A great beat switch in a rap song can be a magical thing. Think about the first time you listened to Jay-Z’s “A Million and One Questions” and Premo flipped the beat right on the line “Motherfuckers can’t rhyme no more.” That shit was god-level.
For this list, we’ve compiled together some of the best beat switches and changes up in a hip hop song. But before we get started, let’s clear up one thing – songs like Kendrick’s “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst” and Schoolboy’s “Groovy Tony / Eddie Kane” aren’t beat switches, they’re literally two songs on one track.
So let’s get into it, here are 32 of the greatest beat switches in hip hop history.
Future ft. Drake – “Life Is Good”
Producer: D. Hill, OZ
Released: January 10, 2020
Album: High Off Life
The Alchemist ft. Danny Brown & Schoolboy Q – “Flight Confirmation”
Producer: The Alchemist
Released: July 17, 2012
Album: Russian Roulette
Eminem ft. Royce da 5’9″ – “Not Alike”
Producer: Eminem, Tay Keith, Ronny J
Released: August 31, 2018
Album: Kamikaze
Freddie Gibbs & Madlib – “Real”
Producer: Madlib
Released: March 18, 2014
Album: Piñata
Cormega ft. AZ, Redman & Styles P – “MARS (Dream Team)”
Producer: Large Professor
Released: July 22, 2014
Album: Mega Philosophy
JID – “Never”
Producer: Christo, Childish Major
Released: March 10, 2017
Album: The Never Story
Eminem – “Bad Guy”
Producer: S1, M-Phazes, Streetrunner, Vincent Venditto
Released: November 5, 2013
Album: The Marshall Mathers LP 2
Kendrick Lamar – “The Heart Part 4”
Producer: Syk Sense. Axlfolie, DJ Dahi, The Alchemist
Released: March 23, 2017
Album: N/A
Westside Gunn ft. Conway the Machine – “Undertaker vs. Goldberg”
Producer: DJ Green Lantern
Released: November 1, 2019
Album: Hitler Wears Hermes 7
Canibus – “Poet Laureate II”
Producer: Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind
Released: July 22, 2003
Album: Rip the Jacker
Travis Scott ft. Quavo – “Oh My Dis Side”
Producer: Rodeo
Released: September 4, 2015
Album: Allen Ritter, Travis Scott, Frank Dukes, Mike Dean
Pusha T – “Santeria”
Producer: Kanye West, Andrew Dawson, Pi’erre Bourne
Released: May 25, 2018
Album: DAYTONA
A$AP Rocky ft. Joe Fox & Kanye West – “Jukebox Joints”
Producer: Che Pope, Kanye West
Released: May 26, 2015
Album: At. Long. Last. ASAP
Mac Miller – “Self Care”
Producer: DJ Dahi, ID Labs, Nostxlgic, Nice Rec
Released: July 13, 2018
Album: Swimming
Nas – “The Don”
Producer: Heavy D, Salaam Remi, Da Internz
Released: April 3, 2012
Album: Life Is Good
GOOD Music – “Mercy”
Producer: Lifted, Mike Dean (add.), Mike Will Made It (add.), Kanye West (add.), Hudson Mohawke (add.)
Released: April 3, 2012
Album: Cruel Summer
Cyhi the Prynce ft. Pusha T – “No Dope on Sundays”
Producer: Mark Byrd, Lex Luger, Novel, Shawty Redd, HighDef, Razjah, Young Love
Released: November 17, 2017
Album: No Dope on Sundays
Travis Scott ft. Drake – “Sicko Mode”
Producer: Chahayed, Hit-Boy, OZ, Cubeatz, Tay Keith, Mike Dean
Released: August 3, 2018
Album: Astroworld
Kendrick Lamar – “DNA.”
Producer: Mike Will Made It
Released: April 14, 2017
Album: DAMN.
Kanye West – “Famous”
Producer: Kanye West, Havoc, Noah Goldstein, Charlie Heat, Andrew Dawson, Hudson Mohawke, Mike Dean, Plain Pat
Released: February 14, 2016
Album: The Life of Pablo
Killer Mike – “Don’t Die”
Producer: El-P
Released: May 15, 2012
Album: R.A.P. Music
Future – “Throw Away”
Producer: Nard & B
Released: October 28, 2014
Album: Monster
The Roots – “Take It There”
Producer: Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson (of The Roots), Adam Blackstone, Richard Nichols, Pedro Martinez, Kevin Hanson
Released: August 29, 2006
Album: Game Theory
Drake – “Tuscan Leather”
Producer: 40
Released: September 24, 2013
Album: Nothing Was the Same
Kanye West – “New Slaves”
Producer: Kanye West, Ben Bronfman, Mike Dean, Travis Scott, Noah Goldstein, Shama Joseph, Che Pope
Released: June 18, 2013
Album: Yeezus
Freddie Gibbs & Madlib – “Fake Names”
Producer: Madlib
Released: June 28, 2019
Album: Bandana
Jay-Z & Kanye West – “Murder to Excellence”
Producer: Swizz Beatz, S1
Released: August 8, 2011
Album: Watch the Throne
Meek Mill – “Dreams and Nightmares”
Producer: The Beat Bully
Released: October 30, 2012
Album: Dreams and Nightmares
Drake – “Know Yourself”
Producer: Boi-1da, Vinylz, Syk Sense
Released: February 13, 2015
Album: If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late
Kendrick Lamar ft. MC Eiht – “m.A.A.d city”
Producer: Sounwave, THC, Terrace Martin
Released: October 22, 2012
Album: Good Kid, M.A.A.D City
Puff Daddy ft. Lil’ Kim, The LOX & The Notorious B.I.G. – “It’s All About the Benjamins”
Producer: Deric “D-Dot” Angelettie for The Hitmen
Released: December 7, 1996
Album: No Way Out
Jay-Z – “A Million And One Questions / Rhyme No More”
Producer: DJ Premier
Released: November 4, 1997
Album: In My Lifetime, Vol. 1
