With both Armand Hammer and Run the Jewels releasing new albums this week, we decided to tackle the Top 10 Best Hip Hop Duos of All Time. RTJ haven't made the cut just yet but here's the list of who they'll have to surpass if they want included eventually:
#10. Gang Starr
The Brooklyn duo of Guru and DJ Premier was an absolute staple of raw 90's instrumental hip hop and their 4 album run of Step in the Arena, Daily Operation, Hard to Earn and Moment of Truth are true genre classics. Even if they use way too many sound clips, the musical ingenuity is undeniable. It's just a shame DJ Premier and Guru weren't able to bury the hatchet before Guru's untimely passing in 2010.
#9. UGK
Early curators of the sound of the Dirty South, Bun B & Pimp C were early innovators in distinguishing a sound unique from the East Coast / West Coast sub-genres the 90's are most remembered for. Their third album "Ridin' Dirty" became somewhat of a regional anthem and if not for Pimp C's incarceration in 2002 - the group surely would have been primed to break into mainstream success alongside contemporaries OutKast, Three 6 Mafia and Ludacris. Nevertheless, they were still able to achieve some major success between Pimp C's release from prison in 2005 and his untimely passing in 2007 with the double disk self titled album anchored by the absolute best track in their catalog "Int'l Players Anthem" (which ironically enough, features OutKast)
#8. EPMD
Across 7 Albums (as well as 7 Businesses, and 7 Janes) EPMD have been one of the longest running and most consistent rap duos in the game, even surviving an alleged robbery when Erick Sermon ( or "E" ) sent some armed goons to collect on some unpaid debts from Parrish Smith ( "PMD" )'s house. Drama aside, their music evolved from the late 80's boom bap of "I'm Housin" to the hardcore East Coast stylings of "Run It" making EPMD one of the few groups in hip hop to adapt with the changing times, getting harder and heavier with each release.
#7. The Clipse
This one feels like a little bit of a cop out because while No Malice and Pusha T were fine on their own, it wasn't until they hooked up with Pharell and The Neptunes that the coke rap pioneers really began to shine. In the midst of the overly commercialized hip hop of the 2000's, Clipse managed to bring the sounds of the hardcore south to the mainstream with classic singles like "When the Last Time" and "Grindin". And with Pusha teasing a possible reunion after releasing his magnum opus "DAYTONA" in 2018, they still may not be done climbing up this list.
#6. Mobb Deep
When most people look back on the gritty underground sounds of the 90's East Coast hip hop scene, Mobb Deep is a name far to rarely mentioned. Their back to back classics, "The Infamous" and "Hell on Earth" more than warrant their inclusion on this list but they also released one of the best hip hop tracks of all time in "Shook Ones, Pt. II". They may have dropped off in quality in the 00's but their early years were absolutely legendary.
#5. Method Man & Redman
Even though they've actually only put out 2 full length albums together (1999's Blackout! and 2009's Blackout!2) it's hard to really mention Method Man or Redman without thinking of the other. Arguably the biggest breakout stars to resonate beyond the Wu-Tang moniker, Meth and Red are constant collaborators whose contrasting flows compliment each other perfectly. Method's slow and calculated delivery against Red's frantic energy makes for a beautiful mixture that helps to elevate one another in a way that makes the duo better when together than on their own.
#4. Eric B. and Rakim
Eric B. & Rakim's flawless 4 album run from 1986-1992 made them one of the most prolific duos in rap history. They helped usher in a new era of hip hop from the late 80's boom bap to the early 90's jazz rap by melding smooth '70s samples with socially conscious and blazing high tempo verses. Unfortunately their run was short lived due to disputes with their label over ownership of the masters of their work. Eric dropped his notoriously awful solo record in 1995 and was pursuing other ventures outside of music by the end of the decade. And while absolutely the star of the duo, Rakim seemed to miss his window to shine as a solo artist due to the five year gap between until his debut, the 18th Letter, finally hit.
#3. Pete Rock & CL Smooth
Although they only released two albums together, they are 2 of my all time favorites, independent of what they meant to 90's hip hop on their own. "T.R.O.Y." is, in my opinion, the best rap anthem of the '90s and Mecca and the Soul Brother the best hip hop record of the '90s. Pete Rock's selection of obscure funk and horn infused production gives the duo's sound a classic backdrop that both embodies and transcends the era it was actually created in. It's truly a shame that the two haven't been able to reconcile outside of a few collaborations on each other's solo outings because their success rate when working with one another is unparalleled, as brief as it may have been.
#2. Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg
So far we've covered a lot of East Coast legends but when it comes to the signature sound of the West Coast, there are two names you can't possibly go without mentioning - Snoop and Dre. After Dr. Dre split out on his own from N.W.A., his debut solo album "The Chronic" as well as Snoop's debut "Doggystyle" (which was also produced by Dre) set the gold standard for g-funk gangster rap for the 90's and beyond. Singles like "Nuthin but a G Thang" and "Gin and Juice" ushered gangster rap into mainstream media and infiltrated living rooms across America with their legendary music videos. Dre and Snoop kickstarted the golden age of hip hop with a cultural revolution, still rippling through the national zeitgeist as we speak.
#1. OutKast
From 1994 - 2006, Big Boi and Andre 3000 released 6 albums (even though "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below" was basically two solo albums) and only one of them isn't a classic. Sorry "Idlewild". Otherwise, they've got one of the deepest and most impressive catalogs in hip hop history and one of the most unique combinations of sounds you'll find anywhere. Big Boi's smooth yet articulately focused performances paired with Andre's unconventional blend of funk and country make for an unexpected exploration through a visceral musical kaleidoscope And while they helped to spotlight the dirty south, by the time OutKast finally broke into the mainstream, they had already outgrown it and began to push their sound into bold new places few rap acts have yet to reach since. And hopefully, one day, they'll continue to carry that torch forward.
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