17 Hip Hop cuts that kept the party going regardless of language barriers
The expansion and globalization of rap brought forth a slew of amazing connections between countries and cultures. Artists in Europe, Asia, and the Americas have found fame and success with their own versions of Hip Hop, especially regarding music, fashion, and art. Naturally, these creatives began to collaborate and communicate with each other, which culminated in amazing mashups of melodies, flows, and styles that all audiences enjoyed -- even if their native dialects were vastly different.
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One example of this is the popular Latin trap movement, a subgenre led by Bad Bunny. Despite keeping his raps in Spanish on wax, the Puerto Rican star has managed to collaborate with a wealth of English speakers with seemingly little effort. His fourth studio LP, Un Verano Sin Ti, spent a whopping 13 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and became the first Spanish language album to top the Billboard 200 Year-End Chart.
Taking inspiration from artists like OG Maco, South Korean talent Keith Ape found worldwide popularity with his runaway hit, "It G Ma," a song performed almost entirely in his home language. One of the track's collaborators, Yuki Chiba, found his own fame with subsequent records like the infectious "Team Tomodachi."
REVOLT compiled 17 collaborations that showcased unity between rappers, despite the aforementioned dissimilarities. Check them out below.
1. It G Ma – Keith Ape, JayAllDay, Loota, Okasian, and Kohh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPC9erC5WqU
During rap’s blog era, Keith Ape struck gold with “It G Ma,” a collaboration with fellow Asian artists JayAllDay, Loota, Okasian, and KOHH, the last of whom now performs as Yuki Chiba. While the song, which is performed almost entirely in Korean and Chinese, received plenty of praise for its high energy and hard-hitting subject matter, many – particularly OG Maco, who was ultimately credited for the song’s sound – felt it was nothing short of appropriation. Thankfully, all parties seemed to have squashed the issue. Ape also created a remix of “It G Ma” with American stars Waka Flocka Flame, ASAP Ferg, Father, and Dumbfoundead.
2. I Like It – Cardi B, Bad Bunny, and J Balvin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTlNMmZKwpA
For her chart-topping debut LP, Invasion of Privacy, Cardi B connected with Latin stars Bad Bunny and J Balvin for the smash hit “I Like It,” which sampled Pete Rodriguez’s boogaloo classic “I Like It Like That (A Mi Me Gusta Asi).” While Cardi, a proud Afro-Latina, kept her bars in English, Puerto Rico’s Bad Bunny and Colombia’s Balvin brought the heat in their Spanish dialects. It all proved to work well, as the collaboration eventually went platinum 11 times over.
3. Eurovision – Central Cee, Rondodasosa, Baby Gang, A2Anti, Morad, Beny Jr, Ashe 22, and Freeze Corleone
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlnLvLDP4Zg
While London drill frontrunner Central Cee kept features on his 23 mixtape to a minimum, the above standout came with a wealth of artists who hailed from Italy, Spain, and France, making it a true European takeover. Taking things ever further, Cench would later join Australia’s The Kid LAROI and South Korea’s Jungkook (of BTS fame) on the worldwide charting hit “Too Much.”
4. Go Loko – YG, Tyga, and Jon Z
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2cFkVfVf2Y
Throughout his career, YG frequently showed love to the Latin community – an acknowledgment of that group’s population in the Los Angeles area. One example of that was the Mustard-backed “Go Loko,” which saw the Compton native performing alongside past collaborator Tyga and Puerto Rican star Jon Z, the last of whom rapped about his wild lifestyle in Spanish. As could be heard above, all three matched each other’s rockstar vibes seamlessly.
5. Bamba – Luciano, BIA, and Aitch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oglRrpIsVaE
For his sixth studio album, Majestic, German rapper Luciano tapped America’s BIA and Britain’s Aitch for a hard-hitting drill cut titled “Bamba.” Matching his collaborators’ energy, Luciano’s verse and hook was a mixture of his native tongue and English wordplay.
6. Rumble – GoldLink, Jackson Wang, and Lil Nei
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiYgh-RQsFA
Jackson Wang is probably best known for being in the K-Pop band Got7, a position that he earned after competing on a reality game show. Since then, The Hong Kong talent proved to be a formidable solo artist, as could be heard on the well-received albums Mirrors and Magic Man. Above, he stood his own ground with a hard-hitting rap verse in both English and Chinese alongside DMV stars GoldLink and Lil Nei.
7. Hangover – PSY and Snoop Dogg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkMNOlYcpHg
Following the wildly successful hits “Gangnam Style” and “Gentleman,” South Korean giant PSY teamed up with Snoop Dogg for the rave classic “Hangover,” an ode to alcohol overindulgence and its consequences. The track saw PSY utilize some English, including on a chorus that sounds inspired by Lil Wayne’s “A Milli.”
