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12 Times Rappers Successfully Crossed Over Into Pop And Made Hits
BY Malcolm Trapp / 1.29.2025
As many Hip Hop’s favorite artists have shown time and time again, crossing over into pop can lead to long-term chart success or, at the very least, attract a brand-new audience. The latter genre’s hooks — while nothing listeners have not heard before in R&B — draw people in, whereas rap’s storytelling brings the substance that fans connect with. Case in point, Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar’s team up on her “Bad Blood” remix, which, to date, has over 1.6 billion views on YouTube and multiple RIAA certifications under its belt.
Rap-Up compiled a list of some of the best rap-pop crossovers, from massive successes like Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj's "Bang Bang" to slightly lesser-known examples such as Selena Gomez and ASAP Rocky's "Good For You." These 12 songs prove that the two genres have deeper ties than most music fans know.
1. Dua Lipa x DaBaby — "Levitating"
Building on the original’s success, Dua Lipa tapped DaBaby for 2020’s “Levitating” remix. True to his style, the North Carolina rapper jumped right in with a few bars before the chorus hit. The collaborative effort climbed to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, holding a spot on the chart for 77 weeks — surprisingly, both artists’ longest run. DaBaby also has a few more pop features under his belt, including Justin Bieber’s “Know No Better,” Anitta’s “Girl From Rio” and Camila Cabello’s “My Oh My.”
2. Justin Bieber x Big Sean — "As Long As You Love Me"
The same year he appeared on rap-heavy collaborations like Ye’s Mercy” and Lil Wayne’s “My Homies Still,” Big Sean also lent his presence to Bieber’s “As Long As You Love Me.” Though the song debatably could have held its own without the Detroit native, he still delivered memorable lines like, “Girl, you know I got you / Us, trust, a couple things I can't spell without 'U' / Now we on top of the world 'cause that's just how we do.” For a record that only featured him on the third verse, the track going five times platinum is not half bad.
3. Jung Kook x Latto — "Seven"
Jung Kook and Latto’s “Seven” arrived in the middle of a slow year for Hip Hop, with the latter artist becoming the first rapper to have a song reach No. 1 on the Hot 100 in 2023 — seven months into the year. Featured on the BTS star’s debut solo album, GOLDEN, the K-pop jam saw Latto calling back to her hit “Big Energy” and even throwing in a reference to the Cha Cha Slide.
“We reached out to her, and she gladly agreed to work together for ‘Seven.’ I personally like her rapping voice, and I thought her voice adds another layer of liveliness,” Jung Kook told Variety.
4. Selena Gomez x ASAP Rocky — "Good For You"
Serving as the lead single for Gomez’s Revival, "Good For You" marked the songstress’ first time uniting ASAP Rocky. Given her Disney-friendly image, the Harlem rapper surprisingly managed to keep it generally PG-13, slipping in double entendres like, “Rubbin' on my miniature / John Hancock, f**k the signature.
5. Taylor Swift x Kendrick Lamar — "Bad Blood"
Swift has collaborated with A-listers from nearly every genre. In 2015, she joined forces with Lamar for a remix of her smash hit “Bad Blood,” the rapper’s first-ever No. 1 on the Hot 100. The Compton MC also starred as “Welvin Da Great” in the futuristic visual companion, which contained cameos from Zendaya, Serayah and Gigi Hadid, to name a few.
After talent manager and record executive Scooter Braun acquired her masters through his purchase of Big Machine Records, the pop star had Lamar re-record his verse for the deluxe of 1989 (Taylor’s Version). “Watching [Lamar] create and record his verses on the ‘Bad Blood’ remix was one of the most inspiring experiences of my life,” Swift penned on Instagram. “I still look back on this collaboration with so much pride and gratitude for the ways Kendrick elevated the song and the way he treats everyone around him.”
6. Camila Cabello x Young Thug — "Havana"
Arguably one of the most successful acts to come out of Fifth Harmony’s split, Cabello has crossed over into rap time and time again. The C,XOXO creator’s track record includes collaborations with Gunna, Drake, Playboi Carti, Lil Nas X and Young Thug, who worked with her on 2017’s “Havana.” The track began with a quiet debut at No. 99 on the Hot 100, only to reach the coveted No. 1 spot five months later.
7. Wiz Khalifa x Charlie Puth — "See You Again"
2015’s Furious 7 honored Paul Walker’s memory with “See You Again,” a heartfelt tribute to his final role as Brian O’Conner. Charlie Puth sang with Vin Diesel’s perspective in mind, while Wiz Khalifa's two verses emphasized the importance of brotherhood and family — in one of the most tear-jerking ways possible. For longtime fans of the movie franchise, the accompanying visuals likely served as an emotional trip down memory lane. It became the first Hip Hop video to surpass 1 billion YouTube views, with the track itself topping the Hot 100 for 12 weeks.
8. Jessie J x Nicki Minaj x Ariana Grande — "Bang Bang"
Jessie J, Minaj and Grande scored big numbers for the ladies with 2014’s “Bang Bang.” The smash hit marked the first all-female collaboration to be certified diamond by the RIAA just a decade after it initially peaked at No. 3 on the Hot 100. With its accompanying music video having amassed over 2 billion views on YouTube alone, the record appeared on Jessie J’s Sweet Talker and found its way onto the deluxe edition of Grande’s My Everything.
9. Bruno Mars x Cardi B — "Finesse (Remix)"
Serving as the duo’s first collaboration together, Bruno Mars and Cardi B joined forces for “Finesse (Remix).” The updated rendition kept the singer’s chorus from the original track, which appeared on 24K Magic, and blessed listeners with a braggadocious verse from the Bronx star. “Drop top Porsche, Rollie on my wrist / Diamonds up and down my chain / Cardi B, straight stuntin', can't tell me nothin' / Bossed up and I changed the game,” she dished out over the groovy instrumental. Fortunately, fans got to see the pair in action again with 2019’s “Please Me.”
10. Justin Bieber x Quavo — “Intentions”
Bieber and Quavo saw massive success with their collaboration on DJ Khaled’s “I’m the One,” so understandably, the two artists tried to recreate the formula years later with “Intentions” from the pop star’s Changes. They came relatively close, notching the No. 5 spot on the Hot 100 in June 2020. Bieber later returned the favor by hopping on Migos’ “What You See” from Culture III.
11. Sia x Kendrick Lamar — “The Greatest”
Sia tapped Lamar for a remix of “The Greatest,” which appears on the deluxe edition of her 2016 album, This Is Acting. Fittingly, the “squabble up” hitmaker laid out exactly why he is considered one of the best of today’s generation: “Aye, I am the greatest / Aye, this is the proof / Aye, I work hard, pray hard, pay dues, aye / I transform with pressure, I'm hands-on with effort.” Lamar has quite a list of other crossover collabs, too, including Imagine Dragon’s “Radioactive” remix, Mayer Hawthorne’s “Crime” and Maroon 5’s “Don’t Wanna Know,” to name a few.
12. Katy Perry x Juicy J — “Dark Horse”
Appearing on “Dark Horse” was definitely a major departure from Juicy J’s earlier hits like “Bandz A Make Her Dance” and “Bounce It,” but it paid off big time. The Katy Perry-led track from her fourth album, PRISM, is one of her biggest hits — right up there with “Roar” and “Firework.” Plus, Juicy J is among the few rappers who could rhyme “knight in shining armor” with “I’m gon’ put her in a coma” and throw in a Jeffrey Dahmer reference in a pop song.