There’s no doubt about it: Jay Z and Kanye West are one of the most influential duos in hip-hop’s history. Though they’re each their own solo act, the two are also equally intertwined in each other’s history. Jay gave Kanye a spot in Roc Nation as a producer, and then later, as a rapper, and likewise, Kanye is behind the majority of Jay’s beats in the 2000s. Who knows where Jay and Kanye would be at today if they hadn’t met each other - nevermind that, where would hip-hop be today if they hadn’t met? But the chemistry goes beyond their industry moves: when Hov and Ye hop on a track together, it’s a hit every time. You can feel the friendly fighting spirit between them as they trade verses and bars, and you can catch them playing each other’s hype-man on plenty of their shared songs.
However, not all is well in the (once) Roc Nation family. Kanye reportedly left Jay’s streaming service, TIDAL, in recent months, while Hov seemingly targeted Kanye with lyrics on 4:44's "Kill Jay-Z." The ire between the two apparently dates back to a "Saint Pablo" tour rant in 2016. So before “The Throne” gets any more divided, we’ve compiled what we believe to be the top 10 Jay Z and Kanye West collaborations to come out over the course of their careers-- songs where both artists are rapping. These songs are presented in no particular order.
Stay tuned for our sister list tomorrow, where we will cover the best Kanye West-produced-Jay-Z tracks. Also, for your own education, here’s our history of Jay and Kanye’s beef that’s developed over the course of the last year.
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