8. Seasons – Mozzy, Sjava, and REASON
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYV4n9A515U
The Kendrick Lamar-curated Black Panther soundtrack was a beautiful merger of American Hip Hop and African sounds, both of which matched the themes of the Marvel blockbuster the compilation was made for. One particular standout was “Seasons,” a collaboration between Cali stars Mozzy and REASON and South African artist Sjava, the last of whom delivered his powerful opening verse in Zulu.
9. Alors On Danse (Remix) – Sromae and Kanye West
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QTGh9SeNxs
Belgian musician Stromae found success with his debut album, Cheese, and its standout single, "Alors On Danse” (translated to “So We Dance”). Sometime after its release, the international talent recruited none other than Kanye West for its remix. The two even performed the song together at Coachella.
10. Caillera For Life – La Fouine and The Game
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6tgPsvWCVk
While international rappers often utilize English when collaborating with American artists, it’s rare to see that gesture reciprocated. The Game decided to challenge that notion with an appearance on La Fouine’s “Caillera For Life” single, which saw the Compton emcee delivering his street bars in both English and French – a surprising thing to witness in the duo’s matching visual.
11. Mera Na – Sidhu Moose Wala, Burna Boy, and Steel Banglez
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaVdD4Z8UCs
Sidhu Moose Wala’s music has continued to live on long after his tragic murder. One of his bigger collaborations, the posthumously released “Mera Na” (or “My Name”), featured assistance from Nigerian talent Burna Boy, who matched the late artist’s Punjabi approach with melodic lines rapped in English. The song’s producer, Steel Banglez, added the bittersweet track to his The Playlist compilation.
12. Team Tomodachi (Remix) – Yuki Chiba and Duke Deuce
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsXyeavZhdM
Long after his show-stealing verse on Keith Ape’s “It G Ma,” Yuki Chiba delivered a hit of his own with “Team Tomodachi,” complete with a visual showcasing Hip Hop dance moves from Tokyo, Japan. The song soon spawned different remixes, one of which featured Duke Deuce, adding to its international exposure. The Memphis native even paid a visit to Chiba for a new clip.
13. Oye Mi Canto – N.O.R.E., Gemstar, Big Mato, Daddy Yankee, and Nina Sky
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhxQnTELitk
Longtime fans of the man formerly known as Noreaga remember his Reggaeton era, which saw him tapping into his Puerto Rican roots. For his Latin-themed N.O.R.E. y la Familia...Ya Tú Sabe album, the rapper and “Drink Champs” host recruited Nina Sky, Gemstar, Big Mato, and Daddy Yankee for “Oye Mi Canto” (or “Hear My Song”), an infectious English and Spanish-spoken dance offering that scored a top 20 placement on the Billboard Hot 100 and a gold certification.
14. Mozambique – Ghetts, Jaykae, and Moonchild Sanelly)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIhWBhf1lPY
Ghetts delivered a classic with Conflict Of Interest, an album filled with recollections of past struggles before the fame. For the project’s lead single, “Mozambique,” the U.K. legend reached out to grime peer Jaykae and Moonchild Sanelly, a South African rapper and singer who elevated the song with street-oriented lines delivered in Xhosa.
15. Players (Tokischa Remix) – Coi Leray and Tokischa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KzsxXKBPRU
Coi Leray released a Caribbean remix of her hit song "Players," which featured a verse from Dominican rapper Tokischa. The remix, which incorporated both English and Spanish lyrics, more than added to the song’s playful and hedonistic vibes. The original track sampled Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five's "The Message" and reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.
16. Gasolina (Remix) – Daddy Yankee, N.O.R.E., Lil Jon, and Pitbull
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMheSeo1LRk
Few songs fueled the popularity of reggaeton like Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina.” The Spanish-spoken number landed on charts around the world and became the first song of the subgenre to score a Latin Grammy Award for Record of the Year. While the original packed a punch, the remix added even more power thanks to additional contributions from Lil Jon, N.O.R.E., and Pitbull.
17. Gimme the Light (Pass the Dro-Voisier Remix) – Sean Paul and Busta Rhymes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_JyUJ3Fz-M
While not a full-blown language, Jamaican patois is definitely a dialect that has added cultural flair to Hip Hop and music as a whole. “Gimme the Light,” the major-label debut from Sean Paul, became a massive hit and a top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 -- despite many listeners not fully understanding every word he was saying. Later, Sean Paul added Busta Rhymes, who is also of Jamaican descent, for a fiery remix.
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