The 25 Most Essential Remixes of Rap Songs

The worlds of dance music and hip-hop aren't as distant as one might think. Rap was a form of music that was born from the struggle, and you could arg

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Complex Original

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The worlds of dance music and hip-hop aren't as distant as one might think. Rap was a form of music that was born from the struggle, and you could argue that techno and house were birthed in cities that had experienced struggle. Most went to clubs to hear the freshest dance tracks, and you know how hip-hop does in the club. The worlds dig deeper, though, as Afrika Bambaata's sampling of Kraftwerk was part of the nucleus of hip-hop, and both styles of music have used similar production tools (the 808) and techniques to push their sounds forward.

The art of the remix has helped push rappers and producers and showcase their true creativity. It's not easy tweaking a song, especially when the goal is for it to work within a different genre, while maintaining what made the original so dope. For this look back at the art of the remix, we decided to dip into the most essential remixes, the ones that showcased the blending of both EDM and hip-hop, but most importantly, we kept our focus on official remixes. It's cool to drop a sick bootleg or unofficial remix of a track, but we wanted to see the ones that someone actually invested money into.

De La Soul - "Eye Know (The Tribal Mix Vocal Tribe)"

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(Flying, 1989)

The majority of the Native Tongues crew dabbled at one point or another with dance music, especially during the Golden Age of hip-hop, and with Stonebridge's "Tribal Mix" of De La's classic "Eye Know" featured the mid-tempo vibe of that became the sound of the early 1990s. It's crazy to think that adding some extra percussion, a slinky bassline, and those iconic horn stabs could turn a funky hip-hop number into something that's instantly got your toes tapping.

Method Man - "Bring The Pain (Chemical Mix)"

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(Def Jam, 1995)

The Chemical Brothers were students of the hip-hop world, so their take on Method Man's huge single from his first album, Tical, was more mellow than their usual output, but it works. You can't throw too much around Meth's vocals, as his flow is just too smooth to drown out. The Chemicals still found ways to flesh the beat out and get raw with it, and while the beat is a bit slower, it still gets a crowd rocking.

Busta Rhymes - "Woo Hah! (Origin Unknown Remix)"

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(Elektra, 1996)

It's kind of amazing to see how experimental the Native Tongues camp has been. While this isn't part of the more hip-house styles that Tribe, Latifah or De La Soul would rock to, Busta's solo career was also a bit weirder than his mentors. Origin Unknown, aka Ram Records labelhead Andy C and Ant Miles, were riding high off a series of stellar tracks in 1996, and for this UK remix single of Busta's breakout track, they threw a jungle-style rhythm under an interpolation of the track's sample, although the actual "Busta" is the track is paired down to a number of woo hahs and yaw yaws.

Queen Latifah - "Come Into My House (Julian Jumpin' Perez Mix)"

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(Tommy Boy, 1990)

This remix might actually be unfair, as Latifah's original was already part of the hip-house scene, but Julian Jumpin' Perez, who'd done a number of remixes for Fast Eddie, put the deeper club vibe into her track. House music always soothes.

Luniz - "I Got 5 On It (Aphrodite Remix)"

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(VC, 1998)

For a while, Micky Finn and Aphrodite were the biggest supporters of the hip-hop/jungle hybrids, and were the go-to producers for that sound. The main sample from "I Got 5 On It" is so perfect for a dnb tempo, this one just made sense. Tracks like these are what you could throw on for your rap-loving friends who might question why you're listening to "that ol' techno shit."

Missy Elliott ft. Ludacris - "Gossip Folks (Fatboy Slim Remix)"

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(Elektra, 2003)

Fatboy Slim's sound was just as much hip-hop (through the use of breaks) as it was acid, and this remix of Missy's "Gossip Folks" blends his worlds together. He works a sly reworking of the original's melody, bringing the track deeper into the club while maintaining it's flavor. The best part? Luda doesn't sound out of place with the shift in tempo.

N.E.R.D. ft. Nelly Furtado - "Hot N' Fun (Boys Noize Remix)"

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(Star Trak, 2010)

Boys Noize did what a remixer is supposed to do: let us know why we loved the original, while giving us a slick take that we might not have expected. The original's bassline was perfect, and is kept pretty much in tact, while Pharrell's vocals get layered in at different points, helping build the intensity along with the different synths that get peppered into the track.

