7 Best Cross Genre Music Collaborations ...

Way back when rap and hip-hop were in their early stages, Run-DMC owned the industry. They were unique, talented and had everyone rocking Adidas. Aerosmith is considered one of the greatest rock and roll bands of all times and have hits that will remain in American culture for many years to come. When these two came together to make the song “Walk This Way,” it broke barriers and records. It was appealing to everyone and that’s what made it so successful. It was one of the earliest and undoubtedly one of the best cross genre music collaborations of all time.

These are definitely two of my favorite music artists. I love Jay for the realism in his rap. But, I love his larger than life persona too. He makes everything sound so cool and nonchalant. Linkin Park is great because they combine rap, punk-rock and metal all into one. When Linkin Park and Jay-Z announced that they would be doing a mashup album together, I was so excited! It was the perfect mix. I still listen to the awesome “Encore/Numb” song to this day.

Kid Cudi is known for his melodic, chill, stoner sound, and I am totally a big fan of his. His sound “Pursuit of Happiness,” which was produced by Ratatat, has an awesome, happy, electronica, danceable tune that everyone I know--no matter what their favorite genre of music they like most--loves. MGMT, a hippie, psychedelic band, lends their vocals to the song, which give it a really cool vibe. When this song came out, I’m pretty sure I wore out the repeat button as often as possible.

I’m not really a country music lover, so when I heard that Nelly was collaborating with Tim McGraw, I was uninterested. But, after giving “Over and Over” a chance, it was pretty catchy and I grew to like it. Lately, Nelly teamed up with another country act, Florida Georgia Line, to make the perfect summer hit “Cruise.” I never thought country and hip hop would ever sound so good.

Florence is one of my favorite singers because she has such a unique, glorious, uninhibited voice. Her sound is unlike any other, and the music she makes with her band Florence + the Machine is nothing short of genius. When you pair that with A$AP Rocky’s great MC skills and synth hip hop beats, it’s really just amazing. Check out their song “I Come Apart”!

Bon Iver is a really cool, Indie-Folk band that has won Grammy’s for their sound. I hadn’t heard of them before Kanye sampled them on his single “Monster” in 2010, but after that, I listened to a few of their songs and definitely added them to some of my playlists. Yeezy and Bon Iver are back at it again on Kanye’s new album, on the song “I’m in It.” Though I don’t always like Kanye’s attitude, he really is super talented, can’t deny that!

B.o.B was really cool when he was out, I haven’t heard anything recently though. He has a nice flow, and a lot of energy too. The song “Airplanes” is still one of the songs I play when I need a pick-me-up. Hayley Williams is awesome, and I absolutely love her as the lead in Paramore. Such a great collabo!

Whether you’re into hip-hop, country or pop, when these artists from different music genres pair together, they deliver awesome music which appeals to both sides of the spectrum. I love collaborations because I get introduced to artists I might not have known about before. Are there any music genre collaborations you’d like to add?