From Nate Dogg To Rihanna: The 10 Best Hook Darlings
Watch for the hook.
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These Artists Will Bring You Mainstream Success - Even if you don't know the words to the song, chances are you know the hook to it. This list highlights the singers (and sometimes rappers) that emcees have turned to soften up their songs and bring them mainstream stardom. After all, a hook isn't a hook if it can't catch your attention and reel you in with its melody. — Janice Llamoca(Photos from left: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images, Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
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Ashanti - The first lady of Murder Inc. had hooks everywhere in the early 2000s. Her memorable hooks include Fat Joe's "What's Luv?" and Ja Rule's "Always On Time," which actually simultaneously placed her in the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.(Photo: Jemal Countess/Getty Images for MTV)
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Nate Dogg - Nate Dogg and his sweet-sounding gangsta hooks were a staple in West Coast rap (and beyond) in the '90s and the early 2000s. Like Mack 10 said, "It ain't a hit 'til Nate Dogg spit." (Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
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Rihanna - Nowadays, only Eminem and Kanye West can get Rihanna on a hook, but really any song she's featured on will be an instant hit.(Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
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Drake - There was a time (before, during and after recording Thank Me Later) where Drake was flexing the potential of his singing voice and it was hook heaven for his own singles and anyone who caught one.(Photo: Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images)
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Pharrell - Beautiful, I just want you to know, you're my favorite hook singer on top of being a great producer and just all-around musical genius. (Photo: Christopher Polk/Getty Images for NARAS)
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Akon - Hate it or love it, Akon's high-pitched, nasal voice had the ability to be stuck your head for days. (Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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T-Pain - In the mid-2000s, everyone wanted a piece of T-Pain's hooks on their songs. Blame it on the Auto-Tune for making the songs easy enough to sing along to and for making everyone feel like they could actually sing.(Photo: Gerardo Mora/Getty Images for Pepsi)
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Future - Future is another artist who relies on Auto-Tune when he sings. After bringing life to YC's "Racks," Future went on to do memorable hooks for Ace Hood's "Bugatti" and for his own song, "Move That Dope."(Photo: Robin Marchant/Getty Images for New Era)
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Mary J. Blige - We're not denying that Mary J. has singles and a catalog to back it up, but when she did deliver hooks, she delivered the hell out of them. Just check out Method Man's "You're All I Need."(Photo: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)