Run DMC vs. Jason Nevins - "It's Like That"

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(Sm:)e Communications, 1997)

Jason Nevins was on a roll during America's Electronica phase, and this rework of Run DMC's "It's Like That" was a huge part of that. The actual remix isn't that difficult to understand - at times it sounds like he just took the original and added a meat to the bass and drums (with added spices), but it's not about how much you put in, but how well you season it. And this worked perfectly, hitting #1 on the Pop charts of over 30 countries.

Chubb Rock - "The Chubbster (Clark's Smooth Haus Mix)"

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(Select, 1991)

Back when it was cool to dance, hip-hop and house operated in the same circles. The "hip-house" movement was in full swing, and this "Smooth Haus" take on Chubb Rock's signature track was exactly what it said it was. It maintained a mellow vibe while allowing you to let loose and sweat out your silk shirt on the dancefloor.

Jungle Brothers - "I'll House You (Gee Street Reconstruction Mix)"

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(Gee Street, 1988)

The original "I'll House You" helped bridge the hip-hop and house, with Todd Terry providing the JB's with a serious house workout for this anthem. Richie Rich didn't totally scrap what they had, but his version feels more like an extended mix, giving the track some more space and body to breathe.

Public Enemy vs. Benny Benassi - "Bring The Noise (Remix)"

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(Ultra Music, 2007)

When this track first came out, the original was already unique for the Bomb Squad's wall of sound, and was one of the tracks that Public Enemy would use in bridging the rap and rock worlds together. It makes sense that the iconic "BASS, how low can you go?" lyric was interpreted by a legend like Benny Benassi, who keeps the vocals in tact while managing to cook up a new school EDM anthem around it.

Ludacris - "How Low (Caspa Remix)"

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(Def Jam, 2010)

Dear Luda: We know you're trying to get that EDM love by linking with David Guetta, but if you could cook up more tracks over what Caspa did to "How Low," we'd have your back. We also love that Caspa brought some trap styles the scene years ahead of the current wave.

Mantronik vs. EPMD - "Strictly Business"

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(Priority, 1998)

Tracks like this are no brainers; Mantronix was a master at the middle of the rap/dance music tracks. Kurtis Mantronik was big on the instrumental hip-hop tracks that swayed more towards the club, and the way he flipped "Strictly Business" into a mash of EPMD boasts, Bob Marley samples, and straight up hypnotic house? Strictly riddims.

Dr Octagon - "Blue Flowers (DJ Hype & Photek Remixes)"

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(Mo Wax, 1996)

1996 was definitely the year that hip-hop and jungle/drum & bass got cozy, and the single for Dr. Octagon's "Blue Flowers" featured a number of the scene's finest putting their signature spin on the track.

DJ Hype, from the Ganja Kru/Tru Playaz camp, provided a scorching remix, bringing his own bassline and that dancefloor-loving vibe so consistent with their sound to the forefront. Fans of Hype and Zinc's style from that era should know what time it is when this drops... plus that intro is just so hypnotic, it wins before the bass drops.

Photek on the other hand was part of the deeper, more jazzy style of drum & bass. He brought his signature drums to the table, and utilized some of Q-Bert's cuts to help accent the spacious track. He also made it a point to leave Keith's vocals in tact, which surprisingly works very well.

Waka Flocka - "Rooster In My Rari (TNGHT Remix)"

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(Warner Bros., 2012)

2012 was the year TNGHT received the acclaim of the critics as loudly as the EDM set. One major feather in their cap was getting an official remix of Waka Flocka's "Rooster in My Rari." While their trap sounds actually work very well as instrumentals for the rapper of today, they threw enough in there to make this work well for the rave set.

Jungle Brothers - "Jungle Brother (Urban Takeover Remix)"

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(Gee Street, 1998)

When the Jungle Brothers reappeared on the scene in the late 1990s, they weren't kicking house tracks, but they did allow Aphrodite to throw some jump up drum & bass flavors atop their track "Jungle Brother." Jump up didn't hide it's love for hip-hop tempos, and while it might sound corny right now, this was a bonafide anthem.

Puff Daddy & The Family - "It's All About The Benjamins (Armand's Gangsta Mental Mix)"

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(Bad Boy, 1997)

Armand Van Helden was a beast in the dance music scene, and his run in the 1990s was brutal. Diddy was never shy about dancing - that's all he wanted you to do, so having "dance mixes" of the classic "All About The Benjamins" just made perfect sense. At this point in his career, Armand was already making bank as a talented producer, and the way he flipped the Benjamins beat into a house banger was perfect. Anyone who can flip a Sheek Louch lyric into a club anthem is supreme in our book.

