Mary J. Blige's 10 Best Rapper Collabos
Duets with the best MCs in the game are nothing new for Mary
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Mary J. Blige's 10 Best Rapper Collabos - For the new single on her highly anticipated 10th studio album, My Life II… The Journey Continues (Act I), Mary J. Blige went back to her bread-and-butter: blending hip hop and soul. On the just-released "Mr. Wrong," Mary linked with Drake, adding another dope duet with a rapper to her two-decades-deep catalog. Of course, collabos with the illest MCs in the game are nothing new for Mary — she pioneered the now common MC-singer juxtaposition, which is now even acknowledged by its own Grammy category. Here, we combed through her extensive discography of classics to present Mary's 10 best duets with rappers. —Alex Gale (Photo: Vince Bucci/PictureGroup)
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"What's the 411" (RMX) feat. Grand Puba - This seminal cut from Mary's debut of the same name unabashedly showcased her groundbreaking mash-up of hip hop and soul: Not only does former Brand Nubian member Grand Puba rhyme on the slinky bass-driven track, but Mary herself spits a few bars. She even performed the cut live in a now classic Yo! MTV Raps clip, seen above. (Photo: MCA Records)
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"All That I Got Is You," Ghostface Killah feat. Mary J. Blige - Mary saved some magic for Meth's Shaolin brother, contributing a gorgeous hook and verse to this tear-jerker — perhaps the saddest hip hop song ever — from Ghost's 1996 solo debut, Ironman. (Photo: Razor Sharp/Epic Street/SME Records)
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"Can't Knock the Hustle" - Mary crowned a then-unknown Jay early on, interpolating Meli'sa Morgan's '80s R&B classic "Fool's Paradise" with timeless results. The song has gone on to become one of Hov's calling-card hits.(Photo: Walik Goshorn / Retna Ltd)
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"I Love You" (Remix) feat. Smif-N-Wessun - This beautifully moody, Isaac Hayes–sampling duet — which juxtaposes Mary's soaring, pleading vocals with the grimy back-and-forth couplets of BK underdogs Smif-N-Wessun — easily stands out as one of Blige's best.(Photos: Scott Gries/PictureGroup; Terrence Jennings/Picturegroup)
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