30 Greatest Remixes of All Time

Contrary to popular belief, Diddy did not invent the remix. Although he did have a major impact on them. Hip-Hop artists have been offering up remixes for as long as I can remember and some of them have turned decent songs into great songs and great songs into classics. So it seems only right to honor the 30 best hip-hop remixes of all time.

For the sake of this list, we’re focused solely on songs with new verses or that have been remixed completely with new lyrics and a new beat. You won’t find remixed beats of original songs on here, otherwise Pete Rock’s remix of Public Enemy’s “Shut ‘Em Down,” DJ Premier’s remix of Big L’s “Ebonics” and Ice Cube’s “Check Yo Self” remix with “The Message” sample would find their way on this list.

So here you go:

30. “Hip-Hop (Remix)” – Joell Ortiz feat. Jadakiss & Saigon
Jada discusses the glory days of hip-hop versus today’s ring-tone raps, while Saigon steals the show discussing New York’s rap revival and his struggles as a lyrical artist. Two strong guest performances, while Joell was still making a name for himself and holds his own here.

29. “Whoa (Remix)” – Black Rob feat. Rah Digga, Lil’ Cease, G. Dep, Da Brat & Beanie Sigel
The original was an anthem when it dropped, but this remix was nice too. Good to hear Cease and you can never go wrong with Beans. At the time, liked Black Rob saying he was putting Bad Boy on his back. Just didn’t quite happen that way.

28. “Bucktown USA (Remix)” – Cocoa Brovas feat. M.O.P.
“Bucktown USA” was a nice way for the Cocoa Brovas to let people know their name changed, but their music remained intact. Two of N.Y.’s best duos come together on this one and M.O.P. did exactly what you’d expect from them; they destroyed this beat.

27. “Why? (Remix)” – Jadakiss feat. Styles P., Common, Nas & Anthony Hamilton
Like “Whoa”, a nice posse track that let others put their spin on the title. Common raps about impeaching Bush and electing Obama and calls out Britney Spears for her singing or lack thereof. Nas absolutely slays this. No surprise there.

26. “Keepin’ It Gangsta (Remix)” – Fabolous feat. Jadakiss, Styles P., Paul Cain, M.O.P.
Wasn’t a big Fabolous fan when his debut album dropped, but “Keepin’ It Gangsta” was a banger. Add 2/3 of the Lox and M.O.P. and you have the recipe for success. How come adding M.O.P. makes everything better?

25. “Ante Up (Remix)” – M.O.P. feat. Busta Rhymes, Teflon & Remy Ma
The only way to bring more heat to a remix than adding M.O.P. is taking an M.O.P. song and adding Busta Rhymes to it. The original is a classic, so this remix pales in comparison, but it’s still nice to hear Busta get wild on this beat.

24. “Simon Says (Remix)” – Pharoahe Monch feat. Lady Luck, Redman, Method Man, Shabaam Sahdeeq & Busta Rhymes
Monch remains one of the most underrated MCs in hip-hop and he was fantastic among the list of heavyweights on this track. Red, Meth and Busta delivered as expected and Shabaam looked like he was ready to bust out and shine. Still curious as to what happened to Sahdeeq.

23. “Never Scared (Remix)” – Bonecrusher feat. Cam’ron, Jadakiss and Busta Rhymes
Bonecrusher will never be listed among the lyrical greats, but this song served its purpose. Jada’s vicious on here, Busta matches Bonecrusher’s energy and Cam surprisingly steals the spotlight.

22. “The Set Up (Remix)” – Obie Trice feat. Redman, Lloyd Banks, Jadakiss & Nate Dogg
Jada had a stretch where he was on every remix, or at least it seemed that way. I’ve always been a fan of Obie and had this beat as my ringtone for years. This beat is nasty and Red just abuses it.

21. “Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix)” – Kanye West feat. Jay-Z
The original was fantastic and helped build the anticipation for Late Registration. Kanye delivered on his sophomore effort and included this remix with his “big brother.” Hov jumps in perfectly and makes a suitable remix.

20. “Shut ‘Em Down (Remix)” – Onyx feat. Noreaga & Big Punisher
The original had DMX who was the hottest name in hip-hop at the time. Made for the perfect combination considering the energy level those four brought. N.O.R.E. just broke out as a solo star and gets the track jumpstarted and Pun fits the track perfectly, but Sticky Fingaz MURDERS the final verse. “Sticky Fingaz, I’m still alive/That means the greatest rapper of all time ain’t never die.”

19. “Doe or Die (Remix)” – AZ feat. Raekwon
AZ’s debut was tremendous and remains slept on. He just released the 15th anniversary edition of Doe or Die in 2010. Raekwon was at the height of his career, coming off Only Built For Cuban Linx and has a great exchange with Sosa on this one.

18. “Ruff Ryders Anthem (Remix)” – DMX feat. Drag-On, LOX & Eve
The original remains a classic, so obviously this wasn’t going to live up to it. But it had X adding to the hook, which he uses when he performs it live. And it fits perfectly.

17. “I Shot Ya (Remix)” – LL Cool J feat. Keith Murray, Prodigy, Fat Joe & Foxy Brown
Prodigy was one the most highly regarded MCs during this time and it showed on this track. Unfortunately, P decided to stop rhyming his lyrics somewhere along the line. This track was also pre-“What’s Love” Joey Crack, so his style was still raw at the time. The beat is tremendous and Murray, Prodigy and Fat Joe do it justice. Foxy holds her own as well.

16. “Method Man (Remix)” – Method Man
The original version from Enter the 36 Chambers helped introduce Wu-Tang and more specifically Method Man to the masses. The remix off Meth’s debut Tical further cemented his place among hip-hop’s best.

