![]() Inexplicably, Roxanne Shante was nowhere to be seen in the video once it hit BET and MTV. On the single sleeve, both Roxanne Shante & Big Daddy Kane are credited in small type so as to not deter rap-hating radio programmers/DJ’s or older music fans from playing or purchasing it. Cold Chillin’ was on Warner Bros, and because of the success of Big Daddy Kane-penned albums for people like Biz Markie, a collabo seemed like a definite home run. Rick hadn’t had a hit since his 1985 project Glow, so Warner paired him with Roxanne Shante of the Juice Crew. Rick James left Motown after the failure of his 1986 LP The Flag, and signed with Reprise/Warner for his 1988 offering Wonderful. Rick James featuring Roxanne Shante - “Loosey’s Rap” (1988)Ĭover of Rick James, Roxanne Shante and Big Daddy Kane's 1988 single, "Loosey's Rap." Source: Reprise Records With that being said, here are the first 10 R&B/Rap collaborations on record. Chaka hated it and it didn’t lead to more pairings of the sort. I'm also leaving out early forced collaborations, like Chaka Khan’s cover of Prince’s “I Feel For You” with Grandmaster Melle Mel. Very few were organic, but the success of these early pairings ensured they’d become standard as the years passed.Ī couple of things to note: I won’t be including songs where the artist themselves rapped either part of or an entire verse themselves (example: Bobby Brown on “Don’t Be Cruel” or Vanessa Williams on “The Right Stuff”). Most early R&B/rap collaborations were either forced or orchestrated by record executives. ![]() ![]() Older Black music executives never embraced the genre, but when they saw how many rap singles and rap albums topped the chart in 1988 they began to suggest established R&B acts collaborate with rappers to stay relevant and make hits on black radio both old and young fans could enjoy. Many of black music’s gatekeepers weren’t fond of rap, including Don Cornelius, Frankie Crocker, and Donnie Simpson. This sea change opened the door to R&B artists finally doing collaborations with rappers. & Babyface, and more, had a hand in changing the sound of black music forever. The combination of the Minneapolis Sound, spearheaded by Prince, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Andre Cymoné and Jesse Johnson, and innovative production from the likes of Full Force, Nick Martinelli, Larry Blackmon, Foster & McElroy, L.A. Prior to 1988, R&B kept the rising influence of New Jack Swing at bay while traditional R&B/soul artists still dominated the Hot Black Singles and Top Black Albums charts. This occurrence sent a ripple effect throughout black music. The year 1988 was when R&B’s sonic aesthetic officially switched to New Jack Swing.
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