10 UK / US Collaborations We Want To See In 2015

When it comes to this here music, US and UK diplomatic relations have rarely been better. A laundry list of rap's elite (see: Kanye West, Pusha T, Danny Brown, Drake, Chance The Rapper) began tapping beat virtuosos from British shores in 2013. And 2014 was no different: French Montana popped up on the remix to Krept & Konan's runaway hit, "Don't Waste My Time", Skepta took grime to NYC, while Ed Sheeran confirmed that he'll be recording an album with Game.

From London to Glasgow, UK producers and songwriters are making some of the most original and challenging material for our favourite artists across the pond. Whether it's grime festering in London tower-blocks or drill music spilling out of Chicago, rap has increasingly regionalised and, at the same time, the internet has shrunk the world, drawing everybody's influences closer. Hip-hop's fledgling second generation is also honouring the genre's time-honoured tenet of reinvention, by looking beyond itself into new territories and scenes for inspiration. These are exciting times, and long may they continue into 2015.

To celebrate this ongoing cultural exchange, Complex UK has compiled a list of transatlantic collaborations we want to one day see come to fruition. You never know, some of these might just end up happening.

Words by Brendan Scott (@BV_Scott​)

As one half of Run The Jewels, El-P has been making a racket of late. His monster productions have teased out some of Killer Mike's best work to date and the pair have been showered with plaudits right across the board for Run The Jewels 2, their head-banging sequel.

We really think Dizzee should give El-P a shout. Ever since linking up with Calvin Harris, the Boy In Da Corner MC has taken flak for watering down his sound for mass appeal. "Pagans" and "Still Sittin' Here" (his collab with Fekky) may have proved there's still fire in his belly, but just imagine how he'd sound over the grandeur of a clattering El Producto beat.

The pairing might seem like a wild card, but there's some credibility to it. El-P specifically called on Diz to tour the US with him six years ago, where the Bow MC opened up the Brooklynite's gigs with cuts off his then-new Maths + English album. This is one past connection well worth revisiting.

Alongside LuckyMe labelmate, Hudson Mohawke, S-Type was responsible for crafting a suitably epic backdrop for The Rap Monument; the Noisey and Hennessy-sponsored main event of recent weeks. Not only that, he busied himself in 2014 with his Rosario EP, which featured brief appearances from Roc Marciano and YC The Cynic. You should also expect more transatlantic partnerships to follow from the talented Scot as his stock rises.

If there's one name we would like to see him alongside, it's ScHoolboy Q. Beyond living up to most people's expectations, Q's Oxymoron project showed how TDE's loose canon can tame any kind of beat, including dance-ready tracks made for club soundsystems (see: "Man Of The Year", "Collard Greens", "Hell Of A Night"), which is a domain that S-Type calls home. It's a shame Groovy Q was absent from The Rap Monument, as he would have sounded right at home on it. Still, amends can be made if these two find some time to hit the lab together.

Little Simz had an impressive run in 2014. With a MOBO nomination, three releases under her belt and praise being won from all corners, there's little stopping the diminutive north Londoner's ascent. She's not the only UK act to take her cue from the new wave of artists who have emerged from the US over the last three years, although she might be the most visible. You can hear the influence in the customary quantized 808s and pitched-down backing vocals.

Meanwhile, Clams Casino—whose DNA was all over Rocky's debut, Live. Love. A$AP.—is a figurehead of those woozy, time-stretched cloudscapes that have impelled hip-hop in recent times. After ducking below the radar for a while, Casino resurfaced in 2014 to contribute to projects from ScHoolboy Q, A$AP Ferg and even Brit-R&B whisperer, FKA twigs. Clams should consider tailoring one of his slurring, downtempo numbers for Simz's purple-dipped conceits.

It's easy to draw comparisons between Giggs and Jeezy—both have reputations that precede them. The Snowman found himself in trouble with the fuzz in 2014 for apparently whooping the living bejesus out of guys and freighting an AK-47 on his tour bus. As for Hollowman, there's that stint in clinky for gun possession and then another six months on remand after police found a shooter in the boot of a car he was riding shotgun in.

In the booth, these two also have a knack for slow, raspy street-inspired bars. For his part, Jeezy co-ordinated one of 2014's standouts with the Jay Z-assisted "Seen It All" off his album of the same name ("¼ Block", "Black Eskimo" and "Holy Ghost" deserve honourable mentions too). And Giggs, he already cemented relations with the trap world way back when he and Waka Flaka collabed on their ode to street robbery, "Lemme Get Dat".

It's hard to see why the two wouldn't gel on track. But whether it ever happens, is another matter.

Fiddy is no longer at the height of his powers, but after a stretch in the wilderness funding the World Food Program and peddling headphones, he's rekindled past friendships by reuniting the Unit and seems to have a renewed focus for music. He, Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo, Young Buck (plus new face, Kidd Kidd) made their return official in releasing The Beauty of Independence seemingly out of nowhere. While bonus cut "Big Body Benz" is essential listening, the EP would have benefited from something a little harder. And this is where Beat Butcha could lend a helping hand.