15. “Girls, Girls, Girls (Remix)” – Jay-Z
Found on the end of Hov’s classic Blueprint as a bonus track, this Kanye-produced gem put another spin on the original. This could’ve been released as a single over the original and had as much success. Both were great.

14. “Gettin’ Money” – Junior M.A.F.I.A.
“You could be as good as the best of them/But as bad as the worst/So don’t test me/You better move over.” Biggie’s hook on this is tremendous. Sampled Dennis Edwards’ “Don’t Look Any Further” (do yourself a favor and watch Edwards’ video on Youtube RIGHT NOW – talk about classic!) which 2Pac then flipped for “Hit ‘Em Up.”

13. “Get By (Remix)” – Talib Kweli feat. Mos Def, Jay-Z, Kanye West & Busta Rhymes
Jay rhyming with Kweli and Mos Def just sounds right. A fresh newcomer named Kanye West (who also produced the track) holds his own with these heavyweights and shows glimpses of what he would later become.

12. “Quiet Storm (Remix)” – Mobb Deep feat. Lil’ Kim
The original had Prodigy spit all three verses, but Havoc weighs in on the remix as well as the Queen Bee. The beat is sick and is classic Mobb Deep.

11. “Scenario (Remix)” – A Tribe Called Quest feat. Leaders of the New School
There are those who rank this as the best remix of all-time. And while it’s great to hear ATCQ and LONS have another go at it, the original is an absolute, hands-down classic so this falls a little short. If this was the original and only version to come out, it may rank higher in my book. But remember, “Bo knows this and Bo knows that/But Bo don’t know jack, cause Bo can’t rap.” ‘Nuff said.

10. “U Don’t Know (Remix)” – Jay-Z feat. M.O.P.
The Blueprint was Jay’s magnum opus and this track was among the many highlights. The Blueprint 2 was not on the same level. Two discs had too much filler. But if one track lived up to the classic disc Hov put out in 2001, it was this remix. M.O.P. murders this track. Don’t believe me, just listen to Jigga, “Mo’ money, mo’ murder now that M.O.P.’s hired.”

9. “I Got 5 On It (Remix)” – Luniz feat. Dru Down, Richie Rich, E-40, Digital Underground & Spice-1
I think the Luniz made four different variations of this track. The original remains the best, but this remix did the original track justice. This is a group of West Coast all-stars, including an appearance from Humpty Hump. Bonus points for finishing the song with Spice-1.

8. “Made You Look (Remix)” – Nas feat. Jadakiss & Ludacris
I will be the first to admit, I was late on recognizing Ludacris’ talent. Really didn’t care for “What’s Your Fantasy” and still don’t. But sweet Lord does he kill it on this one. Paired with two lyrical giants, Luda stepped up to the plate and knocked it out the park. This beat is ridiculous.

7. “Special Delivery (Remix)” – G. Dep feat. Ghostface Killah, Keith Murray & Craig Mack
Ghost opens the track in classic form, speaking on the rhinestones in his sweater, his Tony Stark slippers and Wonder Woman arm. Dep holds his own with this line-up, Murray is the show stealer and it was refreshing to hear Mack again. And what better platform than a Bad Boy remix?

6. “I’ll Be There For You/All I Need” – Method Man feat. Mary J. Blige
The original stayed true to the grimy sound of Tical and is still one of the rawest love songs in hip-hop history. The remix offered a completely different sound. Diddy knows hits and what sells and did it with this one. Good enough to win a Grammy, yet retain the integrity of the original.

5. “Tha Crossroads” – Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
Perhaps too low on the list, but there was no song I loved more than this when it came out. It still holds up all these years later, maybe not as well as some of the others on this list, but the impact this originally made allows it to stay in the top 5. The original was completely different from this offering. Amazing video for this track as well.

4. “I Got Cha Opin” – Black Moon
It’s hard to imagine improving on anything from Enta Da Stage, but this is better than any song Black Moon’s ever released. And Enta Da Stage is a damn classic. The production on this is sums up the Beatminerz sound and Buckshot owns it in every way. I can listen to this song at any place, at any time and never, ever get tired of it. In fact, I’m taking a timeout to listen to this right now…

3. “One More Chance/Stay With Me” – The Notorious B.I.G.
As I stated above about Enta Da Stage, it’s hard to imagine improving anything from Ready To Die, but this is better than the original, hands down. This belonged on Ready To Die. Biggie could remain lyrical on radio-friendly songs better than anyone.

2. “Flava N Ya Ear (Remix)” – Craig Mack feat. Notorious B.I.G., Rampage, LL Cool J & Busta Rhymes
“Bad Boys, come out and plaaaay.” This could be No. 1 on any list and it would be almost impossible to argue. Biggie opens the song with an amazing verse and Busta lights it on fire to close out the song. The original version is an all-time classic and the remix is even better. It’s just that good.

1.“Nappy Heads (Remix)” – The Fugees
If I were to make a 20-song mix of my all-time favorites, this song would make the cut. No other song on this list would. That’s the first reason it’s No. 1. Secondly, it introduced the world to The Fugees and features one of Lauryn Hill’s nastiest verses ever. Third, the horns on this still get me excited every time I hear them. And lastly, the original was garbage. The Fugees first album for that matter was hard to stomach. If this song didn’t happen, The Score may not have ever happened and that remains one of my favorites to ever be released. And who knows about Lauryn’s career – which is now a legitimate question, but only 5 Grammys later - without the Fugees finding their way. So the real question is, “Mona Lisa, can I get a date on Friday?/And if you’re busy, I wouldn’t mind taking Saturday.”