Cameo Kings: R&B's 25 Best Featured Guests
R&B stars who often make another artist's song a hit.
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Cameo Kings: R&B's 25 Best Featured Guests - Want a song that tops the charts? That seduces? That makes you cry? Holler at your friendly neighborhood R&B star. Soul singers are often the go-to featured guest for other musicians looking to make a splash. Check out our list of the top 25 cameo kings (and queens) — the R&B stars who are most likely to make another artist's song a hit with both critics and the charts. —Alex Gale (Photos from left: Mike Flokis/Getty Images, Rob Loud/Getty Images,Theo Wargo/Getty Images)
Photo By Photos from left: Mike Flokis/Getty Images
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25. The Weeknd - The Weeknd sneaks onto this list not for jumping on every Tom, Dick and Harry's song but because he's curated his collaborations carefully and made them count: Drake's "Crew Love," Wiz Khalifa's "Remember You" and Juicy J's "One of Those Nights" are all standouts. (Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Coachella)
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24. Jeremih - Aside from his own hits, "Birthday Sex" and "Down on Me," Jeremih's smooth falsetto has made a mark on the charts and airwaves via tracks for Wale ("That Way"), Meek Mill ("Amen") and others. (Photo: John Ricard/BET)
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23. Justin Timberlake - Considering his solo success, it's surprising Justin's cameos aren't more of an automatic home run, but he killed it on Snoop Dogg's "Signs" and Timbaland's "Give It to Me." (Photo: Theo Wargo/Getty Images)
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22. Charlie Wilson - Don't front on Uncle Charlie from the Gap Band. He's given assists on numerous bangers from Snoop Dogg ("Signs"), Kanye West ("See Me Now"), UGK ("Quit Hatin' the South") and others. (Photo: Mark Davis/Getty Images for BET)
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21. Trey Songz - Trey Songz caught the ladies' attention on Drake's "Successful," Lupe Fiasco's "Out of My Head" and J. Cole's "Can't Get Enough." (Photo: Mark Davis/Getty Images for BET)
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20. John Legend - John Legend helped classics by Rick Ross ("Rich Forever"), Common ("They Say") and of course his Grammy Fam Kanye ("Blame Game") get lifted. (Photo: Rob Loud/Getty Images)
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19. Faith Evans - Faith Evans's sweet soulful voice blessed timeless songs by Diddy ("I Miss You"), A Tribe Called Quest ("Stressed Out") and, of course, her late husband the Notorious B.I.G. ("One More Chance"). (Photo: Earl Gibson III/Getty Images for BET)
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18. Akon - After helping Young Jeezy land a hit with "Soul Survivor," Akon gave some extra muscle to songs by 50 Cent, Pitbull and many more. (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
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17. Frank Ocean - Like fellow member of R&B's vanguard The Weekend, Frank Ocean doesn't collaborate often, but when he does the results are incredible — namely The Throne's "No Church in the Wild" and "Made in America." Ocean's also sang on songs by Tyler, the Creator and Odd Future, of course. (Photo: Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images)
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16. Miguel - Miguel and his falsetto soar up this list thanks to his recent work with J. Cole, Talib Kweli and, last but not least, Wale, who landed a No. 1 with "Lotus Flower Bomb." (Photo: Earl Gibson III/Getty Images for Centric)
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15. Erykah Badu - Erykah has been a go-to collaborator for rappers since the '90s, lending her beautiful voice to songs by The Roots, Rick Ross and Common. (Photo: Kris Connor/Getty Images for BET)
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14. Alicia Keys - From Drake's "Fireworks" to Jay-Z 's first No. 1 hit, "Empire State of Mind," Alicia has put in serious work as an A-list featured guest. (Photo: Judy Eddy/WENN.com)
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13. Ne-Yo - Ne-Yo has had quite a run as a chart-dominating hook man for both rappers and other singers, helping take songs by Pitbull, Keri Hilson and even Rihanna to the Top 10. (Photo: Isaac Brekken/Getty Images for Centric)
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12. Beyoncé - Sorry, Beyhive. Beyoncé's track record as a featured artist for Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga and, naturally, Jay-Z, though impressive, doesn't come near her immaculate discography as a lead artist. (Photo: Christopher Polk/Getty Images)
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11. Sleepy Brown - Sleepy Brown has too many classics to his name to not make a strong run on this list. Aside from his batch of timeless Outkast collabos ("Player's Ball," "The Way You Move"), the Dungeon Family singer has also laced bangers for Ludacris and Jay-Z. (Photo: Scott Gries/Getty Images)
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10. Kelly Rowland - Believe it: Kelly Rowland's run as a featured artist — which includes songs like Trina's "Here We Go" and dance DJ David Guetta's "When Love Takes Over" — is more impressive than Beyoncé's. (Photo: Mike Flokis/Getty Images)
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9. Usher - Usher's track record as a top-of-the-list featured artist includes Diddy's "I Need a Girl (Part One)," David Guetta's "Without You" and Alicia Keys' "If I Ain't Got You (Remix)." (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
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8. Cee-Lo - Cee Lo's raspy voice is one of rap's go-to featured instruments, spotlighted on fan favorites from Common ("A Song for Assata"), Diddy ("Everything I Love") and his old Dungeon Family homies Outkast ("Liberation"). (Photo: Johnny Louis/WENN.com)
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7. Chris Brown - Chris Brown's hitmaking prowess has made him an in-demand guest star for 2 Chainz ('Countdown"), Bow Wow ("Shortie Like Mine") and Big Sean ("My Last"). (Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
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