General Gregory N. Pigott: Late Night Music Part 75......."Hip Hop Sidekicks"

I love how rappers use other genre artists to not only reach a larger audience, but also to show off their musical diversity because many rappers get a bad rap for not being diverse enough when most of them are musical geniuses. While usually it's seen as a ploy to get on the charts, some of these songs are some of the best music of our generation. It also makes for some of the best music videos. I just randomly thought of this one tonight, and for the first time ever, I'm writing two entries in the same day. Don't be mad, just enjoy.

In order to be considered for this list, the song had to be a RAP collaboration with a featured vocalist, NOT a VOCAL collaboration with a featured rapper. Also, the singer must appear in the video and must be credited on the song. "Shut It Down" by Pitbull featuring Akon, "Shawty Get Loose" by Lil' Mama featuring Chris Brown, "Baby By Me" by 50 Cent featuring Ne-Yo, "I'll Be Missing You" by Puff Daddy featuring Faith Evans and 112, and "Beautiful" by Snoop Dogg featuring Pharrell and Charlie Wilson. Please note NOTHING by Ja Rule will appear on this list. Don't care how many songs he had with Ashanti and Lil' Mo- he still is a catastrophe. Also, Wale will not appear either, what a disaster. Also, last but not least, ZERO of the songs featuring Drake will be included. Remember DRAKE SUCKS! Also, "Run This Town" by Jay-Z featuring Rihanna was disqualified just because Rihanna was already on the list twice and I was not going to have 2 songs from the same album.

"Stan"- Eminem feat. Dido. On 2001's "Marshall Mathers LP", Eminem decided to finally release a single that wasn't telling how miserable his life was and how we should stop judging him to release this brilliant song about a crazed fan that is not only brilliant, but is considered by some to be the greatest hip hop song ever written despite only peaking at #51 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2001. Devon Sawa, from "Final Destination" fame does a great job depicting Stan in this video, which was cool because it actually featured vocals from the artist which it samples (her song "Thank You"). While sampling is more than common in rap, getting that artist participate is. Dido is awesome on this song, despite their obvious lack of chemistry that was very evident when they performed the song live on "Saturday Night Live".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSLZFdqwh7E

"I Love The Way You Lie"- Eminem feat. Rihanna. Eminem released yet another vocal collaboration in 2010 on his album "Recovery" and unlike "Stan", "I Love The Way You Lie" hit #1 on the Billboard Top 100 earlier this year. This song is not only deep and real, I'm gonna go ahead and call it Eminem's best ever. While the song has been panned and criticized for encouraging domestic violence, the song means so much more than that. Dominic Monaghan and Megan Fox are great choices for this video, as I think both of them play their characters perfectly. Oh yeah, Rihanna kinda still is one of the sexiest women in music. Also, unlike Dido, Eminem seems to have a MUCH BETTER stage chemistry with Rihanna.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uelHwf8o7_U

"Runaway Love"- Ludacris feat. Mary J. Blige. In 2006, Ludacris took a break from his usual jokingly funny rap lyrics to release the serious toned "Runaway Love" from his album "Release Therapy" which was used as a song advocating for troubled and runaway teens. As serious as this song is, I still remember laughing at two kids who were in my office (ages 4 and 6) who knew every word to this song. That was funny. Bonus points for Michael "I only appear in black movies" Rappaport and KeKe Palmer, who we all know now as "True Jackson, VP". I'm really not digging Mary J's look in this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISvMS6s41vY

"Satisfy You"- Puff Daddy feat. R. Kelly. I've never been a big Puff Daddy fan, as many of you know. In fact, this song will mark his first ever appearance on "Late Night Music". In fact, most people don't realize that this album "Forever" released in 1999, was actually Puffy's first ever solo release. The fact that no one knew that just shows how much this guy liked to put his nose in things (thank you, Suge Knight). Anyway, this video was very high budget with Hype Williams directing and was one of the first videos featured on the short lived MTV show "Making The Video".Sorry I can't find a better version video than this, because it was actually really good. One of my favorite hooks ever on this song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_1t6X0EOR4

"Slow Jamz"- Kanye West and Twista feat. Jamie Foxx. Ok, another artist I've never really liked, but this song is funny and I really like Jamie Foxx. Also, huge bonus points for Aisha Tyler, who was actually at the time, one of the hotter females in Hollywood just due to her recent critically acclaimed guest appearance as a recurring character on "Friends" in 2003. I actually like how Kanye pays homage to the some of the great soul artists of the past with this video. I could have done without Twista on this song and this video though. I always thought he was overrated- I mean the guy raps fast- big woop.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKJBwb8OIpM

"Empire State Of Mind"- Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys. Another Hype Williams video, Jay-Z went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with this song from his 2009 album "The Blueprint 3". This video really does a great job of showing the diversity and people of New York City. You have to give Alicia Keys props for doing this song for a city like New York when you know she's from Philadelphia- she must love Jay-Z. Bonus points for her outfit and bonus points for her playing the piano on the track too. This song makes me wanna go back to NYC- anyone wanna come?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UjsXo9l6I8

"Airplanes"- B.O.B. feat. Hayley Williams. B.O.B. is rare in the fact that his debut album "B.O.B. Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray" debuted at #1 earlier this year. Part of the reason for this was the release of this single 2 weeks before the release of the album featuring the lead singer of Paramore and Mississippi native Hayley Williams. B.O.B. doesn't have the street cred as some of the more gangster-related rappers might have, but his new sound is welcomed in the hip hop world now. Unlike most of the songs on this list and in this genre, Williams and B.O.B. did not record the song at the same time. In fact, they had never even met until they performed this song at the 2010 VMAs. Their parts in the video were shot at separate times also due to Paramore's tour to support "Brand New Eyes".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kn6-c223DUU

