars.
It’s a far cry from the antagonistic villainy we’re used to with him. As for The Game, he spits some perfectly fine verses, rapping his trademark name-drops to make his lines eye-catching. But for 50, “Hate It or Love It” is a foundational piece in understanding his life and career.
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