A Brief History of the Success of Collaborative Albums in Hip-Hop

Sometimes, two minds are better than one. Hip-hop’s rich history of legendary collaborations provides plenty examples of it. While most of the artists in the rap hall of fame are there for their solo careers, the duo—either two rappers or a rapper and a DJ/producer—has yielded some of the most important records since hip-hop’s inception. We’re talking collabs from EPMD and Pete Rock & CL Smooth, to Clipse and Black Star.

Measuring success can take on many forms—some intangible, like cultural impact, and some quantifiable, like platinum plaques. We decided to revisit the collaborative projects that yielded the best and most successful LPs in hip-hop history.

Eric B. and the God MC were one of the foundational DJ-rapper pairings, joining forces in the late ’80s and meshing sample-driven breakbeats with Rakim’s impeccably delivered flow. The duo became an incredibly popular act as they hit the mainstream, beginning with their 1987 debut, Paid in Full. Though the LP wasn’t their most successful on the charts—it peaked at No. 58 on the Billboard 200—it stood alongside follow up Follow the Leader as one of rap music’s cornerstone projects.

Long before Will Smith became a box office star, he played the MC to Jazzy Jeff's DJ, and became a dominant presence on the charts. Their sophomore album, He’s the DJ, I’m the Rapper, released in 1988, was by far their most successful venture, peaking at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and earning a triple platinum certification. It let two singles loose on the top 20: “A Nightmare on My Street” and “Parents Just Don’t Understand,” the latter of which won a Grammy for Best Rap Performance the following year. The Philly pair would take home another Grammy for 1991’s mega-hit “Summertime” and release three more albums before splitting—Smith to star on screen and Jeff to put out an overwhelming number of mixes and production work throughout the years—although a reunion may be in the cards.

DJ Premier helped define the sound of New York City’s sample-based aesthetic in the ’90s, contributing iconic beats to projects from Nas, Jay Z, and Notorious B.I.G. But he felt most at home manning the production boards for Guru, who rapped in a laconic tilt over Premo’s chopped-up sonic landscapes. Together, they released six albums as Gang Starr, revealing their full potential as a duo on just their second effort, Step in the Arena, in 1991, and continued the hot streak with Daily Operation the following year. Moment of Truth, the Brooklyn pair’s fifth LP, was their most successful, entering the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart at its peak and earning the pair their only gold certification.

The Queens duo consisting of Prodigy and Havoc had already created a hip-hop classic—one of the genre’s best—with 1995’s The Infamous, a gritty portrayal of street life from a youth perspective. But they didn’t hit their commercial apex until 1999’s Murda Muzik, which sold more than a million copies and copped them a No. 3 slot on the Billboard 200. Though their singles didn’t achieve the same success, they produced several hits that left a strong impact on the hip-hop world, including “Quiet Storm (Remix)” featuring Lil’ Kim and “It’s Mine” featuring Nas. Since then, Mobb Deep released four more albums, two of which reached the top five.

Arguably the most iconic rap duo of all time, Outkast’s André “André 3000” Benjamin and Antwan “Big Boi” Patton churned out undeniable classics for about a decade before turning their attention to their biggest album yet: Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. Preceded by game-changing LPs, including Aquemini, ATLiens and Stankonia, their 2003 double-disc effort was two separate solo attempts rolled into one, each stretching the conventions of hip-hop far beyond its norms. Not only was Speakerboxxx/The Love Below their best-selling album, racking up more than 10 million units and earning a diamond certification, but it also spawned numerous hit singles ("Hey Ya" is still rattling around people's heads over a decade later) and won the first Grammy for Album of the Year for a hip-hop group.

For years, UGK’s Bun B and Pimp C they steadily built their name down south, putting out their debut Hard to Swallow in 1992 and hustling heavy in the music game in the decade that followed. It was after a guest appearances on Jay Z’s “Big Pimpin’” and Three 6 Mafia’s “Sippin on Some Syrup” that they stepped onto a national platform. By 2007, they were firing on all cylinders, releasing a sprawling, double-CD classic called Underground Kingz. Bolstered by the smash “Int'l Player’s Anthem (I Choose You),” featuring the other Southern icons Outkast, Underground Kingz barreled its way to No. 1 on the chart—a career first—that August with 156,000 copies sold, and cemented UGK as one of hip-hop's greatest ever. Tragically, it came just months before Pimp C’s untimely death, cementing an indelible legacy for decades to come.

Two titans teaming up at the height of powers—and the results working—is unheard of. Jay Z attempted it once, with R. Kelly, but the collaboration ultimately collapsed. Hov got a second chance at iconic duo status, though, when he linked with his protege Kanye West in 2011 for the opulent Watch the Throne. The two—after years of working together as solo artists— immediately hit their stride as The Throne, crafting one of the most forward-thinking records of the past five years. The pairing felt like a classic from its inception; their debut of lead single “Otis” with Funkmaster Flex on Hot 97 was an unforgettable moment, and the resulting album mined chart gold, selling more than 400,000 copies in their first week, earning Jay Z and West their 12th and fifth No. 1 albums, respectively.

What A Time To Be Alive was a slam dunk. Not only did it secure both Drake and Future their second No. 1 albums of 2015, but every single track from the project debuted on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart—a tremendous feat by anyone’s standards. In its first week, it sold 375,000 copies, a notable figure in the digital age, and set the stage for their joint Summer Sixteen tour that they embarked on in July. Since then, Future hopped on Drake’s “Grammys” off his chart-topping Views, while Drake returned the favor on Future’s “100it Racks” from Project E.T., which dropped in June.