Hip-hop is all about collaboration, and the game wouldn’t be the same without the contributions of great feature rappers. They’re the ones who jump on a track and add that extra flavor, helping to create memorable moments and timeless classics. Over the decade, there have been many MCs who have made a name for themselves not just through their solo work, but through their contributions to other artists’ tracks.
Whether it’s Kool G Rap’s crime-riddled rhymes, Ab-Soul’s introspective bars, or 2 Chainz’s memorable punchlines, these artists always elevate every track they touch. We’re talking about the fire-blazing rhymes of Kendrick Lamar, the bombastic trap melodies of Future, the versatile flows of Young Thug and the animated performances of Nicki Minaj.
So let’s get into it. From Jay-Z, Eminem, J. Cole, and Jadakiss, to Andre 3000, Lil Wayne, Nas, and Method Man, here are the top 25 best feature rappers of all time.
25. Kool G Rap
A hip hop veteran with multiple classics under his belt, it’s no surprise that Kool G Rap is also an elite feature rapper. Listen to “The Symphony” and that should be enough to understand the greatness of Kool G. The original mafioso rapper, G’s crime-riddled rhymes have been blessing East Coast albums for decades, dropping lyrical spectacles on projects by Mobb Deep, Big L, and Talib Kweli – and that’s just naming a few. A master of painting pictures, the MC’s knack for storytelling and natural rhyming ability allow him to rap for minutes on end, never afraid to outrap his partners-in-rhyme.
24. Ab-Soul
Up there with the most underrated MCs to ever hold the mic, Ab-Soul’s features deserve as much love as his albums. A legend of the modern conscious rap scene, his technical prowess and personal pen game turn every verse into a diary entry, packing his bars with introspection while never losing his slick rhyming technique. Whether you’re talking about his effortless flows on Section.80, his animated rhymes on Atrocity Exhibition, or his bombastic performance on Piñata, the Black Hippy MC has the versatility to master any style. One of TDE’s most overshadowed talents, Ab-Soul may not be a hitmaker, but when it comes to features, there are few rappers more reliable.
23. 2 Chainz
2 Chainz is by far one of the most versatile guest rappers ever. The Atlanta veteran is one of the GOATs because he can do whatever you need on your; his presence automatically enhances the track. Want him to rappity-rap? You got it. Want him to turn up? Got it. Want a street anthem? Got it. Want a radio-friendly single? Got it. Want him to be hilarious and drop non-stop memorable punchlines? Got it. Tity Boi can do it all.
22. Rick Ross
While his solo career isn’t as successful as it once was, as a feature rapper, Rick Ross is more popular than ever. From DJ Khaled to Anderson .Paak, few rappers are as in high demand as Teflon Don, whose braggadocious bars have been flooding albums for over a decade. Over ten years later, “Devil in a New Dress” remains one of the rapper’s finest verses, finding a thousand ways to flex his riches with the bombastic delivery to make each bar hit like a lyrical explosion. That’s exactly what makes Rick Ross the perfect feature rapper: dedicating every verse to brags, his simple subject matter fits nicely in any style, thriving on pop rap anthems as well and hard-hitting trap cuts.
21. Ludacris
A titan of the Dirty South, Luda’s braggadocious rhymes are guaranteed to turn any track into a banger. His slick flows and witty pen game have been blessing projects since the early 2000s, trading rhymes with Big Boi back in ’03 and outshining Armani White twenty years later. When it comes to subject matter, Luda rarely switches it up, but he doesn’t have to. With a limitless arsenal of punchlines and the confident delivery to make every line a quotable, the Southern MC’s money-making bars always entertain. Although he doesn’t outrap every MC he works with, there’s no doubt that Luda improves every track he touches.
20. Future
There’s a reason every trap artist alive wants a verse from Future, and that’s because the Atlanta rapper simply cannot miss. His melodic, autotune-layered vocals fit the vibe of any trap song – spitting bars about his love for codeine on “Teen X” and bragging about his riches on “3500”, the MC’s simple rhymes hit twice as hard thanks to his relentless delivery. Even when he isn’t dropping hard bars, Future Hendrix is crafting hypnotic hooks for trap stars like Gunna and Lil Wayne, adding pop appeal to every track. Singing or rapping; dropping a verse or performing the hook; no matter what Future does on a song, he always hits the mark.
19. Bun B
After running the South with Pimp C in UGK, Bun B has continued to back up his legend status with a never-ending run of elite features. Hopping on tracks with MCs all across the South, his swaggering demeanor, acute rhyming technique and relentless flows turn any song into a classic. Going bar for bar with Big K.R.I.T on “Ride Wit Me” or rivaling Jeezy for the best verse on “Trap or Die”, B’s Southern swagger and endless supply of rhyme schemes have helped him maintain his title as one of the most consistent feature rappers to come from Texas.
