The Cross-pollination of R&B/Hip-Hop 2

Written By Kensedeobong Okosun

R&B’s side-by-side juxtaposition with Hip-Hop blurred the lines of distinction between the two genres with both competiting for attention on the charts. R&B in the 1990s had become Hip-Hop’s wellspring of inspiration to be sampled and remixed.

However, traditional R&B artists like Babyface have kept its fire burning through the release of new music and collaborations in the 2010s. New independent artists like Lucky Daye have also fanned the flames of the genre as an agent of historical memory demonstrably in collaborations with legends like Earth Wind & Fire and Babyface. Players in the R&B musicscape have independently released music and toured the world.

In this post, I share a playlist of R&B/Hip-Hop collaborations in the 1990s with Hip-hop as the main character.

  1. Busta Rhymes & Janet Jackson. “What’s It Gonna Be” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qO5qM4PXkmo

  2. Da Brat & Tyrese. “What’chu Like” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pr_Gt3Q2poQ

  3. Destiny’s Child & T.I/Lil Wayne. “Soldier” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Js5k8WF9-Bw

  4. DMX & Regina Belle. “Angel” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0a6XgryT9tw

  5. Eve & Alicia Keys. “Gangsta Lovin” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mopsQWL-fmc

  6. Foxy Brown & Mya. “JOB” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-WLooIpgb0

  7. Ja Rule & Bobby Brown. “Thug Lovin’” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcqXH6pC0OA

  8. Jay Z & Mariah Carey. “Things That You Do” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnIcwXJAEkM

  9. Lil Kim & Carl Thomas. “ Right Now” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWzkfjrCyG8

  10. MC Lyte & Xscape. “Keep On Keepin’ On” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRzAGHjS83o

  11. Missy Elliot & Ginuwine. “Friendly Skies” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ma8lWYfdos

  12. Nas & Aaliyah. “You Won’t See Me Tonight” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMe3_6VxWWY

  13. Nelly & Kelly Rowland. “Dilemma" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwJm5hnWv6E

  14. Notorious BIG & R.Kelly. “ F*ck You Tonight” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHfzrvi3Jo8

  15. Pras & Mya. “Ghetto Supastar” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnWogQTfSIY

  16. Puff Daddy & Usher/Loon. “I Need A Girl” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wk-BITyU2Vw

  17. Tupac Shakur & K-ci and Jojo. “How Do You Want It” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kmak4Pr8P-I

  18. Twista & Faith Evans. “Hope” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8malp6iu48

  19. Warren G & Ron Isley. “Smokin’ Me Out” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vekzyyBG24Y

  20. Will Smith & Dru Hill. “Wild Wild West” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5mE5uhz9-E

  21. Wyclef Jean & Mary J Blige. “911” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLN6PL1KKO0

Kensedeobong Okosun

Kensedeobong Okosun is a music enthusiast, music researcher, music journalist with expertise in music selection & planning, vocalist and an author. Her academic article “Sisterhood and Soul Music as expressions of Black Power” is featured in the edited volume, Black Power in Hemispheric Perspective (Raussert & Steinitz, eds, 2022). She has reviewed Dorothea Gail’s Weird American Music for the Forum for Interamerican Research (fiar, 2019). Her literary review on Nigerian music titled “Nigerians and their Music” has been published on the Nigerian news platform Sun News Online, while her article “Remembering Victor Uwaifo, “Guitar Boy” and the quest to meet Mami Wata” graced The Nigerian Observer.

Kensedeobong’s blog highlights music’s interconnectivity with society and comprises personal music experiences, researched information, concept playlists for multiple themes, etc.

A hard-core 90s R&B fan, she utilises the vehicle of memory, to position long forgotten music of yesteryears on the front-burner.

She is persuaded that music is a core conduit of collective harmony, equanimity, vitality and healing. And as such requires criticality in the filtration process, in order to disseminate meaning. Her blog promotes music equality and diversity.

She resides in Germany.

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The Cross-pollination of R&B/ Hip-Hop 1