Pharoahe Monch - "Body Baby (Count Of Monte Cristal & Sinden Remix)"

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(Island, 2007)

You might scratch your head when you think of Sinden and Hervé remixing a Monch track, but they decided to bring their signature, bouncy house vibes to the "Body Baby" single, which actually had its own quirky hook and down-home groove coming in. They didn't slice up a lot of his lyrics, but took a few twisted lyrics and built a wild one around it.

Nicki Minaj - Girls Fall Like Dominoes (Distance Remix)"

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(Cash Money, 2011)

DJ Distance is a legend within the dubstep game, and his dubstep flavoring on the UK single for "Girls Fall Like Dominoes" showed how easily you could blend rap over a dubstep track, be it Nicki kicking flows about signing breasts or harmonizing about where her girls are. All we need now is her hitting a double-time over one of these riddims.

Pharoahe Monch - "Simon Says (Roni Size & DJ Die Remix)"

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(Rawkus, 1999)

This drum & bass remix of Monch's biggest track was part of the Rawkus period that dipped into the dance music scene in the late 1990s. They actually set up a sister imprint, Raw.kuts, to cater to the drum & bass producers that understood how to flip hip-hop tracks to club bangers. Roni Size and DJ Die were part of the legendary Reprazent outfit, who had done album tracks with MCs like Method Man and Bahamadia, and Roni produced the classic "I Got A Secret" for Redman. This was a perfect blend of the Bristol drum & bass sound with that iconic Godzilla sample. Still bangs.

A Tribe Called Quest - "Luck of Lucien (Main Mix)"

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(Jive, 1991)

The Native Tongues crew was big on reworking their tracks into house jams back in the late '80s/early '90s, weren't they?! For this house take on "Luck of Lucien," production duo Tom & Jerry (aka Jacob's Optical Stairway) kept the house tempo going while adding some smooth synths and random loops along the way, really giving this one a movement unlike some of the other remixes of it's ilk. Clocking in at seven minutes, we were given ample time to establish and work into that groove.

Dirty Money ft. Skepta - "Hello Good Morning (Grime Remix)"

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(Bad Boy, 2010)

Diddy's Dirty Money project was a big departure for him sonically, as he purposefully tried to attack the world markets. No one really thought he'd bring in a grime heavyweight like Skepta for this huge remix of their "Hello Good Morning" single. This remix was so huge in the UK, you'd think you were hearing Funkmaster Flex was premiering a new Jay-Z track when Logan Sama dropped the bomb on it. And the bit where the ladies of Dirty Money sing towards the end? Beautiful.

Kid Cudi - "Pursuit Of Happiness (Steve Aoki Remix)"

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(Universal Motown, 2012)

Steve Aoki's remix of this Cudi track was a staple of his live shows for a long time, and is a great look at the framework of the popular EDM sound of now. Steve created a track so dynamic, it ended up being used in the Project X trailer, which added another parallel to the movie's plot and Cudi's lyrics.

Eric B & Rakim - "Paid In Full (Coldcut Seven Minutes Of Madness Remix)"

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(4th & Broadway, 1987)

Coldcut is a duo out of the UK who had done a number of tracks with Queen Latifah when she was emerging. This remix of Eric B & Rakim's classic "Paid In Full" still goes down as one of the first commercially successful remixes ever, although Eric B and Rakim were split on it. Rakim was reportedly in love with it, calling it the best remix he'd ever heard, while Eric B is said to have called it "girly disco music." Whatever the case may be, Coldcut's unique blend of "Im Nin'Alu" by Ofra Haza with the "Paid in Full" instrumental helped push this track to commercial success overseas, and is a bonafide classic in both hip-hop and dance music lore.

Kid Cudi vs. Crookers - "Day N Nite"

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(Fool's Gold, 2008)

Fuck what you've heard, Crookers' remix of "Day N Nite" is what introduced Kid Cudi to the world. Fool's Gold were geniuses for bridging the dance music world to urban music with this single from Cudi. There's just something about how this track builds and drops that translated very well, debuting at #2 in the UK charts, although Cudi didn't approve of the video for this version:

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