Rap and metal are two genres that work incredibly well together. While there are those who may stick their nose up at genres like rap metal and nu-metal, each of these genres has provided audiences with creative and technically captivating art.
But while those genres stand on their own as being awesome, what is equally as cool is when a metal band decides to team up with a rapper for a song.
Throughout the history of rap and metal, there have been a lot of amazing collaborations, and of all the collabs that have taken place, these 10 metal x rap collaborations are the greatest.
“Play Me” – Korn & Nas
Few have done as much with rappers as Korn has. On their 2003 album Take a Look in the Mirror, Korn invited Nas onto their track “Play Me”; while Jonathan Davis gets some time to shine on the song, what primarily makes this a standout cut are Nas’ bars. Nas’ rhymes and the chugging flow of Korn’s instrumentation make for an incredible blend of adrenaline, and also surprising in a way (given how well Nas’ voice works with the nu-metal instrumentals).
“Just Another Victim” – Helmet & House of Pain
The Judgement Night soundtrack as a whole makes for an amazing soundtrack (featuring a plethora of incredible collaborations); we recently gave a shout-out to Judgement Night on our “most nu-metal movies ever” feature. Among the collabs, the Helemt and House of Pain team-up is one of the most exhilarating, for it bounces and clashes throughout its runtime, providing intense thrills that will get you wanting to start a mosh pit.
“Numb/Encore” – Linkin Park & Jay-Z
Easily one of the most iconic collabs of the 2000s. Linkin Park and Jay-Z are titans in their respective genres, and the two acts teaming up for an entire mashup album was nothing short of extraordinary. When listening to “Numb/Encore,” it’s astounding how well Jay-Z’s verses mesh with the nu-metal mood of Linkin Park. It is baffling that such a unique collaboration has not taken place since.
“The House Always Wins” – Stray From The Path & Vinnie Paz
Hands down – even before you listen to “The House Always Wins” – thinking of Stray From The Path doing a song with Vinnie Paz sounds hard AF. You have Stray, easily one of the most killer acts working in metalcore right now, collaborating with Paz, one of the most ferocious-sounding rappers working today (and a member of the wildly talented Jedi Mind Tricks). All that said, this collaboration is brutal as hell thanks to the crushing hardcore instrumentation, the abrasive-sounding vocals of band frontman Andrew Dijorio, and Paz’s incredible rhymes.
“Bring Tha Noize” – Anthrax & Public Enemy
Easily one of the most important collabs to ever take place in metal and rap – Anthrax and Public Enemy are essential acts in the history of music. In their respective genres, each act not only introduced new technical and creative flairs to their scenes but each has gone on to influence a tremendous array of rappers and metal bands, respectively. “Bring Tha Noize” is an absolute classic and makes us wish Anthrax and Public Enemy would team up again.
“Shame” – System of a Down & Wu-Tang Clan
Honestly, this list could have probably included multiple songs from Loud Rocks, but “Shame” by System of a Down and Wu-Tang Clan might be the comp’s stand-out. The track involves System of a Down playing a nu-metal remix of the iconic Wu-Tang song “Shame” (featuring bars from RZA). Also, Serj Tankian raps on the track, so you absolutely should check this out.
“Ready to Go” – Limp Bizkit & Lil Wayne
Some moons ago, Limp Bizkit was briefly signed to Lil Wayne’s Cash Money label, so it only makes sense that the two acts would work together on the band’s first outing. On “Ready To Go,” Limp Bizkit and Lil Wayne deliver an absolutely savage and exhilarating presentation that will get you bouncing off the walls, moshing, or at least compulsively headbanging. The track is an absolute banger presenting awesome instrumentation and some solid rhymes from both Fred Durst and Lil Wayne.
“Wither” – Tech N9ne & Corey Taylor
Along with presenting a captivating flow to how he raps, Tech N9ne also offers an astonishing variety to his theatrical presentation. From spoken word segments to lighting fast rhymes and abrasive screaming, Tech’s vocal range reminds us of how Slipknot singer Corey Taylor goes about his vocals. “Wither” highlights both artists’ stellar vocal techniques, giving audiences a little bit of melody, a little serenity, and a little bit of in-your-face aggression.
“Take What You Want” – Ozzy Osbourne, Post Malone, & Travis Scott
Post Malone has proven himself to be quite the metalhead, and a testament to his metal cred is having worked with heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne. Osbourne’s appearance in the song may be brief, but he provides a hook that is both catchy and further elevates the emotional atmosphere of the track. Alongside his work with Post and Travis Scott, it would be cool to hear Osbourne do more cameos with other rappers.
“Geronim” – Trippie Redd & Chino Moreno
Deftones singer Chino Moreno lent his lovely and gentle voice to Trippie Redd’s “Geronim,” and frankly, Moreno and Redd’s voices work perfectly together. There are sonic similarities between each artist’s voice, and when you have a shoegaze-like rock track with two artists that project airy, dreamy voices, you have yourself one awesome song.