Jay-Z and Kanye West‘s working relationship goes back two decades, to when West served as a producer on many of Jay’s early hits. Then, when West began his own solo career as a rapper, the two collaborated vocally from time to time, notably on songs like “The Bounce” from Jay’s Blueprint 2 album, “Last Call” from West’s The College Dropout (2004), and “Run This Town” with Rihanna, off The Blueprint 3.
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Eventually, the two became such a dominant force on shared recordings, and such recognizable figures in mainstream hip-hop, that they crafted a joint album in 2011 titled Watch the Throne. With smash hits like “N****s in Paris,” “No Church in the Wild,” “Gotta Have It,” “Otis,” and “Who Got Stop Me,” WTT became an instant classic, and a major highlight for both Jay and West’s careers.
Lately, though, the two MCs have grown apart both musically and personally, with their only collaboration in the last nine years happening on West’s 2021 album Donda. Reuniting on the LP’s second song “Jail,” they made the moment worthwhile, thanks to an epic hook by West and passionate lyrics from Jay such as Hova and Yeezus, like Moses and Jesus.
Still, though, West and Jay’s relationship is certainly not what it used to be. But, that should not stop us from reminiscing on all the tremendous moments they created. So, we ranked the five best songs Jay-Z and Kanye West ever collaborated on below. All released in an eight-year span, these tracks signify how masterful of a run the duo put together.
5. “Diamonds from Sierra Leone (Remix)”
For West’s sophomore album Late Registration, he included two different versions of the same song. Placed at No. 13 on the track list was the “Diamonds from Sierra Leone” remix with Jay-Z, which reprised the original version of the song that was used as a bonus track for Late Registration.
On this remix, West thoroughly rapped about the moral conundrum of wearing blood diamonds as jewelry. For Jay’s verse, though, he stood ten toes down on the path he was blazing as a mogul at the time, thanks to his Roc-A-Fella Records imprint. Rhyming that he’s not a businessman, but rather a business, man, Jay matched West’s earnestness with an equal amount of braggadocio.
4. “So Appalled”
The seventh song on West’s iconic My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010), “So Appalled” is not just a two-man showcase of West and Jay, but rather a medley of hip-hop legends that adds Swizz Beatz, Pusha T, and RZA of Wu-Tang Clan.
With unrelenting lyrics like I’m fresher than you all, so I don’t have to pause / All of y’all can suck my balls through my drawers from Jay or We above the law, we don’t give a fuck ’bout y’all / I got dogs that’ll chew a fuckin’ hole through the wall from West, “So Appalled” is easily one of the best posse cuts either of the two have ever been apart of.
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3. “Clique”
At the peak of their powers, with both of them becoming monster moguls in the music and fashion worlds, West and Jay-Z made a friendship anthem in 2012 with “Clique.” Also featuring rising star Big Sean, who was signed to West’s G.O.O.D. Music label, “Clique” has served as the climax for many social gatherings when played, thanks to its instantly recognizable Ain’t nobody fuckin’ with my clique hook.
It’s the Dream Team meets the Supreme Team
And all our eyes green, it only means one thing: you ain’t fuckin’ with the clique
2. “N****s in Paris”
Whether it’s the Blades of Glory dialogue used as an interlude, the addicting synth bell loop on the instrumental, or allusions to famous Michaels like Jackson and Jordan, every element of “N****s in Paris” justifies its popularity. Even before winning two Grammy Awards for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song, it felt clear that West and Jay both knew the song was a next-level creation of theirs.
“I am where art meets commercial. The sweet spot between the hood and Hollywood,” West said in reference to the song in an interview with XXL. “Having a conversation with Karl Lagerfeld and Jay-Z within the same hour. When we’re in Paris dressing all crazy at fashion shows, we listening to Jeezy. Jeezy in Paris, that’s what it is.”
1. “Run This Town”
Even considering how highly we just spoke of “N****s in Paris,” it’s practically impossible for any song to jump “Run This Town” in a ranking like this. Though West and Jay’s contributions are both striking and fervent, the true cherry on top of the track comes from Rihanna’s stunning We gon’ run this town tonight hook, which she performed during her 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show performance.
(Photo by Theo Wargo/WireImage for Hot 97)