18. Nicki Minaj
A natural performer, the Trinidadian MC has the animated flows and explosive delivery to steal the show from any rapper, whether it be her iconic performance on “Monster”, her playful rhymes on “Poke It Out” or her buttery smooth presence on “the light is coming”. From hard-hitting trap bangers to upbeat pop songs, Nicki has the versatility to drop an impactful verse in any style, with the pen game of a master MC but the mic presence of a worldwide popstar. Whether she’s taking the mic from Ariana Grande or trading rhymes with Ice Spice, Nicki Minaj is the cheat code to a hypnotically catchy feature.
17. Black Thought
Black Thought couldn’t spit a bad verse if he tried. Outrapping the best of the best, Thought’s status as a feature rapper gets stronger every year, dropping verses on underground classics as well as mainstream chart-toppers. Going back and forth with Big Pun on “Super Lyrical” and stealing the spotlight from Eminem on “Yah Yah” twenty years later, the Roots legend has been outshining MCs his whole career. With consistently smooth flows and a conscious pen game like no other, Tariq is a master of his craft whose densely-packed rhymes leave a fiery impact on any track.
16. Pusha T
Putting his all into every performance, even Pusha’s features are verse of the year contenders. His slow, deliberate flow allows every bar to make an impact, packing every verse full of clever double entendre and mind-boggling wordplay. Outrapping Kanye twice on his own album is just scratching the surface when it comes to Push’s finest features. “Palmolive” is a modern classic, but it wouldn’t be half as good if not for T, whose endless stream of quotables makes the track an all-time great. Whether we’re talking Freddie Gibbs and Benny The Butcher or Cordae and Meek Mill, there’s a long list of MCs Push has outrapped, and that list will only get longer as time goes on.
15. Young Thug
From Travis Scott to Drake to Doja Cat, there isn’t a mainstream rapper on the charts who doesn’t want a feature from Thugger. With his animated delivery and vibrant vocals, it’s almost impossible for the trap legend to deliver a bad feature, injecting energy and color into every track he’s a part of. Singing the hook or spitting a lightning-fast verse, Thug is as consistent as he is prolific, with the limitless charisma and high-energy adlibs to make any song a highlight of the year. Whether it be his iconic hook on “Lifestyle” or his show-stealing performance on “Rich N*** Shit”, Thugger can do no wrong.
14. Inspectah Deck
Having Wu-Tang on here is kinda like cheating. During their unprecedented run in the ’90s, the Wu members were jumping on each other’s tracks left, right and center, dropping bomb verses. With no classic albums to his name (mainly due to a flood that destroyed over 300 RZA beats in ’94), Inspectah Deck has earned his reputation as one of the best to ever do it with stellar appearances on Wu albums. Deck’s star was shining so brightly after his “Triumph” verse that he had rap luminaries like Gang Starr, Big Pun and Pete Rock reaching out to get 16 from the Rebel INS.
13. Jadakiss
Jadakiss’ guest verses over the past 20 years puts him into the top five, dead or alive, category automatically. Whenever a rapper is looking to add some of that authentic New York flavor to their track, Kiss is the man they call. With that raspy flow and those murderous punchlines, Kiss is the GOAT at dropping hot 16s for the past two decades.
12. The Notorious B.I.G.
The ultimate example of quality vs. quantity. The only reason Biggie is this low on the list is because of his untimely death. During the few years he was active in the rap game, Big was dropping some of the greatest guest verses of all time. From ’94 to ’97, you could make the argument that he was the best guest rapper each year; look at “Flava in Ya Ear (Remix)” (1994), “Can’t You See” (1995), “Brooklyn’s Finest” (1996) and “Victory” (1997). RIP Big Poppa.
11. Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar in album mode is scary. When he’s zoned in on making music and you get a guest verse from him, you get verses like “Nosetalgia” and “The City” and “Deep Water.” Kendrick is by far the most exciting guest rapper right now, because, like Andre 3000, it’s always an event when the Compton rapper blesses us with a guest verse.
10. J. Cole
Top 10 greatest J. Cole guest verses:
- Kanye West — “Looking For Trouble”
- 21 Savage — “a lot”
- JID — “Off Deez”
- Benny the Butcher – “Johnny P’s Caddy”
- Royce da 5’9″ — “Boblo Boat”
- Jay-Z – “A Star Is Born”
- Drake — “Jodeci Freestyle”
- Gang Starr — “Family and Loyalty”
- Bas — “My Nigga Just Made Bail”
- Bia – “London”
J. Cole’s status as one of the greatest guest rappers of all time only came in the past few years, when he decided “fuck this platinum with no features shit” and started blacking out on rappers tracks. From Young Thug to 21 Savage to Gang Starr to Rapsody to Moneybagg Yo, no one was safe. But that’s not to discount the guest contributions from his earlier years, like when he turned in a star-making performance on Hov’s aptly-titled “A Star Is Born” and murdered the entire GOOD Music roster with his verse on “Looking For Trouble.”
