JAY-Z has influence in the streets, on the music charts, in corner offices, and beyond, but one facet of his successful career that may be easy to overlook — though it shouldn’t be — is the seal of approval he’s given several of his peers.
The Hip Hop statesman has a catalog of 13 studio albums spanning nearly three decades and has earned 24 Grammy Awards, tied with his collaborator Kanye West, among countless other accolades, and yet he has still managed to make sure his lyricism has been felt not just on his own massive hits but those he shares with other artists.
His arsenal of solo tracks that have received platinum status from the RIAA are numerous, but there is nothing like hearing him lace a track with a guest verse. The man himself said it best, “Who you know fresher than HOV? Riddle me that?” When it is all said and done, this wordsmith’s impact on music will be unrivaled. But for now, here is a look back at some of his most memorable features.
1. Mr. Carter by Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne and JAY-Z gifted Hip Hop a passing of the torch moment when they collaborated on the 2008 track “Mr. Carter” which appeared on Tha Carter III. The NOLA icon has held HOV in high regard, admitting on multiple occasions that the Brooklyn native is one of his idols. The mutual respect was evident on the Drew Correa produced-track where JAY-Z rapped, “Mr. Carter. I’m right here, in my chair/ With my crown and my dear/ Queen B, as I share/ Mic time with my heir/ Young Carter, go farther/ Go further, go harder."
2. Drug Dealers Anonymous by Pusha T
This record is easily considered a classic meeting of equally skilled lyricists whose dope dealing pasts bypassed a chorus for two verses. The 4-minute and 12-second track is produced by Dahi and appears on Pusha T’s album King Push. HOV’s bars included him reminding listeners that he’s been brackin’ since the ‘80s and remains untouchable on the mic and in the streets. He raps, “Bling bling, every time I come around your city, bling bling/ My tenure took me through Virginia/ Ask Teddy Riley ‘bout me/ Ask the Federalis ‘bout me” on the ominous track. It’s worth mentioning that they also have the bass heavy “Neck & Wrist” in their arsenal of bangers, too.
3. Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix) by Kanye West
Before Kanye West and JAY-Z entrusted us with Watch the Throne, they gave us this gem of Roc-a-Fella’s heavy hitters meeting on wax. The Late Registration cut’s most popular line came from Brooklyn’s finest: “I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man/ Let me handle my business, d**n.”
4. Free Mason by Rick Ross
The Teflon Don enlisted HOV for the soul/rock-infused “Free Mason” featuring John Legend in 2010. His wordplay slammed rumors of Lucifer orchestrating his success at the apex of those widespread Illuminati conspiracies. “Hear me clearly, if y’all n**gas fear me, just say y’all fear me/ F**k all these fairy tales, go to Hell/ This is God engineering, this a Hail Mary pass y’all interfering/ He without sin should cast the first stone so y’all look in the mirror, doublecheck your appearance/ B**ch, I said I was amazing, not that I’m a mason.”
5. Suit & Tie by Justin Timberlake
The 24-time Grammy Award winner slid on the third verse, merging his boss and suited grown man personas. Timbaland slowed down the 2013 hit as JAY-Z rapped, “All Saints for my angel, Alexander Wang, too/ A**-tight denim and some dunks/ I’ll show you how to do this, young, ugh!” The song spent 26 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, reaching its peak at the No. 3 spot.
6. Heartbreaker by Mariah Carey
Before JAY-Z had Beyoncé head over heels in love and seeing “Deja Vu,” he tagged team with Mariah Carey to rap about a woman with an unrequited desire to be his one and only. The 1999 track appeared on Carey’s Rainbow album. Young HOV and MC would go on to collaborate on three more tracks, though none outshined this classic pop-Hip Hop fusion.
7. Drunk in Love by Beyoncé
Beyoncé made the world stop when she dropped her self-titled album in 2013, and a week after the project’s release, she snagged the No. 2 spot on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart by getting “Drunk in Love” with JAY-Z. Anytime this couple gets together on wax, it’s a good time for fans and this track is no different as it has racked up six platinum certifications.