"Dilemma"- Nelly feat. Kelly Rowland. Man I got so sick of this song! This song lost any awesomeness it might have had just due to the overplaying of it in 2002. The song was one of the biggest hits of 2002, and won the Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration (didn't even know that was a category), and spent a total of 10 weeks as the #1 Billboard Hot 100 single. However, Kelly Rowland and Nelly have surprising good chemistry, and despite the ultra lame video, featuring Patti Labelle, this song remains Nelly's most successful song to date. Kelly Rowland is also super skinny in this video, and I noticed this after I saw in person during my trip to the taping of "The Tonight Show" with Katie Couric in 2003. She is beautiful, but PLEASE eat something!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WYHDfJDPDc

"Live Your Life"- T.I. feat. Rihanna. Rihanna is back on here with her inspirational with America's most famous criminal T.I. Most people don't realize it, but this song samples the crap out of "Dragonstea Din Tei" by O-Zone (remember that one?), which I think helped the song gain international fame in Europe. Like most songs Rihanna featured in them, this song from T.I.'s album "Paper Trail" went to the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100. Call me crazy, but T.I. may have landed his role in the movie "Takers" with this video- how cool is that guy? Bonus points for this song being featurd in "The Hangover".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koVHN6eO4Xg

"How Do You Want It"- 2Pac feat. K-Ci and JoJo. Tupac's last studio album "All Eyez On Me" featured this song as a double A-sided single to his worldwide smash "California Love". This song is actually a diss of gangsta rap critic and Philadelphia politician C. Delores Tucker. Tucker actually sued Shakur over this song, but the lawsuit was later dismissed. K-Ci and JoJo never struck me as a hip hop kinda group, even in their Jodeci days, so I always liked this combo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlvS_Uk5yJM

"Wild Wild West"- Will Smith feat. Sisqo. Wow, from one extreme to another right? Before he went exclusively to films, Will Smith recorded this song for his 1999 album "Willenium" as well as the summer blockbuster in 1999 of the classic TV series "Wild Wild West". Sisqo, who had recently broken off from Dru Hill temporarily appears in the video and on the video in his cowboy garb- maybe some slight foreshadowing to his "Gone Country" days. BONUS POINTS FOR DAYS FOR SALMA HAYEK! Will Smith is a super talented guy, but I'm really glad he stopped making songs for his movies. Can you see a rap song for "The Pursuit of Happyness" or "Seven Pounds"? Yeah, didn't think so.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fazjAafAAAo

"Hey Lover" - LL Cool J feat. Boyz II Men. I almost forgot about this one. I remember alot of "rap fans" in junior high thinking this song was lame just because Boyz II Men were on it and thought they were too soft to be included on a rap track. Well, not only are they wrong, they are crazy, because LL Cool J did a great job by including them on this track which was featured on his 1995 album "Mr. Smith" because the song went on to win the 1997 Grammy for Best Rap Performance. LL Cool J is one of those guys that really makes me sick- ladies, just look at him and you'll know why.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Um99r6sgspY

"Come Close"- Common feat. Mary J. Blige. This one was pushing it. Common is not your "common" rapper (pun intended). But the song is a genre of hip hop nonetheless and does feature the one and only Mary J. Blige. I don't know if I've ever seen a video be this progressive and creative. I really don't care for the rest of Common's music, but I really like this song which was featured on his 2002 album "Electric Circus". Common just strikes me as a strange individual despite his obvious creative gifts. Not digging Mary J's look in this video- why does she do that in her duet videos?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbbRrNHJ4Lg

"Got Your Back"- T.I. feat. Keri Hilson. T.I. is doing his best impression of Tupac because this song is on his upcoming album "No Mercy" that will be released while he is in prison, and will more than likely put him on the short list of artists who have had a #1 album while incarcerated. This song, released this past summer, shows T.I.'s constantly changing sound to almost family friendly because he's thanking all the women who stand by their men and his own wife and fellow inmate Tameka Cottle, from Xscape fame. She also had to briefly appear in the video just in case we forgot what she looks like. Huge laughs for the lyrics talking about being visited in prison- maybe he knew it was coming. Sorry, not funny, but it also kind of is. Ok, yes Keri Hilson is super sexy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gk2yOxTuLck

"You Got Me"- The Roots feat. Erykah Badu. Here is another one that is borderline, but like I said last time this one featured, this is one of the best collaborations ever just because Erykah Badu is SO herself. The Roots really didn't sound like this after the success of their 1999 album "Things Fall Apart". Still one of the most talented bands out there- love these guys on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJCHeEQV454

BONUS VIDEOS- "Breakdown"- Mariah Carey feat. Bone Thugs N Harmony. The reverse of the list, but still cool. One of my favorite hip-hop collaborations ever. Bonus points for the super sexy Mariah Carey.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bC7V9dn1rC8

"Down"- Jay Sean feat. Lil' Wayne. Had to put Lil' Wayne on here some how- another reverse collaboration which is one of my favorite songs ever that I have ever had on here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUbpGmR1-QM

"Stan"- Eminem feat. Elton John Live at the 2001 Grammy Awards. Great live performance that was ironic due to Eminem's recent accusations of homophobia.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZY2p7oE7Bpw