9. Kanye West
Top 10 greatest Kanye West guest verses:
- Young Jeezy – “Put On”
- Jay-Z – “Run This Town”
- Lil Wayne – “Lollipop (Remix)”
- DJ Khaled – “Go Hard”
- T.I. – “Swagga Like Us”
- Clipse – “Kinda Like a Big Deal”
- Rihanna – Diamonds (Remix)”
- Rick Ross – “Sanctified”
- 2 Chainz – “Birthday Song”
- Drake – “Forever”
Kanye’s guest verse run from 2008-2009 will go down in the history books. Fresh off dropping 808s & Heartbreak (an album which contained virtually no rap-rap), Kanye used guest verses as an outlet to spazz out and show why he was one of the best rappers alive doing it. Ye’s verse “Put On” was a monster, his verse on “Lollipop (Remix)” was a monster, his verse on “Forever” was a monster. He completely blew Hov off “Run This Town” and made it his own song, proving that he could go toe-to-toe with his big brother, and setting up the future Watch the Throne.
8. Method Man
Top 10 greatest Method Man guest verses:
- GZA – “Shadowboxin’”
- The Notorious B.I.G. – “The What”
- Conway The Machine – “Lemon”
- LL Cool J – “4, 3, 2, 1”
- Ol’ Dirty Bastard – “Raw Hide”
- DMX – “Grand Finale”
- Raekwon – “Wu-Gambinos”
- 2Pac – “Got My Mind Made Up”
- Raekwon – “House Of Flying Daggers”
- Ghostface Killah – “Yolanda’s House”
While Method Man’s solo career hasn’t exactly lived up to the potential he promised on Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), he has more than made it up for it with incredible guest verses. In fact, Meth probably does his best work as a feature rapper versus being the main artist; he can just drop a fire 16 and dip. With his husky voice and one-of-one flow, Meth is a guaranteed guest verse killer – it’s no wonder that Biggie picked him to be the only feature rapper on Ready to Die.
7. Busta Rhymes
Top 10 greatest Busta Rhymes guest verses:
- A Tribe Called Quest – “Scenario”
- Craig Mack – “Flava in Ya Ear (Remix)”
- Chris Brown – “Look At Me Now”
- Redman – “Da Goodness”
- Pharoahe Monch – “Simon Says (Remix)”
- Mos Def – “Do It Now”
- MOP – “Ante Up (Remix)”
- Tech N9ne – “Worldwide Choppers”
- Lil Wayne – “Outro”
- Raekwon – “About Me”
The first greatest guest rapper of all time, and probably the most consistent to ever do it. I mean, what other rapper can say they delivered a star- making guest verse in 1991 (Tribe’s “Scenario”), then again in 2011 (Chris Brown’s “Look At Me Now”)? With unmatched energy and that insane flow, Busta Rhymes is the whole package for guest verses, that’s why he’s been popping up for the past 30 years.
6. Drake
Top 10 greatest Drake guest verses:
- Rick Ross – “Stay Schemin’”
- Lil Wayne – “Believe Me”
- DJ Khaled – “I’m on One”
- 2 Chainz – “No Lie”
- Kendrick Lamar – “Poetic Justice”
- Migos – “Versace (Remix)”
- Lil Wayne – “It’s Good”
- A$AP Rocky – “Fuckin’ Problems”
- Big Sean – “Blessings”
- Travis Scott – “Sicko Mode”
Drake was spitting facts back in 2013 on “5 AM in Toronto” when he rapped “Give these ni**as the look, the verse, and even the hook / That’s why every song sound like Drake featuring Drake.” Look at “No Lie” or ” I’m on One” ” or “Blessings” or “Look Alive” – Drake doesn’t just come through with a quick verse, he gives rappers the entire song, and basically makes them guest rappers on their own track. Drizzy has been blessing these rappers with some of the best bars he ever spit in his career for the past 10 years now.