8. Crazy in Love by Beyoncé
This song is without a doubt going down as an all-time fan favorite when Beyoncé takes her final bow, and for good reason too. Amid rumors of their then-unconfirmed romance, the Houston native enlisted Jigga to help usher her solo career into the limelight with the high-energy 2003 track.
9. Frontin’ by Pharrell Williams
Any ranking of Pharrell Williams' hits is going to include “Frontin” from The Neptunes Present… Clones. To the surprise of some, the song was actually written for Prince but ended up being the producer’s debut solo effort. During its run on the charts, it snagged the No. 5 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
10. What We Do by Freeway
Roc-a-Fella Records stacked the deck when Freeway, JAY-Z, and Beanie Sigel unleashed on the Just Blaze-produced “What We Do.” The track served as the first single for the Philly-bred rapper’s album Philadelphia Freeway. Its peak at No. 97 on the Billboard Hot 100 doesn’t do it justice, as Hip Hop fans have declared it a platinum hit even if the RIAA has only recognized it with a gold record certification.
11. Go Crazy (Remix) by Jeezy
The Don Cannon-produced hit was originally a T.I. freestyle, and then Willie The Kid made it his own before the beat track was ultimately snagged by Jeezy for his double-platinum debut LP, Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101. The Snowman came out the blocks hot with JAY-Z on its third single.
12. My President is Black (Remix) by Jeezy
The year is 2008 and the United States has elected Barack Obama as president. Jeezy drops “My President” from his album The Recession, signaling a historic moment for the culture. Two months later, JAY-Z hops on the remix ahead of Obama’s inauguration. “My president is Black, my Lambos blue” has and will continue to be the anthem of that history-making moment.
13. God Did by DJ Khaled, Lil Wayne, Fridayy, Rick Ross, and John Legend
To leave this verse off the list would be unconscionable because for four minutes the mogul delivered a masterclass on defying the odds and overcoming a past of missteps. On the track, he rapped, “HOV is a real n**ga dream, my only goal is to make a real n**ga feel seen.” The song closed out the 2023 Grammy’s with a “Last Supper”-themed performance.
14. One Minute Man (Remix) by Missy Elliott
Still heavy in his playboy days, the rapper used his wordplay on the third verse to humor listeners as he rapped, “Get your independent a**es out here, question,” an obvious play off the Destiny’s Child hit at the time, “Independent Women Pt. II.” The seductive single appeared on Missy Elliott’s Miss E… So Addictive album in 2001.
15. Light Up by Drake
The 6 God and veteran lyrical titan may have a storied history of taking aim at each other on wax, but that has not stopped them from collaborating on five tracks, “Light Up,” being one of them. Drake is among a short list of artists who scored bars from JAY-Z for his debut album, Thank Me Later, in 2010. The rap legend used his verse to impart a bit of wisdom to his contemporary about what the journey to the top may look for him — a blueprint, if you will.
16. Umbrella by Rihanna
Rihanna was our Good Girl Gone Bad, in the best way, of course, by the release of her sophomore album in 2007. Her mentor, “Rain Man,” JAY-Z was there for the journey as he set the tone for the global success “Umbrella.” He gloated about hydroplaning in the bank and flying above bad weather in G5’s or better. The magic he and the Bajan superstar created together saw them nominated for multiple awards, including a win for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 50th Grammy Awards in 2008.
17. Monster by Kanye West featuring Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj, and Bon Iver
In Training Day, Denzel Washington’s character officer Alonzo Harris declared himself the top of the food chain of villains when he yelled, “King Kong ain’t got nothing on me” in 2001. Nine years later, in 2010, being the lyrical assassin that he is, HOV listed the ape and other fabled beasts as peons compared to him. The track is certified three times platinum and remains the host of one of the rapper’s illest verses.