You really don’t see country and hip-hop collaborations that much nowadays. It’s a shame, really. These two genres might not have a ton in common musically, but they’re different enough to really compliment one another beautifully. The following collaborations are just a few noteworthy productions that proved that country and hip-hop could go hand-in-hand.
1. “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus
This earworm of a tune is probably the most famous example of a country and hip-hop mashup. The original version of “Old Town Road” didn’t feature Billy Ray Cyrus, but the remixed version with Cyrus’ vocals is what catapulted the song to the top of the charts. It’s been years since this song came out, and I still can’t get it out of my head.
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2. “Cruise” by Nelly and Florida Georgia Line
“Cruise” is a high-charting entry on our list of country and hip-hop collaborations. It made it to no. 4 on the Hot 100 chart and no. 1 on the Country charts as well. Country-pop duo Florida Georgia Line already knew how to blend genres together with a notable country flair, and adding rapper Nelly into the mix was a very smart choice.
3. “Superman” by Snoop Dogg and Willie Nelson
Well, Snoop Dogg and Willie Nelson have at least one thing in common, and it isn’t their music genres. It’s not exactly surprising that the two famous potheads would get together for a track. “Superman” is actually a pretty heartwarming collaboration between the two musicians, considering it’s all about doing the best they can despite not being perfect.
4. “Hustler” by Coolio and Kenny Rogers
Kenny Rogers’ collab with Wyclef Jean (“Pharoahe Monch Dub Plate”) could have made it to this list, but we went for this collab with Coolio instead. “Hustler” is a fantastic reimagining of “The Gambler” with elements of classic country and ’90s-era hip-hop.
5. “Ride On Ride Out” by Darryl McDaniels of Run-DMC and Colt Ford
Out of all the country and hip-hop collaborations on this list, this one is the definition of “hick hop”. Rapper Darryl McDaniels of the rap group Run-DMC worked with country singer Colt Ford on his 2010 record Chicken & Biscuits, notably for the song “Ride On, Ride Out”.
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