5. Eminem
Top 10 greatest Eminem guest verses:
- Jay-Z – “Renegade”
- The Notorious B.I.G. – “Dead Wrong”
- Dr. Dre – “Forgot About Dre”
- Drake – “Forever”
- Lil Wayne – “Drop the World”
- 50 Cent – “Patiently Waiting”
- Sway & King Tech – “The Anthem”
- Dr. Dre – “What’s the Difference”
- Royce da 5’9″ – “Caterpillar”
- The Game – “We Ain’t”
Eminem, from 1999 to 2002, is probably the greatest peak we’ll ever see from a rapper. Skill-wise, songwriting-wise, sales-wise, it was just the perfect combination at the perfect time. Younger rap fans think Drake is the biggest thing in the world, but when you compare him to the Eminem-era, it pales in comparison. Look at the guest verses he was dropping for Dre, Hov and 50 at the time – like Jay-Z said “what Em did was silly.”
4. Nas
Top 10 greatest Nas guest verses:
- Raekwon – “Verbal Intercourse”
- Rick Ross – “Triple Beam Dreams”
- Main Source – “Live at the Barbeque”
- Mobb Deep – “Eye for a Eye (Your Beef is Mines)”
- AZ – “Mo Money, Mo Murder Homicide”
- Scarface – “In Between Us”
- Common – “Ghetto Dreams”
- DJ Khaled – “Hip Hop”
- Lil Wayne – “Outro”
- Kool G Rap – “Fast Life”
Like Busta Rhymes, Nas came into the rap game off a hot guest verse in ’91, and he hasn’t looked back since. 30 years after jumping on Main Source’s “Live at the Barbeque”, the Queensbridge legend is still out here, murdering guest verses like it’s ’95 all over again. Whether it’s for Rick Ross, DMX, DJ Khaled, Game, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, Young Jeezy, it’s always a great rap moment when God’s Son blesses a track with his golden voice.
3. Jay-Z
Top 10 greatest Jay-Z guest verses:
- Kanye West – “Never Let Me Down”
- Kanye West – “So Appalled”
- Puff Daddy – “Young G’s”
- Pusha T – “Drug Dealers Anonymous”
- Kanye West – “Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix)”
- Young Jeezy – “Seen It All”
- Meek Mill – “What’s Free”
- DJ Khaled – “God Did”
- Young Jeezy – “Go Crazy (Remix)”
- Rick Ross – “The Devil Is A Lie”
Hov’s guest verse run during his first peak years (late-90s to early-00s) were cool, but nothing crazy that would put him in GOAT talk. It was only after he retired that he really took his features to a new level. It must have been that he felt free from his own music constraints and could just black out on other rappers’ songs. In 2005 alone, he dropped guest verses for Jeezy’s “Go Crazy” and Kanye’s “Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix)”; those two alone would put him in the argument. Then there’s his recent run of guest verses – for Kanye and Drake, taking over Jay Electronica’s album, and of course Meek Mill’s “What’s Free.” The GOAT.
2. Lil Wayne
Top 10 greatest Lil Wayne guest verses:
- DJ Khaled – “We Takin’ Over”
- T.I. – “Swagga like Us”
- OutKast – “Hollywood Divorce”
- Rick Ross – “Maybach Music II”
- DJ Khaled – “I’m On One”
- Westside Gunn – “Bash Money”
- Nicki Minaj – “Seeing Green”
- Tyler, the Creator – “Hot Wind Blows”
- Playaz Circle – “Duffle Bag Boy”
- Juvenile – “Back That Azz Up”
Lil Wayne’s run in the mid-00s is quite possibly the greatest feature run in hip hop history. It’s definitely the most prolific – it seemed like every other rap song during that time had a Weezy verse on it. His presence on the mic was so captivating and his voice was so memorable that sometimes he often stole the whole show with just the hook – see Playaz Circle’s “Duffle Bag Boy.”
1. Andre 3000
Top 10 greatest Andre 3000 guest verses:
- Big Boi – “Royal Flush”
- UGK – “International Players Anthem (I Choose You)”
- Frank Ocean – “Solo (Reprise)”
- T.I. – “Sorry”
- Young Jeezy – “I Do”
- Devin the Dude – “What a Job”
- DJ Drama – “The Art of Storytellin’ Part 4”
- Rich Boy – “Throw Some D’s (Remix)”
- Frank Ocean – “Pink Matter”
- Rick Ross – “Sixteen”
Andre 3000 isn’t the greatest guest rapper of all time because he drops the dopest bars, and flows incredibly well, and writes the tightest lines. No, that’s already a given when you’re talking about Andre 3000. Stacks is the greatest guest rapper of all time because every time he drops a guest verse, it becomes an event – just look at “Life of the Party” whipping up the internet into a frenzy as one of many, many examples. Unlike Lil Wayne, who takes a machine gun approach to his guest verses, Andre is a sniper, lining up the perfect target for a kill shot. 100% kill rate, every time. At this point in time, it’s become an undeniable fact — Andre 3000 is the greatest feature rapper of all time.