It's not as if the links aren't already there. With "Timeless", the Brit producer blessed former G-Unit affiliates, Hav and P, with what was arguably the standout track of their worthy 2014 comeback, The Infamous Mobb Deep. It wasn't their first time in the studio together, either. He's also worked pretty extensively with Lloyd Banks already. In fact, Beat Butcha's brand of drum-heavy, often gutter boom-bap has been in high-demand amongst a number of other grimey New Yorkers. If 50 wants some real grit on his next official project, he should look no further. Failing that, a collaboration with the Unit as a whole would come off just as well. Stranger things have happened.

Hawk House are one of the most exciting things to happen to UK hip-hop for a long time. From the thoughtful production to the balance of male and female presence, and the leftfield aesthetic, they're rightly being welcomed as the breath of fresh air that they are. And the hook-up with Eric Lau on "Vulcan Grip" was a masterstroke. As well as hints of Digable Planets, their sound captures the neo-soul of Like Water For Chocolate-era Dilla, and Detroit more generally.

To hear this three-piece on the warm grit of Motor City production would be more than a treat—it's a match waiting to be made. Jay Dee is no longer with us, of course, but his heir apparent Black Milk has been steadfastly developing his sound with each new outing. He added to his repertoire once again in 2014 with If There’s A Hell Below; tracks such as "Everyday" and "What It's Worth" proving he's still got it. Let's hope this hook-up isn't just a fanboy/girl fantasy.

Jon Phonics has climbed from the dark cells of underground UK hip-hop obscurity to the bright, progressive Brit beat scene over the last three years. Look no further than his EP, White Neckle, and the run of electro-inspired mini-projects released under his Astral Black imprint for evidence of his more recent direction. He's the king of disjointed, stuttering digi beats that somehow manage to transpose the funk and soul of times past (see: "Face Of Spades" and "Afternoon Delite").

Cue André 3000. The popinjay and rap virtuoso is that rare breed of artist, like Jon Phonics, who can draw from a wide palette of influences, meld them together and reshape them in his own image. Each trace their roots back to hip-hop, yet have gone much further by manipulating the genre and borrowing from others.

These two could concoct something very special. The trouble is, though, 3 Stacks tends to shy away from the musical limelight these days. You might find him dipping the occasional toe back in the water with verses for "Future" or alongside Timbaland's protoge, Tink, but most of his time is now spent sharpening his thespian smarts. Don't hold your breath for this one, y'all.

Bishop Nehru is a young man with an old soul, something confirmed by metallic-masked collaborator, DOOM. As fate would have it, the pair created NehruvianDOOM in London after the pair were booked for the same show, and their resulting joint LP went on to sate hip-hop puritans.

While Eric Lau's sound is as close to the soul end of the spectrum as anything else, this year's Love Call EP with Tawiah being the strongest evidence of that, the heavily swung drums and warm Rhodes keys that can be found on tracks like "Here" sound like they were made to fit for one of the golden era revivalists currently spearheading the Beast Coast movement. With his DOOM album behind him, Bishop Nehru should give some serious thought to connecting with Eric next time he's in town.

This actually has a chance of happening. The Glaswegian was welcomed into the G.O.O.D Music fold in the build-up to Cruel Summer and has been working hard behind-the-scenes ever since. He already lent his hand to Yeezus, then there was rumoured work on a Watch The Throne sequel.

There are a couple of obstacles standing in the way, though. For one, the people are still waiting on that rumoured Kanye solo that never materialised in 2014, which could mean WTT2 has to take a backseat for the time being. And there was some friction when HudMo questioned the sonic direction Jay took for Magna Carta. But he wasn't the only one. And besides, that's all in the past.

It's more likely you'll see the producer's name appear in the credits to whatever Yeezy has up his sleeve, or on Pusha T's sophomore King Push, before we hear anything of another Throne album. This is one collaboration we'd love to hear—​what better than rap's most exalted gracing one of Hudson Mohawke's rambunctious productions with his agile flow? For now, enjoy HudMo's Chimes EP and watch this space.

Skepta has been on something of a tear of late. With "That's Not Me", he helped give grime hope in 2014, and he didn't need any bells or whistles to do it. When scooping a MOBO for best video, the BBK co-head let it be known it cost just £80 to put together. Shortly afterwards, he was seen redelivering the track from a New York rooftop with Rat King's Wiki, flanked by Jammer and A$AP Bari. A month after that and Skepta returned with "It Ain't Safe"; A$AP Bari taking hook duties and running about on road with his new comrade for the unashamedly lo-fi video. Around the same time, and all in the spirit of friendly competition, Boy Better Know and A$AP Mob faced off for the Red Bull Culture Clash at Earl's Court.

So, it's not too absurd to hope for a future collaboration. Fergenstein was the last A$AP member to furnish fans with a full project, while Rocky has been pretty quiet for the last 12 months. That said, what minimal output he's had—​"Multiply" and "Pretty Flacko 2"—​has impressed. And with 2014 being a quiet year for the collective's de facto frontman, that only means there's more to come in 2015. Hopefully, Bari will have a word in A$AP Rocky's ear and coax him into the studio with Skepta because that's a collaboration we'd like to hear as soon as possible.