10 Best Hard Rock & Rap Cross-Over Songs
When two worlds collide...
On the surface, rap and rock seemed to be the farthest genres on the musical spectrum. While rock focuses on writing sharp songs as a band, the samples and percussive wordplay of rap music seems to be a big turn-off for many hard rockers. Then again, do they really have that many differences?
Each genre relies on a driving back beat as well as a certain amount of bravado to get your point across to the audience. There's even a size to both of these genres that have made them great for playing in stadiums around the world. So, why haven't these genres co-mingled more often?
There have been some fantastic nu metal bands that have catered to the angry adolescent teenager over the years, but these are the acts that got it right on both fronts. These songs have a great presence to them that can cater to both the hard rocker as well as the hip hop head. Rather than just being a bit of hip hop or rock street cred, the collaborators on these tracks really bring their A-game to make these tunes go from great to outstanding.
As new genres interplay every day, let's take a look at the rap-rock tunes that truly shook the music world.
10. It's A Raid - Post Malone/Ozzy Osbourne
From the first time that rap and metal collided, the results were normally mixed, with some being stellar and some being lyrical abominations. While Black Sabbath may have had a subpar crossover in the early 90's with Ice-T, Ozzy's solo track "It's A Raid" went surprisingly well for a late-period release.
Much of that comes down to Post Malone's performance on his verse along with the killer hook. Post Malone has always given fans the impression that he wants to make a rock album for years now, and this is one song where he is really able to flex his chops on heavier material. The guitars have just the right amount of crunch while Ozzy lays down an ideal foil to Malone's own maniacal shout. The solo on the track by guest Tom Morello also adds a certain amount of credibility to this rap/rock partnership.
This song is such a good way to close out Ozzy's Ordinary Man album, but it's urgent energy and relentless rhythm makes the rest of the album feel almost tame by comparison. Post's track "Take What You Want" may have been the initial offering of this unlikely musical duo, but this song is where they fully committed to the rock act and succeeded with flying colors.