UpNorthTrips Presents The 10s | Add On, Son: 10 Special Features
A dope rap group usually doesn’t need to resort to flooding their album with guest features. Their notebooks are deep enough to keep all the bars in-house. But still, it’s always a blessing to invite a crew member or extended hip hop family friend to jump on an album cut. It’s exciting for the fans, a good look for the guest, and adds spice to the brewing stew when creating a classic LP. Check these ten special feature appearances on a rap group’s album, all co-signed by UpNorthTrips for our new series, The 10s.
1. A Tribe Called Quest f/ Large Professor “Keep It Rollin’”
Album: Midnight Marauders
Year: 1993
Breakdown: Extra P adds an extra verse to this laidback cut he produced off ATCQ’s third LP. It’s a stellar performance on the mic and behind the boards. Queens represent.
UNT Quotable: ”Yeah, yeah, now check the method.” -Large Professor
2. The Clipse f/ Fabolous “Comedy Central”
Album: Lord Willin’
Year: 2002
Breakdown: Fab flashes cash, shovels snow, and laughs at funny style rappers with the coldest brothers in Virginia Beach.
UNT Quotable: ”So cool we could pull bitches, even if it was July and we had on Woolrichs.” -Fabolous
3. Black Sheep f/ Q-Tip “La Menage”
Album: A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing
Year: 1991
Breakdown: Tip the Sugar Dick talks like sex with his Native Tongue tribesmen Dres and Mr. Lawnge. Somebody give these guys a hole!
UNT Quotable: ”As the dookie hits the fan, in comes the horny man.” -Q-Tip
4. Mobb Deep f/ Kool G. Rap “The Realest”
Album: Murda Muzik
Year: 1999
Breakdown: There’s a reason why G. Rap’s verse on here was ‘Rhyme Of The Month’ in The Source. It’s fucking sick. This is murder music for real, and one of Alchemist’s early gems.
UNT Quotable: ”Accurate shots in back of your knot.” -Kool G. Rap
5. Tha Dogg Pound f/ Snoop Dogg “Some Bomb Azz Pussy”
Album: Dogg Pound
Year: 1995
Breakdown: Have you ever had some bomb ass pussy that made you want to scream Dogg Pound? They have, and in mad different spots around the globe, most notably Japan.
UNT Quotable: ”Blow-asaki part one gettin’ buckwild.” -Snoop Dogg
6. Outkast f/ Raekwon “Skew It On The Bar-B”
Album: Aquemini
Year: 1998
Breakdown: Hearing Wu Tang’s rawest spitter and Outkast on one track was a pretty off-beat idea at the time, but the end result was so on point they did it again years later on “Royal Flush.” This is where it all started though, and it’s undeniable.
UNT Quotable: ”Deliver this through your audio.” -Raekwon
7. EPMD f/ LL Cool J “Rampage”
Album: Business As Usual
Year: 1990
Breakdown: LL flexes his skills for the hardcore heads with Erick and Parrish. He’s got rhymes up the what?
UNT Quotable: ”Playin’ MC’s like an old accordion.” -LL Cool J
8. Pete Rock & CL Smooth f/ Grand Puba “Skinz”
Album: Mecca & The Soul Brother
Year: 1992
Breakdown: Now Rule and Money Earnin’ connect for this 914 flamer, all about the skinz. The skinz, you know, girls, fine women. Check the resume and parlay.
UNT Quotable: ”Drop my load then get up and make some french toast.” -Grand Puba
9. Black Star f/ Common “Respiration”
Album: Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star
Year: 1998
Breakdown: Common reminisces on a lost friend, and revisits his old stomping ground in Chi-Town on the third verse of this standout Black Star banger. It’s deep.
UNT Quotable: ”Sometimes I take the bus home, just to touch home.” -Common
10. Channel Live f/ KRS-One “Mad Izm”
Album: Station Identification
Year: 1995
Breakdown: Channel Live invites their big homie Kris Parker to the cipher to do their two favorite things; Diss wack MC’s and spark up mad izm.
UNT Quotable: ”Like Lionel Ritchie, your whole style is bitchy.” -KRS-One
words by @stanipcus / mix by @unitedcrates
